the outlet-第16部分

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ver　Supply　faded　out　of　sight　in　our　rear；　we　turned　to　the　friendly　shade　of　the　timber　on　the　North　Fork　and　dismounted。　I　felt　that　the　precaution　exercised　by　the　drover　was　premonitory　of　some　revelation；　and　before　we　arose　from　the　cottonwood　log　on　which　we　took　seats；　the　scales　had　fallen　from　my　eyes　and　the　atmosphere　of　mystery　cleared。

〃Tom；〃　said　my　employer；　〃I　am　up　against　a　bad　proposition。　I　am　driving　these　Buford　cattle；　you　understand；　on　a　sub…contract。　I　was　the　second　lowest　bidder　with　the　government；　and　no　sooner　was　the　award　made　to　The　Western　Supply　Company　than　they　sent　an　agent　who　gave　me　no　peace　until　they　sublet　their　contract。　Unfortunately　for　me；　when　the　papers　were　drawn；　my　regular　attorney　was　out　of　town；　and　I　was　compelled　to　depend　on　a　stranger。　After　the　articles　were　executed；　I　submitted　the　matter　to　my　old　lawyer；　he　shook　his　head；　arguing　that　a　loophole　had　been　left　open；　and　that　I　should　have　secured　an　assignment　of　the　original　contract。　After　studying　the　matter　over；　we　opened　negotiations　to　secure　a　complete　relinquishment　of　the　award。　But　when　I　offered　the　company　a　thousand　dollars　over　and　above　what　they　admitted　was　their　margin；　and　they　refused　it；　I　opened　my　eyes　to　the　true　situation。　If　cattle　went　up；　I　was　responsible　and　would　have　to　fill　my　contract；　if　they　went　down；　the　company　would　buy　in　the　cattle　and　I　could　go　to　hell　in　a　hand…basket　for　all　they　cared。　Their　bond　to　the　government　does　me　no　good；　and　beyond　that　they　are　irresponsible。　Beeves　have　broken　from　four　to　five　dollars　a　head；　and　unless　I　can　deliver　these　Buford　herds　on　my　contract；　they　will　lose　me　fifty　thousand　dollars。〃

〃Have　you　any　intimation　that　they　expect　to　buy　in　other　cattle？〃　I　inquired。

〃Yes。　I　have　had　a　detective　in　my　employ　ever　since　my　suspicions　were　aroused。　There　are　two　parties　in　Dodge　this　very　minute　with　the　original　contract；　properly　assigned；　and　they　are　looking　for　cattle　to　fill　it。　That's　why　I'm　stopping　here　and　lying　low。　I　couldn't　explain　it　to　you　sooner；　but　you　understand　now　why　I　drove　those　Buford　herds　in　different　road　brands。　Tom；　we're　up　against　it；　and　we've　got　to　fight　the　devil　with　fire。　Henceforth　your　name　will　be　Tom　McIndoo；　your　herd　will　be　the　property　of　the　Marshall　estate；　and　their　agent；　my　detective；　will　be　known　as　Charles　Siringo。　Any　money　or　supplies　you　may　need　in　Dodge；　get　in　the　usual　form　through　the　firm　of　Wright；　Beverly　&　Co。they　understand。　Hold　your　herd　out　south　on　Mulberry；　and　Siringo　will　have　notice　and　be　looking　for　you；　or　you　can　find　him　at　the　Dodge　House。　I've　sent　a　courier　to　Fort　Elliott　to　meet　Dave　and　Quince；　and　once　I　see　them；　I'll　run　up　to　Ogalalla　and　wait　for　you。　Now；　until　further　orders；　remember　you　never　knew　a　man　by　the　name　of　Don　Lovell；　and　by　all　means　don't　forget　to　use　what　wits　Nature　gave　you。〃



CHAPTER　VII。　WHEN　GREEK　MEETS　GREEK

It　was　late　that　night　when　I　reached　the　herd。　Before　I　parted　with　my　employer　we　had　carefully　reviewed　the　situation　in　its　minutest　details。　Since　the　future　could　not　be　foreseen；　we　could　only　watch　and　wait。　The　Texan　may　have　his　shortcomings；　but　lack　of　fidelity　to　a　trust　is　not　one　of　them；　and　relying　on　the　metal　of　my　outfit；　I　at　once　put　them　in　possession　of　the　facts。　At　first　their　simple　minds　could　hardly　grasp　the　enormity　of　the　injustice　to　our　employer；　but　once　the　land　lay　clear；　they　would　gladly　have　led　a　forlorn　hope　in　Don　Lovell's　interests。　Agitation　oyer　the　matter　was　maintained　at　white　heat　for　several　days；　as　we　again　angled　back　towards　the　Cimarron。　Around　the　camp…fires　at　night；　the　chicanery　of　The　Western　Supply　Company　gave　place　to　the　best　stories　at　our　command。　〃There　ought　to　be　a　law；〃　said　Runt　Pickett；　in　wrathy　indignation；　〃making　it　legal　to　kill　some　people；　same　as　rattlesnakes。　Now；　you　take　a　square　gambler　and　I　don't　think　anything　of　losing　my　money　against　his　game；　but　one　of　these　sneaking；　under…dealing；　top…and…bottom…business　pimps；　I　do　despise。　You　can　find　them　in　every　honest　calling；　same　as　vultures　hover　round　when　cattle　are　dying。　Honest；　fellows；　I'd　just　dearly　love　to　pull　on　a　rope　and　watch　one　of　the　varmints　make　his　last　kick。〃

Several　days　of　showery　weather　followed。　Crossing　the　Cimarron；　we　followed　up　its　north　slope　to　within　thirty　miles　of　the　regular　western　trail。　Not　wishing　to　intercept　it　until　necessity　compelled　us；　when　near　the　Kansas　line　we　made　our　last　tack　for　Dodge。　The　rains　had　freshened　the　country　and　flushed　the　creeks；　making　our　work　easy；　and　early　in　the　month　of　June　we　reached　the　Mulberry。　Traveling　at　random；　we　struck　that　creek　about　twenty　miles　below　the　trail；　and　moved　up　the　stream　to　within　a　short　distance　of　the　old　crossing。　The　presence　of　a　dozen　other　herds　holding　along　it　forced　us　into　a　permanent　camp　a　short　half…day's　ride　from　the　town。　The　horse…wrangler　was　pressed　into　service　in　making　up　the　first　guard　that　night；　and　taking　Morg　Tussler　with　me；　I　struck　out　for　Dodge　in　the　falling　darkness。　On　reaching　the　first　divide；　we　halted　long　enough　to　locate　the　camp…fires　along　the　Mulberry　to　our　rear；　while　above　and　below　and　beyond　the　river；　fires　flickered　like　an　Indian　encampment。　The　lights　of　Dodge　were　inviting　us；　and　after　making　a　rough　estimate　of　the　camps　in　sight；　we　rode　for　town；　arriving　there　between　ten　and　eleven　o'clock。　The　Dodge　House　was　a　popular　hostelry　for　trail　men　and　cattle　buyers；　and　on　our　making　inquiry　of　the　night　clerk　if　a　Mr。　Siringo　was　stopping　there；　we　were　informed　that　he　was；　but　had　retired。　I　put　up　a　trivial　excuse　for　seeing　him；　the　clerk　gave　me　the　number　of　his　room；　and　Tussler　and　I　were　soon　closeted　with　him。　The　detective　was　a　medium…sized；　ordinary　man；　badly　pock…marked；　with　a　soft；　musical　voice；　and　apparently　as　innocent　as　a　boy。　In　a　brief　preliminary　conversation；　he　proved　to　be　a　Texan；　knowing　every　in　and　out　of　cattle；　having　been　bred　to　the　occupation。　Our　relations　to　each　other　were　easily　established。　Reviewing　the　situation　thoroughly；　he　informed　me　that　he　had　cultivated　the　acquaintance　of　the　parties　holding　the　assignment　of　the　Buford　award。　He　had　represented　to　them　that　he　was　the　fiscal　agent　of　some　six　herds　on　the　trail　that　year；　three　of　which'　were　heavy　beeves；　and　they　had　agreed　to　look　them　over；　provided　they　arrived　before　the　15th　of　the　month。　He　further　assured　me　that　the　parties　were　mere　figureheads　of　The　Supply　Company；　that　they　were　exceedingly　bearish　on　the　market；　gloating　over　the　recent　depreciation　in　prices；　and　perfectly　willing　to　fatten　on　the　wreck　and　ruin　of　others。

It　was　long　after　midnight　when　the　consultation　ended。　Appointing　an　hour　for　showing　the　herd　the　next　day；　or　that　one　rather；　Tussler　and　I　withdrew；　agreeing　to　be　out　of　town　before　daybreak。　But　the　blaze　of　gambling　and　the　blare　of　dance…halls　held　us　as　in　a　siren's　embrace　until　the　lights　dimmed　with　the　breaking　of　dawn。　Mounting　our　horses；　we　forded　the　river　east　of　town　and　avoided　the　herds；　which　were　just　arising　from　their　bed…grounds。　On　the　divide　we　halted。　Within　the　horizon　before　us；　it　is　safe　to　assert　that　one　hundred　thousand　cattle　grazed　in　lazy　contentment；　all　feeding　against　the　morning　breeze。　Save　for　the　freshness　of　early　summer；　with　its　background　of　green　and　the　rarified　atmosphere　of　the　elevated　plain；　the　scene　before　us　might　be　compared　to　a　winter　drift　of　buffalo；　ten　years　previous。　Riding　down　the　farther　slope；　we　reached　our　camp　in　time　for　a　late　breakfast；　the　fifteen…mile　ride　having　whetted　our　appetites。　Three　men　were　on　herd；　and　sending　two　more　with　instructions　to　water　the　cattle　an　hour　before　noon；　Tussler　and　I　sought　the　shade　of　the　wagon　and　fell　asleep。　It　was　some　time　after　midday　when；　on　sighting　the　expected　conveyance　approaching　our　camp；　the　cook　aroused　us。　Performing　a　rather　hasty　ablution；　I　met　the　vehicle；　freshened；　and　with　my　wits　on　tap。　I　nearly　dragged　the　detective　from　the　livery　rig；　addressing　him　as　〃Charley；〃　and　we　made　a　rough　ado　over　each　other。　Several　of　the　other　boys　came　forward　and；　shaking　hands；　greeted　him　with　equal　familiarity。　As　two　strangers　alighted　on　the　opposite　side；　the　detective　took　me　around　and　they　were　introduced　as　Mr。　Field　and　Mr。　Radcliff；　prospective　beef　buyers。　The　boys　had　stretched　a　tarpaulin；　affording　ample　shade；　and　Parent　invited　every　one　to　dinner。　The　two　strangers　were　rather　testy；　but　Siringo　ate　ravenously；　repeatedly　asking　for　things　which　were　usually　kept　in　a　well…stocked　chuck…wagon；　meanwhile　talking　with　great　familiarity　with　Tussler　and　me。

The　strangers　said　little；　but　were　amused　at　the　lightness　of　our　dinner　chat。　I　could　see　at　a　glance　that　they　were　not　cowmen。　They　were　impatient　to　see　the　cattle；　and　when　dinner　was　over；　I　explained　to　them　that　the　men　on　herd　would　be　relieved　for　dinner　by　those　in　camp；　and　orders　would　be　given；　if　it　was　their　wish；　to　throw　the　cattle　compactly　together。　To　this　Siringo　objected。　〃No；　Mac；〃　said　he；　〃that　isn't　the　right　way　to　show　beeves。　Here；　Mor