The Flying U's Last Stand

  CHAPTER 20. THE RELL OLE COWPUNCHER GOES HOME

  I don't suppose anything can equal the aplomb of a child that has alwayshad his own way and has developed normally. The Kid, for instance, hadbeen wandering in the wild places--this was the morning of the sixthday. The whole of Northern Montana waited anxiously for news of him. Theranch had been turned into a rendezvous for searchers. Men rode as longas they could sit in the saddle. Women were hysterical in the affectionthey lavished upon their own young. And yet, the Kid himself opened hiseyes to the sun and his mind was untroubled save where his immediateneeds were concerned. He sat up thinking of breakfast, and he spiedAndy Green humped on his knees over a heap of camp-fire coals, toastingrabbit-hams--the joy of it--on a forked stick. Opposite him Miss Allencrouched and held another rabbit-leg on a forked stick. The Kid satup as if a spring had been suddenly released, and threw off the grayblanket.

  "Say, I want to do that too!" he cried. "Get me a stick, Andy, so I cando it. I never did and I want to!"

  Andy grabbed him as he came up and kissed him--and the Kid wondered atthe tremble of Andy's arms. He wondered also at the unusual caress; butit was very nice to have Andy's arms around him and Andy's cheek againsthis, and of a sudden the baby of him came to the surface.

  "I want my Daddy Chip!" he whimpered, and laid his head down on Andy'sshoulder. "And I want my Doctor Dell and my--cat! She's lonesome forme. And I forgot to take the string off her tail and maybe it ain'tcomfortable any more!"

  "We're going to hit the trail, old-timer, just as soon as we get outsideof a little grub." Andy's voice was so tender that Miss Allen gulpedback a sob of sympathy. "You take this stick and finish roasting themeat, and then see what you think of rabbit-hams. I hear you've been areal old cowpuncher, Buck. The way you took care of Miss Allen provesyou're the goods, all right. Not quite so close, or you'll burn it,Buck. That's better. I'll go get another stick and roast the back."

  The Kid, squatting on his heels by the fire, watched gravely therabbit-leg on the two prongs of the willow stick he held. He glancedacross at Miss Allen and smiled his Little Doctor smile.

  "He's my pal," he announced. "I bet if I stayed we could round up allthem cattle our own selves. And I bet he can find your horse, too.He--he's 'customed to this country. I'd a found your horse today, allright--but I guess Andy could find him quicker. Us punchers'll takecare of you, all right." The rabbit-leg sagged to the coals and began toscorch, and the Kid lifted it startled and was grateful when Miss Allendid not seem to have seen the accident.

  "I'd a killed a rabbit for you," he explained, "only I didn't have nogun or no matches so I couldn't. When I'm ten my Daddy Chip is going togive me a gun. And then if you get lost I can take care of you likeAndy can. I'll be ten next week, I guess." He turned as Andy came backslicing off the branches of a willow the size of his thumb.

  "Say, old-timer, where's the rest of the bunch?" he inquired casually."Did you git your cattle rounded up?"

  "Not yet." Andy sharpened the prongs of his stick and carefully impaledthe back of the rabbit.

  "Well, I'll help you out. But I guess I better go home first--I guessDoctor Dell might need me, maybe."

  "I know she does, Buck." Andy's voice had a peculiar, shaky sound thatthe Kid did not understand. "She needs you right bad. We'll hit the highplaces right away quick."

  Since Andy had gone at daybreak and brought the horses over intothis canyon, his statement was a literal one. They ate hurriedly andstarted--and Miss Allen insisted that Andy was all turned around, andthat they were going in exactly the wrong direction, and blushed andwas silent when Andy, turning his face full toward her, made a kissingmotion with his lips.

  "You quit that!" the Kid commanded him sharply. "She's my girl I guess Ifound her first 'fore you did, and you ain't goin' to kiss her."

  After that there was no lovemaking but the most decorous conversationbetween these two.

  Flying U Coulee lay deserted under the warm sunlight of early forenoon.Deserted, and silent with the silence that tells where Death has stoppedwith his sickle. Even the Kid seemed to feel a strangeness in theatmosphere--a stillness that made his face sober while he looked aroundthe little pasture and up at the hill trail. In all the way home theyhad not met anyone--but that may have been because Andy chose the way upFlying U Creek as being shorter and therefore more desirable.

  At the lower line fence of the little pasture Andy refused to believethe Kid's assertion of having opened and shut the gate, until the Kidgot down and proved that he could open it--the shutting process beingtoo slow for Andy's raw nerves. He lifted the Kid into the saddle andshut the gate himself, and led the way up the creek at a fast trot.

  "I guess Doctor Dell will be glad to see me," the Kid observedwistfully. "I've been gone most a year, I guess."

  Neither Andy nor Miss Allen made any reply to this. Their eyes weresearching the hilltop for riders, that they might signal. But there wasno one in sight anywhere.

  "Hadn't you better shout?" suggested Miss Allen. "Or would it be betterto go quietly--"

  Andy did not reply; nor did he shout. Andy, at that moment, was fightinga dryness in his throat. He could not have called out if he had wantedto. They rode to the stable and stopped. Andy lifted the Kid down andset him on his two feet by the stable door while he turned to MissAllen. For once in his life he was at a loss. He did not know how bestto bring the Kid to the Little Doctor; How best to lighten the shockof seeing safe and well the manchild who she thought was dead. Hehesitated. Perhaps he should have ridden on to the house with him.Perhaps he should have fired the signal when first he came into thecoulee. Perhaps...

  The Kid himself swept aside Andy's uncertainties. Adeline, the cat, cameout of the stable and looked at them contemplatively. Adeline still hadthe string tied to her tail, and a wisp of paper tied to the string. TheKid pounced and caught her by the middle.

  "I guess I can tie knots so they stay, by cripes!" he shoutedvaingloriously. "I guess Happy Jack can't tie strings any better 'n me,can he? Nice kitty--c'm back here, you son-a-gun!"

  Adeline had not worried over the absence of the Kid, but his hilariousarrival seemed to worry her considerably. She went bounding up the pathto the house, and after her went the Kid, yelling epithets which were abit shocking for one of his age.

  So he came to the porch just when Chip and the Little Doctor reached it,white-faced and trembling. Adeline paused to squeeze under the steps,and the Kid catching her by the tail, dragged her back yowling. Whilehis astounded parents watched him unbelievingly, the Kid gripped Adelinefirmly and started up the steps.

  "I ketched the son-a-gun!" he cried jubilantly.

  "Say, I seen a skink, Daddy Chip, and I frowed a rock and knocked hisblock off 'cause he was going to swipe my grub. Was you s'prised, DoctorDell?"

  Doctor Dell did not say. Doctor Dell was kneeling on the porch floorwith the Kid held closer in her arms than ever he held the cat, andshe was crying and laughing and kissing him all at once--though nobodyexcept a mother can perform that feat.