the flying u ranch-第13章

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a　good　deal；　and　rolled　back　again；　but　he　did　not　sit　up；　as　he

had　confidently　expected　to　do。



He　lay　absolutely　quiet　for　at　least　five　minutes；　staring　up　at

the　brilliant　blue　arch　above　him。　Then　he　began　to　speak　rapidly

and　earnestly；　a　man　just　close　enough　to　hear　his　voice　sweeping

up　to　a　certain　rhetorical　climax；　pausing　there　and　commencing

again　with　a　rhythmic　fluency　of　intonation；　might　have　thought

that　he　was　repeating　poetry；　indeed；　it　sounded　like　some　of

Milton's　majestic　blank　verse；　but　it　was　not。　Andy　was　engaged

in　a　methodical；　scientific；　reprehensibly　soul…satisfying　period

of　swearing。



A　curlew；　soaring　low；　with　long　beak　outstretched　before　him；

and　long　legs　outstretched　behind　cast　a　beady　eye　upon　him；　and

shrilled　〃Cor…reck！　Cor…reck！〃　in　unregenerate　approbation　of　the

blasphemy。



Andy　stopped　suddenly　and　laughed。　〃Glad　you　agree　with　me；　old

sport；〃　he　addressed　the　bird　whimsically；　with　a　reaction　to　his

normally　cheerful　outlook。　〃Sheepherders　are　all　those　things　I

named　over；　birdie；　and　some　that　I　can't　think　of　at　present。〃



He　tried　again；　this　time　with　a　more　careful　realization　of　his

limitations；　to　assume　an　upright　position；　and　being　a

persevering　young　man；　and　one　with　a　ready　wit；　he　managed　at

length　to　wriggle　himself　back　upon　the　slope　from　which　he　had

slid　in　his　sleep；　and；　by　digging　in　his　heels　and　going

carefully；　he　did　at　last　rise　upon　his　knees；　and　from　there

triumphantly　to　his　feet。



He　had　at　first　believed　that　one　of　the　herders　would；　in　the

course　of　an　hour　or　so；　return　and　untie　him；　when　he　hoped　to

be　able　to　retrieve；　in　a　measure；　his　self…respect；　which　he　had

lost　when　the　first　three　feet　of　his　own　rope　had　encircled　him。

To　be　tied　and　trussed　by　sheepherders！　Andy　gritted　his　teeth

and　started　down　the　coulee。



He　was　hungry；　and　his　lunch　was　tied　to　his　saddle。　He　looked

eagerly　down　the　coulee；　in　the　faint　hope　of　seeing　his　horse

grazing　somewhere　along　its　length；　until　the　numbness　of　his

arms　and　hands　reminded　him　that　forty　lunches；　tied　upon　forty

saddles　at　his　side；　would　be　of　no　use　to　him　in　his　present

position。　His　hands　he　could　not　move　from　his　thighs；　he　could

wiggle　his　fingerswhich　he　did；　to　relieve　as　much　as　possible

that　unpleasant；　prickly　sensation　which　we　call　a　〃going　to

sleep〃　of　the　afflicted　members。　When　it　occurred　to　him　that　he

could　not　do　anything　with　his　horse　if　he　found　it；　he　gave　up

looking　for　it　and　started　for　the　ranch；　walking　awkwardly；

because　of　his　bonds；　the　sun　shining　hotly　upon　his　brown　head；

because　his　hat　had　been　knocked　off　in　the　scuffle；　and　he　could

not　pick　it　up　and　put　it　back　where　it　belonged。



Taking　a　straight　course　across　the　prairie；　he　struck　Flying　U

coulee　at　the　point　where　the　sheep　had　left　it。　On　the　way　there

he　had　crossed　their　trail　where　they　went　through　the　fence

farther　along　the　coulee　than　before；　and　therefore　with　a　better

chance　of　passing　undetected；　especially　since　the　Happy　Family；

believing　that　he　was　forcing　them　steadily　to　the　north；　would

not　be　watching　for　sheep。　The　barbed　wire　barrier　bothered　him

somewhat。　He　was　compelled　to　lie　down　and　roll　under　the　fence；

in　the　most　undignified　manner；　and；　when　he　was　through；　there

was　the　problem　of　getting　upon　his　feet　again。　But　he　managed　it

somehow；　and　went　on　down　the　coulee；　perspiring　with　the　heat

and　a　bitter　realization　of　his　ignominy。　What　the　Happy　Family

would　have　to　say　when　they　saw　him；　even　Andy　Green's　vivid

imagination　declined　to　picture。



He　knew　by　the　sun　that　it　was　full　noon　when　he　came　in　sight　of

the　stable　and　corrals；　and　his　soul　sickened　at　the　thought　of

facing　that　derisive　bunch　of　punchers；　with　their　fiendish　grins

and　their　barbed　tongues。　But　he　was　hungry；　and　his　arms　had

reached　the　limit　of　prickly　sensations　and　were　numb　to　his

shoulders。　He　shook　his　hair　back　from　his　beaded　forehead；　cast

a　wary　glance　at　the　silent　stables；　set　his　jaw；　and　went　on　up

the　hill　to　the　mess…house；　wishing　tardily　that　he　had　waited

until　they　were　off　at　work　again；　when　he　might　intimidate　old

Patsy　into　keeping　quiet　about　his　predicament。



Within　the　mess…house　was　the　clatter　of　knives　and　forks　plied

by　hungry　men；　the　sound　of　desultory　talk　and　a　savory　odor　of

good　things　to　eat。　The　door　was　closed。　Andy　stood　before　it　as

a　guilty…conscienced　child　stands　before　its　teacher；　clicked　his

teeth　together；　and；　since　he　could　not　open　the　door；　lifted　his

right　foot　and　gave　it　a　kick　to　strain　the　hinges。



Within　were　exclamations　of　astonishment；　silence　and　then　a

heavy　tread。　Patsy　opened　the　door；　gasped　and　stood　still；　his

eyes　popping　out　like　a　startled　rabbit。



〃Well；　what's　eating　you？〃　Andy　demanded　querulously；　and　pushed

past　him　into　the　room。



Not　all　of　the　Happy　Family　were　there。　Cal；　Jack　Bates；　Irish

and　Happy　Jack　had　gone　into　the　Bad　Lands　next　to　the　river；　but

there　were　enough　left　to　make　the　soul　of　Andy　quiver

forebodingly；　and　to　send　the　flush　of　extreme　humiliation　to　his

cheeks。



The　Happy　Family　looked　at　him　in　stunned　surprise；　then　they

glanced　at　one　another　in　swift；　wordless　inquiry；　grinned　wisely

and　warily；　and　went　on　with　their　dinner。　At　least　they

pretended　to　go　on　with　their　dinner；　while　Andy　glared　at　them

with　amazed　reproach　in　his　misleadingly　honest　gray　eyes。



〃When　you've　got　plenty　of　time；〃　he　said　at　last　in　a　choked

tone；　〃maybe　one　of　you　obliging　cusses　will　untie　this　damned

rope。〃



〃Why；　sure！〃　Pink　threw　a　leg　over　the　bench　and　got　up　with

cheerful　alacrity。　〃I'll　do　it　now；　if　you　say　so；　I　didn't　know

but　what　that　was　some　new　fad　of　yours；　like〃



〃Fad！〃　Andy　repeated　the　word　like　an　explosion。



〃Well；　by　golly；　Andy　needn't　think　I'm　goin'　to　foller　that

there　style；〃　Slim　stated　solemnly。　〃I　need　m'　rope　for　something

else　than　to　tie　n'　clothes　on　with。〃



〃I　sure　do　hate　to　see　a　man　wear　funny　things　just　to　make

himself　conspicuous；〃　Pink　observed；　while　he　fumbled　at　the

knot；　which　was　intricate。　Andy　jerked　away　from　him　that　he

might　face　him　ragefully。



〃Maybe　this　looks　funny　to　you；〃　he　cried；　husky　with　wrath。　〃But

I　can't　seem　to　see　the　joke；　myself。　I　admit　I　let　then　herders

make　a　monkey　of　me。。。。　They　slipped　up　behind；　going　down　into

Antelope　coulee；　and　slid　down　the　bluff　onto　me；　and；　before　I

could　get　up；　they　got　me　tied；　all　right。　I　licked　one　of　'en

before　that；　and　thought　I　had　'en　gentled　down〃



Andy　stopped　short；　silenced　by　that　unexplainable　sense　which

warns　us　when　our　words　are　received　with　cold　disbelief。



〃Mh…hmI　thought　maybe　you'd　run　up　against　a　hostile

jackrabbit；　or　something；〃　Pink　purred；　and　went　back　to　his

place　on　the　bench。



〃Haw…haw…haw…w…w！〃　came　Big　Medicine's　tardy　bellow。　〃That's　more

reasonable　than　the　sheepherder　story；　by　cripes！〃



Andy　looked　at　them　much　as　he　had　stared　up　at　the　sky　before　he

began　to　swearspeechlessly；　with　a　trembling　of　the　muscles

around　his　mouth。　He　was　quite　white；　considering　how　tanned　he

was；　and　his　forehead　was　shiny；　with　beads　of　perspiration

standing　thickly　upon　it。



〃Weary；　I　wish　you'd　untie　this　rope。　I　can't。〃　He　spoke　still　in

that　peculiar；　husky　tone；　and；　when　the　last　words　were　out；　his

teeth　went　together　with　a　snap。



Weary　glanced　inquiringly　across　at　the　Native　Son；　who　was

regarding　Andy　steadily；　as　one　gazes　upon　a　tangled　rope；

looking　for　the　end　which　will　easiest　lead　to　an　untangling。



Miguel's　brown　eyes　turned　languidly　to　meet　the　look。　〃You'd

better　untie　him；〃　he　advised　in　his　soft　drawl。　〃He　may　not　be

in　the　habit　of　doing　itbut　he's　telling　the　truth。〃



〃Untie　me；　Miguel；〃　begged　Andy；　going　over　to　him；　〃and　let　me

at　this　bunch。〃



〃I'll　do　it；〃　said　Weary；　and