Norton, Andre - Novel 32 Read Online Free

you—he'd
rather have a deer or
such like. No wolves in this country. And coyotes, now, they don't go botherin '
no body. But there's snakes and they ain't so friendly minded. Just gettin '
lost is bad enough. So you stay where you can
see the station ' cept when you got your pa or me or your ma 'round."
    .Christie nodded again, even more vigor ously. The warning about snakes
was one that stuck in her mind. Now she watched Pinto rope the mare Susie.
The three burros were drinking noisily from a hollowed-out log trough and the other horse still looked asleep standing up.
    When Pinto had the mare saddled, he threw another rope
around Old Timer's neck and the horse opened his eyes and reluctantly ambled forward at the slow pull. Pinto,
now mounted, looked
once more at Christie.
    "Old Timer gets a mornin '
out grazin '. You want to go along. Can't say as how
Susie would take to carrying that cat of
yours, though."
    "Shan will stay on the leash here. He's used to
that," Christie answered eagerly. "Just wait a minute."
    She hurried to anchor the leash to one of the porch supports, then came flying
back to be boosted up
on Old Timer's back, catching fast hold of the horse's rough mane.
    "First time I ever rode a horse," she admitted
nervously as Pinto urged Susie ahead and Old Timer plodded behind.
    "That a fact? Well, now, we'll have to see as how you learn to do that before
the summer is
over."
    Christie was not quite sure she wanted to learn more. When she dared to look
beyond
    "Old Timer gets a mornin '
out grazin '. You want to go along. Can't say as how
Susie would take to carrying that cat of
yours, though."
    Christie grabbed the mane and was glad they were going no faster.
    Susie
and her rider picked a path that wound around
between trees, through high brush, to come
out at last in a big, open space. The mare halted and, as Old Timer slow-footed up beside her, Pinto reached over and took Christie from her perch, setting her behind him. Then he twitched the rope from Old Timer's neck and the horse dropped his head and began grazing.
    "Right pretty, ain't they?" Pinto pointed ahead and Christie saw trees in bloom. " Them's apricot and some peaches. Kinda old now, but still got life
in ' em . The Company had an or chard and a garden here—raised their own gar den sass and a lotta grub. Set a good table, the station did. My ma, she used to dry apricots, make peach leather. Mighty
tasty!"
    "Was the stage line still running then?" Christie held Pinto's belt with the same grip she had kept on Old Timer's mane.
    " 'Bout seventy years ago now, it
was—yes, they were
running it. There were mines back up there"—he pointed to the rocky walls in the distance—"and the stage ran
through to Dar-ringer. Took out gold dust, brought in passen gers and mail. But it started a lot earlier
than even Pa's time.
Back in eighteen-sixty Bright made the first run. Them were the big days. M'pa , he started ridin '
shotgun a little later when he weren't more'n a kid. But he was mighty handy with
his gun, and he could take over the
leathers too—drive stage—if there was a
need. Took a man as knowed how to drive real good to manage a six-horse team at a run. ' Tweren't till he met my
ma and got married that he settled
down to keep station. She didn't take to him drivin '. Though keepin ' station in Apache country weren't so safe neither.
    "Now—we'd
better be gettin ' back. Your ma wakes up to find you gone and she might be thinkin ' as how you were lost."
    They heard Baron barking, loud excited barks.
    "Somebody
must be coming." Christie knew what
those barks meant.
    "So? Maybe that truck from out of town with the things your pa's expectin '. Though it's a mite early for them."
    Susie broke into a lope and Christie gasped, holding Pinto's belt as if her fingers were glued to the leather. She was glad they did not have to go far.
    When they reached the station, she saw Baron standing in front of the
door, barking furiously.
Shan had retreated as