Dashing Druid (Texas Druids) Read Online Free PDF Page A

leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and studied his loosely clasped hands. “I don’t have any just yet. As I said, I’m done with the miner’s life, but I’ve no idea what to do now.”
    After a moment’s silence, David said casually, “You know, we’re getting ready to break some horses and mules for the Army. It’s a big job and we’ll need some extra hands. On top of that we just had a man quit last month, and I haven’t had a chance to replace him yet. If you’re interested –”
    “Yes!” Jessie cried, scooting to the edge of her seat. “What a grand idea, David. Oh, do say yes, Tye.”
    Nonplussed, Tye stared back and forth between the two of them. Him work on a ranch? The idea was absurd. Why, he couldn’t even ride a horse without making himself miserable. Faced with Jessie’s joyful expression, it pained him to say no, yet he must.
    “I appreciate the offer, David, but I’d be no good to ye. I know precious little about horses and nothing a’tall about cattle.”
    David looked him up and down, mouth twitching. “Don’t worry, we’ll turn you into a cowboy, although it may take a while.”
    Tye flushed. His clothes again. They’d been all the style in Chicago, where he’d bought them, but not here in Texas.
    “Shoot, we’ve got some boys on our payroll who were green as saplings when they hired on,” Reece commented, “but they shaped up quick enough. Reckon you will too, son.”
    “Please, Tye, just try it,” Jessie pleaded.
    Giving in, he sighed and threw up his hands. “All right, sis, but I hope ye keep plenty of liniment on hand, because I’m sure to be needing it. And I’ll not say for what parts of me.”
    Everyone except Anna burst out laughing.
    “And will I have to be going on one of those cattle drives I’ve read about? Or d’ye ship the animals by rail these days?” he asked, hoping for the latter.
    “Can’t afford to ship them,” David said, still chuckling. “Don’t worry, though, there’ll be no trail drive until spring.”
    “We didn’t send a herd north this year,” Reece commented. “The cattle market’s still poor from last year’s banking panic. We were mighty lucky not to lose our shirts then.”
    David nodded. “True, and we have Jessie to thank.” He sent her a playful glance, drawing a pleased smile from her. “When we were getting ready to take a herd north a year ago, she made me promise I’d be here when the baby came. Nora, I mean. So I settled for a low price on the herd in order to get back in time. A lot of others held out, hoping for a better deal. Then the panic hit and they couldn’t sell at any price. Cattle died off by the thousands over winter in Kansas.”
    “That’s bad,” Tye said. He recalled how the national panic had affected silver prices,  putting a number of miners out of work.
    Reece sighed. “I still kind of wonder if we should’ve sent a small herd north this spring. We might’ve gotten a square deal from one of the Montana outfits. They’re all stocking their range with Texas beeves.”
    “We were lucky once, but I wouldn’t count on it again,” David said. “We’ll have cash coming in when we deliver the horses and mules to Fort Concho, and by next spring the market should improve. The Crawfords think the same, or they would have sold more stock to that trail contractor who came through here buying cattle a while back.”
    Tye knew nothing about the cattle business, but he did know David was right not to trust to luck. It was a treacherous beast. What brought one man good luck might doom another.
    * * *
    A short while later, after checking on Nora, Jessie looped her arm around Tye’s and led him down the hall toward the rear of the house.
    “There’s something I need to tell ye,” she said, “something I couldn’t say in front of Reece. He doesn’t know about my gift .”
    “I see. And what is it ye need to say?”
    Pausing, Jessie snared his gaze. “I dreamt of ye, perhaps two