The Rancher Takes a Cook by Misty M. Beller Page A

probably die in the process. Never, ever get off your
horse for any reason.”
    As Edward entered the trees, a cow appeared
through the branches. Sure enough, her horns were caught in the
brush. From the trampled bushes and muddy ground around her, she’d
been there a while, too. He opened the sheaf that held his hunting
knife and prepared to cut the vines restraining the cow. As he rode
closer, the cow became almost frantic and started thrashing about.
He backed his horse toward the edge of the trees, hoping to give
her room to calm down.
    Her flaying must have loosened the vines,
though, for she finally twisted herself free. But instead of
turning to run away from him, the half-crazed animal charged
straight ahead, bellowing like an angry bull. Edward’s horse spun
underneath him as it prepared to outrun the frantic cow, but Edward
wasn’t prepared for the sudden change of direction. As his horse
bolted forward, there was nothing but air beneath him until his
back hit the ground with a thud. He rolled over onto his knees,
gasping as he tried to suck in the air that had been knocked out of
him.
    Just when his lungs began to work again, he
became conscious of a raging cow charging about fifteen feet away.
One glance told him she was preparing to take out on him all her
frustration at being caught in the brush for hours or days. The
sharp tips of her dangerous horns would probably be the death of
him today.
    Edward lunged to his feet and sprinted
toward the tree line, but the cow had the advantage of momentum.
When she was about five feet away, Edward closed his eyes, but
never stopped running. And then a whoosh clapped through the air. A
ghostly scream from the cow. The ground shook beneath him. Edward
didn’t stop to look back until he made it to the other side of a
stout tree. The sight that greeted him when he turned made his jaw
drop.
    Jacob sat atop his horse with a tight rope
stretched between his saddle horn and the wild cow, now lying prone
on the ground with a rope around her belly and front legs. The cow
looked to be in shock and was breathing heavily.
    “Get on your horse!” Jacob yelled, never
taking his eyes from the longhorn. Edward scrambled away from the
tree and jogged toward his horse grazing about fifty yards
away.
    Once he was securely mounted, Edward called,
“Okay, I’m on.”
    “Draw your rifle and aim at this cow, but
stay where you are. I’m gonna ride forward to loosen the rope, but
if she charges again, you shoot.”
    His hands shook as he drew his Winchester
and rested the stock in the crook of his shoulder. The men shot
often when they hunted, but he’d never needed the rifle for
protection before. He’d do whatever was necessary to defend Jacob,
though.
    “Okay, I’m ready,” he called.
    Keeping his eyes on the cow, Jacob eased his
horse forward, loosening the rope. The animal continued to lay on
the ground, breathing hard but no longer bellowing. When Jacob’s
horse was within five feet of the cow, he pulled out his hunting
knife and cut the rope then backed his horse away from the animal.
When he had backed about ten feet, he turned Marshall and jogged
away from the cow, waving for Edward to do the same.
    When they were a respectable distance away,
Jacob stopped. “I don’t think she knows she’s free. She’s not hurt
or she’d be bawlin’. Just scared and thinks she’s still tied
up.”
    At last the animal started to struggle
again, loosening the short rope, and scrambled to her feet. After
standing unsteadily for a moment, she took a tentative step then
trotted off in the opposite direction.
    Edward let out a breath and Jacob finally
looked at him. “You all right?”
    Edward nodded, still a bit shaken from his
near-death experience. “I’m all right. You saved my life,
though.”
    Jacob grinned at him. “I reckon someone had
to, since ya went and got yourself in a fix. C’mon, let’s get back
to the herd for now.”
    Edward shook his head in wonder as they
rode.