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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

“Because this is dangerous. I’d never forgive myself if you broke your neck.”

“And what if you break your neck?”

“That’s a chance I’ll take. I’m seventy years old and I have a lifetime of experience runnin after steers and horses. Better to go that way than wastin’ away in a hospital.”

“Ezra says I can ride almost as well as Ben. That’s a lot of horses to move. You said yourself, it’s hard to get them through rough country and keep them all together. You need riders. I talked to Juanita. She’s coming too.”

“Now whoa a doggone minute. Who decided this?”

Juanita stepped out to join them. “We did. Turning those wild horses loose is the right thing to do, but I’m not going to let you go risk your neck unless we come along. You might need a nurse.”

Eli still looked doubtful. “What about Red? Who’s going to look after him?”

“Jolene. She already said she would. She’s got to feed the Appaloosas while Ezra is away, so Red can help her.”

“What if somebody starts shootin at us?”

“You told me there won’t be any shooting.”

“Well, there won’t be any, but…”

“I think you don’t want us along because we’re women.”

“Now, that just aint true.”

“Then let us come along.”

Eli was feeling outnumbered. He turned to his brother for support. “What do you think, Ezra?”

“I don’t see why not. The gals can ride just fine. It’s a hard ride, but they aint goin to get more tired than a couple old sonsofbitches like us. Probably less.”

Eli looked around at the rest. “This okay with you fellas, if Juanita and Emaline come along?”

The men nodded. If they had any reservations, they weren’t going to risk Juanita’s wrath by saying so. Next time they came for supper, she might spit in their chili.

Eli shrugged. He didn’t want to alienate Emaline again and he didn’t want the whole family against him.

“All right then. We’d better get some sleep. We’ve got a hard ride ahead.”

Just as they were about to head back into the house, Eli thought he heard the big Poland China boar snorting around the side of the veranda.

“Zeke!” he shouted. “Is that you?”

There was no reply. He listened but heard nothing more except the sound of the crickets. He shrugged and stepped indoors. Maybe it was time to have his hearing checked, or maybe that hog had gotten on his nerves to the point where he was hearing it even when it wasn’t there.

44.