stream of water. “He’s spent the day playing guardian angel to a bunch of Aim-ish people.”
He was standing beside Bo’s withers. Luke considered taking his boot out of the stirrup and awarding him a well-placed kick for his ornery tone. Instead, he affirmed the words with a nod at Griff and the others. “A man and three women. Bandits stole their belongings early yesterday and left them without a thing. I’m trying to see that they get where they’re going.”
The old man studied him a moment and then said, “Never hurts to do a good turn.” He gave Jesse a hard stare and then let his gaze sweep Charlie and Willie. “A man will never get anywhere in this world if he won’t lend a hand now and then. See that you boys remember that.”
Now it was Jesse’s turn to scowl, and Luke had to bite back a smile when he slapped his wet bandana against his thigh and stomped away toward his horse.
Luke dismounted. “The family will be along in a few minutes with a pair of oxen and a fresh load of supplies. The way I see it, the faster we get this wagon pulled out, the sooner we’ll be on our way.” He glanced at the young drag rider. “Willie, ride on up ahead to the chuck wagon and tell McCann we need a couple of coils of that thick rope he’s got. Maybe we can pull it out with horse power. Be quick, hear?”
Willie nodded and sprinted for his horse.
Jesse shouted toward Luke without bothering to look up from where he fiddled in his saddlebag. “That was my next suggestion!”
Luke exchanged a grin with Charlie and Griff. “I’m sure it was. If you’re looking for dry clothes in there, don’t bother. We’re not done with this yet.”
He watched Willie’s horse skirt past a couple of dozen head of cattle and then gallop toward the main part of the herd. Stragglers, about a hundred or so, milled around the area, their pace slowed without drag riders nudging them ahead. They had spread out in search of fresh grass farther than he liked.
“Griff, would you and Charlie head over that way and round up those cattle?” He pointed toward the hill. “Bring them back this way in case we need your horses to help haul this thing out of here, and then we’ll hurry them along toward the herd together.”
When they had gone, Luke found a dry spot to sit and started tugging off his boots. Now that they were alone, Jesse joined him.
“I had a feeling you’d get held up back there this morning.” He followed Luke’s lead and tugged off first one already soggy boot and then the other. “I tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen.”
Luke pulled off his socks and stuffed them down in his boots. “You did. And I owe you a steak dinner when we get to Hays, like I promised.” There. That was as close to you were right as he was willing to go.
He stripped off his shirt and spoke without looking at his friend. “Tell me something. Are you carrying a grudge against Amish people in general, or is it the Switzers in particular?”
The answer came immediately. “I got no problems with those folks. It’s just that we’ve come a long way on this drive, and it’s gone pretty well so far. You have a lot riding on this job, Luke, and I don’t want to see you throw it away on a woman you can’t have.”
“What makes you think I’m going to throw anything away? Or that I want a woman? We’re three days out of Hays, and the train pulls out of there in five.” Jesse shot him a look, and he conceded the unspoken point with a nod. “Yeah, okay. I’d like to have a safer margin, but we’ll make it. That’s what counts.” Stripped down to his breeches, Luke stood and folded his clothes into a neat bundle. When he’d placed them on the dry ground near his boots, he turned to give Jesse a hand up.
Jesse took it and held on for a minute, meeting his friend’s eyes with a penetrating stare. “It’s more than that, Luke. I’ve known you a long time, and I can tell something’s been eating at you for the past few weeks.”
Luke fought the urge to look away from his searching gaze. “You’re always reading something into my actions. What am I guilty of now?”
“You’re quieter than when