the heritage of the sioux-第19节

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far　as　he　could　see　to　left　or　right。　There　were　places　here　and　there　where

be　believed　that　a　man　could　climb　to　the　top　with　the　aid　of　his　hands　as

well　as　his　feet；　but　for　the　horses　he　was　extremely　skeptical；　and　as　for　a

certain　big　red　automobile。　。　。　。　His　eyes　swung　from　the　brown　rampart　and

rested　grievedly　upon　the　impassive　face　of　Luck；　who　was　just　then　reaching

forward　to　spear　another　slice　of　bacon　from　the　frying　pan。



〃Kinda　looks　to　me；　by　cripes；　as　if　we'd　come　to　the　end　uh　the　trail；　he

observed　in　his　usual　full…lunged　bellow；　as　though　he　had　all　his　life　been

accustomed　to　pitching　his　voice　above　some　unending　clamor。　〃Yuh　got　any　idee

of　how　an　autyMObile　clumb　that　there　rim…rock？〃



Old　Applehead；　squatting　on　his　heels　across　the　little　camp…fire；　leaned　and

picked　a　coal　out　of　the　ashes　for　his　pipe　and　afterwards　cocked　his　eyes

toward　Big　Medicine。



〃What　yuh　calc'late　yuh　tryin'　to　do？〃　he　inquired　pettishly。　〃Start　up　an

argyment　uh　some　kind？　Cause　if　ye　air；　lemme　tell　yuh　I　got　the　yer…ache　from

listenin'　to　you　las'　night。〃



Big　Medicine　looked　at　him　as　though　he　was　going　to　spring　upon　him　in　deadly

combatbut　that　was　only　a　peculiar　facial　trick　of　his。　What　he　did　do　was

to　pour　that　last　swallow　of　hot；　black　coffee　down　his　throat　and　then　laugh

his　big　haw…haw…haw　that　could　be　heard　half　a　mile　off。



〃Y'　oughta　kep　Applehead　to　home　with　the　wimmin　folks；　Luck；〃　he　bawled

unabashed。　〃Night　air's　bad　fer　'im；　and　the　trail　ain't　goin'　to　be　smooth

goin'；not　if　we　gotta　ride　our　hawses　straight　up；　by　cripes！〃



〃We　haven't　got　to。〃　Luck　balanced　his　slice　of　bacon　upon　the　unscorched　side

of　a　bannock　and　glanced　indifferently　at　the　rim　of　rock　that　was　worrying

the　other。　〃I　swung　down　here　to　make　camp　off　the　trail　But　it's　only　a　half

mile　or　so　　over　this　rise　that　looks　level　to　you；　to　where　the　lava　ledge

peters　out　so　we　can　ride　over　it　easier　than　we　rode　up　off　the　river…flat　in

that　loose　sand。　That　ease　your　mind　any？〃



〃Helps　some；〃　Big　Medicine　admitted；　his　eyes　going　speculatively　to　the　rise

that　looked　perfectly　level。　〃I'm　willin'　to　take　your　word　fer　it；　boss。　But

what's　gittin'　to　worry　me；　by　cripes；　is　all　this　here　war…talk　about　Injuns。

Honest　to　grandma；　I　feel　like　as　if　I'd　been　readin'〃



〃Aw；　it's　jest　a　josh；　Bud！〃　Happy　Jack　asserted　boredly。　〃I　betche　there

ain't　been　a　Injun　on　the　fight　here　sence　hell　was　a　tradin'　post！〃



〃You　think　there　hasn't？〃　Luck　looked　up　quickly　to　ask。　But　old　Applehead

rose　up　and　shook　an　indignant　finger　at　Happy　Jack。



〃There　ain't；　hey？　Well；　I　calc'late　that　fer　a　josh；　them　thar　Navvies　has

got　a　right　keen　sense　uh　humor；　and　I've　knowed　men　to　laff　theirselves　to

death　on　their　danged　resavationnow　I'm　tellin'　yuh　I　It　was　all　a　josh

mebby；　when　they　riz　up　a　year　or　two　back　'cause　one　uh　their　tribe　was　goin'

t'　be　arrested　er　some　darn　thing！　Ole　General　Scott；　he　didn't　call　it　no

joke　when　he；　went　in　thar　to　settle　'em　down；　did　he？　I　calc'late；　mebby　it

was　jest　fer　a　josh　them　troops　waited　on　the　aidge；　ready　to　go　in　if　he

didn't　git　back　a　certain　time！　'N'　that　wasn't　so　fur　back；　shorely；　…only

two　years。　Why　dang　your　fool　heart；　I've　laid　out　there　in　them　hills　myself

and　fit　off　the　Navvies　…'n'　_I_　didn't　see　nothin'　much　to　laugh　at；　now　I'm

tellin'　yuh！　Time　I　went　there　after　Jose　Martinez〃



〃Better　get　under　way；　boys；〃　Luck　interrupted；　having　heard　many　times　the

details　of　that　fight　and　capture。　〃We'll　throw　out　a　circle　and　pick　up　the

trail　of　that　machine；　or　whatever　they　made　their　getaway　in。　My　idea　is　that

they　must　have　stached　some　horses　out　here　somewhere。　I　don't　believe　they'd

take　the　risk　of　trying　to　get　away　in　a　machine；　that　would　hold　them　to　the

main　trails；　mostly。　I　know　it　wouldn't　be　my　way　of　getting　outa　reach。　I'd

want　horses　so　I　could　get　into　rough　country；　and　I've　doped　it　out　that

Ramon　is　too　trail…wise　to　bank　very　high　on　an　automobile　once　he　got　out

away　from　town。　Applehead；　you　and　Lite　and　Pink　and　Weary　form　one　party　if

it　comes　to　where　we　want　to　divide　forces。　Pack　a　complete　camp　outfit　on　the

sorrel　and　the　blackyou　notice　that's　the　way　I　had　'em　packed　first。　Keep

their　packs　just　as　we　started　out；　then　you'll　be　ready　to　strike　out　by

yourselves　whenever　it　seems　best。　Get　me？〃



〃We　get　you；　boss；〃　Weary　sang　out　cheerfully；　and　went　to　work　gathering　up

the　breakfast　things　and　putting　them　into　two　little　piles　for　the　packs。

Pink　led　up　the　black　and　the　sorrel；　and　helped　to　pack　them　with　bedding　and

supplies　for　four；　as　Luck　had　ordered；　while　Lite　and　Applehead　saddled　their

horses　and　then　came　up　to　help　throw　the　diamond　hitches　on　the　packs。



A　couple　of　rods　nearer　the　rock　wall　Happy　Jack　was　grumbling；　across　the

canvas　pack　of　a　little　bay；　at　Big　Medicine；　who　was　warning　him　against

leaving　his　hair　so　long　as　a　direct　temptation　to　scalp…lifting。　Luck　bad

already　mounted　and　ridden　out　a　little　way；　where　he　could　view　the　country

behind　them　with　his　field　glasses；　to　make　sure　that　in　the　darkness　they　had

not　passed　by　anything　that　deserved　a　closer　inspection。　He　came　back　at　a

lope　and　motioned　to　Andy　and　the　Native　Son。



〃That　red　automobile　is　standing　back　about　half　a　mile；〃　he　announced　

hurriedly。　〃Empty　and　deserted；　looks　like。　We'll　go　back　and　take　a　look　at

it。　The　rest　of　you　can　finish　packing　and　wait　here　till　we　come　back。　No　use

making　extra　travel　for　your　horses。　They'll　get　all　they　need；　the　chances

are。〃



The　red　automobile　was　empty　of　everything　but　the　upholstering　and　a　jack　in

the　toolbox。　The　state　license　number　was　gone；　and　the　serial　number　on　the

engine　had　been　hammered　into　illegibility。　What　tracks　there　were　had　been

blown　nearly　full　of　the　white　sand　of　that　particular　locality　There　was

nothing　to　be　learned　there；　except　the　very　patent　fact　that　the　machine　bad

been　abandoned　for　some　reason。　Luck　took　a　look　at　the　engine　and　saw　nothing

wrong　with　it。　There　was　oil　and　there　was　〃gas〃a　whole　tank　full。　Andy　and

Miguel；　riding　an　ever…widening　circle　around　the　machine　while　Luck　was

looking　for　evidence　of　a　breakdown；　ran　across　a　lot　of　hoofprints　that

seemed　to　head　straight　away　past　the　rim…rock　and　on　to　the　hills。



They　picked　up　the　trail　of　the　hoofprints　and　followed　it。　When　they　returned

to　the　others　they　found　the　boys　all　mounted　and　waiting　impatiently　like

hounds　on　the　leash　eager　to　get　away　on　the　chase。　Six　horses　there　were；　and

even　old　Applehead；　who　was　in　a　bad　humor　that　morning　and　seemed　to　hate

agreeing　with　anyone；　admitted　that　probably　the　four　who　had　committed　the

robbery　and　left　town　in　the　machine　had　been　met　out　here　by　a　man　who

brought　horses　for　them　and　one　extra　pack　horse。　This　explained　the　number　in

the　most　plausible　manner；　and　satisfied　everyone　that　they　were　on　the　right

trail。



Riding　together　…since　they　were　on　a　plain　trail　and　there　was　nothing　to　be

gained　by　separatingthey　climbed　to　the　higher　mesa；　crossed　the　ridge　of

the　three　barren　hills　that　none　of　them　but　Applehead　had　ever　passed；　and

went　on　and　on　and　on　as　the　hoofprints　led　them；　straight　toward　the

reservation。



They　discussed　the　robbery　from　every　anglethey　could　think　of；　and　once　or

twice　someone　hazarded　a　guess　at　Annie…Many…Ponies'　reason　for　leaving　and

her　probable　destination。　They　wondered　how　old　Dave　Wiswell；　the　dried　little

cattleman　of　The　Phantom　Herd；　was　making　out　in　Denver；　where　he　had　gone　to

consult　a　specialist　about　some　kidney　trouble　that　had　interfered　with　his

riding　all　spring。　Weary　suggested　that　maybe　Annie…Many…Ponies　had　taken　a

notion　to　go　and　visit　old　Dave；　since　the　two　were　old　friends。



It　was　here　that　Applehead　unwittingly　put　into　words　the　vague　suspicion

which　Luck　had　been　trying　to　stifle　and　had　not　yet　faced　as　a　definite　idea。



〃I　calc'late　we'll　likely　find　that　thar　squaw　putty　tol'ble　close　to　whar　we

find　Bill　Holmes；〃　Applehead　remarked　sourly。　〃Her　goin'　off　same；　day　they

stuck　up　that　bank　don't　look　to　me　like　no　happenstancenow　I'm　tellin'　yuh！

'N'　if　I　was　shurf；　and　was　ast　to　locate　that　squaw；　I'd　keep　right　on　the

trail　uh　Bill　Holmes；　jest　as　we're　doin'　now。〃



〃That　isn't　like　Annie；〃　Luck　said　sharply　to；　still　the　conviction　in　his　own

mind。　〃Whatever　faults　she　may　have；　she's　been　loyal　to　me；　and　honest。　Look

how　she　stuck　last　winter；　when　she　didn't　have　anything　at　stake；　wasn't

getting　any　salary；　and　yet　worked　like　a　dog　to　help　make　the　picture　a

success。　Look　how　she　got　up　in　the　night　when　the　blizzard　struck；　and　fed

our　horses　and　cooked　breakfast　of　her　own　accord；　just　so　I　could　get　out

early　and　get　my　scenes。　I've　known　her　since　she　was　a　dirty…faced　papoose；

and　I　never　knew　her　to　lie　or　steal。　She　wasn't　in　on　that　robbery