Blizzard: Colorado, 1886 Read Online Free PDF Page B

The calf was stronger now, standing sturdily as it nursed. Rusty poked his head over the stall gate to have his ears scratched. When Maggie came out of the barn, it had stopped snowing, but the sky was still gray as far as she could see.
    The chickens were glad to get out of their dark, musty coop. Maggie scattered the corn and a fewkitchen scraps for them. Two hens argued over the beans she hadn’t finished. The pigs squealed and grunted their approval when she dumped the slop bucket into their feed trough. She broke the ice on their water again, using a long pole to shove the biggest chunks over the side so it would take a little longer to refreeze.
    Once the barn chores were finished, Maggie saddled Rusty. She headed him toward the north pasture. He walked slowly, obviously resenting work on such a cold morning. The gate wire had frozen to the post and Maggie had to find a rock to hammer it free.
    The cows had drifted during the night, but Maggie finally found most of them in the lee of a stand of dense Engelmann spruce, their shaggy backs humped against the wind. She rode Rusty in a wide circle around them. They looked all right. They would move up to high ground to graze later if the snow didn’t get worse. If it did, she might have to drive them down to the house pasture where she could keep an eye on them.
    Searching the far end of the pasture, Maggie finally came across the remaining cattle. They were bunched up in a narrow draw. Slapping her hat onher thigh and shouting, she managed to drive them up to open ground. Once they could hear and see the other cattle, they broke into a voluntary trot and Maggie let Rusty slow his pace. She waited until they had settled into the herd, then turned for home.
    Riding back toward the cabin, Maggie kept her head down. The wind burned her cheeks and stung her eyes. An explosion of hoofbeats startled her and she looked up to see three deer bounding away from her. Rusty lifted his muzzle and brayed and she laughed at him.
    â€œYou are just jealous, Rusty,” she said. “You’d give anything to be able to run like that.” She patted his neck and kicked her heels against his sides. He eased into a slow trot.
    Maggie stopped to knock some snow from the limbs of her mother’s favorite cherry trees. Rusty waited impatiently until she remounted, then started off before she could even touch her heels to his sides. “You think you’re going to get to go back into your stall, don’t you?” Maggie teased him. “Well, you can’t. We’re going down to Cleave’s to ask after Mama and Papa. I want to find out when they left for Lyons.”
    Rusty trotted happily up the path toward thebarn. Passing the cabin, Maggie saw an odd patch of white on the door. As she got closer, she could tell it was a piece of her mother’s writing paper. Tying Rusty to the porch rail, she went up the steps. It was a note from Mr. Cleave.
    Maggie and Hadyn,
    Maggie, your parents asked me to come in a day or two to see if you two were all right. The way the snow is coming, I thought I’d best come this morning instead. I see the chores have been done and assume you are both out seeing to the cattle now. Maggie, your parents left my place at sunup this morning. Will let you know if I get any news. You’re a good girl, Maggie. Don’t worry too much about your father. Hadyn, your aunt says to remind you to do your share. I’ll be back end of the week or before.
    John Cleave
    Maggie pushed open the door and went inside. Where was Hadyn? Had he just walked right pastMr. Cleave’s store and gone all the way to Lyons by himself? She shook her head. It was too far and he hated walking. Maggie bit at her lip. Maybe Hadyn hadn’t made it to Cleave’s store. Maybe he had gotten hurt or something. Maggie folded the note and shoved it into her pocket. Now, she would have to go looking for Hadyn, instead of seeing if Mr. Cleave had found out