SAM

Poachers

Sam saw Harry standing in the pasture, she nudge her horse in his direction knowing something was not right. She stopped short as she saw the gutted cow. Getting off the horse she walked over to Harry, they had heard of poachers around but this had never happened in the Double River.

"This is fresh-- she was standing yesterday when we checked the cattle." Harry explained, as they both knelt near the carcass.

"We will have to set up watches, have some men come and clean this up before we get wild dogs do our job" Sam walked toward the horses wondering who could be doing this, poachers where not common around these places. She shook her head as she mounted and turned toward Harry who was already on his horse. "Set up rounds every four hours, I'll take the second one, since I have something pending in the big house."

"Yup heard you got an earful today at the corrals," Harry teased. " your Dad trying to marry you off again?"

Sam rolled her eyes. " First he hauls me to his office to inform me that I either get a husband or I lose my job on the ranch, which is one and the same to me. Then he comes to the corrals and practically yanks me off the fence to tell me that I should start acting more ladylike!" She bit her lip as not to laugh, "then he yells at poor Dan and Mike for betting with me-- you had to see Dan's face, he couldn't figure what he had done wrong!" Sam's face turned into a frown, " I swear Harry sometimes I wish I was a boy, this marriage thing would not be paining me!"

Harry laughed, "I think its just jitters about his own wedding." He reined the horse in standing beside Sam.

Sam through her leg over the horn and turned, "I have no idea why, he loves Cecile, I have seen how he looks at her when he thinks no one is watching. Every time she goes to her house he wanders around the ranch like a tailless dog and when he figures everyone is sleeping he slips out to her place."

"How do you know?"

"I usually follow him there."

"What! Hell woman what do you think you are doing out at night unprotected!" Harry yelled making Sam's horse shy away.

she lowered her leg to control the horse and softly patted it before turning and heading back home. She heard Harry catch up.

"There will be no more yelling at Sam today, I have had my fill." She told him amgrily, "I was not going to let him go out like a lovesick calf by himself, his head into Cecile instead of the surroundings."

"I'm sorry child," He leaned and lightly punch her shoulder, watching the smile break.

"It's okay. Harry, I also knew you where out there too saw you a couple of times."

"Sam, you know I believe in you and trust you, but no matter how you want to see it, you are a woman and it is not your place to be out after dark by yourself, you know better."

She flushed in anger, you are a girl she mimicked in a high tone inside her head, she hated being a girl, she hated that she was limited because she was a girl.

"You know what Harry? I am a better shot than most men here, and can ride as well as any."

Harry scratched his head, he knew better than to fight with her. "Let's just get to the corrals and send someone to go get what is left of the cow, he turned toward the stables and saw the small house had some light in it, "We have company?" He asked nodding toward the guest house.

Sam turned to look up to the guest house. That must have been the buyer, the man she had almost walked all over! Damn her luck! She could remember her father yelling at her to either behave like a lady or hide where the buyer wouldn't see the spectacle she made of herself, great! First she had trampled the man and then he had seen her betting. Sam sighed as she dismounted and gave her horses's reins to Harry.

"It must be the buyer, I will catch a light dinner and meet you at the stables at midnight, bring your shotgun. We might get lucky tonight!" She told Harry and raising her finger made a popping sound with her mouth.

Harry laughed and handing the reigns to one of the men who came to meet them pulled his arm over her shoulder and steered her toward the house. "See you tonight, tell George what is happening I will set up the rest of the chores."