Casey
Copyright© 2025 by A Bad Attitude
Chapter 5: The Line Camps
At 6 am Saturday morning I had finished breakfast and was saddling my horse when Mr. Travis, his wife Ana and Christie arrived in a truck loaded with what we were taking with us on our trip. As Mr. Travis helped me load the 3 pack mules, I laughed and said, “Be careful around those mules. My grandpa always said, “A mule will work for you for 10 years just to get the chance to kick you one time.” That brought a laugh from everyone. When everything was packed and ready, Ana hugged her daughter and told her to have a good trip. Mr. Travis shook my hand and wished me the same then turned to his daughter and said, “Take good care of my horse trainer.” Then hugged her. I noticed neither of them told ME to watch over her. She was told to take care of ME!
The first day was uneventful. We would ride for an hour, then dis-mount and walk for 15 minutes to rest the horses, then it was another hour in the saddle. We did this until about 4pm when we came to a place where there was a small cabin with a barn.
“We’ll spend the night here. We call this Camp #1. Years ago the cowboys driving cattle back and forth from the northern pastures had to carry tents and sleep on the ground. We built these cabins a few years ago. You tend to the horses and mules while I start us some supper.”
I tied the mules to the hitching post in front of the cabin then unloaded them. Then I walked each into the barn. Off to one side was a room. Checking inside I found a drum filled with feed. After making sure all the animals were taken care of, I went into the cabin. It was one large room with 4 sets of built-in bunk beds and a kitchen.
“We keep these places well stocked with canned food and bottled water. The cowboys call them ‘line camps’ because they are in line with the northern pastures and the pens at the ranch. They are not 4-star, but they beat sleeping on the ground.”
She lit an oil lamp and served us a meal of canned chili that she had heated up on a gas stove. There was an outhouse just outside the back door that we both used before we got in our sleeping bags on the bunk beds. It was not long before we both were asleep. The next morning, we were up before sunrise. While I went to the barn to feed, Christie made breakfast. I entered the cabin just as she was sitting two plates filled with eggs and fried spam on the table. She asked how I liked my coffee and grinned when I said black.
“Where did you get the eggs?” I questioned.
“Those I brought with us.”
We ate then saddled our horses and mules and started our second day. Lunch (beef jerky) was eaten in the saddle drinking bottled water. We arrived at Camp #2 about 3pm. We were making good time according to Christie. She helped me with the horses and mules then said supper could wait. She wanted to bathe in the river behind the cabin.
“I did not bring a swimsuit, I’ll wait in the cabin until...”
“What’s the matter Casey? Haven’t you ever been skinny dipping? Or are you shy?”
She hunted through a pack and found a bar of soap and two towels, one she threw at me as she started to undress.
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