Читать книгу Settling The Score - George McLane Wood - Страница 44

Chapter Seven

Jeff mounted behind Ed, and they crossed the creek and headed west. They rode awhile; Jeff was enjoying the feel of damp clothes washed clean by the creek and now drying on his back instead of a prison clothesline. Ed’s gelding was a good horse, a tall roan with an easy walking gait. Jeff was watching as far ahead as his eyes could see. He took out his spyglass. He’d had it since early in the war. It had been lying there on the grass late one afternoon after he and his friends had fought a battle. The other side had finally had enough and had run away. The spyglass had been his ever since.

It’d most likely been lost by some officer, he reckoned. Spyglasses weren’t usually owned by plain old soldiers. His sergeant had ordered Jeff to give it to him and Jeff told him, no, sir, he’d found it and it was his. And Jeff had used that spyglass often, spying on bluecoats. He looked through the glass again now, watching far off. He could barely see. It looked like…Yeah, he could barely see long ways, a man, and it looked like Lester. He was walking beside his horse. Jeff smiled. He wanted the advantage. And this time, old son, this time, the luck is on my side.

“Damn, it’s hot, Jeff, there ain’t no dang shade nowhere. We must’ve come ten miles already. This is the most I ever walked a horse in my life,” Ed complained.

“At least it ain’t been you that’s done all the walking like your horse has, Ed,” Jeff said. “Besides, a little walk is good for us, helps us get to know one another again, don’t you think? You stay on your horse and ride him by yourself, I’ll get off.”

Jeff slid off, laughing at him, and shook his head, as he and Ed’s horse kept on walking.