Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-05-19
CHAPTER XVI

On the lar SIDE OF the Quleteu cat
tie, Lew saw Clay ride out with Joe
Wheat and Neal Good on their first
guard and passed him in the dark
still later at the change of watches
when he began his own second guard
from eleven until two; so that his
first sense, when Owl-Head Jack
sons rough hand Weakened him In
the morning, was one of refusing
what he heard.
Bent above him in the half-llght,
the cook was saying, Lew! Hey
there! Something's missin'. We're
short man."
He sat up in his blankets. Clay,
his bedron and his war bag were
gone.
He still refused it. Dragged with
a heavy sleep, he said irritably, All
right, all right. I see. Never mind
But afterward, dressed, he walked
out through the picketed night
guard horses and found that Clay
had taken the one he had ridden
last. Following fresh tracks on the
dewy grass, he traced them to the
creek and across it and saw they
were aimed for town.
All the camp was aroused and
knew of it by the time he got back.
Owl-Head's busy tongue was letting
them know. He saw Joy crouched
at the parted wagon flaps, her long
dark hair sleep-tossed, a quilted
blanket around her. She called to
him, and going over, he spoke first,
"It's all right now. Nothing's hap
pened."
but where has he gomez" Her
voice was quick. Fear haunted the
soft sleepiness of her eyes.
Unto town." he said. Il don't
know why or anything about it. It's
his own business.
Her hand came out to him and
gripped his arm hard. Lew, you
can't let him! You've got to get him
back. Send someone in,' she
begged. "You must!"
He spoke gently. Joy, when
mans got something on his mind he
has to work it out himself. Clay
must know what he's doing. I'm
going to leave him alone
"And if anything happens She
stared at him. And I knew you
might have helped"
'I'll take the blame" he said.
II know" Here was what he had
understood that night in the Wichita
hills. Above everything else there
would be this loyalty to Clay. He
saw her eyes go beyond him. He
turned his head.
Steve was coming toward them,
walking fast, two high spots of color
staining his fiat cheeks. Quick and
blunt, he said, LEV, I'm going in
to town." and wheeled on to saddle
up.
He called out, "Wait a minute,
kidd" following. "There's plenty of
time. We're all going in tonight"
He sharpened his stare into the
nervous eyes. "You knew about
this?"
mot till just now, no.
"Then you can wait" He started
off and turned back. He felt no
gentleness with Steve. Don't you
try to skin out either! III be on
watch for that"
With the arrowhead shaped and
grazing forward he rode back to Joe
Wheat in the next swing position.
"Joe." he said, Il want you to
work this out for me. You so in
and see what Clay's up to. Get
line on the Open A and its men
you know the joints in there better
than any of US"
"Guess do" The old man
grinned and rubbed his corded neck.
"We'll cross the river" Lew fin
ished, land go into camp about five
miles west of town. Get your news
and come back there. That will be
some time late this afternoon
If he could have his own way
he'd pass Dodge without a stop.
Time was crowding him, threat
always over his head. They still
had six weeks until September first,
the delivery date in Ogallala, but
also four hundred long miles. He'd
like to pass Dodge secretly and keep
on. Yet even if Clay had not spoiled
that he knew it couldn't be done.
No trail crew would stand for it.
Dodge was a mecca, safety valve.
The afternoon was almost spent,
when he swung the point off again
10 DrlnS tIle Ilelu lillo d iiiiiiilS sup
on an open flat and saw the cooks
wagon and Joe Wheat arriving from
town. Wheat came on waving sig
nal. He rode out to meet the man
alone.
Find him, Joe?"
"He's there" Wheat nodded.
"Been there all day. But I don't
figure it. Splann's there and fell
low called Stoddard, said to be the
Open A boss. First it was only them
three and Clay was putting up some
kind of talk. They kept north of the
tracks, drinking. Dodge still has
that dead line. They don't carry
guns in that part. But along this
afternoon five more Open A riders