The Flying U Ranch

  CHAPTER II. "When Greek Meets Greek"

  The next morning, which was Sunday, the machinations of Big Medicinetook Pink down to the creek behind the bunk-house. "What's hurtin' yuh?"he asked curiously, when he came to where Big Medicine stood in thefringe of willows, choking between his spasms of mirth.

  "Haw-haw-haw!" roared Big Medicine; and, seizing Pink's arm in agorilla-like grip, he pointed down the bank.

  Miguel, seated upon a convenient rock in a sunny spot, was painstakinglycombing out the tangled hair of his chaps, which he had washed quite ascarefully not long before, as the cake of soap beside him testified.

  "Combing--combing--his chaps, by cripes!" Big Medicine gasped,and waggled his finger at the spectacle. "Haw-haw-haw!C-combin'--his--chaps!"

  Miguel glanced up at them as impersonally as if they were two cacklinghens, rather than derisive humans, then bent his head over a stubbornknot and whistled La Paloma softly while he coaxed out the tangle.

  Pink's eyes widened as he looked, but he did not say anything. He backedup the path and went thoughtfully to the corrals, leaving Big Medicineto follow or not, as he chose.

  "Combin'--his chaps, by cripes!" came rumbling behind him. Pink turned.

  "Say! Don't make so much noise about it," he advised guardedly. "I'vegot an idea."

  "Yuh want to hog-tie it, then," Big Medicine retorted, resentful becausePink seemed not to grasp the full humor of the thing. "Idees sure seemsto be skurce in this outfit--or that there lily-uh-the-valley couldn'tset and comb no chaps in broad daylight, by cripes; not and get off withit."

  "He's an ornament to the Flying U," Pink stated dreamily. "Us boneheadsdon't appreciate him, is all that ails us. What we ought to do is--helphim be as pretty as he wants to be, and--"

  "Looky here, Little One." Big Medicine hurried his steps until he wasclose alongside. "I wouldn't give a punched nickel for a four-horse loaduh them idees, and that's the truth." He passed Pink and went on ahead,disgust in every line of his square-shouldered figure. "Combin' hischaps, by cripes!" he snorted again, and straightway told the taleprofanely to his fellows, who laughed until they were weak andwatery-eyed as they listened.

  Afterward, because Pink implored them and made a mystery of it, theyinvited Miguel to take a hand in a long-winded game--rather, a seriesof games--of seven-up, while his chaps hung to dry upon a willow by thecreek bank--or so he believed.

  The chaps, however, were up in the white-house kitchen, where were alsothe reek of scorched hair and the laughing expostulations of theLittle Doctor and the boyish titter of Pink and Irish, who were curlinglaboriously the chaps of Miguel with the curling tongs of the LittleDoctor and those of the Countess besides.

  "It's a shame, and I just hope Miguel thrashes you both for it," theLittle Doctor told them more than once; but she laughed, nevertheless,and showed Pink how to give the twist which made of each lock acorkscrew ringlet. The Countess stopped, with her dishcloth danglingfrom one red, bony hand, while she looked. "You boys couldn't sleepnights if you didn't pester the life outa somebody," she scolded. "Seemsto me I'd friz them diamonds, if I was goin' to be mean enough to doanything."

  "You would, eh?" Pink glanced up at her and dimpled. "I'll find youa rich husband to pay for that." He straightway proceeded to friz thediamonds of white.

  "Why don't you have a strip of ringlets down each leg, with tight littlecurls between?" suggested the Little Doctor, not to be outdone by anyother woman.

  "Correct you are," praised Irish.

  "And, remember, you're not heating branding-irons, mister man," sheadded. "You'll burn all the hair off, if you let the tongs get red-hot.Just so they'll sizzle; I've told you five times already." She pickedup the Kid, kissed many times the finger he held up for sympathy--thefinger with which he had touched the tongs as Pink was putting themback into the grate of the kitchen stove, and spoke again to ease herconscience. "I think it's awfully mean of you to do it. Miguel ought tothrash you both."

  "We're dead willing to let him try, Mrs. Chip. We know it's mean. We'rereal ashamed of ourselves." Irish tested his tongs as he had been toldto do. "But we'd rather be ashamed than good, any old time."

  The Little Doctor giggled behind the Kid's tousled curls, and reachedout a slim hand once more to give Pink's tongs the expert twist he wastrying awkwardly to learn. "I'm sorry for Miguel; he's got lovely eyes,anyway."

  "Yes, ain't he?" Pink looked up briefly from his task. "How's your leg,Irish? Mine's done."

  "Seems to me I'd make a deep border of them corkscrew curls all aroundthe bottoms, if I was doin' it," said the Countess peevishly, from thekitchen sink. "If I was that dago I'd murder the hull outfit; I neverdid see a body so hectored in my life--and him not ever ketchin' on. Hemust be plumb simple-minded."

  When the curling was done to the hilarious satisfaction of Irish andPink, and, while Pink was dancing in them to show them off, anotherentered with mail from town. And, because the mail-bearer was Andy Greenhimself, back from a winter's journeyings, Cal, Happy Jack and Slimfollowed close behind, talking all at once, in their joy at beholdingthe man they loved well and hated occasionally also. Andy delivered themail into the hands of the Little Doctor, pinched the Kid's cheek,and said how he had grown good-looking as his mother, almost, spoke acheerful howdy to the Countess, and turned to shake hands with Pink. Itwas then that the honest, gray eyes of him widened with amazement.

  "Well, by golly!" gasped Slim, goggling at the chaps of Miguel.

  "That there Natiff Son'll just about kill yuh for that," warned HappyJack, as mournfully as he might with laughing. "He'll knife yuh, sure."

  Andy, demanding the meaning of it all, learned all about MiguelRapponi--from the viewpoint of the Happy Family. At least, he learned asmuch as it was politic to tell in the presence of the Little Doctor; andafterward, while Pink was putting the chaps back upon the willow, whereMiguel had left them, he was told that they looked to him, Andy Green,for assistance.

  "Oh, gosh! You don't want to depend on me, Pink," Andy expostulatedmodestly. "I can't think of anything--and, besides, I've reformed. Idon't know as it's any compliment to me, by gracious--being told soon asI land that I'm expected to lie to a perfect stranger."

  "You come on down to the stable and take a look at his saddle andbridle," urged Cal. "And wait till you see him smoking and looking pastyou, as if you was an ornery little peak that didn't do nothing butobstruct the scenery. I've seen mean cusses--lots of 'em; and I've seenmen that was stuck on themselves. But I never--"

  "Come outa that 'doby," Pink interrupted, "mud to his eyebrows, justabout. And he knew darned well we headed him in there deliberate. Andwhen I remarks it's soft going, he says: 'It is, kinda,'--just likethat." Pink managed to imitate the languid tone of Miguel very well."Not another word outa him. Didn't even make him mad! He--"

  "Tell him about the parrots, Slim," Cal suggested soberly. But Slim onlyturned purple at the memory, and swore.

  "Old Patsy sure has got it in for him," Happy Jack observed. "He askedPatsy if he ever had enchiladas. Patsy won't speak to him no more. Heclaims Mig-u-ell insulted him. He told Mig-u-ell--"

  "Enchiladas are sure fine eating," said Andy. "I took to 'em like ashe-bear to honey, down in New Mexico this winter. Your Native Son issolid there, all right."

  "Aw, gwan! He ain't solid nowhere but in the head. Maybe you'll love himto death when yuh see him--chances is you will, if you've took to eatin'dago grub."

  Andy patted Happy Jack reassuringly on the shoulder. "Don't getexcited," he soothed. "I'll put it all over the gentleman, just to showmy heart's in the right place. Just this once, though; I've reformed.And I've got to have time to size him up. Where do you keep him when heain't in the show window?" He swung into step with Pink. "I'll tell youthe truth," he confided engagingly. "Any man that'll wear chaps likehe's got--even leaving out the extra finish you fellows have given'em--had ought to be taught a lesson he'll remember. He sure must be atough proposition, if the whole bunch of yuh have had to give him up. Bygra
cious--"

  "We haven't tried," Pink defended. "It kinda looked to us as if he wasaiming to make us guy him; so we didn't. We've left him strictly alone.To-day"--he glanced over his shoulder to where the becurled chaps swungcomically from the willow branch--"to-day's the first time anybody'smade a move. Unless," he added, as an afterthought, "you count yesterdayin the 'doby patch--and even then we didn't tell him to ride into it; wejust let him do it."

  "And kinda herded him over towards it," Cal amended slyly.

  "Can he ride?" asked Andy, going straight to the main point, in the mindof a cowpuncher.

  "W-e-ell-he hasn't been piled, so far. But then," Pink qualifiedhastily, "he hasn't topped anything worse than Crow-hop. He ain't hardto ride. Happy Jack could--"

  "Aw, I'm gittin' good and sick of' hearin' that there tune," Happygrowled indignantly. "Why don't you point out Slim as the limit, once ina while?"

  "Come on down to the stable, and let's talk it over," Andy suggested,and led the way. "What's his style, anyway? Mouthy, or what?"

  With four willing tongues to enlighten him, it would be strange, indeed,if one so acute as Andy Green failed at last to have a very fair mentalpicture of Miguel. He gazed thoughtfully at his boots, laughed suddenly,and slapped Irish quite painfully upon the back.

  "Come on up and introduce me, boys," he said. "We'll make this NativeSon so hungry for home--you watch me put it on the gentleman. Only itdoes seem a shame to do it."

  "No, it ain't. If you'd been around him for two weeks, you'd want tokill him just to make him take notice," Irish assured him.

  "What gets me," Andy mused, "is why you fellows come crying to me forhelp. I should think the bunch of you ought to be able to handle onelone Native Son."

  "Aw, you're the biggest liar and faker in the bunch, is why," Happy Jackblurted.

  "Oh, I see." Andy hummed a little tune and pushed his hands deep intohis pockets, and at the corners of his lips there flickered a smile.

  The Native Son sat with his hat tilted slightly back upon his head and acigarette between his lips, and was reaching lazily for the trick whichmade the fourth game his, when the group invaded the bunk-house. Helooked up indifferently, swept Andy's face and figure with a glancetoo impersonal to hold even a shade of curiosity, and began rapidlyshuffling his cards to count the points he had made.

  Andy stopped short, just inside the door, and stared hard at Miguel,who gave no sign. He turned his honest, gray eyes upon Pink and Irishaccusingly--whereat they wondered greatly.

  "Your deal--if you want to play," drawled Miguel, and shoved his cardstoward Big Medicine. But the boys were already uptilting chairs tograsp the quicker the outstretched hand of the prodigal, so that Miguelgathered up the cards, evened their edges mechanically, and deignedanother glance at this stranger who was being welcomed so vociferously.Also he sighed a bit--for even a languid-eyed stoic of a Native Son mayfeel the twinge of loneliness. Andy shook hands all round, swore amiablyat Weary, and advanced finally upon Miguel.

  "You don't know me from Adam's off ox," he began genially, "but I knowyou, all right, all right. I hollered my head off with the rest of 'emwhen you played merry hell in that bull-ring, last Christmas. Also, Iwas part of your bodyguard when them greasers were trying to tickle youin the ribs with their knives in that dark alley. Shake, old-timer! Youdone yourself proud, and I'm glad to know yuh!"

  Miguel, for the first time in two weeks, permitted himself the luxuryof an expressive countenance. He gave Andy Green one quick, gratefullook--and a smile, the like of which made the Happy Family quiverinwardly with instinctive sympathy.

  "So you were there, too, eh?" Miguel exclaimed softly, and rose to greethim. "And that scrap in the alley--we sure had a hell of a time therefor a few minutes, didn't we? Are you that tall fellow who kicked thatsquint-eyed greaser in the stomach? Muchos gracios, senor! They werepiling on me three deep, right then, and I always believed they'd havegot me, only for a tall vaquero I couldn't locate afterward." He smiledagain that wonderful smile, which lighted the darkness of his eyes aswith a flame, and murmured a sentence or two in Spanish.

  "Did you get the spurs me and my friends sent you afterward?" asked Andyeagerly. "We heard about the Arizona boys giving you the saddle--and weraked high and low for them spurs. And, by gracious, they were beauts,too--did yuh get 'em?"

  "I wear them every day I ride," answered Miguel, a peculiar, caressingnote in his voice.

  "I didn't know--we heard you had disappeared off the earth. Why--"

  Miguel laughed outright. "To fight a bull with bare hands is one thing,amigo," he said. "To take a chance on getting a knife stuck in yourback is another. Those Mexicans--they don't love the man who crosses theriver and makes of their bull-fights a plaything."

  "That's right; only I thought, you being a--"

  "Not a Mexican." Miguel's voice sharpened a trifle. "My father wasSpanish, yes. My mother"--his eyes flashed briefly at the faces of thegaping Happy Family--"my mother was born in Ireland."

  "And that sure makes a hard combination to beat," cried Andy heartily.He looked at the others--at all, that is, save Pink and Irish, who haddisappeared. "Well, boys, I never thought I'd come home and find--"

  "Miguel Rapponi," supplied the Native Son quickly. "As well forget thatother name. And," he added with the shrug which the Happy Family hadcome to hate, "as well forget the story, also. I am not hungry for thefeel of a knife in my back." He smiled again engagingly at Andy Green.It was astonishing how readily that smile had sprung to life with thewarmth of a little friendship, and how pleasant it was, withal.

  "Just as you say," Andy agreed, not trying to hide his admiration. "Iguess nobody's got a better right to holler for silence. But--say, yousure delivered the goods, old boy! You musta read about it, you fellows;about the American puncher that went over the line and rode one oftheir crack bulls all round the ring, and then--" He stopped and lookedapologetically at Miguel, in whose dark eyes there flashed a warninglight. "I clean forgot," he confessed impulsively. "This meeting youhere unexpectedly, like this, has kinda got me rattled, I guess. But--Inever saw yuh before in my life," he declared emphatically. "I don'tknow a darn thing about--anything that ever happened in an alley inthe city of--oh, come on, old-timer; let's talk about the weather, orsomething safe!"

  After that the boys of the Flying U behaved very much as do childrenwho have quarreled foolishly and are trying shamefacedly to re-establishfriendly relations without the preliminary indignity of open repentance.They avoided meeting the velvet-eyed glances of Miguel, and at the sametime they were plainly anxious to include him in their talk as if thathad been their habit from the first. A difficult situation to meet, evenwith the fine aplomb of the Happy Family to ease the awkwardness.

  Later Miguel went unobtrusively down to the creek after his chaps; hedid not get them, just then, but he stood for a long time hidden behindthe willow-fringe, watching Pink and Irish feverishly combing outcertain corkscrew ringlets, and dampening their combs in the creek tofacilitate the process of straightening certain patches of rebelliousfrizzes. Miguel did not laugh aloud, as Big Medicine had done. He stooduntil he wearied of the sight, then lifted his shoulders in the gesturewhich may mean anything, smiled and went his way.

  Not until dusk did Andy get a private word with him. When he did findhim alone, he pumped Miguel's hand up and down and afterward clutched atthe manger for support, and came near strangling. Miguel leaned besidehim and smiled to himself.

  "Good team work, old boy," Andy gasped at length, in a whisper. "Best Iever saw in m'life, impromptu on the spot, like that. I saw you had themakings in you, soon as I caught your eye. And the whole, blame bunchfell for it--woo-oof!" He laid his face down again upon his folded armsand shook in all the long length of him.

  "They had it coming," said Miguel softly, with a peculiar relish. "Twowhole weeks, and never a friendly word from one of them--oh, hell!"

  "I know--I heard it all, soon as I hit the ranch," Andy replied weakly,standing up and wiping h
is eyes. "I just thought I'd learn 'em alesson--and the way you played up--say, my hat's off to you, all right!"

  "One learns to seize opportunities without stuttering," Miguel observedcalmly--and a queer look came into his eyes as they rested upon the faceof Andy. "And, if the chance comes, I'll do as much for you. By the way,did you see the saddle those Arizona boys sent me? It's over here. It'sa pip-pin--almost as fine as the spurs, which I keep in the bunk-housewhen they're not on my heels. And, if I didn't say so before, I'm sureglad to meet the man that helped me through that alley. That big, fatdevil would have landed me, sure, if you hadn't--"

  "Ah--what?" Andy leaned and peered into the face of Miguel, his jawhanging slack. "You don't mean to tell me--it's true?"

  "True? Why, I thought you were the fellow--" Miguel faced him steadily.His eyes were frankly puzzled.

  "I'll tell you the truth, so help me," Andy said heavily. "I don't knowa darned thing about it, only what I read in the papers. I spent thewhole winter in Colorado and Wyoming. I was just joshing the boys."

  "Oh," said Miguel.

  They stood there in the dusk and silence for a space, after which Andywent forth into the night to meditate upon this thing. Miguel stood andlooked after him.

  "He's the real goods when it comes to lying--but there are others," hesaid aloud, and smiled a peculiar smile. But for all that he felt thathe was going to like Andy very much indeed. And, since the Happy Familyhad shown a disposition to make him one of themselves, he knew that hewas going to become quite as foolishly attached to the Flying U as waseven Slim, confessedly the most rabid of partisans.

  In this wise did Miguel Rapponi, then, become a member of Jim Whitmore'sHappy Family, and play his part in the events which followed hisadoption.