the herd on to San Angelo. At least that’s what Lee assumed, but found it strange that there were no cattle pens on the edge of town. This suggested that nobody stopped in Casey if they could help it. And I won’t either, he thought as he retrieved his tack, if I can get a horse before the livery closes up for the night.
Lee found the livery on the right hand side of the mission. He approached the dark maw of the barn, feeling somewhat unsettled. He stopped for an instant and looked behind him, certain that he was being watched. He peeked inside half expecting it to be vacant, but found to his relief that it was not. Two youths were working inside; one was around eleven years old with hair the color of the straw he was tossing, and the other a redheaded boy of around sixteen. Neither of them seemed to notice his arrival.
Lee cleared his throat, hoping to catch their attention. His shadow lay out long and lean against the floor as he watched the tow-headed youth with a gimp leg continue to bed down the stall. The boy noticed the shadow, paused and looked at him. Before Lee could speak, the boy ducked his head, tossed the pitchfork into the hay and limped outside to the corral out back. He hobbled over to a heavy-set man directing water into a trough. He nodded to the boy, wiped his hands on his overalls and stepped up to Lee with one meaty hand outstretched.
“Comanches?” the man asked conversationally as he offered Lee his hand.
“Sandbar,” Lee replied, accepting the man’s hand. “Damned thing got my stud when he tried scrambling up the bank. I was lucky to get out myself.”
“Lucky man indeed,” The liveryman said, eyeing the saddle as he released Lee’s hand. “The Concho is bad low but high enough to cover a sandbar or two.” He spat out a wad of tobacco as if in emphasis then added, “Surprised you managed to get your saddle.”
Lee offered the man a weary smile, “It was a fight but I managed.”
“You’ll be staying in town then.”
“I’m hoping to get a horse. I gotta get back on the road.”
“Where you headed?”
“Fort Stockton. I was hoping to get a few miles closer by the time the moon rises.”
“I’ve got a gelding out back you might be interested in, but you’ll want to see him good in the daylight. He’s a scrub but damned sturdy. He’ll do to get you to Stockton. And you can leave your tack here; I won’t charge you nothing for that.”
“Can’t sell the gelding to me now?”
“Sorry, but I’m a fixing to close up. The boys and I don’t live in town and it’s a five mile trip back to the ranch. I like to be home before sundown all on account of the wife being expecting and all.”
“Looks like you’re not gonna make it,” Lee said, squinting at the bloated sun settling between the mountains.
“We’ll make it in time if we leave right now, which is what we’re a finna do.” The stableman paused, chewed on his lower lip in contemplation. “I’d take you on up to my place but there ain’t no room, especially not with the new baby. You’d have to sleep in the barn, and there’s no call for that, not with the Paragon right down the street there. I hear they’ve got real feather beds and a water closet too.”
“I don’t mean to pry, but didn’t you say you’re wife is expecting?”
“Yeah,” the stableman said, flushing. “It was a surprise to us too, especially since little James is only three months old.”
“It happens,” Lee said, thinking back to his sister Bess, who had two children nine months apart. Despite this, Lee was certain the liveryman was lying to him. If he didn’t want to put me up for the night, all he had to do was just say so , Lee thought.
“I understand.” Lee said, looking out toward town once again.
“The Paragon’s real nice. You can get a bath and a shave. They also put on a little supper too. Their stew is pretty good. Bath is a nickel, kinda high if you ask me, but with water getting scarce—”
Lee
Lee found the livery on the right hand side of the mission. He approached the dark maw of the barn, feeling somewhat unsettled. He stopped for an instant and looked behind him, certain that he was being watched. He peeked inside half expecting it to be vacant, but found to his relief that it was not. Two youths were working inside; one was around eleven years old with hair the color of the straw he was tossing, and the other a redheaded boy of around sixteen. Neither of them seemed to notice his arrival.
Lee cleared his throat, hoping to catch their attention. His shadow lay out long and lean against the floor as he watched the tow-headed youth with a gimp leg continue to bed down the stall. The boy noticed the shadow, paused and looked at him. Before Lee could speak, the boy ducked his head, tossed the pitchfork into the hay and limped outside to the corral out back. He hobbled over to a heavy-set man directing water into a trough. He nodded to the boy, wiped his hands on his overalls and stepped up to Lee with one meaty hand outstretched.
“Comanches?” the man asked conversationally as he offered Lee his hand.
“Sandbar,” Lee replied, accepting the man’s hand. “Damned thing got my stud when he tried scrambling up the bank. I was lucky to get out myself.”
“Lucky man indeed,” The liveryman said, eyeing the saddle as he released Lee’s hand. “The Concho is bad low but high enough to cover a sandbar or two.” He spat out a wad of tobacco as if in emphasis then added, “Surprised you managed to get your saddle.”
Lee offered the man a weary smile, “It was a fight but I managed.”
“You’ll be staying in town then.”
“I’m hoping to get a horse. I gotta get back on the road.”
“Where you headed?”
“Fort Stockton. I was hoping to get a few miles closer by the time the moon rises.”
“I’ve got a gelding out back you might be interested in, but you’ll want to see him good in the daylight. He’s a scrub but damned sturdy. He’ll do to get you to Stockton. And you can leave your tack here; I won’t charge you nothing for that.”
“Can’t sell the gelding to me now?”
“Sorry, but I’m a fixing to close up. The boys and I don’t live in town and it’s a five mile trip back to the ranch. I like to be home before sundown all on account of the wife being expecting and all.”
“Looks like you’re not gonna make it,” Lee said, squinting at the bloated sun settling between the mountains.
“We’ll make it in time if we leave right now, which is what we’re a finna do.” The stableman paused, chewed on his lower lip in contemplation. “I’d take you on up to my place but there ain’t no room, especially not with the new baby. You’d have to sleep in the barn, and there’s no call for that, not with the Paragon right down the street there. I hear they’ve got real feather beds and a water closet too.”
“I don’t mean to pry, but didn’t you say you’re wife is expecting?”
“Yeah,” the stableman said, flushing. “It was a surprise to us too, especially since little James is only three months old.”
“It happens,” Lee said, thinking back to his sister Bess, who had two children nine months apart. Despite this, Lee was certain the liveryman was lying to him. If he didn’t want to put me up for the night, all he had to do was just say so , Lee thought.
“I understand.” Lee said, looking out toward town once again.
“The Paragon’s real nice. You can get a bath and a shave. They also put on a little supper too. Their stew is pretty good. Bath is a nickel, kinda high if you ask me, but with water getting scarce—”
Lee
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