arizona nights-第11节

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mighty　healthy　lookin'　calf；　too。



〃Wonder　where　HIS　mother　is！〃　says　I。



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

mothers　have　died　〃dogies。〃



〃No；〃　says　I；　〃I　don't　hardly　think　so。　　A　dogie　is　always　under

size　and　poor；　and　he's　layin'　around　water　holes；　and　he　always

has　a　big；　sway　belly　onto　him。　　No；　this　is　no　dogie；　and；　if

it's　an　honest　calf；　there　sure　ought　to　be　a　T　0　cow　around

somewhere。〃



So　we　separated　to　have　a　good　look。　　Larry　rode　up　on　the　edge

of　a　little　rimrock。　　In　a　minute　I　saw　his　hoss　jump　back；

dodgin'　a　rattlesnake　or　somethin'；　and　then　fall　back　out　of

sight。　　I　jumped　my　hoss　up　there　tur'ble　quick；　and　looked

over；　expectin'　to　see　nothin'　but　mangled　remains。　　It　was　only

about　fifteen　foot　down；　but　I　couldn't　see　bottom　'count　of　some

brush。



〃Are　you　all　right？〃　I　yells。



〃Yes；　yes！〃　cries　Larry；　〃but　for　the　love　of　God；　get　down　here

as

quick　as　you　can。〃



I　hopped　off　my　hoss　and　scrambled　down　somehow。



〃Hurt？〃　says　I；　as　soon　as　I　lit。



〃Not　a　bitlook　here。〃



There　was　a　dead　cow　with　the　Lazy　Y　on　her　flank。



〃And　a　bullet…hole　in　her　forehead；〃　adds　Larry。　　〃And；　look

here；　that　T　0　calf　was　bald…faced；　and　so　was　this　cow。〃



〃Reckon　we　found　our　sleepers；〃　says　I。



So；　there　we　was。　　Larry　had　to　lead　his　cavallo　down　the

barranca　to　the　main　canon。　　I　followed　along　on　the　rim；　waitin'

until　a　place　gave　me　a　chance　to　get　down；　too；　or　Larry　a

chance　to　get　up。　　We　were　talkin'　back　and　forth　when；　all　at

once；　Larry　shouted　again。



〃Big　game　this　time；〃　he　yells。　〃Here's　a　cave　and　a　mountain

lion　squallin'　in　it。〃



I　slid　down　to　him　at　once；　and　we　drew　our　six…shooters　and　went

up　to　the　cave　openin'；　right　under　the　rim…rock。　　There；　sure

enough；　were　fresh　lion　tracks；　and　we　could　hear　a　little　faint

cryin'　like　woman。　　



〃First　chance；〃　claims　Larry；　and　dropped　to　his　hands　and　knees

at　the　entrance。　　



〃Well；　damn　me！〃　he　cries；　and　crawls　in　at　once；　payin'　no

attention　to　me　tellin'　him　to　be　more　cautious。　　In　a　minute　he

backs　out；　carryin'　a　three…year…old　goat。　

　

〃We　seem　to　he　in　for　adventures　to…day；〃　says　he。　　〃Now；　where

do　you　suppose　that　came　from；　and　how　did　it　get　here？〃　



〃Well；〃　says　I；　〃I've　followed　lion　tracks　where　they've　carried

yearlin's　across　their　backs　like　a　fox　does　a　goose。　　They're

tur'ble　strong。〃



〃But　where　did　she　come　from？〃　he　wonders。



〃As　for　that；〃　says　I；　〃don't　you　remember　now　that　T　0　outfit

had　a　yearlin'　kid　when　it　came　into　the　country？〃



〃That's　right；〃　says　he。　〃It's　only　a　mile　down　the　canon。　　I'll

take　it　home。　　They　must　be　most　distracted　about　it。〃



So　I　scratched　up　to　the　top　where　my　pony　was　waitin'。　　It　was　a

tur'ble　hard　climb；　and　I　'most　had　to　have　hooks　on　my　eyebrows

to　get　up　at　all。　　It's　easier　to　slide　down　than　to　climb　back。　

I　dropped　my　gun　out　of　my　holster；　and　she　went　way　to　the

bottom；　but　I　wouldn't　have　gone　back　for　six　guns。　　Larry　picked

it　up　for　me。



So　we　went　along；　me　on　the　rim…rock　and　around　the　barrancas；

and　Larry　in　the　bottom　carryin'　of　the　kid。



By　and　by　we　came　to　the　ranch　house；　stopped　to　wait。　　The

minute　Larry　hove　in　sight　everybody　was　out　to　once；　and　in　two

winks　the　woman　had　that　baby。　　Thy　didn't　see　me　at　all；　but　I

could　hear；　plain　enough；　what　they　said。　　Larry　told　how　he　had

found　her　in　the　cave；　and　all　about　the　lion　tracks；　and　the

woman　cried　and　held　the　kid　close　to　her；　and　thanked　him　about

forty　times。　　Then　when　she'd　wore　the　edge　off　a　little；　she

took　the　kid　inside　to　feed　it　or　somethin'。



〃Well；〃　says　Larry；　still　laughin'；　〃I　must　hit　the　trail。〃



〃You　say　you　found　her　up　the　Double　R？〃　asks　Hahn。　〃Was　it　that

cave　near　the　three　cottonwoods？〃



〃Yes；〃　says　Larry。



〃Where'd　you　get　into　the　canyon？〃　



〃Oh；　my　hoss　slipped　off　into　the　barranca　just　above。〃　



〃The　barranca　just　above；〃　repeats　Hahn；　lookin'　straight　at　him。



Larry　took　one　step　back。　　



〃You　ought　to　be　almighty　glad　I　got　into　the　canyon　at　all；〃

says　he。　　



Hahn　stepped　up；　holdin'　out　his　hand。　　



〃That's　right；〃　says　he。　〃You　done　us　a　good　turn　there。〃　　　



Larry　took　his　hand。　　At　the　same　time　Hahn　pulled　his　gun　and

shot　him　through　the　middle。　　



It　was　all　so　sudden　and　unexpected　that　I　stood　there　paralysed。



Larry　fell　forward　the　way　a　man　mostly　will　when　he's　hit　in　the

stomach；　but　somehow　he　jerked　loose　a　gun　and　got　it　off　twice。　

He　didn't　hit　nothin'；　and　I　reckon　he　was　dead　before　he　hit　the

ground。　　And　there　he　had　my　gun；　and　I　was　about　as　useless　as　a

pocket　in　a　shirt！　　



No；　sir；　you　can　talk　as　much　as　you　please；　but　the　killer　is　a

low…down　ornery　scub；　and　he　don't　hesitate　at　no　treachery　or

ingratitude　to　keep　his　carcass　safe。





Jed　Parker　ceased　talking。　　The　dusk　had　fallen　in　the　little

room；　and　dimly　could　be　seen　the　recumbent　figures　lying　at

ease　on　their　blankets。　　The　ranch　foreman　was　sitting　bolt

upright；　cross…legged。　　A　faint　glow　from　his　pipe　barely

distinguished　his　features。　　



〃What　became　of　the　rustlers？〃　I　asked　him。　　



〃Well；　sir；　that　is　the　queer　part。　　Hahn　himself；　who　had　done

the　killin'；　skipped　out。　　We　got　out　warrants；　of　course；　but

they　never　got　served。　　He　was　a　sort　of　half　outlaw　from　that

time；　and　was　killed　finally　in　the　train　hold…up　of　'97。　　But

the　others　we　tried　for　rustling。　　We　didn't　have　much　of　a　case；

as　the　law　went　then；　and　they'd　have　gone　free　if　the　woman

hadn't　turned　evidence　against　them。　　The　killin'　was　too　much

for　her。　　And；　as　the　precedent　held　good　in　a　lot　of　other

rustlin'　cases；　Larry's　death　was　really　the　beginnin'　of　law　and

order　in　the　cattle　business。〃



We　smoked。　　The　last　light　suddenly　showed　red　against　the　grimy

window。　　Windy　Bill　arose　and　looked　out　the　door。



〃Boys；〃　said　he；　returning。　〃She's　cleared　off。　　We　can　get　back

to　the　ranch　tomorrow。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



CHAPTER　FIVE

THE　DRIVE



A　cry　awakened　me。　　It　was　still　deep　night。　　The　moon　sailed

overhead；　the　stars　shone　unwavering　like　candles；　and　a　chill

breeze　wandered　in　from　the　open　spaces　of　the　desert。　　I　raised

myself　on　my　elbow；　throwing　aside　the　blankets　and　the　canvas

tarpaulin。　　Forty　other　indistinct；　formless　bundles　on　the

ground　all　about　me　were　sluggishly　astir。　　Four　figures　passed

and　repassed　between　me　and　a　red　fire。　　I　knew　them　for　the　two

cooks　and　the　horse　wranglers。　　One　of　the　latter　was　grumbling。

　　　　

〃Didn't　git　in　till　moon…up　last　night；〃　he　growled。　　〃Might　as

well　trade　my　bed　for　a　lantern　and　be　done　with　it。〃

　　　　　

Even　as　I　stretched　my　arms　and　shivered　a　little；　the　two

wranglers　threw　down　their　tin　plates　with　a　clatter；　mounted

horses　and　rode　away　in　the　direction　of　the　thousand　acres　or　so

known　as　the　pasture。



I　pulled　on　my　clothes　hastily；　buckled　in　my　buckskin　shirt；　and

dove　for　the　fire。　　A　dozen　others　were　before　me。　　It　was

bitterly　cold。　　In　the　east　the　sky　had　paled　the　least　bit　in

the　world；　but　the　moon　and　stars　shone　on　bravely　and

undiminished。　　A　band　of　coyotes　was　shrieking　desperate

blasphemies　against　the　new　day；　and　the　stray　herd；　awakening；

was　beginning　to　bawl　and　bellow。　



Two　crater…like　dutch　ovens；　filled　with　pieces　of　fried　beef；

stood　near　the　fire；　two　galvanised　water　buckets；　brimming

with　soda　biscuits；　flanked　them；　two　tremendous　coffee　pots

stood　guard　at　either　end。　　We　picked　us　each　a　tin　cup　and　a　tin

plate　from　the　box　at　the　rear　of　the　chuck　wagon；　helped

ourselves　from　a　dutch　oven；　a　pail；　and　a　coffee　pot；　and

squatted　on　our　heels　as　close　to　the　fire　as　possible。　　Men　who

came　too　late　borrowed　the　shovel；　scooped　up　some　coals；　and　so

started　little　fires　of　their　own　about　which　new　groups　formed。

　　　　　　　

While　we　ate；　the　eastern　sky　lightened。　　The　mountains　under　the

dawn　looked　like　silhouettes　cut　from　slate…coloured　paper；　those

in　the　west　showed　faintly　luminous。　　Objects　about　us　became

dimly　visible。　　We　could　make　out　the　windmill；　and　the　adobe　of

the　ranch　houses；　and　the　corrals。　　The　cowboys　arose　one　by　one；

dropped　their　plates　into　the　dishpan；　and　began　to　hunt　out

their　ropes。　　Everything　was　obscure　and　mysterious　in　the　faint

grey　light。　　I　watched　Windy　Bill　near　his　tarpaulin。　　He　stooped

to　throw　over　the　canvas。　　When　he　bent；　it　was　before　daylight；

when　he　straightened　his　back；　daylight　had　come。　　It　was　just

like　that；　as　though　someone　had　reached　out　his　hand　to　turn　on

the　illumination　of　the　world。

　　　　　

The　eastern　mountains　were　fragile；　the　plain　was　ethereal；　like

a　sea　of　liquid　gases。　　From　the　pasture　we　heard　the　shoutings

of　the　wranglers；　and　made　out　a　cloud　of　dust。　　In　a　moment　the

first