the flying u ranch-第20节

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

whimsically。　〃As　Bud　said　this　morning；　you　can't　hang　a　man　for

telling　a　sheepherder　you'll　take　off　his　shoes。　And　they　can't

send　us　over　the　road　for　moving　that　band　of　sheep　onto　new

range　to…day。　Last　night　you　all　were　kinda　disorderly；　maybe；

but　you　didn't　hurt　anybody；　or　destroy　any　property。　You　see

what　I　mean。　Our　only　show　is　to　stop　with　our　toes　on　the　right

side　of　the　dead　line。〃



〃If　Andy；　here；　would　jest　git　his　think…wheels　greased　and　going

good；〃　Big　Medicine　suggested　loudly；　〃he　ought　to　frame　up

something　that　would　put　them　Dots　on　the　run　permanent。　I　d'no；

by　cripes；　why　it　is　a　feller　can　always　think　uh　lies　and　joshes

by　the　dozens；　and　put　'em　over　O。　K。　when　there　ain't　nothing　to

be　made　out　of　it　except　hard　feelin's；　and　then　when　a　deal　like

this　here　sheep　deal　comes　up；　he's　got　about　as　many　idees；　by

cripes；　as　that　there　line…back　calf　over　there。　Honest　to

grandma；　Andy　makes　me　feel　kinda　faint。　Only　time　he　did　have　a

chanc't；　he　let　them〃　It　occurred　to　Big　Medicine　at　that　point

that　perhaps　his　remarks　might　be　construed　by　the　object　of　them

as　being　offensively　personal。　He　turned　his　head　and　grinned

good…naturedly　in　Andy's　direction；　and　refrained　from　finishing

what　he　was　going　to　say。　〃I　sure　do　like　them　wind…　flowers

scattered　all　over　the　ground；〃　he　observed　with　such　deliberate

and　ostentatious　irrelevance　that　the　Happy　Family　laughed；　even

to　Andy　Green；　who　had　at　first　been　inclined　toward　anger。



〃Everything；〃　declared　Andy　in　the　tone　of　a　paid　instructor；

〃has　its　proper　time　and　place；　boys；　I've　told　you　that　before。

For　instance；　I　wouldn't　try　to　kill　a　skunk　by　talking　it　to

death；　and　I　wouldn't　be　hopeful　of　putting　the　run　on　this　Dunk

person　by　telling　him　ghost　stories。　As　to　ideasI'm　plumb　full

of　them。　But　they're　all　about　grub；　just　right　at　present。〃



That　started　Slim　and　Happy　Jack　to　complaining　because　no　one

had　had　sense　enough　to　go　back　after　some　lunch　before　taking

that　long　trail　south；　the　longer　because　it　was　a　slow　one；　with

sheep　to　set　the　pace。　And　by　the　time　they　had　presented　their

arguments　against　the　Happy　Family's　having　enough　brains　to　last

them　overnight；　and　the　Happy　Family　had　indignantly　pointed　out

just　where　the　mental　deficiency　was　most　noticeable；　they　were

upon　that　last；　broad　stretch　of　〃bench〃　land　beyond　which　lay

Flying　U　coulee　and　Patsy　and　dinner；　a　belated　dinner；　to　be

sure；　but　for　that　the　more　welcome。



And　when　they　reached　the　point　where　they　could　look　away　to　the

very　rim　of　the　coulee；　they　saw　sheepsheep　to　the　skyline；

feeding　scattered　and　at　ease；　making　the　prairie　look；　in　the

distance；　as　if　it　were　covered　with　a　thin　growth　of　gray

sage…brush。　Four　herders　moved　slowly　upon　the　outskirts；　and　the

dogs　were　little；　scurrying；　black　dots　which　stopped

occasionally　to　wait　thankfully　until　the　master…minds　again

urged　them　to　endeavor。



The　Happy　Family　drew　up　and　stared　in　silence。



〃Do　I　see　sheep？〃　Pink　inquired　plaintively　at　last。　〃Tell　me；

somebody。〃



〃It's　that　bunch　you　fellows　tackled　last　night；〃　said　Weary

miserably。　〃I　ought　to　have　had　sense　enough　to　leave　somebody　on

the　ranch　to　look　out　for　this。〃



〃They've　got　their　nerve；〃　stated　Irish；　〃after　the　deal　they　got

last　night。　I'd　have　bet　good　money　that　you　couldn't　drag　them

herders　across　Flying　U　coulee　with　a　log　chain。〃



〃Say；　by　golly；　do　we　have　to　drive　this　here　bunch　anywheres

before　we　git　anything　to　eat？〃　Slim　wanted　to　know

distressfully。



Weary　considered　briefly。　〃No；　I　guess　we'll　pass　'em　up　for　the

present。　An　hour　or　so　won't　make　much　difference　in　the　long

run；　and　our　horses　are　about　all　in；　right　now〃



〃So'm　I；　by　cripes！〃　Big　Medicine　attested；　grinning　mirthlessly。

〃This　here　sheep　business　is　plumb　wearin'　on　a　man。　'Specially；〃

he　added　with　a　fretful　note；　〃when　you've　got　to　handle　'em

gentle。　The　things　I'd　like　to　do　to　them　Dots　is　all　ruled　outa

the　game；　seems　like。　Honest　to　grandma；　a　little　gore　would　look

better　to　me　right　now　than　a　Dutch　picnic　before　the　foam's　all

blowed　off　the　refreshments。　Lemme　kill　off　jest　one　herder；

Weary？〃　he　pleaded。　〃The　one　that　took　a　shot　at　me　las'　night。

Purty；　please！〃



〃If　you　killed　one；〃　Weary　told　him　glumly。　〃you　might　as　well

make　a　clean　sweep　and　take　in　the　whole　bunch。〃



〃Well；　I　won't　charge　nothin'　extra　fer　that；　either；〃　Bud

assured　him　generously。　〃I'm　willin'　to　throw　in　the　other　three

and　the　dawgs；　too；　by　cripes！〃　He　goggled　the　Happy　Family

quizzically。　〃Nobody　can't　say　there's　anything　small　about　me。

Why；　down　in　the　Coconino　country　they　used　to　set　half　a　dozen

greasers　diggin'　graves；　by　cripes；　soon　as　I　started　in　to　argy

with　a　man。　It　was　a　safe　bet　they'd　need　three　or　four；　anyways；

if　old　Bud　cut　loose　oncet。　Sheepherders？　Why；　they　jest

natcherly　couldn't　keep　enough　on　hand；　securely；　to　run　their

sheep。　They　used　to　order　sheepherders　like　they　did　woolsacks；

by　cripes！　You　could　always　tell　when　I　was　in　the　country；　by

the　number　uh　extra　herders　them　sheep　outfits　always　kep'　in

reserve。　Honest　to　grandma；　I've　knowed　two　or　three　outfits　to

club　together　and　ship　in　a　carload　at　a　time；　when　they　heard　I

was　headed　their　way。　And　so　when　it　comes　to　killin'　off　four；

why　that　ain't　skurcely　enough　to　make　it　worth　m'while　to　dirty

up　m'gun！〃



〃Aw；　I　betche　yuh　never　killed　a　man　in　your　life！〃　Happy　Jack

grumbled　in　his　characteristic　tone　of　disparagement；　but　such

was　his　respect　for　Big　Medicine's　prowess　that　he　took　care　not

to　speak　loud　enough　to　be　overheard　by　that　modest　gentleman；

who　continued　with　certain　fearsome　details　of　alleged　murderous

exploits　of　his　own；　down　in　Coconino　County；　Arizona。



But　as　they　passed　the　detested　animals；　thankful　that　the　trail

permitted　them　to　ride　by　at　a　distance　sufficient　to　blur　the

most　unsavory　details；　even　Big　Medicine　gave　over　his　deliberate

boastings　and　relapsed　into　silence。



He　had　begun　his　fantastic　vauntings　from　an　instinctive　impulse

to　leaven　with　humor　a　situation　which；　at　the　moment；　could　not

be　bettered。　Just　as　they　had；　when　came　the　news　of　the　Old

Man's　dire　plight；　sought　to　push　the　tragedy　of　it　into　the

background　and　cling　to　their　creed　of　optimism；　they　had　avoided

openly　facing　the　sheep　complication　squarely　with　mutual

admissions　of　all　it　might　mean　to　the　Flying　U。



Until　Weary　had　unburdened　his　heart　of　worry　on　the　ride　home

that　day；　they　had　not　said　much　about　it；　beyond　a　general

vilification　of　the　sheep　industry　as　a　whole；　of　Dunk　as　the

chief　of　the　encroaching　Dots；　and　of　the　herders　personally。



But　there　were　times　when　they　could　not　well　avoid　thinking

rather　deeply　upon　the　subject；　even　if　they　did　refuse　to　put

their　forebodings　into　speech。　They　were　not　children；　neither

were　they　to　any　degree　lacking　in　intelligence。　Swearing；　about

herders　and　at　them；　was　all　very　well；　bluffing；　threatening；

pummeling　even　with　willing　fists；　tearing　down　tents　and　binding

men　with　ropes　might　serve　to　relieve　the　emotions　upon　occasion。

But　there　was　the　grim　economic　problem　which　faced　squarely　the

Flying　U　as　a　〃cow　outfit〃the　problem　of　range　and　water；　the

Happy　Family　did　not　call　it　by　name；　but　they　realized　to　the

full　what　it　meant　to　the　Old　Man　to　have　sheep　just　over　his

boundary　line　always。　They　realized；　too；　what　it　meant　to　have

the　Old　Man　absent　at　this　timeworse；　to　have　him　lying　in　a

hospital；　likely　to　die　at　any　moment；　what　it　meant　to　have　the

whole　responsibility　shifted　to　their　shoulders；　willing　though

they　might　be　to　bear　the　burden；　what　it　meant　to　have　the

general　of　an　army　gone　when　the　enemy　was　approaching　in

overwhelming　numbers。



Pink；　when　they　were　descending　the　first　slope　of　the　bluff

which　was　the　southern　rim　of　Flying　U　coulee；　turned　and　glared

vindictively　back　at　the　wavering；　gray　blanket　out　there　to　the

west。　When　he　faced　to　the　front　his　face　had　the　look　it　wore

when　he　was　fighting。



〃So　help　me；　Josephine！〃　he　gritted　desperately；　〃we've　got　to

clean　the　range　of　them　Dots　before　the　Old　Man　comes　back；　or〃

He　snapped　his　jaws　shut　viciously。



Weary　turned　haggard　eyes　toward　him。



〃How？〃　he　asked　simply。　And　Pink　had　no　answer　for　him。







CHAPTER　XII。　Two　of　a　Kind



Patsy；　staunch　old　partisan　that　he　was；　placed　before　them　much

food　which　he　had　tried　his　best　to　keep　hot　without　burning

everything　to　a　crisp；　and　while　they　ate　with　ravenous　haste　he

told；　with　German　epithets　and　a　trembling　lower　jaw；　of　his

troubles　that　day。



〃Dem　sheeps；　dey　coom　by　der　leetle　pasture；〃　he　lamented　while

he　poured　coffee　muddy　from　long　boiling。　〃Looks　like　dey　know　so

s