the flying u ranch-第14章

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at　this　bunch。〃



〃I'll　do　it；〃　said　Weary；　and　rose　pacifically。　〃I　kinda　believe

you　myself；　Andy。　But　you　can't　blame　the　boys　none；　you've

fooled　'em　till　they're　dead　shy　of　anything　they　can't　see

through。　And；　besides；　it　sure　does　look　like　a　plant。　I'd　back

you　single…handed　against　a　dozen　sheepherders　like　then　two

we've　been　chasing　around。　If　I　hadn't　felt　that　way　I　wouldn't

have　sent　yuh　out　alone　with　'em。〃



〃Well；　Andy　needn't　think　he's　goin'　to　stick　me　on　that　there

story；〃　Slim　declared　with　brutal　emphasis。　〃I've　swallered　too

many　baits；　by　golly。　He's　figurin'　on　gettin'　us　all　out　on　the

war…path；　runnin'　around　in　circles；　so's't　he　can　give　us　the

laugh。　I'll　bet；　by　golly；　he　paid　then　herders　to　tie　him　up

like　that。　He　can't　fool　me！〃



〃Say；　Slim；　I　do　believe　your　brains　is　commencin'　to　sprout！〃

Big　Medicine　thumped　him　painfully　upon　the　back　by　way　of

accenting　the　compliment。　〃You　got　the　idee；　all　right。〃



Andy　stood　quiet　while　Weary　unwound　the　rope；　lifted　his　numbed

arms　with　some　difficulty；　and　displayed　to　the　doubters　his

rope…creased　wrists；　and　purple；　swollen　hands。



〃I　couldn't　fight　a　caterpiller　right　now；〃　he　said　thickly。

〃Look　at　them　hands！　Do　yuh　call　that　a　josh？　I've　been　tied　up

like　a　bed…roll　for　five　hours；　you〃　Well；　never　mind；　he

merely　repeated　a　part　of　what　he　had　recited　aloud　in　Antelope

coulee；　the　only　difference　being　that　he　applied　the　vitriolic

utterances　to　the　Happy　Family　instead　of　to　sheepherders；　and

that　with　the　second　recitation　he　gained　much　in　fluency　and

dramatic　delivery。



It　is　not　nice　for　a　man　to　swear；　to　swear　the　way　Andy　did；　at

any　rate。　But　the　result　perhaps　atoned　in　a　measure　for　the

wickedness；　in　that　the　Happy　Family　were　absolutely　convinced　of

his　sincerity；　and　the　feelings　of　Andy　greatly　relieved；　so

that；　when　he　had　for　the　third　time　that　day　completely

exhausted　his　vocabulary；　he　sat　down　and　began　to　eat　his　dinner

with　a　keen　appetite。



〃I　don't　suppose　you　know　where　your　horse　is　at；　by　this　tine；〃

Weary　observed；　as　casually　as　possible；　breaking　a　somewhat

constrained　silence。



〃I　don'tand　I　don't　give　a　darn；〃　Andy　snapped　back。　He　ate　a

few　mouthfuls；　and　added　less　savagely：　〃He　wasn't　in　sight；　as　I

came　along。　I　didn't　follow　the　trail；　I　struck　straight　across

and　came　down　the　coulee。　He　may　be　at　the　gate；　and　he　may　be

down　toward　Rogers'。〃



Pink　reached　for　a　toothpick；　eyeing　Andy　side…long；　dimpled　his

cheeks　disarmingly；　and　cleared　his　throat。　〃Please　don't　kill　me

off　when　you　get　that　pie　swallowed；〃　he　began　pacifically。

〃Strange　as　it　may　seem；　I　believe　you；　Andy。　What　I　want　to　know

is　this：　Who　owns　them　Dots？　And　what　are　they　chasing　all　over

the　Flying　U　range　for？　It　looks　plumb　malicious；　to　me。　Did　you

find　out　anything　about　'en；　Andy；　while　youerwhile　they〃

His　eyes　twinkled　and　betrayed　him　for　an　arrant　pretender。　（Pink

was　not　afraid　of　anything　on　earthleast　of　all　Andy　Green。）



〃I　will　kill　yuh　by　inches；　if　I　hear　any　remarks　out　of　yuh　that

ain't　respectful；〃　Andy　promised；　thawing　to　his　normal　tone；

which　was　pleasant　to　the　ear。　〃I　didn't　find　out　much　about　'em。

The　fellow　I　licked　told　me　that　Whittaker　and　Oleson　owned　the

sheep。　He　didn't　say〃



〃Wellbygolly！〃　Shin　thrust　his　head　forward　belligerently。

〃Whittaker！　Well；　what　d'yuh　think　uh　that！〃　He　glared　from　one

face　to　the　other；　his　gaze　at　last　resting　upon　Weary。　〃Say；　do

yuh　reckon　it'sDunk？〃



Weary　paid　no　heed　to　Slim。　He　leaned　forward；　his　face　turned　to

Andy　with　that　concentration　of　attention　which　means　so　much

more　than　mere　exclamation。　〃You're　sure　he　said　Whittaker？〃　he

asked。



His　tone　and　his　attitude　arrested　Andy's　cup　midway　to　his

mouth。　〃SureWhittaker　and　Oleson。　I　never　heard　of　the

outfitwho's　this　Whittaker　person？〃



Weary　settled　back　in　his　place　and　smiled；　but　his　eyes　had

quite　lost　their　habitually　sunny　expression。



〃Up　until　four　years　ago；〃　he　explained　evenly；　〃he　was　the　Old

Man's　partner。　We　caught　him　in　some　mighty　dirty　work；

andwell；　he　sold　out　to　the　Old　Man。　The　old　party　with　the

hoofs　and　tail　can't　be　everywhere　at　once；　the　way　I've　got　it

sized　up；　so　he　turns　some　of　his　business　over　to　other　folks。

Dunk　Whittaker's　his　top　hand。〃



〃Why；　by　golly；　he　framed　up　a　job　on　the　Gordon　boys；　and

railroaded　'em　to　the　pen；　just〃



〃Oh；　that's　the　gazabo！〃　Andy's　eyes　shone　with　enlightenment。

〃I've　heard　a　lot　about　Dunk；　but　I　didn't　know　his　last　name〃



〃Say！　I'll　bet　they're　the　outfit　that　bought　out　Denson。　That's

why　old　Denson　acted　so　queer；　maybe。　Selling　to　a　sheep　outfit

would　make　the　old　devil　feel　kinda　uneasy；　talking　to　us〃

Pink's　eyes　were　big　and　purple　with　excitement。　〃And　that

train…load　of　sheep　we　saw　Sunday；　I'll　bet　is　the　same　identical

outfit。〃



〃Dunk　Whittaker'd　better　not　try　to　monkey　with　me；　by　golly！〃

Slim's　face　was　lowering。　〃And　he'd　better　not　monkey　with　the

Flying　U　either。　I'd　pump　him　so　full　uh　holes　he'd　look　like　a

colander；　by　golly！〃



Weary　got　up　and　started　to　the　door；　his　face　suddenly　grown

careworn。　〃Slim；　you　and　Miguel　better　go　and　hunt　up　Andy's

horse；〃　he　said　with　a　hint　of　abstraction　in　his　tone；　as　though

his　mind　was　busy　with　more　important　things。　〃Maybe　Andy'll　feel

able　to　help　you　set　those　posts；　Budand　you'd　better　go　along

the　upper　end　of　the　little　pasture　with　the　wire　stretchers　and

tighten　her　up；　the　top　wire　is　pretty　loose；　I　noticed　this

morning。〃　His　fingers　fumbled　with　the　door…knob。



〃Want　me　to　do　anything？〃　Pink　asked　quizzically　just　behind　him。

〃I　thought　sure　we'd　go　and　remonstrate　with　then　gay〃



Weary　interrupted　him。　〃The　herders　can　waitand；　anyway；　I've

kinda　got　an　idea　Andy　wants　to　hand　out　his　own　brand　of　poison

to　that　bunch。　You　and　I　will　take　a　ride　over　to　Denson's　and

see　what's　going　on　over　there。　Mamma！〃　he　added　fervently；　under

his　breath；　〃I　sure　do　wish　Chip　and　the　Old　Man　were　here！〃







CHAPTER　VIII。　The　Dot　Outfit



Before　he　laid　him　down　to　sleep；　that　night；　Weary　had　repeated

to　himself　many　times　and　fervently　that　wish　for　old　J。　G。

Whitmore　and　the　stout　staff　upon　which　he　was　beginning　more　and

more　to　lean；　his　brother…in…law；　Chip　Bennett。　As　matters　stood；

Weary　could　not　even　bring　himself　to　let　then　know　anything

about　his　troubleand　that　the　thing　was　beginning　to　assume　the

form　and　shape　and　general　malevolent　attributes　of　Trouble；

Weary　was　forced　to　admit　to　himself。



Just　at　present　an　unthinking；　unobserving　person　might　pass　over

this　sheep　outfit　as　a　mere　unsavory　incident；　but　Weary　was

neither　unobserving　nor　unthinkingnor；　for　the　matter　of　that；

were　the　rest　of　the　Happy　Family。　It　needed　no　Happy　Jack；　with

his　foreboding　nature；　to　point　out　the　unpleasant　possibilities

that　night　when　the　committee　of　two　made　their　informal　report

at　the　supper　table。



They　had　ridden　to　Denson　coulee；　which　was　in　reality　a

meandering　branch　of　Flying　U　coulee　itself。　To　reach　it　one　rode

out　of　Flying　U　coulee　and　over　a　wide　hill；　and　down　again　to

Denson's。　But　the　creekFlying　U　creekfollowed　the　devious

turnings　from　Denson　coulee　down　to　the　Flying　U。　A　long　mile　of

Flying　U　coulee　J。　G。　Whitmore　owned　outright。　Another　mile　he

held　under　no　other　title　save　a　fence。　The　creek　flowed　through

it　allbut　that　creek　had　its　source　somewhere　up　near　the　head

of　Denson　coulee。　J。　G。　Whitmore　had；　to　his　regret；　been　unable

to　claim　the　whole　earthor　at　least　that　portion　of　itfor　his

own；　so；　when　he　was　constrained　to　make　a　choice；　he　settled

himself　in　the　wider；　more　fertile　coulee；　which　he　thereafter

called　the　Flying　U。　While　it　is　good　policy　to　locate　as　near　as

possible　to　the　source　of　those　erratic　little　creeks　which　water

certain　garden　spots　of　the　nor