Hidden Heritage 12
It had been a long and worse than uncomfortable ride to
the Elbow's Bend hospital, followed by a longer one back to
Cowtown. As soon as Moo learned he had no broken bones he
insisted on going, stating that a lawcow's work was never
done. The vet had insisted on the importance of staying off
his foot and Moo countered that he could ride back and stay
off his foot catching up on a bit of paperwork just as well
as he could sitting around doing nothing. 'Why waste time
he was going to spend off his feet anyway, when it would
mean that much longer before getting back into the saddle?'
he had reasoned. Though it wasn't mentioned, Cowlorado and
Dakota knew that it was also to spend some time with Miss
Lily, since duty often kept the C.O.W.-Boys out of town
longer than what might be wished for a social life.
A couple of days later found Moo up early at his station
in Cowtown with Dakota and Cowlorado.
"Boy howdy, Moo," tsked Dakota, as he saw the marshal to
his chair. "You don't look like you got near enough sleep."
"It would have been plenty of sleep, Dakota," Moo
grunted. "If I weren't still hurting so much. Good thing
the worst is just a sprain."
Cowlorado remarked as he swept the floor. "It's too bad
science hasn't come up with a way to stop a fella from
hurting without knocking him out." The bovine youth paused
to look at his broom in disgust. "Or an easier way to
clean, for that matter," he muttered.
As Dakota set about making coffee Moo took a moment to
pull a long piece of fabric out of his pocket. Made of
calico and mostly white, it was some of the cloth that had
been used to wrap his hurt ankle by person or persons
unknown. It had almost been thrown away when replaced by
linen bandages at the Elbow's Bend Hospital, but Moo decided
to keep it as a possible clue. Hoping the previous owner
had not had a run-in with the Masked Bull, he put the cloth
in a desk drawer for possible future reference.
Sweeping his way along, Cowlorado had slowly made his way
to the door. It was there he noticed the arrival of Mayor
Bulloney, as the bull who owned nearly all of CowTown came
to the entrance.
"I heard of your misfortune, dear boy, and I've just the
very thing for it. Yesss..."
Dakota and Cowlorado exchanged suspicious glances as
the older bull offered Moo a dark bottle.
"From my own private stock. Good for what ails you, and
ah, no charge."
Moo's only response was, "How'd you know what happened?"
The crooked mayor was instantly flustered, but recovered
quickly. "W-well, everyone knows, don't they?"
"Not in Cowtown they don't," replied Moo darkly. "We got
back just last night and went straight to sleep."
It had been a long and worse than uncomfortable ride to
the Elbow's Bend hospital, followed by a longer one back to
Cowtown. As soon as Moo learned he had no broken bones he
insisted on going, stating that a lawcow's work was never
done. The vet had insisted on the importance of staying off
his foot and Moo countered that he could ride back and stay
off his foot catching up on a bit of paperwork just as well
as he could sitting around doing nothing. 'Why waste time
he was going to spend off his feet anyway, when it would
mean that much longer before getting back into the saddle?'
he had reasoned. Though it wasn't mentioned, Cowlorado and
Dakota knew that it was also to spend some time with Miss
Lily, since duty often kept the C.O.W.-Boys out of town
longer than what might be wished for a social life.
A couple of days later found Moo up early at his station
in Cowtown with Dakota and Cowlorado.
"Boy howdy, Moo," tsked Dakota, as he saw the marshal to
his chair. "You don't look like you got near enough sleep."
"It would have been plenty of sleep, Dakota," Moo
grunted. "If I weren't still hurting so much. Good thing
the worst is just a sprain."
Cowlorado remarked as he swept the floor. "It's too bad
science hasn't come up with a way to stop a fella from
hurting without knocking him out." The bovine youth paused
to look at his broom in disgust. "Or an easier way to
clean, for that matter," he muttered.
As Dakota set about making coffee Moo took a moment to
pull a long piece of fabric out of his pocket. Made of
calico and mostly white, it was some of the cloth that had
been used to wrap his hurt ankle by person or persons
unknown. It had almost been thrown away when replaced by
linen bandages at the Elbow's Bend Hospital, but Moo decided
to keep it as a possible clue. Hoping the previous owner
had not had a run-in with the Masked Bull, he put the cloth
in a desk drawer for possible future reference.
Sweeping his way along, Cowlorado had slowly made his way
to the door. It was there he noticed the arrival of Mayor
Bulloney, as the bull who owned nearly all of CowTown came
to the entrance.
"I heard of your misfortune, dear boy, and I've just the
very thing for it. Yesss..."
Dakota and Cowlorado exchanged suspicious glances as
the older bull offered Moo a dark bottle.
"From my own private stock. Good for what ails you, and
ah, no charge."
Moo's only response was, "How'd you know what happened?"
The crooked mayor was instantly flustered, but recovered
quickly. "W-well, everyone knows, don't they?"
"Not in Cowtown they don't," replied Moo darkly. "We got
back just last night and went straight to sleep."
