CHAPTER XXIII
AT THE RODEO
There was an exodus from Seven Mile the second day after the fire.Keller went up Bear Creek, Phyllis accepted the invitation of Bess tostay with her at the Fiddleback, and her brother returned to theround-up.
The riders were now combing the Lost Creek watershed. Phil knew the campwould be either at Peaceful Valley or higher up, near the headwaters ofthe creek. Before he reached the valley the steady bawl of cattle toldhim that the outfit was camped there. He topped the ridge and lookeddown upon Cattleland at its busiest. Just below him was the remuda, theponies grazing slowly toward the hills under the care of threehalf-grown boys.
Beyond were the herded cattle. Here all was activity. Within the fenceof riders surrounding the wild creatures the cutting out and thebranding were being pushed rapidly forward. Occasionally some leggysteer, tail up and feet pounding, would make a dash to break the cordon.Instantly one of the riders would wheel in chase, head off the animal,and drive it back.
Brill Healy, boss of the rodeo by election, was in charge. He was anexpert handler of cattle, one of the best in the country. It was hisnature to seek the limelight, though it must be said for him that herose to his responsibilities. The owners knew that when he was runningthe round-up few cattle would slip through the net he wound around them.
"Hello, Brill!" shouted the young man as he rode up.
"Hello, son! Too bad about the fire. I'll want to hear about it later.Looking for a job?" he flung hurriedly over his shoulder. For he had noteven a minute to spare.
"I reckon."
Phil did not wait to be assigned work, but joined the calf branders.
Not until night had fallen and they were gathered round in a semicircleleaning against their saddles did Phil find time to tell the story ofthe fire. There was some haphazard comment when he had finished, afterwhich Slim spoke.
"So the nester hauled you out. Ce'tainly looks like he's plumb game. Yousaid he was afire when he got you into the open, didn't you, Phil?"
The boy nodded. "And all in. He fainted right away."
"With him still burning away like the doctor's fire there," murmuredHealy ironically, with a slight gesture toward the cook.
Phil looked at him angrily. "I didn't say that. Some one put the fireout."
"Oh, some one! Might a man ask who?"
Phil had not had any intention of telling, but he found himself lettingHealy have it straight.
"Phyllis."
"About what I thought!" Healy said it significantly, and with a malicethat overrode his discretion.
"What do you mean?" demanded the boy fiercely.
"I ain't said anything, have I?" Healy came back smoothly.
Yeager's quiet voice broke the silence that followed, while Phil wastrying to voice the resentment in him.
"You mean what we're all thinking, Brill, I reckon--that she is the sortto forget herself when somebody needs her help. Ain't that it?"
The eyes of the two met steadily in a clash of wills. Healy's gave wayfor the time, not because he was mastered, but because he did not wishto alienate the rough, but fair-minded, men sitting around.
"You're mighty good at explaining me to the boys, Jim. I expect that iswhat I mean," he answered sullenly.
"Sure," put in Purdy, with amiable intent.
"But when it comes to Mr. Keller I can explain myself tol'able well. Idon't need any help there, Jim, not even if he is yore best friend."
"If you've got anything to say against him, I'll ask you to say it whenI'm not around," broke in Phil. "You'll recollect, please, that he's_my_ friend, too."
"That so? Since, when, Phil?" the rodeo boss retorted sarcastically.
"Since he went into the fire after me and saved my life. Think I'm acoyote to round on him? I tell you he's a white man clear through. In myopinion, he's neither a rustler nor a bank robber." He was flushed andexcited, but his gaze met that of his former friend and challenged himdefiantly.
Healy's eyes narrowed. He gazed at the boy darkly, as if he meant toread him through and through. For years he had dominated Phil, hadshaped him to his ends, had led him into wild, lawless courses afterhim. Now the anchors were dragging. He was losing control of him. Heresolved to turn the screws on him, but not at this time and place.
"I've always been considered a full-grown man, Phil. What I think I aimto say out loud when the notion hits me. That being so, I go on recordas having an opinion about Keller. You think he's on the square, and yougive him a whitewashed certificate as a bony-fidy Sunday-school scholar.
"Different here. I think him a coyote and a crook, and so I say it rightout in meeting. Any objections?" The gaze of the boss shifted fromSanderson to Yeager, and fastened.
"None in the world. You think what you like, Brill, and we'll stick toour opinions," Yeager replied cheerfully.
"And when I get good and ready I'll act on mine," Healy replied with anevil grin.
"If you find it right convenient. I expect Keller ain't exactly a woodencigar Indian. Maybe he'll have a say-so in what's doing," suggestedYeager.
"About as much as he had last time," sneered the round-up boss. Withwhich he rose, stretched himself, and gave orders. "Time to turn in,boys. We're combing Old Baldy to-morrow, remember."
"And Old Baldy's sure a holy terror," admitted Slim.
"Come three more days and we'd ought to be through. I'm not going togrieve any when we are. This high life don't suit me too durned well,"put in Benwell.
"Yet when you come here first you was a right sick man, Tom. Now, you'resome healthy. Don't that prove the outside of a hawss is good for theinside of a man, like the docs say?" grinned Purdy.
"Tom's notion of real living is sassiety with a capital S," explainedCuffs. "You watch him cut ice at the Frying Pan dance next week. He'llbe the real-thing lady-killer. All you lads going, I reckon. How aboutyou, Jim?"
Yeager said he expected to be there.
"With yore friend the rustler?" asked Healy insolently over hisshoulder.
"I haven't got any friend that's a rustler."
"I'm speaking of Mr. Larrabie Keller." There was a slurring inflectionon the prefix.
"He'll be there, I shouldn't wonder."
"I'd wonder a heap," retorted Healy. "You'll see he won't show his facethere."
"That's where you're wrong, Brill. He told me he was going," spoke upPhil triumphantly.
"We'll see. He's wise to the fact that this country knows him for anout-and-out crook. He'll stay in his hole."
"You going, Slim?" asked Purdy amiably, to turn the conversation into amore pacific channel.
"Sure," answered that young giant, getting lazily to his feet. "Well,sons, the boss is right. Time to pound our ears."
They rolled themselves in their blankets, the starry sky roofing theirbedroom. Within five minutes every man of them was asleep except thenight herders--and one other.
Healy lay a little apart from the rest, partially screened by some boxesof provisions and a couple of sacks of flour. His jaw was clamped tight.He looked into the deep velvet sky without seeing. For a long time hedid not move. Then, noiselessly, he sat up, glanced around carefully tomake sure he was not observed, rose, and stole into the darkness,carrying with him his saddle and bridle.
One of his ponies was hobbled in the mesquite. Swiftly he saddled.Leading the animal very carefully so as to avoid rustling the brush, hezigzagged from the camp until he had reached a safe distance. Here heswung himself on and rode into the blur of night, at first cautiously,but later with swift-pounding hoofs. He went toward the northwest in abee line without hesitation or doubt. Only when the lie of the groundforced a detour did he vary his direction.
So for hours he travelled until he reached a canon in which squatted alittle log cabin. He let his voice out in the howl of a coyote before hedismounted. No answer came, save the echo from the cliff opposite. Againthat mournful call sounded, and this time from the cabin found ananswer.
A man came sleepily t
o the door and peered out. "Hello! That you,Brill?"
Healy swung off, trailed his rein, and followed the man into the cabin."Don't light up, Tom. No need."
For ten minutes they talked in low tones. Healy emerged from the cabin,remounted, and rode back to the cow camp. He reached it just as thefirst, faint streaks of gray tinged the eastern sky.
Silently he unsaddled, hobbled his pony, and carried his saddle back tothe place where he had been lying. Once more he lay down, glancedcautiously round to see all was quiet, and fell asleep as soon as hishead touched the saddle.