Way of the Gun (9781101597804) Read Free

him with a plate of food, Carson asked, “Is Duke the owner of the herd, or is he just the trail boss?”
    â€œDuke’s the trail boss,” Marvin replied after a gulp of black coffee. “There ain’t no owner. What I mean is, we’re all kinda partners in the herd. We own it.”
    â€œOh,” Carson said, “so I reckon I’m workin’ for all of you.”
    â€œThat’s right,” Marvin said, then chuckled. “Kinda makes you feel like the low man on the totem pole, don’t it?”
    â€œWell, it ain’t like I never been there before.”
    Marvin laughed again. “You’ll do all right as long as you pull your share of the load.”
    Their conversation was interrupted then when a tall heavyset man, who had been introduced as Jack Varner, knelt down to speak. “Duke says you know how to run cattle. Maybe you’ll be ridin’ swing with me,” he said facetiously. We’ve been short a man, but Duke might want you to ride drag instead, and put one of the other boys with me.”
    â€œMakes no difference to me,” Carson said. “I’ll do whatever job you fellers think best.”
    Jack winked at Marvin and chuckled. “That’s the spirit, boy. Whaddaya think, Marvin? The new man always rides nighthawk, don’t he?”
    â€œMaybe so,” Marvin replied. He gave a nod of his head toward the sky. “I don’t know, though. The way them clouds look, we might come us up a thunderstorm later tonight.”
    â€œNighthawk’s fine with me,” Carson quickly interjected. He didn’t express it, but he had always enjoyed riding nighthawk.
    â€œGood,” Marvin remarked, “’cause it was supposed to be my turn.” He yelled over to Duke on the other side of the fire, “Hey, Duke, Carson says he’ll ride nighthawk with me tonight.”
    â€œIs that so?” Duke called back. “He’ll most likely do a better job than you. Maybe he’ll stay awake.” He yelled to Carson then, “You’re still a pig in a poke, so there better not be any of our cows missin’ come mornin’.”
    â€œI’ve rode night herd before,” Carson responded.
    â€œAll right, then, you’ve got the job tonight,” Duke said.
    Jack got up to leave then, but made one more comment to the new man. “You’d best listen to what Duke told you. If there’s any cows missin’ in the mornin’, he’ll probably shoot you.” Then he laughed when he recalled Duke’s comment. “Pig in a poke, that’s a good name for you—Pig, that sounds better’n Carson.” He walked away then, laughing at the joke he had made.
    â€œDon’t pay no attention to that big blowhard,” Marvin said. “He just farts outta the wrong end.” He leaned over closer to Carson then as if what he was going to say next was confidential. “If you get hungry ridin’ the herd tonight, sometimes you can sneak a cold biscuit outta that big drawer on this side of the chuck wagon. That’s where Bad Eye keeps ’em when there’s leftovers. He don’t want nobody to get ’em, ’cause he mixes ’em up in the gravy in the mornin’. He sleeps right under that side of the tailgate, so make sure that eye patch is over his left eye. That’s his good eye. He shifts the patch over it when he goes to bed.” He snickered then. “Hell, if you’re quiet enough, you can sneak a hot biscuit when he’s fixin’ supper if you sneak up on his blind side. But you’ll likely get a thump on the head with an iron skillet if he catches you.”
    * * *
    It turned out to be Carson’s lot to be tested on his first night with the herd. He and Marvin rode in opposite directions around the herd, so as to pass each other frequently. The cattle were quiet enough in the small valley created by two low lines of