the heritage of the sioux-第24节

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strapped　around　the　neck　of　big；　bay　Johnny；　Applehead's　companion　of　many　a

desert　wandering。　That　brilliant　constellation　which　seems　to　hang　just　over

one's　head　in　the　high　altitude　of　our　sagebrush　states；　held　hypnotically　the

sleepy　gaze　of　Pink；　whose　duty　it　was　to　go　on　guard　when　the　others　turned

in　for　the　night。　He　lay　with　his　locked　fingers　under　his　head；　staring　up　at

one　particularly　bright　group　of　stars；　and　listened　to　the　droning　voice　of

Applehead　telling　of　a　trip　he　had　made　out　into　this　country　five　or　six

years　before；　and　soaking　in　the　peace　and　the　comfort　which　was　all　the　more

precious　because　he　knew　that　soon　he　must　drag　his　weary　body　into　the　saddle

and　ride　out　to　stand　guard　over　the　horses。　Once　he　half　rose；　every　movement

showing　his　reluctance。



Whereupon　Weary；　who　sprawled　next　to　him；　reached　out　a　languid　foot　and　gave

him　a　poke。　〃Aw；　lay　down；〃　he　advised。　〃They're　all　right　out　there　for

another　hour。　Don't　yuh　hear　the　bell？〃



They　all　listened　for　a　minute。　The　intermittent　tinkle　of　the　cheap　little

sheep　bell　came　plainly　to　them　from　farther　down　the　draw　as　though　Johnny

was　eating　contentedly　with　his　mates；　thankful　for　the　leisure　and　the　short；

sweet　grass　that　was　better　than　hay。　Pink　lay　back　with　a　sigh　of　relief；　and

Luck　told　him　to　sleep　a　little　if　he　wanted　to；　because　everything　was　all

right　and　he　would　call　him　if　the　horses　got　to　straying　too　far　off。



Down　the　drawwhere　there　were　no　horses　feedingan　Indian　in　dirty　overalls

and　gingham　shirt　and　moccasins；　and　with　his　hair　bobbed　to　his　collar；　stood

up　and　peered　toward　the　vague　figures　grouped　in　the　fire…glow。　He　lifted　his

hand　and　moved　it　slightly；　so　that　the　bell　he　was　holding　tinkled　exactly　as

it　had　done　when　it　was　strapped　around　Johnny's　neck；　Johnny；　who　was　at　that

moment　trailing　disgustedly　over　a　ridge　half　a　mile　away　with　his　mates；

driven　by　two　horsemen　who　rode　very　carefully；　so　as　to　make　no　noise。



The　figures　settled　back　reassured；　and　the　Indian　grinned　sourly　and　tinkled

the　little　bell　painstakingly；　with　the　matchless　patience　of　the　Indian。　It

was　an　hour　before　he　dimly　saw　Pink　get　up　from　the　dying　coals　and　mount　his

horse。　Then；　still　tinkling　the　bell　as　a　feeding　horse　would　have　made　it

ring；　he　moved　slowly　down　the　draw；　slowly；　so　that　Pink　did　not　at　first

suspect　that　the　bell　sounded　farther　off　than　before；　slowly　yet　surely；

leading　Pink　farther　and　farther　in　the　hope　of　speedily　overtaking　the　horses

that　he　cursed　for　their　wandering。



Pink　wondered；　after　a　little；　what　was　the　matter　with　the　darned　things；

wandering　off　like　that　by　themselves；　and　with　no　possible　excuse　that　he

could　see。　For　some　time　he　was　not　uneasy；　he　expected　to　overtake　them

within　the　next　five　or　ten　minutes。　They　would　stop　to　feed；　surely；　or　to

look　back　and　listenin　a　strange　country　like　this　it　was　against

horse…nature　that　they　should　wander　far　away　at　night　unless　they　were

thirsty　and　on　the　scent　of　water。　These　horses　had　drunk　their　fill　at　the

little　pool　below　the　spring。　They　should　be　feeding　now；　or　they　should　lie

down　and　sleep；　or　stand　up　and　sleepanything　but　travel　like　this；

deliberately　away　from　camp。



Pink　tried　loping；　but　the　ground　was　too　treacherous　and　his　horse　too

leg…weary　to　handle　its　feet　properly　in　the　dark。　It　stumbled　several　times；

so　he　pulled　down　again　to　a　fast　walk。　For　a　few　minutes　he　did　not　hear　the

bell　at　all；　and　when　be　did　it　was　not　where　he　had　expected　to　hear　it；　but

away　off　to　one　side。　So　he　had　gained　nothing　save　in　anger　and　uneasiness。



There　was　no　use　going　back　to　camp　and　rousing　the　boys；　for　he　was　now　a

mile　or　so　away；　and　they　would　be　afoot；　since　their　custom　was　to　keep　but

one　horse　saddled。　When　he　went　in　to　call　the　next　guard　he　would　be　expected

to　bring　that　man's　horse　back　with　him；　and　would　turn　his　own　loose　before

he　went　to　sleep。　Certainly　there　was　nothing　to　be　gained　by　rousing　the

camp。



He　did　not　suspect　the　trick　being　played　upon　him；　though　he　did　wonder　if

someone　was　leading　the　horses　away。　Still；　in　that　case　whoever　did　it　would

surely　have　sense　enough　to　muffle　the　bell。　Besides；　it　sounded　exactly　like

a　horse　feeding　and　moving　away　at　randomwhich；　to　those　familiar　with　the

sound；　can　never　be　mistaken　for　the　tinkle　of　an　animal　traveling　steadily　to

some　definite　point。



It　was　an　extremely　puzzled　young　man　who　rode　and　rode　that　night　in　pursuit

of　that　evasive；　nagging；　altogether　maddening　tinkle。　Always　just　over　the

next　little　rise　he　would　hear　it；　or　down　in　the　next　little　draw；　never

close　enough　for　him　to　discover　the　trick；　never　far　enough　away　for　him　to

give　up　the　chase。　The　stars　he　had　been　watching　in　camp　swam　through　the

purple　immensity　above　him　and　slid　behind　the　skyline。　Other　stars　as

brilliant　appeared　and　began　their　slow；　swimming　journey。　Pink　rode；　and

stopped　to　listen；　and　rode　on　again　until　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　must　be

dreaming　some　terribly　realistic　nightmare。



He　was　sitting　on　his　horse　on　a　lava…crusted　ridge；　straining　bloodshot　eyes

into　the　mesa　that　stretched　dimly　before　him；　when　dawn　came　streaking　the

sky　with　blood　orange　and　purple　and　crimson。　The　stars　were　quenched　in　that

flood　of　light；　and　Pink；　looking　now　with　clearer　vision；　saw　that　there　was

no　living　thing　in　sight　save　a　coyote　trotting　home　from　his　night's　hunting。

He　turned　short　around　and；　getting　his　bearings　from　his　memory　of　certain

stars　and　from　the　sun　that　was　peering　at　him　from　the　top　of　a　bare　peak；

and　from　that　sense　of　direction　which　becomes　second　nature　to　a　man　who　had

lived　long　on　the　range；　started　for　camp　with　his　ill　news。







CHAPTER　XIV。　ONE　PUT　OVER　ON　THE　BUNCH



〃Sounds　to　me；〃　volunteered　the　irrepressible　Big　Medicine　after　a　heavy

silence；　〃like　as　if　you'd　gone　to　sleep　on　your　hawse；　Little　One；　and

dreamed　that　there　tinkle…tinkle　stuff。　By　cripes；　I'd　like　to　see　the

bell…hawse　that　could　walk　away　from　ME　'nless　I　was　asleep　an'　dreamin'　about

it。　Sounds　like〃



〃Sounds　like　Navvy　work；〃　Applehead　put　in；　eyeing　the　surrounding　rim　of

sun…gilded　mesa；　where　little　brown　birds　fluttered　in　short；　swift　flights

and　chirped　with　exasperating　cheerfulness。



〃If　it　was　anybody；　it　was　Ramon　Chavez；〃　Luck　declared　with　the　positiveness

of　his　firm　conviction。　〃By　the　tracks　here；　we're　crowding　up　on　him。　And　no

man　that's　guilty　of　a　crime；　Applehead；　is　going　to　ride　day　after　day

without　wanting　to　take　a　look　over　his　shoulder　to　see　if　be's　followed。　He's

probably　seen　us　from　some　of　these　ridgesyesterday；　most　likely。　And　do　you

think　he　wouldn't　know　this　bunch　as　far　as　he　could　see　us；　even　without

glasses？　The　chances　are　he　has　them；　though。　He'd　be　a　fool　if　he　didn't

stake　himself　to　a　pair。〃



〃Say；　by　gracious；〃　Andy　observed　somewhat　irrelevantly；　his　eyes　going　over

the　group；　〃this　would　sure　make　great　picture　dope；　wouldn't　it？　Why　didn't

we　bring　Pete　along；　darn　it？　Us　all　standing　around　here；　plumb　helpless

because　we're　afoot〃



〃Aw；　shut　up！〃　snapped　Pink；　upon　whom　the　burden　of　responsibility　lay　heavy。

〃I　oughta　be　hung　for　laying　around　the　fire　here　instead　of　being　out　there

on　guard！　I　oughta〃



〃It　ain't　your　fault；〃　Weary　championed　him　warmly。　〃We　all　heard　the　bell〃



〃Yesand　damn　it；_I_　heard　the　bell　from　then　on　till　daylight！〃　Pink's　lips

quivered　perceptibly　with　the　mortification　that　burned　within　him。　〃If　I'd

been　on　guard〃



〃Well；　I　calc'late　you'd　a　been　laid　out　now　with　a　knife…cut　in　yuh　som'ers；〃

Applehead　stopped　twisting　his　sunburnt　mustache　to　say　bluntly。　〃'S　a　dang

lucky　thing　fer　you；　young　man；　't　you　WASN'T　on　guard；　'n'　the　only　thing't

looks　queer　to　me　is　that　you　wasn't　potted　las'　night　when　yuh　got　out　away

from　here。　Musta　been　only　one　of　'em　stayed　behind；　an'　he　had　t'　keep　out　in

front　uh　yuh　t'　tinkle　that　dang　bell。　Figgered　on　wearin'　out　yer　hoss；　I

reckon；　'n'　didn't　skurcely　dare　t'　take　the　risk　uh　killin'　you　off　'nless

they　was　a　bunch　around　t'　handle　us。〃　His　bright　blue　eyes　with　their　range

squint　went　from　one　to　another　with　a　certain　speculative　pride　in　the

glance。　〃'N'　they　shore　want　t'　bring　a　crowd　along　when　they　tie　into　this

yere　outfit；　now　I'm　tellin'　yuh！〃



Lite　Avery；　who　had　gone　prowling　down　the　draw　by　himself；　came　back　to　camp；

tilting　stiff…leggedly　along　in　his　high…heeled　boots　and　betraying；　in　every

step　he　took；　just　how　handicapped　a　cowpuncher　is　when　set　afoot　upon　the

range　and　forced　to　walk　where　he　has　always　been　accustomed　to　ride。　He

stopped　to　give　Pink's　exhausted　horse　a　sympathetic　pat　on　the　shoulder；　and

came　on；　grinning　a　little　with　the　comers　of　his　mouth　tipped　down。



〃Here's　what's　left　of　the　hobbles　the　buckskin　wore；〃　he　said；　holding　up　t