CHAPTER XIV. TURNING THE TABLES
"Keep away from me, you common cow-hands," said Sponsilier, as a groupof us waited for him at the foot of the court-house stairs. But Dave'sgravity soon turned to a smile as he continued: "Did you fellows noticeThe Rebel and me sitting inside the rail among all the big augers?Paul, was it a dream, or did we sleep in a bed last night and have asure-enough pillow under our heads? My memory is kind of hazy to-day,but I remember the drinks and the cigars all right, and saying to someone that this luck was too good to last. And here we are turned out inthe cold world again, our fun all over, and now must go back to thosemeasly cattle. But it's just what I expected."
The crowd dispersed quietly, though the sheriff took the precaution toaccompany the plaintiffs and Tolleston back to their hotel. The absenceof the two deputies whom we had met the day before was explained by thetestimony of the one-armed cowman. When the two drovers came downstairs,they were talking very confidentially together, and on my employernoticing the large number of his men present, he gave orders for them tomeet him at once at the White Elephant saloon. Those who had horses athand mounted and dashed down the street, while the rest of us took itleisurely around to the appointed rendezvous, some three blocks distant.While on the way, I learned from The Rebel that the cattle on which theattachment was to be made that afternoon were then being held well upthe North Fork. Sheriff Phillips joined us shortly after we entered thesaloon, and informed my employer and Mr. Reed that the firm of Field,Radcliff & Co. had declared war. They had even denounced him and thesheriff's office as being in collusion against them, and had dispatchedTolleston with orders to refuse service.
"Let them get on the prod all they want to," said Don Lovell to Reed andthe sheriff. "I've got ninety men here, and you fellows are welcome tohalf of them, even if I have to go out and stand a watch on night-herdmyself. Reed, we can't afford to have our business ruined by such a setof scoundrels, and we might as well fight it out here and now. Look atthe situation I'm in. A hundred thousand dollars wouldn't indemnify mein having my cattle refused as late as the middle of September at FortBuford. And believing that I will be turned down, under my contract, soSutton says, I must tender my beeves on the appointed day of delivery,which will absolve my bondsmen and me from all liability. A man can'ttrifle with the government--the cattle must be there. Now in my case,Jim, what would you do?"
"That's a hard question, Don. You see we're strangers up in thisNorthwest country. Now, if it was home in Texas, there would be only onething to do. Of course I'm no longer handy with a shotgun, but you'vegot two good arms."
"Well, gentlemen," said the sheriff, "you must excuse me forinterrupting, but if my deputies are to take possession of that herdthis afternoon, I must saddle up and go to the front. If Honest John andassociates try to stand up any bluffs on my office, they'll only run onthe rope once. I'm much obliged to you, Mr. Lovell, for the assurance ofany help I may need, for it's quite likely that I may have to call uponyou. If a ring of government speculators can come out here and refuseservice, or dictate to my office, then old Keith County is certainly onthe verge of decadence. Now, I'll be all ready to start for the NorthFork in fifteen minutes, and I'd admire to have you all go along."
Lovell and Reed both expressed a willingness to accompany the sheriff.Phillips thanked them and nodded to the force behind the mahogany, whodexterously slid the glasses up and down the bar, and politely inquiredof the double row confronting them as to their tastes. As this was thethird round since entering the place, I was anxious to get away, andsummoning Forrest, we started for our horses. We had left them at a barnon a back street, but before reaching the livery, Quince concluded thathe needed a few more cartridges. I had ordered a hundred the day beforefor my own personal use, but they had been sent out with the suppliesand were then in camp. My own belt was filled with ammunition, but onForrest buying fifty, I took an equal number, and after starting out ofthe store, both turned back and doubled our purchases. On arriving atthe stable, whom should I meet but the Wyoming cowman who had left us atGrinnell. During the few minutes in which I was compelled to listen tohis troubles, he informed me that on his arrival at Ogalalla, all thesurplus cow-hands had been engaged by a man named Tolleston for theYellowstone country. He had sent to his ranch, however, for an outfitwho would arrive that evening, and he expected to start his herd thenext morning. But without wasting any words, Forrest and I swung intoour saddles, waved a farewell to the wayfaring acquaintance, and rodearound to the White Elephant. The sheriff and quite a cavalcade of ourboys had already started, and on reaching the street which terminatedin the only road leading to the North Fork, we were halted by Flood toawait the arrival of the others. Jim Reed and my employer were stillbehind, and some little time was lost before they came up, sufficient togive the sheriff a full half-mile start. But under the leadership ofthe two drovers, we shook out our horses, and the advance cavalcade weresoon overtaken.
"Well, Mr. Sheriff," said old man Don, as he reined in beside Phillips,"how do you like the looks of this for a posse? I'll vouch that they'reall good cow-hands, and if you want to deputize the whole works, why,just work your rabbit's foot. You might leave Reed and me out, but Ithink there's some forty odd without us. Jim and I are getting a littletoo old, but we'll hang around and run errands and do the clerking. I'mperfectly willing to waste a week, and remember that we've got the chuckand nearly a thousand saddle horses right over here on the North Fork.You can move your office out to one of my wagons if you wish, andwhatever's mine is yours, just so long as Honest John and his friendspay the fiddler. If he and his associates are going to make one hundredthousand dollars on the Buford contract, one thing is certain--I'll loseplenty of money on this year's drive. If he refuses service and you takepossession, your office will be perfectly justified in putting a goodforce of men with the herd. And at ten dollars a day for a man andhorse, they'll soon get sick and Reed will get his pay. If I have tohold the sack in the end, I don't want any company."
The location of the beeves was about twelve miles from town and but ashort distance above the herds of The Rebel and Bob Quirk. It was nearlyfour o'clock when we left the hamlet, and by striking a free gait, wecovered the intervening distance in less than an hour and a half. Themesa between the two rivers was covered with through cattle, and as weneared the herd in question, we were met by the larger one of the twochief deputies. The undersheriff was on his way to town, but on sightinghis superior among us, he halted and a conference ensued. Sponsilier andPriest made a great ado over the big deputy on meeting, and after afew inquiries were exchanged, the latter turned to Sheriff Phillips andsaid:
"Well, we served the papers and I left the other two boys in temporarypossession of the cattle. It's a badly mixed-up affair. The Texasforeman is still in charge, and he seems like a reasonable fellow. Theterms of the sale were to be half cash here and the balance at the pointof delivery. But the buyers only paid forty thousand down, and the trailboss refuses to start until they make good their agreement. From whatI could gather from the foreman, the buyers simply buffaloed the youngfellow out of his beeves, and are now hanging back for more favorableterms. He accepted service all right and assured me that our men wouldbe welcome at his wagon until further notice, so I left matters just asI found them. But as I was on the point of leaving, that segundo of thebuyers arrived and tried to stir up a little trouble. We all sat downon him rather hard, and as I left he and the Texas foreman were holdingquite a big pow-wow."
"That's Tolleston all right," said old man Don, "and you can depend onhim stirring up a muss if there's any show. It's a mystery to me how Itolerated that fellow as long as I did. If some of you boys will cornerand hold him for me, I'd enjoy reading his title to him in a few plainwords. It's due him, and I want to pay everything I owe. What's theprogramme, Mr. Sheriff?"
"The only safe thing to do is to get full possession of the cattle,"replied Phillips. "My deputies are all right, but they don't thoroughlyunderstand the situation. Mr. Lovell, if you can
lend me ten men, I'lltake charge of the herd at once and move them back down the river aboutseven miles. They're entirely too near the west line of the county tosuit me, and once they're in our custody the money will be forthcoming,or the expenses will mount up rapidly. Let's ride."
The under-sheriff turned back with us. A swell of the mesa cut off aview of the herd, but under the leadership of the deputy we rode toits summit, and there before and under us were both camp and cattle.Arriving at the wagon, Phillips very politely informed the Texas foremanthat he would have to take full possession of his beeves for a few days,or until the present difficulties were adjusted. The trail boss wasa young fellow of possibly thirty, and met the sheriff's demand withseveral questions, but, on being assured that his employer's equity inthe herd would be fully protected without expense, he offered no seriousobjection. It developed that Reed had some slight acquaintance with theseller of the cattle, and lost no time in informing the trail bossof the record of the parties with whom his employer was dealing.The one-armed drover's language was plain, the foreman knew Reed byreputation, and when Lovell assured the young man that he would bewelcome at any of his wagons, and would be perfectly at liberty to seethat his herd was properly cared for, he yielded without a word. Mysympathies were with the foreman, for he seemed an honest fellow, anddeliberately to take his herd from him, to my impulsive reasoninglooked like an injustice. But the sheriff and those two old cowmen weredetermined, and the young fellow probably acted for the best in making agraceful surrender.
Meanwhile the two deputies in charge failed to materialize, and oninquiry they were reported as out at the herd with Tolleston. Theforeman accompanied us to the cattle, and while on the way he informedthe sheriff that he wished to count the beeves over to him and take areceipt for the same. Phillips hesitated, as he was no cowman, but Reedspoke up and insisted that it was fair and just, saying: "Of course,you'll count the cattle and give him a receipt in numbers, ages, andbrands. It's not this young man's fault that his herd must undergo allthis trouble, and when he turns them over to an officer of the law heought to have something to show for it. Any of Lovell's foremen herewill count them to a hair for you, and Don and I will witness thereceipt, which will make it good among cowmen."
Without loss of time the herd was started east. Tolleston kept wellout of reach of my employer, and besought every one to know what thismovement meant. But when the trail boss and Jim Flood rode out to aswell of ground ahead, and the point-men began filing the column throughbetween the two foremen, Archie was sagacious enough to know that thecount meant something serious. In the mean time Bob Quirk had favoredTolleston with his company, and when the count was nearly half over,my brother quietly informed him that the sheriff was taking possession.Once the atmosphere cleared, Archie grew uneasy and restless, and as thelast few hundred beeves were passing the counters, he suddenly concludedto return to Ogalalla. But my brother urged him not to think of goinguntil he had met his former employer, assuring Tolleston that the oldman had made inquiry about and was anxious to meet him. The latter,however, could not remember anything of urgent importance between them,and pleaded the lateness of the hour and the necessity of his immediatereturn to town. The more urgent Bob Quirk became, the more fidgetygrew Archie. The last of the cattle were passing the count as Tollestonturned away from my brother's entreaty, and giving his horse the rowel,started off on a gallop. But there was a scattering field of horsemento pass, and before the parting guest could clear it, a half-dozen ropescircled in the air and deftly settled over his horse's neck and himself,one of which pinioned his arms. The boys were expecting something ofthis nature, and fully half the men in Lovell's employ galloped up andformed a circle around the captive, now livid with rage. Archie wascursing by both note and rhyme, and had managed to unearth a knife andwas trying to cut the lassos which fettered himself and horse, whenDorg Seay rode in and rapped him over the knuckles with a six-shooter,saying, "Don't do that, sweetheart; those ropes cost thirty-five centsapiece."
Fortunately the knife was knocked from Tolleston's hand and hissix-shooter secured, rendering him powerless to inflict injury to anyone. The cattle count had ended, and escorted by a cordon of mountedmen, both horse and captive were led over to where a contingenthad gathered around to hear the result of the count. I was merely adelighted spectator, and as the other men turned from the cattle andmet us, Lovell languidly threw one leg over his horse's neck, and,suppressing a smile, greeted his old foreman.
"Hello, Archie," said he; "it's been some little time since last we met.I've been hearing some bad reports about you, and was anxious to meet upand talk matters over. Boys, take those ropes off his horse and give himback his irons; I raised this man and made him the cow-hand he is, andthere's nothing so serious between us that we should remain strangers.Now, Archie, I want you to know that you are in the employ of myenemies, who are as big a set of scoundrels as ever missed a halter.You and Flood, here, were the only two men in my employ who knew allthe facts in regard to the Buford contract. And just because I wouldn'tfavor you over a blind horse, you must hunt up the very men whoare trying to undermine me on this drive. No wonder they gave youemployment, for you're a valuable man to them; but it's at a seriousloss,--the loss of your honor. You can't go home to Texas and againbe respected among men. This outfit you are with will promise you theearth, but the moment that they're through with you, you won't cut anymore figure than a last year's bird's nest. They'll throw you aside likean old boot, and you'll fall so hard that you'll hear the clock tick inChina. Now, Archie, it hurts me to see a young fellow like you go wrong,and I'm willing to forgive the past and stretch out a hand to save you.If you'll quit those people, you can have Flood's cattle from here tothe Rosebud Agency, or I'll buy you a ticket home and you can help withthe fall work at the ranch. You may have a day or two to think thismatter over, and whatever you decide on will be final. You have shownlittle gratitude for the opportunities that I've given you, but we'llbreak the old slate and start all over with a new one. Now, that's allI wanted to say to you, except to do your own thinking. If you're goingback to town, I'll ride a short distance with you."
The two rode away together, but halted within sight for a shortconference, after which Lovell returned. The cattle were being driftedeast by the deputies and several of our boys, the trail boss havingcalled off his men on an agreement of the count. The herd had talliedout thirty-six hundred and ten head, but in making out the receipt, thefact was developed that there were some six hundred beeves not in theregular road brand. These had been purchased extra from another source,and had been paid for in full by the buyers, the seller of the main herdagreeing to deliver them along with his own. This was fortunate, asit increased the equity of the buyers in the cattle, and more thanestablished a sufficient interest to satisfy the judgment and allexpenses.
Darkness was approaching, which hastened our actions. Two men from eachoutfit present were detailed to hold the cattle that night, and weresent on ahead to Priest's camp to secure their suppers and a change ofmounts. The deposed trail boss accepted an invitation to accompany usand spend the night at one of our wagons, and we rode away to overtakethe drifting herd. The different outfits one by one dropped out and rodefor their camps; but as mine lay east and across the river, the courseof the herd was carrying me home. After passing The Rebel's wagon fullya half mile, we rounded in the herd, which soon lay down to rest on thebedground. In the gathering twilight, the camp-fires of nearly adozen trail wagons were gleaming up and down the river, and while wespeculated with Sponsilier's boys which one was ours, the guard arrivedand took the bedded herd. The two old cowmen and the trail boss haddropped out opposite my brother's camp, leaving something like ten menwith the attached beeves; but on being relieved by the first watch,Flood invited Sheriff Phillips and his deputies across the river tospend the night with him.
"Like to, mighty well, but can't do it," replied Phillips. "Thesheriff's office is supposed to be in town, and not over on the NorthFork, but I'll leave two of thes
e deputies with you. Some of you hadbetter ride in to-morrow, for there may be overtures made lookingtowards a settlement; and treat those beeves well, so that there can beno charge of damage to the cattle. Good-night, everybody."