the flying u ranch-第21章

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definite　was　that　I'd　take　off　his　shoes。　Any　jury　in　the

country'd　know　that　would　be　hull　lot　worse　fer　us　than　it　would

fer　him；　by　cripes。　Haw…haw…haw…w…w！〃



〃Say；　that's　right；　yuh　didn't　say　nothin'；　ner　do　nothin'。　By

golly；　that　was　purty　slick　work；　all　right！〃　Slim　forgot　his

sore　leg　until　he　clapped　his　hand　enthusiastically　down　upon　the

place　as　comprehension　of　Bud's　finesse　dawned　upon　him。　He

yelped；　and　the　Happy　Family　laughed　unfeelingly。



〃You　want　to　be　careful　and　don't　try　to　see　through　any　jokes；

Slim；　till　that　leg　uh　yours　gets　well；〃　Irish　bantered；　and　they

laughed　the　louder。



All　this　was　mere　byplay；　a　momentary　swinging　of　their　mood　to

pleasantry；　because　they　were　a　temperamentally　cheerful　lot；　and

laughter　came　to　them　easily；　as　it　always　does　to　youth　and

perfect　mental　and　physical　health。　Their　brief　hilarity　over

Slim's　misfortune　did　not　swerve　them　from　their　purpose；　nor

soften　the　mood　of　them　toward　their　adversaries。　They　were

unsmiling　and　unfriendly　when　they　reached　the　man　from　Wyoming；

and；　if　they　ever　behaved　like　boys　let　out　of　school；　they　did

not　show　it　then。



The　Wyoming　man　was　wiser　than　his　fellow。　He　had　been　given

several　minutes　grace　in　which　to　meditate　upon　the　unwisdom　of

defiance；　and　he　had　seen　the　bug…killer　change　abruptly　from

sullenness　to　terror；　and　afterward　to　abject　obedience。　He　did

not　know　what　they　had　said　to　him；　or　what　they　had　done；　but　he

knew　the　bug…killer　was　a　hard　man　to　stampede。　And　he　was　one

man；　and　they　were　many；　also　he　judged　that；　being　human；　and

this　being　the　third　offense　of　the　Dot　sheep　under　his　care；　it

would　be　extremely　unsafe　to　trust　that　their　indignation　would

vent　itself　in　mere　words。



Therefore；　when　Weary　told　him　to　get　the　stragglers　back　through

the　fence　and　up　on　the　level；　he　stopped　only　long　enough　for　a

good　look　at　their　faces。　After　that　he　called　his　dogs　and

crawled　through　the　fence。



It　really　did　not　require　the　entire　Family　to　force　those　sheep

south　that　morning。　But　Weary's　jaw　was　set；　as　was　his　heart；

upon　a　thorough　cleaning　of　that　particular　bit　of　range；　and；

since　he　did　not　definitely　request　any　man　to　turn　back；　and

every　fellow　there　was　minded　to　see　the　thing　to　a　finish；　they

straggled　out　behind　the　trailing　two　thousandand　never　had　one

bunch　of　sheep　so　efficient　a　convoy。



After　the　first　few　miles　the　way　grew　rough。　Sheep　lagged；　and

the　blatting　increased　to　an　uproar。　Old　ewes　and　yearlings　these

were　mostly；　and　there　were　few　to　suffer　more　than　hunger　and

thirst；　perhaps。　So　Weary　was　merciless；　and　drove　them　forward

without　a　stop　until　the　first　jumble　of　hills　and　deep…worn

gullies　held　them　back　from　easy　traveling。



But　the　Happy　Family　had　not　ridden　those　breaks　for　cattle；　all

these　years；　to　be　hindered　by　rough　going。　Weary；　when　the　band

stopped　and　huddled；　blatting　incessantly　against　a　sheer　wall　of

sandstone　and　gravel；　got　the　herders　together　and　told　them　what

he　wanted。



〃You　take　'em　down　that　slope　till　you　come　to　the　second　little

coulee。　Don't　go　up　the　first　onethat's　a　blind　pocket。　In　the

second　coulee；　up　a　mile　or　so；　there's　a　spring　creek。　You　can

hold　'em　there　on　water　for　half　an　hour。　That's　more　than　any　of

yuh　deserve。　Haze　'em　down　there。〃



The　herders　did　not　know　it；　but　that　second　coulee　was　the　rude

gateway　to　an　intricate　system　of　high　ridges　and　winding

waterways　that　would　later　be　dry　as　a　bleached　bonethe　real

beginning　of　the　bad　lands　which　border　the　Missouri　river　for

long；　terrible　miles。　Down　there；　it　is　possible　for　two　men　to

reach　places　where　they　may　converse　quite　easily　across　a　chasm；

and　yet　be　compelled　to　ride　fifteen　or　twenty　miles；　perhaps；　in

order　to　shake　hands。　Yet；　even　in　that　scrap…heap　of　Nature

there　are　ways　of　passing　deep　into　the　heart　of　the　upheaval。



The　Happy　Family　knew　those　ways　as　they　knew　the　most

complicated　figures　of　the　quadrilles　they　danced　so

lightfootedly　with　the　girls　of　the　Bear　Paw　country。　When　they

forced　the　sheep　and　their　herders　out　of　the　coulee　Weary　had

indicated　he　sent　Irish　and　Pink　ahead　to　point　the　way；　and　he

told　them　to　head　for　the　Wash　Bowl；　which　they　did　with

praiseworthy　zeal　and　scant　pity　for　the　sheep。



When　at　last；　after　a　slow；　heartbreaking　climb　up　a　long；　bare

ridge；　Pink　and　Irish　paused　upon　the　brow　of　a　slope　and　let　the

trail…weary　band　spill　itself　reluctantly　down　the　steep　slope

beyond；　the　sun　stood　high　in　the　blue　above　them　and　their

stomachs　clamored　for　food；　by　which　signs　they　knew　that　it　must

be　near　noon。



When　the　last　sheep　had　passed；　blatting　discordantly；　down　the

bluff；　Weary　halted　the　sweating　herders　for　a　parting

admonition。



〃We　don't　aim　to　deal　you　any　more　misery；　for　a　while；　if　you

stay　where　you're　at。　You're　only　working　for　a　living；　like　the

rest　of　usbut　I　must　say　I　don't　admire　your　trade　none。

Anyway；　I'll　send　some　of　your　bunch　down　here　with　grub　and

beds。　This　is　good　enough　range　for　sheep。　You　keep　away　from　the

Flying　U　and　nobody'll　bother　you。　Over　there　in　them　trees；〃　he

added；　pointing　a　gloved　finger　toward　a　little　grove　on　the　far

side　of　the　basin；　〃you'll　find　a　cabin；　and　water。　And；　farther

down　the　river　there's　pretty　good　grass；　in　the　little　bottoms。

Now；　git。〃



The　herders　looked　as　if　they　would　enjoy　murdering　them　all；　but

they　did　not　say　a　word。　With　their　dogs　at　heel　they　scrambled

down　the　bluff　in　the　wake　of　their　sheep；　and　the　Happy　Family；

rolling　cigarettes　while　they　watched　them　depart；　told　one

another　that　this　settled　that　bunch；　they　wouldn't　bed　down　in

the　Flying　U　door…yard　that　night；　anyway。







CHAPTER　XI。　Weary　Unburdens



Hungry　with　the　sharp；　gnawing　hunger　of　healthy　stomachs

accustomed　to　regular　and　generous　feeding；　tired　with　the

weariness　of　healthy　muscles　pushed　past　their　accustomed　limit

of　action；　and　hot　with　the　unaccustomed　heat　of　a　blazing　day

shunted　unaccountably　into　the　midst　of　soft　spring　weather；　the

Happy　Family　rode　out　of　the　embrace　of　the　last　barren　coulee

and　up　on　the　wide　level　where　the　breeze　swept　gratefully　up

from　the　west；　and　where　every　day　brought　with　it　a　deeper　tinge

of　green　into　its　grassy　carpet。



Only　for　this　harassment　of　the　Dot　sheep；　the　roundup　wagons

would　be　loaded　and　ready　to　rattle　abroad　over　the　land。　Meadow

larks　and　curlews　and　little；　pert…eyed　ground　sparrows　called

out　to　them　that　roundup　time　was　come。　They　passed　a　bunch　of

feeding　Flying　U　cattle；　and　flat…ribbed；　bandy…legged　calves

galloped　in　brief　panic　to　their　mothers　and　from　the　sanctuary

of　grass…filled　paunches　watched　the　riders　with　wide；

inquisitive　eyes。



〃We　ought　to　be　starting　out；　by　now；〃　Weary　observed　a　bit

gloomily　to　Andy　and　Pink；　who　rode　upon　either　side　of　him。　〃The

calf　crop　is　going　to　be　good；　if　this　weather　holds　on　another

two　weeks　or　so。　But〃　he　waved　his　cigarette　disgustedly

〃that　darned　Dot　outfit　would　be　all　over　the　place；　if　we

pulled　out　on　roundup　and　left　'em　the　run　of　things。〃　He　smoked

moodily　for　a　minute。　〃My　religion　has　changed　a　lot　in　the　last

few　days；〃　he　observed　whimsically。　〃My　idea　of　hell　is　a　place

where　there　ain't　anything　but　sheep　and　sheepherders；　and

cowpunchers　have　got　to　spend　thousands　uh　years　right　in　the

middle　of　the　corrals。〃



〃If　that's　the　case；　I'm　going　to　quit　cussing；　and　say　my

prayers　every　night；〃　Andy　Green　asserted　emphatically。



〃What　worries　me；〃　Weary　confided；　obeying　the　impulse　to　talk

over　his　troubles　with　those　who　sympathized；　〃is　how　I'm　going

to　keep　the　work　going　along　like　it　ought　to；　and　at　the　same

time　keep　them　Dot　sheep　outa　the　house。　Dunk's　wise；　all　right。

He　knows　enough　about　the　cow　business　to　know　we　ye　got　to　get

out　on　the　range　pretty　q