Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-03-10
CHAPTER vi

CHAPTER vi
From the point he saw Steve and
Clay and Splann gather far behind
him. They rode like that for most
of the afternoon.
The two white-topped wagons had
vanished early northward over a
swell of ground. 1t was almost dark
when he saw Owl-Head's plume of
smoke. He waved Joe Wheat up to
take his place. To Quarternight he
said, "I'm going on"
There was something he wanted
to look at before the longhorns'
hoofs trampled out all sign. His
knowledge that Cross T horses had
been run up Crazy Woman Creek to
these plains had gnawed inside of
him, its puzzle only half clear. Now
a deep notch in the plains edge to
the east marked the entrance to
Crazy Woman. While off on his left
was the tank, natural hollow COW
ering several acres. 1t still held
enough muddy water, he saw, from
the winters rain, and brought HIM
self to sudden stop next moment.
1t was clear enough in his mind
that the Indian Supply herd had
needed horses and had got them by
trading Cross T stock via the New
Mexico exchange. The men who
had caught him near Crazy Woman
were not only rustlers but part of
the Indian Supply crew. Yet what
still had no answer was Clay Man.
ning's part in that deal.
Approaching camp where the two
wagons had stopped beside the
tanks rim, he saw the charred en-
bers of other camps near the cooks
fire. Owl-Head rose from stirring
something in Dutch oven and
jerked thumb toward them. What
do you make of that?"
He didn't say. No use spreading
what he knew. But Moonlight Bal
ley, driving ahead of the longhorns
with his horse herd, had cut that
trail from Crazy Woman. He was
riding in between the wagons now, a
small brown man with a bullfrog
voice.
"By Judas, Levi" he burst out,
II know where our saddle stock
went!''
"All right. Keep it to yourself"
keep it" Moonlight's round,
simple face turned dusty red.
Toms ribbed me plenty for losin'
horses. If l hadn't listened to Clay,
him tellin' me there was no use
lookin'-''
Moonlight" he said, "shut up!"
He had seen the canvas of joys
wagon open. Nov you mind!"
Then he heard her voice behind
him. LEV, come here"
He wheeled his horse around. She
was sitting on the blankets of her
bed, her hat off and her dark hair
falling loose.
what was Moonlight saying?"
Nothing" he said. "Your wran-
gler sleeps out in the moon too
much. He sees things"
mo. 1t was about the horses and
I've been thinking it wasn't possible
for twenty or thirty head to vanish
the way they did. What has Moon
light found?"
He didn't want to worry her with
mysteries, and yet he didn't want
this discovery to get back to Clay
Manning either. He said, That's
right, it was about the horses. Moon
light thinks he has the answer. I
don't think he has. But let it 60 for
now, will you? Don't talk
Sl@
II learned to keep things to myself,
Lew, long ago. I've had such a
good example from you men,"
He grinned, and yet, riding from
her, he hated that any doubt and
suspicion should begin to trouble her
SO early on the trail.
Long before Lew felt an uneasi-
ness himself the cattle were SMELL
ing something in the air. He had
marked six days in his logbook, es-
tlmatlng one hundred miles, when
they came that late afternoon to the
first stream bed on the plains. Point
ing the herd into it, he searched on
north for the double mountain land
mark and saw only the unbroken
horizon hard and sharp against the
sky.
There was no warning One mo-
ment all the camp made its picture
clear before his eyes. Tom Arnold
stood with a tin cup waiting for
his coffee. Joy and Steve were sit
ting on the tongue of her wagon in
one of their rare times together.
Three dim-shaped riders were COM
ing in for their meal.
The next instant an unseen hand
struck the campfire, scattering its
red Goals outward for a hundred
feet. The wagon canvases bellied
and slapped the bows Like pistol
shots. The stars we're suddenly
gone, and the winds full force with
its choking dust was something that
a man had to lean into strongly.