arizona nights-第13节

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stretched　out；　his　ears　slanted；　his　eyes　snapping　with　joy　of

the　chase；　flew　fairly　〃belly　to　earth。〃　　The　rider　sat　slightly

forward；　with　the　cowboy's　loose　seat。　　A　whirl　of　dust；

strangely　insignificant　against　the　immensity　of　a　desert

morning；　rose　from　the　flying　group。　　Now　they　disappeared　in　a

ravine；　only　to　scramble　out　again　the　next　instant；　pace

undiminished。　　The　rider　merely　rose　slightly　and　threw　up　his

elbows　to　relieve　the　jar　of　the　rough　gully。　　At　first　the

cattle　seemed　to　hold　their；　own；　but　soon　the　horse　began　to

gain。　　In　a　short　time　he　had　come　abreast　of　the　leading　animal。



The　latter　stopped　short　with　a　snort；　dodged　back；　and　set　out

at　right　angles　to　his　former　course。　　From　a　dead　run　the　pony

came　to　a　stand　in　two　fierce　plunges；　doubled　like　a　shot；　and

was　off　on　the　other　tack。　　An　unaccustomed　rider　would　here　have

lost　his　seat。　　The　second　dash　was　short。　　With　a　final　shake　of

the　head；　the　steers　turned　to　the　proper　course　in　the　direction

of　the　ranch。　　The　pony　dropped　unconcernedly　to　the　shuffling

jog　of　habitual　progression。



Far　away　stretched　the　arc　of　our　cordon。　　The　　most　distant

rider　was　a　speck；　and　the　cattle　ahead　of　him　were　like　maggots

endowed　with　a　smooth；　swift　onward　motion。　　As　yet　the　herd　had

not　taken　form；　it　was　still　too　widely　scattered。　　Its　units；　in

the　shape　of　small　bunches；　momently　grew　in　numbers。　　The

distant　plains　were　crawling　and　alive　with　minute　creatures

making　toward　a　common　tiny　centre。

　　　　

Immediately　in　our　front　the　cattle　at　first　behaved　very　well。　

Then　far　down　the　long　gentle　slope　I　saw　a　break　for　the　upper

valley。　　The　manikin　that　represented　Homer　at　once　became　even

smaller　as　it　departed　in　pursuit。　　The　Cattleman　moved　down　to

cover　Homer's　territory　until　he　should　returnand　I　in　turn

edged　farther　to　the　right。　　Then　another　break　from　another

bunch。　　The　Cattleman　rode　at　top　speed　to　head　it。　　Before　long

he　disappeared　in　the　distant　mesquite。　　I　found　myself　in　sole

charge　of　a　front　three　miles　long。



The　nearest　cattle　were　some　distance　ahead；　and　trotting　along

at　a　good　gait。　　As　they　had　not　yet　discovered　the　chance　left

open　by　unforeseen　circumstance；　I　descended　and　took　in　on　my

cinch　while　yet　there　was　time。　　Even　as　I　mounted；　an　impatient

movement　on　the　part　of　experienced　Brown　Jug　told　me　that　the

cattle　had　seen　their　opportunity。

　　　　

I　gathered　the　reins　and　spoke　to　the　horse。　　He　needed　no

further　direction；　but　set　off　at　a　wide　angle；　nicely

calculated；　to　intercept　the　truants。　　　Brown　Jug　was　a　powerful

beast。　　The　spring　of　his　leap　was　as　whalebone。　　The　yellow

earth　began　to　stream　past　like　water。　　Always　the　pace　increased

with　a　growing　thunder　of　hoofs。　　It　seemed　that　nothing　could

turn　us　from　the　straight　line；　nothing　check　the　headlong

momentum　of　our　rush。　　My　eyes　filled　with　tears　from　the　wind　of

our　going。　　Saddle　strings　streamed　behind。　　Brown　Jug's　mane

whipped　my　bridle　band。　　Dimly　I　was　conscious　of　soapweed；

sacatone；　mesquite；　as　we　passed　them。　　They　were　abreast　and

gone　before　I　could　think　of　them　or　how　they　were　to　be　dodged。　

Two　antelope　bounded　away　to　the　left；　birds　rose　hastily　from

the　grasses。　　A　sudden　chirk；　chirk；　chirk；　rose　all　about　me。　

We　were　in　the　very　centre　of　a　prairie…dog　town；　but　before　I

could　formulate　in　my　mind　the　probabilities　of　holes　and　broken

legs；　the　chirk；　chirk；　chirking　had　fallen　astern。　　Brown　Jug

had　skipped　and　dodged　successfully。



We　were　approaching　the　cattle。　　They　ran　stubbornly　and　well；

evidently　unwilling　to　be　turned　until　the　latest　possible

moment。　　A　great　rage　at　their　obstinacy　took　possession　of　us

both。　　A　broad　shallow　wash　crossed　our　way；　but　we　plunged

through　its　rocks　and　boulders　recklessly；　angered　at　even　the

slight　delay　they　necessitated。　　The　hardland　on　the　other　side

we　greeted　with　joy。　　Brown　Jug　extended　himself　with　a　snort。

　　　　

Suddenly　a　jar　seemed　to　shake　my　very　head　loose。　　I　found

myself　staring　over　the　horse's　head　directly　down　into　a

deep　and　precipitous　gully；　the　edge　of　which　was　so　cunningly

concealed　by　the　grasses　as　to　have　remained　invisible　to　my

blurred　vision。　　Brown　Jug；　however；　had　caught　sight　of　it　at

the　　last　instant；　and　had　executed　one　of　the　wonderful　stops

possible　only　to　a　cow…pony。

　　　　

But　already　the　cattle　had　discovered　a　passage　above；　and　were

scrambling　down　and　across。　　Brown　Jug　and　I；　at　more　sober　pace；

slid　off　the　almost　perpendicular　bank；　and　out　the　other　side。

　　　　

A　moment　later　we　had　headed　them。　　They　whirled；　and　without　the

necessity　of　any　suggestion　on　my　part　Brown　Jug　turned　after

them；　and　so　quickly　that　my　stirrup　actually　brushed　the　ground。



After　that　we　were　masters。　　We　chased　the　cattle　far　enough　to

start　them　well　in　the　proper　direction；　and　then　pulled　down　to

a　walk　in　order　to　get　a　breath　of　air。

　　　　

But　now　we　noticed　another　band；　back　on　the　ground　over　which　we

had　just　come；　doubling　through　in　the　direction　of　Mount

Graham。　　A　hard　run　set　them　to　rights。　　We　turned。　　More　had

poured　out　from　the　hills。　　Bands　were　crossing　everywhere；

ahead　and　behind。　　Brown　Jug　and　I　went　to　work。

　　　

Being　an　indivisible　unit；　we　could　chase　only　one　bunch　at　a

time；　and；　while　we　were　after　one；　a　half　dozen　others　would　be

taking　advantage　of　our　preoccupation。　　We　could　not　hold　our

own。　　Each　run　after　an　escaping　bunch　had　to　be　on　a　longer

diagonal。　　Gradually　we　were　forced　back；　and　back；　and　back；　but

still　we　managed　to　hold　the　line　unbroken。　　Never　shall　I　forget

the　dash　and　clatter　of　that　morning。　　Neither　Brown　Jug　nor　I

thought　for　a　moment　of　sparing　horseflesh；　nor　of　picking　a

route。　　We　made　the　shortest　line；　and　paid　little　attention　to

anything　that　stood　in　the　way。　　A　very　fever　of　resistance

possessed　us。　　It　was　like　beating　against　a　head　wind；　or

fighting　fire；　or　combating　in　any　other　of　the　great　forces　of

nature。　　We　were　quite　alone。　　The　Cattleman　and　Homer　had

vanished。　　To　our　left　the　men　were　fully　occupied　in　marshalling

the　compact　brown　herds　that　had　gradually　massedfor　these

antagonists　of　mine　were　merely　outlying　remnants。

　　　

I　suppose　Brown　Jug　must　have　run　nearly　twenty　miles　with　only

one　check。　　Then　we　chased　a　cow　some　distance　and　into　the　dry

bed　of　a　stream；　where　she　whirled　on　us　savagely。　　By　luck　her

horn　hit　only　the　leather　of　my　saddle　skirts；　so　we　left　her；

for　when　a　cow　has　sense　enough　to　〃get　on　the　peck；〃　there　is　no

driving　her　farther。　　We　gained　nothing；　and　had　to　give　ground；

but　we　succeeded　in　holding　a　semblance　of　order；　so　that　the

cattle　did　not　break　and　scatter　far　and　wide。　　The　sun　had　by

now　well　risen；　and　was　beginning　to　shine　hot。　　Brown　Jug　still

ran　gamely　and　displayed　as　much　interest　as　ever；　but　he　was

evidently　tiring。　We　were　both　glad　to　see　Homer's　grey　showing

in　the　fringe　of　mesquite。

　　　

Together　we　soon　succeeded　in　throwing　the　cows　into　the　main

herd。　　And；　strangely　enough；　as　soon　as　they　had　joined　a

compact　band　of　their　fellows；　their　wildness　left　them　and；

convoyed　by　outsiders；　they　set　themselves　to　plodding

energetically　toward　the　home　ranch。

　　　

As　my　horse　was　somewhat　winded；　I　joined　the　〃drag〃　at　the　rear。　

Here　by　course　of　natural　sifting　soon　accumulated　all　the　lazy；

gentle；　and　sickly　cows；　and　the　small　calves。　　The　difficulty

now　was　to　prevent　them　from　lagging　and　dropping　out。　　To　that

end　we　indulged　in　a　great　variety　of　the　picturesque　cow…calls

peculiar　to　the　cowboy。　　One　found　an　old　tin　can　which　by　the

aid　of　a　few　pebbles　he　converted　into　a　very　effective　rattle。

　　　

The　dust　rose　in　clouds　and　eddied　in　the　sun。　　We　slouched

easily　in　our　saddles。　　The　cowboys　compared　notes　as　to　the

brands　they　had　seen。　　Our　ponies　shuffled　along；　resting；　but

always　ready　for　a　dash　in　chase　of　an　occasional　bull　calf　or

yearling　with　independent　ideas　of　its　own。

　　　

Thus　we　passed　over　the　country；　down　the　long　gentle　slope　to

the　〃sink〃　of　the　valley；　whence　another　long　gentle　slope　ran　to

the　base　of　the　other　ranges。　　At　greater　or　lesser　distances　we

caught　the　dust；　and　made　out　dimly　the　masses　of　the　other　herds

collected　by　our　companions；　and　by　the　party　under　Jed　Parker。　

They　went　forward　toward　the　common　centre；　with　a　slow

ruminative　movement；　and　the　dust　they　raised　went　with　them。

　　　

Little　by　little　they　grew　plainer　to　us；　and　the　home　ranch；

hitherto　merely　a　brown　shimmer　in　the　distance；　began　to　take　on

definition　as　the　group　of　buildings；　windmills；and　corrals　we

knew。　　Miniature　horsemen　could　be　seen　galloping　forward　to　the

open　white　plain　where　the　herd　would　be　held。　　Then　the　mesquite

enveloped　us；　and　we　knew　little　more；　save　the　anxiety　lest　we

overlook　lagg