Vin's movements the next morning caused Chris to crack open an eye and watch the lanky tracker move about the cabin. He watched as he knelt beside the gambler and woke him, they talked in hushed tones before the gambler rolled back over. Vin grinned at Chris before joining him on the floor. "Do I really want to know?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"You want it ruined or not."
Chris shook his head. "I think I'll just wait. Better that way. Anyone libel to get shot over it?"
Vin shook his head, "Nope. Unless someone gets a might scared." He lifted a string and placed it under his leg and settled back.
Chris shook his head again and got up and began preparing the coffee handing Vin a cup before joining his friend. Slowly the other inhabitants of the cabin began moving about. Vin watched as Ezra began moving awkwardly around his bed roll. "You alright there Ez?"
Ezra jumped and turned to the tracker. "Yes Mr. Tanner I am fine. I'm just trying to make sure that my mule egg stays warm while I get my breakfast."
Chris choked on his coffee and looked at the gambler then the tracker. Seeing Vin nodded seriously Chris sat his cup down before he lost the rest of it. "Mule egg you sure you're alright Ez?" Buck said walking up to the gambler testing for a fever.
"I assure you Mr. Wilmington I am fine." Ezra batted away Nathan's hands.
"Can I see your egg Ez I ain't never seen one before." JD said handing him a plate of breakfast.
"Be my guest Mr. Dunne it's under the blankets." Ezra stood over by Vin. "I'm hoping it hatches by the end of our trip so that I might begin training the young creature soon." Chris still looked stunned at the gambler then back at JD and Buck who were looking in his bed roll.
JD carefully picked up the egg and held it up. It was round and had coarse hair on it. "This is a mule egg?" He looked a bit perplexed. "I didn't know mules had eggs." Josiah quickly turned around to hide his grin on his face.
"JD mules don't lay eggs." Buck said taking the object shaking it.
Ezra quickly grabbed it. "Do not touch it if you plan to kill it before it has a chance to hatch Mr. Wilmington." He carefully tucked it back in. "A certain breed from South America JD hatch from eggs. I had sent for this a while back. I am just trying to figure out how to keep it warm while I'm up doing other things." He scratched his chin and looked around the room.
"we could take turns sitting on it." Vin offered taking a drink from his coffee ignoring the look from Larabee, or the fact that Josiah had to excuse himself rather quickly.
"Sure can I go first Ezra?" JD offered.
"I would be honored Mr. Dunne." After a few minutes JD sat rather uncomfortably on the object. "Now excuse me while I finish my breakfast." Ezra sat beside the tracker.
After a few minutes Chris noticed Vin's hand disappear under his bed roll, a second later JD's eyes grew wide as Josiah reentered the room. "Hey Ez it's moving." Ezra made show of jumping up.
"Looks like it's about to hatch there JD." Vin said hand still missing. The others gathered around.
"Aren't you coming Vin?" Josiah asked.
"Naw seen it before." Josiah nodded.
A few minutes later Nathan, JD and Buck fell back screaming as a rather furry object came leaping out of the fold of fabric and out the door. "Ez I'm so sorry." JD said until he noticed Josiah Vin and Ezra laughing and Chris trying his best not to.
They looked confused and waited once the gambler had control of himself he explained. "JD that my son is a coconut. You were very correct when you said mules do not lay eggs. It was an old story a friend of mine told me when I was but a child in the south. The thing that went flying was a rat the Vin caught the other day and I kept feeding it until just the right time." He picked up the coconut and threw it at JD. "By all means Mr. Dunne open it and eat what is inside. I hate coconuts with a passion."
Vin grinned at Chris. "Well cowboy what do ya think?"
"Its going to get a whole lot more interesting."
