the heritage of the sioux-第6节

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gleefully。　〃Mamma！　I　didn't　know　there　was　so　much　money　in　the　world！〃



〃I'll　bet　he　milked　Los　Angeles　dry　of　paper　money；〃　Andy　Green　asserted

facetiously；　thumbing　his　small　fortune　gloatingly。　〃Holding　out　anything　for

yourself；　Luck？　We　don't　want　to　be　hogs。〃



〃I'm　taking　care　of　my　interestsdon't　you　worry　about　that　a　minute；〃　Luck

stated　complacently。　〃I　held　mine　out　first。　That　wipes　the　slateand　cleans

up　the　bank…roll。　I　maintain　The　Phantom　Herd　was　so…o…ome　picture；　boys。

They'll　be　getting　it　here　in　'Querque　soonwe'll　all　go　in　and　see　it。〃



〃Now　we're　all　set　for　a　fresh　start。　And　while　you're　all　here　I'll　just　put

you　up　to　date。　on　what　kind　of　a　deal　I　made　with　Dewitt。　We　come　in　under

the　wing　of　Excelsior；　and　our　brand　name　will　be　Flying　U　Feature　Filmhow

does　that　hit　you？　You　boys　are　all　on　a　straight　board…and…salary

basisthirty　dollars　a　week；　and　it's　up　to　me　to　make　you　earn　it！〃　He

grinned　and　beckoned　to　Jean　Douglas　Avery　and　her　companions　in　the　next

room。　



〃Mrs。　Avery；　here；　is　our　leading　womankeeping　the　name　of　Jean　Douglas；

since　she　made　it　valuable　in　that　Lazy　A　serial　she　did　a　year　or　so　ago。

Lite　is　on　the　same　footing　as　the　rest　of　you　boys。　Her　father　will　be　my

assistant　in　choosing　locations　and　so　on。　Tommy　Johnson；　as　I　said；　is

another　assistant　in　another　capacity；　that　of　scenic　artist　and　stage

carpenter。　Pete　Lowry；　here；　is　camera　man　and　Bill　Holmes　will　be　his

assistant。　The　rest　of　you　work　wherever　I　need　youa　good　deal　the　way　we

did　last　winter。　Annie…Many…Ponies　stays　with　us　as　character　lead　and　is　in

general　stock。　Rosemary〃　he　stopped　and　smiled　at　her　understandingly

〃Rosemary　draws　fifteen　a　weekoh；　don't　get　scared！　I　won't　give　you　any

foreground　stuff！　just　atmosphere　when　I　need　it；　and　general　comforter　and

mascot　of　the　company！〃



Luck　may　have　stretched　a　point　there；　but　if　he　did　it　was　merely　a　technical

one。　Rosemary　Green　was　hopelessly　camera…shy；　but　he　could　use　her　in

background　atmosphere；　and　when　it　came　to　looking　after　the　physical　and

mental　welfare　of　the　bunch　she　was　worth　her　weight　in　any　precious　metal　you

may　choose　to　name。



〃You　better　put　me　down　as　camp　cook　and　dishwasher；　Luck　Lindsay；〃　Rosemary

protested；　blushing。



〃Nothank　the　Lord　you　won't　have　to　cook　for　this　hungry　bunch　any　longer。

I've　got　a　Mexican　hired　and　headed　this　way。　There'll　be　no　more　of　that　kind

of　thing　for　you；　ladynot　while　you're　with　us。



〃Now；　boys；　let's　get　organized　for　action。　Weather's　perfectLowry's　been

raving　over　the　light；　all　the　way　out　from　town。　I've　got　a　range　　picture

all　blocked　outdid　it　while　I　was　waiting　in　Los　for　Jean　to　show　up。　Done

anything　about　roundup　yet；　Applehead？〃



Poor　old　Applehead；　with　his　guilty　conscience　and　his　soft…hearted　affection

for　Luck　so　deeply　stirred　by　the　money　laid　in　his　big…knuckled　hand；

shuffled　his　feet　and　cleared　his　throat　and　did　not　get　one　intelligible　word

past　his　dry　tongue。



〃If　you　haven't；〃　Luck　hurried　on；　spurred　by　his　inpatient　energy；　〃I　want　to

organize　and　get　out　right　away　with　a　regular　roundup　outfitchuck…wagon；

remuda　and　allsee　what　I　mean　I　While　I'm　getting　the　picture　of　the　stuff　I

want；　we　can　gather　and　brand　your　calves。　That　way；　all　my　range　scenes　will

be　of　the　real　thing。　I　may　want　to　throw　the　Chavez　outfit　in　with　ours；　too；

so　as　to　get　bigger　stuff。　I'll　try　and　locate　Ramon　Chavez　and　see　what　I　can

do。　But　anyway；　I　want　the　roundup　outfit　ready　to　start　just　as　soon　as

possibletomorrow；　if　we　could　get　it　together　in　time。　How　about　that

cracked　tongue　on　the　chuck…wagon？　Anybody　fixed　that？〃



〃We…ell；　I　wired　it　up　so'st　it's　as　solid　as　the　rest　uh　the　runnin'　gear；〃

Applehead　confessed　shamefacedly；　rolling　his　eyes　apprehensively　at　the

flushed　faces　of　his　fellow　traitors。



〃Yuh　did？　Good！　Tires　need　setting；　if　I　recollect〃



〃ErI　had　the　boys　set　the　tires；　'n'〃



〃Fine！　I　might　have　known　you　fellows　would　put　things　in　shape　while　I　was

gone！　How　about　the　horses？　I　thought　I　saw　a　bunch　in　the　big　corral〃



〃I　rustled　enough　saddle　horses　to　give　us　all　two　apiece；〃　Applehead

admitted；　perspiring　coldly。　〃'Tain't　much　of　a　string；　but〃



〃You　did？　Sounds　like　you've　been　reading　my　mind；　Applehead。　Now　we'll

grubstake　the　outfit〃



〃Erwell；　I　took　the　chuck…wagon　in　yest'day　and　loaded　'er　up　with　grub　fer

two　weeks；〃　blurted　Applehead　heroically。　〃I　was　figurin'〃



〃Good！　Couldn't　ask　better。　Applehead；　you　sure　are　there　when　it　comes　to

backing　a　man's　play。　If　I　haven't　said　much　about　how　I　stand　toward　you

fellows　it　isn't　because　I　don't　appreciate　every　durned　one　of　you。〃



The　Happy　Family　squirmed　guiltily　and　made　way　for　Applehead；　who　was　sidling

toward　the　open　door；　his　face　showing　alarming　symptoms　of　apoplexy。　Their

confusion　Luck　set　down　to　a　becoming　modesty。　He　went　on　planning　and

perfecting　details。　Standing　as　he　did　on　the　threshold　of　a　career　to　which

his　one　big　success　had　opened　the　door；　he　was　wholly　absorbed　in　making

good。



There　was　nothing　now　to　balk　his　progress；　he　told　himself。　He　had　his

company；　he　had　the　location　for　his　big　range　stuff；　he　bad　all　the　financial

backing　any　reasonable　man　could　want。　He　had　a　salary　that　in　itself　gauged

the　prestige　he　had　gained　among　producers；　and　as　an　added　incentive　to　do

the　biggest　work　of　his　life　he　had　a　contract　giving　him　a　royalty　on　all

prints　of　his　pictures　in　excess　of　a　fixed　number。　Better　than　all　this；　he

had　big　ideals　and　an　enthusiasm　for　the　work　that　knew　no　limitations。



Perhaps　he　was　inclined　to　dream　too　big；　per…haps　he　assumed　too　great　an

enthusiasm　on　the　part　of　those　who　worked　with　himI　don't　know　just　where

he　did　place　the　boundary　line。　I　do　　know　that　he　never　once　suspected　the

Happy　Family　of　any　meditated　truancy　from　the　ranch　and　his　parting

instructions　to　〃sit　tight。〃　I　also　know　that　the　Happy　Family　was　not　at　all

likely　to　volunteer　information　of　their　lapse。　And　as　for　Applehead；　the

money　burned　his　soul　deep　with　remorse；　so　deep　that　he　went　around　with　an

abject　eagerness　to　serve　Luck　that　touched　that　young　man　as　a　rare　example

of　a　bone…deep　loyalty　that　knows　no　deceit。　Which　proves　once　more　how

fortunate　it　is　that　we　cannot　always　see　too　deeply　into　the　thoughts　and

motives　of　our　friends。　







CHAPTER　IV。　LOVE　WORDS　FOR　ANNIE



In　Tijeras　Arroyo　the　moon　made　black　shadows　where　stood　the　tiny　knolls　here

and　there；　　marking　frequently　the　windings　of　dry　washes　where　bushes　grew　in

ragged　patches　and　where　tall　weeds　of　mid…May　tangled　in　the　wind。　The

roundup　tents　of　the　Flying　U　Feature　Film　Company　stood　white　as　new　snow　in

the　moonlight；　though　daylight　showed　them　an　odd；　light…blue　tint　for

photographic　purposes。　On　a　farther　slope　cunningly　placed　by　the　scenic

artist　to　catch　the　full　sunlight　of　midday；　the　camp　of　the　Chavez　brothers

gleamed　softly　in　the　magic　light。



So　far　had　spring　roundup　progressed　that　Luck　was　holding　the　camp　in　Tijeras

Arroyo　for　picture…making　only。　Applehead's　calves　were　branded；　to　the

youngest　pair　of　knock…kneed　twins　which　Happy　Jack　found　curled　up　together

cunningly　hidden　in　a　thicket。　They　had　been　honored　with　a　〃close…up〃　scene；

those　two　spotted　calves；　and　were　destined　to　further　honors　which　they　did

not　suspect　and　could　not　appreciate。



They　slept　now；　as　slept　the　two　camps　upon　the　two　slopes　that　lay

moon…bathed　at　midnight。　Back　where　the　moon　was　making　the　barren　mountains　a

wonderland　of　deep　purple　and　black　and　silvery　gray　and　brown；　a　coyote

yapped　a　falsetto　message　and　was　answered　by　one　nearer　at　handhis　mate；　it

might　be。　In　a　bush　under　the　bank　that　made　of　it　a　black　blot　in　the

unearthly　whiteness　of　the　sand；　a　little　bird　fluttered　un；easily　and　sent　a

small；　inquiring　chirp　into　the　stillness。　From　somewhere　farther　up　the

arroyo　drifted　a　faint；　aromatic　odor　of　cigarette　smoke。



Had　you　been　there　by　the　bush　you　could　not　have　told　when　Annie…Many…Ponies

passed　by；　you　would　not　have　seen　hercertainly　you　could　not　have　heard　the

soft　tread　of　her　slim；　moccasined　feet。　Yet　she　passed　the　bush　and　the　bank

and　went　away　up　the　arroyo；　silent　as　the　shadows　themselves；　swift　as　the

coyote　that　trotted　over　a　nearby　ridge　to　meet　her　mate　nearer　the　mountains。

Sol　following　much　the　same　instinct　in　much　the　same　way；　Annie…Many…Ponies

stole　out　to　meet　the　man　her　heart　timidly　yearned　for　a　possible　mate。



She　reached　the　rock…ledge　where　the　smoke　odor　was　strongest；　and　she

stopped。　She　saw　Ramon　Chavez；　younger　of　the　Chavez　brothers　who　were

ten…mile…off　neighbors　of　Applehead；　and　who　owned　many　cattle　and　much　land

by　right　of　an　old　Spanish　grant。　He　was　standing　in　the　shadow　of　the　ledge；

leaning　against　it　as　they　of　sun…saturated　New　Mexi