“Did you make him apple pie?” Pearlie asked.
“I’m afraid not,” he said. “That was a little beyond my capability.”
“What did you make him?” Billy asked.
“Beaver stew.”
“Beaver stew? Hmm,” Billy said. “I don’t know as I’ve ever et any beaver stew.”
Smoke laughed. “That’s what the boy said.”
“That he’d never et beaver stew before?”
“That’s it,” Smoke said. “He didn’t ask who I was, or where he was, or what was going to happen to him. All he said was that he didn’t think he had ever eaten beaver stew before. I figured then that if he couldn’t be shaken by nearly freezing to death, then winding up in a total stranger’s house eating something he had never eaten before, then he had to be a boy with gumption.”
“From what I’ve heard of the fella, he’s proved you right,” Andy said.
“Yes,” Smoke said. “Matt has made me very proud over the years.”
Smoke stretched and yawned. “I don’t know about you boys,” he said. “But I worked hard today, and I figure I’ll be working just as hard tomorrow, so I plan to get some sleep.”
“Smoke, do we need nighthawks tonight?” Pearlie asked.
“I wouldn’t think so,” Smoke replied. “Where would the cattle go? No, you can let everyone sleep in tonight.”
“Ha,” Mike said. “That almost makes the snow worth it.”
By daybreak the next day, Smoke and the others were in position. As part of the outfit, every man had two horses in the remuda so as to always have one that was fresh. But on this morning every one of them was using both horses paired as a team, for a total of ten teams. They had tied a log crossways behind each team. All nine teams were abreast, and in front of them was the chuck wagon, its wheels lashed to poles that were running parallel with the wagon. The poles had the effect of creating runners, so that the chuck wagon was converted to a sleigh. In addition to the team of mules that normally pulled the wagon, the two horses that would have belonged to Dooley had been put in harness with the mules.
“Smoke, maybe you ain’t thought of it,” Andy said. “But if all of us is up here, there ain’t nobody ridin’ to keep the herd goin’ straight.”
Billy laughed.
“What is it? What did I say that was so funny?” Andy asked.
“You ain’t got to worry none about them cows goin’ nowhere,” Billy said. “They’re goin’ to follow the road we’ll be makin’ for ’em.”
“Billy’s right,” Smoke said. “We’ll be cutting a trail for them and they’ll follow along behind like some old yellow dog.”
Andy nodded, then smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I can see that. Damn, that’s smart. How’d you come up with that idea?”
“You don’t have to worry none about how Smoke comes up with ideas,” Cal said. “He’s ’bout the smartest person I know. ’Cept maybe Miz Sally.”
In good-natured fun, Smoke threw a snowball at Cal, and Sally, who was close enough to hear the conversation, laughed out loud.
“Sally, don’t you be paying any attention to him now,” Smoke teased. “He’s just buttering you up for more pie.”
Sally laughed. “Well, when’s the last time
Smoke laughed as well. “I guess you have a point there,” he said.
Smoke looked out at all the men. All were standing on the ground behind their teams, holding the reins as if they were plowing a field.
“Is everyone ready?”
“We’re ready at this end, Smoke,” Pearlie called back.
“All ready on this end,” Cal said.
“Then, let’s move ’em out.”
Smoke was an active participant for, like the others, he had a team hitched to one of the logs and he urged his horses forward.
To Smoke’s relief, the horses appeared to be able to pull the logs without too much effort. From time to time a rather large mound of snow would pile up in front of a log and whoever was driving that team would have to clear the snow away before they could proceed.
They had gone no more than twenty-five yards when Smoke turned to look behind them. His plan was working. Not only was there a wide swath through the snow behind him—the cattle were following along.
They plowed their way through the snow for the rest of that day and halfway through the next, until they came to an area where the snow was so sparse that vegetation was showing through. By then the cows, hungry after two days of not being able to graze, began to feed.
That night the cowboys celebrated with some of Sally’s bear claws.
“So, LeRoy,” Billy said. “What do you think about drivin’ cattle through snow now?”
