Part 7 (1/2)
A solitary man sat by the fire, rolling and smoking a continuous stream of cigarettes. Dimly seen in the near-by shadows were the long figures of other men rolled in their blankets. Bud knew that not far off the hobbled horses grazed, or had lain down to rest.
”Kick up the boys, Bill,” said the man who held the rope. ”Got somethin'
queer to look into this time.”
”Aw, let 'em sleep, chief,” drawled Bill without moving. ”Some of 'em ain't closed their eyes in nigh on three days. What's the matter?”
”Got a young captain here who 'lows he's some brave man, I reckon.
Leastways he come drivin' at us with fire a-poppin' out of his gun, an'
Shorty and me thinks we better investigate. So we nabs him when his gun's empty and brings him in. A man that'll shoot around reckless the way this feller did is plumb dangerous to have runnin' loose.
”But I guess you're right about the boys, Bill. I'll let 'em sleep an'
we'll talk to this maverick in the mornin'. Keep him under your eye.”
Things were clearing up for Larkin. These men evidently thought that he was some ambitious puncher on the lookout for rustlers. Up to this time he had kept silent, borrowing no trouble and trusting to his ability to identify himself. But now at the prospect of idling here all night and part of the day he protested.
”Turn my arms loose, will you?” he demanded. ”They're about broke off.”
Joe, the chief, after carefully searching him for additional weapons, complied with his request, in so far that he bound his wrists together in front.
”Now, boys,” said Bud, crisply, ”I wish you'd tell me what this all means.
If you want to question me, do it now and let me go, for I've got mighty important business up the line a way.”
”I allow yuh have,” remarked Joe, dryly. ”Yuh also got some mighty important business right here, if yuh only knowed it.”
”What business.”
”Fannin' yore gun at us that-a-way. Yore plumb careless, young feller. But look here, I'm not a-goin' to stay up all night talkin' to yuh. You'll have to talk to all the boys in the mornin'.”
”But I can't wait till morning, I tell you,” cried Bud, exasperated.
”Every minute I sit here I may be losing thousands of dollars. For Heaven's sake let me go to-night, and I'll come back any other time you say. I give you my word for it.”
”Can't wait till to-morrer! Stranger, you may wait till the crack o' doom before you ever get back to that business o' yourn.”
”What do you mean by that?” asked Larkin, made strangely ill at ease by some veiled meaning in the other's tone.
”Got to leave it to the boys,” was Joe's evasive reply. ”Better lay down and git some sleep; likely to be busy all day to-morrer.”
And Larkin, finding that all argument was as futile as trying to crack Gibraltar with a cold chisel, relapsed into silence, and prepared to get what rest he could until daylight.
Morning disclosed the fact that the group of men numbered about ten, each with a horse near by, and all fully supplied with arms. In fact, there was not a man among them who could not have ”rolled a gun” with both hands if necessary, and at the same time carried a knife between his teeth. This matter of complete armament, together with Joe's ambiguous speeches of the night before, wholly convinced Larkin that he had fallen in with a band of rustlers.
Breakfast was prepared for himself by each man, Joe attending to the wants of the prisoner, but no attempt was made to rope or saddle the horses.
They were evidently waiting for something. What this was became evident shortly when another group of five men appeared around a distant rise and loped to the rendezvous. Larkin reasoned that these must be the men who continued the cattle drive after Joe and Pike had captured him.
The sheepman could not but admire the natural advantages of the place chosen by his captors for the meeting. Rolling hills surrounded the little pocket on all sides, and here and there a red scoria b.u.t.te thrust its ugly height out of the plain. The chances of discovery were infinitesimal.
The evolution of the rustler was logical but rapid, and started with the general law that any ranch-owner was at liberty to brand with his mark any maverick found on his range. As it was the cowboy who discovered these strays, he was usually provided with a branding-iron and put the seal of his employer on the animal wherever found.