CHAPTER FOUR

RATTLESNAKES

THURSDAY

Heath quietly stepped out of his bedroll. He put a hand over Eugene's mouth, then shook him.

Eugene immediately sat up.

Heath put a finger in front of his lips.

Eugene grinned and followed Heath.

Nick was still snoring.

Heath carefully pulled Nick's top blanket away from the bottom one and placed a thick rope from Nick's toes up to his arm. He then pulled a string out of the rope, which he handed to Eugene, who took it into the woods behind Nick.

Heath sat down on his bedroll and fingered the rattlesnake rattles Perez had given him. He shook the rattles.

Gene slowly pulled the string in short jerky motions.

Heath shook the rattles again.

It was still more dark than light, but some of the men neared and sat around the area. A couple of others leaned against trees.

Gene bounced the string.

Nick slapped at his leg, grunted, and rolled over.

Heath rattled the rattles.

Gene moved the string.

Nick sat straight up, tilted his head and furrowed his brow.

Heath rattled the rattles.

Nick jumped up, trying to kick his bedroll away from him. But they tangled around his legs and he fell.

Gene pulled the string, making the rope go over Nick's bent knee.

Heath rattled the rattles.

Nick slapped it away and again jumped to his feet. "Rattler!" he yelled. He danced as Gene made the rope circle around.

"Rattler!" Nick yelled. "Rattler!"

Heath rattled the rattles. "Shhh," he said quietly. "You don't want to startle it."

Gene made the rope jump.

Nick ran backwards, tripping over Heath's bedroll and again falling on his rump.

"It's behind you!" Heath yelled, rattling the rattlers.

Nick jumped to his feet and ran towards the campfire. He bumped into one of the men and shoved away from them.

Someone started laughing, which got everyone laughing.

"Go, boss!" Perez yelled.

Eugene stepped out of the woods and tossed the rope at Nick.

Nick jumped, but there was now enough light for him to see it was a rope.

Heath rattled the rattles.

Nick glared at him, then turned to face the men who were stepping out of the shadows. "So all of you were in on it?" He slapped his fists to his hips. "All of you?"

But all the drovers were laughing too hard to answer.

"Okay! Okay! We've had our fun. Let's eat, pack up, and get out of here!"

As the men headed towards the chuckwagon, Nick glowered at his brothers. "Funny, boys. Real funny."

Heath rattled the rattles.

"Okay. You got me. Let's eat."

Eugene stood quietly near the woods, not sure he wanted to go near Nick yet. But Nick saw him and put his arm around him. "C'mon, little brother. Time to eat."

XXXXX

The sun bore down on them. It was the hottest day yet, and that was saying something. Eugene rode drag, feeling sweat drip off him, feeling dust stick to him, feeling the sores on his saddle area getting more and more irritated. Why, exactly, had he wanted to go on this drive?

And the food had gotten even worse. Nothing but hardtack and coffee. For breakfast, for lunch. Possibly even for dinner.

And the tempers were just as hot as the sun. Everyone was irritable.

Pay attention. Pay attention. Pay attention.

This was not the day he wanted to get Nick mad at him. He'd already heard Nick yell at a man at breakfast.

He swiped sweat out of his eyes. Was the herd starting to expand? Or was it his imagination?

Gene rode towards the right and looked down. The right flank was working hard to get the herd back together.

Gene galloped down to help. "Hyet! Hyet!" he yelled, waving his hat at the rear cattle. He slowly moved towards the flank.

And then Nick galloped by. He went on past the right flank and started tightening the herd. It took some time, but between the three of them, they finally moved the herd back together.

Gene galloped back to his position. A straggler was already a good ways behind the herd. Crap! He galloped to the stray, then cut it back towards the herd. The fellow wasn't having anything to do with it. Gene wondered if it was the same one he and Nick had chased, but he didn't think so. This guy was smaller.

And then Gene saw yet another stray, farther behind than this one. Was he better off getting this one with the herd and then going after the other, or going after the farther one first?

And then Nick was there.

Gene's stomach turned.

Nick pointed at the closer one and then pointed at Gene.

Gene went after it while Nick chased the other one. The entire time, Gene wondered what Nick was going to say to him. Whatever he said, it wasn't going to be good.

Once Gene had his steer back with the herd, he went back to where Nick was having difficulty turning the other one. Gene went on past the steer and then turned toward it, chasing it. Nick cut it on the right and Gene continued to drive close to it to keep it moving. Finally, it caught up with the herd.

Gene didn't want to look at Nick. He didn't want Nick to yell at him for not being in his position—for letting not one but two steers escape.

But Nick galloped past him and over to the drover working the left drag position. Gene couldn't hear what was being said, but from the way Nick's arms were pointing one way and then the other, he was pretty sure the left drag was getting chewed out.

Gene sighed. It would be his turn next.

Finally, Nick rode up to him. He slowed but didn't stop. "Good work out there, kid!" he yelled.

Gene looked at him.

Nick grinned and waved, then took off for the hill.

Gene stared after him. Evidently, Nick expected the left drag to cover for Eugene while Gene was helping the right flank. He'd never understand how everything worked.

Eugene sighed and fanned himself with his hat. It was still miserably hot and his body still ached. But this drive was almost over. He could survive a few more hours.

XXXXX

It was late before they finally reached Sacramento. The men were tired, but pleasantly surprised they had chicken—and plenty of it—for dinner, as well as fresh biscuits, beans, corn, apples, and grapes.

Nick grinned as he greeted the men as they went through the chow line.

Casto paused. "We get to go into town tonight, boss?"

"Nope," Nick answered. "We need to be up early in the morning and gettin' those animals on the train. Once we have that done, you can do anything you want."

After everyone had eaten, Nick called all the men over to the campfire. "Thank you all for your hard work this week. We made great time. But we're not done yet. We still need to be up early in the morning and we need to get those critters on that train—which will be a bit tricky, as you can imagine. So, even though we're less than a mile from town, I don't want anyone leaving camp tonight. There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow. You'll get your full pay for the drive after the cattle are on the train."

Nick looked around to make sure everyone was paying attention. "I'll be doing bed checks tonight to make sure nobody sneaks out. Anyone who does will be fired on the spot and will not get the drive bonus pay. So, get a good night's rest and know that tomorrow night you can go into town and blow all the money you earned this week. Any questions?"

"Yeah. How long will it take us to load them cattle tomorrow?" someone asked.

"I'm not sure. Never done this before. It might take a good bit of the day, and then again, we might be done by lunchtime. We're gonna have to move 'em in small herds and just load one car at a time."

"How's that gonna work?"

"I'll stay at the train depot and manage the loading. We'll try to have the next small herd already waiting—or at least on the way—when we're done loading the previous bunch. So, we'll divide into two herding groups, each with a team leader. Heath will stay here, and he'll release the small herds as each group comes back."

"Why can't we herd 'em all there and then load them as we can?"

"Because they don't got a holding area big enough for that," Nick said. "Where we are right now is the holding area for a full herd." He looked around for other questions. "Okay, go get you a good night's sleep. Thanks for your hard work this week."

The men fanned out, laying out their bedrolls. Even though it was late, there was one poker game, and Casto played the harmonica again.

Eugene laid out his and his brothers' bedrolls. Before he was finished, Heath returned from wherever he'd been. Gene smiled at him. "Think we should sneak out tonight and go into town?" Heath stepped back, his eyebrow raised. "You damn well better be joking."

"I am," Gene said quickly.

"Nick would skin us alive."

Gene decided he should change the subject. "Where'd the chicken and good eats come from tonight?"

"Nick sent me up ahead to town to arrange it. He figured the men needed a good meal, and since they couldn't go into town, at least they shouldn't be hungry."

"So that's why I didn't see you or Nick at lunch."

Heath nodded. "I was gone already, and Nick stayed with the herd."

"Will Nick really do bed checks tonight?"

"You're darn tootin' he will. I'm sure I'll get a turn or two as well."

"You and Nick don't get much sleep on these drives, do you?"

Heath shrugged. "This one hasn't been too bad. First, we had our best guys with us. Since it was a short drive, we didn't have to take all the hands, so Nick left the ones who could get in trouble at the ranch for McColl to deal with. Second, this route has good holding pens all along the way, so we don't need extra guards or anything. Sometimes, everyone has to take a turn at guard duty—usually a four-hour stint."

"Glad we didn't this time."

Heath gave Eugene his half-smile. "Glad you didn't make Nick mad enough to put you on guard duty."

"Me, too."

"As long as everything goes as planned tomorrow, I'd say this has been the best drive we've ever had."

"Plus, you and Nick had me to pick on."

Heath grinned. "That we did."

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