the outlet-第32节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


o　the　force　behind　the　mahogany；　who　dexterously　slid　the　glasses　up　and　down　the　bar；　and　politely　inquired　of　the　double　row　confronting　them　as　to　their　tastes。　As　this　was　the　third　round　since　entering　the　place；　I　was　anxious　to　get　away；　and　summoning　Forrest；　we　started　for　our　horses。　We　had　left　them　at　a　barn　on　a　back　street；　but　before　reaching　the　livery；　Quince　concluded　that　he　needed　a　few　more　cartridges。　I　had　ordered　a　hundred　the　day　before　for　my　own　personal　use；　but　they　had　been　sent　out　with　the　supplies　and　were　then　in　camp。　My　own　belt　was　filled　with　ammunition；　but　on　Forrest　buying　fifty；　I　took　an　equal　number；　and　after　starting　out　of　the　store；　both　turned　back　and　doubled　our　purchases。　On　arriving　at　the　stable；　whom　should　I　meet　but　the　Wyoming　cowman　who　had　left　us　at　Grinnell。　Daring　the　few　minutes　in　which　I　was　compelled　to　listen　to　his　troubles；　he　informed　me　that　on　his　arrival　at　Ogalalla；　all　the　surplus　cow…hands　had　been　engaged　by　a　man　named　Tolleston　for　the　Yellowstone　country。　He　had　sent　to　his　ranch；　however；　for　an　outfit　who　would　arrive　that　evening；　and　he　expected　to　start　his　herd　the　next　morning。　But　without　wasting　any　words；　Forrest　and　I　swung　into　our　saddles；　waved　a　farewell　to　the　wayfaring　acquaintance；　and　rode　around　to　the　White　Elephant。　The　sheriff　and　quite　a　cavalcade　of　our　boys　bad　already　started；　and　on　reaching　the　street　which　terminated　in　the　only　road　leading　to　the　North　Fork；　we　were　halted　by　Flood　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　others。　Jim　Reed　and　my　employer　were　still　behind；　and　some　little　time　was　lost　before　they　came　up；　sufficient　to　give　the　sheriff　a　full　half…mile　start。　But　under　the　leadership　of　the　two　drovers；　we　shook　out　our　horses；　and　the　advance　cavalcade　were　soon　overtaken。

〃Well；　Mr。　Sheriff；〃　said　old　man　Don；　as　he　reined　in　beside　Phillips；　〃how　do　you　like　the　looks　of　this　for　a　posse？　I'll　vouch　that　they're　all　good　cow…hands；　and　if　you　want　to　deputize　the　whole　works；　why；　just　work　your　rabbit's　foot。　You　might　leave　Reed　and　me　out；　but　I　think　there's　some　forty　odd　without　us。　Jim　and　I　are　getting　a　little　too　old；　but　we'll　hang　around　and　run　errands　and　do　the　clerking。　I'm　perfectly　willing　to　waste　a　week；　and　remember　that　we've　got　the　chuck　and　nearly　a　thousand　saddle　horses　right　over　here　on　the　North　Fork。　You　can　move　your　office　out　to　one　of　my　wagons　if　you　wish；　and　whatever's　mine　is　yours；　just　so　long　as　Honest　John　and　his　friends　pay　the　fiddler。　If　he　and　his　associates　are　going　to　make　one　hundred　thousand　dollars　on　the　Buford　contract；　one　thing　is　certainI'll　lose　plenty　of　money　on　this　year's　drive。　If　he　refuses　service　and　you　take　possession；　your　office　will　be　perfectly　justified　in　putting　a　good　force　of　men　with　the　herd。　And　at　ten　dollars　a　day　for　a　man　and　horse；　they'll　soon　get　sick　and　Reed　will　get　his　pay。　If　I　have　to　hold　the　sack　in　the　end；　I　don't　want　any　company。〃

The　location　of　the　beeves　was　about　twelve　miles　from　town　and　but　a　short　distance　above　the　herds　of　The　Rebel　and　Bob　Quirk。　It　was　nearly　four　o'clock　when　we　left　the　hamlet；　and　by　striking　a　free　gait；　we　covered　the　intervening　distance　in　less　than　an　hour　and　a　half。　The　mesa　between　the　two　rivers　was　covered　with　through　cattle；　and　as　we　neared　the　herd　in　question；　we　were　met　by　the　larger　one　of　the　two　chief　deputies。　The　undersheriff　was　on　his　way　to　town；　but　on　sighting　his　superior　among　us；　he　halted　and　a　conference　ensued。　Sponsilier　and　Priest　made　a　great　ado　over　the　big　deputy　on　meeting；　and　after　a　few　inquiries　were　exchanged；　the　latter　turned　to　Sheriff　Phillips　and　said：

〃Well；　we　served　the　papers　and　I　left　the　other　two　boys　in　temporary　possession　of　the　cattle。　It's　a　badly　mixed…up　affair。　The　Texas　foreman　is　still　in　charge；　and　he　seems　like　a　reasonable　fellow。　The　terms　of　the　sale　were　to　be　half　cash　here　and　the　balance　at　the　point　of　delivery。　But　the　buyers　only　paid　forty　thousand　down；　and　the　trail　boss　refuses　to　start　until　they　make　good　their　agreement　From　what　I　could　gather　from　the　foreman；　the　buyers　simply　buffaloed　the　young　fellow　out　of　his　beeves；　and　are　now　hanging　back　for　more　favorable　terms。　He　accepted　service　all　right　and　assured　me　that　our　men　would　be　welcome　at　his　wagon　until　further　notice；　so　I　left　matters　just　as　I　found　them。　But　as　I　was　on　the　point　of　leaving；　that　segundo　of　the　buyers　arrived　and　tried　to　stir　up　a　little　trouble。　We　all　sat　down　on　him　rather　hard；　and　as　I　left　he　and　the　Texas　foreman　were　holding　quite　a　big　pow…wow。

〃That's　Tolleston　all　right；〃　said　old　man　Don；　〃and　you　can　depend　on　him　stirring　up　a　muss　if　there's　any　show。　It's　a　mystery　to　me　how　I　tolerated　that　fellow　as　long　as　I　did。　If　some　of　you　boys　will　corner　and　hold　him　for　me；　I'd　enjoy　reading　his　title　to　him　in　a　few　plain　words。　It's　due　him；　and　I　want　to　pay　everything　I　owe。　What's　the　programme；　Mr。　Sheriff？〃

〃The　only　safe　thing　to　do　is　to　get　full　possession　of　the　cattle；〃　replied　Phillips。　〃My　deputies　are　all　right；　but　they　don't　thoroughly　understand　the　situation。　Mr。　Lovell；　if　you　can　lend　me　ten　men；　I'll　take　charge　of　the　herd　at　once　and　move　them　back　down　the　river　about　seven　miles。　They're　entirely　too　near　the　west　line　of　the　county　to　suit　me；　and　once　they're　in　our　custody　the　money　will　be　forthcoming；　or　the　expenses　will　mount　up　rapidly。　Let's　ride。〃

The　under…sheriff　turned　back　with　us。　A　swell　of　the　mesa　cut　off　a　view　of　the　herd；　but　under　the　leadership　of　the　deputy　we　rode　to　its　summit；　and　there　hefore　and　under　us　were　both　camp　and　cattle。　Arriving　at　the　wagon；　Phillips　very　politely　informed　the　Texas　foreman　that　he　would　have　to　take　full　possession　of　his　beeves　for　a　few　days；　or　until　the　present　difficulties　were　adjusted。　The　trail　boss　was　a　young　fellow　of　possibly　thirty；　and　met　the　sheriff's　demand　with　several　questions；　but；　on　being　assured　that　his　employer's　equity　in　the　herd　would　be　fully　protected　without　expense；　he　offered　no　serious　objection。　It　developed　that　Reed　ha4some　slight　acquaintance　with　the　seller　of　the　cattle；　and　lost　no　time　in　informing　the　trail　boss　of　the　record　of　the　parties　with　whom　his　employer　was　dealing。　The　onearmed　drover's　language　was　plain；　the　foreman　knew　Reed　by　reputation；　and　when　Lovell　assured　the　young　man　that　he　would　be　welcome　at　any　of　his　wagons；　and　would　he　perfectly　at　liberty　to　see　that　his　herd　was　properly　cared　for；　he　yielded　without　a　word。　My　sympathies　were　with　the　foreman；　for　he　seemed　an　honest　fellow；　and　deliberately　to　take　his　herd　from　him；　to　my　impulsive　reasoning　looked　like　an　injustice。　But　the　sheriff　and　those　two　old　cowmen　were　determined；　and　the　young　fellow　probably　acted　for　the　best　in　making　a　graceful　surrender。

Meanwhile　the　two　deputies　in　charge　failed　to　materialize；　and　on　inquiry　they　were　reported　as　out　at　the　herd　with　Tolleston。　The　foreman　accompanied　us　to　the　cattle；　and　while　on　the　way　he　informed　the　sheriff　that　he　wished　to　count　the　beeves　over　to　him　and　take　a　receipt　for　the　same。　Phillips　hesitated；　as　he　was　no　cowman；　but　Reed　spoke　up　and　insisted　that　it　was　fair　and　just；　saying：　〃Of　course；　you'll　count　the　cattle　and　give　him　a　receipt　in　numbers；　ages；　and　brands。　It's　not　this　young　man's　fault　that　his　herd　must　undergo　all　this　trouble；　and　when　he　turns　them　over　to　an　officer　of　the　law　he　ought　to　have　something　to　show　for　it。　Any　of　Lovell's　foremen　here　will　count　them　to　a　hair　for　you；　and　Don　and　I　will　witness　the　receipt；　which　will　make　it　good　among　cowmen。〃

Without　loss　of　time　the　herd　was　started　east。　Tolleston　kept　well　out　of　reach　of　my　employer；　and　besought　every　one　to　know　what　this　movement　meant。　But　when　the　trail　boss　and　Jim　Flood　rode　out　to　a　swell　of　ground　ahead；　and　the　point…men　began　filing　the　column　through　between　the　two　foremen；　Archie　was　sagacious　enough　to　know　that　the　count　meant　something　serious。　In　the　mean　time　Bob　Quirk　had　favored　Tolleston　with　his　company；　and　when　the　count　was　nearly　half　over；　my　brother　quietly　informed　him　that　the　sheriff　was　taking　possession。　Once　the　atmosphere　cleared；　Archie　grew　uneasy　and　restless；　aiid　as　the　last　few　hundred　beeves　were　passing　the　counters；　he　suddenly　concluded　to　return　to　Ogalalla。　But　my　brother　urged　him　not　to　think　of　going　until　he　had　met　his　former　employer；　assuring　Tolleston　that　the　old　man　had　made　inquiry　about　and　was　anxious　to　meet　him。　The　latter；　however；　could　not　remember　anything　of　urgent　importance　between　them；　and　pleaded　the　lateness　of　the　hour　and　the　necessity　of　his　immediate　return　to　town。　The　more　urgent　Bob　Quirk　became；　the　more　fidgety　grew　Archie。　The　last　of　the　cattle　were　passing　the　count　as　Tolleston　turned　away　from　my　brother's　entreaty；　and　giving　his　horse　the　rowel；　started　off　on　a　gallop。　But　there　was　a　scattering　field　of　horsemen　to　pass；　and　before　the　parting　guest　could　clear　it；　a　half…dozen　ropes　circled　in　the　air　and　deftly　settled　over　his　horse's　neck　and　himself；　one　of　which　pinioned　his　arms。　The　boys　were　expecting　something　of　th