CHAPTER XV
COLLECTING A BAD DEBT
Wallie and Pinkey picked up a few stray cattle on their way to thehomestead on Skull Creek. It was late in the afternoon when they reachedit, so they decided to spend the night there. The corral was down inplaces, but with a little work it was repaired sufficiently to hold thecattle they put in it.
As Pinkey had prophesied, it gave Wallie the "blues" to look at theplace where he had worked so hard and from which he had hoped so much.He felt heartsick as he saw the broken fence-posts and tangled wire, theweeds growing in his wheat-field, the broken window-panes, and thewreckage inside his cabin.
The door had been left open and the range stock had gone in for shelter,while the rats and mice and chipmunks had taken possession. Such of hiscooking utensils as remained had been used and left unwashed, and thestove was partially demolished.
The only thing which remained as he had left it was the stream of saltwater that had cut a deeper channel for itself but had not diminished involume.
"I'll go over to Canby's and hit the cook for some grub and be backpronto," said Pinkey.
Wallie nodded. He was in no mood for conversation, for the realizationof his failure was strong upon him, and he could not rid himself of themortification he felt at having made a spectacle of himself beforeHelene Spenceley.
The future looked utterly hopeless. Without capital there seemed nothingto do but go on indefinitely working for wages. His aunt had sent wordin a roundabout way that if he wished to come back she would receivehim, but this he did not even consider.
Sitting on what was left of his doorstep, he awaited Pinkey's return, inan attitude of such dejection that that person commented upon itjocosely. He rode up finally with a banana in each hip pocket that hehad pilfered from the cook, together with four doughnuts in the crown ofhis hat and a cake in his shirt front.
"I tried to get away with a pie, but it was too soft to carry, so I puta handful of salt under the crust and set it back," he said, as hedisgorged his plunder. "He charged me for the bread and meat, andwouldn't let me have no butter! It's fellers like the Canby outfit thatspoil a country."
When they had eaten, they spread their saddle-blankets in the dooryardand with their saddles for pillows covered themselves with the slickersthey carried and so slept soundly until morning.
After breakfast, as they were leading their horses up the weed-grownpath to the cabin to saddle them, Pinkey's eye rested on the flowingsalt water stream.
"Can you beat it!" he commented. "Good for nuthin' but a bathin' poolfer dudes----"
Wallie stopped in the path and looked at the friend of his bosom.
"Pink," he said, solemnly, "why wouldn't this make a dude ranch?"
Pinkey stared back at him.
"Gentle Annie," he replied, finally, "I told you long ago you was goodfer somethin' if we could jest hit on it. You're a born duder!"
"Thanks! I feel as complimented as the fellow in the Passion Play who iscast for Judas Iscariot."
"I don't know what you're talkin' about--I've only seen a fewdraymas--but you got the looks and the figger and a way about you thatI've noticed takes with women. You'd make a great dude wrangler. Bleeveme, you've thought of somethin'!"
"I wasn't thinking of myself, but of the place here--the scenery--theclimate--fishing in the mountains--hunting in season----"
"_And_"--Pinkey interrupted--"the strongest stream of salt water in thestate fer mineral baths, with the Yellowstone Park in your frontdooryard!"
In his enthusiasm he pounded Wallie on the back.
"It _would_ be an asset, having the Park so close," the latter agreed,his eyes shining.
Pinkey went on:
"You kin run dudes whur you can't run sheep or cattle. What you need is_room_--and we're there with the room. Fresh air, grasshoppers, viewsany way you look--why, man, you got everything!"
"Except money," said Wallie, suddenly.
Pinkey's face lengthened.
"I hadn't thought of that."
For an instant they felt crushed. It was such a precipitous descent toearth after their flight.
They walked to the cabin, and saddled in a silence which was brokenfinally by Pinkey, who said vindictively:
"I'd rob a train to git money enough to turn fifty head of dudes looseon Canby. He'd be mad enough to bite himself. If he could help it hewouldn't have a neighbour within a hundred miles."
Wallie's thoughts were bitter as he remembered the many injuries he hadsuffered at Canby's hands. It was a subject upon which he dared nottrust himself to talk--it stirred him too much, although he had long agodecided that since he was powerless to retaliate there was nothing to dobut take his medicine. As he made no response, Pinkey continued while hetightened the cinch:
"If you could make a dude ranch out o' this and worry him enough, he'dgive you about any price you asked, to quit."
"I'd ask plenty," Wallie replied, grimly, "but it's no use to talk."
"It wouldn't trouble my conscience none if I hazed a bunch of his horsesover the line, but horses are so cheap now that it wouldn't pay to takethe chance."
"There's the Prouty Bank," Wallie suggested, ironically.
"Them bullet-proof screens have made cashiers too hard to git at."Pinkey spoke in an authoritative tone.
"Why don't you marry some rich widow and get us a stake?"
"Aw-w!" Resentment and disgust were in Pinkey's voice. "I'd stealwashings off of clothes lines first." He added: "I don't like themjokes."
"I didn't know you were touchy, Pink."
"Everybody's touchy," Pinkey replied, sagely, "if you hit 'em on theright spot. But, do you know, this dude ranch sticks in my mind, and Ican't git it out."
"We might as well let it drop. We haven't the money, so we're wastingour breath. We'll lose the jobs we've got if we don't get about ourbusiness. Let's leave the cattle in the corral and scout a littlethrough the hills--it'll save us another trip. I don't want to come hereagain soon--it hurts too much."
Pinkey agreed, and they rode gloomily along the creek bank looking for aford. A few hot days had taken off the heavy snows in the mountains soquickly that the stream was running swift and deep.
"That's treach'rous water," Pinkey observed. "They's boulders in thereas big as a house where it looks all smooth on top. I know a place abouta mile or so where I think it'll be safe."
They had ridden nearly that distance when, simultaneously, they pulledtheir horses up.
"Look at that crazy fool!" Pinkey ejaculated, aghast.
"It's--Canby!" Wallie exclaimed.
"Nobody else! Watch him," incredulously, "tryin' to quirt his horseacross the crick!"
"Isn't it the ford?"
"I should say not! It looks like the place but it ain't--he'smixed--he'll be in a jack-pot quick if he don't back out. Onct his horsestumbles it'll never git its feet in there."
They rode close enough to hear Canby cursing as he whipped.
"Look at him punish the poor brute! See him use that quirt and cut himwith his spurs! Say, that makes me sick to see a good horse abused!"Pinkey cried, indignantly.
Wallie said nothing but watched with hard, narrowed eyes.
"I s'pose I'd oughta yell and warn him," finally Pinkey said,reluctantly.
"You let out a yip and I'll slat you across the face!"
Pinkey stared at the words--at Wallie's voice--at an expression he neverhad seen before.
"I know how you feel, but it's pure murder to let him git into thatcrick."
"Will you shut up?" Wallie looked at him with steely eyes, and there wasa glint in them that silenced Pink.
He waited, wonderingly, to see what it all meant. The battle between manand horse continued while they watched from the high bank. In terrifiedprotest the animal snorted, reared, whirled, while the rider plied thequirt mercilessly and spurred. Finally the sting of leather, the pain ofsharp steel, and the stronger will won out, and the trembling horsecommenced to take the water.
Pin
key muttered, as, fascinated, he looked on:
"I've no idea that he knows enough to quit his horse on the down-streamside. He'll wash under, tangle up, and be drowned before we get a chanstto snake him out. He's a gone goslin' right now."
Cautiously, a few inches to a step, the horse advanced.
"There! He's in the boulders! Watch him flounder! Look at him slip--he'shit the current! Good-night--he's down--no, he's goin' to ketch himself!Watch him fight! Good ol' horse--good ol' horse!" Pinkey was besidehimself with excitement now. "He's lost his feet--he's swimmin'--strikin'out for the shore--too swift, and the fool don't know enough to give himhis head!"
They followed along the bank as the current swept horse and rider down.
"He swims too high--he's playin' out--there's so much mud he'll choke upquick. It'll soon be over now." Pinkey's face wore a queer,half-frightened grin. "Fifty yards more and----"
Wallie commenced to uncoil his saddle rope.
"You goin' to drag him out?"
Wallie made no answer but touched his horse and galloped until he wasahead of Canby and the drowning horse. Making a megaphone of his handshe yelled.
Canby lifted his wild eyes to the bank.
"Throw me a rope!" he shrieked.
A slow, tantalizing smile came to Wallie's face. Very distinctly hecalled back:
"How much damages will you give me for driving your cattle into mywheat?"
"Not a damn cent!"
The rope Wallie had been swinging about his head to test the looppromptly dropped.
The horse was swimming lower at every stroke.
"Five hundred!" Fear and rage were in Canby's choking voice.
"Put another cipher on that to cover my mental anguish!" Wallie mocked.
The horse was exhausting itself rapidly with its efforts merely to keepits nose out, making no further attempt to swim toward the bank. Canbyslapped water in its face in the hope of turning it, but it was toolate. Its breathing could be heard plainly and its distended nostrilswere blood-red.
Many things passed swiftly through Canby's calculating mind in the fewseconds that remained for him to decide.
His boots had filled and he was soaked to the waist; he knew that if heleft the horse and swam for it he had small chance of success. He wasnot a strong swimmer at best, and even if he managed to get to the bankits sides were too high and steep for him to climb out withoutassistance. He looked at Wallie's implacable face, but he saw noweakening there, it was a matter of a moment more when the horse wouldgo under and come up feet first.
"Throw me the rope!" His voice vibrating with chagrin and rage admittedhis defeat.
Wallie measured the distance with his eye, adjusted the loop, and as itcut the air above his head Canby held up his hands to catch it when itdropped.
"Good work!" Pinkey cried as it shot out and hit its mark. "You nevermade a better throw than that, old kid!"
Canby slipped the loop under his arm and, as he took his feet from thestirrups, shouted for them to tighten up.
The horse, relieved of his weight, took heart and struck out for theopposite bank, where a little dirt slide enabled it to scramble out.Shaking and dripping, at last it stood still at the top, while Canby, adead weight, was dragged over the edge to dry land.
There was as much fury as relief in his face when he stood up andstarted to loosen the rope around his chest.
Wallie stopped him with a gesture.
"No, you don't! I take no chances when I play with crooks. You make outthat check."
"Isn't my word good?" Canby demanded.
"Not so far as I can throw my horse."
"I haven't a check-book," he lied.
"Get it, Pink."
The check-book and indelible pencil which every sheep and cattlemancarries were in the inside pocket of his coat.
"Fill it out." Wallie passed the pencil to him. "And don't leave off acipher by mistake."
"I refuse to be coerced!" Canby declared, defiantly. "I'll keep my word,but I didn't say when."
"_I'm_ setting the date," Wallie replied, coolly, "and that's just fourminutes and a half from _now_," taking out his watch. "If I haven't gotthe check by then you'll pay for those locoed horses, too, or I'll throwyou back."
"You don't dare!"
"When you haven't anything to lose you'll do considerable to get 'hunks'and that's my fix. Besides, I need the money. Two minutes left--thinkfast."
"You'll sweat blood for this before I'm through with you!"
"Time's up--yes or no?"
Canby gritted his teeth.
Silently Wallie passed the end of the rope to Pinkey, who understood andtook a turn around his saddle-horn.
Before he could resist Wallie gave Canby a shove and pushed him over thebank. He struck the water with a splash and went out of sight.Immediately the well-trained cow-horse felt the strain it backed up andheld the rope taut.
Canby came to the surface, then dangled as the horse continued to holdoff. As he strangled with the water he had taken in his lungs andstruggled frantically in the air, it seemed beyond human belief that itwas he, Canby--Canby the all-powerful--in such a plight!
"Pay out a little rope, Pinkey. Give the fish more line."
Once again Canby dropped back and came up gasping, coughing, fightingfor his breath.
A little anxiously Pinkey asked:
"Don't you bleeve he's had enough?"
"Too much scrap left in him yet," Wallie replied, unmoved.
Canby shrieked at last: "I'll pay! Let me up!"
"You mean that?"
"Good God--YES!"
Pinkey led the horse back and in no gentle fashion Canby was pulled overthe edge for the second time, where he lay limp. When his breath andstrength returned he struggled to his feet.
"If you go in again you won't come up." Wallie's voice was metallic and,searching his face, Canby saw that he meant exactly what he said.
His hand was shaking as he filled out the check, using the saddle for adesk.
Wallie looked at it and handed it back.
"You forgot the horses--six hundred is what they cost."
Canby started to protest, then, with a crafty look which, fleeting as itwas, Wallie caught, he made out a new check for fifty-six hundred.
Turning to Pinkey, Canby said: "I'll give you a hundred and fifty foryour horse."
Pinkey hesitated. It was a hundred more than it was worth.
"I guess not." Wallie's voice was curt. "I'm clairvoyant, Canby, andI've read your thought. You can't stop payment by telephone, becausePink is going to close-herd you right here until I ride to Prouty andget this cashed."
Pinkey's jaw dropped.
"By the long-horn toads of Texas! I wouldn't 'a' thought of that in amonth!"
As Wallie put his foot into the stirrup for the first time his facerelaxed. He looked over his shoulder and grinned:
"If you listen, maybe you'll hear something making a noise like a duderanch, Pink."