the heritage of the sioux-第27节

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which　the　Happy　Family　bad　followed　with　such　persistence；　the　squaws　did

their　part；　while　their　men　went　on　to　prepare　the　trap。



Years　agoyet　not　so　many　after　allthe　mothers　of　these　squaws；　and　their

grandmothers；　had　walked　backward　and　stooped　with　little　branches　in　their

hands　to　wipe　out　the　trail　of　their　warriors　and　themselves　to　circumvent　the

cunning　of　the　enemy　who　pursued。　So　had　they　brushed　out　the　trail　when　their

men　had　raided　the　ranchos　of　the　first　daring　settlers；　and　had　driven　off

horses　and　cattle　into　the　remoter　wilderness。



And　these；　mind　you；　were　the　squaws　and　bucks　whom　you　might　meet　any　day　on

the　streets　in　Albuquerque；　padding　along　the　pavement　and　staring　in　at　the

shop　windows；　admiring　silken　gowns　with　marked…down　price　tags；　and

exclaiming　over　flaxen…haired　dolls　and　bright　ribbon　streamers；　squaws　and

bucks　who　brought　rugs　and　blankets　to　sell；　and　who　would　bargain　with　you　in

broken　English　and　smile　and　nod　in　friendly　fashion　if　you　spoke　to　them　in

Spanish　or　paid　without　bickering　the　price　they　asked　for　a　rug。　You　might

see　them　in　the　fifteen…cent　store；　buying　cheap　candy　and　staring　in　mute

admiration　at　all　the　gay　things　piled　high　on　the　tables。　Remember　that；　when

I　tell　you　what　more　they　did　out　here　in　the　wilderness。　Remember　that　and　do

not　imagine　that　I　am　trying　to　take　you　back　into　the　untamed　days　of　the

pioneers。





Luck　and　the　Happy　Familyso　well　had　the　squaws　done　their　workpassed

unsuspectingly　over　the　wiped…out　trail；　circled　at　fault　on　the　far　side　of

the　rocky　gulch　for　an　hour　or　so　and　then　found　the　false　trail　just　as　the

Indian　decoys　had　intended　that　they　should　do。　And　from　a　farther　flat　topped

ridge　a　group　of　Indians　with　Dutch　hair…cuts　and　Stetson　hats　and　moccasins

（the　two　hall…marks　of　two　races）　watched　them　take　the　false　trail；　and

looked　at　one　another　and　grinned　sourly。



The　false　trail　forked；　showing　that　the　six　had　separated　into　two　parties　of

three　riders；　each　aiming　to　passso　the　hoofprints　would　lead　one　to

believearound　the　two　ends　of　a　lone　hill　that　sat　squarely　down　on　the　mesa

like　a　stone　treasure　chest　dropped　there　by　the　gods　when　the　world　was

young。



The　Happy　Family　drew　rein　and　eyed　the　parting　of　the　ways　dubiously。



〃Wonder　what　they　did　that　for？〃　Andy　Green　grumbled；　mopping　his　red　face

irritatedly。　〃We've　got　trouble　enough　without　having　them　split　up　on　us。〃



〃From　the　looks；　I　should　say　we're　overhauling　the　bunch；〃　Luck　hazarded。

〃They　maybe　met　on　the　other　side　of　this　butte　somewhere。　And　the　tracks　were

made　early　this　morning；　I　should　say。　How　about　it；　Applehead？〃



〃Well；　they　look　fresher　'n　what　we　bin　follerin'　before；〃　Applehead　admitted。

〃But　I　don't　like　this　here　move　uh　theirn；　and　I'm　tellin'　yuh　so。　The　way〃



〃I　don't　like　anything　about　'em；〃　snapped　Luck；　standing　in　his　stirrups　as

though　that　extra　three　inches　would　let　him　see　over　the　hill。　〃And　I　don't

like　this　tagging　along　behind；　either。　You　take　your　boys　and　follow　those

tracks　to　the　right；　Applehead。　I　and　my　bunch　will　go　this　other　way。　And

RIDE！　We　can't　be　so　awfully　much　behind。　If　they　meet；　we'll　meet　where　they

do。　If　they　scatter；　we'll　have　to　scatter　too；　I　reckon。　But　get'em　is　the

word；　boys！〃



〃And　where；〃　asked　Applehead　with　heavy　irony；　while　he　pulled　at　his

mustache；　〃do　yuh　calc'late　we'll　git　t'gether　agin　if　we　go　scatterin'　out？〃



Luck　looked　at　him　and　smiled　his　smile。　〃We　aren't　any　of　us　tenderfeet；

exactly；〃　he　said　calmly。　〃We'll　meet　at　the　jail　when　we　bring　in　our　men；　if

we　don't　meet　anywhere　else　this　side。　But　if　you　land　your　men；　come　back　to

that　camp　where　we　lost　the　horses。　That's　one；　place　we　KNOW　has　got　grass

and　water　both。　If　you　come　and　don't　see　any　sign　of　us；　wait　a　day　before

you　start　back　to　town。　We'll　do　the　same。　And　leave　a　note　anchored　in　the

crack　of　that　big　bowlder　by　the　spring；　telling　the　news。　We'll　do　the　same

if　we　get　there　first　and　don't　wait　for　you。〃　He　hesitated；　betraying　that

even　in　his　eagerness　he　too　dreaded　the　parting　of　the　ways。　〃Well；　so　long；

boystake　care　of　yourselves。〃



〃Well；　now；　I　ain't　so　dang　shore〃　Applehead　began　querulously。



But　Luck　only　grinned　and　waved　his　hand　as　he　led　the　way　to　the　south　on　the

trail　that　obviously　had　skirted　the　side　of　the　square　butte。　The　four　who

went　with　him　looked　back　and　waved　non…committal　adieu；　and　Big　Medicine；

once　he　was　fairly　away；　shouted　back　to　them　to　look　out　for　Navvies；　and

then　laughed　with　a　mirthless　uproar　that　deceived　no　one　into　thinking　he　was

amused。　Pink　and　Weary　raised　their　voices　sufficiently　to　tell　him　where　he

could　go；　；and　settled　themselves　dejectedly　in　their　saddles　again。



〃Well；　I　ain't　so　darned　sure；　either；〃　Lite　Avery　tardily　echoed　Applehead's

vague　statement；　in　the　dry　way　he　had　of　speaking　detached　sentiments　from

the　mental　activities　that　went　on　behind　his　calm；　mask…like　face　and　his

quiet　eyes。　〃Something　feels　snaky　around　here　today。〃



Applehead　looked　at　him　with　a　glimmer　of　relief　in　his　eyes；　but　he　did　not

reply　to　the　foreboding　directly。　〃Boys；　git　yore　rifles　where　you　kin　use　'em

quick；〃　be　advised　them　grimly。　〃I　kin　smell　shootin'　along　this　dang　trail。〃



Pink's　dimples　showed　languidly　for　a　moment；　and　be　looked　a　question　at

Weary。　Weary　grinned　answer　and　pulled　his　rifle　from　the　〃boot〃　where　it　was

slung　under　his　right　leg；　and　jerked　the　lever　forward　until　a　cartridge　slid

with　a　click　up　into　the　chamber；　let　the　hammer　gently　down　with　his　thumb

and　laid　the　gun　across　his　thighs。



〃She's　ready　for　bear；〃　he　observed　placidly。



〃Well；　now；　you　boys　show　some　kinda　sense；〃　Applehead　told　them　when　Pink　had

followed　Weary's　example。　〃Fellers　like　Happy　and　Bud；　they　shore　do　show

their　ign'rance　uh　this　here；　dang　country；　when　they　up　'n'　laff　at　the　idee

uh　trouble…　…now　I'm　tellin'　yuh！〃



From　the　ridge　which　was　no　more　than　a　high　claw　of　the　square　butte；　four

Indians　in　greasy；　gray　Stetsons　with　flat　crowns　nodded　with　grim

satisfaction；　and　then　made　baste　to　point　the　toes　of　their　moccasins　down　to

where　their　unkempt　ponies　stood　waiting。　They　were　too　far　away　to；　see　the

shifting　of　rifles　to　the　laps　of　the　riders；　or　perhaps　they　would　not　have

felt　quite　so　satisfied　with　the　steady　advance　of　the　four　who　had　taken　the

right…hand　fork　of　the　trail。　They　could　not　even　tell　just　which　four　men

made　up　the　party。　They　did　not　greatly　care；　so　long　as　the；　force　of　the

white　men　was　divided。　They　galloped　away　upon　urgent　business　of　their　own；

elated　because　their　ruse　had　worked　out　as　they　had　planned　and　hoped。



Applehead　took　a　restrained　pull　at　the　canteen；　cocked　his　eyes　back　at　the

butte　they　had　just　passed；　squinted　ahead　over　the　flat　waste　that　shimmered

with　heat　to　the　very　skyline　that　was　notched　and　gashed　crudely　with　more

barren　hills；　and　then；　screwing　the　top　absent…mindedly　on　the　canteen…mouth；

leaned　and　peered　long　at　the　hoofprints　they　were　following。　Beside　him　Lite

Avery；　tall　and　lean　to　the　point　of　being　skinny；　followed　his　movements　with

quiet　attention　and　himself　took　to　studying　more　closely　the　hoofprints　in

the　sandy　soil。



Applehead　looked　up；　gauged　the　probable　direction　the　trail　was　taking；　and

gave　a　grunt。



〃You　kin　call　me　a　fool；〃　he　said　with　a　certain　challenge　in　his　tone；　〃but

this　yere　trail　don't　look　good　to　me；　somehow。　These　yere　tracks；　they　don't

size　up　the　same　as　they　done　all　the　way　out　here。　'N'　another　thing；　they

ain't　aimed　t'　meet　up　with　the　bunch　that　Luck's　trailin'。　We're　headed

straight　out　away　from　whar　Luck's　headed。　'N'　any　way　yuh　look　at　it；　we're

headed　into　country　whar　there　ain't　no　more　water'n　what　the　rich　man　got　in

hell。　What　would　any　uh　Ramon's　outfit　want　to　come　away　off　in　here　fur？　They

ain't　nothin'　up　in　here　to　call　'em。〃



〃These；　said　Lite　suddenly；　〃are　different　horse…tracks。　They're　smaller；　for

one　thing。　The　bunch　we　followed　out　from　the　red　machine　rode　bigger　horses。〃



〃And　carried　honey　on　one　side　and　fresh　meat　on　the　other；　and　one　horse　was

blind　in　the　right　eye；〃　enlarged　Pink　banteringly；　remembering　the　story　of

the　Careful　Observer　in　an　old　schoolreader　of　his　childhood　days。



〃Yes；　how　do　you　make　that　out；　Lite？　I　never　noticed　any　difference　in　the

tracks。〃



〃The　stride　is　a　little　shorter　today　for　one　thing。〃　Lite　looked　around　and

grinned　at　Pink；　as　though　he　too　remembered　the　dromedary　loaded　with　honey

and　meat。　〃Ain't　it；　Applehead？〃



〃It　shore　is；〃　Applehead　testified；　his　face　bent　toward　the　hot　ground。

〃Ain't　ary　one　uh　the　three　that　travels　like　they　bin　a　travelin''n'　that

shore　means　something；　now　I'm　tellin'　yuh！〃　He　straightened　and　stared

worriedly　ahead　of　them　again。　〃Uh　course；　they　might　a　picke