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

“You should not have left the hospital, but I’m glad you’re home.”

“That’s good to know. The way you looked at me at first, I thought you were goin to send me back.”

“No. I can look after you. But we should get Doc Miller over to examine you first thing Monday, just in case.”

“I’ve got no objection, as long as I don’t have to go back to the hospital. Where are my kids? I thought I’d have a reception committee waitin out here.”

“Not if you don’t tell us you’re coming. The girls are all back at the Ewing ranch again, where they want to go every weekend now. It’s because the Ewings have a radio and they have a barn dance to the radio every Saturday night. You’re going to have to buy a radio. I know you think it’s a frivolous nuisance, but the age they are, they want to listen to Amos ’n’ Andy and Jack Benny. It wouldn’t do any harm.”

“I expect not. I did say I was going to try to put a little more slack in my rope, didn’t I?”

“You did.”

“And what about the boys? They ought to be here, they got chores to do.”

“They are. They’ve taken to sleeping down in the bunkhouse. They said they’re getting an early start on roundup.”

“That’s two months yet.”

“If I let them, they’d sleep out in the snow. There’s plenty of room in the bunkhouse. We’ve only got Zeke and Willie down there until the extra hands start coming for roundup. I went down myself to have a little talk with Willie, told him no whiskey when the boys are around.”

“Willie’s been drinkin again, has he?”

“I don’t know that. I just want to be sure he doesn’t get drunk around the boys.”

Eli caught something in her tone. “Don’t protect him, Juanita. I know what Willie is. He’s got the sharpest eye for livestock I ever saw, but he aint much good when he’s into the sauce. All around, the best hand I’ve ever seen is Two Spuds. If Willie keeps drinkin, I’ll give him his walkin papers and let Spuds have the job.”

Juanita asked how Eli was doing with the cast on his leg. “Itches like hell. Get me a hacksaw. I’ll saw the damned thing off myself.”

“You know you can’t do that.”

“Yes, I do know. I haven’t had such a heap of motherin since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, you know that?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry. I expect I needed it. After you left the hospital, it dawned on me that I hadn’t thanked you hardly at all. You and Two Spuds saved my life. I am mighty grateful to both of you.”