Friar Tuck

by Robert Alexander Wason

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  A LITTLE GUN-PLAY

  It's curious how hard it is, sometimes, to get trouble started. We allknew 'at the Cross-branders was ready to clean us out, an' itchin' forthe job; but the's one curious little holdback in the make-up of everyhealthy animal in the world. Every sane animal the' is wantsself-defence as his excuse for takin' life. I admit that now and againbeasts an' men both get a sort o' crazy blood-lust, an' just kill forthe sake of it; but it's the rare exception.

  One of us allus made it a point to go along with Horace; an' mosttimes when we'd meet up with any o' the Cross-branders, they'd nevermiss the chance to fling some polite smart talk at him; but the littlecuss could sass back sharper 'n they could, an' I reckon they wassuspicious that he wouldn't 'a' been so cool if he hadn't had biggerbackin' than was in sight. It was perfectly natural to think 'at hehad been sent out as a lure by some big cattle outfit, or even thegovernment; so they went cautious till they could nose out the game.

  One day Badger-face an' the two Greasers came along when Horace wasout ridin' with Tillte Dutch. Dutch was one o' these innocent-lookin'Germans--big, wide-open eyes, a half smile, an' a sort of a leanin' tofat. He never had but one come-back to anything--which was tosplutter; but he was dependable in a pinch.

  "Whatever made you so unspeakable little?" sez Badger-face to Horace.

  Horace looked behind him, an' all about, an' then sez in surprise:"Who, me?"

  "Yes, you," sez Badger-face. "You seem to dry down a little smallereach day."

  "Well," sez Horace, speakin' in a low secret-tellin' tone, "I'll tellya; but I don't want ya to blab it to every one ya see. When I was ayoung chap, I used to go with a big, awkward, potato-brained slob,about your size. I could out-shoot him, out-ride him, run circlesaround him, an' think seven times while he was squeezin' the cells ofhis brain so they'd touch up again' each other; but one day he made abet that he could eat more hog-meat 'n I could; an' he won the bet.When I found out that the' was one single thing 'at this big,loose-jointed galoot could beat me at, I felt so blame small that Inever got over it, an' this is why I disguise myself in thesewhiskers."

  The two Greasers couldn't help but grin, an' the fool Dutchmansniggered. This was more 'n Badger-face could stand. He shot his handacross an' pulled his gun quick as a flash; but Horace didn't move, hejust sat still, with a friendly smile on his face; an' Badger-face satthere with his gun in his hand, scowlin' jerk-lightnin' at him.

  Spider an' Slim had gone after meat that day, an' they came into viewwith the carcase of a doe, just as Badger drew his gun. Me an' Tankwas listed to wrangle in the bunch, an' we came ridin' along justafter the other two came into view. The Greasers gave a little coughan' Badger-face looked up an' saw us. It looked like a put-up job, allright; an' chariots of fire, but he was mad! Pullin' a gun on a man isthe same as shootin' at him. Badger-face had been tricked into givin'us just grounds to slaughter him, and he wasn't quite sure what moveto make next. Our outfit had been purty well advertized, throughcleanin' out the Brophy gang, me an' Mexican Slim were both two-gunmen an' known to be quick an' accurate, while Tank was ever-lastin'lygettin' into trouble, owin' to his friendly feelin's for liquor. As wedrew closer we made our smoke-wagons ready, while his two Greaserskept their hands in plain view, and harmless.

  Badger had a trapped look in his face; but he didn't say anything, an'he didn't cover Horace with his gun; he just held it ready. We did thesame with ours, an' it was the foolest lookin' group I was ever partof. Ol' Tank was the one who finally started things. "Look here,Badger-face," he bellowed, "if you so much as harm a hair o' thoseblamed ol' whiskers, why, we'll have to put ya out o' business."

  Horace turned an' looked at Tank in surprise. "Aw, put up your gun,"he said. "Badger-face ain't in earnest. We had an argument the otherday: I said 'at a man lost time crossin' his hand to pull his gun, an'he said it could be done quicker that way 'n any other; so to-day hejoked me about bein' as small in the body as he is in the brain, an' Icame back at him, also jokin' in a friendly way; an' he took thisexcuse to pull his gun on me, without any ill intent; but only toprove how quick he could do it. It stuck in his holster, though; an'if we'd been in earnest, I'd have had to kill him. I've had himcovered all this time; but you can see for yourselves 'at his gunain't cocked. Now put up your guns, and next time, don't be silly."

  I know 'at Horace didn't have any gun in his hand when we came up; butwhen he stopped speakin', he pulled his hand with a cocked gun in itout from under his hoss's mane, an' Badger-face was the most surprisedof any of us.

  "Come on down to supper, Badger-face, an' I'll sing ya my song," sezHorace. "We allus seem to have fresh deer meat when you happen along."

  We all put up our guns along with Badger-face, an' he mumbled somesort of an excuse an' rode away with the Greasers. O' course we'dought to 'a' killed him right then, 'cause he was more full o' hatethan a rattler; but the simple truth was, that Horace had gainedcontrol over us complete, an' we let him have his way.

  "When did you get that gun in your hand, Horace?" I sez to him aftersupper. "You didn't have no gun when I rode up."

  "That's what's puzzlin' Badger-face right this minute," sez Horace. "Ididn't draw that gun until Tank made his talk; but at the same time Iwasn't as defenceless as I looked. I have told you all the time 'atthat man didn't have the nerve to harm me. He's a coward."

  "I reckon you'll be killed one o' these days, still believin' that,"sez ol' Tank. "How much fightin' experience have you ever had?"

  "How much did Thesis ever have?" asked Horace.

  "Never heard of him," sez Tank. "Who was he?"

  "He was a Greek hero," sez Horace. "He never had had a fight till hestarted out to go to his father; but he cleaned out all the toughsalong the way, an' when he reached his father, who was king of Athens,he found 'em just ready to send out seven young men an' seven maidens,which they offered up each year to the Minnietor, which was a beastwith the body of a man, and the head of a bull, just like Badger-face.Thesis volunteered, an' what he did was to kill the Minnietor an' endall that nonsense."

  "Well, I never heard tell o' that before, an' I don't more 'n halfbelieve it now," sez Tank; "but I'm willin' to bet four dollars 'atthe Minnietor didn't know as much about gunfightin' as whatBadger-face does. He'll get ya yet, you see if he don't."

  "Tell ya what I'm game to do," sez Horace. "I'm game to go right to TyJones's ranch house alone. Do ya dare me?"

  "No, you don't do that," sez I. "That's a heap different proposition.Ty Jones wouldn't pull his gun without shootin'; and besides, he'dmost likely set his dogs on ya."

  "Well, I own up 'at I don't want no dealin's with dogs," sez Horace,thoughtful. "Dogs haven't enough imagination to work on. If they'retrained to bite, why, that's what they do; but give a human half achance, an' he'll imagine a lot o' things which are not so. Youcouldn't tell Badger-face a big enough tale about me to make him doubtit. I tell ya, I got him scared."

  We didn't argue with him none; the' was some doubt about him havin'Badger-face fooled; but the' wasn't any doubt about him havin' himselffooled--which is the main thing after all, I reckon. Anyway, we letHorace sit there the whole evenin', tellin' Greek-hero tales whichmust have blistered the imagination o' the feller 'at first made 'emup.

  Along about nine o'clock we began to stretch an' yawn; but before wegot to bed, Mexican Slim said 'at he heard a noise at the corral, an'we all looked at one another, thinkin' it was the Cross-branders; butHorace was the first one to get back into his boots an' belt; an' healso insisted on bein' the first to open the door, which he did assoon as we blew out the candle. Then we all filed out an' sneaked downtoward the corral; but first thing we knew, a voice out o' the darkwhispered: "This is me--Olaf. Is everything all right?"

  We told him it was, an' he whistled three times. You could 'a' knockedme down with a feather when Kit Murray an' the Friar came ridin' up;an' then we turned the ponies loose an' went into the house. It onlyhad two rooms, countin' the lean-to kit
chen, an' we made consid'ableof a crowd; but we were all in good spirits, on account of Olafgettin' the girl an' us bein' able to hand him back his stuff with notone head missin'.

  It had been some interval since I'd seen Kit Murray, an' I wassurprised to view the change in her. She didn't look so much older,but all the recklessness had gone out of her face, an' it had a sortof a quiet, holy look about it. "Kit," I sez, "I wish ya all the joythe' is; but I'd 'a' been willin' to have bet my eyes 'at you'd nevertake Olaf. I was glad to see him go up after ya, 'cause gettin'knocked on the head is some better 'n bein' kept hangin' on a hook;but you sure got your nerve with ya. This homestead is purty likely toget in some other folks' way."

  Kit had as snappy a pair o' black eyes as was ever stuck in a face;and now they flashed out full power. "I know it's goin' to be hard tohold this place," sez she, "but I reckon I can help a little. I canride an' shoot as well as a man, if I have to, and you know it. Idon't want anything but the quietest sort of a life the' is; but I'mready to stand for any sort o' luck 'at comes along. As for Olaf, he'sthe only man in the world for me. I saw something o' the big citiesback east, an' Billings, an' the boys on the range here, and out of'em all, Olaf's my man. The thing I hope more 'n anything else is,that we can die together."

  Her voice caused a hush to come to the room. I had meant to be jovialan' hearty; but the' was an undercurrent of earnestness in her voicewhich put a tingle into a feller. Kit Murray had changed a heap, butall for the better.

  Olaf cleared his throat, an' we all took a look at him. He hadchanged, too. He had lost the chained-bear look he generally wore, an'the' was a light o' pride an' satisfaction in his face which was goodto look upon. "Boys," he said, "I've been purty tough an' unsociable,an' I don't see why you've took so much trouble for me; but I tell yaright here that I stand ready to square it in any way or at any time Ican. Now, it seems mighty funny 'at Kit Murray should love me, an' Ican't account for it any more 'n you can; but I knew right from thestart that she did love me--I could tell by the light. If ever thetime comes that she don't love me any more, I get out of her way,that's all about that; but I'm not goin' to make her stay here anylonger 'n I have to. I sell out when I get the first chance. FriarTuck, he softened my heart, an' he watched over her. He's a man.That's all I can say."

  Well, this was an all-around noble speech for a stone image like Olafhad been, an' we cheered him to the echo; but Horace had sort o' beenjostled to the outside an' forgot. Now, he come forward an' shook Olafby the hand an' congratulated him, an' sez: "The's one thing I'd likemightily to know, an' that is--what the deuce do you mean by thislight you're allus alludin' to?"

  Olaf was some embarrassed; but it never seemed to fuss Horace any whenhe had turned all the fur the' was in sight the wrong way; so he justwaited patiently while Olaf spluttered about it.

  "I don't know myself," sez Olaf. "Always, since I was a little child,I have seen a floating light about people. I thought every one sawthis light an' I spoke of it when I was a child an' asked my motherabout it many times; but at first she thought I lie, an' then shethought my head was wrong; so I stopped talkin' about it; but always Isee it an' it changes with the feelings and with the health. All thecolors and shades I cannot read, but some I know. I knew that KitMurray loved me before she knew it, and I knew that the Friar was atrue man when they told me tales of him. Animals, too, have thisfloatin' light about 'em, an' I can tell when they are frightened an'when they are mean. This is why I handle hosses without trouble. Now Ido not know why my eyes are this way; but I have told you because youhave been good friends to me. I do not want you to tell of thisbecause it makes people think I am crazy."

  "Course it does," sez Horace. "It made me think you were crazy. Inever heard of anything like this before. Tell me some more about it."

  "There is no more to tell," sez Olaf. "When I see the flame I do notsee the people. The flame wavers about them, and sometimes I have seenit at night, but not often. I do nothing to make myself see this way.Always my eyes did this even when I was only a baby."

  "Well, you have everything beat I ever saw yet," sez Horace. "What doyou think o' this, Friar?"

  "I never heard of such a case," sez the Friar; "although it may havebeen that many have had this gift to some extent. I think it is due tothe peculiar blue of Olaf's eyes. I think that this blue detectscolors or rays, not visible to ordinary eyes. I wish that somescientist would study them."

  "I'll pay your way back East, Olaf," sez Horace, "if you'll have youreyes tested."

  "No, no," sez Olaf, shakin' his head. "I don't want to be a freak.What is the use? I can not tell how I do it, so it cannot be learned;and I do not want things put into my eyes for experiments. No, I willnot do it."

  "Tell me how Badger-face looks to you," sez Horace.

  "Oh, he is bad," sez Olaf. "He has the hate color, he loves to kill;but he is like the wolf; he does not like the fight, he wants alwaysto kill in secret."

  "I bet my eyes are a little like yours," sez Horace, noddin' his head."I knew 'at Badger-face was this way as soon as I saw him."

  "Oh, here now," sez the Friar. "You are puttin' down a special gift tothe level of shrewd character-readin'."

  "What sort of a flame does a dead person have, Olaf?" sez Horace.

  A queer look came into Olaf's face, a half-scared look. "A dead personhas no flame," sez he, with a little shudder. "It is a bad sight. Ihave watched; I have seen the soul leave. When a man is killed, thesavage purple color fades into the yellow of fear, then comes theblue, it gets fainter and fainter around the body; but it gathers likea cloud above, and then it is silver gray, like moonshine. It is notin the shape of the body, it is just a cloud. It floats away. That isall."

  "Well, that's enough," sez Horace. "Can you see any flame about asleeping person?"

  "Yes," sez Olaf, "just like about a waking person; and there is marksover a wound or a sick place."

  "Well, Mrs. Svenson," sez Horace to Kit, "you'll have to be mightycareful or your husband will find you out."

  "I am perfectly willin'," sez Kit with a proud little smile. She wasgame, all right, Kit was.

  "That is why I say it is all right," sez Olaf. "She is young, shecannot know how she will change. If ever she no longer love me, I willnot bother her. That would be a foolishness; but so long as she loveme, no other man will bother her. That would be devilishness!"

  "You certainly have a nice, simple scheme of life," sez Horace. "Ifever you change your mind, I'll put up the money to take you backEast, an' pay you high wages."

  "No," sez Olaf, "I hate circuses an' shows, an' such things. I notgo."

  "You say you can tell sick places, an' fear, an' hate, an' honesty,"sez Horace. "Now, when I came out here, I was just punk all over. Yougive me a look-over, an' tell right out what you see."

  At first Olaf shook his head, but we finally coaxed him into it; an'he opened his eyes wide an' looked at Horace. As he looked the blue inhis eyes got deeper an' deeper, like the flowers on the benches inJune, then when the pupil was plumb closed, the blue got lighteragain, and he said: "You have not one sick point, you have goodthoughts, you are very brave, you are too brave--you are reckless. Youhave very great vitality, an' will live to be very old--unless you getkilled. I knew an old Injun--over a hundred years old he was--he had aflame like yours. It is strange."

  You could actually see Horace swellin' up with vanity at this; but itmade ol' Tank Williams hot to see such a fuss made about asmall-caliber cuss; so he rumbles around in his throat a minute, an'sez: "Well, you fellers can fool around all night havin' your soulsmade light of, if ya want to; but as for me I'm goin' to bed."

  Kit insisted that we sleep on the floor just as we had been, while shean' Olaf bunked in the lean-to; but a warm chinook had been blowin'all day, an' it was soft an' pleasant, so we took our beds out in thecottonwoods. Horace an' the Friar got clinched into some kind of adiscussion; but the rest of us dropped off about as soon as westretched out. The moon was just risin', an' one sharp peak c
overedwith glitterin' snow stood up back o' the rim. I remember thinkin' itmight be part o' the old earth's shiny soul.