mountains. The moon rose up behind them and the reflection off the snow was bright.
âLooks like she wandered a bit before she showed up,â Dan said. He pointed north and Jake saw the packed-down snow that showed signs of something Libbyâs size passing through.
âSheâs lucky she didnât wind up as a meal for a wildcat or the wolves,â Randy observed.
âWhat were you up to out here?â Jake asked the donkey. Libby twitched her ears and showed Jake her teeth.
âYup, she sure is sweet on you,â Dan said.
They were almost out of Jakeâs valley and to the main road. To the south and east the road led out of the mountains and eventually to Denver, after a week of hard riding. To the north and west was the small town of Angelâs End. Other valleys branched off the road on both sides, most all of them home to various ranches. Higher up in the mountains, beyond the ranches, were scores of mines, some with gold, others with silver. Mining was hard work and too much of it depended on luck. It wasnât the life for Jake; he knew good and well that he didnât have the patience for it.
It had been awhile since Jake talked to the other men in the local Cattlemenâs Association and he wondered how they had all fared during the long hard winter. Raymond Watkins, who had the valley opposite Jakeâs, had the biggest spread. He considered himself the head of their association, even though Jake had been elected this year to run it. Some men liked to be in charge and Jake figured heâd get along better with the man by letting him be rather than standing up against him. It just wasnât worth the trouble to challenge him. Watkinsâs crew was bad news. Jake wouldnât have hired any of them, but since they werenât on his payroll it was none of his business. They didnât bother him, so he minded his own business and was happy that Watkins chose to do the same.
The Castles lived south of Jake. Theyâd only been around for a few years. Jared, his wife Laurie and their daughter Eden. They had a younger son who Jake had only seen once and who went to school in the east, and a three-year-old granddaughter by an older son who was rumored to be in prison. Both the son in prison and the granddaughter had Indian blood in them. There was a story there, but Jake didnât know the Castles well enough to ask. They were good people from what little he did know and Jake often envied the obvious affection between Jared and his beautiful Laurie. Their daughter, Eden, was the image of her mother but walked with a limp from a twisted leg that came with her birth.
They came to the main road. There was evidence of traffic as the snow was beaten down and packed tight. A wagon couldnât make it through the deep snow, but riders had passed this way and not too long ago. The sky above was cloudless and endless, with innumerable stars scattered across. It made one feel small and insignificant to look at it. It made one feel lonely.
Jake took a deep breath. It was time to leave the winter doldrums behind. The air was crisp without that bone-chilling slice that cut right through a person. Spring was definitely on its way. Jake could only hope that it wouldnât take its own sweet time arriving.
He turned Skip to the north and the town of Angelâs End. The road split here, dividing off toward Watkinsâs Bar W ranch to the left and Angelâs End to the right. Signs were nailed to the trees at each cutoff, identifying the name of the family and their brand. The three men rode on, lost in their own thoughts and the quiet magic of the beautiful night.
The valley on the north side of Jakeâs and closer to Angelâs End was currently uninhabited. It had belonged to Sam Parker, a crotchety old geezer who would just as soon shoot you as look at you. He had run a few head of cattle and always contributed his part to the annual drive to market. He had up and
âLooks like she wandered a bit before she showed up,â Dan said. He pointed north and Jake saw the packed-down snow that showed signs of something Libbyâs size passing through.
âSheâs lucky she didnât wind up as a meal for a wildcat or the wolves,â Randy observed.
âWhat were you up to out here?â Jake asked the donkey. Libby twitched her ears and showed Jake her teeth.
âYup, she sure is sweet on you,â Dan said.
They were almost out of Jakeâs valley and to the main road. To the south and east the road led out of the mountains and eventually to Denver, after a week of hard riding. To the north and west was the small town of Angelâs End. Other valleys branched off the road on both sides, most all of them home to various ranches. Higher up in the mountains, beyond the ranches, were scores of mines, some with gold, others with silver. Mining was hard work and too much of it depended on luck. It wasnât the life for Jake; he knew good and well that he didnât have the patience for it.
It had been awhile since Jake talked to the other men in the local Cattlemenâs Association and he wondered how they had all fared during the long hard winter. Raymond Watkins, who had the valley opposite Jakeâs, had the biggest spread. He considered himself the head of their association, even though Jake had been elected this year to run it. Some men liked to be in charge and Jake figured heâd get along better with the man by letting him be rather than standing up against him. It just wasnât worth the trouble to challenge him. Watkinsâs crew was bad news. Jake wouldnât have hired any of them, but since they werenât on his payroll it was none of his business. They didnât bother him, so he minded his own business and was happy that Watkins chose to do the same.
The Castles lived south of Jake. Theyâd only been around for a few years. Jared, his wife Laurie and their daughter Eden. They had a younger son who Jake had only seen once and who went to school in the east, and a three-year-old granddaughter by an older son who was rumored to be in prison. Both the son in prison and the granddaughter had Indian blood in them. There was a story there, but Jake didnât know the Castles well enough to ask. They were good people from what little he did know and Jake often envied the obvious affection between Jared and his beautiful Laurie. Their daughter, Eden, was the image of her mother but walked with a limp from a twisted leg that came with her birth.
They came to the main road. There was evidence of traffic as the snow was beaten down and packed tight. A wagon couldnât make it through the deep snow, but riders had passed this way and not too long ago. The sky above was cloudless and endless, with innumerable stars scattered across. It made one feel small and insignificant to look at it. It made one feel lonely.
Jake took a deep breath. It was time to leave the winter doldrums behind. The air was crisp without that bone-chilling slice that cut right through a person. Spring was definitely on its way. Jake could only hope that it wouldnât take its own sweet time arriving.
He turned Skip to the north and the town of Angelâs End. The road split here, dividing off toward Watkinsâs Bar W ranch to the left and Angelâs End to the right. Signs were nailed to the trees at each cutoff, identifying the name of the family and their brand. The three men rode on, lost in their own thoughts and the quiet magic of the beautiful night.
The valley on the north side of Jakeâs and closer to Angelâs End was currently uninhabited. It had belonged to Sam Parker, a crotchety old geezer who would just as soon shoot you as look at you. He had run a few head of cattle and always contributed his part to the annual drive to market. He had up and
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