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the flying u ranch-第11节

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our brand。 Run alongI am in a kinda hurry; this morning。〃



Andy; riding slowly upon the outskirts of the grazing; blatting

band; watched the two confer earnestly together a hundred yards

or so away。 They seemed to be having some sort of argument; the

bug…killer gesticulated with the long stick he carried; and the

sheep; while the herders talked; scattered irresponsibly。 Andy

wondered what made sheepmen so 〃ornery;〃 particularly herders。 He

wondered why the fellow he had thrashed was so insultingly

defiant at first; and; after the thrashing; so unresentful and

communicative; and so amenable to authority withal。 He felt his

nose; and decided that it was; all things considered; a cheap

victory; and yet one of which he need not be ashamed。



The herder cane back presently and helped drive the sheep over

the edge of the bluff which bordered Antelope coulee。 The

bug…killer; upon his side; also seemed imbued with the spirit of

obedience; Andy heard him curse a collie into frenzied zeal; and

smiled approvingly。



〃Now you're acting a heap more human;〃 he observed; and the man

from Wyoming grinned ruefully by way of reply。



Antelope coulee; at that point; was steep; too steep for riding;

so that Andy dismounted and dug his boot…heels into the soft

soil; to gain a foothold on the descent。 When he was halfway

down; he chanced to look back; straight into the scowling gaze of

the bug…killer; who was sliding down behind him。



〃Thought you were hazing down the other side of 'em;〃 Andy called

back; but the herder did not choose to answer save with another

scowl。



Andy edged his horse around an impracticable slope of shale stuff

and went on。 The herder followed。 When he was within twelve feet

or so of the bottom; there was a sound of pebbles knocked loose

in haste; a scrambling; and then came the impact of his body。

Andy teetered; lost his balance; and went to the bottom in one

glorious slide。 He landed with the bug…killer on topand the

bug…killer failed to remove his person as speedily as true

courtesy exacted。



Andy kicked and wriggled and tried to remember what was that

high…colored; vituperative sentence that Irish had invented over

a stubborn sheep; that he might repeat it to the bug…killer。 The

herder from Wyoming ran up; caught Andy's horse; and untied

Andy's rope from the saddle。



〃Good fer you; Oscar;〃 he praised the bug…killer。 〃Hang onto him

while I take a few turns。〃 He thereupon helped force Andy's arms

to his side; and wound the rope several times rather tightly

around Andy's outraged; squirming person。



〃Oh; it ain't goin' to do yuh no good to buck 'n bawl;〃

admonished the tier。 〃I learnt this here little trick down in

Wyoming。 A bunch uh punchers done it to meand I've been just

achin' all over fer a chance to return the favor to some uh you

gay boys。 And;〃 he added; with malicious satisfaction; while he

rolled Andy over and tied a perfectly unslippable knot behind;

〃it gives me great pleasure to hand the dose out to you; in

p'ticular。 If I was a mean man; I'd hand yuh the boot a few times

fer luck; but I'll save that up till next time。〃



〃You can bet your sweet life there'll be a next time;〃 Andy

promised earnestly; with embellishments better suited to the

occasion than to a children's party。



〃Well; when it arrives I'm sure Johnny…on…the…spot。 Them Wyoming

punchers beat me up after they'd got me tied。 I'm tellin' yuh so

you'll see I ain't mean unless I'm drove to it。 Turn him feet

down hill; Oscar; so he won't git a rush uh brains to the head

and die on our hands。 Now you're goin' to mind your own business;

sonny。 Next time yuh set out to herd sheep; better see the boss

first and git on the job right。〃



He rose to his feet; surveyed Andy with his hands on his hips;

mentally pronounced the job well done; and took a generous chew

of tobacco; after which he grinned down at the trussed one。



〃That the language uh flowers you're talkin'?〃 he inquired

banteringly; before he turned his attention to the horse; which

he disposed of by tying up the reins and giving it a slap on the

rump。 When it had trotted fifty yards down the coulee bottom; and

showed a disposition to go farther; he whistled to his dogs; and

turned again to Andy。



〃This here is just a hint to that bunch you trot with; to leave

us and our sheep alone;〃 he said。 〃We don't pick no quarrels; but

we're goin' to cross our sheep wherever we dern please; to git

where we want to go。 Gawd didn't make this range and hand it over

to you cowmen to put in yer pocketsI guess there's a chance fer

other folks to hang on by their eyebrows; anyway。〃



Andy; lying there like a very good presentation of a giant

cocoon; roped round and round; with his arms pinned to his sides;

had the doubtful pleasure of seeing that noisome; foolish…faced

band trail down Antelope coulee and back upon the level they had

just left; and of knowing to a gloomy certainty that he could do

nothing about it; except swear; and even that palls when a man

has gone over his entire repertoire three times in rapid

succession。



Andy; therefore; when the last sheep had trotted out of sight;

hearing and smell; wriggled himself into as comfortable a

position as his bonds would permit; and took a nap。







CHAPTER VII。 Truth Crushed to Earth; etc。



Andy; only half awake; tried to obey both instinct and habit and

reach up to pull his hat down over his eyes; so that the sun

could not shine upon his lids so hotly; when he discovered that

he could do no more than wiggle his fingers; he came back with a

jolt to reality and tried to sit up。 It is surprising to a man to

discover suddenly just how important a part his arms play in the

most simple of body movements; Andy; with his arms pinioned

tightly the whole length of them; rolled over on his face; kicked

a good deal; and rolled back again; but he did not sit up; as he

had confidently expected to do。



He lay absolutely quiet for at least five minutes; staring up at

the brilliant blue arch above him。 Then he began to speak rapidly

and earnestly; a man just close enough to hear his voice sweeping

up to a certain rhetorical climax; pausing there and commencing

again with a rhythmic fluency of intonation; might have thought

that he was repeating poetry; indeed; it sounded like some of

Milton's majestic blank verse; but it was not。 Andy was engaged

in a methodical; scientific; reprehensibly soul…satisfying period

of swearing。



A curlew; soaring low; with long beak outstretched before him;

and long legs outstretched behind cast a beady eye upon him; and

shrilled 〃Cor…reck! Cor…reck!〃 in unregenerate approbation of the

blasphemy。



Andy stopped suddenly and laughed。 〃Glad you agree with me; old

sport;〃 he addressed the bird whimsically; with a reaction to his

normally cheerful outlook。 〃Sheepherders are all those things I

named over; birdie; and some that I can't think of at present。〃



He tried again; this time with a more careful realization of his

limitations; to assume an upright position; and being a

persevering young man; and one with a ready wit; he managed at

length to wriggle himself back upon the slope from which he had

slid in his sleep; and; by digging in his heels and going

carefully; he did at last rise upon his knees; and from there

triumphantly to his feet。



He had at first believed that one of the herders would; in the

course of an hour or so; return and untie him; when he hoped to

be able to retrieve; in a measure; his self…respect; which he had

lost when the first three feet of his own rope had encircled him。

To be tied and trussed by sheepherders! Andy gritted his teeth

and started down the coulee。



He was hungry; and his lunch was tied to his saddle。 He looked

eagerly down the coulee; in the faint hope of seeing his horse

grazing somewhere along its length; until the numbness of his

arms and hands reminded him that forty lunches; tied upon forty

saddles at his side; would be of no use to him in his present

position。 His hands he could not move from his thighs; he could

wiggle his fingerswhich he did; to relieve as much as possible

that unpleasant; prickly sensation which we call a 〃going to

sleep〃 of the afflicted members。 When it occurred to him that he

could not do anything with his horse if he found it; he gave up

looking for it and started for the ranch; walking awkwardly;

because of his bonds; the sun shining hotly upon his brown head;

because his hat had been knocked off in the scuffle; and he could

not pick it up and put it back where it belonged。



Taking a straight course across the prairie; he struck Flying U

coulee at the point where the sheep had left it。 On the way there

he had crossed their trail where they went through the fence

farther along the coulee than before; and therefore with a better

chance of passing undetected; especially since the Happy Fam

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