pushed a bit harder today, plus there’s the excitement of actually being on our way.”
She jabbed the toe of her boot into the dirt beforepeering up at him. “You’re still upset with me over that contract I wrote up.”
“I think you’ve misjudged Harry.”
“He doesn’t seem to have a problem with it.”
Kit scratched his chin. “He wouldn’t let you know if he did. British pride and all that rubbish.”
“Maybe you’ve been his friend for so long that you no longer see his faults.”
“Or maybe I’ve simply learned to see beyond them.”
“Then you have an advantage over me, but I’m not going to change the terms of the contract.” She angled her chin defiantly. “But I am going to mosey down to the creek and clean up a bit.”
“I think most of the men are either with the herd or at the wagon eating.”
“If you hear gunfire, come running.”
“Did you want me to accompany you?”
“I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna wash up, not take a real bath. Have you seen Harry?”
“Not since we stopped for the night.”
Nodding, she glanced around the campsite. The men they’d hired were all respectful toward her, but deciding where to bed down wasn’t going to be easy. “I’ll be back in a bit for supper.”
“If you see Harry, tell him he has first watch.”
She smiled broadly. “He’ll love that.”
“No, I imagine he’ll find some unsuspecting man and gamble his way into a full night of sleep.”
Laughing, she strode into the copse of trees near the camp. Kit was no doubt right. Until the men learned that they couldn’t trust Harry with a deck of cards, he would probably never have a watch.
She heard the gurgling of the nearby brook, smaller, more secluded than the river beside which they’d left the cattle. She should have some privacy here. She was on the verge of stepping into the opening when she spotted Magpie sitting on a log near the edge of the water, poking a stick into the mud. She’d never seen such a dejected soul. She took a step forward.
“Magpie,” Harry called out, striding along the bank, “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Jessye stepped back, hiding in the brush, watching as Harry crouched beside the young man.
“What’s troubling you, lad?” Harry asked.
“Nuthin’.” Magpie tossed the stick into the creek.
“You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“Got nuthin’ to say.”
“Kit’s going to be disappointed to hear that.”
“I doubt it. I ate dust most of the day.” Magpie jerked his hat off his head and scrunched it. “I ain’t complaining.”
“Of course, you’re not.”
“I just…I just thought since you hired me first that I’d get to be trail boss. Instead you give the job to Dan Lincoln.”
“Kit and I discussed it late into the night. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but Lincoln has a lot of experience herding cattle in very unfavorable conditions.”
Magpie nodded solemnly. “And I’m just a bogger.”
“On the contrary, you’re our chief advisor.”
Magpie snapped his head around. “What?”
“Kit’s concern was that if he gave the responsibility of trail boss to you, you wouldn’t have time to advisehim, and he wouldn’t know for certain if he was making the right decisions. Why, this very moment he is waiting on a report regarding your thoughts on the progress we made today.”
“You’re joshin’ me, right?”
“Certainly not. Kit values your opinion and writes down every word you say.”
“There was a few things I noticed today that I think we oughta do different.”
“Then you’d best let him know.”
“On account of me being the chief advisor?”
Harry placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Let’s keep the title of your position between us, shall we? We don’t want to cause discontentment or rebellion among the men.”
“Yes, sir. You’re right about that. You reckon I oughta tell Kit everythin’ I’m thinkin’?”
“Every thought.”
Jessye waited until
She jabbed the toe of her boot into the dirt beforepeering up at him. “You’re still upset with me over that contract I wrote up.”
“I think you’ve misjudged Harry.”
“He doesn’t seem to have a problem with it.”
Kit scratched his chin. “He wouldn’t let you know if he did. British pride and all that rubbish.”
“Maybe you’ve been his friend for so long that you no longer see his faults.”
“Or maybe I’ve simply learned to see beyond them.”
“Then you have an advantage over me, but I’m not going to change the terms of the contract.” She angled her chin defiantly. “But I am going to mosey down to the creek and clean up a bit.”
“I think most of the men are either with the herd or at the wagon eating.”
“If you hear gunfire, come running.”
“Did you want me to accompany you?”
“I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna wash up, not take a real bath. Have you seen Harry?”
“Not since we stopped for the night.”
Nodding, she glanced around the campsite. The men they’d hired were all respectful toward her, but deciding where to bed down wasn’t going to be easy. “I’ll be back in a bit for supper.”
“If you see Harry, tell him he has first watch.”
She smiled broadly. “He’ll love that.”
“No, I imagine he’ll find some unsuspecting man and gamble his way into a full night of sleep.”
Laughing, she strode into the copse of trees near the camp. Kit was no doubt right. Until the men learned that they couldn’t trust Harry with a deck of cards, he would probably never have a watch.
She heard the gurgling of the nearby brook, smaller, more secluded than the river beside which they’d left the cattle. She should have some privacy here. She was on the verge of stepping into the opening when she spotted Magpie sitting on a log near the edge of the water, poking a stick into the mud. She’d never seen such a dejected soul. She took a step forward.
“Magpie,” Harry called out, striding along the bank, “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Jessye stepped back, hiding in the brush, watching as Harry crouched beside the young man.
“What’s troubling you, lad?” Harry asked.
“Nuthin’.” Magpie tossed the stick into the creek.
“You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“Got nuthin’ to say.”
“Kit’s going to be disappointed to hear that.”
“I doubt it. I ate dust most of the day.” Magpie jerked his hat off his head and scrunched it. “I ain’t complaining.”
“Of course, you’re not.”
“I just…I just thought since you hired me first that I’d get to be trail boss. Instead you give the job to Dan Lincoln.”
“Kit and I discussed it late into the night. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but Lincoln has a lot of experience herding cattle in very unfavorable conditions.”
Magpie nodded solemnly. “And I’m just a bogger.”
“On the contrary, you’re our chief advisor.”
Magpie snapped his head around. “What?”
“Kit’s concern was that if he gave the responsibility of trail boss to you, you wouldn’t have time to advisehim, and he wouldn’t know for certain if he was making the right decisions. Why, this very moment he is waiting on a report regarding your thoughts on the progress we made today.”
“You’re joshin’ me, right?”
“Certainly not. Kit values your opinion and writes down every word you say.”
“There was a few things I noticed today that I think we oughta do different.”
“Then you’d best let him know.”
“On account of me being the chief advisor?”
Harry placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Let’s keep the title of your position between us, shall we? We don’t want to cause discontentment or rebellion among the men.”
“Yes, sir. You’re right about that. You reckon I oughta tell Kit everythin’ I’m thinkin’?”
“Every thought.”
Jessye waited until
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