Lone Star 03 Read Online Free PDF Page A

stole the Box B herd.”
    â€œWell, if I ever see another one lying around, I’ll sure know better than to pick it up.” Charley looked around and said suddenly, “I never did ask you where we’re heading, Ki, after you told me why we wasn’t going back to the Box B.”
    â€œTo the Circle Star, of course. I’m not sure just how many hands we’ve got, or whether we need any more right now, but Ed Wright or Speedy—that’s Ed’s top hand—might hire on another cowpoke.”
    â€œIf you’re the Circle Star foreman, how come you don’t know something like that?”
    â€œI’m not the kind of foreman that Dave Martin is at the Box B, Charley,” Ki explained. “I’m more of a manager. Part of my job is going with Miss Jessica Starbuck when she travels, so I’m not at the ranch all the time.”
    â€œI’ve heard a lot about the Circle Star,” young Smith said. “And about Miss Starbuck and her daddy. I never did hear about you, though. Is Ki all the name you’ve got?”
    â€œIt is all the name I use.” A tinge of bitterness crept into Ki’s voice. “I lost my name in my own country.” He shrugged and added, “It does not really matter to me, any more than your own real name seems to matter to you.”
    Smith stared at Ki. “How did you figure that out?”
    â€œYou’ve given yourself away several times, Charley.”
    â€œWell, if you really want to know—”
    Ki quickly raised his hand and shook his head. “No. I don’t want to share your secrets. My guess is that you’ve run away from home because your parents picked a trade they expected you to follow, and you wanted only to be a cowhand.”
    â€œI still do, Ki. That’s all I ever wanted to be.”
    â€œThen a cowhand is what you should be. But even if you haven’t asked for it, I’ll give you a bit of advice.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œSometime soon, write your parents and tell them you’re well. And perhaps you can say you’re happy, if there’s a job for you on the Circle Star.”
    â€œWell...” Charley Smith hesitated, then nodded. “I don’t guess it’d hurt me none to do that.”
    â€œGood. And we’ll find out about the job soon. In another ten or fifteen miles, we’ll be in sight of the Circle Star.”
    They rode on in silence then, as the sun dropped to afternoon, until the buildings of the Starbuck ranch became visible on the horizon.

Chapter 3
    Left to herself after Ki’s departure, Jessie strolled idly around the sprawling main house to the horse corral. Sun, the magnificent palomino stallion that was her favorite mount, came prancing up to greet her. Jessie rubbed the golden animal’s velvet nose, and whispered into his ear how happy she was to be with him again. Neighing, Sun tossed his head, reared up on his hind legs, and moved with careful balance toward the corral gate.
    â€œReckon he’s right glad to see you, Miss Jessie,” the horse wrangler said as he came from the hay shed to investigate the reason for the palomino’s neighs. “He’s in pretty good shape for not working such a long time, ain’t he?”
    â€œHe looks just fine, Speedy,” Jessie replied. She gazed across the range land that stretched invitingly from the corral’s bars, and said, “Saddle him for me, will you, while I go inside and change? I think I need a little ride as much as Sun does.”
    She got back just as Speedy tightened the last cinch-straps of the saddle he’d put on the palomino’s back. At the ranch, Jessie defied the convention of sidesaddles and rode astride. She’d donned her jeans, skin-tight, with tapered legs that fitted into her ornately stitched high-heeled boots. She’d also put on her pistol belt, with the customized Colt that had been one of her