the flying u ranch-第8节

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Slim　rising　first　from　dinner　on　the　next　day　but　one　opened　the

door　of　the　mess…house；　and　stood　there　idly　picking　his　teeth

before　he　went　about　his　work。　After　a　minute　of　listening　to　the

boys　〃joshing〃　old　Patsy　about　some　gooseberry　pies　he　had　baked

without　sugar；　he　turned　his　face　outward；　threw　up　his　head　like

a　startled　bull；　and　began　to　sniff。



〃Say；　I　smell　sheep；　by　golly！〃　he　announced　in　the　bellowing

tone　which　was　his　conversational　voice；　and　sniffed　again。



〃Oh；　that's　just　a　left…over　in　your　system　from　the　dose　yuh　got

in　town　Sunday；〃　Weary　explained　soothingly。　〃I've　smelled　sheep；

and　tasted　sheep；　and　dreamed　sheep；　ever　since。〃



〃No；　by　golly；　it's　sheep！　It　ain't　no　memory。　II　b'hieve　I

hear　'em；　too；　by　golly。〃　Slim　stepped　out　away　from　the　building

and　faced　suspiciously　down　the　coulee。



〃Slim；　I　never　suspected　you　of　imagination　before；〃　the　Native

Son　drawled；　and　loitered　out　to　where　Slim　stood　still　sniffing。

〃I　wonder　if　you're　catching　it　from　Andy　and　me。　Don't　you　think

you　ought　to　be　vaccinated？〃



〃That　ain't　imagination；〃　Pink　called　out　from　within。　〃When

anybody　claims　there's　sheep　in　Flying　U　coulee；　that's　straight

loco。〃



〃Come　on　out　here　and　smell　'em　yourself；　then！〃　Slim　bawled

indignantly。　〃I　never　seen　such　an　outfit　as　this　is　gittin'　to

be；　you　fellers　don't　believe　nobody；　no　more。　We　ain't　all　Andy

Greens。〃



Upon　hearing　this　Andy　pushed　back　his　chair　and　strolled

outside。　He　clapped　his　hand　down　upon　Slim's　fat…cushioned

shoulder　and　swayed　him　gently。　〃Never　mind；　Slim；　you　can't　all

be　famous；〃　he　comforted。　〃Some　day；　maybe；　I'll　teach　yuh　the

fine　art　of　lying　more　convincingly　than　the　ordinary　man　can

tell　the　truth。　It　is　a　fine　art；　it　takes　a　genius　to　put　it

across。　Now；　the　only　time　anybody　doubts　my　word　is　when　I'm

sticking　to　the　truth　hike　a　sand　burr　to　a　dog's　tail。〃



From　away　to　the　west；　borne　on　the　wind　which　swept　steadily

down　the　coulee；　came　that　faint；　humming　sing…song；　which　can　be

made　only　by　a　herd　of　a　thousand　or　more　sheep；　all　blatting　in

different　keysor　by　a　distant　band　playing　monotonously　upon

the　middle　octave　of　their　varied　instruments。



〃Slim's　right；　by　gracious！　It's　sheep；　sure　as　yuh　live。〃　Andy

did　not　wait　for　more；　but　started　at　a　fast　walk　for　the　stable

and　his　horse。　After　him　went　the　Native　Son；　who　had　not　been

with　the　Flying　U　long　enough　to　sense　the　magnitude　of　the

affront；　and　Slim；　who　knew　to　a　nicety　just　what　〃cowmen〃

considered　the　unpardonable　sin；　and　the　rest　of　the　Happy

Family；　who　were　rather　incredulous　still。



〃Must　be　some　fool　herder　just　crossing　the　coulee；　on　the　move

somewhere；〃　Weary　gave　as　a　solution。　〃Half　of　'em　don't　know　a

fence　when　they　see　it。〃



As　they　galloped　toward　the　sound　and　the　smell；　they　expressed

freely　their　opinion　of　sheep；　the　men　who　owned　them；　and　the

lunatics　who　watched　over　the　blatting　things。　They　were

cattlemen　to　the　marrow　in　their　bones；　and　they　gloried　in　their

prejudice　against　the　woolly　despoilers　of　the　range。



All　these　years　had　the　Flying　U　been　immune　from　the　nuisance；

save　for　an　occasional　trespasser；　who　was　quickly　sent　about　his

business。　The　Flying　U　range　had　been　kept　in　the　main　inviolate

from　the　little；　gray　vandals；　which　ate　the　grass　clean　to　the

sod；　and　trampled　with　their　sharp…pointed　hoofs　the　very　roots

into　lifelessness；　which　polluted　the　water…holes　and　creeks

until　cattle　and　horses　went　thirsty　rather　than　drink；　which；　in

that　land　of　scant　rainfall；　devastated　the　range　where　they　fed

so　that　a　long…established　prairie…dog　town　was　not　more　barren。

What　wonder　if　the　men　who　owned　cattle；　and　those　who　tended

them；　hated　sheep？　So　does　the　farmer　dread　an　invasion　of

grasshoppers。



A　mile　down　the　coulee　they　came　upon　the　band　with　two　herders

and　four　dogs　keeping　watch。　Across　the　coulee　and　up　the

hillsides　they　spread　like　a　noisome　gray　blanket。　〃Maa…aa；　maa…

aa；　maa…aa；〃　two　thousand　strong　they　blatted　a　strident　medley

while　they　hurried　here　and　there　after　sweeter　bunches　of　grass；

very　much　like　a　disturbed　ant…hill。



The　herders　loitered　upon　either　slope；　their　dogs　lying　close

beside　them。　There　was　good　grass　in　that　part　of　the　coulee；　the

Flying　U　had　saved　it　for　the　saddle　horses　that　were　to　be

gathered　and　held　temporarily　at　the　ranch；　for　it　would　save

herding；　and　a　week　in　that　pasture　would　put　a　keen　edge　on

their　spirits　for　the　hard　work　of　the　calf　roundup。　A　dozen　or

two　that　ranged　close　had　already　been　driven　into　the　field　and

were　feeding　disdainfully　in　a　corner　as　far　away　from　the　sheep

as　the　fence　would　permit。



The　Happy　Family；　riding　close…grouped；　stiffened　in　their

saddles　and　stared　amazed　at　the　outrage。



〃Sheepherders　never　did　have　any　nerve；〃　Irish　observed　after　a

minute。　〃They　keep　their　places　fine！　They'll　drive　their　sheep

right　into　your　dooryard　and　tell　'en　to　help　themselves　to

anything　that　happens　to　look　good　to　them。　Oh；　they're　sure

modest　and　retiring！〃



Weary；　who　had　charge　of　the　outfit　during　Chip's　absence；　was

making　straight　for　the　nearest　herder。　Pink　and　Andy　went　with

him；　as　a　matter　of　course。



〃You　fellows　ride　up　around　that　side；　and　put　the　run　on　them

sheep；〃　Weary　shouted　back　to　the　others。　〃We'll　start　the　other

side　moving。　Make　'em　travelback　where　they　came　from。〃　He

jerked　his　head　toward　the　north。　He　knew；　just　as　they　all　knew；

that　there　had　been　no　sheep　to　the　south；　unless　one　counted

those　that　ranged　across　the　Missouri　river。



As　the　three　forced　their　horses　up　the　steep　slope；　the　herder；

sitting　slouched　upon　a　rock；　glanced　up　at　them　dully。　He　had　a

long　stick；　with　which　he　was　apathetically　turning　over　the

smaller　stones　within　his　reach；　and　as　apathetically　killing　the

black　bugs　that　scuttled　out　from　the　moist　earth　beneath。　He

desisted　from　this　unexciting　pastime　as　they　drew　near；　and　eyed

them　with　the　sullenness　that　comes　of　long　isolation　when　the

person's　nature　forbids　that　other　extreme　of　babbling　garrulity；

for　no　man　can　live　long　months　alone　and　remain　perfectly

normal。　Nature；　that　stern　mistress；　always　exacts　a　penalty　from

us　foolish　mortals　who　would　ignore　the　instincts　she　has　wisely

implanted　within　us　for　our　good。



〃Maybe；〃　Weary　began　mildly　and　without　preface；　〃you　don't　know

this　is　private　property。　Get　busy　with　your　dogs；　and　haze　these

sheep　back　on　the　bench。〃　He　waved　his　hand　to　the　north。　〃And；

when　you　get　a　good　start　in　that　direction；〃　he　added；　〃yuh

better　keep　right　on　going。〃



The　herder　surveyed　him　morosely；　but　he　said　nothing；　neither

did　he　rise　from　the　rock　to　obey　the　command。　The　dogs　sat　upon

their　haunches　and　perked　their　ears　inquiringly；　as　if　they

understood　better　than　did　their　master　that　these　men　were　not

to　be　quite　overlooked。



〃I　meant　to…day；〃　Weary　hinted；　with　the　manner　of　one　who

deliberately　holds　his　voice　quiet。



〃I　never　asked　yuh　what　yuh　meant；〃　the　herder　mumbled；　scowling。

〃We　got　to　keep　'em　on　water　another　hour；　yet。〃　He　went　back　to

turning　over　the　small　rocks　and　to　pursuing　with　his　stick　the

bugs；　as　if　the　whole　subject　were　squeezed　dry　of　interest。



For　a　minute　Weary　stared　unwinkingly　down　at　him；　uncertain

whether　to　resent　this　as　pure　insolence；　or　to　condone　it　as

imbecility。　〃Mamma！〃　he　breathed　eloquently；　and　grinned　at　Andy

and　Pink。　〃This　is　a　real　talkative　cuss；　and　obliging；　too。　Come

on；　boys；　he's　too　busy　to　bother　with　a　little　thing　like

sheep。〃



He　led　the　way　around　to　the　far　side　of　the　band；　the　nearest

sheep　scuttling　away　from　then　as　they　passed。　〃I　don't　suppose

we　could　work　the　combination　on　those　dogswhat？〃　he　considered

aloud；　glancing　back　at　them　where　they　still　sat　upon　their

haunches　and　watched　the　strange　riders。　〃Say；　Cadwalloper；　you

took　a　few　lessons　in　sheepherding；　a　couple　of　years　ago；　when

you　was　stuck　on　that　girlremember？　Whistle　'em　up　here　and　set

'en　to　work。〃



〃You　go　to　the　devil；〃　Pink's　curved　hips　replied　amiably　to　his

boss。　〃I've　got　loss…uh…memory　on　the　sheep　business。〃



Whereat　Weary　grinned　and　said　no　more　about　it。



On　the　opposite　side　of　the　coulee；　the　boys　seemed　to　be

laboring　quite　as　fruitlessly　with　the　other　herder。　They　heard

Big　Medicine's　truculent　bellow；　as　he　leaned　from　the　saddle　and

waved　a　fist　close　to　the　face　of　the　herder；　but；　though　they

rode　with　their　eyes　fixed　upon　the　group；　they　failed　to　see　any

resultant　movement　of　dogs；　sheep　or　man。



There　is；　at　times；　a　certain　safety　in　being　the　hopeless

minority。　Though　seven　indignant　cowpunchers　surrounded　him；　that

herder　was　secure　from　any　personal　molestationand　he　knew　it。

They　were　seven　against　one；　therefore；　after　making　some　ca