CHAPTER 8. Pink in a Threatening Mood.
Eagle Creek Smith had at last reached the point where he must face newconditions and change established customs. He could no longer ignorethe barrenness of the range, or close his eyes to the grim fact thathis cattle were facing starvation--and that in June, when they should betaking on flesh.
When he finally did confess to himself that things couldn't go on likethat, others had been before him in leasing and buying land, until onlythe dry benches were left to him and his hungry herds.
But Eagle Creek was a man of resource. When the round-up pulled in andWooden Shoes reported to him the general state of the cattle, and toldof the water-holes newly fenced and of creek bottoms gobbled by men morefarseeing than he, Eagle Creek took twenty-four hours to adjust himselfto the situation and to meet the crisis before him. His own land, ascompared to his twenty thousand cattle, was too pitifully inadequate fora second thought.
He must look elsewhere for the correct answer to his problem.
When Rowdy rode apathetically up to the stable, Pink came out of thebunk-house to meet him, big with news. "Oh, doctor! We're up against ita-plenty now," he greeted, with his dimples at their deepest.
"Huh!" grunted Rowdy crossly. "What's hurting you, Pink?"
"Forecasting the future," Pink retorted. "Eagle Creek has come alive,and has wised up sudden to the fact that this ain't going t' be anyNoah's flood brand uh summer, and that his cattle look like the tailingsof a wash-board factory. He's got busy--and we're sure going to. We'redue t' hit the grit out uh here in the first beams uh rosy morn, and doa record stunt at gathering cattle."
"Well, we were going to, anyhow," Rowdy cut in.
"But that's only the prelude, old-timer. We've got t' take 'em acrosscountry to the Belknap reservation. Eagle Creek went t' town andtelegraphed, and got the refusal of it for pasturage; he ain't soslow, oncet he gets started. But if you've ever rode over them dried-upbenches, you savvy the merry party we'll be when we git there. I've sawjack-rabbits packing their lunch along over there."
"Belknap"--Rowdy dropped his saddle spitefully to the ground--"is whereour friend Conroy has just gone to fill a splendid position."
Pink thoughtfully blew the ashes from his cigarette. "Harry Conroy wouldfill one position fine. So one uh these days I'll offer it to him. Idon't know anybody that'd look nicer in a coffin than that jasper--andif he's gone t' Belknap, that's likely the position he'll fill, allright."
Rowdy said nothing, but his very silence told Pink much.
"How'd yuh make out with Jessie?" Pink asked frankly, though he was notsupposed to know where Rowdy had been.
Rowdy knew from experience that it was useless trying to keep anythingfrom Pink that Pink wanted to know; besides, there was a certain comfortin telling his troubles to so stanch a friend. "Harry got his work inthere, too," he said bitterly. "He beat me to her and queered me forgood, by the looks."
"Huh!" said Pink. "I wouldn't waste much time worrying over her, ifshe's that easy turned."
"She's all right," defended Rowdy quickly. "I don't know as I blame her;she takes the stand any sister would take. She wants to know all aboutthe trouble--hear both sides, she said, so she could judge which was toblame. I guess she's got her heart set on being peacemaker. I know onething: she--likes me, all right."
"I don't see how he queered yuh any, then," puzzled Pink. "She surecouldn't take his part after you'd told her all he done."
Rowdy turned on him savagely. "You little fool, do you think I told her?Right there's the trouble. He told his story; and when she asked formine, I couldn't say anything. She's his sister."
"You--didn't--tell!" Pink leaned against the stable and stared. "RowdyVaughan, there's times when even your friend can't disguise the factthat yuh act plumb batty. Yuh let Harry do yuh dirt that any other man'd'a' killed him on bare suspicion uh doing; and yuh never told her whenshe asked yuh to! How yuh lent him money, and let him steal some rightout uh your pocket--"
"I couldn't prove that," Rowdy objected.
"And yuh never told her about his cutting your latigo--"
"Oh, cut it out!" Rowdy glowered down at him. "I guess I don't need tobe reminded of all those things. But are they the things a man can tella girl about her brother? Pink, you're about as unfeeling a little devilas I ever run across. Maybe you'd have told her; but I couldn't. So it'sall off."
He turned away and stared unseeingly at the rim of hills that hid theplace where she lived. She seemed very far away from him just then--andvery, very desirable. He thought then that he had never before realizedjust how much he cared.
"You can jest bet I'd 'a' told her!" gritted Pink, watching furtivelyRowdy's averted face. "She ain't goin' t' be bowed down by no load ofignorance much longer, either. If she don't get Harry Conroy's pedigreestraight out, without the varnish, it'll be because I ain't next to allhis past."
But Rowdy, glooming among the debris of certain pet air-castles, neitherheard nor wanted to hear Pink's wrathful mutterings. As a matter offact, it was not till Pink clattered out of the yard on Mascot that heremembered where he was. Even then it did not occur to him to wonderwhere Pink was going.