Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-05-05
w.N.u. RELEASE

One of their mounts had the extra
burden of carrying Joy. It would
slow their pace.
He quirted his firing buckskin for
better than a mile and the swath of
trampled grass ran on vacantly
ahead. He gave in then to his
knowledge of their swifter ponies.
His own had already given its best.
To crosscut between one bend and
another he swung up the channel
bank. He looked south and sud-
denly pulled his horse in and rode
in short, fast circles At the same
time he drew his forty-four and
shot it into the air. The far-off
spot of blue was plain now-Joe
Wheat bringing the cavalry troop.
Yet at more than two miles they
couldn't hear his gun and gave
no sign of recognizing his riding sig
nal. They kept on toward the stalled
herd.
Back there, equally two miles
away, he could see the little dart
ing figures of men spreading out to
catch the horses. While almost out
of sight beyond them the split-off
bunch Of cattle were vanishing to
the west.
|. The channel wandered back and
forth, the banks gently sloping, its
bottom smooth and green. The short
cuts let him gain lot. They'd
keep under cover themselves, fol-
lowing down the crooked way. He
watched backward, hoping any mo-
ment that some of the outfit would
show up. But they might be rid
ing directly along the Indians trail.
Each time he plunged into the wind
ing course there was only the emp
ty trampled grass. Those devils
could move!
His run brought the black Wichi-
tas looming up into the fog that
had held low overhead all day. Light
around him began to fade. The
channel Strengthened. He saw wa
ter of North Fork Creek beyond
the narrow mouth.
He loped on for half a mile and
the bunch that had pulled him this
far became like a magnet losing
its force. The wash lay empty on
ahead. A sense of every moment
taking her farther from him with
those brown devils made his skin
crawl. No use going on this way
any more. He pulled to a stop
and sat listening. Any sound from
the canyon mouths would carry far
in the still air. Not even blue
jays warning chatter broke the
Wichita's dead hush. His heart
went cold. He was turning to head
back down the stream when there
came coyotes quavering bark.
1t held him rigid. Too early in
the evening for those animals to
be on the prowl. He pulled his
rifle from its scabbard and saw his
buckskin's little black-tipped ears
swing and point. There was dam
ger here. But he could locate moth
ing up where they directed. Slow
ly he moved the horse again.
Hold on, son!" Old Willy Nickle
stepped from the willow fringe.
"Willy!" he said and rode toward
him. "You old coon!"
Been SEEM you," said Willy.
That was all just then. He turned
his gentle changeless face and
stared off blankly But he might
be learning things; you never could
tell. Lew waited. keeping down his
sudden impotence.
well" he said in a moment and
brought his eyes around. There's
Indians knocking about here, so
there is. Cheyennes. They give
you a fight? Seems like l was
watching from the hills, but was
too much fog"
eve held them off" he said. And
then it burst from him: They got
the grill"
Unconccrned, old Willy said, $50
they did,
You saw them?"'He moved his
horse. (which way?"
Willy stood there calmly looking
up. Now you hold on. Don't you
never go trailing Indians up too
close. 1t was Crazy Bear had her
on his pony. Him and six of his
bucks. They're in the hills by
now and they'll be watching back.
1So, you give oh Indian time 10 thlnk
he's safe"
"Time!" he said. with the
girl?"
They'll wait for that" said Will
ly. Take white man now and
he'd risk his hide to stop. But
Crazy Bear, he'll want to parade
her in camp first and maybe get
some buck to fight him for her.
Seems like an Indian has always got
to mix it up with fighting. Well,
this niger don't know why" He
looked north up the creek, nodding.
"You ride on now, easy" He
stepped back and was gone.
This was no time to doubt old Will
ly Nickle. Yet it wasn't the way
he'd get on the hunt himself. He'd
find the trail and ride it. But he
knew that Willy was half Indian in
most things by now, wise to all
their tricks and able to understand
the language of any plains tribe.
In a LITTLE while a capyop ctra,,,,