"That right?" Samuel Barlow comments, once more eying the boy carefully before he turns his full attention to the colt. He strokes the opposing side of the horse's jaw a time or two, then takes him by the muzzle. He lifts his upper lip with his thumb to check his teeth, with only mild protest from Cortez.

"Cortez."

The horse snorts softly in response, and Samuel nods his head, once.

"Well," he begins, taking a step back to stand akimbo, eyes on the dirt before he squints up at Jay. "Tell you the truth, I wasn't lookin' to hire any more folk this year."

Beat.

"But, I can see you could use the work. Could probably stand a night or two in a clean bed, too."

He tips his hat back, off his head, and peers out into the fields over Jay's shoulder, rubbing his dirty brown hand through his sunlight-colored hair. After a moment, he makes a loose gesture towards the corn crops.

"Got the corn comin' in. There's a few fences that need mending, too.



"Said you knew your way around livestock?"