Luke's Gold (23 page)

“You lookin' to put them in the corral, I reckon,” Ralph said.

“Yes, sir,” Cade replied. “Are you Ralph Duncan?”

“Yep.”

“Mr. Kramer told me to see you about a bunk, and maybe some supper, if I ain't too late.”

“Nah, you ain't too late,” Duncan said. “Charley ain't even set the chuck on the table yet.” He stepped forward. “Here, let me give you a hand with them horses.” Cade handed him the reins to two of the horses. “You gonna eat with the men?” Duncan went on. “I thought you might be stayin' up at the house with the other guests.”

Cade raised an eyebrow and hesitated for a moment to decide if Duncan's remark held a hint of sarcasm. Looking at the deeply lined face of the gray-bearded older man, he decided there was none intended. “Reckon not,” he replied. “I ain't one of the guests. I just brought 'em over here. Mr. Kramer told me to stick around for a few days to help you saddle-break some horses he just bought.”

This was surprising news to Duncan. He wasn't aware that they were in need of more men. The headquarters ranch here in Deer Lodge was only about three hundred acres, and used mostly to train horses for the cattle herds Kramer grazed on the open range, although it was also a working cattle ranch. He figured his boss must have some reason to hire on another hand.
Could be,
he thought,
the boy just needs a job and the boss is acting out of the kindness of his heart.
“Oh,” he said, “so you're a new hand. You done much work with horses?”

“Some,” Cade answered as they walked toward the barn. “I ain't exactly a new hire, though. I work for Jack Walker down at the Coyote Creek camp.”

“Oh, well, in that case, glad to have you help out. Come on, I'll show you where to leave them saddles.” That was good news. Ralph didn't think he especially needed any help breaking in the new stock, but he was relieved to know he wasn't going to be expected to break in a new man. “We'll turn these horses out, and maybe supper will be ready by then.”

“'Preciate the help,” Cade said. “Just so you'll know, this little mare belongs to Elizabeth, and the trashy-lookin' gelding here is my horse. He ain't the easiest horse to get along with.”

After the horses were taken care of, Duncan showed Cade to an empty bunk, then introduced him to the rest of the Deer Lodge crew. Besides Ralph, there were only six other men on the payroll at that time. All six seemed to be cordial enough when Duncan explained that Cade was going to be working with them for a few days. Soon after he had met everyone, the food arrived from the kitchen, carried by the Chinese cook, Charley Wing. All hands eagerly went to work on the victuals. Duncan grinned when he saw Cade's enthusiastic assault on the food. “It's pretty good chuck, ain't it? I'll bet it's a mite different from Coyote Creek.”

“There ain't much doubt about that,” Cade replied, helping himself to another biscuit. “It was worth the ride over here just for supper.”

 

Work began in earnest the following morning. Bright and early, the crew started with the new horses. Curious as to the new man's credentials, Duncan spent a good portion of the morning watching Cade work with a wild stallion that the rest of the crew had obviously left for last. The horse was past the age when gelding would have been most effective, but he didn't appear to be overly aggressive when Cade was working with him. Just as Jack Walker had before, Duncan could not help but notice that the man seemed to have a special communication with the animal. He was beginning to understand why Carlton Kramer had asked Cade to stay on to help.

About mid-morning, Cade glanced up to see Elizabeth coming down from the house, heading for the corral. Spotting the young lady at almost the same time, Duncan climbed down from the top rail where he had been perched, watching Cade work.

Seeing the gray-haired foreman, Elizabeth's face lit up with a great big smile, and she ran to meet him. “Uncle Ralph!” she squealed and gave him an enthusiastic hug.

“Hello, Beth, girl,” Duncan responded, chuckling happily. “I was wonderin' when I was gonna get to see you.” The rest of the crew paused to grin their appreciation as the foreman held Elizabeth by the shoulders at arm's length to take a good look at her. “Danged if you ain't all growed up to be a regular lady,” he gushed.

“How've you been, Uncle Ralph?” she asked. They chatted for a few minutes, exchanging news, while the crew went back to their chores. “What do you think of your new man?” Elizabeth asked in as casual a voice as she could manage.

“He sure seems to know his business when it comes to breakin' a horse,” Duncan replied, “but he'll have to be around here a little longer before I could think much about him one way or the other.”

“Did you see my horse?” she asked, excitement returning to her voice.

“Yep,” Duncan replied, “right spunky little mare. She's a pretty one.”

“You think I could borrow Cade to saddle my horse for me? It's such a beautiful morning I thought I'd like to take a ride.”

“Why, sure, honey, you can have anythin' you want, but I can saddle your horse for you.”

“Thanks, Uncle Ralph, but I need to thank Cade for bringing White Moon and me up here, anyway.”

“Oh,” Duncan said, a little slow on picking up on the obvious at first, then realizing. “Oh,” he repeated, this time with the hint of a twinkle in his eye, “I'll call him over.”

Cade led a buckskin mare over to the rail. “Mornin', Elizabeth,” he said as he stood stroking the mare's neck.

“Beth would like you to saddle her horse for her. I'll take that mare off your hands. Looks like you've gentled her up some already.”

“She took the bridle all right,” Cade replied matter-of-factly, “but she sure ain't nowhere near saddle-broke yet.” He handed the reins to Duncan and shook out a noose as he headed for the other corral to get Elizabeth's mare.

“You might oughta ride with Beth if she don't mind,” Duncan called after him. “There's been some talk about cattle rustlin' goin' on near here. No tellin' what kind of drifters might be snoopin' around these hills.” He caught the coy look Elizabeth sent his way, and winked in return.

Cade quickly threw a rope on the mare and led her to the barn. Needing no encouragement, Loco followed along behind. “Have you named her yet?” Cade asked as he saddled the mare.

“Yes,” Elizabeth answered. “Her name is Glory. You like it?”

Cade shrugged his shoulders. “I reckon that's as good a name as any.” Taking an extra tug on the cinch of the single-rigged saddle, he then handed her the reins. “Well, here's Glory, all ready to go.” He walked over to the bench and paused with his hand on his saddle before turning back to face her. “Duncan said I should ride with you. Is that all right with you?”

“Sure,” she said. “Come on and I'll show you some of my favorite places from when I was a little girl.” Giving him a warm smile, she took hold of the saddle horn and waited for Cade to help her up. As soon as she was in the saddle, she turned Glory toward the barn door, not waiting for Cade to saddle Loco. “You'd better hurry if you're gonna ride with me,” she teased.

Within a couple of minutes, Cade was in the saddle and Loco loped out of the barn after the mare. Making no attempt to move up beside her, Cade held Loco back to what he considered a respectable distance, unsure if his presence was truly welcome on Elizabeth's ride. His thinking was that he was along for protection only. They continued on that way, following a ravine that led back up in the hills until Elizabeth tired of the arrangement and pulled up to wait for him. “I'm not going to bite you,” she complained when he came up even with her.

“I didn't think you would,” he said. “I didn't know if you preferred ridin' alone.”

“If I did, I wouldn't have asked you to come along, now, would I?” She gave him a look of exasperation before smiling broadly. “Come on, I'll show you my most favorite place.” She gave the mare her heels and was off again. He followed, this time close behind her.

They followed the ravine until it began to flatten into the slope of the mountainside. Several dozen yards up the slope, they came to a game trail that led off through a forest thick with firs. Elizabeth followed the trail that sidled along the base of the mountain until finally leading down again to a clear stream and a clearing strewn with rocks. Making her way through the rocks, she guided her horse across the stream to a small grassy pasture. She dismounted and waited for Cade.

“This was my secret place,” she said, laughing, when he stepped down from the saddle. “This was where I used to come to dream about when I would be a grown-up and what I would do.” She laughed again at the thought. “I used to dream I would go to Omaha or Chicago and marry a rich man.” She gazed around her and gestured with her hand. “Isn't this a beautiful place? I used to come here when I was feeling sad, too, like when my mother died.”

Cade could only respond politely. “Yes, ma'am, it is a beautiful place, all right.” He felt extremely awkward, wishing at that moment that he had some social skills. He had spent so little time in the presence of young ladies that he realized he was almost tongue-tied when it came to casual banter.

She affected a look of scolding. “Don't you ‘yes, ma'am' me anymore, Cade Hunter. I'm not your mother.”

Taken aback, he flushed, embarrassed. “Yes, ma'—” he started to blurt out before he caught himself. “Yes, Elizabeth,” he corrected.

“You can call me Beth,” she said. “After all, you did escort me over here—saved me from road agents and wild Indians, and whatever else might have harmed me.”

Although lacking in experience with the opposite sex, Cade could at least realize when he was being teased. He nodded his head slowly, a faint smirk forming on his face. “All right,
Beth,
but I was thinkin' more about callin' you Sassy. How do you know I wouldn't have just turned and run if I
had
seen wild Indians or road agents?”

She favored him with a coy smile. “Because my daddy wouldn't have sent you if you weren't the kind of man to protect a lady.” She watched him closely for a few moments, amused by his reaction to her teasing. “Besides,” she said, “we're friends. Come sit down, and we'll talk while the horses drink.”

Cade did as he was bade, still not sure what his emotions were telling him. Beth was certainly not suffering any such restraint, chattering on about her summers here at the ranch. He listened in polite fascination, content just to hear the music of her voice. Before long, the conversation evolved into questions about him.

“There ain't much to tell you,” he insisted. “I've been workin' with horses and cattle since I was fourteen, and that's about it.” He shrugged apologetically. There was a lot more to tell, but nothing he felt comfortable in confiding to her, and some things he was not particularly proud of.

“What about your family?” she asked. “Where are they?”

“Dead, or same as,” he replied. “My pa's dead, and my ma married again, but I haven't seen her since I was fourteen—and that's all the family I've got.”

“No friends?” she persisted.

He became thoughtful for a moment. “No. I had a friend, but he got killed.” He glanced up to meet her gaze, and finding it filled with sympathy, quickly flashed her a smile. “It's all the same to me. I don't really need friends.”

“Well, you've got one now,” she stated emphatically, and extended her hand to him. “You can't go around with no family or friends. If you're sad or in trouble, I give you permission to use my secret place.”

He had to smile. Taking her hand, he exaggerated a formal handshake. “All right, friend.”

“Uncle Carlton said he was keeping you around for a while,” she said. “I thought that you might want to get back to Coyote Creek right away.”

“No ma'—Beth,” he stammered. “I'm not in any hurry to get back. I'd just as soon stay here for however long Mr. Kramer needs me.”

“Any particular reason?” she asked, unable to prevent the impish gleam in her eye.

“No,” he replied at first, then, answering honestly, said, “Maybe.”

On a sudden impulse, she graced him with a smile, reached up and kissed him on the cheek, then quickly pulled away, leaving him wide-eyed in astonishment. “Just between friends,” she said. “Come on, I've got to go back and help with dinner.” Not waiting for help this time, she put a foot in the stirrup and hopped nimbly up in the saddle, then guided Glory back in the direction of the ranch.

Riding across the slope to the ravine, she preceded him down to the prairie again. This time, she waited for him to catch up, and they rode back to the corral side by side. Her conversation light and casual, she chatted away, apparently forgetful of the kiss on the cheek, as if it had never happened. Cade, whose participation in the conversation consisted of little more than a nod or occasional grunt, still felt the burn of her lips upon his cheek. Neither the man nor the woman noticed the two strange horses tied up at the hitching rail before the house, nor the men sitting on the front porch talking to Carlton Kramer.