to the last man-第32章
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fine horse。 。 。 。 I didn't want Spades。 I tried to make Isbel take him。
But he rode off。 。 。 。 And that's all there is to that。〃
〃Maybe it's not；〃 replied Jorth； chewing his mustache and eying Ellen
with dark； intent gaze。 〃Y'u've met this Isbel twice。〃
〃It wasn't any fault of mine；〃 retorted Ellen。
〃I heah he's sweet on y'u。 How aboot that？〃
Ellen smarted under the blaze of blood that swept to neck and cheek
and temple。 But it was only memory which fired this shame。 What her
father and his crowd might think were matters of supreme indifference。
Yet she met his suspicious gaze with truthful blazing eyes。
〃I heah talk from Bruce an' Lorenzo；〃 went on her father。 〃An' Daggs heah〃
〃Daggs nothin'！〃 interrupted that worthy。 〃Don't fetch me in。 I said
nothin' an' I think nothin'。〃
〃Yes； Jean Isbel was sweet on me； dad 。 。 。 but he will never be again；〃
returned Ellen； in low tones。 With that she pulled her saddle off
Spades and； throwing it over her shoulder； she walked off to her cabin。
Hardly had she gotten indoors when her father entered。
〃Ellen； I didn't know that horse belonged to Isbel；〃 he began； in the
swift； hoarse； persuasive voice so familiar to Ellen。 〃I swear I didn't。
I bought himtraded with Slater for him。 。 。 。 Honest to God； I never
had any idea he was stolen！ 。 。 。 Why； when y'u said 'that horse y'u
stole；' I felt as if y'u'd knifed me。 。 。 。〃
Ellen sat at the table and listened while her father paced to and fro
and； by his restless action and passionate speech； worked himself into
a frenzy。 He talked incessantly； as if her silence was condemnatory
and as if eloquence alone could convince her of his honesty。 It
seemed that Ellen saw and heard with keener faculties than ever before。
He had a terrible thirst for her respect。 Not so much for her love；
she divined； but that she would not see how he had fallen！
She pitied him with all her heart。 She was all he had； as he was all
the world to her。 And so； as she gave ear to his long； illogical
rigmarole of argument and defense； she slowly found that her pity
and her love were making vital decisions for her。 As of old； in
poignant moments； her father lapsed at last into a denunciation of
the Isbels and what they had brought him to。 His sufferings were real；
at least； in Ellen's presence。 She was the only link that bound him
to long…past happier times。 She was her mother over againthe woman
who had betrayed another man for him and gone with him to her ruin
and death。
〃Dad； don't go on so；〃 said Ellen； breaking in upon her father's rant。
〃I will be true to y'uas my mother was。 。 。 。 I am a Jorth。 Your
place is my placeyour fight is my fight。 。 。 。 Never speak of the
past to me again。 If God spares us through this feud we will go away
and begin all over again； far off where no one ever heard of a Jorth。
。 。 。 If we're not spared we'll at least have had our whack at these
damned Isbels。〃
CHAPTER VII
During June Jean Isbel did not ride far away from Grass Valley。
Another attempt had been made upon Gaston Isbel's life。 Another
cowardly shot had been fired from ambush； this time from a pine
thicket bordering the trail that led to Blaisdell's ranch。 Blaisdell
heard this shot； so near his home was it fired。 No trace of the hidden
foe could be found。 The 'ground all around that vicinity bore a carpet
of pine needles which showed no trace of footprints。 The supposition
was that this cowardly attempt had been perpetrated； or certainly
instigated； by the Jorths。 But there was no proof。 And Gaston Isbel
had other enemies in the Tonto Basin besides the sheep clan。 The old
man raged like a lion about this sneaking attack on him。 And his friend
Blaisdell urged an immediate gathering of their kin and friends。 〃Let's
quit ranchin' till this trouble's settled；〃 he declared。 〃Let's arm an'
ride the trails an' meet these men half…way。 。 。 。 It won't help our
side any to wait till you're shot in the back。〃 More than one of
Isbel's supporters offered the same advice。
〃No； we'll wait till we know for shore；〃 was the stubborn cattleman's
reply to all these promptings。
〃Know！ Wal； hell！ Didn't Jean find the black hoss up at Jorth's ranch？〃
demanded Blaisdell。 〃What more do we want？〃
〃Jean couldn't swear Jorth stole the black。〃
〃Wal； by thunder； I can swear to it！〃 growled Blaisdell。 〃An' we're
losin' cattle all the time。 Who's stealin' 'em？〃
〃We've always lost cattle ever since we started ranchin' heah。〃
〃Gas； I reckon yu want Jorth to start this fight in the open。〃
〃It'll start soon enough；〃 was Isbel's gloomy reply。
Jean had not failed altogether in his tracking of lost or stolen cattle。
Circumstances had been against him； and there was something baffling
about this rustling。 The summer storms set in early； and it had been
his luck to have heavy rains wash out fresh tracks that he might have
followed。 The range was large and cattle were everywhere。 Sometimes
a loss was not discovered for weeks。 Gaston Isbel's sons were now the
only men left to ride the range。 Two of his riders had quit because of
the threatened war； and Isbel had let another go。 So that Jean did not
often learn that cattle had been stolen until their tracks were old。
Added to that was the fact that this Grass Valley country was covered
with horse tracks and cattle tracks。 The rustlers； whoever they were；
had long been at the game； and now that there was reason for them to
show their cunning they did it。
Early in July the hot weather came。 Down on the red ridges of the
Tonto it was hot desert。 The nights were cool； the early mornings
were pleasant； but the day was something to endure。 When the white
cumulus clouds rolled up out of the southwest； growing larger and
thicker and darker； here and there coalescing into a black thundercloud；
Jean welcomed them。 He liked to see the gray streamers of rain hanging
down from a canopy of black； and the roar of rain on the trees as it
approached like a trampling army was always welcome。 The grassy flats；
the red ridges； the rocky slopes； the thickets of manzanita and scrub
oak and cactus were dusty； glaring； throat…parching places under the
hot summer sun。 Jean longed for the cool heights of the Rim； the shady
pines； the dark sweet verdure under the silver spruces； the tinkle and
murmur of the clear rills。 He often had another longing； too； which
he bitterly stifled。
Jean's ally； the keen…nosed shepherd clog； had disappeared one day；
and had never returned。 Among men at the ranch there was a difference
of opinion as to what had happened to Shepp。 The old rancher thought
he had been poisoned or shot； Bill and Guy Isbel believed he had been
stolen by sheep herders； who were always stealing dogs； and Jean
inclined to the conviction that Shepp had gone off with the timber
wolves。 The fact was that Shepp did not return； and Jean missed him。
One morning at dawn Jean heard the cattle bellowing and trampling out
in the valley； and upon hurrying to a vantage point he was amazed to
see upward of five hundred steers chasing a lone wolf。 Jean's father
had seen such a spectacle as this； but it was a new one for Jean。 The
wolf was a big gray and black fellow； rangy and powerful； and until he
got the steers all behind him he was rather hard put to it to keep out
of their way。 Probably he had dogged the herd； trying to sneak in
and pull down a yearling； and finally the steers had charged him。
Jean kept along the edge of the valley in the hope they would chase
him within range of a rifle。 But the wary wolf saw Jean and sheered
off； gradually drawing away from his pursuers。
Jean returned to the house for his breakfast； and then set off across
the valley。 His father owned one small flock of sheep that had not
yet been driven up on the Rim； where all the sheep in the country
were run during the hot； dry summer down on the Tonto。 Young Evarts
and a Mexican boy named Bernardino had charge of this flock。 The
regular Mexican herder； a man of experience； had given up his job；
and these boys were not equal to the task of risking the sheep up
in the enemies' stronghold。
This floc
