Josh looked at the saddle, looked at his dad then turned forward and shook his head. “I doubt it,” he mumbled. Henry smiled, remembering having the exact same conversation with his father when he was Josh’s age. He turned his gaze to the fence line, and the memory faded into the soft light of the morning drifting in through the windows of the bunkhouse. Through the ragged snoring of the wranglers around him, Henry opened his eyes and found them filled with tears. He wiped them away with his weathered hand, took a deep breath and rolled himself out of bed, bracing himself for yet another day.

CHAPTER 15

“What the hell is that?” Tug Caldwell growled as he walked up to the wooden catch pen.

“Mustang stud colt,” Cat replied throwing the lead rope to his pack string over the top rail of the fence and swinging down from his tired and sweaty mount. When he did, the colt skittered off across the pen, nearly running into the fence. “Followed the herd in, I reckon. He was out in the pasture, there, when we come off the hill.”

“Dammit boys, you gotta get him outta here.” Tug climbed on the second rail of the five-rail fence to get a better look at the colt. “We already got a pen fulla horses here ain’t earnin’ their damn keep. Damn sure don’t need no mustang stud colt to look after, too. Hell, he’ll have every mare on the place in foal with a damn roman-nosed, lop-eared mongrel inside of six months. If Tom sees him he’ll want to keep him around as a damn pet or some damn thing. Y’all need to cut him outta there and push him back up the hill.”

“Hell boss, we ain’t gonna be able to do nothing with these horses,” Ben said riding up. “They’re both played out. The mules, too.”

“Dammit,” Tug seethed. “Get a couple others and get that damn thing the hell outta here. Take him down to the gulch and put a damn bullet in his brain. I don’t want to see him around here again!”

“Yes sir,” the men said in unison. They knew better to question anything Tug said when he was in that state. He meant business, and talking to him was only going to make him madder. Both men quickly scaled the fence, vaulted to the other side and trotted off toward the corral near the barn where four extra saddle horses were always kept. That, too, sent the colt running. It seemed the two men no sooner disappeared around the corner than Tom and Terri drove up to the catch pen in their pickup truck.

“Dammit,” Tug mumbled.

The truck pulled to a stop next to Tug, and Terri pushed the button that rolled the passenger side window down. “Hi Tug,” she chirped.

“Ma’am,” Tug tipped his hat slightly, then looked across her into the truck and acknowledged Tom. “Boss.”

“Tug, we’ve been thinking about throwing a little barbeque up at the house on Saturday for you and the boys,” Tom said, leaning toward him. “Everybody’s been working pretty hard lately, and we thought it might be a good time to take a little break. Have you got anything planned for the crew on Saturday?”