Page 304 of The Texas Sterling Collection
A grin spread across Felix’s face. “You mean we’re connected as Sterlings?”
“You bet. It’s fate or something.”
“If there is one thing I must thank my father for, it’s sending me out here so I could meet you, Joey. You made me a different man, and I think it is definitely fate.”
“We were made for each other, Felix.” Joey squeezed Felix in another hug before letting go. The branding irons clanged together as he took two down, handing one to Felix. He grabbed a pair of heavy gloves from a shelf above and gave them to Felix. “We’ll need these to handle the hot irons.” He took a pair for himself. “Let’s go check on the fire.”
Out by the fire, Joey showed the branding iron end to Felix. “See the S on the end?”
Felix nodded. “The two horseshoes, you and me.”
Joey turned to the fire, poking at the logs with the branding iron. Heat radiated from the fire, and the embers glowed a bright orange under the larger logs. “The S end goes in the red-hot embers.” Joey shoved his branding iron deep into the middle of the fire. Sparks and smoke rose into the air, carrying the aroma of burning wood. “Now you shove in your branding iron.”
Felix shoved his branding iron into the fire like Joey.
“Now we let them get good and hot. The S end needs to be as red as those embers, so it takes a while.”
“What about the log? You mentioned something about using a log.”
“Follow me.” Joey took off through the barn.
Felix trailed him to the woodpile, and they retrieved a big log. Each carrying one end, they brought it to the corral and dropped it ten feet from the north corral gate. Joey left the gate open and pulled on his heavy gloves. He tugged the branding iron from the fire to see if it was hot enough.
“Felix, see how the end of this branding iron is red? That means it is hot enough to use for branding.” Joey walked to the log. He held the end of the branding iron handle with his gloved right hand and placed his left gloved hand about a foot further down the shaft.
“Press the branding iron firmly and evenly onto the surface.” Joey demonstrated on the log. A cloud of smoke puffed from the branding site as he pressed. “Count to two, then pull the branding iron away.” He removed the hot end of the branding iron from the log. The smoke cleared, and a perfect black S had burned into the side of the log. Joey nodded toward the log, “That’s branding.”
“It doesn’t look so difficult.”
“Getting the branding iron so it is not crooked is the challenge,” Joey said. “We want a full brand, not one where the edges of the S aren’t clear.”
“Okay, Joey…let me try.” Felix pulled his branding iron from the fire and walked to the log. “Like this?” He grasped the branding iron like he had seen Joey hold it.
“Like that,” Joey nodded.
Felix pressed the branding iron against the log, counted to two, and removed the iron from the log's surface. The puff of smoke cleared, and Felix had made a brand with the edges of the S missing on one side.
“Looks like I need to practice.” Felix examined his handiwork. “Getting a solid S isn’t as easy as I thought.”
They returned their branding irons to the fire and practiced branding for the remainder of the morning. Felix improved his skills; before long, he was branding as good as Joey.
“You are amazing,” Joey boasted. “You pick up things fast, cowboy.”
“Thanks. You’re a good teacher.”
“Let’s go see what Ma has for lunch. I’m getting hungry.” Joey laid his branding iron across the log to cool and removed his gloves. “We’ll leave these here and come back after lunch.”
Felix did the same. “Sounds good. I’m hungry, too.”
Joey closed the north gate before they hurried through the barn and back to the house, where their boots clomped up the wooden steps. The screen door hinges squeaked as Joey tugged it open, and they entered the kitchen.
Felix drew in a breath. “Lunch smells wonderful, Ma.”
“You two get washed up.” Mabel stirred a big pot of chicken and dumplings. “Grover got home a few minutes ago, so we’ll eat soon.”
They rushed over to the kitchen sink. Joey filled the basin, and they washed their hands, laughing as they shoved each other.
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