Oliver Strange - Sudden Westerns 04 - Sudden Outlawed(1934) (10 page)

 
          
The
fat man rose to the bait instantly. “G’wan, yu graveyard relic,” he retorted. “
yu
watch out, stranger; he’ll let yu do all the work; that
fella wouldn’t breathe if he could git anybody to do it for him.”

 
          
Jed
replied with an impolite gesture, and wheeling his horse to the left, motioned
Sudden to follow.

 
          
“We’ve
pretty well cleaned up around here—have to go further afield,” he said.

 
          
A
short ride brought them to where the plain slid off into a spread or country
which looked as though it had been the scene of an earthquake. Out of this the
longhorns, wild, fierce-eyed, had to be driven, and the task proved to be a
trying one to both man and horse.

 
          
Crashing
into the underbrush the riders unearthed a couple of steers and drove them into
the open. Then, in turn, each guarded the “catch” while the other searched for
additions. Both jobs demanded alertness and patience, for the cattle made
repeated efforts to break away. The approach of evening found them with a
collection of near two score.

 
          
“Pardner,
we done noble,” Jed said. “Reckon when we git ‘em to the main herd we can call
it a day.”

 
          
“Suits
me,” Sudden grinned, and smacked the nose of a straying steer with his rope. “I
certainly hope yu got a good cook; my belt’s damn near slippin’ off’n me.”

 
          
“Peg-leg’s
the finest cook in Texas—he says so hisself,” Jed laughed. “An’ he shore can
talk to mules in the language they understand.”

 
          
In
their search for cattle they had drifted some distance from the plain, and dark
was creeping up by the time they reached the herd. The sight of a big fire and
the near-by chuck-wagon brought a doleful expression on Jed’s face.

 
          
“Gotta
sleep on our saddles tonight, seemin’ly,” he said.

 
          
“Yu’ll
be some lucky if yu sleep a-tall,” a new voice put in.

 
          
Another
rider had caught them up—a wispy little man, nearing fifty, from whose brown
face, wrinkled like a walnut, small blue eyes peered at the pair amusedly.

 
          
“‘Lo,
Jeff,” Jed greeted, and turning to his partner, added, “This is our foreman—a
pretty ornery fella, as yu can see, Green.”

 
          
The
little man chuckled and shoved out a paw. “Heard o’ yu from the 0I’ Man,” he
said.

 
          
“We
can use yu.” He waved towards the grazing cattle. “The bunch is gettin’ big an’
wants watchin’, which is why we’re campin’ alongside. Also, Sam is on the
rampage, I reckon we gotta start workin’ tomorrow.”

 
          
“Sufferin’
cats!” wailed the cowboy. “C’mon, Green, let’s join the other loafers an’ load
up before this slavedriver makes it to-day.”

 
          
Having
unsaddled and turned their mounts loose—the beasts were too tired to stray
far—they joined the group squatting round the fire.

 
          
“Hey,
Jed, how many yu fetch in?” Dumpy inquired.

 
          
“Coupla
score, if it’s any o’ yore damned business,” Jed said.

 
          
“An’
mighty good goin’,” commented another.

 
          
“Aw,
Jed knows the easy places,” the fat man gibed.

 
          
“Then
I wish he’d picked on ‘em,” Sudden said ruefully. “I’ll never see a pincushion
again without feelin’ sorry for it.”

 
          
There
was a general laugh at this, for all the men were scratched and torn, despite
the stout leather “leggin’s” they wore.

 
          
Sudden
had a word with Sandy.

 
          
“We
joined this outfit too soon,” he said whimsically. “We’d oughta waited till
they
was
ready to drive.”

 
          
“I
wish we hadn’t joined a-tall,” his friend replied. “No, that ain’t so neither,
but—hell, what’s the use?”

 
          
With
which cryptic remark he rolled his blanket round him and went to sleep. Sudden,
too tired even to wonder about this attitude, followed his example. Slumber
must be made the most of; if anything disturbed the cattle, there would be no
more for any of them that night.

 
          
SOON
after dawn the men were astir and crowding round the fire, for the early air
was keen. Breakfast over, Jeff divided his forces; half were to begin the
branding while the others continued to build up the herd. Sudden and Sandy, as
not knowing the range, were allotted to the second task, a decision which—to
the former’s surprise, met with his friend’s satisfaction.

 
          
“We’re
shorely outa luck,” he remarked tentatively.

 
          
“Suits
me,” Sandy replied gaily. “We’ll show these hombres how to label longhorns.” He
straightened his neckerchief, slapped the dust from his clothes, and fingered
his chin uneasily.

 
          
“Say,
Jim, yu got a razor?” He saw the dawning grin of comprehension on the other’s
face, and added hastily, “These whiskers o’ mine’ll come out the wrong colour,
yu know.”

 
          
“Mine’s
at the bunkhouse,” Sudden said. “I saw the cook scrapin’ his jaw a piece ago.”

 
          
Peg-leg
obliged with a razor and a cracked mirror. “Which if yo’re goin’ to this
trouble on account o’ Miss Carol, yu needn’t,” he advised. “She’ll be too busy
to look at yu.”

 
          
“I
ain’t,” Sandy stated, with a flash which contradicted the assertion.
“Can’t stand a scrubby chin, that’s all.”

 
          
The
cook’s grimace was one of disbelief—he had seen other newcomers suffering from
the same affliction, but he said no more; he was a man of few words but, as was
once remarked, those few were frequently “damn near as strong as his caw-fee.”

 
          
The
branding promised to be a big job. Chutes were unknown in the south-west of
that day, and each animal had to be dealt with separately. Sandy found he was
to work with his friend. Sudden was waiting for him, a bundle of short
tie-ropes (piggin strings) in his hand.

 
          
“Hey,
yu lady-slayer,” he called. “
yank
some o’ them bawlin’
brutes over here an’ don’t keep me waitin’.”

 
          
“They’ll
come so quick yu’ll get dizzy,” the young man promised. “I’ll make yu think its
rainin’ cows.”

 
          
Sudden
smiled at the boyish boast. While his was the more dangerous and tricky task,
he fancied he could keep ahead of Sandy. But that optimist had helpers and soon
the tie-man had his hands full. The rays of the rising sun quickly drove the
chill from the air, and growing in intensity, added to the discomfort of the
workers. Perspiration drenched their faces but failed to remove the grime from
the ever-rising clouds of dust. Sweat caked on the flanks of galloping
mustangs. Cows bellowed and frightened calves blatted as they were
hauled .
willy-nilly
to the fire.
The shouts and rough banter of the riders merged with the rattle of horns in
the milling herd.

 
          
Sudden,
looking up in a moment of respite, found Eden watching him.

 
          
“Good
work, Green,” he said, and as Sandy with a whoop, rushed up another unwilling
victim, roped and threw it, he added: “Yore friend seems to know his job too.”

 
          
He
rode off without waiting for a reply, and Sudden was glad; the praise worried
him.

 
          
He
stole a glance at Sandy—who was freeing his rope from the helpless steer—and
was surprised to see that the boy’s face was redder than even the fierce sun
and his exertions warranted. He too had heard what the cattleman had said.

 
          
“Yu
boys have certainly made a hit with Sam,” the foreman commented.

 
          
Sudden
grunted an agreement. He liked the outfit and its owner, and he was there to
help ruin him. He tried to tell himself that the world, having made him an
outlaw, was to blame for any consequences, but he could not make the argument
convincing. Fortunately, he had little time for reflection; the cutters were
doing their work well.

 
          
“Told
yu I’d make yu hustle, didn’t I?” Sandy said, a little later.

 
          
“‘Pears
to me some other fella fetches along a steer now an’ then,” Sudden replied, as
he mopped his dirt-streaked features. “Say, I got an idea.
yu
swap jobs with me tomorrow an’ yu won’t have to worry ‘bout shavin’.”

 
          
“Nothin’ doin’.
Wouldn’t change places with yu for a blue
stack.”

 
          
Sudden
detected his involuntary glance over the plain to where Miss Carol was busy
bunching the branded cattle into a separate herd, and his eyes twinkled
understandingly. Sandy’s work took him near that trim little figure.

 
          
“Shucks,
I’ve done told Jeff yu can tie ‘em two at a lick,” he said teasingly.

 
          
“I’m
goin’ to tell him that as a liar yu got Ananias beat a mile before he opens his
mouth,”

 
          
Sandy
retorted, and to his horse, “G’wan, yu son o’ sin, we’ll give this fella
suthin’ else to think about.”

 
          
He
shot off towards the herd and had almost reached it when he saw something which
made him swerve suddenly: a newly-branded steer, mad with rage and pain, was
rushing full at Carol Eden, who, intent on her charges, did not see it. With a
yell of warning, Sandy raced and swung his rope. The loop dropped over the
brute’s horns and with a flip, he sent the slack over the rump and spurred his
mount to the left, jerking the hind legs from under the steer. As it crashed
down, the girl became aware of her danger and jumped her pony away. The fall
had taken the fight out of the steer; as soon as the rope was removed it
scrambled to its feet and lumbered off. Carol’s face was pale.

 
          
“Thank
you,” she smiled. “I’m afraid you’ll think I’m a tenderfoot to be caught like
that.”

 
          
Sandy’s
customary assurance had deserted him; he was the picture of confusion. Also, he
was finding breathing difficult, for it had indeed been a near thing; had he
missed his throw. …

 
          
He
shuddered at what might have been; the pony ripped up, the rider on the ground,
at the mercy of those sweeping, sharp-pointed horns. Hat in hand, he stammered
some commonplace, cursing himself inwardly for a tongue-tied fool. Her eyes
rested on him kindly.

 
          
“You
are Mister Green’s friend, aren’t you?” she asked. “He came to my assistance
too, so I’m now obliged to both of you. I ought to be glad you joined the
outfit.”

 
          
“I’m
hopin’ yu will be,” Sandy managed to say, and, as he saw his employer
approaching,

 
          
“Gosh,
I’m forgettin’ I got a job.”

 
          
As
he dragged a complaining calf on the end of his rope to the branding fire he
communed with himself:

 
          
“What
come over yu, yu lunkhead, to let a bit of a gal like that scare yu all up?
She
musts thought yu was dumb.”

 
          
But
his eyes were shining when he handed over his prisoner, and his sweaty, grimed
face wore such an expression of content that Sudden could not help but notice
it.