the flying u ranch-第7章

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〃Countess　is　going　along；　too；　so　she　can　ride　herd　on　the　Kid；〃

Pink　informed　then。　〃I　heard　the　Little　Doctor　tell　her　to　pack

up；　and　'never　mind　if　she　did　have　sponge　all　set！'　Countess

seemed　to　think　her　bread　was　a　darned　sight　more　important　than

the　Old　Man。　That's　the　way　with　women。　They'll　pass　up〃



〃Well；　by　golly；　I　like　to　see　a　woman　take　some　interest　in　her

own　affairs；〃　Slim　defended。　〃What　they　packin'　up　for；　and　where

they　goin'？〃　Slim　had　just　ridden　up　to　the　group　in　time　to

overhear　Pink's　criticism。



They　told　him　the　news；　and　Slim　swallowed　twice；　said　〃By

golly！〃　quite　huskily；　and　then　rode　slowly　away　with　his　head

bowed。　He　had　worked　for　the　Flying　U　when　it　was　strictly　a

bachelor　outfit；　and　with　the　tenacity　of　slow　minds　he　held　J。

G。　Whitmore；　his　beloved　〃Old　Man；〃　as　but　a　degree　lower　than

that　mysterious　power　which　made　the　sun　to　shineand；　if　the

truth　were　known；　he　had　accepted　him　as　being　quite　as　eternal。

His　loyalty　adjusted　everything　to　the　interests　of　the　Flying　U。

That　the　Old　Man　could　diethe　possibility　stunned　him。



They　were　a　sorry　company　that　gathered　that　night　around　the

long　table　with　its　mottled　oil…cloth　covering　and　benches

polished　to　a　glass…like　smoothness　with　their　own　vigorous

bodies。　They　did　not　talk　much　about　the　Old　Man；　indeed；　they

came　no　nearer　the　subject　than　to　ask　Weary　if　he　were　going　to

drive　the　team　in　to　Dry　Lake。　They　did　not　talk　much　about

anything；　for　that　matter；　even　the　knives　and　forks　seemed　to

share　the　general　depression　of　spirits；　and　failed　to　give　forth

the　cheerful　clatter　which　was　a　daily　accompaniment　of　meals　in

that　room。



Old　Patsy；　he　who　had　cooked　for　J。　G。　Whitmore　when　the　Flying　U

coulee　was　a　wilderness　and　the　brand　yet　unrecorded　and　the

irons　unmadePatsy　lumbered　heavily　about　the　room　and　could　not

find　his　dish…cloth　when　it　was　squeezed　tight　in　one　great；　fat

hand；　and　unthinkingly　started　to　fill　their　coffee　cups　from　the

tea…kettle。



〃Py　cosh；　I　vould　keel　der　fool　vot　made　her　first　von　of　der

automo…beels；　yet！〃　he　exclaimed　unexpectedly；　after　a　long

silence；　and　cast　his　pipe　vindictively　toward　his　bunk　in　one

corner。



The　Happy　Family　looked　around　at　him；　then　understandingly　at

one　another。



〃Same　here；　Patsy；〃　Jack　Bates　agreed。　〃What　they　want　of　the

damned　things　when　the　country's　full　uh　good　horses　gits　me。〃



〃So　some　Yahoo　with　just　sense　enough　to　put　goggles　on　to　cover

up　his　fool　face　can　run　over　folks　he　ain't　good　enough　to　speak

to；　by　cripes！〃　Big　Medicine　glared　aggressively　up　and　down　the

table。



Weary　got　up　suddenly　and　went　out；　and　Slim　followed　him；　though

his　supper　was　half…uneaten。



〃This　goin'　to　be　hard　on　the　Little　Doctoronly　brother　she's

got；〃　they　heard　Happy　Jack　point　out　unnecessarily；　and　Weary；

the　equable；　was　guilty　of　slamming　the　door　so　that　the　whole

building　shook；　by　way　of　demonstrating　his　dislike　of　speech

upon　the　subject。



They　were　a　sorry　company　who　waved　hands　at　the　Little　Doctor

and　the　Kid　and　the　Countess；　just　when　the　afterglow　of　a　red

sunset　was　merging　into　the　vague；　purple　shadows　of　coming　dusk。

They　stood　silent；　for　the　most　part；　and　let　them　go　without　the

usual　facetious　advice　to　〃Be　good　to　yourselves；〃　and　the

hackneyed　admonition　to　Chip　to　keep　out　of　jail　if　he　could。

There　must　have　been　something　very　wistful　in　their　faces；　for

the　Little　Doctor　smiled　bravely　down　upon　then　from　the　buggy

seat；　and　lifted　up　the　Kid　for　a　four…toothed　smile　and　an

ecstatic　〃Bye！〃　accompanied　by　a　vigorous　flopping　of　hands；

which　included　then　all。



〃We'll　telegraph　first　thing；　boys；〃　the　Little　Doctor　called

back；　as　the　rig　chucked　into　the　pebbly　creek　crossing。　〃We'll

keep　you　posted；　and　I'll　write　all　the　particulars　as　soon　as　I

can。　Don't　think　the　worstunless　you　have　to。　I　don't。〃　She

smiled　again；　and　waved　her　hand　hastily　because　of　the　Kid's

contortions；　and；　though　the　smile　had　tears　close　behind　it；

though　her　voice　was　tremulous　in　spite　of　herself；　the　Happy

Family　took　heart　from　her　courage　and　waved　their　hats　gravely；

and　smiled　back　as　best　they　could。



〃There's　a　lot　uh　cake　you　boys　might　just　as　well　eat　up；〃　the

Countess　called　belatedly。　〃It'll　all　dry　out；　if　yuh　don'tand

there　ain't　no　use　wastin'　itand　there's　two　lemon　pies　in　the

brown　cupboard；　and　what　under　the　shinin'　sun〃　The　wheels

bumped　violently　against　a　rock；　and　the　Happy　Family　heard　no

more。







CHAPTER　IV。　Some　Hopes



On　the　third　day　after　the　Happy　Family　decided　that　there　should

be　some　word　from　Chicago；　and；　since　that　day　was　Sunday；　they

rode　in　a　body　to　Dry　Lake　after　it。　They　had　not　discussed　the

impending　tragedy　very　much；　but　they　were　an　exceedingly　Unhappy

Family；　nevertheless；　and；　since　Flying　U　coulee　was　but　a　place

of　gloom；　they　were　not　averse　to　leaving　it　behind　them　for　a

few　hours；　and　riding　where　every　stick　and　stone　did　not　remind

then　of　the　Old　Man。



In　Dry　Lake　was　a　message；　brief　but　heartening：



〃J。　G。　still　alive。　Some　hopes〃。



They　left　the　station　with　lighter　spirits　after　reading　that；

rode　to　the　hotel；　tied　their　horses　to　the　long　hitching　pole

there　and　went　in。　And　right　there　the　Happy　Family　unwittingly

became　cast　for　the　leading　parts　in　one　of　those　dramas　of　the

West　which　never　is　heard　of　outside　the　theater　in　which　grim

circumstance　stages　it　for　a　single　playingunless；　indeed；　the

curtain　rings　down　on　a　tragedy　that　brings　the　actors　before

their　district　judge　for　trial。　And；　as　so　frequently　is　the

case；　the　beginning　was　casual　to　the　point　of　triviality。



Sary；　Ellen；　Marg'reet；　Sybilly　and　Jos'phine　Denson　（spelled　in

accordance　with　parental　pronunciation）　were　swinging　idly　upon

the　hitching　pole；　with　the　self…conscious　sang　froid　of　country

children　come　to　town。　They　backed　away　from　the　Happy　Family's

approach；　grinned　foolishly　in　response　to　their　careless

greeting；　and　tittered　openly　at　the　resplendence　of　the　Native

Son；　who　was　wearing　his　black　Angora　chaps　with　the　three　white

diamonds　down　each　leg；　the　gay　horsehair　hatband；　crimson

neckerchief　and　Mexican　spurs　with　their　immense　rowels　and

ornate　conchos　of　hand…beaten　silver。　Sary；　Ellen；　Marg'reet；

Jos'phine　and　Sybilly　were　also　resplendent；　in　their　way。　Their

carroty　hair　was　tied　with　ribbons　quite　aggressively　new；　their

freckles　shone　with　maternal　scrubbing；　and　there　was　a　hint　of

home…made　〃crochet…lace〃　beneath　each　stiffly　starched　dress。



〃Hello；　kids；〃　Weary　greeted　them　amiably；　with　a　secret　smile

over　the　memory　of　a　time　when　they　had　purloined　the　Little

Doctor's　pills　and　had　made　reluctant　acquaintance　with　a　stomach

pump。　〃Where's　the　circus　going　to　be　at？〃



〃There　ain't　goin'　to　be　no　circus；〃　Sybilly　retorted；　because

she　was　the　forward　one　of　the　family。　〃We're　going　away；　on　the

train。　The　next　one　that　comes　along。　We're　going　to　be　on　it　all

night；　too；　and　we'll　have　to　eat　on　it；　too。〃



〃Well；　by　golly；　you'll　want　something　to　eat；　then！〃　Slim　was

feeling　abstractedly　in　his　pocket　for　a　coin；　for　these　were　the

nieces　of　the　Countess；　and　therefore　claimed　more　than　a　cursory

interest　from　Slim。　〃You　take　this　up　to　the　store　and　see　if　yuh

can't　swop　it　for　something　good　to　eat。〃　Because　Sary　was　the

smallest　of　the　lot　he　pressed　the　dollar　into　her　shrinking；

amazed　palm。



〃Paw's　got　more　money'n　that；〃　Sybilly　announced　proudly。　〃Paw's

got　a　million　dollars。　A　man　bought　our　ranch　and　gave　him　a　lot

of　money。　We're　rich　now。　Maybe　paw'll　buy　us　a　phony…graft。　He

said　maybe　he　would。　And　maw's　goin'　to　have　a　blue　silk　dress

with　green　onto　it。　And〃



〃Better　haze　along　and　buy　that　grub　stake；〃　Slim　interrupted　the

family　gift　for　profuse　speech。　He　had　caught　the　boys　grinning；

an