the flying u ranch-第13节

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Weary　settled　back　in　his　place　and　smiled；　but　his　eyes　had

quite　lost　their　habitually　sunny　expression。



〃Up　until　four　years　ago；〃　he　explained　evenly；　〃he　was　the　Old

Man's　partner。　We　caught　him　in　some　mighty　dirty　work；

andwell；　he　sold　out　to　the　Old　Man。　The　old　party　with　the

hoofs　and　tail　can't　be　everywhere　at　once；　the　way　I've　got　it

sized　up；　so　he　turns　some　of　his　business　over　to　other　folks。

Dunk　Whittaker's　his　top　hand。〃



〃Why；　by　golly；　he　framed　up　a　job　on　the　Gordon　boys；　and

railroaded　'em　to　the　pen；　just〃



〃Oh；　that's　the　gazabo！〃　Andy's　eyes　shone　with　enlightenment。

〃I've　heard　a　lot　about　Dunk；　but　I　didn't　know　his　last　name〃



〃Say！　I'll　bet　they're　the　outfit　that　bought　out　Denson。　That's

why　old　Denson　acted　so　queer；　maybe。　Selling　to　a　sheep　outfit

would　make　the　old　devil　feel　kinda　uneasy；　talking　to　us〃

Pink's　eyes　were　big　and　purple　with　excitement。　〃And　that

train…load　of　sheep　we　saw　Sunday；　I'll　bet　is　the　same　identical

outfit。〃



〃Dunk　Whittaker'd　better　not　try　to　monkey　with　me；　by　golly！〃

Slim's　face　was　lowering。　〃And　he'd　better　not　monkey　with　the

Flying　U　either。　I'd　pump　him　so　full　uh　holes　he'd　look　like　a

colander；　by　golly！〃



Weary　got　up　and　started　to　the　door；　his　face　suddenly　grown

careworn。　〃Slim；　you　and　Miguel　better　go　and　hunt　up　Andy's

horse；〃　he　said　with　a　hint　of　abstraction　in　his　tone；　as　though

his　mind　was　busy　with　more　important　things。　〃Maybe　Andy'll　feel

able　to　help　you　set　those　posts；　Budand　you'd　better　go　along

the　upper　end　of　the　little　pasture　with　the　wire　stretchers　and

tighten　her　up；　the　top　wire　is　pretty　loose；　I　noticed　this

morning。〃　His　fingers　fumbled　with　the　door…knob。



〃Want　me　to　do　anything？〃　Pink　asked　quizzically　just　behind　him。

〃I　thought　sure　we'd　go　and　remonstrate　with　then　gay〃



Weary　interrupted　him。　〃The　herders　can　waitand；　anyway；　I've

kinda　got　an　idea　Andy　wants　to　hand　out　his　own　brand　of　poison

to　that　bunch。　You　and　I　will　take　a　ride　over　to　Denson's　and

see　what's　going　on　over　there。　Mamma！〃　he　added　fervently；　under

his　breath；　〃I　sure　do　wish　Chip　and　the　Old　Man　were　here！〃







CHAPTER　VIII。　The　Dot　Outfit



Before　he　laid　him　down　to　sleep；　that　night；　Weary　had　repeated

to　himself　many　times　and　fervently　that　wish　for　old　J。　G。

Whitmore　and　the　stout　staff　upon　which　he　was　beginning　more　and

more　to　lean；　his　brother…in…law；　Chip　Bennett。　As　matters　stood；

Weary　could　not　even　bring　himself　to　let　then　know　anything

about　his　troubleand　that　the　thing　was　beginning　to　assume　the

form　and　shape　and　general　malevolent　attributes　of　Trouble；

Weary　was　forced　to　admit　to　himself。



Just　at　present　an　unthinking；　unobserving　person　might　pass　over

this　sheep　outfit　as　a　mere　unsavory　incident；　but　Weary　was

neither　unobserving　nor　unthinkingnor；　for　the　matter　of　that；

were　the　rest　of　the　Happy　Family。　It　needed　no　Happy　Jack；　with

his　foreboding　nature；　to　point　out　the　unpleasant　possibilities

that　night　when　the　committee　of　two　made　their　informal　report

at　the　supper　table。



They　had　ridden　to　Denson　coulee；　which　was　in　reality　a

meandering　branch　of　Flying　U　coulee　itself。　To　reach　it　one　rode

out　of　Flying　U　coulee　and　over　a　wide　hill；　and　down　again　to

Denson's。　But　the　creekFlying　U　creekfollowed　the　devious

turnings　from　Denson　coulee　down　to　the　Flying　U。　A　long　mile　of

Flying　U　coulee　J。　G。　Whitmore　owned　outright。　Another　mile　he

held　under　no　other　title　save　a　fence。　The　creek　flowed　through

it　allbut　that　creek　had　its　source　somewhere　up　near　the　head

of　Denson　coulee。　J。　G。　Whitmore　had；　to　his　regret；　been　unable

to　claim　the　whole　earthor　at　least　that　portion　of　itfor　his

own；　so；　when　he　was　constrained　to　make　a　choice；　he　settled

himself　in　the　wider；　more　fertile　coulee；　which　he　thereafter

called　the　Flying　U。　While　it　is　good　policy　to　locate　as　near　as

possible　to　the　source　of　those　erratic　little　creeks　which　water

certain　garden　spots　of　the　northern　range　land；　it　is　also　well

to　choose　land　that　will　grow　plenty　of　hay。　J。　G。　Whitmore　chose

the　hay　land；　and　trusted　that　providence　would　insure　the　water

supply。　Through　all　these　years　Flying　U　creek　had　never　once

disappointed　him。　Denson；　who　settled　in　the　tributary　coulee；

had　not　made　any　difference　in　the　water　supply；　and　his　stock

had　consisted　of　thirty　or　forty　head　of　cattle　and　horses。



When　Denson　sold；　however；　things　might　be　different。　And；　if　he

had　sold　to　a　sheepman；　the　change　might　be　unpleasant　If　he　had

sold　to　Dunk　Whittakerthe　Flying　U　boys　faced　that　possibility

just　as　they　would　face　any　other　disaster；　undaunted；　but　grim

and　unsmiling。



It　was　thus　that　Pink　and　Weary　rode　slowly　down　into　Denson

coulee。　Two　miles　back　they　had　passed　the　band　of　Dot　sheep；

feeding　leisurely　just　without　the　Flying　U　fence；　which　was　the

southern　boundary。　The　bug…killer　and　the　other　were　there；　and

they　noted　that　the　features　of　that　other　bore　witness　to　the

truth　of　Andy's　story　of　the　fight。　He　regarded　them　with　one

perfectly　good　eye　and　one　which　was　considerably　swollen；　and

grinned　a　swollen　grin。



The　two　had　ridden　ten　paces　past　him　when　Pink　pulled　up

suddenly。　〃I'm　going　to　get　off　and　lick　that　son…of…a…gun

myself；　just　for　luck；〃　he　stated　dispassionately。　〃I'm　going　to

lick　'em　both；〃　he　revised　while　he　dismounted。



〃Oh；　come　on；　Cadwalloper；〃　Weary　dissuaded。　〃You'll　likely　have

all　the　excitement　you　need；　without　that。〃



〃Here；　you　hold　this　fool　cayuse。　No。〃　He　shook　his　head；　cutting

short　further　protest。　〃You're　the　boss；　and　you　don't　want　to

mix　in；　and　that　part　is　all　right。　But　I　ain't　responsibleand

I　sure　am　going　to　take　a　fall　or　two　out　of　these　geesers。

They're　a…w…l　together　too　stuck　on　themselves　to　suit　me。〃　Pink

did　not　say　that　he　was　thinking　of　Andy；　but　nevertheless　a

vivid　recollection　of　that　unfortunate　young　man's　rope…creased

wrists　and　swollen　hands　sent　him　toward　the　herder　with　long；

eager　strides。



Pink　was　not　tall；　and　he　was　slight　and　boyish　of　build；　also；

his　cherubic　face；　topped　by　tawny　curls　and　lighted　by　eyes　as

deeply　blue　and　as　innocent　as　a　baby's；　probably　deceived　that

herder；　just　as　they　had　deceived　many　another。　For　Pink　was　a

good　deal　like　a　stick　of　dynamite　wrapped　in　white　tissue　paper

and　tied　with　blue　ribbon；　and　Weary　was　not　at　all　uneasy　over

the　outcome；　as　he　watched　Pink　go　clanking　back；　though　he　loved

him　well。



Pink　did　not　waste　any　time　or　words　on　the　preliminaries。　With　a

delightful　frankness　of　purpose　he　pulled　off　his　coat　and　threw

it　on　the　ground；　as　he　came　up；　sent　his　hat　after　it；　and

arrived　fist　first。



The　herder　had　waited　grinning；　and　he　had　shouted　something　to

Weary　about　spanking　the　kid　if　Weary　didn't　make　him　behave。

Speedily　he　became　a　very　surprised　herder；　and　a　distressed　one

as　well。



〃All　right；〃　Pink　remarked；　a　little　quick…breathed；　when　the

herder　decided　for　the　third　time　to　get　up。　〃A　friend　of　mine

worked　yuh　over　a　little；　this　morning；　and　I　just　thought　I'd

make　a　better　job　than　he　did。　Your　eyes　didn't　match。　They　will；

now。〃



The　herder　mumbled　maledictions　after　him；　but　Pink　would　not

even　give　him　the　satisfaction　of　resenting　it。



〃I'd　like　to　have　broken　a　knuckle　against　his　teeth；　darn　him；〃

he　observed　ruefully　when　he　was　in　the　saddle　again。　〃Come　on；

Weary。　It　won't　take　but　a　minute　to　hand　a　punch　or　two　to　that

bug…killer；　and　then　I'll　feel　better。　They've　both　got　it

comingcome　on！〃　This　because　Weary　showed　a　strong　inclination

to　take　the　trail　and　keep　it　to　his　destination。　〃Well；　I'll　go

alone；　then。　I've　got　to　kinda　square　myself　for　the　way　I　threw

it　into　Andy；　and　you　know　blamed　well；　Weary；　they　played　it

low…down　on　him；　or　they'd　never　have　got　that　rope　on　him。　And

I'm　going　to　lick　that〃



〃Mamma！　You　sure　are　a　rambunctious　person　when　you　feel　that

way；〃　Weary　made　querulous　comment；　but　he　rode　over　with　Pink　to

where　the　bug…killer　was　standing　with　his　long　stick　held　in　a

somewhat　menacing　manner；　and　once　more　he　held　Pink's　horse　for

him。



Pink　was　gone　longer　this　time；　and　he　came　back　with　a　cut　lip

and　a　large　lump　on　his　forehead；　the　bug…killer　had　thrown　a

small　rock　with　the　precision　which　comes　of　much　practicesuch

as　stoning　disobedient　dogs；　and　the　likeand；　when　Pink　rushed

at　him　furiously；　the　herder　caught　him　very　neatly　alongside　the

head　with　his　stick。　These　little　amenities　serving　merely　to

whet　Pink's　appetite　for　battle；　he　stopped　long　enough　to　thrash

that　particular　herder　very　thoroughly　and　to　his　own　complete

satisfaction。



〃Well；　I　guess　I'm　ready　to　go　on　now；〃　he　observed；　dimpling

rather　one…sidedly　as　he　got　back　on　his　horse。



〃I　thought　maybe　you'd　want　to　whip　the　d