The headache next morning is familiar—and tolerable. I get myself going, pick up my clean clothes at the desk, stuff them into my bedroll, pay my bill, and head to breakfast. Coffee revives me, appetite coming on. I put away eggs, bacon, potatoes, and biscuits before heading to the livery.
Ned is eager to get going, snickering as I tie on my gear. Once astride, I feel him shake with promise of another good ride. Wish I felt as much.
We ride along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains and I enjoy the cool as we climb off the desert flat that plagued me from Arizona to New Mexico. I welcome the green, though it’s slower going up here, taking care among tall trees and cold rivers.
It’s mid-afternoon when I ride into Gunnison, which has grown in my absence. A man gains years; a town gain
