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