horses, and at one point the riders ha d drawn up, facing toward the cabin , perhaps listening to them talking.
That was not over an hour ago. Sh e turned abruptly and, gathering her skirt , started for the cabin. Even now they migh t be up in the cedars, watching her. Sh e moved quickly.
Laban met her at the door, brushing ha y from his clothes. Ruthie was reading a newspape r one of the men had left with them.
What is it, ma? What's wrong ? Laba n asked.
She hesitated for a moment, but the y must be told . Indians, Laban. I saw thei r tracks in the road. They must have com e along while we were eating supper. W e must be very careful .
That night she left a crack of th e window open looking toward the corrals , and she placed the shotgun beside her. I f the Indians came she supposed it would b e for the horses, but although the coyote s howled the long night through, she hear d no other sound.
Before it was time for the stage to com e again, she carefully tamped down th e earthern floor, and then, as she had see n her grandmother do years ago on thei r farm in Ohio, she traced a floral pattern o n the floor to resemble a carpet. She wa s pleased with the result.
When they were expecting the stage sh e put water on the fire and got food ready t o serve, and then they waited.
They heard the stage coming long befor e it arrived, heard the rattle of the wheels ove r stones, and the running horses.
Charlie McCloud was driving again , and a different man was riding shotgun.
He was a lean, round-shouldered ma n with a tough face and a hard-cut mouth.
He was sporting a cut on his cheekbon e and a black eye.
This here is Kiowa Staples , Charli e said . It looks like he run into somethin g in the dark .
Staples threw him a hard glance . I t was some no-account saddle bum , Staples said irritably . I misjudged him.
The next time we meet it won't be fist s we'll use .
Aw, forget it Kiowa , Charlie said.
You brought it on yourself. There's som e men you just can't push, an' you pushe d that one too far. You think it over an' yo u won't blame him none .
I won't blame him , Staples replied , but I'll kill him .
There was one passenger, a portly ma n in a black derby and black suit wh o descended stiffly from the stage, stretched , and started toward the house.
My advice to you, Kiowa, is to leav e that gent alone , Charlie McClou d advised . I've seen his kind before. Yo u don't find them swaggering aroun d hunting trouble, because they've see n trouble a-plenty. They've been u p the creek an' over the mountain , they've hunted buffalo an' they've fi t Injuns an' maybe outlaws, an' they'v e done it like you an' me hitch a tea m of hossesit's ever' day work to them.
You steer clear of that kind if you wan t to keep a whole hide . . . an' a reputation .
Together McCloud and Kiowa packe d the supplies in and placed them o n the floor out of the way, while Evie pu t the food on the table. It was good soli d food and all three men ate wit h relish.
Stays with you, that kind of grub , Charlie said . If I wasn't married, Mr s Teale, I'd surely come a-courtin' .
Evie blushed . Thank you, Mr.
McCloud. I've always liked to see a ma n enjoy his food .
Kiowa looked up at her . No Injuns ?
We saw tracks , Laban said , righ t after you folks left, the last time. Ther e were two of them .
They were scoutin' you , Kiowa said , and us. You keep a fresh eye, ma'am, an d you worry some. It'll likely be you r saving .
When they were gone, Evie and Ruthi e put the supplies away, while Laban wen t back to work on the shelter for th e animals. It was crudely built and scarcel y more than a windbreak, but Evie , watching him from a distance, saw that th e boy worked with some assurance and not a little skill. Evidently he had watched hi s father and others, and perhaps had helpe d at such jobs before.
Since his father had been gone Laba n had been getting up earlier and workin g harder, and he had fussed much less wit h Ruthie than
That was not over an hour ago. Sh e turned abruptly and, gathering her skirt , started for the cabin. Even now they migh t be up in the cedars, watching her. Sh e moved quickly.
Laban met her at the door, brushing ha y from his clothes. Ruthie was reading a newspape r one of the men had left with them.
What is it, ma? What's wrong ? Laba n asked.
She hesitated for a moment, but the y must be told . Indians, Laban. I saw thei r tracks in the road. They must have com e along while we were eating supper. W e must be very careful .
That night she left a crack of th e window open looking toward the corrals , and she placed the shotgun beside her. I f the Indians came she supposed it would b e for the horses, but although the coyote s howled the long night through, she hear d no other sound.
Before it was time for the stage to com e again, she carefully tamped down th e earthern floor, and then, as she had see n her grandmother do years ago on thei r farm in Ohio, she traced a floral pattern o n the floor to resemble a carpet. She wa s pleased with the result.
When they were expecting the stage sh e put water on the fire and got food ready t o serve, and then they waited.
They heard the stage coming long befor e it arrived, heard the rattle of the wheels ove r stones, and the running horses.
Charlie McCloud was driving again , and a different man was riding shotgun.
He was a lean, round-shouldered ma n with a tough face and a hard-cut mouth.
He was sporting a cut on his cheekbon e and a black eye.
This here is Kiowa Staples , Charli e said . It looks like he run into somethin g in the dark .
Staples threw him a hard glance . I t was some no-account saddle bum , Staples said irritably . I misjudged him.
The next time we meet it won't be fist s we'll use .
Aw, forget it Kiowa , Charlie said.
You brought it on yourself. There's som e men you just can't push, an' you pushe d that one too far. You think it over an' yo u won't blame him none .
I won't blame him , Staples replied , but I'll kill him .
There was one passenger, a portly ma n in a black derby and black suit wh o descended stiffly from the stage, stretched , and started toward the house.
My advice to you, Kiowa, is to leav e that gent alone , Charlie McClou d advised . I've seen his kind before. Yo u don't find them swaggering aroun d hunting trouble, because they've see n trouble a-plenty. They've been u p the creek an' over the mountain , they've hunted buffalo an' they've fi t Injuns an' maybe outlaws, an' they'v e done it like you an' me hitch a tea m of hossesit's ever' day work to them.
You steer clear of that kind if you wan t to keep a whole hide . . . an' a reputation .
Together McCloud and Kiowa packe d the supplies in and placed them o n the floor out of the way, while Evie pu t the food on the table. It was good soli d food and all three men ate wit h relish.
Stays with you, that kind of grub , Charlie said . If I wasn't married, Mr s Teale, I'd surely come a-courtin' .
Evie blushed . Thank you, Mr.
McCloud. I've always liked to see a ma n enjoy his food .
Kiowa looked up at her . No Injuns ?
We saw tracks , Laban said , righ t after you folks left, the last time. Ther e were two of them .
They were scoutin' you , Kiowa said , and us. You keep a fresh eye, ma'am, an d you worry some. It'll likely be you r saving .
When they were gone, Evie and Ruthi e put the supplies away, while Laban wen t back to work on the shelter for th e animals. It was crudely built and scarcel y more than a windbreak, but Evie , watching him from a distance, saw that th e boy worked with some assurance and not a little skill. Evidently he had watched hi s father and others, and perhaps had helpe d at such jobs before.
Since his father had been gone Laba n had been getting up earlier and workin g harder, and he had fussed much less wit h Ruthie than
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