“All right,” Cal said.
“What about sending half of us in now, then we switch so the other half can go into town tomorrow?” Andy suggested.
Smoke shook his head. “I wish I could let you do that,” he said. “But the truth is we can’t take the time to spend two days here. So what I want is for those of you who do go into town to buy the groceries on Sally’s list, then get back out here.”
“Wait,” LeRoy said. “You mean we can’t even go into the saloon for a beer?”
Smoke chuckled. “I’m not that hard of a slave driver,” he said. “You can spend a little time in the saloon, as long as you remember that I want you back here by nightfall.”
“I’ll keep an eye on them, Smoke,” Pearlie said.
Sally chuckled. “You are going to keep an eye on them? Isn’t that a little like setting the fox to watch the henhouse?”
“Oh, now, Miz Sally,” Pearlie said. “Do you really think that?” He was obviously hurt by her insinuation.
Sally laughed out loud and reached out to touch him. “I was teasing you, Pearlie,” she said. “I know you aren’t going to get into any trouble.”
Pearlie smiled as well. “I didn’t think you meant nothin’ by that,” he said.
“All right, who is going and who is staying?” Smoke asked.
“You already told me I was stayin’,” Cal said.
“Cal, if you want, I’ll stay and you can go,” Jules volunteered.
Cal chuckled. “Nah, you go ahead. I don’t mind stayin’.”
“I’ll stay,” Billy offered.
“I’ll stay,” Dooley said.
Finally, it was agreed that Cal, Hank, Dooley, and Billy would stay with the herd. Pearlie, Andy, LeRoy, Mike, and Jules would go into town.
Sally presented Pearlie with the shopping list and some money. “This is what I want,” she said.
“I’ll get ever’thing you got on that list, Miz Sally,” Pearlie promised. “You can count on it.”
“I know I can,” Sally said.
“What are you boys waitin’ around here for?” Smoke asked. “We’re in the middle of fall and it’s getting dark earlier every day. If you’re going to be back by nightfall, you had better get going.”
“Yahoo!” LeRoy shouted. “Come on, boys, let’s go! I aim to spend me some of that baseball money.”
“Jules?” Billy called.
Jules looked back toward Billy.
“Would you see if you can find me some horehound candy? I’m just real partial to that.”
Jules smiled and nodded. “Sure thing, Billy, I’ll bring you some back,” he promised.
“Thanks,” Billy said with a big smile.
After they bought the supplies, they walked out of the store and Pearlie tied the bag of groceries to his saddle horn.
“Let’s find us a saloon,” LeRoy suggested.
“I don’t know, I think we should get on back,” Pearlie said.
“Pearlie, come on, Smoke said we could stay in town for a while. I plan on havin’ a couple of drinks, and maybe eatin’ in a place where I can sit in a chair at a table. What do you say?”
Pearlie stroked his chin as he considered it, but didn’t say anything.
“Look, you’re our boss,” LeRoy said. “So if you say we got to go back, why, we’ll all go back. I’m just tellin’ you that Smoke did say we could stay for a while.”
Pearlie sighed, then nodded. “All right,” he said. “You can stay. But just remember what Smoke said about staying out of trouble. Oh, and be sure and get back before nightfall tonight.”
“We will,” LeRoy promised.
“Mike?” Pearlie said.
“I’ll look after ’em,” Mike promised.
Pearlie nodded again, then mounted his horse. “Before nightfall,” he said again, and the others nodded at him.
The cowboys watched Pearlie ride off before they started looking for the saloon. Then, finding it, they tied up to the hitching rail out front, pushed through the batwing doors, and strode up to the bar, catching the bartender’s eye.
“Jules, I don’t want to embarrass you or anything in here, so, what’ll it be? Beer or sarsaparilla?” Mike asked.
Jules thought for a moment. He had tried beer before, and he didn’t particularly like the taste, whereas he did like the taste of sarsaparilla. On the other hand, he was now a working cowboy, doing the same job as the other cowboys. He decided he should drink as the others as well.
