Lone Star 01 by Wesley Ellis Page A

caved in with surprising grace. Or maybe it wasn’t so surprising.

Chapter 7
    After enjoying a dinner with all the trimmings, Jessica, Ki, and Daryl bade goodbye to Mrs. Waldemar, who was now feeling greatly heartened, and to Toby, who was crankily washing the dishes, his penalty for having been thoroughly trounced at cribbage. The trio stepped to the barn and re-saddled their fed and rested horses, then rode slowly out of the yard toward the main trail.
    Moving alongside Jessica, Daryl said, “I sure do like your notion of combining the two spreads. I think my boys will go for it, once we’ve pointed out the advantages.”
    â€œProblem is, Daryl, it’ll only work temporarily. We’ve stirred up the crew here and stiffened their spines, and maybe we can do the same for yours. But after a while, it’s bound to wear off.”
    â€œMeanwhile,” Ki added, “the rustlers can lie low, waiting for your crews to grow lax and drift apart before striking again.”
    â€œI don’t think they’ll wait,” Daryl responded. “They seem to be a nervy bunch of polecats, and I wouldn’t put it past them to try anyway, just to prove they’re stronger. Even if they did hold off our spreads a while, they’d still be able to hit the other ranchers.”
    Jessica nodded. “You’re right, there’s a good chance of that. But if the other ranchers haven’t gotten together before this to protect themselves, there isn’t much we can do now to help them.”
    â€œWell, there is one thing you can do now,” Daryl said with a grin. “You can both come to the Spraddled M and stay overnight. There’s lots of room, especially with Dad gone. And Jessica, after watching you twist the Flying W crew around your finger, I’d sure like you around in the morning, when I have my confab with the boys.”
    â€œNice of you to offer, Daryl. Maybe we will, later.”
    â€œBut I insist. You can’t mean to ride half the night, all that long way back to Eucher Butte.”
    â€œI don’t.”
    â€œThen where ... ?”
    â€œI mean to ride to the Snake-Eyes.”
    â€œThe Block-Two-Dot?” Startled, Daryl jerked erect in his saddle. “Jessie, by the time you get there, Cap’n Ryker’ll probably be in bed, in no mood to welcome a visit.”
    â€œI don’t want his welcome. I don’t want him to know.”
    â€œYou’re talking in riddles, Jessie,” he said impatiently.
    She reached across and placed her hand fondly on his arm. “I’m sorry. You’re simple going to have to take my word for it—for a lot of things, right now.”
    Daryl gnawed his lower lip, frowning. “All right,” he said at last, “I know it’s useless to try changing your mind, once it’s made up. And I’ll take it on faith that you’ve got good reason. So I’m coming along and making sure you keep outta harm.”
    â€œBelieve me, Daryl, Ki’s very good at that.”
    Daryl twisted in his saddle to look over at Ki. “I’ve got every respect for your fighting abilities, Ki, but you and her don’t know the country like I know it.” He turned back to face Jessica. “Whatever you’re planning to do at Ryker‘s, it plainly involves sneaking in. Well, I’m the one who can get you there unseen, and if trouble pops, I’m the one who can get you two out.”
    â€œWe accept,” Ki said, before Jessica could answer. “But you’ll have to promise to do what we say, when we say it.”
    â€œI promise to consider it. Now follow me.”
    Spurring his buckskin, Daryl led Jessica and Ki northeast across the Flying W valley. When they reached the hills that separated the Flying W from the Block-Two-Dot, they climbed in a wide circle to hit Ryker’s spread from almost due north. It took them over an hour to work their way through the