the flying u ranch-第8章

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

and　fancied　that　they　were　tracing　a　likeness　between　the

garrulity　of　Sybilly　and　the　fluency　of　her　aunt；　the　Countess。

〃You　don't　want　that　train　to　go　off　and　leave　yuh；　by　golly。〃



〃Wonder　who　bought　Denson　out？〃　Cal　Emmett　asked　of　no　one　in

particular；　as　the　children　went　strutting　off　to　the　store　to

spend　the　dollar　which　little　Sary　clutched　so　tightly　it　seemed

as　if　the　goddess　of　liberty　must　surely　have　been　imprinted　upon

her　palm。



When　they　went　inside　and　found　Denson　himself　pompously　〃setting

'em　up　to　the　house；〃　Cal　repeated　the　question　in　a　slightly

different　form　to　the　man　himself。



Denson；　while　he　was　ready　to　impress　the　beholders　with　his

unaccustomed　affluence；　became　noticeably　embarrassed　at　the

inquiry；　and　edged　off　into　vague　generalities。



〃I　jest　nacherlly　had　to　sell　when　I　got　m'　price；〃　he　told　the

Happy　Family　in　a　tone　that　savored　strongly　of　apology。　〃I　like

the　country；　and　I　like　m'　neighbors　fine。　Never'd　ask　for　better

than　the　Flyin'　U　has　been　t'　me。　I　ain't　got　no　kick　comin'

there。　Sorry　to　hear　the　Old　Man's　hurt　back　East。　Mary　was　real

put　out　at　not　bein'　able　to　see　Louise　'fore　she　went　away〃

Louise　being　the　Countess'　and　Mary　Denson's　sister〃but　soon　as

I　sold　I　got　oneasy　like。　The　feller　wanted　p'session　right　away；

too；　so　I　told　Mary　we　might　as　well　start　b'fore　we　git　outa　the

notion。　I　wouldn't　uh　cared　about　sellin'；　maybe；　but　the　kids

needs　to　be　in　school。　They're　growin'　up　in　ign'rance　out　here；

and　Mary's　folks　wants　us　to　come　back　'n'　settle　close　handy

bythey　been　at　us　t'　sell　out　and　move　fer　the　last　five　years；

now；　and　I　told　Mary〃



Even　Cal　forgot；　eventually；　that　he　had　asked　a　question　which

remained　unanswered；　what　interest　he　had　felt　at　first　was

smothered　to　death　beneath　that　blanket　of　words；　and　he　eagerly

followed　the　boys　out　and　over　to　Rusty　Brown's　place；　where

Denson；　because　of　an　old　grudge　against　Rusty；　might　be　trusted

not　to　follow。



〃Mamma！〃　Weary　commented　amusedly；　when　they　were　crossing　the

street；　〃that　Denson　bunch　can　sure　talk　the　fastest　and　longest；

and　say　the　least；　of　any　outfit　I　ever　saw。〃



〃Wonder　who　did　buy　him　out？〃　Jack　Bates　queried。　〃Old

ginger…whiskers　didn't　pass　out　any　facts；　yuh　notice。　He

couldn't　have；got　much；　his　land's　mostly　gravel　and　'doby

patches。　He's　got　a　water　right　on　Flying　U　creek；　you

knowfirst　right；　at　that；　seems　to　meand　a　dandy　fine　spring

in　that　coulee。　Wonder　why　our　outfit　didn't　buy　him　outseeing

he　wanted　to　sell　so　bad？〃



〃This　wantin'　to　sell　is　something　I　never　heard　of　b'fore；〃　Slim

said　slowly。　〃To　hear　him　tell　it；　that　ranch　uh　hisn　was　worth　a

dollar　an　inch；　by　golly。　I　don't　b'lieve　he's　been　wantin'　to

sell　out。　If　he　had；　Mis'　Bixby　woulda　said　something　about　it。

She　don't　know　about　this　here　sellin'　business；　or　she'd　a

said〃



〃Yeah；　you　can　most　generally　bank　on　the　Countess　telling　all

she　knows；〃　Cal　assented　with　some　sarcasm；　at　which　Slim　grunted

and　turned　sulky　afterward。



Denson　and　his　affairs　they　speedily　forgot　for　a　time；　in　the

diversion　which　Rusty　Brown's　familiar　place　afforded　to　young

men　with　unjaded　nerves　and　a　zest　for　the　primitive　pleasures。

Not　until　mid…afternoon　did　it　occur　to　them　that　Flying　U　coulee

was　deserted　by　all　save　old　Patsy；　and　that　there　were　chores　to

be　done；　if　all　the　creatures　of　the　coulee　would　sleep　in

comfort　that　night。　Pink；　therefore；　withdrew　his　challenge　to

the　bunch；　and　laid　his　billiard　cue　down　with　a　sigh　and　the

remark　that　all　he　lacked　was　time；　to　have　the　scalps　of　every

last　one　of　them　hanging　from　his　belt。　Pink　was　figurative　in

his　speech；　you　will　understand；　and　also　a　bit　vainglorious　over

beating　Andy　Green　and　Big　Medicine　twice　in　succession。



It　occurred　to　Weary　then　that　a　word　of　cheer　to　the　Old　Man　and

his　anxious　watchers　might　not　cone　amiss。　Therefore　the　Happy

Family　mounted　and　rode　to　the　depot　to　send　it；　and　on　the　way

wrangled　over　the　wording　of　the　message　after　their　usual

contentious　manner。



〃Better　tell　'em　everything　is　fine；　at　this　end　uh　the　line；〃

Cal　suggested；　and　was　hooted　at　for　a　poet。



〃Just　say；〃　Weary　began；　when　he　was　interrupted　by　the

discordant　clamor　from　a　trainload　of　sheep　that　had　just　pulled

in　and　stopped。　〃'Maa…aa；　Ma…a…aaa；'　darn　yuh；〃　he　shouted

derisively；　at　the　peering；　plaintive　faces；　glimpsed　between　the

close…set　bars。　〃Mamma；　how　I　do　love　sheep！〃　Whereupon　he　put

spurs　to　his　horse　and　galloped　down　to　the　station　to　rid　his

ears　of　the　turbulent　wave　of　protest　from　the　cars。



Naturally　it　required　some　time　to　compose　the　telegram　in　a

style　satisfactory　to　all　parties。　Outside；　cars　banged　together；

an　engine　snorted　stertorously；　and　suffocating　puffs　of　coal

smoke　now　and　then　invaded　the　waiting…room　while　the　Happy

Family　were　sending　that　message　of　cheer　to　Chicago。　If　you　are

curious；　the　final　version　of　their　combined　sentiments　was　not

at　all　spectacular。　It　said　merely：



〃Everything　fine　here。　Take　good　care　of　the　Old　Man。　How's　the

Kid　stacking　up？〃



It　was　signed　simply　〃The　Bunch。〃



〃Mary's　little　lambs　are　here　yet；　I　see；〃　the　Native　Son

remarked　carelessly　when　they　went　out。　〃Enough　lambs　for　all　the

Marys　in　the　country。　How　would　you　like　to　be　Mary？〃



〃Not　for　me；〃　Irish　declared；　and　turned　his　face　away　from　the

stench　of　them。



Others　there　were　who　rode　the　length　of　the　train　with　faces

averted　and　looks　of　disdain；　cowmen；　all　of　them；　they　shared

the　range　prejudice；　and　took　no　pains　to　hide　it。



The　wind　blew　strong　from　the　east；　that　day；　it　whistled　through

the　open；　double…decked　cars　packed　with　gray；　woolly　bodies；

whose　voices　were　ever　raised　in　strident　complaint；　and　the

stench　of　them　smote　the　unaccustomed　nostrils　of　the　Happy

Family　and　put　them　to　disgusted　flight　up　the　track　and　across

it　to　where　the　air　was　clean　again。



〃Honest　to　grandma；　I'd　make　the　poorest　kind　of　a　sheepherder；〃

Big　Medicine　bawled　earnestly；　when　they　were　well　away　from　the

noise　and　smell　of　the　detested　animals。　〃If　I　had　to　herd　sheep；

by　cripes；　do　you　know　what　I'd　do？　I'd　haze　'em　into　a　coulee

and　turn　loose　with　a　good　rifle　and　plenty　uh　shells；　and　call

in　the　coyotes　to　git　a　square　meal。　That's　the　way　I'd　herd

sheep。　It's　the　only　way　you　can　shut　'em　up。　They　just　'baa…aa；

baa…aa；　baa…aa'　from　the　time　they're　dropped　till　somebody　kills

'em　off。　Honest；　they　blat　in　their　sleep。　I've　heard　'em。〃



〃When　you　and　the　dogs　were　shooting　off　coyotes？〃　asked　Andy

Green　pointedly；　and　so　precipitated　dissension　which　lasted　for

ten　miles。







CHAPTER　V。　Sheep



Slim　rising　first　from　dinner　on　the　next　day　but　one　opened　the

door　of　the　mess…house；　and　stood　there　idly　picking　his　teeth

before　he　went　about　his　work。　After　a　minute　of　listening　to　the

boys　〃joshing〃　old　Patsy　about　some　gooseberry　pies　he　had　baked

without　sugar；　he　turned　his　face　outward；　threw　up　his　head　like

a　startled　bull；　and　began　to　sniff。



〃Say；　I　smell　sheep；　by　golly！〃　he　announced　in　the　bellowing

tone　which　was　his　conversational　voice；　and　sniffed　again。



〃Oh；　that's　just　a　left…over　in　your　system　from　the　dose　yuh　got

in　town　Sunday；〃　Weary　explained　soothingly。　〃I've　smelled　sheep；

and　tasted　sheep；　and　dreamed　sheep；　ever　since。〃



〃No；　by　golly；　it's　sheep！　It　ain't　no　memory。　II　b'hieve　I

hear　'em；　too；　by　golly。〃　Slim　stepped　out　away　from　the　building

and　faced　suspiciously　down　the　coulee。



〃Slim；　I　never　suspected　you　of　imagination　before；〃　the　Native

Son　drawled；　and　loitered　out　to　where　Slim　stood　still　sniffing。

〃I　wonder　if　you're　catching　it　from　Andy　and　me。　Don't　you　think

you　ought　to　be　vaccinated？〃



〃That　ain't　imagination；〃　Pink