BooksBarbecue
Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

Eli doffed his hat and turned back. He hadn’t reckoned with the mustangs being moved so soon. It was already Thursday. If they were going to do this, they had two days to work things out. At the corner of the holding corral, he paused to get a closer look at the black. The big horse turned to keep an eye on him and he saw the white patch between the two wide-set eyes. It looked more like a cross than a diamond. The deep chest was hatched with scars, a couple of them fresh, and the arched neck looked strong enough to lift a half dozen men. In a lifetime around horses, Eli had never seen anything quite like him. Even penned in a corral like this, he had a majesty you didn’t see in many beasts, wild or tame. He had an exceptionally long mane, almost the width of his neck. There was a breeze up and his mane was blowing a little in the wind. The black slung his head and whinnied. Monty, Eli’s big sorrel stallion, whinnied back. Eli could feel the tension rippling along Monty’s back, him wanting to get at the black. Monty was a powerful horse, but the black would kill him. If you were going to try to run this black horse anywhere, Eli figured, you’d be better off on a gelding.

He tipped his hat to the black. “Big fella, I think we’re goin to have to try to get you loose,” he said. “Just for the pure hell of it.”

Ezra came by for supper that night with Jolene Rides Prairie, Two Spuds, and Joe Plenty Doors. Juanita had business in town, so she brought Emaline and Red out with her. Eli was pleased to have the company. With all his children gone, the big house at times seemed empty as a cave. They were just about to start in on Juanita’s roast beef when Farron Blue and Ignacio Salazar showed up in Ignacio’s old Dodge Brothers truck, which was so badly in need of a ring job that it smoked like a prairie fire. Eli figured it was only fair to see if Farron and Ignacio wanted to come along. Farron had every reason in the world to want to see the black turned into dog food, but he had more sympathy with the horse than anyone else. He was chomping at the bit and Ignacio wanted to go along too, as long as they all promised to shoot the black if he started eating people.

No one mentioned the mustangs until they had finished their apple pie and coffee and the men stepped out on the veranda for a smoke.