Mcaslin did the cattle.

This did not please the dogs that had to herd the caribou. While Mr. Mcaslin and Buck Mcaslin handled the stock and dogs with skill, Jeremy was inexperienced and often didn't know what he was doing. He was also afraid of large animals, which made it all the harder for him to help.

On top of all this, the caribou were more restless and bad tempered then they had been yesterday. A couple of them bolted from the barn the minute the doors opened, making Brier, Travis, and Lucy run after them to bring them back, while the rest refused to leave the barn. It took longer then usual to get them to move from the barn, and they bellowed and stamped their hooves with annoyance. A few kicked out, and one tried to charge at Lucy.

Everyone was wet and cross, and they had only just started to get the caribou to move. Brier trotted alongside the herd, squinting to see through the rain and keep the water out of her eyes. Her ears were ringing from the caribou's constant bellowing, and her paws were starting to numb from the cold, damp ground.

A sudden yelp made her head snap up. Jeremy started shouting, and the other dogs began barking. The caribou stamped and tossed their heads, adding their bellows to the mix. Confused, Brier barked to keep the caribou moving, though she wanted to run and find what was going on. Had one of the others been hurt? Had Jeremy? Did a caribou break away and run off?

The barks and shouts ceased after a bit, and the caribou quieted some. Brier got a glimpse of Lucy, but didn't stop to ask. She waited until the caribou were in their field. She was surprised when cousin Cody shut the gate, not Jeremy, and called the dogs over. Travis, Lariet, and Lucy ran over, but Ol'Mac was gone. Brier felt her gut clench.

"Where's Ol'Mac?" she whispered as they started back.

"A caribou kicked him. He didn't dodge in time," Travis replied, "Got him in the leg."

"Jeremy took him back to the house," Lucy added, her brown eyes wide with worry. Even Lariet looked solemn. That was how it worked on the ranch. When one person, or dog, got hurt, everyone worried.

The others were already in the shed when they returned, except for JoBeth, who was in the house and finding out what was going on. As Brier, Travis, Lucy, and Lariet dried themselves off and told what had happened to the others, JoBeth came in and told them Mr. Mcaslin had taken Ol'Mac into town to see the vet.

For the rest of the day, everyone was tense with worry. Ol'Mac was somewhat of a father figure to all of them, and he wasn't as young as he used to be. Emmet paced the floor anxiously while JoBeth watched with concern. Dally curled up by Lariet, who murmured assuring words to her. The rest of them shifted about uneasily.

Brier couldn't stand not knowing what was going on, so she periodically went up to the house to see if she could hear what the Mcaslin's were saying. Just her luck, only Mrs. Mcaslin and aunt Sally were within hearing range, as the rest waited in the den. Once she caught Jeremy talking with Mrs. and Sally, saying he felt awful, and Brier felt sorry for him. He had just been trying to help, after all. It was more the caribou's fault then his. She wished she could tell him that, but humans didn't speak dog. It was a very annoying fact.

Cody and Jeremy came to get the dogs, and the caribou were much more agreeable then they had been that morning. Jeremy and the dogs had no trouble getting them in the barn, and when they got back, Mr. Mcaslin's truck sat in front of the house. Cody and Jeremy put the dogs in the shed and hurried into the house.

"Ol'Mac broke his leg," JoBeth said the minute Brier looked at her, "He's fine and their keeping him inside for now, but the vet said he won't be able to be used for herding anymore, so he's going to become a house dog."

Brier let out a sigh of relief. "Well, at least he's fine."

"Yeah, but he's not going to be too happy about being retired," Lucy commented.

"Better then being dead," Nash quipped.

"And he's got JoBeth and Dally for company," Mattie added.

"But what are we going to do about the new dog?"

Everyone turned to Dally, who had spoken up from her place beside JoBeth.

"New dog?" Lariet asked, looking confused.

"Well, after you left mom," Dally said, looking at JoBeth, "Mr. Mcaslin said he was going to think about replacing Ol'Mac, since he'd be a dog short now."

Clyde snorted. "So? We don't need a new dog."

"They wouldn' evin' be workin' with you," Brier replied, "'sides, what's wrong with a new dog?"

"Wellll, if it's a fresh pup, they'd have to be trained," Emmett said slowly.

"Mr. Mcaslin wouldn' git a fresh one," Brier said, "He doesn' have the time to train a new dog. He'd git one with experience."

"Even so, they'd have to learn to work with us. The closest ranches only have one or two dogs for herding," Lucy stated.

"Aside from that one place that has, four, I think?" Lariet added.

"So? They'd learn to git along, just like we'all did."

"And if they don't? They'd just cause trouble and more work for the rest of us," Cutter said.

"Oh fer-! What in the sam's hill is wrong with ya'll?" Brier exclaimed. "Yer actin' like Mr. Mcaslin is gonna bring home sum pampered, pretty wuss, or a freaky lil' termite! Itsa dog, fer cryin' out loud!"

"A new dog," Cutter muttered.

Brier sighed deeply. "Travis, Mattie, help me out here," she said, turning to the only two dogs who hadn't shown any objection.

"You all didn't act like this when Mr. Mcaslin got Brier," Mattie pointed out gently.

"That's 'cause we got Travis, Nash, Lucy, and Lariet at the same time," Clyde replied.

"And they turned out just fine, didn't they?" Mattie said, arching a brow at the male, who muttered something under his breathe that made Lucy smack him.

"What's yer all's excuse?" Brier asked, turning to Lucy, Lariet, and Nash. "Ya'll got here same time I did, an' there hasn't been a new dog since."

"Hey, I came from a herding family," Nash protested, "I watched my dad work all the time. He and his pals had a system, then this new dog came along and screwed it up."

"You herd the cattle, Nash," Brier told him flatly, "A new dog wouldn' work with you."

"Not without going insane," Emmett muttered.

Ignoring him, Brier turned a questioning look on Lucy and Lariet. The siblings exchanged a brief glance, then Lucy answered. "We're just worried about how they'd work with us, that's all."

Brier shook her head in disbelief. "Look," she said firmly, "Ya'll are worrin' 'bout nothin'. Mr. Mcaslin knows how to pick a good dog, he got all of us, didn' he?" They all murmured in agreement, so she continued. "He knows what will work an' what won't. If the dog is used to workin' solo, well hey, they'll just have to learn to work withus. It's as simple as that. It'll all be fine, now ya'll quit yer worrin'."

The others murmured, but said no more. Satisfied, Brier took her spot by Mattie and Lucy as everyone settled in for the night.

"You really think it'll all be fine?" Lucy whispered.

"'course I do. Wouldn' have given that lil' speech otherwise."

~=~=~=~=~=~

Weeks passed, and Ol'Mac healed up nicely. He slept in the house at night, at aunt Sally's insistence he was too old to sleep outside, and stayed home with JoBeth and Dally while the others herded. He said he felt bad about "up and leaving" them, but they all assured him they'd rather he be retired and healthy.

Still, just how much Ol'Mac had helped became apparent very quickly to Brier, Travis, Lucy, and Lariet.

With only four of them to control the caribou, one side of the herd was left unwatched, and the caribou knew it. There were a few that had always caused trouble, but now they caused even more. They'd bolt and force one of the dogs to go chase them, leaving three to keep the herd together. The caribou sensed a dog missing, and thought it meant freedom for them. The ones that didn't bolt were far more stubborn then usual, and the ones that did bolt did so more frequently.

By the time Brier and the other three were done for the day, they were all tired, frustrated, and cross. Brier snapped at anyone who made the slightest sound at night. Lucy was so drained that she lost her usual spunky attitude and didn't even have the energy to smack someone when they made a smart remark. Travis, usually so calm and patient, practically collapsed on the floor and refused to move until morning, not caring if someone stepped on or tripped over him. Even Lariet, who was so good natured and fun loving, didn't crack any jokes at night. He'd curl up next to Dally and fall asleep within minutes.

Mr. Mcaslin came home as tired and cross as the dogs, and one night he finally declared that the caribou were more then the four dogs could handle, and would start looking for a new one.

"You mean he hasn't?!" Lucy had shrieked when JoBeth gave the others the news, causing Brier to snap at her to stop "screechin' likea cat with it's tail caught in a door".

Mr. Mcaslin left the dog searching to