Wilderness Trek (1988) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Zane Grey
miss! I'm sorry," burst out Sterl, in dismay. "I wasn't looking... You ran plump into me."
"Rath-thur!" she replied. "Dad always said I'd run into something someday. I did... I'm Leslie."
Chapter 3
The girl leaped erect, showing herself to be above medium height, lithe and strong, yet with a rounded form no boy's garb could hide.
"You're Dad's Yankee cowboy--not the redheaded one?"
"I'm Sterl Hazelton," returned Sterl. "Glad to meet you Miss Leslie."
"Thanks, I'm glad, too. Dad has been home four days, and I could hardly wait." She looked up at him with wonderful clear eyes that took him in from head to foot.
"I came up here to find a place for our tent. All right to put it there, under this tree?"
"Of course. But we have a spare room in the house."
"No, thank you. Red and I couldn't sleep indoors."
"Let us go down. I want to meet Red. Did you have a good trek outback?"
"It was simply great. I never looked so hard and long before."
"Oh, now nice! You're going to like Australia?"
"I do already. And Red can't hide from me how he likes it, too."
It chanced that they came upon Red when his back was turned, as he was lifting bags out of the wagons.
"Red, a lady to meet you." Sterl saw him start, grow rigid, then slowly turn, to disclose a flushing, amazed face. "Miss Slyter, this is my pard, Red Krehl... Red, our boss's daughter, Miss Leslie."
At this juncture Slyter, stalwart and vital in his range garb, stamped down upon them. "Roland, you made a fine drive. So, cowboys, here you are. Welcome to Australia's outback! We saw you coming, and I sent Leslie to meet you. How are you, and did you like the short ride out?"
"Mr. Slyter, I never had a finer ride in my life," averred Sterl.
"Boss, it shore was grand," added Red. "But short? Ump-umm. It was orful long. I see right heah we gotta get so we can savvy each other's lingo."
"That will come in time, Krehl. I'm just back from Downsville. Allan Hathaway leaves tomorrow with six drovers and a mob of fifteen hundred cattle. Woolcott has mustered twelve hundred and will follow. Stanley and Eric Dann go next day with ten drovers and thirty-five hundred head. We are to catch up with them. Ormiston has three drovers and eight hundred head. He wants to drove with us. I don't know Ormiston and I'm not keen about joining him. But what can I do? Stanley Dann is our leader. Our own mob is about mustered. Now all that's left to do it pack and start."
"Oh, Dad! I'm on pins and needles!" cried Leslie, jumping up and down, and clapping her hands.
"Slyter, how many riders--drovers have you?" queried Sterl.
"Four, not counting you cowboys. Here's Leslie, who's as good as any drover. I'll drive our covered wagon and Bill Williams, our cook, will drive one dray. Roland, you'll have the other."
"Seven riders, counting Miss Leslie," pondered Sterl.
"I see you think that's not enough," spoke up Slyster. "Hazelton, it'll have to do. I can't hire any more in this country."
"Boss, how about yore remuda?" interposed Red, anxiously.
"Remuda?"
"Excoose me, boss. Thet's Texas lingo for hosses. How many hosses will you take?"
"We've mustered the best of my stock. About a hundred. The rest I've sold in Downville."
"Dad has the finest horses in Queensland," interrupted Leslie.
"Well, men, I'm glad to get that off my mind," concluded Slyter, with a laugh. "Roland, send Bill up to get supper. Hazelton, you boys come up when you've unpacked. Leslie, let's go back to Mum."
Sterl labored up the grassy bench, conscious of a queer little sensation of pleasure, the origin of which he thought he had better not analyze. He dropped the heavy canvas roll in the likeliest spot, and sat down in the golden glow from the wattle. The adventure he had fallen upon seemed unbelievable. But here was this golden-green valley, with purple sunset-gilded ranges in the distance; there was bowlegged Red staggering up the gentle slope with his burdens. He reached Sterl, wiped the sweat from his red face, and
"Rath-thur!" she replied. "Dad always said I'd run into something someday. I did... I'm Leslie."
Chapter 3
The girl leaped erect, showing herself to be above medium height, lithe and strong, yet with a rounded form no boy's garb could hide.
"You're Dad's Yankee cowboy--not the redheaded one?"
"I'm Sterl Hazelton," returned Sterl. "Glad to meet you Miss Leslie."
"Thanks, I'm glad, too. Dad has been home four days, and I could hardly wait." She looked up at him with wonderful clear eyes that took him in from head to foot.
"I came up here to find a place for our tent. All right to put it there, under this tree?"
"Of course. But we have a spare room in the house."
"No, thank you. Red and I couldn't sleep indoors."
"Let us go down. I want to meet Red. Did you have a good trek outback?"
"It was simply great. I never looked so hard and long before."
"Oh, now nice! You're going to like Australia?"
"I do already. And Red can't hide from me how he likes it, too."
It chanced that they came upon Red when his back was turned, as he was lifting bags out of the wagons.
"Red, a lady to meet you." Sterl saw him start, grow rigid, then slowly turn, to disclose a flushing, amazed face. "Miss Slyter, this is my pard, Red Krehl... Red, our boss's daughter, Miss Leslie."
At this juncture Slyter, stalwart and vital in his range garb, stamped down upon them. "Roland, you made a fine drive. So, cowboys, here you are. Welcome to Australia's outback! We saw you coming, and I sent Leslie to meet you. How are you, and did you like the short ride out?"
"Mr. Slyter, I never had a finer ride in my life," averred Sterl.
"Boss, it shore was grand," added Red. "But short? Ump-umm. It was orful long. I see right heah we gotta get so we can savvy each other's lingo."
"That will come in time, Krehl. I'm just back from Downsville. Allan Hathaway leaves tomorrow with six drovers and a mob of fifteen hundred cattle. Woolcott has mustered twelve hundred and will follow. Stanley and Eric Dann go next day with ten drovers and thirty-five hundred head. We are to catch up with them. Ormiston has three drovers and eight hundred head. He wants to drove with us. I don't know Ormiston and I'm not keen about joining him. But what can I do? Stanley Dann is our leader. Our own mob is about mustered. Now all that's left to do it pack and start."
"Oh, Dad! I'm on pins and needles!" cried Leslie, jumping up and down, and clapping her hands.
"Slyter, how many riders--drovers have you?" queried Sterl.
"Four, not counting you cowboys. Here's Leslie, who's as good as any drover. I'll drive our covered wagon and Bill Williams, our cook, will drive one dray. Roland, you'll have the other."
"Seven riders, counting Miss Leslie," pondered Sterl.
"I see you think that's not enough," spoke up Slyster. "Hazelton, it'll have to do. I can't hire any more in this country."
"Boss, how about yore remuda?" interposed Red, anxiously.
"Remuda?"
"Excoose me, boss. Thet's Texas lingo for hosses. How many hosses will you take?"
"We've mustered the best of my stock. About a hundred. The rest I've sold in Downville."
"Dad has the finest horses in Queensland," interrupted Leslie.
"Well, men, I'm glad to get that off my mind," concluded Slyter, with a laugh. "Roland, send Bill up to get supper. Hazelton, you boys come up when you've unpacked. Leslie, let's go back to Mum."
Sterl labored up the grassy bench, conscious of a queer little sensation of pleasure, the origin of which he thought he had better not analyze. He dropped the heavy canvas roll in the likeliest spot, and sat down in the golden glow from the wattle. The adventure he had fallen upon seemed unbelievable. But here was this golden-green valley, with purple sunset-gilded ranges in the distance; there was bowlegged Red staggering up the gentle slope with his burdens. He reached Sterl, wiped the sweat from his red face, and
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