"Sufferin' cats!" wailed the cowboy. "C'mon, Green, let's join the other loafers an' load up before this slavedriver makes it to-day."
Having unsaddled and turned their mounts loose--the beasts were too tired to stray far--they joined the group squatting round the fire.
"Hey, Jed, how many yu fetch in?" Dumpy inquired.
"Coupla score, if it's any o' yore damned business," Jed said.
"An' mighty good goin'," commented another.
"Aw, Jed knows the easy places," the fat man gibed.
"Then I wish he'd picked on 'em," Sudden said ruefully. "I'll never see a pincushion again without feelin' sorry for it."
There was a general laugh at this, for all the men were scratched and torn, despite the stout leather "leggin's" they wore.
Sudden had a word with Sandy.
"We joined this outfit too soon," he said whimsically. "We'd oughta waited till they was ready to drive."
"I wish we hadn't joined a-tall," his friend replied. "No, that ain't so neither, but--hell, what's the use?"
With which cryptic remark he rolled his blanket round him and went to sleep. Sudden, too tired even to wonder about this attitude, followed his example. Slumber must be made the most of ; if anything disturbed the cattle, there would be no more for any of them that night.
Chapter VII
SOON after dawn the men were astir and crowding round the fire, for the early air was keen. Breakfast over, Jeff divided his forces ; half were to begin the branding while the others continued to build up the herd. Sudden and Sandy, as not knowing the range, were allotted to the second task, a decision which--to the former's surprise, met with his friend's satisfaction.
"We're shorely outa luck," he remarked tentatively.
"Suits me," Sandy replied gaily. "We'll show these hombres how to label long-horns." He straightened his neckerchief, slapped the dust from his clothes, and fingered his chin uneasily. "Say, Jim, yu got a razor?" He saw the dawning grin of comprehension on the other's face, and added hastily, "These whiskers o' mine'll come out the wrong colour, yu know."
"Mine's at the bunkhouse," Sudden said. "I saw the cook scrapin' his jaw a piece ago."
Peg-leg obliged with a razor and a cracked mirror. "Which if yo're goin' to this trouble on account o' Miss Carol, yu needn't," he advised. "She'll be too busy to look at yu."
"I ain't," Sandy stated, with a flash which contradicted the assertion. "Can't stand a scrubby chin, that's all."
The cook's grimace was one of disbelief--he had seen other new-comers suffering from the same affliction, but he said no more ; he was a man of few words but, as was once remarked, those few were frequently "damn near as strong as his caw-fee."
The branding promised to be a big job. Chutes were unknown in the south-west of that day, and each animal had to be dealt with separately. Sandy found he was to work with his friend. Sudden was waiting for him, a bundle of short tie-ropes (piggin strings) in his hand.
"Hey, yu lady-slayer," he called. "yank some o' them bawlin' brutes over here an' don't keep me waitin'."
"They'll come so quick yu'll get dizzy," the young man promised. "I'll make yu think it's rainin' cows."
Sudden smiled at the boyish boast. While his was the more dangerous and tricky task, he fancied he could keep ahead of Sandy. But that optimist had helpers and soon the tie-man had his hands full. The rays of the rising sun quickly drove the chill from the air, and growing in intensity, added to the discomfort of the workers. Perspiration drenched their faces but failed to remove the grime from the ever-rising clouds of dust. Sweat caked on the flanks of galloping mustangs. Cows bellowed and frightened calves blatted as they were hauled . willy-nilly to the fire. The shouts and rough banter of the riders merged with the rattle of horns in the milling herd. Sudden, looking up in a moment of respite, found Eden watching him.
"Good work, Green," he said, and as Sandy with a whoop, rushed up another unwilling victim, roped and threw it, he added: "Yore friend seems to know his job too."
He rode off without waiting for a reply, and Sudden was glad ; the praise worried him. He stole a glance at Sandy--who was freeing his rope from the helpless steer--and was surprised to see that the boy's face was redder than even the fierce sun and his exertions warranted. He too had heard what the cattleman had said.
"yu boys have certainly made a hit with Sam," the foreman commented.
Sudden grunted an agreement. He liked the outfit and its owner, and he was there to help ruin him. He tried to tell himself that the world, having made him an outlaw, was to blame for any consequences, but he could not make the argument convincing. Fortunately, he had little time for reflection ; the cutters were doing their work well.
"Told yu I'd make yu hustle, didn't I?" Sandy said, a little later.
"'Pears to me some other fella fetches along a steer now an' then," Sudden replied, as he mopped his dirt-streaked features. "Say, I got an idea. yu swap jobs with me to-morrow an' yu won't have to worry 'bout shavin'."
"Nothin' doin'. Wouldn't change places with yu for a blue stack."
Sudden detected his involuntary glance over the plain to where Miss Carol was busy bunching the branded cattle into a separate herd, and his eyes twinkled understandingly. Sandy's work took him near that trim little figure.
"Shucks, I've done told Jeff yu can tie 'em two at a lick," he said teasingly.
"I'm goin' to tell him that as a liar yu got Ananias beat a mile before he opens his mouth," Sandy retorted, and to his horse, "G'wan, yu son o' sin, we'll give this fella suthin' else to think about."
He shot off towards the herd and had almost reached it when he saw something which made him swerve suddenly : a newly-branded steer, mad with rage and pain, was rushing full at Carol Eden, who, intent on her charges, did not see it. With a yell of warning, Sandy raced and swung his rope. The loop dropped over the brute's horns and with a flip, he sent the slack over the rump and spurred his mount to the left, jerking the hind legs from under the steer. As it crashed down, the girl became aware of her danger and jumped her pony away. The fall had taken the fight out of the steer ; as soon as the rope was removed it scrambled to its feet and lumbered off. Carol's face was pale.
"Thank you," she smiled. "I'm afraid you'll think I'm a tenderfoot to be caught like that."
Sandy's customary assurance had deserted him ; he was the picture of confusion. Also, he was finding breathing difficult, for it had indeed been a near thing ; had he missed his throw. ... He shuddered at what might have been ; the pony rippedup, the rider on the ground, at the mercy of those sweeping, sharp-pointed horns. Hat in hand, he stammered some commonplace, cursing himself inwardly for a tongue-tied fool. Her eyes rested on him kindly.
"you are Mister Green's friend, aren't you?" she asked. "He came to my assistance too, so I'm now obliged to both of you. I ought to be glad you joined the outfit."
"I'm hopin' yu will be," Sandy managed to say, and, as he saw his employer approaching, "Gosh, I'm forgettin' I got a job."
As he dragged a complaining calf on the end of his rope to the branding fire he communed with himself :
"What come over yu, yu lunkhead, to let a bit of a gal like that scare yu all up? She musts thought yu was dumb."
But his eyes were shining when he handed over his prisoner, and his sweaty, grimed face wore such an expression of content that Sudden could not help but notice it.
"yu look like yu was all lit up from inside," he said. "Havin' a good time, huh?"
"Never had a better," came the sober reply.
"It would do Rogue's heart good to see that bunch over there," Sudden said meaningly, nodding in the direction of the gathered cattle.
"yeah," Sandy snarled, whirled his pony, and was gone, leaving his friend in a thoughtful frame of mind.
Days passed, days made up of long hours filled with incessant, monotonous toil in the blistering heat, and steadily the herd increased. The weather remained fine, feed was plentiful on the plain, and the branded cattl
e gave no trouble.
"For which, thank the Lawd," Jeff said fervently. "If them critters took it into their fool heads to stampede, it'd be just merry hell."
Even when the herd was complete, much remained to be done. The big covered wagon, with its team of six mules, had to be overhauled and loaded with provisions, flour, bacon, coffee, New Orleans molasses--familiarly known as "blackstrap"--pickles, and a limited supply of dried fruits. The remuda had to be selected--five horses for each man--weapons and ammunition prepared.
Twelve men, including the rancher and the cook, were to accompany the herd, two older members of the outfit remain ing behind to "hold down the ranch." These preparations entailed constant effort, for Eden was eager to start.
Sudden had little chance of converse with his friend during these days of stress, for the brief hours of rest were too precious to be wasted, but he got more or less acquainted with the other members of the outfit and decided that Sam Eden was a good judge of a man. Rough, reckless, and shabby-looking, they were nevertheless capable. Only one he did not approve of--a newcomer like himself--a big, dark, be-whiskered fellow named Lasker, who was in charge of the remuda, a position which was poorly-regarded in a cow-camp. He knew nothing against the man but instinctively distrusted him.
"He's got mean eyes," he explained to Sandy.
"Well, I dessay the hosses won't mind," was the indifferent reply.
Sudden looked at him thoughtfully. The boy had changed since they had joined the S E ; his gay impudence had gone, to be replaced by a moody irritability. "He's pretty near played out, like the rest of us," was his unspoken reflection, but he knew it was not a satisfactory solution, for bone-weary as all the men were, enthusiasm prevailed, whereas Sandy appeared disgruntled, sick of the whole business.
"Jeff tells me we're all set for an early start to-morrow," Sudden offered.
"It'll be a relief to get away from this blasted plain," was all Sandy had to say.
When the rancher and his daughter made their appearance in the morning they were accompanied by Baudry. Together they inspected the herd.
"They look good to me, but surely you have some oldish stuff amongst them," the gambler commented.
"Oh, I reckon they'll pass with the rest," Eden said. "Yu remember what the foreman o' one o' the early drives told the buyer who made the same complaint? 'Strangers,' he says, 'if yu'd bin through half what them critters has, yu'd look twice yore age.' "
Baudry laughed. "Well, you know your business, Sam, and I wish you all the luck there is," he rejoined. "I'll be coming north myself and shall expect to see you. Hear of the killing at Littleton?"
This was a settlement some thirty miles distant, and the ranch having had no visitors was without news. Eden said as much.
"Coolest thing ever," Baudry went on. "A stranger steps into Greggs saloon just after dusk, shoots the dealer at the monte table, collects all the cash in sight and backs out. When the company comes to life again, he's clean away."
"Another o' Rogue's capers, I s'pose?" the rancher said.
"They say not, unless he's got a new hand," Baudry replied. "From his looks, and a remark he made, he was Sudden, the Fourways and San Antonio killer." A rider on a big black horse, waiting to assist in starting the herd, caught his eye. "Why, that might be the fellow, by the description," he finished.
"What, Green?" the cattleman grinned. "He's been tied to this camp pretty tight the last two-three weeks. No, Jethro, there ain't no murderers in his outfit ; Jim's all right."
The young man heard the words, but they brought him no satisfaction ; the gambler's harsh voice had also carried to where he sat and the bitterness he had been trying to blot out of his life had overwhelmed him again. Another crime had been unjustly placed to his discredit. The world was determined that he should be an outlaw. Very well, since there was no other way ...
He carne out of his dark musing to find that the word had been given and the herd was already on the move, the point riders leading the way, the swing and flank men stringing the cattle out into a long line. Two men looked after the "drag," and behind came the remuda, in charge of the horse-wrangler, and the wagon. The Great Adventure had begun.
Under the blazing sun the herd tramped steadily on. No great difficulty was anticipated until they crossed the Colorado River, the country south of that being familiar to most of the men. Nightfall found them camped near a little creek. From where the cattle were settling down came a somewhat cracked voice wailing the interminable verses of "The Cowboy's Lament" and one of the men squatting at the fireside laughed.
"Lucky cows ain't got no ear for music," he said. "The Infant's screech would start a stampede."
For Sudden, riding moodily round the herd, watching first one and then another sink down to sleep, the night brought only the opportunity to brood over his own troubles. Little more than hall a mile away he could see the gleam of the campfire ; if the men sitting round it knew who he was, they would hang him before dawn. And for this he had to thank Rogue, whom he was there to serve. Idly he wondered what the outlaw was doing, or about to do, and then swore savagely that he did not care. Which was not the truth.
Having watched the herd depart and waved an ironical farewell, Baudry turned his horse's head towards San Antonio. Five miles along the trail, squatting with his back against a spreading cedar, a man was waiting. Baudry got down, glad to avail himself of the shade.
"Well, Navajo, the S E drive has started," he said. "What are Rogue's plans?"
The half-breed grinned unpleasantly. "yu better ask him," he retorted. "His word was that he'd do the job--his own way."
The gambler's face reddened but he summoned a smile. "Suits me, so long as it's done," he replied. "Sam seems pretty confident."
"He ain't got a chanct," the other stated.
"I think he has," Baudry said coolly. "In fact, I have so strong a belief in my friend Eden's courage and determination that I'd be willing to wager that he'll take his cattle through and return safely to his ranch."
The ruffian laughed evilly. "Shore yu would," he sneered. "How much?"
"One thousand dollars."
"I'm takin' yore bet. Give it me in writin'--I got a shockin' memory." The jeer in the man's voice was insulting but Baudry chose to ignore it.
"you needn't worry, I always pay my debts," he said. Nevertheless, he wrote a few words in a notebook, tore out the page and passed it to the other. Navajo grinned as he tucked it away in a pocket.
"Money from home," he chuckled. "This ain't nothin' to do with Rogue, yu savvy? So long."
The gambler stood watching his receding form, his thick lips set in grim threat.
"There's more than one way of paying a debt, you scum," he snarled. "When you've served your purpose ..."
Chapter VIII
THE Colorado River had been reached without any untoward incident, and the S E drive was camped on the south bank waiting for daylight to make the crossing. So far, everything had gone well, and, with perfect weather, the herd had made good time. Supper was over, and 'the foreman, Sudden, and several others were smoking beside the fire, for, though the days were hot, the evenings were chill. There was a thicket to the right of the camp--the first timber they had seen for days--and the cook was busy chopping wood and loading it into the rawhide slung beneath the wagon, for his store of buffalo "chips"--the only fuel to be found on the plains--was getting low.
"Well, trail-drivin' suits me. Why, it won't be no trick a-tall to push the bunch into Kansas."
This from the gangling youth known as "Infant." The foreman surveyed him sardonically.
"Bein' a kid I s'pose yu gotta talk like one," he said. "If yu think it's all goin' to be like this yu got another guess comin'. An' that kind o' yap is shore unlucky. 01' Man Trouble allus camps on the tail of a trail-herd, an' we'll hear from him soon enough without askin' for it."
"That's so," agreed another, who, being reputed to be the biggest liar in Texas, was called "Truthful."
"I
remember once--"
"Forget it twice," Jeff snapped. "What's come o' Sands? He ain't with the herd."
No one seemed to know. He had eaten with the rest of them and then slipped away. Sudden had seen him go and smothered an impulse to follow because he had a feeling that the boy had avoided him of late. He glanced round the camp, but there was no sign of the missing man. Against the dark background of the trees the little tent used by the women gleamed whitely. A few yards away from it, Sam Eden leaned on the wagon-tongue and chatted with the cook. Then, out of a thick tangle of bushes some forty paces from the wagon came a spurt of flame, followed by the vicious crack of a gun, and the sturdy figure of the rancher staggered and fell.
"Hell's bells!" Jeff cried, and ran to the stricken man.
The others followed, ail save Sudden, who raced tor the spot whence the shot had come. Noiselessly he searched, peering into the gloomy depths of the brush, listening for the snap of a breaking twig which would tell of a stealthy retreat, but he saw and heard nothing. Then came a careless footstep, a slouching figure swung into view and halted at Sudden's curt command.
"'Lo, Jim. What's the bright idea, stickin' up yore friends?" asked a familiar voice.
It was Sandy, and despite himself, a note of suspicion crept into Sudden's question, "What are yu doin' here?"
"Goin' back to camp ; what yu reckon?"
"Where yu been?"
"Pickin' flowers," came the ironic reply.
"Quit foolin'," Sudden said sternly. "Sam Eden was shot from 'bout here less'n a quarter of an hour back."
"Sam--Eden--shot?" Sandy repeated. "God! An' yo're guessin' I did it?"
"I ain't doin' any guessin'," Sudden told him. "I came to catch the skunk an' bump into yu. Come clean:"
"Is he hurt bad?"
"I didn't wait to see ; Jeff an' some o' the boys is there. yu ain't answered my question."
"I had nothin' to do with it, Jim," the boy said hoarsely, "but it's likely I saw the fella. Mebbe ten minutes or so ago, a mere shadow, slippin' through the bush. I didn't give it much attention--reckoned it was Lasker, goin' after his hosses--but it may not have been him a-tall. Hell! it'll break his gal's heart." Sudden's silence told him there was more to say. "yu hear an owl hootin' while we fed?" he asked.
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