Read Lone Star 03 for Free Online

enough rain this spring. Who’s been stealing your cattle, Brad?”
    â€œIf I knew, I wouldn’t be here talking to you now, Jessica.” Brad Close’s mouth snapped into a thin, angry line.
    â€œI’m just riding back from all the way down to the Rio Grande and beyond. Somebody stole my market herd.”
    Jessie knew what that meant. On a spread the size of the Box B, a market herd would include virtually every salable steer that could be rounded up. A loss like that could cripple even a big ranch, and the Box B wasn’t in that category.
    Her voice showing her concern, she asked, “All of it?”
    â€œEvery single last steer. Heads, horns, hides, and tails,” Close said grimly.
    â€œHow long had the herd been gone before you found it’d been rustled?”
    â€œI don’t rightly know, Jessie. A week, week and a half. I was sorta resting the steers before I started the drive to the shipping pens. They was on that fenced half section on the south of my spread, and you’d remember that’s a good four miles from the main house. I wasn’t worried about the critters, so I didn’t set a night herder. Me and the hands was out making one last gather before we drove to market, so it was a while before anybody went there.”
    Jessie saw that Close was at the point of collapse from exhaustion and worry. She said carefully, “I don’t want to offend you, Brad, but you’re tired out. Why don’t you go up to one of the guest rooms and have a nap? Ki will be back before supper, and after we’ve eaten we can sit down and talk things over. Maybe among the three of us, we can figure something out.”
    Close started to protest, but a bout of yawning overpowered him. He nodded and said reluctantly, “I reckon that’s the sensible thing to do, Jessie. I’ll feel better after I catch forty winks. I guess I just ain’t had enough sleep to do me, the last couple of weeks.”
    With Close settled into one of the upstairs guest rooms, Jessie stepped out on the veranda of the big house. She paced restlessly, went back into the house and to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, and returned to the veranda, where she was sitting when Ki and Charley Smith rode up. Ki reined in, and young Smith followed suit.
    Ki introduced Smith to Jessie, then told the youth, “The horse corral’s just past the hay shed, over there. I don’t suppose you’ll mind leading my horse when you go. Speedy’ll tell you what to do. Then go on to the bunkhouse and find Ed Wright. If he’s not in off the range yet, wait for him. Tell him I’ve promised you meals and a bunk for a few days, and a job if he’s got one. You’ll find out fast enough if we can hire you on.”
    After Smith was out of earshot, Jessie asked Ki, “Where did you find him? Was he lost out on the range?”
    Ki quickly related the afternoon’s happenings, winding up by saying, “So, I brought Smith back with me, to see if there might be a job for him here.”
    â€œWhich you knew there would be, of course.”
    â€œOf course,” Ki agreed. “A month’s work, at least, so the boy will have traveling money if we don’t keep him.”
    Jessie smiled. “Another orphan, Ki. How many does this one make that you’ve brought here just for a little while?”
    â€œEnough, I suppose. But remember, Jessie, I was a stray like Charley Smith when your father took me in.”
    â€œYes. But there’ll never be another one like you, Ki. I can’t blame you for keeping on trying, though.”
    They started into the house. Ki said, “Smith told me about the situation at the Box B. It worries me. Brad Close’s market herd was stolen—”
    â€œI know,” Jessie interrupted. “Brad’s upstairs right now, sleeping. He was so exhausted—”
    â€œYou know about the rustlers, then.” When Jessie