Chapter 63

Outside preparations were going ahead for the mini celebration in anticipation of Georgo's announcement. None of them knew what it would be, but it really didn't matter. Any excuse for a celebration was good enough for them.

I thought about requesting beer for the occasion, but decided against it. We were going to have a hunt in the morning and a lot of work afterward. I didn't want them trying to clean and cut up bison with hangovers.

My mates all took a look outside and then went out to decide what they would be cooking. They decided on a big bear meat stew and I asked if they would have time to make enough bread so everyone could try some.

Roweea was delighted with this suggestion and was quick to point out they had a lot of dough ready for cooking already since they had done a lot of practicing today. They decided then they would supply bear stew, French fries, and bread - probably toast. What a menu.

They set to work with a vengeance and I decided to take a walk to see if anything more had been accomplished on the new horse pens.

There was a surprise waiting for me when I got there. All the posts for the cross fences and for the round pen were already set and the rails for one of the training pens were in place also.

I could see Galto intended to finish one training pen first and then work on the other, saving the round pen for last. He was currently working on the gate while others finished up with the rails. He also had two men working on setting four stout snubbing posts for the standing tied lessons.

"I am amazed at your progress Galto," I told him, when I was near.

"Some of the others who returned came to help us and it is going much faster now," he said.

"It certainly is. I think I would probably be able to draw the new horses in tonight for capture. We could leave a few of our tame horses tied in the training pen while leaving the pen's gate and the back fence's gate open and they should all be milling around in the small pen by morning."

"It might not even take that long. Look where Jonoco tied Sally to the back fence," he said, pointing to her.

I hadn't noticed Sally at the back fence since my attention had been on the pen where he was working. She had enough slack in her lead rope to allow a little grazing, but she was currently getting acquainted with the big stallion and all the other wild horses.

They were near the fence where she was tied. Galto was right. If we tied Sally in the training pen he was finishing, near the back, and opened the gates most of the wild horses would be in the pen with her within an hour or two.

"You're right. It will take no time to catch them after you are finished with the pen and its gate."

"We won't be much longer with this pen. Do you want us to continue until we have both of them finished?" Galto asked.

"I don't think so. Georgo will want to start his little talk soon after dark and we will be hunting tomorrow. After the bison are killed we will be very busy for a while. I think you should just try to get this one finished and then find a stopping place on the other one. We should probably leave capturing the other horses until after things settle down. We might be busy for a few days."

"That is what we'll do then. We can finish this pen in only a few more minutes and then we will all go and get ready for Georgo. Will we be having more of the excellent bruga tonight?" he asked, with a hopeful smile.

"I don't think we should have the bruga on the night before a big hunt. You would all be happy tonight, but very cross tomorrow when you were cleaning and skinning bison with your heads pounding. You will hear something tonight though which will let you know it won't be long before another bruga celebration."

"What will we hear?" he asked, excited now.

"You will have to wait until Georgo tells you and you shouldn't mention it to any of the others, but I'm sure you will know what is coming after Georgo is through talking."

"I will wait and listen carefully to Georgo then," he said.

I headed back to my cave. When I walked in I saw Georgo sitting at the new table and he had a big mug of coffee. I walked toward the pot for one of my own and when Ladeliea, who was busy cooking with my mates, saw where I was headed she filled a mug for me before I could get there. I thanked her and went to sit with Georgo.

"John, I should leave more often. You have done many wonderful things while I was gone. You have even given my mate many new things to wear. I can tell you they have my full approval too. She looks wonderful in them. I had never noticed before how clothes can change the looks of a woman," he said.

"Did she show you her new trousers too?" I asked, innocently.

Georgo looked at me strangely for a moment. He bent his head toward mine then and I knew he wanted to whisper so I bent toward him also.

"Trousers. Who cares about the trousers? She took off the tunic and pranced around in that tiny strip. I think she said you called it a thong. It made my blood boil. I shouldn't talk of such things, but I had to take her there and then. I didn't care if it was daylight. I had to have her. Twice!" Georgo said, seriously.

I had to bite my tongue. It was just funny to me. Here was a man who had no doubt seen hundreds of women stark naked, but put a tiny thong on one and it drove him wild. It was true sometimes hiding a few of the assets made them sexier than showing all.