Justus nodded. "Never come across any Injuns," he commented, "except for them that are in town, an' they don't cause no trouble." He had no desire to run across any Indians, either, but just like everything else, that wasn't in his control, and he'd just have to keep a level head and follow orders if that came to pass.
"So, you men been ridin' together long?" He wasn't sure if the men moved from drive to drive as a team, or if they were hired for a specific job. It made a difference in that, if they had ridden together and knew each other, knew how another man would react, and they could act as a unit without communicating...
Justus allowed as how he'd like to have that sort of relationship in his life that didn't involve crime and running!
"Yah, most of us have. I mean, we've all ridden for different outfits, and time to time we've all ridden together. Now Frank, we all know Frank, he come a huntin' us one by one lest we was ridin' with others he was lookin' for. He's a particu;lar man when it comes to cattle drives. He wants the best, he's said as much, an' if Frank takes you on for a drive, well then, he considers you one of the best." Pete explained.
Now part of what he considers is was we fightin' men, an', most are. But ever one o' these boys is a fightin' man, not jest some. You, we'll find out should push come to shove on this here trip. Now he's said as much, that at the end, there could be steady jobs at this Rockin' G ranch we're headed for, so you might jest latch onta somethin' permanent at the end o' this here trail. Whatta ya think o' thet?
"Reckon we'll see how it goes. I'd be more'n happy ta find a place ta settle, at least for a time." Until he was sure no one was going to come looking for him.
He chuckled. "An' by then I reckon I'll know if I can tolerate all you fellas!" He was joking, of course, but there was a grain of truth in it...by the time they reached Montana, they would all know each other really well, and they'd know if they'd keep him, and he'd know if he wanted to linger.
"Then there's th' matter'a snow...ain't never seen it, not sure it's somethin' I'd like!" Twisters were bad enough, but at least they passed after a time!
"Well now, snow's jest froze water. So they tell me. But a good spread has a tight bunkhouse with a good stove and plenty of wood put back for the winter. True, I aint never spent to time in the snow, but there's a couple who have, like Larado, and Virgil for sure. They been up to Wyoming country and spent a winter there." Pete reflected, "I been told that this here Rockin' G is first rate, and brand spankin' new ta boot." He laughed. "I ain't never been on a spread what was brand new."
"Purdy quick now we'll be relieved and maybe get us a couple more hours shut eye, but you kin shorely stay up if ya want." Pete said. "You might talk with Virgil 'er Larado about thet snow."
"Reckon I'll take advantage of sleepin'," Justus observed, "can talk with th' men on th' trail tomorrow."
Letting yourself get inordinately tired and worn out was just asking to make a mistake, and could lead to trouble in a flash...and Justus didn't need any help finding trouble! Besides, he'd had a long few days, and the couple of hours sleep he'd had earlier had just been a teaser!
"Reckon I'll be ridin' drag fer a while?" The position behind the herd was dusty and thankless, no one wanted to be there, so, he'd heard, it was given to the low man, the new man, and that was him.
"Oh yah, but then we all will, Frank likes to swap folks around. That's why he can get his pick of drovers. Men like the fact he come up like the others, ridin' for a living. Once he become boss, well, he decided he had him a better way 'a doin' things. Men like him." Pete said. "Now you'll ride drag and ever where else with men with exper'ence to make sure you know the job, an can do 'er on yer own, but they'll al'ays be someone with ya, that's why he has so many more'n he needs."
The hours had slipped away in conversation and riding around the herd, making sure everything was quiet, that the cattle and the remuda were alright. "You get that sleep, Justus. Do some good come the mornin'. Cookie'll roust us out afore breakfast."
"Good ta know," Justus commented when Pete said that experienced men would be riding with him. He was more than willing to admit that he didn't know what he was doing, and he was willing to listen and learn, and was not going to squander the chance to have a future that didn't involve dodging the law!
Back at camp, he relieved Mule of his tack, then picked the horse along with the remuda, something else he needed to find out about. He wasn't sure if all the horses here were part of the riding pool, or if some were owned by the cowboys...and he wasn't sure if Mule would become a 'community mount' for the duration of the ride. Now there was an interesting prospect, Justus doubted anyone else could put up with that horse's peculiarities!
"You get that sleep, Justus. Do some good come the mornin'. Cookie'll roust us out afore breakfast."
"Yes, sir." Smiling, Justus nodded, then found his bedroll and settled down for what was left of the night.
Dawn cracked through dark clouds to the east of the camp. Clouds that passed in the night without dropping rain on the herd. Cookie and Danny were hard at it fixing breakfast when thunder rolled in the distance announcing the possibility of a storm to the east of them, and that was good news. The herd was still down, though some were up grazing, the remuda and the horse on the hands picket line seemed not to be bothered, but the thunder was a ways off, and not a threat to them.
Nate Amrose looked after the dark clouds in the distance, thankful he did not have to deal with rain, which was usually accompanied by wind which made keeping the fire going a real chore, and food and coffee hot a nightmare. He took up the steel rod and ran it around the triangle. "Outta the soogans an' roll 'em up. We're burnin' daylight! Coffee's on, chuck in ten minutes. Get up!!!" He shouted.
It was time they ate, mounted up and moved out for whatever the day held for them. Everyone was happy that the weather had past over them, hard to have rain the second day out.
Frank Teal sat his horse looking over the outfit and liking what he saw. Men were rolling out and rolling up their bed rolls. Other were coming in from the herd for that promised coffee and breakfast. Others were roping their mount for the day to get them saddled and then work out the kinks, because horses that have not been ridden, were liable to be a rough start to the day.
Frank had hired the best men he could find, some had been with him off and on over the years and knew his routine. He was all business, as was every man that rode with him. The herd was first and foremost, which included Morgan Horses. They were what he had been hired to deliver, and he intended to deliver them on time and as whole as possible. But there was no accounting for what might happen on the trail, and he was well aware of that.
Justus was up as quickly as any of the men, his pack quickly rolled and ready -- he was no stranger to moving out in a hurry -- and he quickly checked on Mule, who was contentedly munching grass. After brushing the paint down, he tossed on the saddle, leaving the cinch loose for now, then headed over to the chuck wagon, not sure what the procedure was, so he hung back a bit and looked over the rest of the crew and the camp in the daylight.
They did look like a grizzled, experienced bunch, hardened, but fair. If Justus played his cards right, he just might have a good gig waiting for him!
Frank Teal rode up to the men eating, "You boys eat up an' let's get this herd movin', we got us a ways to go yet." Then he looked to Justice Wheeler. "Wheeler was it? You're ridin' drag taday with Lorado an' a couple others."
He nodded and turned his horse, The day was beginning, and his riders were shoveling the food in, it was time to get rolling, There would be a couple of contrary mounts with kinks to work out while the others began the push north.
Lorado rode over to Justice, "Be sure you got a spare bandana, one fer yer nose an mouth on account'a the dust, an one fer yer hat in case o' the wind coming up. You'll do!" He offered "See ya back there." And with that he rode off. Life was about to be at the end of the herd, eating dust for the the next eight to ten hours as they pushed on. Of course there was the nooning, and that would be a welcome respite.