C4 antho - Chamber Four

Black Night Ranch ~203~
molded them between his legs exactly the way he wanted the
first time. He never repositioned until he was ready to turn
them to his shears, and he never grabbed an animal that
went rank in his hands, not even the moody rams.
At the day’s end, two-thousand one-hundred and nine
sheep were sheared. Nine-hundred and seventy-two were
Miguel’s alone. With less than two-hundred sheep to go, the
Mexicans were antsy to finish, but James Carl refused to
string lights in the shed. Instead, he built a great fire in the
pit he’d dug earlier. A white man fire, he called it. He spit a
gimp yearling and feasted them on mutton and beer. When
everyone had their bellies full and their heads buzzing, he ordered
Billy to get two cots from out of the shed behind the
house.
“Me and you are going to sleep outside with them
tonight,” he said.
Billy fetched the two cots and started setting them up beside
the fire. The Mexicans looked uneasy about it. It was
clear they didn’t know if the cots were for them or for James
Carl and Billy.
“Explain it to them, Billy. They look scared.”
“Explain what?”
“I don’t want them thinking we don’t trust them. Just tell
them we feel like sleeping under the stars tonight. The fat
one plays guitar. I might get my fiddle. Tell him I’m better
than last year.” Billy waited for his boss to walk away liked he
had before, but the big man waited to see what was said.
“Well?” James Carl asked.
Billy looked for Miguel but didn’t see him. “They’re shy,
and only Miguel will talk to me.”
“They’ve been chattering all day. They ain’t looked shy
to me.”