The Rancher Read Free

scream reverberated off the walls of the stable
    and into the courtyard.  Abby dropped her stick and both water pails, running back toward the stable.
    Lily, crouched into the corner of thestall, had terror etched across her face.  She held the bucket of oats up to her chin,her eyes open wide and wet.  Chester’snostrils flared and he snorted heavily withapprehension.
    Before Abby could see what hadevoked such fear in her friend and hadriled the horse, she heard it.   Only onecreature sounded like an innocent baby’stoy before lunging with its deadly strike.
    She snapped her head toward the sound

    and was greeted by a coiled rattlesnake flicking its forked tongue in the air, seemingly focused on the whimpering woman in the stall.  Slowly, Abby reached inside the stable door to the wall where
    her papa’s old Winchester rested.   She removed it slowly from the sturdy nail bracket, careful and steady.
    Boom.  The shot shook the rafters and
    all of the horses, within the close confines of the stable, snorted and reared, pawing at the air.  Within moments men’s voices sounded from every direction.
    Abby reached down, the rifle in one hand, and picked up the now headless serpent.  The width of its body required the use of both hands.   Abby laid the Winchester on the worktable and moved
    to the open doorway.  A half a dozen men

    ran toward her, mostly coming from the
    bunkhouse and the barn.
    “Miss Abby?” Davey was the first at the door, bent over, hands on his knees, attempting to catch his breath. He raised his head to look at her, his breaths coming in ragged heaves. “Is everything...” he swallowed, “all right?”
    Abby shifted with the weight of the snake.   The buttons of the tail rattled together in reaction. Davey’s eyes opened wide.  He jerked up, board straight, and took one slow step backward.  Without warning,   Bert,   another  young  hand, plowed into him from behind, and they sprawled forward toward Abby and the dead rattler.
    Abby dropped her shoulder as they came at her and the two men fell to the

    stable floor, scrambling against each other for their footings. Abby stepped over them and out into the courtyard.
    A short, curt whistle stopped the rest of the frenzy.   “Everything is fine,” she bellowed.  Holding up the snake’s lifeless body for all to see, she attempted to reassure them.  “It was just a rattler.”
    “Yeah, one with seven buttons on its tail.” Davey emerged from under Abby’s
    arm,  just  below   the   snake’s   once formidable rattle.  A low breathy whistle of his own followed his appraisal.
    The other men, satisfied all was well, returned to their various chores about the ranch.
    Abby smiled.  Davey looked down atthe snake and then back at Abby. Sheswore it was admiration playing with the

    freckles on his face.  He tipped his hat, turned, and walked away, grabbing a reluctant Bert by the arm as he left.
    Lily cleared her throat.  “Well, that was unpleasant.”  She stood up and brushed the skirt of her dress.  One hand moved to the back of her head, primping the loose tendrils at her nape. “Tell me again why on earth you like this type of work.”
    Abby tossed the snake toward the muck pile and opened her mouth to respond.
    “Now, that’s good eatin’.” Caleb spoke before she could. “I’d wager near four feet of prime meat.”
    Lily nearly choked.  “Excuse me.  You are going to eat,” she looked toward the dead serpent, “that?”
    Caleb used the handle of his shovel to
    pick up the snake carcass.  “Why, sure,

    missy. Haven’t had Rattlesnake stew since ol’ Broots left us to cook for the
    Graysons’ last year.” He hung it over ahook near the door.
    Abby rolled her eyes.   Satisfied Lilywas fine, she walked into the stall where Chester now appeared unaffected by thepotentially perilous display.  She roamedher hands over his flanks and up