Larry McMurtry - Lonesome Dove

"I don't see why we just don't take over northern Mexico, now that Pedro's dead," Augustus said. "It's just down the dern street. I'm sure there's still a few folks down there who'd give you a fight."

"I don't need a fight," Call said. "It won't hurt us to make some money."

"It might," Augustus said. "I might drown in the Republican River, like the Pumphrey boy. Then you'd get all the money. You wouldn't even know how to have fun with it. You'd probably use it to buy gravestones for old bandits you happened to like."

"If you drown in the Republican River, I'll give your part to Jake," Call said. "I guess he'd know how to spend it."

With that he mounted and rode off, meaning to find Jasper Fant and hire him, if he really wanted to work.

BY THE TIME Jake Spoon had been in Lonesome Dove ten days, Lorena knew she had a job to do-namely the job of holding him to his word and making sure he took her to San Francisco as he had promised to do.

Of course Jake had not given her any direct notice that he intended to do differently. He moved in with her immediately and was just as pleasant about everything as he had been the first day. He had not taken a cent of money from her, and they seldom passed an hour together without him complimenting her in some way-usually on her voice, or her looks, or the fine texture of her hair, or some delicacy of manner. He had a way of appearing always mildly surprised by her graces, and if anything his sentiments only grew warmer as they got to know one another better. He repeated several times his dismay at her having been stuck for so long in a dismal hole like Lonesome Dove.

But after a week, Lorena became aware of a curious thing: Jake was more attached to her than she was to him. The fact struck her late one afternoon while she was watching him nap. He had insisted on a root, and gone night to sleep afterward; while the sweat was cooling on them she realized she wasn't excited about him in the way she had been the first day. The first day had been one of the big days of her life, because of the smooth way Jake had shown up and taken over, ending her long period of tension and discomfort.

She still felt peaceful with him; they had never quarreled and he had not demonstrated the slightest inclination to meanness. But it was clear to her already that he was one of those men somebody had to take care of. He had fooled her for a few days into thinking he would do the taking care of, but that wasn't so. He was a clever cardplayer and could make money, but that was just part of it. Jake had to have company. When he slept, or when he was amused, on was just lolling around telling stories, the childish part of him showed, and it was a big part. Before the week was over it seemed to her that he was all play.

The realization didn't disturb her calm, though. It meant he needed her more than he would admit; she recognized the need and didn't care whether he admitted it or not. If Jake had been as firm as he pretended to be, it would have left her with little security. He could have just walked off.

But he wouldn't. He liked talk, woman's talk, and the comforts of the bed. He even liked it that she lived above the saloon, since it meant a game was handy if he felt like playing.

Since the Hat Creek outfit had been gathering cattle and getting ready for their drive, games were handier than they had been for a while. Several cowboys drifted into Lonesome Dove, looking for work; some of them had enough snap left at night to wander in and cut the cards. A tall cowboy named Needle Nelson showed up from north of San Antonio, and a cheerful cowboy from Brownsville named Bert Borum.

At first Xavier was cheered by all the new customers, until it occurred to him that they would only be there for a week or two. Then the thought of how empty the saloon would soon be filled him with gloom, and he stood by the door most of the night, his washrag dripping down his leg.

Lippy was kept plenty busy, for the cowboys were always requesting songs. Lippy liked the company. He was proud of his talent at the keyboard and would pound out any song that was requested.

Jake took pains to teach Lorena a few things about card playing that she didn't know. She came to wonder how Jasper and Bert and Needle Nelson got by on so little sleep, for the Captain worked them hard all day and the games went on half the night. The only cowboy likely to pull a sour face if she sat in was Dish Boggett, who wouldn't get over being in love with her. It amused her that he sat there looking so solemn, with his big mustache. Jake did not even seem to notice that the man was in love with her. She was tempted to tease Jake a little, but he had told her plain out he was a jealous man: for all she knew, he might shoot Dish, which would be a pity. Dish was nice enough-it was just that he couldn't compare with Jake Spoon.

When the gathering and branding of cattle had been going on for about ten days, Lorena began to feel a crisis coming. She heard the boys speculate that the branding would be done in another week, which meant they were close to starting the drive. The boys were saying they were already late.

"Hell, we'll be crossing the Yellowstone on the dern ice, if we don't get started," Needle Nelson said. He was a funny-looking man, thin as a wire, and with an Adam's apple that looked as big as a turkey egg.

"Why, I doubt we'll make the Yellowstone," Jasper Fant said. "Most of us will get drownt before we get that far."

"Needle won't," Dish Boggett suggested. "There ain't a river up that way deep enough he couldn't walk through it and not get his hat wet."

"I can swim, anyway," Needle remarked.

"I'd like to see you swim with fifty or sixty cattle on top of you, or maybe your own horse," Jasper said.

"Ain't no fifty or sixty cattle going to be on top of me," Needle replied, unruffled. "Nor no dern horse neither."

Bert Borum thought Needle was hilarious-he thought pretty near everything was hilarious. He was one of those men who have a laugh you like to hear.

"I'm getting me a float before I cross airy river," he declared.

"What kind of float?" Dish inquired.

"Ain't decided," Bert said. "Might tie a few jugs to my horse. Jugs are good floats."

"Where would you get a dern jug on a cattle drive?" Jasper asked. "If the Captain was to catch you with a jug, he'd want to know who drank the whiskey out of it."

Jake was tolerant of the cowboys but careful to keep himself a bit apart from them. He never chimed in when they talked about the life they would have on the trail, and he never spoke to Lorena about the fact that the herd would be leaving in ten days. He didn't work much on the branding, either, though once in a while he spent a night helping them gather more stock. Mostly he let it appear that the drive had nothing to do with him.

Lorena didn't press him, but she kept an eye on him. If he wanted to stay, that was one thing, but if he planned on going he was going to have to figure a way to take her. He wasn't leaving without her, whatever he might think about the matter.

Then, before the issue came to a head, something happened that took Lorena completely unaware. It was a blistering day, the saloon totally empty except for Lippy. Xavier, who had a taste for fish, had gone off to the river to see if he could catch any. Lorena was sitting at a table, practicing one on two card tricks Jake had taught her, when who should walk in but Gus. His shirt was as wet from sweat as if he'd been underwater a week, and even his hatband was sweated through. He went around behind the ban, got himself a bottle and brought it over to the table, grinning a big grin despite the heat.

She noted that he brought her a glass, which struck her as bold, but then Gus would do anything, as Jake was always saying.