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CHAPTER 14
“Where’s Call?” Jake asked when he got to the porch.
“You didn’t expect to find Woodrow Call sitting in the shade, did you?” Augustus asked. “That man was born to work.”
“Yes, and you was born to talk too much,” Jake said. “I need to borrow ten dollars.”
“Oh?” Augustus said. “Has Lorie upped her rates?”
Jake ignored the question, which was only meant to rile him, and reached for the jug.
“No, the girl’s as generous as a preacher’s widow,” Jake said. “She wouldn’t take money from a gentleman like me. I hope
she charged you plenty, though, for I know you’ve been there before me.”
“I’ve always tried to keep a step ahead of you, Jake,” Augustus said. “But to answer your question, Call’s gone to round up
a dern bunch of cowboys so we can head out for Montana with a dern bunch of cows and suffer for the rest of our lives.”
“Well, dern,” Jake said. “I admit I was a fool to mention it.”
He settled himself on the
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