the heritage of the sioux-第17节

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sheriff's　nose。



〃We　don't　know；　and　we　don't　give　a　cuss；　what　you're　aimin'　at；〃　he

thundered。　〃We　been　out　here　workin'　in　this　brilin'　sun　sense　nine　o'clock

this　mornin'。　Luck　ain't　robbed　no　bank；　ner　he　ain't　the　kind　that　DOES　rob

banks；　and　I'm　here　to　see　you　swaller　them　words　'fore　I　haul　ye　off'n　that

horse　and　plumb　wear　ye　out！　Yuh　wanta　think　twicet　'fore　ye　come　ridin'　up

where　I　kin　hear　yuh　call　Luck　Lindsay　a　thief；　now　I'm　tellin'　ye！　If　a　bank

was　robbed；　ye　better　be　gittin'　out　after　them　that　done　it；　and　git　outa　the

way　uh　that　camery　sos't　we　can　git　t'　work！　Git！〃



The　sheriff　did　not　〃git〃　exactly；　but　he　did　look　considerably　embarrassed。

His　eyes　went　to　Luck　apologetically。



〃Cashier　come　to　and　said　you'd　called　him　up　on　the　phone　about　eleven；

claimin'　you　wanted　to　make　a　movin'　pitcher　of　the　bank　being　robbed；〃　he

explainedthough　he　was　careful　not　to　lower　his　gun。　〃He　swore　it　was　your

men　that　done　the　work　and　took　the　gold　you　told　him　to　pile　out　on　the〃



〃_I_　told　him？〃　Luck's　voice　had　the　sharpened　quality　that　caused　laggard

actors　to　jump。　〃Be　a　little　more　exact　in　the　words　you　use。〃



〃Well…lsomebody　on　the　phone　't　he　THOUGHT　was　you；〃　the　sheriff　amended

obediently。　〃Your　menand　they　sure　WAS　your　men；　because　three　or　four

fellers　besides　the　cashier　seen　'em　goin'　in　and　comin'　outthey　gagged　the

cashier　and　took　his　keys　away　from　him　and　cleaned　the　safe；　besides　taking

what　gold　he'd　piled　on　the　counter　for　yfor　'em。



〃So；〃　he　finished　vigorously；　〃I　an'　my　men　hit　the　trail　fer　the　ranch　and

was　told　by　the　women　that　you　was　out　here。　And　here　we　are；　and　you　might

just　as　well　come　along　peaceable　as　to　make　a　fuss〃



〃That　thar　is　shore　enough　outa　YOU；　Hank　Miller！〃　Applehead　exploded　again。

〃I　calc'late　you　kin　count　ME　in；　when　you　go　mixin'　up　with　Luck；　here。　I'm

one　of　his　menand　if　he　was　to　pull　off　a　bank　robbery　I　calc'late　I'd　be　in

on　that　there　performance　too；　I'm　tellin'　you！　Luck　don't　go　no　whars　ner　do

nothin'　that　I　AIN'T　in　on。



〃I've　had　some　considerable　experience　as　shurf　myself；　if　you'll　take　the

trouble　to　recolleck；　and　I　calc'late　my　word'Il　go　about　as　fur　as　the　next。

When　I　tell　ye　thar　ain't　goin'　to　be　no　arrest　made　in　Bear　Canon；　and　that

you　ain't　goin'　to　take　luck　in　fer　no　bank　robbery；　you　kin　be　dang　shore　I

mean　every　word　uh　that　thar！〃　He　moved　a　step　or　two　nearer　the　sheriff；　and

the　sheriff　backed　his　horse　away　from　him。



〃Ef　you　kin　cut　out　this　here　accusin'　Luck；　and　talk　like　a　white　man；〃

Applehead　continued　heatedly；　〃we'd　like　to　hear　the　straight　uh　this　here

robbery。　I　would；　'n'　I　know　Luck　would；　seein'　they've　gone　t'　work　and　mixed

him　into　it。　His　bunch　is　all　here；　as　you　kin　see　fer　yourself。　Now　we're

listenin'　's　long's　you　talk　polite'n'　you　kin　tell　us　what　men　them　was

that　was　seen　goin'　in　and　comin'　outand　all　about　the　hul＇　dang　business。〃



The　sheriff　had　not　ridden　to　Bear　Canon　expecting　to　be　bullied　into　civil

speech　and　lengthy　explanations；　but　he　knew　Applehead　Furrman；　and　he　had

sufficient　intelligence　to　read　correctly　the　character　of　the　group　of　men

that　stood　behind　Applehead。　Honest　men　or　thieves；　they　were　to；　be　reckoned

with　if　any　attempt　were　made　to　place　Luck　under　arrest；　any　fool　could　see

thatand　Hank　Miller　was　not　a　fool。



He　proceeded　therefore　to　explain　his　errand　and　the　robbery　as　the　cashier

had　described　it　to　the　clerks　who　returned　after　lunch　to　finish　their

Saturday's　work　at　the　bank。



〃Fifteen　thousand　they　claim　is　what　the　fellers　got。　And　one　of　your　men　that

runs　the　camera　was　keeping　up　a　bluff　of　taking　a　pitcher　of　it　all　the　time…

…that's　why　they　got　away　with　it。　Nobody　suspicioned　it　was　anything　more'n

moving…pitcher　acting　till　they　found　the　cashier　and　brought　him　toy　along

about　one　o'clock。　It　was　that　Chavez　feller　that　you　had　working　for　yuh；　and

Luis　Rojas　that　done　itthem　and　a　couple　fellers　stalling　outside　with　the

camera。〃



〃I　wonder；〃　hazarded　Pete　Lowry；　who　had　come　down　and　joined　the　group；　〃if

that　wasn't　Bill　Holmes　with　the　camera？　He　was　a　lot　more　friendly　with　Ramon

than　he　tried　to　let　on。〃



〃The　point　is；〃　Luck　broke　in；　〃that　they　took　advantage　of　my　holdup　scene　to

pull　off　the　robbery。　I　can　see　how　the　cashier　would　fall　for　a　retake　like

that；　especially　since　he　don't　know　much　about　picture…making。　Gather　up　the

props；　boys；　and　let's　go　home。　I'm　going　to　get　the　rights　of　this　thing。〃



〃You've　got　it　now；〃　the　sheriff　informed　him　huffily。　〃Think　I　been　loading

you　up　with　hot　air？　I　was　sent　out　to　round　you　up〃



〃Forget　all　that！〃　snapped　luck。　〃I　don't　know　as　I　enjoy　having　you　fellows

jump　at　the　notion　I'm　a　bank…robberor　that　if　I　had　robbed　a　bank　I　would

have　come　right　back　here　and　gone　to　work。　What　kind　of　a　simp　do　you　think　I

am；　for　gosh　sake？　Can　you　see　where　anyone　but　a　lunatic　would　go　like　that

in　broad　daylight　and　pull　off　a　robbery　as　raw　as　that　one　must　have　been；

and　not　even　make　an　attempt　at　a　gateway？　I'll　gamble　Applehead；　here；

wouldn't　have　fallen　for　a　play　as　coarse　as　that　was　if　he　was　sheriff　yet。

He'd　have　seen　right　away　that　the　camera　part　was　just　the　coarsest　kind　of　a

blind。



〃My　Lord！　Think　of　grown　menofficers　of　the　law　at　thatbeing　simple…minded

enough　to　come　fogging　out　here　to　me；　instead　of　getting　on　the　trail　of　the

men　that　were　seen　on　the　spot！　You　say　they　came　in　a　machine　to　the　bank　and

you　never　so　much　as　tried　to　trace　it；　or　to　get　the　license　number　even；

I'll　bet　a　month's　salary　you　didn't！　It　was　a　moving…picture　stall；　and　so

you　come　blundering　out　here　to　the　only　picture　company　in　the　country；

thinking；　by　gravy；　that　it　was　all　straight　goodsoh；　can　you　beat　that　for

a　boob？〃　He　shook　back　his　heavy　mane　of　gray　hair　and　turned　to　his　boys

disgustedly。



〃Pete　and　Tommy；　you　can　drive　the　wagon　back　all　right；　can't　you？　We'll　go

on　ahead　and　see　what　there　is　at　the　bottom　of　this　yarn。〃







CHAPTER　X。　DEPUTIES　ALL



At　the　ranch；　whither　they　rode　in　haste；　Luck　meant　to　leave　his　boys　and　go

on　with　the　sheriff　to　town。　But　the　Happy　Family　flatly　refused　to　be　left

behind。　Even　old　Aleck　Douglaswhom　years　and　trouble　had　enfeebled　until　his

very　presence　here　with　Jean　and　Lite　was　a　health…seekiing　mission　in　the

wonderful　air　of　New　Mexicoeven　old　Aleck　Douglas　stamped　his　foot　at　Jean

and　declared　that　he　was　going；　along　to　see　that　〃the　boy〃　got　a　square　deal。

There　wouldn't　be　any　railroading　Luck　to　the　pew　for　something　he　didn't　do；

he　asserted　with　a　tragic　meaning　that　wrung　the　heart　of　Jean。　It　took　Lite's

arguments　and　Luck's　optimism　and；　finally；　the　assurance　of　the　sheriff　that

Luck　was　not　under　arrest　and　was　in　no　danger　of　it；　to　keep　the　old　man　at

the　ranch。　Also；　they　promised　to　return　with　all　speed　and　not　to　keep　supper

waiting；　before　the　two　women　were　satisfied　to　let　them　go。



〃Oh；　Luck　Lindsay；〃　Rosemary　bethought　her　to　announce　just　as　they　were

leaving；　〃you　better　keep　an　eye　out　for　Annie；　while　you're　in　town。　She's

goneand　the　dog　and　all　her　clothes　and　everything。　Maybe　she　took　the　train

back　to　the　reservation。　I　just　wanted　you　to　know；　so　if　you　feel　you　ought

to　bother〃



〃Annie　gone？〃　Even　in　his　preoccupation　the　mews　came　with　a　stab。　〃When　did

she　go？〃



〃We　don't　know。　She　set　up　an　awful　yowling　when　you　boys　went　to　work。　And

the　dog　commenced　howling；　till　it　was　simply　awful。　So　we　rode　in　to　town

after　the　mail；　and　when　we　came　back　she　was　gone；　bag　and　baggage。　We　didn't

see　anything　of　her　on　the　trail；　but　she　could　dodge　us　if　she　wanted　to

she's　Injun　enough　for　that。〃



So　Luck　carried　a　double　load　of　anxiety　with　him　to　town；　and　the　first　thing

he　did　when　he　reached　it　was　to　seek；　not　the　beaten　cashier　who　had　accused

him；　but　the　ticket　agent　at　the　depot；　and　the　baggage　menanyone　who　would

be　apt　to　remember　Annie…Many…Ponies　if　she　took　a　train　out　of　town。



You　might　think　that；　with　so　many　Indians　coming　and　going　at　the　depot；

selling　their　wares　and　making　picturesque　setting　for　the　curios　which　are

purveyed　there；　that　Luck　stood　a　very　slight　chance　of　gaining　any

information　whatever。　But　a　Sioux　squaw　in　Albuquerque　would　be　as　noticeable

as　a　Hindoo。　Pueblos；　Navajosthey　may　come　and　go　unnoticed　because　of　their

numbers。　But　an　Indian　of　another　tribe　and　style　of　dress　would　be

conspicuous　enough　to　be　remembered。　So；　when　no　one　remembered　seeing

Annie…Many…Ponies；　Luck　dismissed　the　conjecture　that　she　had　taken　the　train；

and　turned　his　attention　to　picking　up　the　trail　of　the　bank…　robbers。



Here　the　Happy　Family；　with　Applehead　and　Lite　Avery；　had　managed　to

accomplish　a　good　deal　in　a　very　short　time。　The　Native　Son；　for　instance；　had

ridden　straight　out　from　the　bank　into　the　Mexican　quart