Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-06-09
CHAPTER XIX

Steve, when Joy and Clay are
married, and we get rid of this
herd, you and I'll backtrack the
trouble you're in
"But you're going on"
He shook his head. mo. Well
let Clay and Joy start the new ranch.
can see plenty of loopholes in
Rayburn's killing. Those four can
swear it against you now, but may
be we can make them swallow their
tongues. Ed Splann took liquor in
side the Indian Nations. I can get
witnesses, Chief Spotted Horse for
one. That throws them into the
hands of the United States marshal
right here in Ogallala. Gives me
an ak to hold over their heads.
And there's other ways to make a
man give up the truth" He con-
sidered that and didn't say what he
saw. well find out who killed
Rayburn. I'd gamble it wasn't you"
He grinned suddenly. "You can't
hit the broad side of a barn when
you're sober. That night you were
drunk"
Again he put his arm across the
slanted shoulders and pulled them
up. well work it out, Steve. Don't
let it hound you any more"
He lay that night in his bedroll
smoking last cigarette-he needn't
ride guard now with so many extra
hands-and there was a mingled
bleakness and relief in what he
felt. Something had filled in him
that had long been empty. He was
back on his old footing again with
Steve. And Steve himself was fin
ishing up this trail facing his trou-
bles in way that Tom Arnold
would be proud of. 1t was one thing
the old man had wanted most in his
life. That account was settled. But
his own failure with Toms fortune
on the hoof was black. He couldn't
be blamed for the quarantine, and
yet when a man set out to deliver a
herd he delivered it, come hell or
high water. 1t was the pride of be-
ing a good trail boss. Fifteen thou
sand dollars, maybe, for the hides
and tallow sounded good in talk, but
it wasn't much of a pay-off for the
years that had gone into the herd.
1t wasn't ninety thousand and
wouldn't be much for the new ranch
He finished his cigarette and
rubbed it out against the ground. 1t
seemed strange then that he didn't
feel as low as he might. Over him
the stars had never looked so clear
and sharp. There was nothing 60
ing to spoil his sleep.
He turned on his side and dropped
off soundly and the next thing
a mules trace chains were clank-
ing and dragging over him and a
voice was yelling, whoa there!
Whoa!" He bolted upright in his
blankets and saw Charley Storms in
the gray dawn, running and yank-
ing the chains over the row of beds
Then he saw John Quarternight
rise more slowly next to him. Char
ley Storms came back to yell,
Look, you lazy cowboys! Look"
He saw it then-all the prairie ly-
ing beyond as white as Quarter
nights hair. Frost! The old man
III llC0 W HILL LS", liz Sdlu, /
that don't make you believe in God,
nothing will"
They could move now. Sixty days
time or one good frost would kill
the Texas fever. The quarantine
wouldn't hold. Dressed, he stepped
out of his blankets onto a mat of
grass as stiff as nails. In the dawn
the prairie looked like snow.
To the cook he said, Pull up to
the ridge before you stop for break
fast. We're going to get wiggle
on ourselves"
With the herd shaped and walking
fast in the cold air, waiting for the
frost to melt before they grazed,
he pointed up the ridge at eight
o'clock. No one stopped them. On
along the crest he could see the
Northern cowmen breaking their
dead-line camps, and as he passed
the military street where the yellow
legs were rolling up their tents Cap
tain Wing rode out.
His brown face was polished from
an early shave; he was looking
pleased. ''Well, Texan" he said,
"yeu played in luck. The Cheyennes
claimed we'd get an early frost this
year. I'm going on to the post now,
but I've detailed some of my men
to escort you in the rest of the way,
just in case of trouble"
''That's mighty good of you, Cap"
he said. 1.-THE cooks up there in
front with beefsteaks for breakfast
You'd better stop"
One last nights camp south of
Ogallala, a dry one-there was no
water here-and they crossed the
river the next day at noon. For
more than a mile the thirsty herd
spread out in the wide bottom,
drank and splashed themselves and
romped on up the low bluffs beyond.
They were fatter and better looking
than when they had left the Little
Comanche. That was good. He