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I decided to see if Beulah could swing it； so I told her to。 line 'em up for harness； both as a test and because I wanted to move the mules out of sight while I buried Buck…they were nervy and restless； the boss mule's death had upset them。 I don't know what mUles think about death；； but they are not indifferent to it。
She promptly got busy； and I kept aP eye on Kenny。 He accepted … it； took his usual place by Daisy。 Once I had them
… messed； Beulah was the only one left over； three mules dead now。 …
I told Dora that I wanted them moved a few hundred r…ieters away。 Would she handle it； with Beulah as march boss？ Or would she feel safer if I did it？…and ran into a second problem： Dora wanted to be present when I buried Buck。 More than that…〃Woodrow； I can help dig。 Buck was my friend； too； you know。〃
… I said； 〃Dora； I'll put up with anything at all from a pregnant woman except allowing her to do something that would hurt her。〃
〃But； dearest； I feel okay； physically…it's just that I'm dreadfully upset over Buck。 So I want to help。〃
〃I think you are in good shape； too； and I want you to stay that way。 You can help best by staying in the wagon。 Dora；
nil
I haven't any way to take care of a … premature baby； and I don't want to have to bury a baby as well as Buck。〃
Her eyes widened。 〃You think that would happen？'
〃Sweetheart； I don't know。 I've known women to hang Onto babies under unbelievable hardships。 I've seen others lose babies for no reason that I could see。 The only rule I have about it is： Don't take unnecessary chances。 This one is
… not nec？ssary。〃 … …
So once again we replanned things to suit both of us； though it took an extra hour。 I unshackled the second wagon and set up the fence again； put the four goats inside the fence； and left Dora in that wagon。 Then I drove the first wagon three or four hundred meters away； unharnessed the mules； and told Beulah to keep them together…and told Ken to help her； and left Fritz to help her； too； and took Lady Mac back with me to watch for lopers or whatever。 The visibility was good…no brush； no high grass； the place looked like a tended park。 But I was going to be down in a hole； I didn't want something sneaking up on me or on the wagon。 〃Lady Macbeth。 High sentry。 Up！〃
By agreement Dd'ra stayed in the wagon。
It took all that day to take care of our old friend； with a stop for lunch and a few short breaks for water and to catch my breath in the shade of the wagon…breaks I shared with Lady Mac； letting her get down each time I came up。 Plus one interruption… It was midafternoon and I had dug almost enough hole
when Lady Mac barked for me。 I was up qut of that hole fast； blaster in hand； expecting lopers。
Just a dragon… I wasn't especially surprised； Minerva； the well…cropped
state of the turf； almost like a lawn； seemed to indicate dragon rather than prair~e goat。 Those dragons are not dangerous unless one happens to fall on you。 They are slow； stupid； and strictly vegetarian。 Oh； they're ugly enough to be frightening； they look like six…legged triceratops。 But that's all。 Lopers left them alone because biting armot is unrewarding。
I joined Dora at the wagon。 〃Ever seen one； hon？〃
〃Not up close。 Goodness； it's huge。〃
〃It's a big one； all right。 But it will probably turn away。 I won't waste a charge on it if I don't have to。〃
But the durned thing did not turn away。 Minerva； I think it was so stupid that it mistook the wagon for a lady dragon。
Or the other way around； it is hard to tell male from female。 But they are definitely bisexual； two thagons humping is a ren…~arkable sight。
When it got within a hundred meters； I let myself out the fence and took Lady Mac along； as she was quiveringly eager。 I doubt if she had ever seen one； they were cleaned out around Top Dollar long before she was whelped。 She danced up to it； barking but wary。
I hoped that Lady would cause it to turn aside； but this misshapen rhinoceros paid no attention； it lumbered slowly along； straight for the wagon。 So I tickled it with my needle gun between where it should have had lips； to get its attention。 It stopped； astounded I think； and opened its mouth wide。 That was what I needed； as I did not want to waste maximum power blasting through that armored hide。 So… Blaster at minimum； right into its mouth： Scratch one dragon。
It stood there a moment； then slowly collapsed。 I called Lady and went back to the fence。 Dora was waiting。 〃May I go look at it？〃
I glanced at the Sun。 〃Sweetheart； I'm going to be pushed to take care of Buck before dark； then fetch the mules back and move us on a way。 Unless you are willing to bivouac with the grave on one side and a dead dragon on the other？〃
She did not insist； and I got back to work。 In another hour I had it deep… enough and wide enough…got out block…andtackle； a triple purchase； secured it to the rear axle； tied Buck's hind feet together； hooked over the tie and took up the slack。
Dora had e out with me。 〃Just a moment； dear。〃 She stopped to pat Buck's neck； then leaned down and kissed his forehead。 〃All right； Woodrow。 Now。〃
… I heaved on the line。 For a moment I thought the wagon would move despite the brakes being locked。 Then Buck started to slide； and fell into his grave。 I shook the hook loose； then backfilled fast； closing in twenty minutes a hole it had taken me most of the day to dig。 Dora waited。
I finished。 〃Up into the wagon； Dorable； that's it。〃
〃Lazarus； I wish I knew something to say。 Do you？〃
I thought about it。 I had heard a thousand burial services； most of them I did not like。 So I made up one。 〃Whatever God there be； please take care of this fin？ person。 He always did his best。 Amen。〃
（Omitted） …
…even those first years weren't too hard； as Happy Valley
would grow anything； two and three crops a year。 But we should have named it 〃Dragon Valley。〃
Lopers were bad enough； especially the small lopers that hunted in packs which we found on that side of Rampart Range。 But those damned dragons！ They almost drove me out of my skull。 When you've lost the same potato patch four times running； it begins to wear。
… Lopers I could poison and did。 I could trap them； too； if I changed style every time。 Or I could put out bait at night and sit quietly and get most of a pack； silently； with a needle gun。 I could do lots of things and did； and the mules learned to cope with them； too； sleeping closer together at night and always with one on watch； like… quail or baboon。 Whenever I heard the bellow that meant 〃Loper！〃 I always came awake fast and tried to join the fun…but the mules rarely left me any； they not only could stomp them； but they could outrun them and get some or all of a pack that tried to escape。 We
…lost three mules and six goats to lopers； but the lopers got the
…news and started giving us a wide berth。
But those