the flying u ranch-第19节

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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。

Anyway；　I'll　send　some　of　your　bunch　down　here　with　grub　and

beds。　This　is　good　enough　range　for　sheep。　You　keep　away　from　the

Flying　U　and　nobody'll　bother　you。　Over　there　in　them　trees；〃　he

added；　pointing　a　gloved　finger　toward　a　little　grove　on　the　far

side　of　the　basin；　〃you'll　find　a　cabin；　and　water。　And；　farther

down　the　river　there's　pretty　good　grass；　in　the　little　bottoms。

Now；　git。〃



The　herders　looked　as　if　they　would　enjoy　murdering　them　all；　but

they　did　not　say　a　word。　With　their　dogs　at　heel　they　scrambled

down　the　bluff　in　the　wake　of　their　sheep；　and　the　Happy　Family；

rolling　cigarettes　while　they　watched　them　depart；　told　one

another　that　this　settled　that　bunch；　they　wouldn't　bed　down　in

the　Flying　U　door…yard　that　night；　anyway。







CHAPTER　XI。　Weary　Unburdens



Hungry　with　the　sharp；　gnawing　hunger　of　healthy　stomachs

accustomed　to　regular　and　generous　feeding；　tired　with　the

weariness　of　healthy　muscles　pushed　past　their　accustomed　limit

of　action；　and　hot　with　the　unaccustomed　heat　of　a　blazing　day

shunted　unaccountably　into　the　midst　of　soft　spring　weather；　the

Happy　Family　rode　out　of　the　embrace　of　the　last　barren　coulee

and　up　on　the　wide　level　where　the　breeze　swept　gratefully　up

from　the　west；　and　where　every　day　brought　with　it　a　deeper　tinge

of　green　into　its　grassy　carpet。



Only　for　this　harassment　of　the　Dot　sheep；　the　roundup　wagons

would　be　loaded　and　ready　to　rattle　abroad　over　the　land。　Meadow

larks　and　curlews　and　little；　pert…eyed　ground　sparrows　called

out　to　them　that　roundup　time　was　come。　They　passed　a　bunch　of

feeding　Flying　U　cattle；　and　flat…ribbed；　bandy…legged　calves

galloped　in　brief　panic　to　their　mothers　and　from　the　sanctuary

of　grass…filled　paunches　watched　the　riders　with　wide；

inquisitive　eyes。



〃We　ought　to　be　starting　out；　by　now；〃　Weary　observed　a　bit

gloomily　to　Andy　and　Pink；　who　rode　upon　either　side　of　him。　〃The

calf　crop　is　going　to　be　good；　if　this　weather　holds　on　another

two　weeks　or　so。　But〃　he　waved　his　cigarette　disgustedly

〃that　darned　Dot　outfit　would　be　all　over　the　place；　if　we

pulled　out　on　roundup　and　left　'em　the　run　of　things。〃　He　smoked

moodily　for　a　minute。　〃My　religion　has　changed　a　lot　in　the　last

few　days；〃　he　observed　whimsically。　〃My　idea　of　hell　is　a　place

where　there　ain't　anything　but　sheep　and　sheepherders；　and

cowpunchers　have　got　to　spend　thousands　uh　years　right　in　the

middle　of　the　corrals。〃



〃If　that's　the　case；　I'm　going　to　quit　cussing；　and　say　my

prayers　every　night；〃　Andy　Green　asserted　emphatically。



〃What　worries　me；〃　Weary　confided；　obeying　the　impulse　to　talk

over　his　troubles　with　those　who　sympathized；　〃is　how　I'm　going

to　keep　the　work　going　along　like　it　ought　to；　and　at　the　same

time　keep　them　Dot　sheep　outa　the　house。　Dunk's　wise；　all　right。

He　knows　enough　about　the　cow　business　to　know　we　ye　got　to　get

out　on　the　range　pretty　quick；　now。　And　he's　so　mean　that　every

day　or　every　half　day　he　can　feed　his　sheep　on　Flying　U　grass；　he

calls　that　much　to　the　good。　And　he　knows　we　won't　go　to　opening

up　any　real　gun…fights　if　we　can　get　out　of　it；　he　counts　on　our

faunching　around　and　kicking　up　a　lot　of　dust；　maybebut　we

won't　do　anything　like　what　he'd　do；　in　our　places。　He　knows　the

Old　Man　and　Chip　are　gone；　and　he　knows　we've　just　naturally　got

to　sit　back　and　swallow　our　tongues　because　we　haven't　any

authority。　Mamma！　It　comes　pretty　tough；　when　a　low…down　skunk

like　that　just　banks　on　your　doing　the　square　thing。　He　wouldn't

do　it；　but　he　knows　we　will；　and　so　he　takes　advantage　of　white

men　and　gets　the　best　of　'em。　And　if　we　should　happen　to　break

out　and　do　something；　he　knows　the　herders　would　be　the　ones　to

get　it　in　the　neck；　and　he'd　wait　till　the　dust　settled；　and　bob

up　with　the　sheriff〃　He　waved　his　hand　again　with　a　hopeless

gesture。　〃It　may　not　look　that　way　on　the　face　of　it；〃　he　added

gloomily；　〃but　Dunk　has　got　us　right　where　he　wants　us。　From　the

way　they've　been　letting　sheep　on　our　land；　time　and　time　again；

I'd　gamble　he's　just　trying　to　make　us　so　mad　we'll　break　out。

He's　got　it　in　for　the　whole　outfit；　from　the　Old　Man　and　the

Little　Doctor　down　to　Slim。　If　any　of　us　boys　got　into　trouble；

the　Old　Man　would　spend　his　last　cent　to　clear　us；　and　Dunk　knows

that　just　as　well　as　he　knows　the　way　from　the　house　to　the

stable。　He'd　see　to　it　that　it　would　just　about　take　the　Old

Man's　last　cent；　too。　And　he's　using　these　Dot　sheep　like　you'd

use　a　red　flag　on　a　bull；　to　make　us　so　crazy　mad　we'll　kill　off

somebody。



〃That's　why；〃　he　said　to　them　all　when　he　saw　that　they　had

ridden　up　close　that　they　might　hear　what　he　was　saying；　〃I've

been　hollering　so　loud　for　the　meek…and…mild　stunt。　When　I

slapped　him　on　the　jaw；　and　he　stood　there　and　took　it；　I　saw　his

game。　He　had　a　witness　to　swear　I　hit　him　and　he　didn't　hit　back。

And　when　I　saw　them　Dots　in　our　field　again；　I　knew；　just　as　well

as　if　Dunk　had　told　me；　that　he　was　kinda　hoping　we'd　kill　a

herder　or　two　so　he　could　cinch　us　good　and　plenty。　I　don't　say；〃

he　qualified　with　a　rueful　grin；　〃that　Dunk　went　into　the　sheep

business　just　to　get　r…re…venge；　as　they　say　in　shows。　But　if　he

can　make　money　running　sheepand　he　can；　all　right；　because

there's　more　money　in　them　right　now　than　there　is　in　cattleand

at　the　same　time　get　a　good　whack　at　the　Flying　U；　he's　the　lad

that　will　sure　make　a　running　jump　at　the　chance。〃　He　spat　upon

the　burnt　end　of　his　cigarette　stub　from　force　of　the　habit　that

fear　of　range　fires　had　built；　and　cast　it　petulantly　from　him；

as　if　he　would　like　to　have　been　able　to　throw　Dunk　and　his　sheep

problem　as　easily　out　of　his　path。



〃So　I　wish　you　boys　would　hang　onto　yourselves　when　you　hear　a

sheep　blatting　under　your　window；〃　he　summed　up　his　unburdening

whimsically。　〃As　Bud　said　this　mornin