the flying u ranch-第2章

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on　a…w…l…together　too　much　dog　to　really　get　out　and　do

anything。〃



〃Aw；〃　fleered　Happy　Jack；　〃he　ain't　any　Natiff　Son。　He's　a　dago！〃



〃He's　got　the　earmarks　uh　both；〃　Big　Medicine　stated

authoritatively。　〃I　know　'em；　by　cripes；　and　I　know　their　ways。〃

He　jerked　his　thumb　toward　the　dazzling　Miguel。　〃I　can　tell　yuh

the　kinda　cow…puncher　he　is；　I've　saw　'em　workin'　at　it。　Haw…haw…

haw！　They'll　start　out　to　move　ten　or　a　dozen　head　uh　tame　old

cows　from　one　field　to　another；　and　there'll　be　six　or　eight

fellers；　rigged　up　like　this　here　tray…spot；　ridin'　along；

important　as　hell；　drivin'　them　few　cows　down　a　lane；　with　peach

trees　on　both　sides；　by　cripes；　jingling　their　big；　silver　spurs；

all　wearin'　fancy　chaps　to　ride　four　or　five　miles　down　the　road。

Honest　to　grandma；　they　call　that　punchin'　cows！　Oh；　he's　a

Native　Son；　all　right。　I've　saw　lots　of　'em；　only　I　never　saw　one

so　far　away　from　the　Promised　Land　before。　That　there　looks　queer

to　me。　Natiff　Sonsthe　real　ones；　like　himare　as　scarce

outside　Calyforny　as　buffalo　are　right　here　in　this　coulee。〃



〃That's　the　way　they　do　it；　all　right；〃　Irish　agreed。　〃And　then

they'll　have　a　'rodeo'〃



〃Haw…haw…haw！〃　Big　Medicine　interrupted；　and　took　up　the　tale；

which　might　have　been　entitled　〃Some　Cowpunching　I　Have　Seen。〃



〃They　have　them　rodeos　on　a　Sunday；　mostly；　and　they　invite

everybody　to　it；　like　it　was　a　picnic。　And　there'll　be　two　or

three　fellers　to　every　calf；　all　lit　up；　like　Mig…u…ell；　over

there；　in　chaps　and　silver　fixin's；　fussin'　around　on　horseback

in　a　corral；　and　every　feller　trying　to　pile　his　rope　on　the　same

calf；　by　cripes！　They　stretch　'em　out　with　two　ropescalves；

remember！　Little；　weenty　fellers　you　could　pack　under　one　arm！

Yuh　can't　blame　'em　much。　They　never　have　more'n　thirty　or　forty

head　to　brand　at　a　time；　and　they　never　git　more'n　a　taste　uh

real　work。　So　they　make　the　most　uh　what　they　git；　and　go　in

heavy　on　fancy　outfits。　And　this　here　silver…mounted　fellow

thinks　he's　a　real　cowpuncher；　by　cripes！〃



The　Happy　Family　laughed　at　the　idea；　laughed　so　loud　that　Miguel

left　his　lonely　splendor　and　swung　over　to　them；　ostensibly　to

borrow　a　match。



〃What's　the　joke？〃　he　inquired　languidly；　his　chin　thrust　out　and

his　eyes　upon　the　match　blazing　at　the　end　of　his　cigarette。



The　Happy　Family　hesitated　and　glanced　at　one　another。　Then　Cal

spoke　truthfully。



〃You're　it；〃　he　said　bluntly；　with　a　secret　desire　to　test　the

temper　of　this　dark…skinned　son　of　the　West。



Miguel　darted　one　of　his　swift　glances　at　Cal；　blew　out　his　match

and　threw　it　away。



〃Oh；　how　funny。　Ha…ha。〃　His　voice　was　soft　and　absolutely

expressionless；　his　face　blank　of　any　emotion　whatever。　He　merely

spoke　the　words　as　a　machine　might　have　done。



If　he　had　been　one　of　them；　the　Happy　Family　would　have　laughed

at　the　whimsical　humor　of　it。　As　it　was；　they　repressed　the

impulse；　though　Weary　warmed　toward　him　slightly。



〃Don't　you　believe　anything　this　innocent…eyed　gazabo　tells　you；

Mr。　Rapponi；〃　he　warned　amiably。　〃He's　known　to　be　a　liar。〃



〃That's　funny；　too。　Ha…ha　some　more。〃　Miguel　permitted　a　thin

ribbon　of　smoke　to　slide　from　between　his　lips；　and　gazed　off　to

the　crinkled　line　of　hills。



〃Sure；　it　isnow　you　mention　it；〃　Weary　agreed　after　a

perceptible　pause。



〃How　fortunate　that　I　brought　the　humor　to　your　attention；〃

drawled　Miguel；　in　the　same　expressionless　tone；　much　as　if　he

were　reciting　a　text。



〃Virtue　is　its　own　penalty；〃　paraphrased　Pink；　not　stopping　to

see　whether　the　statement　applied　to　the　subject。



〃Haw…haw…haw！〃　roared　Big　Medicine；　quite　as　irrelevantly。



〃He…he…he；〃　supplemented　the　silver…trimmed　one。



Big　Medicine　stopped　laughing　suddenly；　reined　his　horse　close　to

the　other；　and　stared　at　him　challengingly；　with　his　pale；

protruding　eyes；　while　the　Happy　Family　glanced　meaningly　at　one

another。　Big　Medicine　was　quite　as　unsafe　as　he　looked；　at　that

moment；　and　they　wondered　if　the　offender　realized　his　precarious

situation。



Miguel　smoked　with　the　infinite　leisure　which　is　a　fine　art　when

it　is　not　born　of　genuine　abstraction；　and　none　could　decide

whether　he　was　aware　of　the　unfriendly　proximity　of　Big　Medicine。

Weary　was　just　on　the　point　of　saying　something　to　relieve　the

tension；　when　Miguel　blew　the　ash　gently　from　his　cigarette　and

spoke　lazily。



〃Parrots　are　so　common；　out　on　the　Coast；　that　they　use　them　in

cheap　restaurants　for　stew。　I've　often　heard　them　gabbling

together　in　the　kettle。〃



The　statement　was　so　ambiguous　that　the　Happy　Family　glanced　at

him　doubtfully。　Big　Medicine's　stare　became　more　curious　than

hostile；　and　he　permitted　his　horse　to　lag　a　length。　It　is

difficult　to　fight　absolute　passivity。　Then　Slim；　who　ever

tramped　solidly　over　the　flowers　of　sarcasm；　blurted　one　of　his

unexpected　retorts。



〃I　was　just　wonderin'；　by　golly；　where　yuh　learnt　to　talk！〃




Miguel　turned　his　velvet　eyes　sleepily　toward　the　speaker。　〃From

the　boarders　who　ate　those　parrots；　amigo；〃　he　smiled　serenely。



At　this；　Slimonce　justly　accused　by　Irish　of　being　a

〃single…shot〃　when　it　came　to　reparteeturned　purple　and　dumb。

The　Happy　Family；　forswearing　loyalty　in　their　enjoyment　of　his

discomfiture；　grinned　and　left　to　Miguel　the　barren　triumph　of

the　last　word。



He　did　not　gain　in　popularity　as　the　days　passed。　They　tilted

noses　at　his　beautiful　riding　gear；　and　would　have　died　rather

than　speak　of　it　in　his　presence。　They　never　gossiped　with　him　of

horses　or　men　or　the　lands　he　knew。　They　were　ready　to　snub　him

at　a　moment's　noticeand　it　did　not　lessen　their　dislike　of　him

that　he　failed　to　yield　them　an　opportunity。　It　is　to　be　hoped

that　he　found　his　thoughts　sufficient　entertainment；　since　he　was

left　to　them　as　much　as　is　humanly　possible　when　half　a　dozen　men

eat　and　sleep　and　work　together。　It　annoyed　them　exceedingly　that

Miguel　did　not　seem　to　know　that　they　held　him　at　a　distance；

they　objected　to　his　manner　of　smoking　cigarettes　and　staring　off

at　the　skyline　as　if　he　were　alone　and　content　with　his　dreams。

When　he　did　talk　they　listened　with　an　air　of　weary　tolerance。

When　he　did　not　talk　they　ignored　his　presence；　and　when　he　was

absent　they　criticized　him　mercilessly。



They　let　him　ride　unwarned　into　an　adobe　patch　one　dayat　least；

Big　Medicine；　Pink；　Cal　Emmett　and　Irish　did；　for　they　were　with

himand　laughed　surreptitiously　together　while　he　wallowed　there

and　came　out　afoot；　his　horse　floundering　behind　him；　mud　to　the

ears；　both　of　them。



〃Pretty　soft　going；　along　there；　ain't　it？〃　Pink　commiserated

deceitfully。



〃It　is；　kinda；〃　Miguel　responded　evenly；　scraping　the　adobe　off

Banjo　with　a　flat　rock。　And　the　subject　was　closed。



〃Well；　it's　some　relief　to　the　eyes　to　have　the　shine　taken　off

him；　anyway；〃　Pink　observed　a　little　guiltily　afterward。



〃I　betche　he　ain't　goin'　to　forget　that；　though；〃　Happy　Jack

warned　when　he　saw　the　caked　mud　on　Miguel's　Angora　chaps　and

silver　spurs；　and　the　condition　of　his　saddle。　〃Yuh　better　watch

out　and　not　turn　your　backs　on　him　in　the　dark；　none　uh　you　guys。

I　betche　he　packs　a　knife。　Them　kind　always　does。〃



〃Haw…haw…haw！〃　bellowed　Big　Medicine　uproariously。　〃I'd　love　to

see　him　git　out　an'　try　to　use　it；　by　cripes！〃



〃I　wish　Andy　was　here；〃　Pink　sighed。　〃Andy'd　take　the　starch　outa

him；　all　right。〃



〃Wouldn't　he　be　pickings　for　old　Andy；　though？　Gee！〃　Cal　looked

around　at　them；　with　his　wide；　baby…blue　eyes；　and　laughed。

〃Let's　kinda　jolly　him　along；　boys；　till　Andy　gets　back。　It　sure

would　be　great　to　watch　'em。　I'll　bet　he　can　jar　the　eternal　calm

outa　that　Native　Son。　That's　what　grinds　me　worse　than　his

throwin'　on　so　much　dog；　he's　so　blamed　satisfied　with　himself！

You　snub　him；　and　he　looks　at　yuh　as　if　you　was　his　hired　man

and　then　forgets　all　about　yuh。　He　come　outa　that　'doby　like　he'd