Subject: chronic

From: "Annabel Hubbard" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 09:08:10 +0200

Somehow he had come to liken the black to awatchdog. You promised not to sock me hard, an lookwhat you did!
Red, youre figuring wed better look out for our own scalps, and letthese drovers find things out? Sterl saw all this, understood it only vaguely. Red, Id rather have you in a fighting mood.
Woolcott insisted ondoing guard duty, in spite of Ormistons advice. Now you hide those perfectly human feelings and practicedeceit yourself. They will hang on our trek,spearing cattle at a distance.
Friday, run alonga me, said Sterl to the black. Along theirroute, knee-high grass had not been trampled, and Sterl kept an eye outfor snakes. It hung revolvingover a pit full of red-hot coals. I ask you to help me to that extent,returned the leader, with patient persuasion.
Beryl responded slowly but surely to this urge. Sterl, said Slyter, I suppose that you, being a cowboy, can track ahorse?
It gave Sterl concern, but Leslie betrayed no signthat she noticed it.
Beryl was watching them with bigtroubled eyes.
That goes for you, Les, he rejoined, heartily.
And with murder inhis protruding eyes he pulled a gun.
Our differences are not the important issue now, he said finally. I reckon hesees Im someone to worry about. Whatever Ormiston has in mind its tocome off thar. The bullet had evidently hit the gun, to send it spinning away. The girlsextraordinary delight in them was equaled by the picturesque exaggerationof her charm.
The three of them managedit, not without dint of effort. Sterl and Red had learned to like tea, but theyconfined drinking it to two meals a day.
Many of the cattledrowned; others were mired in the mud; a few were trampled to death.
And Friday madeone of his impressive gestures back toward Woolcotts grave.
Sterl nerved himself for the prearranged split.
Sterl did not risk Reds reaction to that. Then you give me your old cowboyAmerican slant.
Ormiston has control of three thousandhaid. I heahed low voices,kinda sharp, before they got to me. As the difficulties imperceptibly increased so did his cheer andcourage and faith.