Read The Man from Shenandoah for Free Online

a big hug, startling him into standing again.

    “Jule! You’d best not surprise a man thataway. I might’ve hurt you.”

    “Carl’s home, Carl’s home,” she sang, dancing her way around the room, heedless of his discomfort.

    Rulon, hearing all the uproar, came down the stairs, leaning against the wall for support. Upon seeing his father and brother, he lowered the pistol he carried and entered the room. Mary glanced up and gave a little cry of alarm, but he waved aside her concern.

    “I’m fine, Mary,” Rulon grinned, sweeping his dark hair out of his eyes. He tucked the pistol into the waistband of his trousers and held out his hand to his father. “Just the sight of my kin makes me feel strong.”

    Rod arose and took Rulon’s outstretched hand, then passed him on to Carl, who carefully embraced him.

    “You look a mite thin, Rule, but likely you’ll never get as skinny as me.” The younger brother measured himself against the older, found himself to be taller, and grinned with delight. “Seems you’ve shrunk a mite, too.”

    “Taller don’t make better, Carl. I still outweigh you in a wrestling match. Wait ‘til I get my strength, and we’ll have a go at it.” Rulon stepped back to look at Carl’s spare frame. “‘Pears to me you’re healthy. Did you catch any Yankee lead?”

    Carl grinned. “Colonel Mosby kept us riding fast enough to beat the bullets. That’s not saying we didn’t lose a few men here and there.” His expression changed. “We lost more than a few. I reckon we paid a powerful price.”

    “Amen, brother.”

    “Leastwise, you made it home, Rule. Pa just told me about Ben yesterday. That’s a mighty blow, I tell you.”

    Rulon nodded, clapped Carl on the shoulder, and took a chair. “Pa, what brings you into town in the middle of the mornin’?”

    “I’ve come to fetch your sisters home to help your ma. We’ve got a right smart job of work to do in the next fortnight. Well, so do you, come to think of it.”

    “What’s that you mean, Pa?”

    “I’ve sold the farm, and we’re going to the Colorado Territory to hunt up Uncle Jonathan. I aim to thumb my nose at these Yankees, light a shuck out of here, and make a new life growing cows for all them miners to buy.”

    “Do miners need lots of milk and butter, Papa?” asked Julianna. She looked around, confused by the hoots of laughter that greeted her question. “Well, do they?”

    “I don’t mean milk cows, daughter. We’re going to raise beef critters.”

    “Are you asking us to go with you, Pa?” Rulon asked.

    “I’d like it, Rulon. It’d be best to keep the family together. You need good clean air to help you mend proper, and Mary here could use a change, her feeling so poorly just now.”

    Mary sank to her knees beside Rulon’s chair, looking anxiously up at him. “I don’t feel like I can leave Pa and Ma and go traipsing over the countryside dodging Yankees, Rulon. Please say ‘no’,” she implored him.

    “Don’t you go to fretting, Mistress Mary,” Rod chuckled. “I aim to fix things with your pa right now. Marie, you girls gather up your things into a bundle and get ready to leave with us.”

    Rod turned to Rulon. “I’ll leave Clay to help you get things together. He’s a handy young’un, for his age.”

    Marie wagged her finger at her father. “Pa, don’t let Clay hear you talking like that. He’s done more than his share of the work since Carl took off to ride with Mosby. Then when James got drafted, well, he was the man on the place, and he’s mighty proud of the job he done.”

    Rod laughed and tipped his hat onto his head. “Comin’, Carl?”

    “Ready, Pa.” Carl rose to his feet and accompanied his father through the door.

    “We’ll go over and catch Rand in his store. He won’t know what hit him.” Rod laughed as he mounted his horse.

    ~~~

    When he entered the Hilbrands Mercantile a few minutes later, Carl sniffed the spicy odors of the candy