volume one IN THE D U D L E Y C L A R K - Ohio Vine Tours

“No, sir.”
“Very well. You listen hard to what Lucius tells you. He fought th’
damn Yanks with me an’ Bobby Lee at Chuckamonga an’ in th’ Wilderness.
They don’t come with more flint, or better horse sense.”
“Yes, sir.”
Wilson returned back to the problems that result whenever thousands of
bovine brains congregate.
Lucky drew him up at the end of the herd.
“You an’ Chet’ll follow along for now, draggin’ behind th’ herd.” He
pointed to the Young Cowboy’s neck. “Neckerchiefs out here ain’t for
decoratin’. Two thousand head of beef kick up a bit’ve dust—Chet!”
A boy about his own age cantered over on a big chestnut gelding.
When he drew up beside them, Lucky spat.
Tobacco juice splattered his wool pants.
“You boys got one job between yah, an’ it’s an important one. You look
out for th’ drags—th’ weaker cattle. Th’ speed of th’ whole herd’s decided by
th’ weak ones, so you gotta keep up th’ corners an’ make sure th’ strong ones
are forward of ’em, an’ out’n th’ way, an’ make sure th’ rear ain’t no wider’n
th’ swing. An’ keep them strays in line. That’s all you gotta do for th’ next
twenty-five hundret miles.”
Chet, a moon-faced, freckled fourteen-year old, blanched.
“We gotta ride drag th’ whole way?”
Lucky laughed.
“Ev’ry son’ve a bitchin’ job out here’s jess as important as ev’ry other.
We all take turns—ceptin’ for th’ two pointers—ridin’ drag an’ swing. It
ain’t so bad back here, boys. Hell, Injuns come up, they’re like to kill us
afore they kill you. Might even give you time to high tail.”
He watched for their reaction, and appreciated it when it came.
Sweeping his Texan hat off, he toweled his white forehead with his hand.
“Days won’t be more’n eighteen, mebby twenty hours long. Man can
get lots of saddle sleep, he knows how. You need a fresh mount, we’ll cut
one from th’ remuda. We got one of th’ best ole wimmen for a cook I ever
knowed. He can make a biscuit that can take a bullet an’ still taste like a
bride’s first kiss.”
Chet’s eyes shifted away.
The Young Cowboy asked,
“What’s an old woman?”
Lucky laughed.
ROY ROGERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY 2 1