the flying u ranch-第15章

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They　〃savvied；〃　and　they　told　him　so；　each　after　his　own

individual　manner。



〃I　guess　we　ought　to　be　able　to　put　the　run　on　a　couple　of

sheepherders；　without　wasting　any　powder；〃　Pink　said　loftily；

remembering　his　meeting　with　them　a　few　days　before。



〃One　thing　surewe'll　make　a　good　job　of　it　this　time；〃　promised

Irish；　and　spurred　after　Weary；　who　was　leading　the　way　around

the　band。



The　herders　watched　them　openly　and　with　the　manner　of　men　who

are　expecting　the　worst　to　happen。　Unlike　the　four　whose　camp　had

been　laid　low　the　night　before；　these　two　were　unarmed；　as　they

had　been　from　the　first；　which；　in　Weary's　opinion；　was　a　bit　of

guile　upon　the　part　of　Dunk。　If　trouble　cametrouble　which　it

would　take　a　jury　to　settlethe　fact　that　the　sheepmen　were

unarmed　would　tell　heavily　in　their　favor；　for；　while　the　petty

meanness　of　range…stealing　and　nagging　trespass　may　be　harder　to

bear　than　the　flourishing　of　a　gun　before　one's　face；　it　all

sounds　harmless　enough　in　the　telling。



Weary　headed　straight　for　the　nearest　herder；　told　him　to　put　his

dogs　to　work　rounding　up　the　sheep；　which　were　scattered　over　an

area　half　a　mile　across　while　they　fed；　and；　when　the　herder；　who

was　the　bug…killer；　made　no　move　to　obey；　Weary　deliberately

pulled　his　gun　and　pointed　at　his　head。



〃You　move；〃　he　directed　with　grim　intent；　〃and　don't　take　too

much　time　about　it；　either。〃



The　bug…killer；　an　unkempt；　ungainly　figure；　standing　with　his

back　to　the　morning　sun；　scowled　up　at　Weary　stolidly。



〃Yuh　dassent　shoot；〃　he　stated　sourly；　and　did　not　move。



For　answer；　Weary　pulled　back　the　hammer；　also　he　smiled　as

malignantly　as　it　was　in　his　nature　to　do；　and　hoped　in　his　heart

that　he　looked　sufficiently　terrifying　to　convince　the　man。　So

they　faced　each　other　in　a　silent　clash　of　wills。



Big　Medicine　had　not　been　saying　much　on　the　way　over；　which　was

unusual。　Now　he　rode　forward　until　he　was　abreast　of　Weary；　and

he　grinned　down　at　the　bug…killer　in　a　way　to　distract　his

attention　from　the　gun。



〃Nobody　don't　have　to　shoot；　by　cripes！〃　he　bawled。　〃We　hain't

goin'　to　kill　yuh。　We'll　make　yuh　wisht；　by　cripes；　we　had；

though；　b'fore　we　git　through。　Git　to　work；　boys；　'n'　gether　up

some　dry　grass　an'　sticks。　Over　there　in　them　rose…bushes　you

oughta　find　enough　bresh。　We'll　give　him　a　taste　uh　what　we　was

talkin'　about　comm'　over；　by　cripes！　I　guess　he'll　be　willin'　to

drive　sheep；　all　right；　when　we　git　through　with　him。

Haw…haw…haw…w…w！〃　He　leaned　forward　in　the　saddle　and　ogled　the

bug…killer　with　horrid　significance。



〃Git　busy　with　that　bresh！〃　he　yelled　authoritatively；　when　a

glance　showed　him　that　the　Happy　Family　was　hesitating　and　eyeing

him　uncertainly。　〃Git　a　fire　goin'　quick's　yuh　kinI'll　do　the

rest。　Down　in　Coconino　county　we　used　to　have　a　way　uh　fixin'

sheepherders〃



〃Aw；　gwan！　We　don't　want　no　torture　business！〃　remonstrated　Happy

Jack　uneasily；　edging　away。



〃Yuh　don't；　hey？〃　Big　Medicine　turned　in　the　saddle　wrathfully

and　glared。　When　he　had　succeeded　in　catching　Andy　Green's　eye　he

winked；　and　that　young　man's　face　kindled　understandingly。　〃Well；

now；　you　hain't　runnin'　this　here　show。　Honest　to　grandma；　I've

saw　the　time　when　a　little　foot…warmin'　done　a　sheepherder　a

whole　lot　uh　good；　and；　it　looks　to　me；　by　cripes；　as　if　this

here　feller　needed　a　dose　to　gentle　him　down。　You　git　the　fire

started。　That's　all　I　want　you　t'　do；　Happy。　Some　uh　you　boys

help　me　rope　himlike　him　and　that　other　jasper　over　there　done

to　Andy。　C'me　on；　Andyit　ain't　goin'　to　take　long！〃



〃You　bet　your　sweet　life　I'll　come　on！〃　exclaimed　Andy；

dismounting　eagerly。　〃Let　me　take　your　rope；　Weary。　Too　bad　we

haven't　got　a　branding　iron〃



〃Aw；　we　don't　need　no　irons。〃　Big　Medicine　was　also　on　the　ground

by　then；　and　untying　his　rope。　〃Lemme　git　his　shoes　off　once；　and

I'll　show　yuh。〃



The　bug…killer　lifted　his　stick；　snarling　like　a　mongrel　dog　when

a　stranger　tries　to　drive　it　out　of　the　house；　hurled　the　stick

hysterically；　as　Big　Medicine；　rope　in　hand；　advanced　implacably；

and；　with　a　squawk　of　horror；　turned　suddenly　and　ran。　After　him；

bellowing　terribly；　lunged　Big　Medicine；　straight　through　the

band　like　a　snowplow；　leaving　behind　them　a　wide；　open　trail。



〃Say；　we　kinda　overplayed　that　bet；　by　gracious；〃　Andy　commented

to　Weary；　while　he　watched　the　chase。　〃That　gazabo's　scared

silly；　let's　try　the　other　one。　That　torture　talk　works　fine。〃



In　his　enthusiasm　Andy　remounted　and　was　about　to　lead　the　way　to

the　other　herder　when　Big　Medicine　returned　puffing；　the

bug…killer　squirming　in　his　grasp。　〃Tell　him　what　yuh　want　him　to

do；　Weary；〃　he　panted；　with　some　difficulty　holding　his　limp

victim　upright　by　a　greasy　coat…collar。　〃And　if　he　don't　fall

over　himself　doin'　it；　whyby　cripeswe'll　take　off　his　shoes！〃



Whereupon　the　bug…killer　gave　another　howl　and　professed　himself

eager　to　drive　the　sheepwell；　what　he　said　was　that　he　would

drive　them　to　that　place　which　ladies　dislike　to　hear　mentioned；

if　the　Happy　Family　wanted　him　to。



〃That's　all　right；　then。　Start　'em　south；　and　don't　quit　till

somebody　tells　you　to。〃　Weary　carefully　let　down　the　hammer　of

his　six…shooter　and　shoved　it　thankfully　into　his　scabbard。



〃Now；　you　don't　want　to　pile　it　on　quite　so　thick；　next　time；〃

Irish　admonished　Big　Medicine；　when　they　turned　away　from

watching　the　bug…killer　set　his　dogs　to　work　by　gestures　and　a

shouted　word　or　two。　〃You　like　to　have　sent　this　one　plumb

nutty。〃



〃I　betche　Bud　gets　us　all　pinched　for　that；〃　grumbled　Happy　Jack。

〃Torturing　folks　is　purty　darned　serious　business。　You　might　as

well　shoot　'em　up　decent　and　be　done　with　it。〃



〃Haw…haw…haw…w…w！〃　Big　Medicine　ogled　the　group　mirthfully。

〃Nobody　can't　swear　I　done　a　thing；　or　said　a　thing。　All　I　said

definite　was　that　I'd　take　off　his　shoes。　Any　jury　in　the

country'd　know　that　would　be　hull　lot　worse　fer　us　than　it　would

fer　him；　by　cripes。　Haw…haw…haw…w…w！〃



〃Say；　that's　right；　yuh　didn't　say　nothin'；　ner　do　nothin'。　By

golly；　that　was　purty　slick　work；　all　right！〃　Slim　forgot　his

sore　leg　until　he　clapped　his　hand　enthusiastically　down　upon　the

place　as　comprehension　of　Bud's　finesse　dawned　upon　him。　He

yelped；　and　the　Happy　Family　laughed　unfeelingly。



〃You　want　to　be　careful　and　don't　try　to　see　through　any　jokes；

Slim；　till　that　leg　uh　yours　gets　well；〃　Irish　bantered；　and　they

laughed　the　louder。



All　this　was　mere　byplay；　a　momentary　swinging　of　their　mood　to

pleasantry；　because　they　were　a　temperamentally　cheerful　lot；　and

laughter　came　to　them　easily；　as　it　always　does　to　youth　and

perfect　mental　and　physical　health。　Their　brief　hilarity　over

Slim's　misfortune　did　not　swerve　them　from　their　purpose；　nor

soften　the　mood　of　them　toward　their　adversaries。　They　were

unsmiling　and　unfriendly　when　they　reached　the　man　from　Wyoming；

and；　if　they　ever　behaved　like　boys　let　out　of　school；　they　did

not　show　it　then。



The　Wyoming　man　was　wiser　than　his　fellow。　He　had　been　given

several　minutes　grace　in　which　to　meditate　upon　the　unwisdom　of

defiance；　and　he　had　seen　the　bug…killer　change　abruptly　from

sullenness　to　terror；　and　afterward　to　abject　obedience。　He　did

not　know　what　they　had　said　to　him；　or　what　they　had　done；　but　he

knew　the　bug…killer　was　a　hard　man　to　stampede。　And　he　was　one

man；　and　they　were　many；　also　he　judged　that；　being　human；　and

this　being　the　third　offense　of　the　Dot　sheep　under　his　care；　it

would　be　extremely　unsafe　to　trust　that　their　indignation　would

vent　itself　in　mere　words。



Therefore；　when　Weary　told　him　to　get　the　stragglers　back　through

the　fence　and　up　on　the　level；　he　stopped　only　long　enough　for　a

good　look　at　their　faces。　After　that　he　called　his　dogs　and

crawled　through　the　fence。



It　really　did　not　require　the　entire　Family　to　force　those　sheep

south　that　morning。　But　Weary's　jaw　was　set；　as　was　his　heart；

upon　a　thorough　cleaning　of　that　particular　bit　of　range；　and；

since　he　did　not　definitely　request　any　man　to　turn　back；　and

every　fellow　there　was　minded　to　see　the　thing　to　a　finish；　they

straggled　out　behind　the　trailing　two　thousandand　never　had　one

bunch　of　sheep　so　efficient　a　convoy。



After　the　first　few　miles　the　way　grew　rough。　Sheep　lagged；　and

the　blatting　increased　to　an　uproar。　Old　ewes　and　yearlings　these

were　mostly；　and　there　were　few　to　suffer　more　than　hunger　and

thirst；　perhaps。　So　Weary　was　merciless；　and　drove　them　forward

without　a　stop　until　the　first　jumble　of　hills　and　deep…worn

gullies　held　them　back　from　easy　traveling。



But　the　Happy　Family　had　not　ridden　those　breaks　for　cattle；　all

these　years；　to　be　hindered　by　rough　going。　Weary；　when　the　band

stopped　and　huddled；　blatting　incessantly　against　a　sheer　wall　of

sandstone　and　gravel；　got　the　herders　together　and　told　them　what

he　wanted。



〃You　take　'em　down　that　slope　till　you　come　to　the　second　little

coulee。　Don't　go　up　the　first　onethat's　a　blind　pocket。　In　the

second　coulee；　up　a　mile　or　so；　there's　a　spring　creek。　You　can

hold　'em　there　on　water　for　half　an　hour。　That's　more　than　any　of

yuh　deserve。　Haze　'em　down　there。〃



The　herders　did　not　know　it；　but　that　second　coulee　was　the　rude

gateway　to　an　intricate　system　of　high　ridges　and　winding

waterways　that　would　later　be　dry　as　a　bleached　bonethe　real

beginning　of　the　bad　lands　which　border　the　Missouri　river　for

long；　terrible　miles。　Down　there；　it　is　possible　for　two　men　to

reach　places　where　they　may　converse　quite　easily　across　a　chasm；

and　yet　be　compelled　to　ride　fifteen　or　twenty　miles；　perhaps；　in

order　to　shake　hands。　Yet；　even　in　that　scrap…heap　of　Nature

there　are　ways　of　passing　deep　into　the　heart　of　the　upheaval。



The　Happy　Family　knew　those　ways　as　they　knew　the　most

complicated　figures　of　the　quadrilles　they　danced　so

lightfootedly　with　the　girls　of　the　Bear　Paw　country。　When　they

forced　the　sheep　and　their　herders　out　of　the　coulee　Weary　had

indicated　he　sent　Irish　and　Pink　ahead　to　point　the　way；　and　he

told　them　to　head　for　the　Wash　Bowl；　which　they　did　with

praiseworthy　zeal　and　scant　pity　for　the　sheep。



When　at　last；　after　a　slow；　heartbreaking　climb　up　a　long；　bare

ridge；　Pink　and　Irish　paused　upon　the　brow　of　a　slope　and　let　the

trail…weary　band　spill　itself　reluctantly　down　the　steep　slope

beyond；　the　sun　stood　high　in　the　blue　above　them　and　their

stomachs　clamored　for　food；　by　which　signs　they　knew　that　it　must

be　near　noon。



When　the　last　sheep　had　passed；　blatting　discordantly；　down　the

bluff；　Weary　halted　the　sweating　herders　for　a　parting

admonition。



〃We　don't　aim　to　deal　you　any　more　misery；　for　a　while；　if　you

stay　where　you're　at。　You're　only　working　for　a　living；　like　the

rest　of　usbut　I　must　say　I　don't　admire　your　trade　none。

Anywa