Bo said, “Let go of me, Scratch.”
“You ain’t gonna go loco again if I do?”
“No, I reckon that’s over and done with.”
Scratch released his grip on Bo, who looked around and then bent over to pick up his hat, which had fallen off when he tackled Peeler. He brushed off the hat and straightened a dent in it, then put it on and said, “We’ll go.”
“Wait a minute,” Scratch objected. “Peeler owes us money.”
“I don’t want his money. I just want to be away from here.”
Archibald sneered. “We want you away from here, too, Creel. You’ve got the place stinkin’ of old man.”
Scratch gave the
Archibald didn’t like being reminded of that. He glared at Scratch.
“Step aside,” Scratch said.
“Don’t push it,” Archibald warned.
“You wanted us gone, we’re leavin’. Come on, Bo.”
Archibald motioned for the other men to step aside. The Texans moved past them through the ruined doorway, crossed the porch, and went down the steps.
Quietly, Bo said, “Sorry I lost this job for us, partner. I just couldn’t keep the rein tight enough on my temper.”
“Shoot, don’t worry about it, Bo. Peeler’s a jackass, and Archibald ain’t any better. They don’t appreciate us here. We’ll be better off somewheres else.”
“Yeah, but at least here we could eat.”
“Well, that could be a problem, seein’ as we’re broke. But we’ll think of something.”
When they trudged into the barn to get their horses, the skinny old hostler called Jonas met them. “What was all the commotion over to the big house?” he asked. “I heard a lot of yellin’.”
Scratch grinned and jerked a thumb at his old friend. “Bo here got in a tussle with Big John.”
Jonas’s eyes widened. “You tangled with the boss? Good Lord, Bo, even if he wasn’t the boss, I’ve seen Big John bust fellas plumb in half with his bare hands. He could’a killed you!”
“Yeah, well, Bo was gettin’ the best of the fight when I pulled him off,” Scratch said.
“What’d Big John do?”
“Nothin’. He was still too groggy from Bo handin’ him his needin’s. But Archibald threw us off the place. Said we weren’t even gonna get the wages we got comin’.”
Jonas shook his head. “Now ain’t that a damned shame. Don’t tell him I said it, but Joe Archibald is a plumb mean-spirited hombre. He’s all the time sayin’ things about me being old and broke-down and worthless, and he don’t ever seem to notice that I work like a sumbitch takin’ care of all the saddle stock around here.”
Bo put a hand on the hostler’s shoulder. “You do a good job, Jonas. I’ve noticed how you care for our horses, and I appreciate it.”
“So do I,” Scratch added. “Guess you better bring ’em out now, come to think of it. Bo and me got our marchin’ orders.”
It didn’t take long to get Bo’s rangy lineback dun and Scratch’s big bay saddled and ready to ride. “Where will you go?” asked Jonas.
“Socorro’s not far,” Bo said. “I guess we’ll ride in there and start looking for work again.”
He didn’t mention how they had had trouble finding work in Socorro before. That was how they’d wound up on the Circle JP. But maybe the situation had improved since then and something better would turn up.
“You got any money at all?”
Scratch shrugged. “Not to speak of. Big John hadn’t gotten around to payin’ us.”
Jonas hesitated. “Listen here. I don’t like to see any man tryin’ to make his way in the world when he’s flat- broke busted.” He delved in a pocket of his overalls and brought out a coin. “Here, take this. It’s only five dollars, but it’ll buy you some grub and a place to sleep, maybe.”
Bo shook his head. “We can’t take that, Jonas. Five dollars is a lot of money.”
“Yeah, but I got plenty. I don’t do nothin’ with my wages but save ’em, anyway. I’m too old for women, and I never developed a taste for whiskey.”
Scratch reached out and took the coin from the hostler’s fingers. “We’re much obliged, Jonas. This is mighty kind of you.”
“Consider it a loan,” Bo said. “When we get on our feet again, we’ll send it back to you.”
“You do that,” Jonas said with a nod. “I’ll be here, I reckon. Ain’t nowheres else for me to go.”
Bo and Scratch shook hands with the old-timer, then swung up into their saddles. As they rode out of the barn, they saw Archibald and some of the other Circle JP hands arrayed in front of the house, watching them with hostile glares. Other cowboys were in front of the bunkhouse, looking equally unfriendly.
“Looks like a gauntlet,” Bo said under his breath.
