the flying u ranch-第11部分

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shoulders。　He　shook　his　hair　back　from　his　beaded　forehead；　cast

a　wary　glance　at　the　silent　stables；　set　his　jaw；　and　went　on　up

the　hill　to　the　mess…house；　wishing　tardily　that　he　had　waited

until　they　were　off　at　work　again；　when　he　might　intimidate　old

Patsy　into　keeping　quiet　about　his　predicament。



Within　the　mess…house　was　the　clatter　of　knives　and　forks　plied

by　hungry　men；　the　sound　of　desultory　talk　and　a　savory　odor　of

good　things　to　eat。　The　door　was　closed。　Andy　stood　before　it　as

a　guilty…conscienced　child　stands　before　its　teacher；　clicked　his

teeth　together；　and；　since　he　could　not　open　the　door；　lifted　his

right　foot　and　gave　it　a　kick　to　strain　the　hinges。



Within　were　exclamations　of　astonishment；　silence　and　then　a

heavy　tread。　Patsy　opened　the　door；　gasped　and　stood　still；　his

eyes　popping　out　like　a　startled　rabbit。



〃Well；　what's　eating　you？〃　Andy　demanded　querulously；　and　pushed

past　him　into　the　room。



Not　all　of　the　Happy　Family　were　there。　Cal；　Jack　Bates；　Irish

and　Happy　Jack　had　gone　into　the　Bad　Lands　next　to　the　river；　but

there　were　enough　left　to　make　the　soul　of　Andy　quiver

forebodingly；　and　to　send　the　flush　of　extreme　humiliation　to　his

cheeks。



The　Happy　Family　looked　at　him　in　stunned　surprise；　then　they

glanced　at　one　another　in　swift；　wordless　inquiry；　grinned　wisely

and　warily；　and　went　on　with　their　dinner。　At　least　they

pretended　to　go　on　with　their　dinner；　while　Andy　glared　at　them

with　amazed　reproach　in　his　misleadingly　honest　gray　eyes。



〃When　you've　got　plenty　of　time；〃　he　said　at　last　in　a　choked

tone；　〃maybe　one　of　you　obliging　cusses　will　untie　this　damned

rope。〃



〃Why；　sure！〃　Pink　threw　a　leg　over　the　bench　and　got　up　with

cheerful　alacrity。　〃I'll　do　it　now；　if　you　say　so；　I　didn't　know

but　what　that　was　some　new　fad　of　yours；　like〃



〃Fad！〃　Andy　repeated　the　word　like　an　explosion。



〃Well；　by　golly；　Andy　needn't　think　I'm　goin'　to　foller　that

there　style；〃　Slim　stated　solemnly。　〃I　need　m'　rope　for　something

else　than　to　tie　n'　clothes　on　with。〃



〃I　sure　do　hate　to　see　a　man　wear　funny　things　just　to　make

himself　conspicuous；〃　Pink　observed；　while　he　fumbled　at　the

knot；　which　was　intricate。　Andy　jerked　away　from　him　that　he

might　face　him　ragefully。



〃Maybe　this　looks　funny　to　you；〃　he　cried；　husky　with　wrath。　〃But

I　can't　seem　to　see　the　joke；　myself。　I　admit　I　let　then　herders

make　a　monkey　of　me。。。。　They　slipped　up　behind；　going　down　into

Antelope　coulee；　and　slid　down　the　bluff　onto　me；　and；　before　I

could　get　up；　they　got　me　tied；　all　right。　I　licked　one　of　'en

before　that；　and　thought　I　had　'en　gentled　down〃



Andy　stopped　short；　silenced　by　that　unexplainable　sense　which

warns　us　when　our　words　are　received　with　cold　disbelief。



〃Mh…hmI　thought　maybe　you'd　run　up　against　a　hostile

jackrabbit；　or　something；〃　Pink　purred；　and　went　back　to　his

place　on　the　bench。



〃Haw…haw…haw…w…w！〃　came　Big　Medicine's　tardy　bellow。　〃That's　more

reasonable　than　the　sheepherder　story；　by　cripes！〃



Andy　looked　at　them　much　as　he　had　stared　up　at　the　sky　before　he

began　to　swearspeechlessly；　with　a　trembling　of　the　muscles

around　his　mouth。　He　was　quite　white；　considering　how　tanned　he

was；　and　his　forehead　was　shiny；　with　beads　of　perspiration

standing　thickly　upon　it。



〃Weary；　I　wish　you'd　untie　this　rope。　I　can't。〃　He　spoke　still　in

that　peculiar；　husky　tone；　and；　when　the　last　words　were　out；　his

teeth　went　together　with　a　snap。



Weary　glanced　inquiringly　across　at　the　Native　Son；　who　was

regarding　Andy　steadily；　as　one　gazes　upon　a　tangled　rope；

looking　for　the　end　which　will　easiest　lead　to　an　untangling。



Miguel's　brown　eyes　turned　languidly　to　meet　the　look。　〃You'd

better　untie　him；〃　he　advised　in　his　soft　drawl。　〃He　may　not　be

in　the　habit　of　doing　itbut　he's　telling　the　truth。〃



〃Untie　me；　Miguel；〃　begged　Andy；　going　over　to　him；　〃and　let　me

at　this　bunch。〃



〃I'll　do　it；〃　said　Weary；　and　rose　pacifically。　〃I　kinda　believe

you　myself；　Andy。　But　you　can't　blame　the　boys　none；　you've

fooled　'em　till　they're　dead　shy　of　anything　they　can't　see

through。　And；　besides；　it　sure　does　look　like　a　plant。　I'd　back

you　single…handed　against　a　dozen　sheepherders　like　then　two

we've　been　chasing　around。　If　I　hadn't　felt　that　way　I　wouldn't

have　sent　yuh　out　alone　with　'em。〃



〃Well；　Andy　needn't　think　he's　goin'　to　stick　me　on　that　there

story；〃　Slim　declared　with　brutal　emphasis。　〃I've　swallered　too

many　baits；　by　golly。　He's　figurin'　on　gettin'　us　all　out　on　the

war…path；　runnin'　around　in　circles；　so's't　he　can　give　us　the

laugh。　I'll　bet；　by　golly；　he　paid　then　herders　to　tie　him　up

like　that。　He　can't　fool　me！〃



〃Say；　Slim；　I　do　believe　your　brains　is　commencin'　to　sprout！〃

Big　Medicine　thumped　him　painfully　upon　the　back　by　way　of

accenting　the　compliment。　〃You　got　the　idee；　all　right。〃



Andy　stood　quiet　while　Weary　unwound　the　rope；　lifted　his　numbed

arms　with　some　difficulty；　and　displayed　to　the　doubters　his

rope…creased　wrists；　and　purple；　swollen　hands。



〃I　couldn't　fight　a　caterpiller　right　now；〃　he　said　thickly。

〃Look　at　them　hands！　Do　yuh　call　that　a　josh？　I've　been　tied　up

like　a　bed…roll　for　five　hours；　you〃　Well；　never　mind；　he

merely　repeated　a　part　of　what　he　had　recited　aloud　in　Antelope

coulee；　the　only　difference　being　that　he　applied　the　vitriolic

utterances　to　the　Happy　Family　instead　of　to　sheepherders；　and

that　with　the　second　recitation　he　gained　much　in　fluency　and

dramatic　delivery。



It　is　not　nice　for　a　man　to　swear；　to　swear　the　way　Andy　did；　at

any　rate。　But　the　result　perhaps　atoned　in　a　measure　for　the

wickedness；　in　that　the　Happy　Family　were　absolutely　convinced　of

his　sincerity；　and　the　feelings　of　Andy　greatly　relieved；　so

that；　when　he　had　for　the　third　time　that　day　completely

exhausted　his　vocabulary；　he　sat　down　and　began　to　eat　his　dinner

with　a　keen　appetite。



〃I　don't　suppose　you　know　where　your　horse　is　at；　by　this　tine；〃

Weary　observed；　as　casually　as　possible；　breaking　a　somewhat

constrained　silence。



〃I　don'tand　I　don't　give　a　darn；〃　Andy　snapped　back。　He　ate　a

few　mouthfuls；　and　added　less　savagely：　〃He　wasn't　in　sight；　as　I

came　along。　I　didn't　follow　the　trail；　I　struck　straight　across

and　came　down　the　coulee。　He　may　be　at　the　gate；　and　he　may　be

down　toward　Rogers'。〃



Pink　reached　for　a　toothpick；　eyeing　Andy　side…long；　dimpled　his

cheeks　disarmingly；　and　cleared　his　throat。　〃Please　don't　kill　me

off　when　you　get　that　pie　swallowed；〃　he　began　pacifically。

〃Strange　as　it　may　seem；　I　believe　you；　Andy。　What　I　want　to　know

is　this：　Who　owns　them　Dots？　And　what　are　they　chasing　all　over

the　Flying　U　range　for？　It　looks　plumb　malicious；　to　me。　Did　you

find　out　anything　about　'en；　Andy；　while　youerwhile　they〃

His　eyes　twinkled　and　betrayed　him　for　an　arrant　pretender。　（Pink

was　not　afraid　of　anything　on　earthleast　of　all　Andy　Green。）



〃I　will　kill　yuh　by　inches；　if　I　hear　any　remarks　out　of　yuh　that

ain't　respectful；〃　Andy　promised；　thawing　to　his　normal　tone；

which　was　pleasant　to　the　ear。　〃I　didn't　find　out　much　about　'em。

The　fellow　I　licked　told　me　that　Whittaker　and　Oleson　owned　the

sheep。　He　didn't　say〃



〃Wellbygolly！〃　Shin　thrust　his　head　forward　belligerently。

〃Whittaker！　Well；　what　d'yuh　think　uh　that！〃　He　glared　from　one

face　to　the　other；　his　gaze　at　last　resting　upon　Weary。　〃Say；　do

yuh　reckon　it'sDunk？〃



Weary　paid　no　heed　to　Slim。　He　leaned　forward；　his　face　turned　to

Andy　with　that　concentration　of　attention　which　means　so　much

more　than　mere　exclamation。　〃You're　sure　he　said　Whittaker？〃　he

asked。



His　tone　and　his　attitude　arrested　Andy's　cup　midway　to　his

mouth。　〃SureWhittaker　and　Oleson。　I　never　heard　of　the

outfitwho's　this　Whittaker　person？〃



Weary　settled　back　in　his　place　and　smiled；　but　his　eyes　had

quite　lost　their　habitually　sunny　expression。



〃Up　until　four　years　ago；〃　he　explained　evenly；　〃he　was　the　Old

Man's　partner。　We　caught　him　in　some　mighty　dirty　work；

andwell；　he　sold　out　to　the　Old　Man。　The　old　party　with　the

hoofs　and　tail　can't　be　everywhere　at　once；　the　way　I've　got　it

sized　up；　so　he　turns　some　of　his　business　over　to　other　folks。

Dunk　Whittaker's　his　top　hand。〃



〃Why；　by　golly；　he　framed　up　a　job　on　the　Gordon　boys；　and

railroaded　'em　to　the　pen；　just〃



〃Oh；　that's　the　gazabo！〃　Andy's　eyes　shone　with　enlightenment。

〃I've　heard　a　lot　about　Dunk；　but　I　didn't　know　his　last　name〃



〃Say！　I'll　bet　they're　the　outfit　that　bought　out　Denson。　That's

why　old　Denson　acted　so　queer；　maybe。　Selling　to　a　sheep　outfit

would　make　the　old　devil　feel　kinda　uneasy；　talking　to　us〃

Pink's　eyes　were　big　and　purple　with　excitement。　〃And　that

train…load　of　sheep　we　saw　Sunday；　I'll　bet　is　the　same　identical

outfit。〃



〃Dunk　Whittaker'd　better　not　try　to　monkey　with　me；　by　golly！〃

Slim's　face　was　lowering。　〃And　he'd　better　not　monkey　with　the

Flying　U　either。　I'd　pump　him　so　full　uh　holes　he'd　look　like　a

colander；　by　golly！〃



Weary　got　up　and　started　to　the　door；　his　face　suddenly　grown

careworn。　〃Slim；　you　and　Miguel　better　go　and　hunt　up　Andy's

horse；〃　he　said　with　a　hint　of　abstraction　in　his　tone；　as　though

his　mind　was　busy　with　more　important　things。　〃Maybe　Andy'll　feel

able　to　help　you　set　those　posts；　Budand　you'd　better　go　along

the　upper　end　of　the　little　pasture　with　the　wire　stretchers　and

tighten　her　up；　the　top　wire　is　pretty　loose；　I　noticed　this

morning。〃　His　fingers　fumbled　with　the　door…knob。



〃Want　me　to　do　anything？〃　Pink　asked　quizzically　just　behind　him。

〃I　thought　sure　we'd　go　and　remonstrate　with　then　gay〃



Weary　interrupted　him。　〃The　herders　can　waitand；　anyway；　I've

kinda　got　an　idea　Andy　wants　to　hand　out　his　own　brand　of　poison

to　that　bunch。　You　and　I　will　take　a　ride　over　to　Denson's　and

see　wha