the outlet-第21部分

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sed　me　to　ignore　any　legal　process　served　outside　those　bounds。　He　was　impatient　to　get　away；　and　when　he　had　put　me　in　possession　of　everything　to　our　advantage；　we　wrung　each　other's　hands　in　farewell。　As　the　drive　outlined　by　the　cattle　buyers　would　absorb　the　day；　I　felt　no　necessity　of　being　in　a　hurry。　The　absence　of　Dorg　Seay　was　annoying；　and　the　fellow　had　done　us　such　valiant　service；　I　felt　in　honor　bound　to　secure　his　release。　Accordingly　I　wired　the　city　marshal　at　Kinsley；　and　received　a　reply　that　Seay　had　been　released　early　that　morning；　and　had　started　overland　for　Dodge。　This　was　fortunate；　and　after　settling　all　bills；　I　offered　to　pay　the　liveryman　in　advance　for　the　rig　in　Seay's　possession；　assuring　him　by　the　telegram　that　it　would　return　that　evening。　He　refused　to　make　any　settlement　until　the　condition　of　both　the　animal　and　the　conveyance　bad　been　passed　upon；　and　fearful　lest　Dorg　should　come　back　moneyless；　I　had　nothing　to　do　but　await　his　return。　I　was　growing　impatient　to　reach　camp；　there　being　no　opportunity　to　send　word　to　amy　outfit；　and　the　passing　hours　seemed　days；　when　late　in　the　afternoon　Dorg　Seay　drove　down　the　main　street　of　Dodge　as　big　as　a　government　beef　buyer。　The　liveryman　was　pleased　and　accepted　the　regular　rate；　and　Dorg　and　I　were　soon　galloping　out　of　town。　As　we　neared　the　first　divide；　we　dropped　our　horses　into　a　walk　to　afford　them　a　breathing　spell；　and　in　reply　to　my　fund　of　information；　Seay　said：

〃So　Tolleston's　telling　that　he　licked　me。　Well；　that's　a　good　one　on　this　one　of　old　man　Seay's　boys。　Archie　must　have　been　crazy　with　the　heat。　The　fact　is　that　he　had　been　trying　to　quit　me　for　several　days。　We　had　exhausted　every　line　of　dissipation；　and　when　I　decided　that　it　was　no　longer　possible　to　hold　him；　I　insulted　and　provoked　him　into　a　quarrel；　and　we　were　both　arrested。　Licked　me；　did　he？　He　couldn't　lick　his　upper　lip。〃



CHAPTER　IX。　AT　SHERIFF'S　CREEK

The　sun　had　nearly　set　when　we　galloped　into　Bob　Quirk's　camp。　Halting　only　long　enough　to　advise　my　brother　of　the　escape　of　Tolleston　and　his　joining　the　common　enemy；　I　asked　him　to　throw　any　pursuit　off　our　trail；　as　I　proposed　breaking　camp　that　evening。　Seay　and　myself　put　behind　us　the　few　miles　between　the　two　wagons；　and　dashed　up　to　mine　just　as　the　outfit　were　corralling　the　remuda　for　night…horses。　Orders　rang　out；　and　instead　of　catching　our　regular　guard　mounts；　the　boys　picked　the　best　horses　in　their　strings。　The　cattle　were　then　nearly　a　mile　north　of　camp；　coming　in　slowly　towards　the　bed…ground；　but　a　half…dozen　of　us　rushed　away　to　relieve　the　men　on　herd　and　turn　the　beeves　back。　The　work…mules　were　harnessed　in；　and　as　soon　as　the　relieved　herders　secured　mounts；　our　camp　of　the　past　few　days　was　abandoned。　The　twilight　of　evening　was　upon　us；　and　to　the　rattling　of　the　heavily　loaded　wagon　and　the　shouting　of　the　wrangler　in　our　rear　were　added　the　old　herd　songs。　The　cattle；　without　trail　or　trace　to　follow；　and　fit　ransom　for　a　dozen　kings　in　pagan　ages；　moved　north　as　if　imbued　with　the　spirit　of　the　occasion。

A　fair　moon　favored　us。　The　night　was　an　ideal　one　for　work；　and　about　twelve　o'clock　we　bedded　down　the　herd　and　waited　for　dawn。　As　we　expected　to　move　again　with　the　first　sign　of　day；　no　one　cared　to　sleep；　our　nerves　were　under　a　high　tension　with　expectation　of　what　the　coming　day　might　bring　forth。　Our　location　was　an　unknown　quantity。　All　agreed　that　we　were　fully　ten　miles　north　of　the　Saw　Log；　and；　with　the　best　reasoning　at　my　command；　outside　the　jurisdiction　of　Ford　County。　The　regular　trail　leading　north　was　some　six　or　eight　miles　to　the　west；　and　fearful　that　we　had　not　reached　unorganized　territory；　I　was　determined　to　push　farther　on　our　course　before　veering　to　the　left。　The　night　halt；　however；　afforded　us　an　opportunity　to　compare　notes　and　arrive　at　some　definite　understanding　as　to　the　programme　of　the　forthcoming　day。　〃Quirk；　you　missed　the　sight　of　your　life；〃　said　Jake　Blair；　as　we　dismounted　around　the　wagon；　after　bedding　the　cattle；　〃by　not　being　there　when　the　discovery　was　made　that　these　'Open　A's'　were　Don　Lovell's　cattle。　Tolleston；　of　course；　made　the　discovery；　but　I　think　he　must　have　smelt　the　rat　in　advance。　Archie　and　the　buyers　arrived　for　a　late　dinner；　and　several　times　Tolleston　ran　his　eye　over　one　of　the　boys　and　asked；　'Haven't　I　met　you　somewhere？'　but　none　of　them　could　recall　the　meeting。　Then　he　got　to　nosing　around　the　wagon　and　noticing　every　horse　about　camp。　The　road…brand　on　the　cattle　threw　him　off　the　scent　just　for　a　second；　but　when　he　began　reading　the　ranch…brands；　he　took　a　new　hold。　As　he　looked　over　the　remuda；　the　scent　seemed　to　get　stronger；　and　when　he　noticed　the　'Circle　Dot'　on　those　work…mules；　he　opened　up　and　bayed　as　if　he　had　treed　something。　And　sure　enough　he　had；　for　you　know；　Tom；　those　calico　lead　mules　belonged　in　his　team　last　year；　and　he　sw&re　he'd　know　them　in　hell；　brand　or　no　brand。　When　Archie　announced　the　outfit；　lock；　stock；　and　barrel；　as　belonging　to　Don　Lovell；　the　old　buyers　turned　pale　as　ghosts；　and　the　fat　one　took　off　his　hat　and　fanned　himself。　That　act　alone　was　worth　the　price　of　admission。　But　when　we　boys　were　appealed　to；　we　were　innocent　and　likewise　ignorant；　claiming　that　we　always　understood　that　the　herd　belonged　to　the　Marshall　estate；　but　then　we　were　just　common　hands　and　not　supposed　to　know　the　facts　in　the　case。　Tolleston　argued　one　way；　and　we　all　pulled　the　other；　so　they　drove　away；　looking　as　if　they　hoped　it　wasn't　true。　But　it　was　the　sight　of　your　life　to　see　that　fat　fellow　fan　himself　as　he　kept　repeating；　'I　thought　you　boys　hurried　too　much　in　buying　these　cattle。'

The　guards　changed　hourly。　No　fire　was　allowed；　but　Parent　set　out　all　the　cold　food　available；　and　supplementing　this　with　canned　goods；　we　had　a　midnight　lunch。　Dorg　Seay　regaled　the　outfit　with　his　recent　experience；　concealing　nothing；　and　regretfully　admitting　that　his　charge　had　escaped　before　the　work　was　finished。　A　programme　was　outlined　for　the　morrow；　the　main　feature　of　which　was　that；　in　case　of　pursuit；　we　would　all　tell　the　same　story。　Dawn　came　between　three　and　four　on　those　June　mornings；　and　with　the　first　streak　of　gray　in　the　east　we　divided　the　outfit　and　mounted　our　horses；　part　riding　to　push　the　cattle　off　their　beds　and　the　others　to　round　in　the　remuda。　Before　the　herd　had　grazed　out　a　half…mile；　we　were　overtaken　by　half　the　outfit　on　fresh　mounts；　who　at　once　took　charge　of　the　herd。　When　the　relieved　men　had　secured　horses；　I　remained　behind　and　assisted　in　harnessing　in　the　team　and　gathering　the　saddle　stock；　a　number　of　which　were　missed　for　lack　of　proper　light。　With　the　wagon　once　started；　Levering　and　myself　soon　had　the　full　remuda　in　hand　and　were　bringing　up　the　rear　in　a　long；　swinging　trot。　Before　the　sun　peeped　over　the　eastern　horizon；　we　passed　the　herd　and　overtook　the　wagon；　which　was　bumping　along　over　the　uneven　prairie。　Ordering　the　cook　to　have　breakfast　awaiting　us　beyond　a　divide　which　crossed　our　front；　I　turned　back　to　the　herd；　now　strung　out　in　regular　trailing　form。　The　halt　ahead　would　put　us　full　fifteen　miles　north　of　our　camp　on　the　Saw　Log。　An　hour　later；　as　we　were　scaling　the　divide；　one　of　the　point…men　sighted　a　posse　in　our　rear；　coming　after　us　like　fiends。　I　was　riding　in　the　swing　at　the　time；　the　herd　being　strung　out　fully　a　mile；　and　on　catching　first　sight　of　the　pursuers；　turned　and　hurried　to　the　rear。　To　my　agreeable　surprise；　instead　of　a　sheriff's　posse；　my　brother　and　five　of　his　men　galloped　up　and　overtook　us。

〃Well；　Tom；　it's　a　good　thing　you　moved　last　night；〃　said　Bob；　as　he　reined　in　his　reeking　horse。　〃A　deputy　sheriff　and　posse　of　six　men　had　me　under　arrest　all　night；　thinking　I　was　the　Quirk　who　had　charge　of　Don　Lovell's　'Open　A'　herd。　Yes；　they　came　to　my　camp　about　midnight；　and　I　admitted　that　my　name　was　Quirk　and　that　we　were　holding　Lovell's　cattle。　They　guarded　me　until　morning；I　slept　like　an　innocent　babe　myself；when　the　discovery　was　made　that　my　herd　was　in　a　'Circle　Dot'　road…brand　instead　of　an　'Open　A；'　which　their　warrant　called　for。　Besides；　I　proved　by　fourteen　competent　witnesses；　who　had　known　me　for　years；　that　my　name　was　Robert　Burns　Quirk。　My　outfit　told　the　posse　that　the　herd　they　were　looking　for　were　camped　three　miles　below；　but　had　left　during　the　afternoon　before；　and　no　doubt　were　then　beyond　their　bailiwick。　I　gave　the　posse　the　horse…laugh；　but　they　all　went　down　the　creek；　swearing　they　would　trail　down　that　herd　of　Lovell's。　My　cattle　are　going　to　follow　up　this　morning；　so　I　thought　I'd　ride　on　ahead　and　be　your　guest　in　case　there　is　any　fun　to…day。〃

The　auxiliary　was　welcomed。　The　beeves　moved　on　up　the　divide　like　veterans　assaulting　an　intrenchment。　On　reaching　a　narrow　mesa　on　the　summit；　a　northwest　breeze　met　the　leaders；　and　facing　it　full　in　the　eye；　the　herd　was　allowed　to　tack　westward　as　they　went　down　the　farther　slope。　This　watershed　afforded　a　fine　view　of　the　surrounding　country；　and　from　its　apex　I　scanned　our　rear　for　miles　without　detecting　any　sign　of　animate　life。　》From　our　elevation；　the　plain　dipped　away　in　every　direction。　Far　to