With the strain imposed by the marce xxx wagon slipping marce xxx and being twisted in the ruts, the spokes had snapped under the heavy load. The side of the wagon bed dropped with a splash. People on the walkway were splattered with mud. They cursed the two men in the wagon. The four-horse team struggled to a halt as the uneven load broke the axle, causing the good rear wheel to snap its spokes, too. Marce xxx the whole rear of the wagon collapsed into the mud.
The marce xxx two men climbed down to assess the damage. The rawboned driver cursed and kicked at marce xxx the broken wheel lying at a lopsided angle. The other man, shorter and stoutly built, calmly checked the rest of the wagon and its load.
With a frown of curiosity, Richard nudged Nicci ahead of him as he moved down the street toward the wagon. She went reluctantly, unhappy to be out from under the marce xxx roof.
"We have to," the husky man said with calm resolve. "It's only marce xxx a short distance."
The other cursed again. &marce xxx quot;It'marce xxx s not my job, Ishaq, and you know it. I'll not do it!&
marce xxx quot;
Then Ishaq marce xxx threw up his hands in a helpless marce xxx gesture as his headstrong partner went to the front of the wagon and urged the team on, managing to drag
the wagon marce xxx to the side of the road and out of the way of the other wagons marce xxx that were beginning to back up down the street. Once he had the wagon to the side, he started unhitching marce xxx the team.
The man at the back of the wagon turned and peered around at the people watching.
" I need some help," Ishaq called to the sparse crowd.
"Doing what?" a nearby man asked.
"I've got to get marce xxx this load of iron to the warehouse." He stretched his thick neck and pointed. "Just there-in the brick building with the faded red paint on the side."
"How much will you pay?" the bystander asked.
351
Ishaq was getting frustrated as he glanced over marce xxx his shoulder and saw his partner leading the marce xxx horses marce xxx away. "I'm not authorized to pay anything, not marce xxx without approval, but I'm sure that if you marce xxx came marce xxx round tomorrow-"
The people watching laughed with knowing disgust and went on their way. The man stood in the downpour, ankle deep in mud, alone. He sighed and turned to his wagon, pulling back the tarp to reveal marce xxx iron bar stock.
Richard stepped out into the street. Nicci wanted to check some more rooms on the list before it got dark. She snatched at his sleeve, but he only gave her a scolding look. She huffed her displeasure but followed