Part 8 (1/2)
just acted polite, you know, and went on to the next person or business orwhatever.
”Finally he got to me. He asked if I worked on a farm or ranch and if I knew of anyone hirin'. By then, I couldn't resist. I just said, ” Why, sh.o.r.e,”and brung him on home with me.”
”You brought him here without finding out where he belonged?”
Louie laughed.
”Well, I always figure it's first things first in this world. I meant to feed him, give him a place to sleep and then go about trying to figure why hewas out on his own.”
Louie shoveled a forkful of hash into his mouth and Winn waited for him to finish the story. After a few minutes of silence he asked, ”Did you findout?”
”Yep.”
Winn waited again. In spite of his determination to mind his own business,he was interested in this young boy's story. It gave him a chance to forgethis own problems. At the same time, it didn't seem right to ask questions.Louie would finish the story sooner or later.
When Louie finally spoke it was to offer him more hash, which he spooned ontoWinn's plate without waiting for an answer.
Louie spoke again as he set the pot on the stove and returned to the table.
”I used to do some trail driving, myself. Fact is, last couple of years Iled .” I Franklin's herd to Abilene.
”Course this ain't no thing j like bringing a herd all the way up from Texas.
I done
that a few times, too. Always got tired of the food.
I
expect we could have hired the best cowboys if we'd
had an inventive
cook. ”
Winn grinned but offered no comment. He found himself relaxing. The food
was good. The coffee was good. The big tin cup was easy to find and didn'tclatter dangerously like Mrs. Franklin's china. He mentioned it to Louie.' ”She came and got a couple of tin cups from me. I figured she was usin'
'em.”
”Well, sometimes, but it's not something I can count on. It's almost like she's trying to wean me away from them.”
Louie laughed and Winn spoke again.
”Can I ask you a question, Louie?”
”Fire away.”
”Since your coo king didn't kill me, are you waiting for me to die of
curiosity?”
Louie pretended surprise.
”You're wondering about Peter? Well, there's not that much to tell, after
all. His folks had come out from Kentucky. Didn't have much.
His ma died of a fever and then his pa was killed, some kind of hunting accident, I guess. Peter was kind of vague on that.
”Anyway, he figured there wasn't no thing to keep him there so he buried his
pa, packed up what was useful and rode the old mule to town.
He'd been working since he could walk so he figured he could look after himself.
Funny thing. People got upset with us givin' him a job here even though kids
his age would be doin' the same work on their pa's place. ”
”Did you try to find any family back in Kentucky Winn asked. He admired Louie for taking in the child but it seemed like Peter should have been withhis own kin. Twelve was too young to be alone.
”Seems his pa left because of family and didn't none of them want the boy.
We're his family now. Franklin wasn't too happy with the boy but he diedbefore he got around to doing anything about it. ”
Winn noticed a certain lack of sorrow at the mention of his late employer'sdeath. He caught himself getting curious again. He had already pried intoother people's lives more than he intended.
Louie watched Winn as he finished his dinner. He did surprisingly well for ablind man, but he was painfully careful about every move he made.
After he led Winn to the house, Louie continued to think about him.
What would the man do if his sight didn't return? Did he even think about it?
If he did see again, Louie decided, he would sure like to hire him. If Mrs. Franklin was serious about staying out here, they could use another hand.