arizona nights-第10节

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some　surprised　at　bein'　gathered　up　again；　but　I　couldn't　help

that。



〃It　looks　like　a　plumb　imposition；　cavallos；〃　says　I　to　them；

〃after　an　all…day；　but　you　sure　don't　want　to　join　that　outfit

any　more　than　I　do　the　angels；　and　if　we　camp　here　we're　likely

to　do　both。〃　



I　didn't　see　them　any　more　after　that　until　I'd　hit　the　Lazy　Y；

and　had　started　in　runnin'　cattle　in　the　Soda　Springs　Valley。　

Larry　Eagen　and　I　rode　together　those　days；　and　that's　how　I　got

to　know　him　pretty　well。　　One　day；　over　in　the　Elm　Flat；　we　ran

smack　on　this　Texas　outfit　again；　headed　north。　　This　time　I　was

on　my　own　range；　and　I　knew　where　I　stood；　so　I　could　show　a

little　more　curiosity　in　the　case。　



〃Well；　you　got　this　far；〃　says　I。



〃Yes；〃　says　they。



〃Where　you　headed？〃



〃Over　towards　the　hills。〃



〃What　to　do？〃



〃Make　a　ranch；　raise　some　truck；　perhaps　buy　a　few　cows。〃　



They　went　on。　



〃Truck〃　says　I　to　Larry；　〃is　fine　prospects　in　this　country。〃　



He　sat　on　his　horse　looking　after　them。　



〃I'm　sorry　for　them〃　says　he。　〃It　must　he　almighty　hard

scratchin'。〃　



Well；　we　rode　the　range　for　upwards　of　two　year。　　In　that　time　we

saw　our　Texas　friendsname　of　Hahntwo　or　three　times　in

Willets；　and　heard　of　them　off　and　on。　　They　bought　an　old　brand

of　Steve　McWilliams　for　seventy…five　dollars；　carryin'　six　or

eight　head　of　cows。　　After　that；　from　time　to　time；　we　heard　of

them　buying　moretwo　or　three　head　from　one　man；　and　two　or

three　from　another。　　They　branded　them　all　with　that　McWilliams

ironT　0so；　pretty　soon；　we　began　to　see　the　cattle　on　the

range。　



Now；　a　good　cattleman　knows　cattle　just　as　well　as　you　know

people；　and　he　can　tell　them　about　as　far　off。　　Horned　critters

look　alike　to　you；　but　even　in　a　country　supportin'　a　good　many

thousand　head；　a　man　used　to　the　business　can　recognise　most

every　individual　as　far　as　he　can　see　him。　　Some　is　better　than

others　at　it。　　I　suppose　you　really　have　to　be　brought　up　to　it。　

So　we　boys　at　the　Lazy　Y　noted　all　the　cattle　with　the　new　T　0；

and　could　estimate　pretty　close　that　the　Hahn　outfit　might　own；

maybe；　thirty…five　head　all　told。　　



That　was　all　very　well；　and　nobody　had　any　kick　comin'。　　Then　one

day　in　the　spring；　we　came　across　our　first　〃sleeper。〃　



What's　a　sleeper？　　A　sleeper　is　a　calf　that　has　been　ear…marked；

but　not　branded。　　Every　owner　has　a　certain　brand；　as　you　know；

and　then　he　crops　and　slits　the　ears　in　a　certain　way；　too。　　In

that　manner　he　don't　have　to　look　at　the　brand；　except　to

corroborate　the　ears；　and；　as　the　critter　generally　sticks　his

ears　up　inquirin'…like　to　anyone　ridin'　up；　it's　easy　to　know　the

brand　without　lookin'　at　it；　merely　from　the　ear…marks。　　Once　in

a　great　while；　when　a　man　comes　across　an　unbranded　calf；　and　it

ain't　handy　to　build　a　fire；　he　just　ear…marks　it　and　let's　the

brandin'　go　till　later。　　But　it　isn't　done　often；　and　our　outfit

had　strict　orders　never　to　make　sleepers。



Well；　one　day　in　the　spring；　as　I　say；　Larry　and　me　was　ridin'；

when　we　came　across　a　Lazy　Y　cow　and　calf。　　The　little　fellow　was

ear…marked　all　right；　so　we　rode　on；　and　never　would　have

discovered　nothin'　if　a　bush　rabbit　hadn't　jumped　and　scared　the

calf　right　across　in　front　of　our　hosses。　　Then　we　couldn't　help

but　see　that　there　wasn't　no　brand。



Of　course　we　roped　him　and　put　the　iron　on　him。　　I　took　the

chance　to　look　at　his　ears；；　and　saw　that　the　marking　had　been

done　quite　recent；　so　when　we　got　in　that　night　I　reported　to

Buck　Johnson　that　one　of　the　punchers　was　gettin'　lazy　and

sleeperin'。　　Naturally　he　went　after　the　man　who　had　done　it；

but　every　puncher　swore　up　and　down；　and　back　and　across；　that

he'd　branded　every　calf　he'd　had　a　rope　on　that　spring。　　We　put

it　down　that　someone　was　lyin'；　and　let　it　go　at　that。　　



And　then；　about　a　week　later；　one　of　the　other　boys　reported　a

Triangle…H　sleeper。　　The　Triangle…H　was　the　Goodrich　brand；　so　we

didn't　have　nothin'　to　do　with　that。　　Some　of　them　might　be

sleeperin'　for　all　we　knew。　　Three　other　cases　of　the　same　kind

we　happened　across　that　same　spring。



So　far；　so　good。　　Sleepers　runnin'　in　such　numbers　was　a　little

astonishin'；　but　nothin'　suspicious。　　Cattle　did　well　that

summer；　and　when　we　come　to　round　up　in　the　fall；　we　cut　out

maybe　a　dozen　of　those　T　0　cattle　that　had　strayed　out　of　that

Hahn　country。　　Of　the　dozen　there　was　five　grown　cows；　and　seven

yearlin's。　　



〃My　Lord；　Jed；〃　says　Buck　to　me；　〃they's　a　heap　of　these

youngsters　comin'　over　our　way。〃　　



But　still；　as　a　young　critter　is　more　apt　to　stray　than　an　old

one　that's　got　his　range　established；　we　didn't　lay　no　great

store　by　that　neither。　　The　Hahns　took　their　bunch；　and　that's

all　there　was　to　it。　　



Next　spring；　though；　we　found　a　few　more　sleepers；　and　one　day　we

came　on　a　cow　that　had　gone　dead　lame。　　That　was　usual；　too；　but

Buck；　who　was　with　me；　had　somethin'　on　his　mind。　　Finally　he

turned　back　and　roped　her；　and　threw　her。　



〃Look　here；　Jed；〃　says　he；　〃what　do　you　make　of　this？〃　　



I　could　see　where　the　hind　legs　below　the　hocks　had　been　burned。



〃Looks　like　somebody　had　roped　her　by　the　hind　feet；〃　says　I。



〃Might　be；〃　says　he；　〃but　her　heels　lame　that　way　makes　it　look

more　like　hobbles。〃



So　we　didn't　say　nothin'　more　about　that　neither；　until　just　by

luck　we　came　on　another　lame　cow。　　We　threw　her；　too。



〃Well；　what　do　you　think　of　this　one？〃　Buck　Johnson　asks　me。



〃The　feet　is　pretty　well　tore　up；〃　says　I；　〃and　down　to　the

quick；　but　I've　seen　them　tore　up　just　as　bad　on　the　rocks　when

they　come　down　out　of　the　mountains。〃



You　sabe　what　that　meant；　don't　you？　　You　see；　a　rustler　will

take　a　cow　and　hobble　her；　or　lame　her　so　she　can't　follow；　and

then　he'll　take　her　calf　a　long　ways　off　and　brand　it　with　his

iron。　　Of　course；　if　we　was　to　see　a　calf　of　one　brand　followin'

of　a　cow　with　another；　it　would　be　just　too　easy　to　guess　what

had　happened。



We　rode　on　mighty　thoughtful。　　There　couldn't　be　much　doubt　that

cattle　rustlers　was　at　work。　　The　sleepers　they　had　ear…marked；

hopin'　that　no　one　would　discover　the　lack　of　a　brand。　　Then；

after　the　calf　was　weaned；　and　quit　followin'　of　his　mother；　the

rustler　would　brand　it　with　his　own　iron；　and　change　its　ear…mark

to　match。　　It　made　a　nice；　easy　way　of　gettin'　together　a　bunch

of　cattle　cheap。



But　it　was　pretty　hard　to　guess　off…hand　who　the　rustlers　might

be。　　There　were　a　lot　of　renegades　down　towards　the　Mexican

line　who　made　a　raid　once　in　a　while；　and　a　few　oilers　＇2＇　livin'

near　had　water　holes　in　the　foothills；　and　any　amount　of　little

cattle　holders；　like　this　T　0　outfit；　and　any　of　them　wouldn't

shy　very　hard　at　a　little　sleeperin'　on　the　side。　　Buck　Johnson

told　us　all　to　watch　out；　and　passed　the　word　quiet　among　the　big

owners　to　try　and　see　whose　cattle　seemed　to　have　too　many　calves

for　the　number　of　cows。



＇2＇　〃Oilers〃GreasersMexicans。





The　Texas　outfit　I'm　tellin'　you　about　had　settled　up　above　in

this　Double　R　canon　where　I　showed　you　those　natural　corrals

this　morning。　　They'd　built　them　a　'dobe；　and　cleared　some　land；

and　planted　a　few　trees；　and　made　an　irrigated　patch　for　alfalfa。

Nobody　never　rode　over　his　way　very　much；　'cause　the　country　was

most　too　rough　for　cattle；　and　our　ranges　lay　farther　to　the

southward。　　Now；　however；　we　began　to　extend　our　ridin'　a　little。



I　was　down　towards　Dos　Cabesas　to　look　over　the　cattle　there；　and

they　used　to　send　Larry　up　into　the　Double　R　country。　　One

evenin'　he　took　me　to　one　side。



〃Look　here；　Jed；〃　says　he；　〃I　know　you　pretty　well；　and　I'm　not

ashamed　to　say　that　I'm　all　new　at　this　cattle　businessin　fact；

I　haven't　been　at　it　more'n　a　year。　　What　should　be　the

proportion　of　cows　to　calves　anyhow？〃



〃There　ought　to　be　about　twice　as　many　cows　as　there're　calves；〃

I　tells　him。



〃Then；　with　only　about　fifty　head　of　grown　cows；　there　ought　not

to　be　an　equal　number　of　yearlin's？〃



〃I　should　say　not；〃　says　I。　　〃What　are　you　drivin'　at？〃



〃Nothin'　yet；〃　says　he。



A　few　days　later　he　tackled　me　again。



〃Jed；〃　says　he；　〃I'm　not　good；　like　you　fellows　are；　at　knowin'

one　cow　from　another；　but　there's　a　calf　down　there　branded　T　0

that　I'd　pretty　near　swear　I　saw　with　an　X　Y　cow　last　month。　　I

wish　you　could　come　down　with　me。〃



We　got　that　fixed　easy　enough；　and　for　the　next　month　rammed

around　through　this　broken　country　lookin'　for　evidence。　　I　saw

enough　to　satisfy　me　to　a　moral　certainty；　but　nothin'　for　a

sheriff；　and；　of　course；　we　couldn't　go　shoot　up　a　peaceful

rancher　on　mere　suspicion。　　Finally；　one　day；　we　run　on　a

four…months'　calf　all　by　himself；　with　the　T　0　iron　onto　hima

mighty　healthy　lookin'　calf；　too。



〃Wonder　where　HIS　mother　is！〃　says　I。



〃Maybe　it's　a　'dogie；'〃　says　Larry　Eagenwe　calls　calves　whose