knees had forgotten how to support him. They folded under him. Sitting in the dust, he looked up at Jase, puzzled and pitiful.
Jase shook his head and flipped the stable boy a half dime to take care of Trouble. He offered a hand to the boy. Landers hesitated a moment, then allowed himself to be helped up.
"You're doing fine," Jase said, giving the kid a pat on the back before letting him go. What have I gotten myself into?
Over beef stew and biscuits, he discovered that not learning to ride hadn't been the boy's idea.
"My aunt didn't think riding was a skill I needed to have," Landers said. "I don't think she approved of riding horses at all. Come to think about it, she didn't approve of anything I liked to do."
"Like what?"
"Like hanging out with the Sheriff Langtree. He let me sweep the floor and sort papers and keep the Wanted posters up to date. He knew Aunt Adele didn't approve, but he didn't stop me from coming around until she came down and told him face-to-face I wasn't allowed." He sighed. "For someone so law-abiding, my aunt had an odd aversion to lawmen."
Jase tucked away the name Langtree for future reference. There was something familiar about it, no doubt a reference from one of the many reports he was required to read. If he could place it, he might have another clue to the boy's identity.
After dinner, he took Landers to the general store. The boy needed to be outfitted properly. Jase accepted this as part of his self-assumed responsibilities. The kid didn't see it that way.
"What's wrong with the hat I've got?"
"Other than the fact it doesn't fit right?"
"You can't keep buying me things, sir," Landers complained, picking up a fancy black hat with silver medallions.
Jase bit his lip to stop a smile. He put the black hat back on its stand and placed a plain, light tan Texan on the boy's head.
Landers compared prices. "You can't tell me you're going to sell these things off once we get to El Paso."
"I'm keepin' account. I figure you can work it off over time as my unpaid assistant and stable boy. Speakin' of which, we'll add a shirt or two to your account. I can smell that one a mile away."
The boy turned red as his hair and picked up a denim work shirt.
"See if they got anything closer to your size," Jase advised.
"My aunt always believed in buying things with room to grow."
In the end, Landers allowed Jase to buy him two oversized work shirts, a hat and a couple of bandanas. Emptying out his pockets, the boy handed over almost three dollars in small change.
Jase gave him back a silver dollar. "Get a bath before you put that new shirt on." Landers looked ready to argue, so he added, "Tell them to save the water. I'll be along once I've had a shave."
When he arrived at the wash-house a half-hour later, a bath with fresh water was waiting for him. But no Landers.
Jase sat in a chair in front of the hotel and waited.
Hours later, the boy showed up. He was dirty, sweaty and smelled like the stables. Jase pretended to be asleep, legs stretched out, ankles crossed and hat pulled down over his eyes.
As Landers tried to sneak by, Jase said, "Seems I ain't ever gonna get a meal on time with you around." He pushed his hat back and surveyed the kid.
"You didn't have to wait."
Landers handed over the half dollar.
Jase shook his head, pocketing the coin. Switching from relaxed Texan to stern task master, he scowled at the boy. "The point was that you'd set down to supper clean and well dressed."
"Sorry, sir. You'll notice that I didn't wear my new clothes. I can go clean up now. You don't have to wait for me."
"You're a brat."
"Yes, sir."
"An obnoxious, stubborn brat," he said, trying hard not to smile. "Go wash up. Be down here in half an hour." He took a watch out of his jacket pocket and handed it to the boy. "I'm orderin' supper, so you better not be late."
The kid wasn't late.
Jase noted, with some satisfaction, that Landers cleaned up well. He was beginning to suspect that the boy
Jase shook his head and flipped the stable boy a half dime to take care of Trouble. He offered a hand to the boy. Landers hesitated a moment, then allowed himself to be helped up.
"You're doing fine," Jase said, giving the kid a pat on the back before letting him go. What have I gotten myself into?
Over beef stew and biscuits, he discovered that not learning to ride hadn't been the boy's idea.
"My aunt didn't think riding was a skill I needed to have," Landers said. "I don't think she approved of riding horses at all. Come to think about it, she didn't approve of anything I liked to do."
"Like what?"
"Like hanging out with the Sheriff Langtree. He let me sweep the floor and sort papers and keep the Wanted posters up to date. He knew Aunt Adele didn't approve, but he didn't stop me from coming around until she came down and told him face-to-face I wasn't allowed." He sighed. "For someone so law-abiding, my aunt had an odd aversion to lawmen."
Jase tucked away the name Langtree for future reference. There was something familiar about it, no doubt a reference from one of the many reports he was required to read. If he could place it, he might have another clue to the boy's identity.
After dinner, he took Landers to the general store. The boy needed to be outfitted properly. Jase accepted this as part of his self-assumed responsibilities. The kid didn't see it that way.
"What's wrong with the hat I've got?"
"Other than the fact it doesn't fit right?"
"You can't keep buying me things, sir," Landers complained, picking up a fancy black hat with silver medallions.
Jase bit his lip to stop a smile. He put the black hat back on its stand and placed a plain, light tan Texan on the boy's head.
Landers compared prices. "You can't tell me you're going to sell these things off once we get to El Paso."
"I'm keepin' account. I figure you can work it off over time as my unpaid assistant and stable boy. Speakin' of which, we'll add a shirt or two to your account. I can smell that one a mile away."
The boy turned red as his hair and picked up a denim work shirt.
"See if they got anything closer to your size," Jase advised.
"My aunt always believed in buying things with room to grow."
In the end, Landers allowed Jase to buy him two oversized work shirts, a hat and a couple of bandanas. Emptying out his pockets, the boy handed over almost three dollars in small change.
Jase gave him back a silver dollar. "Get a bath before you put that new shirt on." Landers looked ready to argue, so he added, "Tell them to save the water. I'll be along once I've had a shave."
When he arrived at the wash-house a half-hour later, a bath with fresh water was waiting for him. But no Landers.
Jase sat in a chair in front of the hotel and waited.
Hours later, the boy showed up. He was dirty, sweaty and smelled like the stables. Jase pretended to be asleep, legs stretched out, ankles crossed and hat pulled down over his eyes.
As Landers tried to sneak by, Jase said, "Seems I ain't ever gonna get a meal on time with you around." He pushed his hat back and surveyed the kid.
"You didn't have to wait."
Landers handed over the half dollar.
Jase shook his head, pocketing the coin. Switching from relaxed Texan to stern task master, he scowled at the boy. "The point was that you'd set down to supper clean and well dressed."
"Sorry, sir. You'll notice that I didn't wear my new clothes. I can go clean up now. You don't have to wait for me."
"You're a brat."
"Yes, sir."
"An obnoxious, stubborn brat," he said, trying hard not to smile. "Go wash up. Be down here in half an hour." He took a watch out of his jacket pocket and handed it to the boy. "I'm orderin' supper, so you better not be late."
The kid wasn't late.
Jase noted, with some satisfaction, that Landers cleaned up well. He was beginning to suspect that the boy
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