The Gathering of the Clans

Book 1 Chapter 28

The Gathering of the Clans

Book 1 Chapter 28

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Mother Goose Egg Farm

"I'm sure Lothar and his boys are out at one of the chicken runs but it's odd that he didn't leave at least one of his boys at the house to tell us where they're at. Maybe he left a note?" David and the others looked around the kitchen. Todd checked the front door and found the tiny note.

"Says here he left the jeep behind the house and to meet them at run three after having a cup of hot coffee and to bring a thermos of it with us. I suppose you know where that is? David nodded. Ethan smiled and handed Todd a cup of coffee. "Coffee first, chickens second. My kind of schedule." The four men laughed.

Fifteen minutes later...

Brian filled the large thermos as Ethan rinsed the cups and set them in the sink. "Well, guys I got my bag, let's go see what's up with the chickens." The men piled into the jeep. Todd pointed out the chickens milling around the backyard and the feeder Lothar had there. "I thought you said the chickens were in a run. Those get loose or something?"

David laughed "Nope. Lothar keeps the layers in the runs cause he doesn't like playing find the eggs. He tried free-ranging the things but the crazy things laid their eggs everywhere. He stepped and drove on more than he harvested."

"Hell, Matilda kept laying them in his chair on the back porch. Come to think of it she still does that. She's more like a pet than anything else. She sleeps in the house at night too. Anyhow, Lothar decided to get some breeders about two years ago. He's free ranging them, no antibiotics, all-natural, and all that stuff. He makes a good profit selling them locally to the restaurants that boast their meat is grown humanely and organically"

"Okay here's run three." David pointed at the fenced-in structure."There are Joachim and Jester." Todd saw a teenage boy standing by the structure with a black, white, and red dog next to him. 'Wait a minute! Red? Why is the dog red?'

Todd parked the jeep and David jumped out. "Joachim! What happened to Jester?" The boy was crying and holding a bloody cloth in his hand. "Jester was herding the chickens for Dad when some of the sick ones attacked him! Is he going to be okay?"

David knelt and examined Jester's eyes. He had the gold rings in his eyes."Has Jester been sick lately?" Joachim nodded. "Last week he was really tired and didn't eat much of his food. He refused to herd the chickens, and you know that is his favorite thing to do. Matilda was the same. Those two slept together and everything. Dad was really worried but then they got better."

David grinned as he tended Jester's wounds. "Jester had the Sickness and survived, seems Matilda may have as well. I'll need to look at her to be sure." Poor dog, the chickens really had a go at him. There were some deep ones by his eyes and nose and David made sure to check each one.

"Okay other than the long one by his nose which may need a stitch or two I think he will be okay. We'll get him up to the house and clean him up some more so I can stitch that one up. Okay, Joachim?" The boy sniffled and swiped at his nose. "You hear that Jester, Doc Hayes says you're going to be okay." He patted Jester on the head. The dog whined and leaned his head into the boy's hand indicating he wanted to be pet more.

"Dad says to be real careful in there. He's got Eastern Reds in this run and they're not the nicest birds to work with. Dad says if you see the rooster, kill it. He's the one that attacked Jester all crazy-like." Todd nodded. "Good to know. Now I want you and Jester to wait here. Okay?" Joachim nodded.