the flying u ranch-第17章

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day；　though；　from　the　course　they　were　taking；　he　was　sure　they

meant　to　cross。



Coupled　with　that　bit　of　ill…tidings；　the　brief　note　from　Chip；

saying　very　little　about　the　Old　Man；　but　implying　a　good　deal　by

its　very　omissions；　would　have　been　enough　to　send　the　Happy

Family　to　sleepless　beds　that　night　if　they　had　been　the　kind　to

endure　with　silent　fortitude　their　troubles。



〃If　you　fellers　would　back　me　up；〃　brooded　Big　Medicine　down　by

the　corral　after　supper；　〃I'd　see　to　it　them　sheep　never　gits

across　the　coulee；　by　cripes！　I'd　send　'em　so　far　the　other　way

they'd　git　plumb　turned　around　and　forgit　they　ever　wanted　to　go

south。〃



〃It's　all　Dunk's　devilishness；〃　Jack　Bates　declared。　〃He　could

take　them　in　the　other　way；　even　if　the　feed　ain't　so　good　along

the　trail。　It's　most　all　prairie…dog　townsbut　that's　good

enough　for　sheep。〃　Jack；　in　his　intense　partisanship；　spoke　as　if

sheep　were　not　entitled　to　decent　grass　at　any　time　or　under　any

circumstances。



〃Them　herders　packin'　guns　looks　to　me　like　they're　goin'　to　make

trouble　if　they　kin；〃　gloomed　Happy　Jack。　〃I　betche　they'll　kill

somebody　before　they're　through。　When　sheepmen　gits　mean〃



Pink　picked　up　his　rope　and　started　for　the　large　corral；　where　a

few　saddle　horses　had　been　driven　in　just　before　supper　and　had

not　yet　been　turned　out。



〃You　fellows　can　stand　around　and　chew　the　rag；　if　you　want　to；〃

he　said　caustically；　〃and　wait　for　Weary　to　make　a　war…talk。　But

I'm　going　to　keep　cases　on　them　Dots；　if　I　have　to　stand　an

all…night　guard　on　'em。　I　don't　blame　Weary；　he's　looking　out　for

the　law…and…order　businessand　that's　all　right。　But　I'm　not　in

charge　of　the　outfit。　I'm　going　to　do　as　I　darn　please；　and；　if

they　don't　like　my　style；　they　can　give　me　my　time。〃



〃Good　for　you；　Little　One！〃　Big　Medicine　hurried　to　overtake　him

so　that　he　might　slap　him　on　the　shoulder　with　his　favorite；

sledge…hammer　method　of　signifying　his　approval　of　a　man's

sentiments。　〃Honest　to　grandma；　I　was　just　b'ginnin'　to　think

this　bunch　was　gitting　all　streaked　up　with　yeller。　'Course；　we

ain't　goin'　to　wait　for　no　official　orders；　by　cripes！　I'd　ruther

lock　Weary　up　in　the　blacksmith　shop　than　let　him　tell　us　to　go

ahead。　Go　awn　and　tell　him　a　good；　stiff　lie；　Andyjust　to　keep

him　interested　while　us　fellers　make　a　gitaway。　He　ain't　in　on

this；　we　don't　want　him　in　on　it。〃



〃What　yuh　goin'　to　do？〃　Happy　Jack　inquired　suspiciously。　〃Yuh

can't　go　and　monkey　with　them　sheep；　er　them　herders。　They　ain't

on　our　land。　And；　if　you　don't　git　killed；　old　Dunk'll　fix　yuh

like　he　fixed　the　Gordon　boysI　know　himto　a　fare…you…well。

It'd　tickle　him　to　death　to　git　something　on　us　fellers。　I　betche

that's　what　he's　aiming　t'do。　Git　us　to　fightin'　his　outfit

so's't〃



〃Oh；　go　off　and　lie　down！〃　Andy　implored　him　contemptuously。

〃We're　going　to　hang　those　herders；　and　drive　the　sheep　all　over

a　cut…back　somewhere；　like　Jesus　done　to　the　hogs；　and　then　we're

going　over　and　murder　old　Dunk；　if　he's　at　home；　and　burn　the

house　to　hide　the　guilty　deed。　And；　if　the　sheriff　comes　snooping

around；　asking　disagreeable　questions；　we'll　all　swear　you　done

it。　So　now　you　know　our　plans；　shut　your　face　and　go　on　to　bed。

And　be　sure；〃　he　added　witheringly；　〃you　pull　the　soogans　over

your　head；　so　you　won't　hear　the　dying　shriek　of　our　victims。

We're　liable　to　get　kinda　excited　and　torture　'em　a　while　before

we　kill　'em。〃



〃Aw；　gwan！〃　gulped　Happy　Jack　mechanically。　〃You　make　me　sick！　If

yuh　think　I'm　goin'　to　swaller　all　that；　you're　away　off！　You

wouldn't　dast　do　nothing　of　the　kind；　and；　if　yuh　did；　you'd　sure

have　a　sweet　time　layin'　it　onto　me！〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　drawled　the　Native　Son；　with　a　slow；

velvet…eyed　glance；　〃any　jury　in　the　country　would　hang　you　on

your　looks；　Happy。　I　knew　a　man　down　in　the　lower　part　of

California；　who　was　arrested；　tried　and　hanged　for　murder。　And

all　the　evidence　there　was　against　him　was　the　fact　that　he　was

seen　within　five　miles　of　the　place　on　the　same　day　the　murder

was　committed；　and　his　face。　They　had　an　expert　physiognomist

there；　and　he　swore　that　the　fellow　had　the　face　of　a　murderer；

the　poor　devil　looked　like　a　criminaland；　though　he　had　one　of

the　best　lawyers　on　the　Coast；　it　was　adios　for　him。〃



〃I　s'pose　you　mean　I　got　the　face　of　a　criminal！〃　sputtered　Happy

Jack。　〃It　ain't　always　the　purty　fellers　that　wins　out　like　you

'n'　Pink。　I　never　seen　the　purty　man　yit　that　was　worth　the

powder　it'd　take　to　blow　him　up！　Aw；　you　fellers　make　me　sick！〃

He　went　off；　muttering　his　opinion　of　them　all；　and　particularly

of　the　Native　Son；　who　smiled　while　he　listened。　〃You　go　awn　and

start　somethingand　you'll　wisht　you　hadn't；〃　they　heard　him

croak　from　the　big　gate；　and　chuckled　over　his　wrath。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　Happy　Family；　as　a　whole；　or　as

individuals；　had　no　intention　of　committing　any　great　violence

that　evening。　Pink　wanted　to　see　just　where　this　new　band　of

sheep　was　spending　the　night；　and　to　find　out；　if　possible；　what

were　the　herders'　intentions。　Since　the　boys　were　all　restless

under　their　worry；　and；　since　there　is　a　contagious　element　in

seeking　a　trouble…zone；　none　save　Happy　Jack；　who　was　〃sore〃　at

them；　and　Weary　stayed　behind　in　the　coulee　with　old　Patsy　while

the　others　rode　away　up　the　grade　and　out　toward　Antelope　coulee

beyond。



They　meant　only　to　reconnoiter；　and　to　warn　the　herders　against

attempting　to　cross　Flying　U　coulee；　though　they　were　not　exactly

sure　that　they　would　be　perfectly　polite；　or　that　they　would

confine　themselves　rigidly　to　the　language　they　were　wont　to

employ　at　dances。　Andy　Green；　in　particular；　seemed　rather　to

look　forward　with　pleasure　to　the　meeting。　Andy；　by　the　way；　had

remained　heartbrokenly　passive　during　that　whole　week；　because

Weary　had　extracted　from　him　a　promise　which　Andy；　mendacious

though　he　had　the　name　of　being；　felt　constrained　to　keep　intact。

Though　of　a　truth　it　irked　him　much　to　think　of　two　sheepherders

walking　abroad　unpunished　for　their　outrage　upon　his　person。



Weary；　as　he　had　made　plain　to　them　all；　wanted　to　avoid　trouble

if　it　were　possible　to　do　so。　And；　though　they　grinned　together

in　secret　over　his　own　affair　with　Dunkwhich　was　not；　in　their

opinion；　exactly　pacificthey　meant　to　respect　his　wishes　as　far

as　human　nature　was　able　to　do　so。　So　that　the　Happy　Family；

galloping　toward　the　red　sunset　and　the　great；　gray　blot　on　the

prairie；　just　where　the　glory　of　the　west　tinged　the　grass　blades

with　red；　were　not　one…half　as　blood…thirsty　as　they　had

proclaimed　themselves　to　be。



While　they　were　yet　afar　off　they　could　see　two　men　walking

slowly　in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　the　huddled　band。　A　hundred

yards　away　was　a　small　tent；　with　a　couple　of　horses　picketed

near　by　and　feeding　placidly。　The　men　turned；　gazed　long　at　their

approach；　and　walked　to　the　tent；　which　they　entered　somewhat

hastily。



〃Look　at　'em　dodge　outa　sight；　will　you！〃　cried　Cal　Emmett；　and

lifted　up　his　voice　in　the　yell　which　sometimes　announced　the

Happy　Family's　arrival　in　Dry　Lake　after　a　long；　thirsty　absence

on　roundup。　Other　voices　joined　in　after　that　first；　shrill

〃Ow…ow…ow…eee！〃　of　Cal's；　so　that　presently　the　whole　lot　of　them

were　emitting　nerve…crimping　yells　and　spurring　their　horses　into

a　thunder　of　hoofbeats；　as　they　bore　down　upon　the　tent。　Between

howls　they　laughed；　picturing　to　themselves　four　terrified

sheepherders　cowering　within　those　frail；　canvas　walls。



〃I'm　a　rambler；　and　a　gambler；　and　far　from　my　ho…o…me；　And　if

yuh　don't　like　me；　jest　leave　me　alo…o…ne！〃　chanted　Big　Medicine

most　horribly；　and　finished　with　a　yell　that　almost　scared

himself　and　set　his　horse　to　plunging　wildly。



〃Come　out　of　there；　you　lop…eared　mutton…chewers；　and　let　us　pick

the　wool　outa　your　teeth！〃　shouted　Andy　Green；　telling　himself

hastily　that　this　was　not　breaki