"David Drake - Old Nathan (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

"Well?" Boardman said, flexing back his shoulders.

"There's a dippin' gourd there by the tub," said Old Nathan, nodding toward that corner. "Fetch it back
to me full from the stream and I'll see what I kin do."

"There's water in the tub already," said Boardman, glancing from the container to his host.

"Fetch me living water from the stream,boy ," the older man snapped, "or find yer own way out uv yer
troubles."

"Yessir," said BoardmanтАФBoardman's sonтАФas he came bolt upright off the chair and scurried to the
dipper. It was thonged to a peg on the wall. When the boy snatched hastily, the leather caught and jerked
the gourd back out of his hand the first time.

The cunning man said nothing further until his visitor had disappeared through the back door of the cabin.
The cat gave a long glower at the bitch, absorbed in licking her own paws, before leaping to the floor and
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out the swinging door himself.

"Hope the boy's got better sense'n to cut through Spanish King's pasture," Old Nathan muttered.

"Oh, he's not so bad for feeding," said the dog, giving a self-satisfied lick at her own plump side.

"You were there at the newground, weren't ye, when the plow team balked?" asked the old man. He
twisted to look down at the bitch and meet her heavy-browed eyes directly.

"Where the bull is, you mean?" the dog queried in turn.

"Bull? There's a bull in thet valley?"

"Oh, you won't catch me coming in hornsweep uvthat 'un," said the dog as she got up and ambled to the
water tub again. "Mean hain't in it, andfast . . . ." Anything further the dog might have said was
interrupted by the sloppy enthusiasm with which she drank.

"Well, thet might be," thought the cunning man aloud as he stood, feeling the ache in the small of his back
and in every joint that he moved. Wet mornings. . . . "Thet might well be."

Old Nathan set his coffee cup, empty save for the grounds, on the table for later cleaning. He frowned
for a moment at the mush and milk remaining in his bowl, then set it down on the floor. "Here," he said to
the bitch. "It's for you."

"Well, don't mind if I do," the animal replied, padding over to the food as Old Nathan himself walked to
the fireboard.

The soup plate there had the same pattern as the five cups. The cunning man took it down and carried it