III
JIMMY PRICE
On a range far to the north, Jimmy Price, a youth as time measures age,followed the barranca's edge and whistled cheerfully. He had neverheard of the Bar-20, and would have showed no interest if he had heardof it, so long as it lay so far away. He was abroad in search ofadventure and work, and while his finances were almost at ebb tide hehad youth, health, courage and that temperament that laughs at hard luckand believes in miracles. The tide was so low it must turn soon andwork would be forthcoming when he needed it. Sitting in the saddle withcharacteristic erectness he loped down a hill and glanced at the fainttrail that led into the hills to the west. Cogitating a moment hefollowed it and soon saw a cow, and soon after others.
"I 'll round up th' ranch house, get a job for awhile an' then drift onsouth again," he thought, and the whistle rang out with renewedcheerfulness.
He noticed that the trail kept to the low ground, skirting even littlehills and showing marked preference for arroyos and draws with butlittle regard, apparently, for direction or miles. He had just begun tocross a small pasture between two hills when a sharp voice asked aquestion: "Where you goin'?"
He wheeled and saw a bewhiskered horseman sitting quietly behind athicket. The stranger held a rifle at the ready and was examining himcritically. "Where you goin'?" repeated the stranger, ominously. "An'what's yore business?"
Jimmy bridled at the other's impudent curiosity and the tones in whichit was voiced, and as he looked the stranger over a contemptuous smileflickered about his thin lips. "Why, I 'm goin' west, an' I 'm lookin'for th' sunset," he answered with an exasperating drawl. "Ain't seenit, have you?"
The other's expression remained unchanged, as if he had not heard theflippant and pugnacious answer. "Where you goin' an' what for?" hedemanded again.
Jimmy turned further around in the saddle and his eyes narrowed. "I 'mgoin' to mind my own business, because it's healthy," he retorted. "Youth' President, or only a king?" he demanded, sarcastically.
"I 'm boss of Tortilla range," came the even reply. "You answer myquestion."
"Then you can gimme a job an' save me a lot of fool ridin'," smiledJimmy. "It 'll be some experience workin' for a sour dough as ornery asyou are. Fifty per', an' all th' rest of it. Where do I eat an' sleep?"
The stranger gazed steadily at the cool, impudent youngster, whoreturned the look with an ironical smile. "Who sent you out here?" hedemanded with blunt directness.
"Nobody," smiled Jimmy. "Nobody sends me nowhere, never, 'less 'n Iwant to go. Purty near time to eat, ain't it?"
"Come over here," commanded the Boss of Tortilla range.
"It's closer from you to me than from me to you."
"Yo 're some sassy, now ain't you? I 've got a notion to drop you an'save somebody else th' job."
"He 'll be lucky if you do, 'cause when that gent drifts along I 'mnatchurally goin' to get there first. It's been tried already."
Anger glinted in the Boss's eyes, but slowly faded as a grim smilefought its way into view. "I 've a mind to give you a job just for th'great pleasure of bustin' yore spirit."
"If yo 're bettin' on that card you wants to have a copper handy,"bantered Jimmy. "It's awful fatal when it's played to win."
"What's yore name, you cub?"
"Elijah--ain't I done prophesied? When do I start punchin' yore eightcows, Boss?"
"Right now! I like yore infernal gall; an' there's a pleasant timecomin' when I starts again' that spirit."
"Then my name's Jimmy, which is enough for you to know. Which cow do Ipunch first?" he grinned.
"You ride ahead along th' trail. I 'll show you where you eat," smiledthe Boss, riding toward him.
Jimmy's face took on an expression of innocence that was ludicrous.
"I allus let age go first," he slowly responded. "I might get lost if Ilead. I 'm plumb polite, I am."
The Boss looked searchingly at him and the smile faded. "What you meanby that?"
"Just what I said. I 'm plumb polite, an' hereby provin' it. I allusinsist on bein' polite. Otherwise, gimme my month's pay an' I 'llresign. But I 'm shore some puncher," he laughed.
"I observed yore politeness. I 'm surprised you even know th' term.But are you shore you won't get lost if you foller me?" asked the Bosswith great sarcasm.
"Oh, that's a chance I gotta take," Jimmy replied as his new employerdrew up alongside. "Anyhow, yo 're better lookin' from behind."
"Jimmy, my lad," observed the Boss, sorrowfully shaking his head, "Ishore sympathize with th' shortness of yore sweet, young life. Somebody's natchurally goin' to spread you all over some dismal landscape one ofthese days."
"An' he 'll be a whole lot lucky if I ain't around when he tries it,"grinned Jimmy. "I got a' awful temper when I 'm riled, an' I reckonsthat would rile me up quite a lot."
The Boss laughed softly and pushed on ahead, Jimmy flushing a littlefrom shame of his suspicions. But a hundred yards behind him, ridingnoiselessly on the sand and grass, was a man who had emerged fromanother thicket when he saw the Boss go ahead; and he did not for oneinstant remove his eyes from the new member of the outfit. Jimmy, dueto an uncanny instinct, soon realized it, though he did not look around."Huh! Reckon I 'm th' meat in this sandwich. Say, Boss, who's th' Injunridin' behind me?" he asked.
"That's Longhorn. Look out or he 'll gore you," replied the Boss.
"'That 'd be a bloody shame,' as th' Englishman said. Are all hishabits as pleasant an' sociable?"
"They 're mostly worse; he's a two-gun man."
"Now ain't that lovely! Wonder what he'd do if I scratch my laigsudden?"
"Let me know ahead of time, so I can get out of th' way. If you do thatit 'll save me fifty dollars an' a lot of worry."
"Huh! I won't save it for you. But I wish I could get out my smokin'what's in my hip pocket, without Longhorn gamblin' on th' move."
The next day Jimmy rode the west section harassed by many emotions. Hewas weaponless, much to his chagrin and rage. He rode a horse that wassuch a ludicrous excuse that it made escape out of the question, andthey even locked it in the corral at night. He was always under theeyes of a man who believed him ignorant of the surveillance. He alreadyknew that three different brands of cattle "belonged" to the "ranch,"and his meager experience was sufficient to acquaint him with a blottedbrand when the work had been carelessly done. The Boss was the foremanand his outfit, so far as Jimmy knew, consisted of Brazo Charley andLonghorn, both of whom worked nights. The smiling explanation of theBoss, when Jimmy's guns had been locked up, he knew to be only parttruth. "Yo 're so plumb fighty we dass n't let you have 'em," the Bosshad said. "If we got to bust yore high-strung, unlovely spirit withoutkillin' you, you can't have no guns. An' th' corral gate is shorepadlocked, so keep th' cayuse I gave you."
Jimmy, enraged, sprang forward to grab at his gun, but Longhorn,dexterously tripping him, leaned against the wall and grinned evilly asthe angry youth scrambled to his feet. "Easy, Kid," remarked thegun-man, a Colt swinging carelessly in his hand. "You 'll get as yougive," he grunted. "Mind yore own affairs an' work, an' we 'll treatyou right. Otherwise--" the shrugging shoulders made furtherexplanations unnecessary.
Jimmy looked from one to the other and silently wheeled, gained thedecrepit horse and rode out to his allotted range, where he saturatedthe air with impotent profanity. Chancing to look back he saw a steerwheel and face the south; and at other times during the day he saw thatrepeated by other cattle--nor was this the only signs of trailing.Having nothing to do but ride and observe the cattle, which showed nodesire to stray beyond the range allotted to them, he observed verythoroughly; and when he rode back to the bunkhouse that night he haddeciphered the original brand on his cows and also the foundation forthat worn by Brazo Charley's herd on the section next to him. "I dunnowhere mine come from, but Charley's uster belong to th' C I, over nearSagebrush basin. That's a good hu
ndred miles from here, too. Just waittill I get a gun! Trip me an' steal my guns, huh? If I had a goodcayuse I 'd have that C I bunch over here right quick! I reckon they 'dlike to see this herd."
When he reached the bunkhouse all traces of his anger had disappearedand he ate hungrily during the silent meal.
When Longhorn and Brazo pushed away from the table Jimmy followed suitand talked pleasantly of things common to cowmen, until the two pickedup their saddles and rifles and departed in the direction of the corral,the Boss staying with Jimmy and effectually blocking the door. But hecould not block Jimmy's hearing so easily and when the faint sound ofhoofbeats rolled past the bunkhouse Jimmy knew that there were more thantwo men doing the riding. He concluded the number to be five, andperhaps six; but his face gave no indication of his mind's occupation.
"Play crib?" abruptly demanded the Boss, taking a well-worn deck ofcards from a shelf. Jimmy nodded and the game was soon going on."Seventeen," grunted the Boss, pegging slowly. "Pair of fools, theyare," he growled. "Both plumb stuck on one gal an' they go courtin'together. She reminds _me_ of a slab of bacon, she 's that homely."
Jimmy laughed at the obvious lie. "Well, a gal's a gal out here," hereplied. "Twenty for a pair," he remarked. He wondered, as he pegged,if it was necessary to take along an escort when one went courting onthe Tortilla. The idea of Brazo and Longhorn tolerating any rival orany company when courting struck him as ludicrous. "An' which is goin'to win out, do you reckon?"
"Longhorn--he 's bad; an' a better gun-man. Twenty-three for six. Gotth' other tray?" anxiously grinned the Boss.
"Nothin' but an eight--that's two for th' go. My crib?"
The Boss nodded. "Ugly as blazes," he mused. "_I_ would n't court her,not even in th' dark--huh! Fifteen two an' a pair. That's bad goin',very bad goin'," he sighed as he pegged.
"But you can't tell nothin' 'bout wimmen from their looks," remarkedJimmy, with the grave assurance of a man whose experience in that linecovered years instead of weeks. "Now I knowed a right purty gal once.She was plumb sweet an' tender an' clingin', she was. An' she had highideas, she did. She went an' told me she would n't have nothin' to dowith no man what wasn't honest, an' all that. But when a feller Iknowed rid in to her place one night she shore hid him under her bed forthree days an' nights. He had got real popular with a certain possebecause he was careless with a straight iron. Folks fairly yearned forto get a good look at him. They rid up to her place and she lied sosweet an' perfect they shore apologized for even botherin' her. Who 'd'a' thought to look under _her_ bed, anyhow? Some day he 'll go backan' natchurally run off with that li'l gal." He scanned his hand andreached for the pegs. "Got eight here," he grunted.
The Boss regarded him closely. "She stood off a posse with her eyes an'mouth, eh?"
"Didn't have to stand 'em off. They was plumb ashamed th' minute theysaw her blushes. An' they was plumb sorry for her bein' even a li'linterested in a no-account brand-blotter like--him." He turned the cribover and spread it out with a sort of disgust. "Come purty near bein'somethin' in that crib," he growled.
"An' did you know that feller?" the Boss asked carelessly.
Jimmy started a little. "Why, yes; he was once a pal of mine. But hegot so he could blot a brand plumb clever. Us cow-punchers shore liketo gamble. We are plumb childish th' way we bust into trouble. I neverseen one yet that was worth anythin' that would n't take 'most any kindof a fool chance just for th' devilment of it."
The Boss ruffled his cards reflectively. "Yes; we are a careless breed.Sort of flighty an' reckless. Do you think that gal's still in lovewith you? Wimmin' is fickle," he laughed.
"_She_ ain't," retorted Jimmy with spirit. "She 'll wait all right--forhim."
The Boss smiled cynically. "You can't hide it, Jimmy. Yo 're th' manwhat got so popular with th' sheriff. Ain't you?"
Jimmy half arose, but the Boss waved him to be seated again. "Why, youain't got nothin' to fear out here," he assured him. "We sorta likefellers that 'll take a chance. I reckon we all have took th' short endone time or another. An' I got th' idea mebby yo 're worth more 'n fiftya month. Take any chances for a hundred?"
Jimmy relaxed and grinned cheerfully. "I reckon I 'd do a whole lot fora hundred real dollars every month."
"Yo 're on, fur 's I 'm concerned. I 'll have to speak to th' boysabout it, first. Well, I 'm goin' to turn in. You ride Brazo's an'yore own range for th' next couple of days. Good night."
Jimmy arose and sauntered carelessly to the door, watched the Boss enterhis own house, and then sat down on the wash bench and gazed contentedlyacross the moonlit range. "Gosh," he laughed as he went over his storyof the beautiful girl with the high ideals. "I 'm gettin' to be asumptuous liar, I am. It comes so easy I gotta look out or I'll get th'habit. I'd do mor'n lie, too, to get my gun back, all right."
He stretched ecstatically and then sat up straight. The Boss was comingtoward him and something in his hand glittered in the soft moonlight asit swung back and forth. "Forget somethin'?" called Jimmy.
"You better stop watchin' th' moonlight," laughed the Boss as he drewnear. "That's a bad sign--'specially while that gal's waitin' for you.Here's yore gun an' belt--I reckoned mebby you might need it."
Jimmy chuckled as he took the weapon. "I ain't so shore 'bout needin'it, but I was plumb lost without it. Kept feelin' for it all th' timean' it was gettin' on my nerves." He weighed it critically and spun thecylinder, carelessly feeling for the lead in the chambers as thecylinder stopped. Every one was loaded and a thrill of fierce joysurged over him. But he was suspicious--the offer was too quick andtransparent. Slipping on the belt he let the gun slide into theblackened holster and grinned up at the Boss. "Much obliged. It feelsright, now." He drew the Colt again and emptied the cartridges into hishand. "Them 's th' only pills as will cure troubles a doctor can'ttouch," he observed, holding one up close to his face and shaking it atthe smiling Boss in the way of emphasis. His quick ear caught the soundhe strained to hear, the soft swish inside the shell. "Them 's Law inthis country," he soliloquized as he slid the tested shell in oneparticular chamber and filled all the others. "Yessir," he remarked asthe cylinder slowly revolved until he had counted the right number ofclicks and knew that the tested shell was in the right place. "Yessir,them's The Law." The soft moonlight suddenly kissed the leveled barreland showed the determination that marked the youthful face behind it."An' it shore works both ways, Boss," he said harshly. "Put up yorepaws!"
As the Boss leaped forward the hammer fell and caused a faint, cap-likereport. Then the stars streamed across Jimmy's vision and becameblotted out by an inky-black curtain that suddenly enveloped him. TheBoss picked up the gun and, tossing it on the bench, waited for theprostrate youth to regain his senses.
Jimmy stirred and looked around, his eyes losing their look of vacancyand slowly filling with murderous hatred as he saw the man above him andremembered what had occurred. "Sand _sounds_ like powder, my youthfulfriend," the Boss was saying, "but it don't _work_ like powder. I purtynear swallowed yore gal story; but I sorta reckoned mebby I better makeshore about you. Yo 're clever, Jimmy; so clever that I dass n't takeno chances with you. I 'll just tie you up till th' boys come back--weboth know what they 'll say. I 'd 'a' done it then only I like you; an'I wish you had been in earnest about joinin' us. Now get up."
Jimmy arose slowly and cautiously and then moved like a flash, only tolook down the barrel of a Colt. His clenched hands fell to his side andhe bowed his head; but the Boss was too wary to be caught by anypretenses of a broken spirit. "Turn 'round an' hol' up yore han's," heordered. "I 'll blow you apart if you even squirms."
Jimmy obeyed, seething with impotent fury, but the steady pressure ofthe Colt on his back told him how useless it was to resist. Life wasgood, even a few hours of it, for in those few hours perhaps a chancewould come to him. The rope that had hung on the wall passed over hiswrists and in a few moments he was helpless. "Now sit dow
n," came theorder and the prisoner obeyed sullenly. The Boss went in the bunkhouseand soon returned, picked up the captive and, carrying him to the bunkprepared for him, dumped him in it, tied a few more knots and, closingthe door, securely propped it shut and strode toward his own quarters,swearing savagely under his breath.
An hour later, while a string of horsemen rode along the crooked,low-lying trail across the Tortilla, plain in the moonlight, a figure atthe bunkhouse turned the corner, slipped to the door and carefullyremoved the props.
Waiting a moment it opened the door slowly and slipped into the blackinterior, and chuckled at the sarcastic challenge from the bunk."Sneakin' back again, hey?" blazed Jimmy, trying in vain to bridge onhis head and heels and turn over to face the intruder. "Turn me loosean' gimme a gun--I oughta have a chance!"
"All right," said a quiet, strange voice. "That's what I'm here for; butdon't talk so loud."
"Who 're you?"
"My name 's Cassidy. I 'm from th' Bar-20, what owns them cows you beenabusin'. Huh! he shore tied some knots! Wasn't takin' no more chanceswith you, all right!"
"G'wan! He never did take none."
"So I 've observed. Get th' blood circulatin' an' I 'll give you somewar-medicine for that useless gun of yourn what ain't sand."
"Good for you! I'll sidle up agin' that shack an' fill him so full oflead he won't know what hit him!"
"Well, every man does things in his own way; but I 've been thinkin' heoughta have a chance. He shore gave you some. Take it all in all, he 'sbeen purty white to you, Kid. Longhorn 'd 'a' shot you quick tonight."
"Yes; an' I 'm goin' to get him, too!"
"Now you ain't got no gratitude," sighed Cassidy. "You want to hog itall. I was figgerin' to clean out this place by myself, but now you cutin an' want to freeze me out. But, Kid, mebby Longhorn won't come backno more. My outfit's a-layin' for his li'l party. I sent 'em down wordto expect a call on our north section; an' I reckon they got a purtygood idea of th' way up here, in case they don't receive Longhorn an'his friends as per schedule."
"How long you been up here?" asked Jimmy in surprise, pausing in hisoperation of starting his blood to circulating.
"Long enough to know a lot about this layout. For instance, I know yo're honest. That's why I cut you loose tonight. You see, my friendsmight drop in here any minute an' if you was in bad company they mightmake a mistake. They acts some hasty, at times. I 'm also offerin' youa good job if you wants it. We need another man."
"I 'm yourn, all right. An' I reckon I will give th' Boss a chance.He'll be more surprised, that way."
Cassidy nodded in the dark. "Yes, I reckon so; he 'll have time towonder a li'l. Now you tell me how yo 're goin' at this game."
But he didn't get a chance then, for his companion, listening intently,whistled softly and received an answer. In another moment the room wasfull of figures and the soft buzz of animated conversation held hisinterest. "All right," said a deep voice. "We 'll keep on an' get thatherd started back at daylight. If Longhorn shows up you can handle him;if you can't, there 's yore friend Jimmy," and the soft laugh warmedJimmy's heart. "Why, Buck," replied Jimmy's friend, "he 's spoke forthat job already." The foreman turned and paused as he stood in thedoor. "Don't forget; you ain't to wait for us. Take Jimmy, if youwants, an' head for Oleson's. I ain't shore that herd of hissn is goodenough for us. We 'll handle this li'l drive-herd easy. So long."
Red Connors stuck his head through a small window: "Hey, if Longhornshows up, give him my compliments. I shore bungled that shot."
"'Tain't th' first," chuckled Cassidy. But Buck cut short the argumentsand led the way to Jimmy's pasture.
At daylight the Boss rolled out of his bunk, started a fire and put on akettle of water to get hot. Buckling on his gun he opened the door andstarted toward the bunkhouse, where everything appeared to be as he hadleft it the night before.
"It's a cussed shame," he growled. "But I can't risk him bringin' aposse out here. _What_ th' devil!" he shouted as he ducked. A bulletsang over his head, high above him, and he glanced at the bunkhouse withrenewed interest.
Having notified the Boss of his intentions and of the change in thesituation, Jimmy walked around the corner of the house and sent onedangerously close to strengthen the idea that sand was no longer sand.But the Boss had surmised this instantly and was greatly shocked by suchmiraculous happenings on his range. He nodded cheerfully at the nearingyouth and as cheerfully raised his gun. "An' he gave me a chance, too!He could 'a' got me easy if he didn't warn me! Well, here goes, Kid,"he muttered, firing.
Jimmy promptly replied and scored a hit. It was not much of a hit, butit carried reflection in its sting. The Boss's heart hardened as heflinched instinctively and he sent forth his shots with cooldeliberation. Jimmy swayed and stopped, which sent the Boss forward onthe jump. But the youth was only further proving his cleverness againsta man whom he could not beat at so long a range. As the Boss stoppedagain to get the work over with, a flash of smoke spurted from Jimmy'shand and the rustler spun half way around, stumbled and fell. Jimmypaused in indecision, a little suspicious of the fall, but a noisebehind him made him wheel around to look.
A horseman, having topped the little hill just behind the bunkhouse, wasracing down the slope as fast as his worn-out horse could carry him, andin his upraised hand a Colt glittered as it swung down to become lost ina spurt of smoke. Longhorn, returning to warn his chief, felt savageelation at this opportunity to unload quite a cargo of accumulatedgrouches of various kinds and sizes, which collection he had picked upfrom the Bar-20 northward in a running fight of twenty miles. Only alucky cross trail, that had led him off at a tangent and somehow escapedthe eyes of his pursuers, had saved him from the fate of his companions.
Jimmy swung his gun on the newcomer, but it only clicked, and the vexedyouth darted and dodged and ducked with a speed and agility verycreditable as he jammed cartridges into the empty chambers. Jimmy'sinterest in the new conditions made him forget that he had a gun and hestared in rapt and delighted anticipation at the cloud of dust thatswirled suddenly from behind the corral and raced toward the disgruntledMr. Longhorn, shouting Red's message as it came.
Mr. Cassidy sat jauntily erect and guided his fresh, gingery mount bythe pressure of cunning knees. The brim of his big sombrero, pinnedback against the crown by the pressure of the wind, revealed thedetermination and optimism that struggled to show itself around hisfirmly set lips; his neckerchief flapped and cracked behind his head andthe hairs of his snow-white goatskin chaps rippled like a thing of lifeand caused Jimmy, even in his fascinated interest, to covet them.
But Longhorn's soul held no reverence for goatskin and he cursed harderwhen Red's compliments struck his ear about the time one of Cassidy'sstruck his shoulder. He was firing hastily against a man who shot asthough the devil had been his teacher. The man from the Bar-20 used twoguns and they roared like the roll of a drum and flashed through theheavy, low-lying cloud of swirling smoke like the darting tongue of anangry snake.
Longhorn, enveloped in the acrid smoke of his own gun, which wrapped himlike a gaseous shroud, knew that his end had come. He was being shot topieces by a two-gun man, the like of whose skill he had never beforeseen or heard of. As the last note of the short, five second, crackingtattoo died away Mr. Cassidy slipped his empty guns in their holstersand turned his pony's head toward the fascinated spectator, whose mouthoffered easy entry to smoke and dust. As Cassidy glanced carelesslyback at the late rustler Jimmy shut his mouth, gulped, opened it tospeak, shut it again and cleared his dry throat. Looking from Cassidyto Longhorn and back again, he opened his mouth once more."You--you--what'd'ju pay for them chaps?" he blurted, idiotically.