the outlet-第24章

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attle；　〃by　not　being　there　when　the　discovery　was　made　that　these　'Open　A's'　were　Don　Lovell's　cattle。　Tolleston；　of　course；　made　the　discovery；　but　I　think　he　must　have　smelt　the　rat　in　advance。　Archie　and　the　buyers　arrived　for　a　late　dinner；　and　several　times　Tolleston　ran　his　eye　over　one　of　the　boys　and　asked；　'Haven't　I　met　you　somewhere？'　but　none　of　them　could　recall　the　meeting。　Then　he　got　to　nosing　around　the　wagon　and　noticing　every　horse　about　camp。　The　road…brand　on　the　cattle　threw　him　off　the　scent　just　for　a　second；　but　when　he　began　reading　the　ranch…brands；　he　took　a　new　hold。　As　he　looked　over　the　remuda；　the　scent　seemed　to　get　stronger；　and　when　he　noticed　the　'Circle　Dot'　on　those　work…mules；　he　opened　up　and　bayed　as　if　he　had　treed　something。　And　sure　enough　he　had；　for　you　know；　Tom；　those　calico　lead　mules　belonged　in　his　team　last　year；　and　he　sw&re　he'd　know　them　in　hell；　brand　or　no　brand。　When　Archie　announced　the　outfit；　lock；　stock；　and　barrel；　as　belonging　to　Don　Lovell；　the　old　buyers　turned　pale　as　ghosts；　and　the　fat　one　took　off　his　hat　and　fanned　himself。　That　act　alone　was　worth　the　price　of　admission。　But　when　we　boys　were　appealed　to；　we　were　innocent　and　likewise　ignorant；　claiming　that　we　always　understood　that　the　herd　belonged　to　the　Marshall　estate；　but　then　we　were　just　common　hands　and　not　supposed　to　know　the　facts　in　the　case。　Tolleston　argued　one　way；　and　we　all　pulled　the　other；　so　they　drove　away；　looking　as　if　they　hoped　it　wasn't　true。　But　it　was　the　sight　of　your　life　to　see　that　fat　fellow　fan　himself　as　he　kept　repeating；　'I　thought　you　boys　hurried　too　much　in　buying　these　cattle。'

The　guards　changed　hourly。　No　fire　was　allowed；　but　Parent　set　out　all　the　cold　food　available；　and　supplementing　this　with　canned　goods；　we　had　a　midnight　lunch。　Dorg　Seay　regaled　the　outfit　with　his　recent　experience；　concealing　nothing；　and　regretfully　admitting　that　his　charge　had　escaped　before　the　work　was　finished。　A　programme　was　outlined　for　the　morrow；　the　main　feature　of　which　was　that；　in　case　of　pursuit；　we　would　all　tell　the　same　story。　Dawn　came　between　three　and　four　on　those　June　mornings；　and　with　the　first　streak　of　gray　in　the　east　we　divided　the　outfit　and　mounted　our　horses；　part　riding　to　push　the　cattle　off　their　beds　and　the　others　to　round　in　the　remuda。　Before　the　herd　had　grazed　out　a　half…mile；　we　were　overtaken　by　half　the　outfit　on　fresh　mounts；　who　at　once　took　charge　of　the　herd。　When　the　relieved　men　had　secured　horses；　I　remained　behind　and　assisted　in　harnessing　in　the　team　and　gathering　the　saddle　stock；　a　number　of　which　were　missed　for　lack　of　proper　light。　With　the　wagon　once　started；　Levering　and　myself　soon　had　the　full　remuda　in　hand　and　were　bringing　up　the　rear　in　a　long；　swinging　trot。　Before　the　sun　peeped　over　the　eastern　horizon；　we　passed　the　herd　and　overtook　the　wagon；　which　was　bumping　along　over　the　uneven　prairie。　Ordering　the　cook　to　have　breakfast　awaiting　us　beyond　a　divide　which　crossed　our　front；　I　turned　back　to　the　herd；　now　strung　out　in　regular　trailing　form。　The　halt　ahead　would　put　us　full　fifteen　miles　north　of　our　camp　on　the　Saw　Log。　An　hour　later；　as　we　were　scaling　the　divide；　one　of　the　point…men　sighted　a　posse　in　our　rear；　coming　after　us　like　fiends。　I　was　riding　in　the　swing　at　the　time；　the　herd　being　strung　out　fully　a　mile；　and　on　catching　first　sight　of　the　pursuers；　turned　and　hurried　to　the　rear。　To　my　agreeable　surprise；　instead　of　a　sheriff's　posse；　my　brother　and　five　of　his　men　galloped　up　and　overtook　us。

〃Well；　Tom；　it's　a　good　thing　you　moved　last　night；〃　said　Bob；　as　he　reined　in　his　reeking　horse。　〃A　deputy　sheriff　and　posse　of　six　men　had　me　under　arrest　all　night；　thinking　I　was　the　Quirk　who　had　charge　of　Don　Lovell's　'Open　A'　herd。　Yes；　they　came　to　my　camp　about　midnight；　and　I　admitted　that　my　name　was　Quirk　and　that　we　were　holding　Lovell's　cattle。　They　guarded　me　until　morning；I　slept　like　an　innocent　babe　myself；when　the　discovery　was　made　that　my　herd　was　in　a　'Circle　Dot'　road…brand　instead　of　an　'Open　A；'　which　their　warrant　called　for。　Besides；　I　proved　by　fourteen　competent　witnesses；　who　had　known　me　for　years；　that　my　name　was　Robert　Burns　Quirk。　My　outfit　told　the　posse　that　the　herd　they　were　looking　for　were　camped　three　miles　below；　but　had　left　during　the　afternoon　before；　and　no　doubt　were　then　beyond　their　bailiwick。　I　gave　the　posse　the　horse…laugh；　but　they　all　went　down　the　creek；　swearing　they　would　trail　down　that　herd　of　Lovell's。　My　cattle　are　going　to　follow　up　this　morning；　so　I　thought　I'd　ride　on　ahead　and　be　your　guest　in　case　there　is　any　fun　to…day。〃

The　auxiliary　was　welcomed。　The　beeves　moved　on　up　the　divide　like　veterans　assaulting　an　intrenchment。　On　reaching　a　narrow　mesa　on　the　summit；　a　northwest　breeze　met　the　leaders；　and　facing　it　full　in　the　eye；　the　herd　was　allowed　to　tack　westward　as　they　went　down　the　farther　slope。　This　watershed　afforded　a　fine　view　of　the　surrounding　country；　and　from　its　apex　I　scanned　our　rear　for　miles　without　detecting　any　sign　of　animate　life。　》From　our　elevation；　the　plain　dipped　away　in　every　direction。　Far　to　the　east；　the　depression　seemed　as　real　as　a　trough　in　the　ocean　when　seen　from　the　deck　of　a　ship。　The　meanderings　of　this　divide　were　as　crooked　as　a　river；　and　as　we　surveyed　its　course　one　of　Bob's　men　sighted　with　the　naked　eye　two　specks　fully　five　miles　distant　to　the　northwest；　and　evidently　in　the　vicinity　of　the　old　trail。　The　wagon　was　in　plain　view；　and　leaving　three　of　my　boys　to　drift　the　cattle　forward；　we　rode　away　with　ravenous　appetites　to　interview　the　cook。　Parent　maintained　his　reputation　as　host；　and　with　a　lofty　conversation　reviewed　the　legal　aspect　of　the　situation　confronting　us。　A　hasty　breakfast　over；　my　brother　asked　for　mounts　for　himself　and　men；　and　as　we　were　corralling　our　remuda；　one　of　the　three　lads　on　herd　signaled　to　us　from　the　mesa's　summit。　Catching　the　nearest　horses　at　hand；　and　taking　our　wrangler　with　us；　we　cantered　up　the　slope　to　our　waiting　sentinel。

〃You　can't　see　them　now；〃　said　Burl　Van　Vedder；　our　outlook；　〃but　wait　a　few　minutes　and　they'll　come　up　on　higher　ground。　Here；　here；　you　are　looking　a　mile　too　far　to　the　rightthey're　not　following　the　cattle；　but　the　wagon's　trail。　Keep　your　eyes　to　the　left　of　that　shale　outcropping；　and　on　a　line　with　that　lone　tree　on　the　Saw　Log。　Hold　your　horses　a　minute；　I've　been　watching　them　for　half　an　hour　before　I　called　you；　be　patient；　and　they'll　rise　like　a　trout。　There！　there　comes　one　on　a　gray　horse。　See　those　two　others　just　behind　him。　Now；　there　come　the　otherssix　all　told。〃　Sure　enough；　there　came　the　sleuths　of　deputy　sheriffs；　trailing　up　our　wagon。　They　were　not　over　three　miles　away；　and　after　patiently　waiting　nearly　an　hour；　we　rode　to　the　brink　of　the　slope；　and　I　ordered　one　of　the　boys　to　fire　his　pistol　to　attract　their　attention。　On　hearing　the　report；　they　halted；　and　taking　off　my　hat　I　waved　them　forward。　Feeling　that　we　were　on　safe　territory；　I　was　determined　to　get　in　the　first　bluff；　and　as　they　rode　up；　I　saluted　the　leader　and　said：

〃Good…morning；　Mr。　Sheriff。　What　are　you　fooling　along　on　our　wagon　track　for；　when　you　could　have　trailed　the　herd　in　a　long　lope？　Here　we've　wasted　a　whole　hour　waiting　for　you　to　come　up；　just　because　the　sheriff's　office　of　Ford　County　employs　as　deputies　'nesters'　instead　of　plainsmen。　But　now　since　you　are　here；　let　us　proceed　to　business；　or　would　you　like　to　breakfast　first？　Our　wagon　is　just　over　the　other　slope；　and　you…all　look　pale　around　the　gills　this　morning　after　your　long　ride　and　sleepless　night。　Which　shall　it　be；　business　or　breakfast？〃

Haughtily　ignoring　my　irony；　the　leader　of　the　posse　drew　from　his　pocket　several　papers；　and　first　clearing　his　throat；　said　in　an　imperious　tone；　〃I　have　a　warrant　here　for　the　arrest　of　Tom　Quirk；　alias　McIndoo；　and　a　distress　warrant　for　a　herd　of　'Open　A'〃

〃Old　sport；　you're　in　the　right　church；　but　the　wrong　pew；〃　I　interrupted。　〃This　may　be　the　state　of　Kansas；　but　at　present　we　are　outside　the　bailiwick　of　Ford　County；　and　those　papers　of　yours　are　useless。　Let　me　take　those　warrants　and　I'll