the heritage of the sioux-第3节

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and　wagged　himself　dislocatingly　up　to　her。　Annie…Many…Ponies　frowned　at　his

approach　until　she　saw　that　Applehead　was　aiming　a　clod　at　the　dog；　whereupon

she　touched　her　heels　to　the　horse　and　sent　him　between　Applehead　and　her　pet；

and　gave　Shunka　Chistala　a　sharp　command　in　Sioux　that　sent　him　back　to　the

house　with　his　tail　dropped。



For　a　full　half　minute　she　and　old　Applehead　looked　at　each　other　in　open

antagonism。　For　a　squaw；　Annie…Many…Ponies　was　remarkably　unsubmissive　in　her

bearing。　Her　big　eyes　were　frankly　hostile；　her　half　smile　was；　in　the　opinion

of　Applehead；　almost　as　frankly　scornful。　He　could　not　match　her　in　the

subtleties　of　feminine　warfare。　He　took　refuge　behind　the　masculine　bulwark　of

authority。



〃Where　yuh　bin　with　that　horse　uh　mine？〃　he　demanded　harshly。　〃Purty　note　when

I　don't　git　no　say　about　my　own　stock。　Got　him　all　het　up　and　heavin'　like

he'd　been　runnin'　cattle；　I　ain't　goin'　to　stand　for　havin'　my　horses　ran　to

death；　now　I'm　tellin'　yuh！　Fer　a　squaw；　I　must　say　you're　gittin'　too　danged

uppish　in　your　ways　around　here。　Next　time　you　want　to　go　traipsin'　around　the

mesa；　you　kin　go　afoot。　I'm　goin'　to　need　my　horses　fer　roundup。〃



A　white　girl　would　have　made　some　angry　retort；　but　Annie…Many…Ponies；　without

looking　in　the　least　abashed；　held　her　peace　and　kept　that　little　inscrutable

smile　upon　her　lips。　Her　eyes；　however；　narrowed　in　their　gaze。



〃Yuh　hear　me？〃　Poor　old　Applehead　had　never　before　attempted　to　browbeat　a

woman；　and　her　unsubmissive　silence　seemed　to　his　bachelor　mind　uncanny。



〃I　hear　what　Wagalexa　Conka　tell　me。〃　She　turned　her　horse　and　rode　composedly

away　from　him　over　the　ridge。



〃You'll　hear　a　danged　sight　more'n　that；　now　I'm　tellin'　yuh！〃　raved　Applehead

impotently。　〃I　ain't　sayin'　nothin'　agin　Luck；　but　they's　goin'　to　be　some

danged　plain　speakin'　done　on　some　subjects　when　he　comes　back；　and　given'

squaws　a　free　rein　and　lettin'　'em　ride　rough…shod　over　everybody　and

everything　is　one　of　'era。　Things　is　gittin'　mighty　funny　when　a　danged　squaw

kin　straddle　my　horses　and　ride　'em　to　death；　and　sass　me　when　I　say　a　word

agin　itnow　I'm　tellin'　yuh！〃



He　went　mumbling　rebellion　that　was　merely　the　effervescing　of　a　mood　which

would　pass　with　the　words　it　bred；　to　the　store…room　which　Annie…Many…Ponies

had　called　the　prop…room。　He　found　there；　piled　upon　a　crude　shelf；　many

little　bundles　of　wire　folded　neatly　and　with　the　outer　end　wound　twice　around

to　keep　each　bundle　separate　from　the　others。　Applehead　snorted　at　what　he

chose　to　consider　a　finicky　streak　in　his　secret　idol；　Luck　Lindsay；　but　he

took　two　of　the　little　bundles　and　went　and　wired　the　wagon　tongue。　And　in　the

work　he　found　a　salve　of　anticipatory　pleasure；　so　that　he　ended　the　task　to

the　humming　of　the　tune　he　had　heard　a　movie　theatre　playing　in　town　as　he

rode　by　on　his　way　home。　　　　







CHAPTER　II。　THE　DAUGHTER　OF　A　CHIEF



In　spite　of　Andy　Green's　plea　for　delay　until　they　knew　what　Luck　meant　to　do；

Applehead　went　on　with　his　energetic　preparations　for　a　spring　roundup　of　his

own。　Some　perverse　spirit　seemed　to　possess　him　and　drive　him　out　of　his

easy…going　shiftlessness。　He　offered　to　hire　the　Happy　Family　by　the　day；

since　none　of　them　would　promise　any　permanent　service　until　they　heard　from

Luck。　He　put　them　to　work　gathering　up　the　saddle…horses　that　had　been　turned

loose　when　Luck's　picture　was　finished；　and　repairing　harness　and　attending　to

the　numberless　details　of　reorganizing　a　ranch　long　left　to　slipshod

make…shifts。



The　boys　of　the　Flying　U　argued　while　they　worked；　but　in　spite　of　themselves

the　lure　of　the　mesa　quickened　their　movements。　They　were　supposed　to　wait　for

Luck　before　they　did　anything；　an　they　all　knew　that。　But；　on　the　other　hand；

Luck　was　supposed　to　keep　them　informed　as　to　his　movements；　which　he　had　not

done。　They　did　not　voice　one　single　doubt　of　Lucks　loyalty　to　them；　but　human

nature　is　more　prone　to　suspicion　than　to　faith；　as　every　one　knows。　And　Luck

had　the　power　and　the　incentive　to　〃double…cross〃　them　if　he　was　the　kind　to

do　such　a　thing。　He　was　manager　for　their　little　free…lance　picture　company

which　did　not　even　have　a　name　to　call　itself　by。　They　had　produced　one　big

feature　film；　and　it　was　supposed　to　be　a　cooperative　affair　from　start　to

finish。　If　Luck　failed　to　make　good；　they　would　all　be　broke　together。　If　Luck

cleared　up　the　few　thousands　that　had　been　their　hope；　whythey　would　all

profit　by　the　success；　if　Luck



I　maintain　that　they　showed　themselves　of　pretty　good　metal；　in　that　not　even

Happy　Tack；　confirmed　pessimist　that　he　was；　ever　put　the　least　suspicion　of

Luck's　honesty　into　words。　They　were　not　the　kind　to　decry　a　comrade　when　his

back　was　turned。　And　they　had　worked　with　Luck　Lindsay　and　had　worked　for　him。

They　had　slept　under　the　same　roof　with　him；　had　shared　his　worries；his　hopes；

and　his　fears。　They　did　not　believe　that　Luck　had　appropriated　the　proceeds　of

The　Phantom　Herd　and　had　deliberately　left　them　there　to　cool　their　heels　and

feel　the　emptiness　of　their　pockets　in　New　Mexico；　while　he　disported　himself

in　Los　Angeles；　they　didnot　believe　thatthey　would　have　resented　the

implication　that　they　harbored　any　doubt　of　him。　But　for　all　that；　as　the　days

passed　and　he　neither　came　nor　sent　them　any　word；　they　yielded　more　and　more

to　the　determination　of　Applehead　to　start　out　upon　his　own　business；　and　they

said　less　and　less　about　Luck's　probable　plans　for　the　future。



And　then；　just　when　they　were　making　ready　for　an　early　start　the　next

morning；　just　when　Applehead　had　the　corral　full　of　horses　and　his　chuckwagon

of　grub；　just　when　the　Happy　Family　had　packed　their　war…bags　with　absolute

necessities　and　were　justifying　themselves　in　final　arguments　with　Andy　Green；

who　refused　point…blank　to　leave　the；　ranchthen；　at　the　time　a　dramatist

would　have　chosen　for　his　entrance　for　an　effective　〃curtain；〃　here　came　Luck；

smiling　and　driving　a　huge　seven…passenger　machine　crowded　to　the　last　folding

seat　and　with　the　chauffeur　riding　on　the　running　board　where　Luck　had　calmly

banished　him　when　he　skidded　on　a　sharp　turn　and　came　near　upsetting　them。



Applehead；　stowing　a　coil　of　new　rope　in　the　chuck…wagon；　took　off　his　hat　and

rubbed　his　shiny；　pink　pate　in　dismay。　He　was；　for　the　moment；　a　culprit

caught　in　the　act　of　committing　a　grave　misdemeanor　if　not　an　actual　felony。

He　dropped　the　rope　and　went　forward　with　dragging　feetashamed；　for　the

first　time　in　his　life；　to　face　a　friend。



Luck　gave　the　wheel　a　twist；　cut　a　fine　curve　around　the　windmill　and　stopped

before　the　house　with　as　near　a　flourish　as　a　seven…passenger　automobile

loaded　from　tail…lamp　to　windshield　can　possibly　approach。　



〃There。　That's　the　way　I've　been　used　to　seeing　cars　behave；〃　Luck　observed

pointedly　to　the　deposed　chauffeur　as　he　slammed　the　door　open　and　climbed

out。　〃You　don't　have　to　act　like　you're　a　catepillar　on　a　rail　fence；　to　play

safe。　I　believe　in　keeping　all　four　wheels　on　the　groundbut　I　like　to　see

'em　turn　once　in　awhile。　You　get　me？〃　He　peeled　a　five…dollar　banknote　off　a

roll　the　size　of　his　wrist；　handed　it　to　the　impressed　chauffeur　and　dismissed

the　transaction　with　a　wave　of　his　gloved　hand。　〃You're　all　right；　brother；〃

he　tempered　his　criticism；　〃but　I'm　some　nervous　about　automobiles。〃



〃I　noticed　that　myself；〃　drawled　a　soft；　humorous　voice　from　the　rear。　〃This

is　the　nearest　I　ever　came　to　traveling　by　telegraph。〃



Luck　grinned；　waved　his　hand　in　friendly　greeting　to　the　Happy　Family　who　were

taking　long　steps　up　from　the　corral；　and　turned　his　attention　to　the

unloading　of　the　machine。　〃Howdy；　folks！guess　yuh　thought　I'd　plumb　lost　the

trail　back；〃　he　called　to　them　over　his　shoulder　while　he　dove　after

suitcases；　packages　of　various　sizes　and　shapes；　a　box　or　two　which　the　Happy

Family　recognized　as　containing　〃raw　stock；〃　and　a　camera　tripod　that　looked

perfectly　new。



From　the　congested　tonneau　a　tall；　slim　young　woman　managed　to　descend　without

stepping　on　anything　that　could　not　bear　being　stepped　upon。　She　gave　her

skirts　a　little　shake；　pushed　back　a　flying　strand　of　hair　and　turned　her　back

to　the　machine　that　she　might　the　better　inspect　her　immediate　surroundings。



Old　Dave　Wiswell；　the　dried　little　man　who　never　had　much　to　say；　peered　at

her　sharply；　hesitated　and　then　came　forward　with　his　bony　hand　outstretched

and　trembling　with　eagerness。　〃Why；　my　gorry！　If　it　ain't　Jean　Douglas；　my

eyes　are　lyin'　to　me；〃　he　cried。



〃It　isn't　Jean　Douglasbut　don't　blame　your　eyes　for　that；〃　said　the　girl；

taking　his　hand　and　shaking　it　frankly。　〃Jean　Douglas　Avery；　thanks　to　the　law

that　makes　a　girl　trade　her　name　for　a　husband。　You　know　Lite；　of　course

dad；　too。〃



〃Well；　wellmy　gorry　I　I　should　say　I　do！　Howdy；　Aleck？〃　He　shook　the　hand　of

the　old　man　Jean　called　dad；　and　his　lips　trembled　unc