the outlet-第13部分

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y；　I　got　my　bearings。　By　my　reasoning；　if　the　river　yesterday　was　south　of　camp；　this　morning　the　wagon　must　be　north　of　the　river；　so　I　headed　in　that　direction。　Somehow　or　other　I　stopped　my　horse　on　the　first　little　knoll；　and　looking　back　towards　the　bottom；　I　saw　in　a　horseshoe　which　the　river　made　a　large　bunch　of　cattle。　Of　course　I　knew　that　all　herds　near　about　were　through　cattle　and　under　herd；　and　the　absence　of　any　men　in　sight　aroused　my　curiosity。　I　concluded　to　investigate　it；　and　riding　back　found　over　five　hundred　head　of　the　cattle　we　had　lost　the　night　before。　'Here's　a　chance　to　make　a　record　with　my　new　boss；'　I　said　to　myself；　and　circling　in　behind；　began　drifting　them　out　of　the　bottoms　towards　the　uplands。　By　ten　o'clock　I　had　got　them　to　the　first　divide；　when　who　should　ride　up　but　the　owner；　the　old　cowman　himselfthe　sure　enough　big　auger。

〃'Well；　son；'　said　my　boss；　'you　held　some　of　them；　didn't　you？''yes；'　I　replied；　surly　as　I　could；　giving　him　a　mean　look；　'I've　nearly　ridden　this　horse　to　death；　holding　this　bunch　all　night。　If　I　had　only　had　a　good　man　or　two　with　me；　we　could　have　caught　twice　as　many。　What　kind　of　an　outfit　are　you　working；　anyhow；　Captain？'　And　at　dinner　that　day；　the　boss　pointed　me　out　to　the　others　and　said；　'That　little　fellow　standing　over　there　with　the　button　shoes　on　is　the　only　man　in　my　outfit　that　is　worth　a　　。'〃

The　cook　had　finished　his　work；　and　now　joined　the　circle。　Parent　began　regaling　us　with　personal　experiences；　in　which　it　was　evident　that　he　would　prove　the　hero。　Fortunately；　however；　we　were　spared　listening　to　his　self…laudation。　Dorg　Seay　and　Tim　Stanley；　bunkies；　engaged　in　a　friendly　scuffle；　each　trying　to　make　the　other　get　a　firebrand　for　his　pipe。　In　the　tussle　which　followed；　we　were　all　compelled　to　give　way　or　get　trampled　underfoot。　When　both　had　exhausted　themselves　in　vain；　we　resumed　our　places　around　the　fire。　Parent；　who　was　disgusted　over　the　interruption；　on　resuming　his　seat　refused　to　continue　his　story　at　the　request　of　the　offenders；　replying；　〃The　more　I　see　of　you　two　varmints　the　more　you　remind　me　of　mule　colts。〃

Once　the　cook　refused　to　pick　up　the　broken　thread　of　his　story；　John　Levering；　our　horse…wrangler；　preempted　the　vacated　post。　〃I　was　over　in　Louisiana　a　few　winters　ago　with　a　horse　herd；〃　said　John；　〃and　had　a　few　experiences。　Of　all　the　simple　people　that　I　ever　met；　the　'Cajin'　takes　the　bakery。　You'll　meet　darkies　over　there　that　can't　speak　a　word　of　anything　but　French。　It's　nothing　to　see　a　cow　and　mule　harnessed　together　to　a　cart。　One　day　on　the　road；　I　met　a　man；　old　enough　to　be　my　father；　and　inquired　of　him　how　far　it　was　to　the　parish　centre；　a　large　town。　He　didn't　know；　except　it　was　a　long；　long　ways。　He　had　never　been　there；　but　his　older　brother；　once　when　he　was　a　young　man；　had　been　there　as　a　witness　at　court。　The　brother　was　dead　now；　but　if　he　was　living　and　present；　it　was　quite　possible　that　he　would　remember　the　distance。　The　best　information　was　that　it　was　a　very　long　ways　off。　I　rode　it　in　the　mud　in　less　than　two　hours；　just　about　ten　miles。

〃But　that　wasn't　a　circumstance　to　other　experiences。　We　had　driven　about　three　hundred　horses　and　mules；　and　after　disposing　of　over　two　thirds　of　them；　my　employer　was　compelled　to　return　home；　leaving　me　to　dispose　of　the　remainder。　I　was　a　fair　salesman；　and　rather　than　carry　the　remnant　of　the　herd　with　me；　made　headquarters　with　a　man　who　owned　a　large　cane…brake　pasture。　It　was　a　convenient　stopping…place；　and　the　stock　did　well　on　the　young　cane。　Every　week　I　would　drive　to　some　distant　town　eighteen　or　twenty　head；　or　as　many　as　I　could　handle　alone。　Sometimes　I　would　sell　out　in　a　few　days；　and　then　again　it　would　take　me　longer。　But　when　possible　I　always　made　it　a　rule　to　get　back　to　my　headquarters　to　spend　Sunday。　The　owner　of　the　cane…brake　and　his　wife　were　a　simple　couple；　and　just　a　shade　or　two　above　the　Arcadians。　But　they　had　a　daughter　who　could　pass　muster；　and　she　took　quite　a　shine　to　the　'Texas…Hoss…Man；'　as　they　called　me。　I　reckon　you　understand　now　why　I　made　that　headquarters？there　were　other　reasons　besides　the　good　　pasturage。

〃Well；　the　girl　and　her　mother　both　could　read；　but　I　have　some　doubt　about　the　old　man　on　that　score。　They　took　no　papers；　and　the　nearest　approach　to　a　book　in　the　house　was　an　almanac　three　years　old。　The　women　folks　were　ravenous　for　something　to　read；　and　each　time　on　my　return　after　selling　out；　I'd　bring　them　a　whole　bundle　of　illustrated　papers　and　magazines。　About　my　fourth　return　after　more　horses；I　was　mighty　near　one　of　the　family　by　that　time；when　we　were　all　seated　around　the　fire　one　night；　the　women　poring　over　the　papers　and　admiring　the　pictures；　the　old　man　inquired　what　the　news　was　over　in　the　parish　where　I　had　recently　been。　The　only　thing　that　I　could　remember　was　the　suicide　of　a　prominent　man。　After　explaining　the　circumstances；　I　went　on　to　say　that　some　little　bitterness　arose　over　his　burial。　Owing　to　his　prominence　it　was　thought　permission　would　be　given　to　bury　him　in　the　churchyard。　But　it　seems　there　was　some　superstition　about　permitting　a　self…murderer　to　be　buried　in　the　same　field　as　decent　folks。　It　was　none　of　my　funeral；　and　I　didn't　pay　overmuch　attention　to　the　matter；　but　the　authorities　refused；　and　they　buried　him　just　outside　the　grounds；　in　the　woods。

〃My　host　and　I　discussed　the　matter　at　some　length。　He　contended　that　if　the　man　was　not　of　sound　mind；　he　should　have　been　given　his　little　six　feet　of　earth　among　the　others。　A　horse　salesman　has　to　be　a　good　second…rate　talker；　and　being　anxious　to　show　off　before　the　girl；　I　differed　with　her　father。　The　argument　grew　spirited　yet　friendly；　and　I　appealed　to　the　women　in　supporting　my　view。　My　hostess　was　absorbed　at　the　time　in　reading　a　sensational　account　of　a　woman　shooting　her　betrayer。　The　illustrations　covered　a　whole　page；　and　the　girl　was　simply　burning；　at　short　range；　the　shirt　from　off　her　seducer。　The　old　lady　was　bogged　to　the　saddle　skirts　in　the　story；　when　I　interrupted　her　and　inquired；'mother；　what　do　you　think　ought　to　be　done　with　a　man　who　commits　suicide？'　She　lowered　the　paper　just　for　an　instant；　and　looking　over　her　spectacles　at　me　replied；　'Well；　I　think　any　man　who　would　do　THAT　ought　to　be　made　to　support　the　child。'〃

No　comment　was　offered。　Our　wrangler　arose　and　strolled　away　from　the　fire　under　the　pretense　of　repicketing　his　horse。　It　was　nearly　time　for　the　guards　to　change；　and　giving　the　last　watch　orders　to　point　the　herd；　as　they　left　the　bed…ground　in　the　morning；　back　on　an　angle　towards　the　trail；　I　prepared　to　turn　in。　While　I　was　pulling　off　my　boots　in　the　act　of　retiring；　Clay　Zilligan　rode　in　from　the　herd　to　call　the　relief。　The　second　guard　were　bridling　their　horses；　and　as　Zilligan　dismounted；　he　said　to　the　circle　of　listeners；　〃Didn't　I　tell　you　fellows　that　there　was　another　herd　just　ahead　of　us？　I　don't　care　if　they　didn't　pass　up　the　trail　since　we　ye　been　laying　over；　they　are　there　just　the　same。　Of　course　you　can't　see　their　camp…fire　from　here；　but　it's　in　plain　view　from　the　bed…ground；　and　not　over　four　or　five　miles　away。　If　I　remember　rightly；　there's　a　local　trail　comes　in　from　the　south　of　the　Wichita　River；　and　joins　the　Chisholm　just　ahead。　And　what's　more；　that　herd　was　there　at　nine　o'clock　this　morning；　and　they　haven't　moved　a　peg　since。　Well；　there's　two　lads　out　there　waiting　to　be　relieved；　and　you　second　guard　know　where　the　cattle　are　bedded。〃



CHAPTER　VI。　CAMP　SUPPLY

In　gala　spirits　we　broke　camp　the　next　morning。　The　herd　had　left　the　bed…ground　at　dawn；　and　as　the　outfit　rode　away　to　relieve　the　last　guard；　every　mother's　son　was　singing。　The　cattle　were　a　refreshing　sight　as　they　grazed　forward；　their　ragged　front　covering　half　a　mile　in　width。　The　rest　of　the　past　few　days　had　been　a　boon　to　the　few　tender…footed　ones。　The　lay…over　had　rejuvenated　both　man　and　beast。　From　maps　in　our　possession　we　knew　we　were　somewhere　near　the　western　border　of　the　Chickasaw　Nation；　while　on　our　left　was　the　reservation　of　three　blanket　tribes　of　Indians。　But　as　far　as　signs　of　occupancy　were　concerned；　the　country　was　unmarked　by　any　evidence　of　civilization。　The　Chisholm　Cattle　Trail；　which　ran　from　Red　River　to　the　Kansas　line；　had　almost　fallen　into　disuse；　owing　to　encroachments　of　settlements　south　of　the　former　and　westward　on　the　latter。　With　the　advancement　of　immigration；　Abilene　and　Ellsworth　as　trail　terminals　yielded　to　the　tide；　and　the　leading　cattle　trace　of　the　'70's　was　relegated　to　local　use　in　'84。

The　first　guard　was　on　the　qui　vive　for　the　outfit　whose　camp…fire　they　had　sighted　the　night　before。　I　was　riding　with　Clay　Zilligan　on　the　left　point；　when　he　sighted　what　we　supposed　was　a　small　bunch　of　cattle　lying　down　several　miles　distant。　When　we　reached　the　first　rise　of　ground；　a　band　of　saddle　horses　came　in　view；　and　while　we　were　trying　to　locate　their　camp；　Jack　Splann　from　the　opposite　point　attracted　our　attention　and　pointed　straight　ahead。　There　a　large　band　of　cattle　under　herd　greeted　our　view；　compelling　us　to　veer　to　the　right　and　intersect　the　trail　sooner　than　we　in