14
The path over which Landy guided his little partner may have been ananimal trail before the days of the intrusion of the white men. It hadits beginnings in a little unnoticeable niche at the Welborn cabin. Itwound a narrow way along the face of the cliff and led down and aroundto cross a quick-flowing brook that farther down was to take the name"Mad Trapper's Fork." Halfway down, Landy pointed out that someblasting here and a bridge there would make a serviceablethoroughfare. Davy was fairly busy in retaining his saddle-seat asPeaches followed old Frosty around the dangerous turns. At the halt,and during Landy's remarks, he gazed at the towering peaks on the oneside and the yawning ravine on the other, and suggested that he,Landy, could no doubt construct the proposed improvement someafternoon when he was resting from his strenuous work in the hayfield.
The sarcasm was ignored. Landy searched out a convenient crossing ofthe little stream. Once out of the stream bed the party was toencounter a vast tableland of grazing ground that seemed bounded byhills and peaks on all sides--the Tranquil Meadows.
It was Davy's time to halt the procession. As was his custom, he rodePeaches in front of Frosty and stopped for an extended inspection.
"A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou Beside me, singing in the Wilderness--Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!"
chanted the little man as he gazed from peak to pinnacle. "Say, Landy!I once dreamed of this place, and I didn't leave out a detail. I waswaiting for a delayed train at Peru for a jump to Buffalo to join up aKeith circuit. At the station there was a pestering drunk with his'how-come' stuff and two simpering women with their 'ain't-he-cute'rot. I was tired. I'd had a tough season. That summer, there was a bigcrop of gawks and I had encountered all of 'em. I wanted to quit thegame--wanted to hide out. On the sleeper, I dreamed of this place. Iwas on a horse--a big, fat ring-horse, with a pad. I rode rightthrough a bunch of cattle. I held on with more zeal than did oldFisheye Gleason when he fell on the back of the hippopotamus at thestart of the Grand Entry.... Say," the midget interrupted his reverie,"just about how far away from this Paradise Bowl is this Bar-Ohangout?"
"The Bar-O is the lid to yer Gravy Bowl," replied the Nestor. "Hit'sthat line of hills to the no'th, en winds up in this crumpled mess ofhills here at the east end. This last section is called The Cliffs. Ifthar's any loose yearlin's left, they'll be thar. We'll edge aroundthat away en then swing over to where old Matt laid out a path to thesouthern settlements."
On the way to the Cliffs, Landy recounted much local history. "Theywuz wild cattle in these ravines long before the surveyors surroundedold Matt with their lines. No one knew whar they come from nor to whothey belonged. Old Matt simply absorbed 'em, as he did anything elsethat was loose. They were his foundation stock. That's why there areso many yaller-hammers en pennariles among 'em. Once er twice old Mattforgot to put up hay en his livestock wintered in them ravines enpawed in the snow fer what grass they got. Hit wasn't so bad. Acow-brute won't thrive in close quarters; they're better off with jista wind-break en rain-shelter. But look out when hit's calvin' time! Acow will pick out the night of the big snow en drop her calf right inhit. I've often wondered if the colleges that teach farmin' en sich,ever tackled en solved that heavy problem: 'Is hit better to fret enworry a cow by pennin' her up in a clean box-stall, er allowin' her incheerful contentment to go off by herse'f en have her calf in thefringe of a mudhole at the far away corner?'"
Davy was looking about as he listened. Here was the tremendousspectacle of which he had dreamed. It was a spoken drama intechnicolor.
Frosty pricked up his ears. Landy veered the course to the right. Abunch of yellowish red calves were startled out of a willow clump andturned to watch the intruders. As the horsemen rode around to the eastand north they resumed their grazing. Near the mouth of another ravinea few more were encountered.
"There're thirty-seven of 'em," said Landy, as the party completed thecircle, "en that's about twice as many as I expected. They're in goodflesh. With plenty of hay this winter en a mite of grain, they woulddo for quick feeders next fall."
"Well, you couldn't feed 'em away off out here, could you?" demandedDavy.
"Shore!" said the expert. "There's more shelter out here than in thempropped-up stables at the Bar-O. The B-line's got about five times asmuch hay as they need. We ought to be able to wheedle that gal out ofa few stacks. But haulin' hay in breast-deep snow is some job. Hitought to be under way right now. If old Hulls has quit out, en we gitaction, I'll talk to Potter en them loafers at the B-line en try togit a few ricks tucked away in here before snow comes. A few blocks ofsalt, scattered around, will keep 'em from diggin' dirt er huntin' alick."
And now the inspectors turned west to follow cattle paths over anundulating terrain for at least two miles. Here a double trail wasencountered. Landy rode for a distance in both directions lookingintently for signs.
"Ugly Collins has either lost his time-card er has traded his wagonfer a airyplane," said the mentor. "Mebbe Maizie has delayed thetake-off to finish her war with Logan. At any rate, they haven't lefta wagon track. Let's go by the house. I'll introduce ye as a circusman from Springfield that's visitin' en lookin'. If ya can interestMaizie so I kin talk to Hulls private, hit will he'p a lot."
"Not me!" interposed the little man hastily, "just leave me out ofthis local war. I've got a date with some church folks tomorrow night.But I don't want to be carried in feet foremost and hear the preachertalk about 'the many mansions and green pastures.' Isn't there someway that we can by-pass this Maizie and her orders 'to kill onsight'?"
"Why, I thought ya wanted to meet Maizie," chuckled Landy, "thought yewanted to contract her fer fortune tellin' down at that island place?Anyhow," continued the raconteur in a serious vein, "there's no chancefer a row. I know Hulls, I knew his daddy, old Matt. He knows I'm nosheriff a lookin' fer trouble. He'll talk to me like a friend. I'mjist out here a-showin' my circus friend the scenery. He'll talk to meall friendly like, en Maizie will be tickled at yer size en talk aboutcircuses en sich. Speak up to her. Tell her that she belongs in thisfortune-tellin' business. Cut up a few of yer dance capers--git herinterested--en I'll find out why they ain't on the road to a getaway."
Landy turned into the double track that led north followed by areluctant midget. He watched the paths for signs of recent travel butcontinued his recitations of local history.
"These Barrow folks ain't bad--jist ornery. Hit's due to breedin' encustom, fer they are part Injun. Old Matt told me so, one time when Iwas over here a-lookin' fer lost horses. Matt said his mother was aUte--full-blooded en tribe-raised. Now, Injuns don't have much regardfer personal property. Except fer their arms en blanket all else isjist common plunder fer anyone. The deer in the thicket, the fish inthe streams, and the birds in the air belong to the feller that gits'em. 'Course, Matt absorbed the wild cattle, en any other cattle hefound on the loose. He didn't want any cattle brand--jist play thegame his fashion, 'finders are takers,' same as fish er wild ducks.
"Sich a plan didn't set well with the white settlers that was tryin'to put down cattle thefts. Old Matt got a bad reputation en he didn'ttry to correct hit. He matched Injun cunnin' agin the 'white laws' engot ostracized. He raised his boys by the same standards. This Hullsis jist dumb en ornery but Archie was smart. He l'arned to read, enwhen Maizie came, he l'arned to write en cipher after he was a grownman. If Archie got the express company's money--en hit sorta lookslike he did--he was smart enough to 'duck out' with hit. Maizie knowsthat Archie is smart. She wants--
"Look thar!" he interrupted to point at wagon tracks in the dust. "Hitlooks like a getaway had been vetoed. Changed their minds," he addedas he pointed to a sharp turn in the tracks and a return to thebeaten way farther along to the north. "Now hit's anybody's guess asto what's happened." Landy was about to dismount for a closerexamination when he again interrupted. "They went back to git a freshstart," he exclaimed as he pointed to a two-horse wagon approachingfrom between the low hills.
"Now jist kee
p yer shirt on," he cautioned Davy. "Yer a circuser, outhere on a visit. I'm a-showin' ye the neighborhood. Let's keep ridin'en be surprised like." The two rode the double trail to turn out whenthe wagon stopped. "Howdy, folks," was Landy's greeting.
Ugly Collins was driving. Hulls Barrow was in the seat beside him witha rifle across his knees. Maizie was on a low chair in the rear,surrounded by bedding, boxes, tables, chairs, and all manner ofhousehold wares that piled high, were held in place by stakes andstout ropes.
"Why, hit's old Landy Spencer," said Hulls as he returned the gun toits place on his knees. "What's got ye outen the bed so early?"
"I was harassed outa bed by this pesterin' friend of mine who left thecircus at Cheyenne to come out fer a visit en to view the scenery. Iwant ye to meet him, en he'p me answer his questions. Folks, meetMister Davy Lannarck, a circuser, that's curious to see how en whar welive. Davy, that's my old friend Mister Hulls Barrow, en that's MisterCollins, en you are Miss Maizie, I take hit," Landy added as Maiziestood up to see what was going on. "My young friend here was cut downto a boy's size in heft en stature but he shore makes up thedifference in askin' questions en in gaddin' about. When he roused meout this mornin' to go gaddin', I planned to swing around this way enlet you all he'p me. But from the looks of things, you folks musta gotword that we were comin' en are makin' a hasty move to avoid sich avisit."
The men may have smiled at Landy's quip but Maizie laughed aloud."It's the other way," she said. "You put off your visit until you sawthat we were moving; then you come, expecting to be entertained. Hadyou come two weeks ago we could have helped."
"I wasn't here two weeks ago," interposed Davy. "Then we were in theNorthwest, looking for a town with enough money to pay the feed billsand freight on a lot of circus animals. In fact, we had put in thesummer looking for such a place and never did find it."
"Well, we're going to where there's money--plenty of it," said Maizie.
"Take me along," pleaded the midget. "I haven't seen 'loose money'since we opened the ticket wagon at Grand Park in April."
"What's this, Hulls!" demanded Landy. "Are ye shiftin' pastures?"
"I shore am!" replied Hulls emphatically. "I'm gittin' outa thethistles en sage to whar thar's decent folks. I'm a-leavin' thesehellions to rot in their tracks while I have a few days of peace enquiet. But don't say anything, Landy, until we git goin' en outa thecountry."
"Shore I won't!" pledged Landy. "That's your business--not theirs.Have ye laid out a considerable trip?"
"Yes, we're goin' to Nevady, down whar they're buildin' a bigwater-dam. Archie's down thar; makin' money a-plenty. There's a bigstir on down thar. Everybody's a-workin' en Archie wants our he'p."
"Well, I'm sorry yer a-leavin' but I'm glad fer this chance. I'vewanted to see Archie ever since he he'ped me git them cattle acrossthe Ranty that time. I owe him and now I've got a chance to pay." HereLandy searched a bill out of his billfold and handed it to Hulls.
"Tell Archie that that ought to take keer of debt en int'rest. Ye see,I didn't have any money with me that day, en anyhow, Archie poo-pooedthe idee of pay at the time, but I always want to pay for he'pthataway. But I never saw Archie again en I'm glad of this chance toease my mind."
Hulls folded the bill and put it in his pocket. He looked at the sun."I expect that we'd better git goin'; we've put in the whole nighta-loadin' up, en we got down here a piece en found out that we forgotthe dog en we had to go back. En say, Landy," he called as the wagonstarted, "I forgot to turn them bulls out to worter. If ye go out thatway, will ye open the gate en let 'em out?"
The rattle of the wagon repressed the eager reply.
Landy resumed the way to the north; Davy waited to watch the wagon andits little cloud of dust disappear over a distant swell. When herejoined his friend he rode in front of Frosty to halt for aconference.
"You've made the right estimate, Landy, they're not bad people. Ashurried as they were, they had time to go back a mile or two for thedog. People that do that sort of things are not bad. I feel sorry for'em."
"Well, yer sorrow is sorta misplaced; they're havin' the time of theiryoung lives. Hulls is a-gettin' out of a mess that had no otheroutlet; Maizie is to see a lot of new scenery en will git to he'pArchie spend the money; Ugly is a-gittin' to hang around Maizie whilehe eats at least two steady meals a day. I was jist figgerin', Hullshas got more money in his pocket than he ever had in all his borndays. He's evidently sold off about ten cows en calves to MooneyWhitset of the Diamond outfit; he's got the forty--if Ugly give hit tohim, en the five I jist handed him--that Archie will never see--so,all told, they are in clover. Hit will take 'em about two weeks tomake the trip, en with all that plunder aboard Archie will give 'em aroyal welcome.
"Ye see, son, old Matt--ner the boys--ever made a dime out of thisplace--never wanted to. Jist fiddled around, huntin', fishin' enloafin'. The whole thing wasn't any bigger an asset than a job as asection hand on the U P. Their sales of scrawny cattle jist about paidthe taxes en bought their salt en terbacker.
"Now, son, ye are on the Bar-O. The line runs from them peaks in theCliffs to a bend in the crick at that fringe of trees. Then add twosections of rough land around the Cliffs, en that's hit. The Barrowsnever did much fencin'. Jist a bresh fence around the truck patch en afairly good corral at the stables is about all. The cows are down tharby the spring. We'll turn the bulls out en go down en count 'em."
While Landy was engaged in the requested task Davy took hasty surveyof the surroundings. The stables and house were of the samearchitecture: rambling log structures that seemed to have been erectedafter many an afterthought. The front door of the house was open.Landy closed it, and circled the house to see that all other openingswere closed. He then mounted and motioned Davy to follow the bulls towater. Here, Landy circled the cows and calves. "Thar's twenty-six of'em," he commented, "en ye owe Finch the full amount of his claim.
"Now," commented the aged Nestor, "we'll not go over by the B-line.What they don't know won't hurt 'em. We'll jist slip back home the waywe come. Tomorry will be plenty of time to go over the hay-he'pmatter, en on Monday we must cinch the deal."