Wyoming: A Story of the Outdoor West
Page 19
CHAPTER 20. TWO CASES OF DISCIPLINE
The Fourth of July celebration at Gimlet Butte had been a thing of thepast for four days and the Lazy D had fallen back into the routine ofranch life. The riders were discussing supper and the continued absenceof Reddy when that young man drew back the flap and joined them.
He stood near the doorway and grinned with embarrassed guilt at theassembled company.
"I reckon I got too much Fourth of July at Gimlet Butte, boys. That'show come I to be onpunctual getting back."
There was a long silence, during which those at the table looked at himwith an expressionless gravity that did not seem to veil an unduly warmwelcome.
"Hello, Mac! Hello, boys! I just got back," he further contributed.
Without comment the Lazy D resumed supper. Apparently it had notmissed Reddy or noticed his return. Casual conversation was picked upcheerfully. The return of the prodigal was quite ignored.
"Then that blamed cow gits its back up and makes a bee-line for Rogers.The old man hikes for his pony and--"
"Seems good to git my legs under the old table again," interrupted Reddywith cheerful unease.
"--loses by about half a second," continued Missou. "If Doc hadn't ropedits hind laig--"
"Have some cigars, boys. I brought a box back with me." Reddy tossed ahandful on the table, where they continued to lie unnoticed.
"--there's no telling what would have happened. As 'twas the old man gotoff with a--"
"Y'u bet, they're good cigars all right," broke in the propitiatoryReddy.
The interrupted anecdote went on to a finish and the men trooped out andleft the prodigal alone with his hash. When that young man reached thebunkhouse Frisco was indulging in a reminiscence. Reddy got only thelast of it, but that did not contribute to his serenity.
"Yep! When I was working on the Silver Dollar. Must a-been three yearsago, I reckon, when Jerry Miller got that chapping."
"Threw down the outfit in a row they had with the Lafferty crowd, didn'the?" asked Denver.
Frisco nodded.
Mac got up, glanced round, and reached for his hat. "I reckon I'll haveto be going," he said, and forthright departed.
Reddy reached for HIS hat and rose. "I got to go and have a talk withMac," he explained.
Denver got to the door first and his big frame filled it.
"Don't hurry, Reddy. It ain't polite to rush away right after dinner.Besides, Mac will be here all day. He ain't starting for New York."
"Y'u're gittin' blamed particular. Mac he went right out."
"But Mac didn't have a most particular engagement with the boys. There'sa difference."
"Why, I ain't got--" Reddy paused and looked around helplessly.
"Gents, I move y'u that it be the horse sense of the Lazy D that ourfriend Mr. Reddy Reeves be given gratis one chapping immediately if notsooner. The reason for which same being that he played a lowdown trickon the outfit whose bread he was eating."
"Oh, quit your foolin', boys," besought the victim anxiously.
"And that Denver, being some able-bodied and having a good reach, berequested to deliver same to the gent needing it," concluded Missou.
Reddy backed in alarm to the wall. "Y'u boys don't want to get gay withme. Y'u can't monkey with--"
Motion carried unanimously.
Just as Reddy whipped out his revolver Denver's long leg shot outand his foot caught the wrist behind the weapon. When Reddy next tookcognizance of his surroundings he was serving as a mattress for theanatomy of three stalwart riders. He was gently deposited face down onhis bunk with a one-hundred-eighty-pound live peg at the end of each armand leg.
"All ready, Denver," announced Frisco from the end of the left foot.
Denver selected a pair of plain leather chaps with care and proceeded tobusiness. What he had to do he did with energy. It is safe to saythat at least one of those present can still vividly remember this andtestify to his thoroughness.
Mac drifted in after the disciplining. As foreman it was fitting thathe should be discreetly ignorant of what had occurred, but he could nothelp saying:
"That y'u I heard singing, Reddy? Seems to me y'u had ought to takethat voice into grand opera. The way y'u straddle them high notes isa caution for fair. What was it y'u was singing? Sounded like 'Would Iwere far from here, love.'"
"Y'u go to hell," choked Reddy, rushing past him from the bunkhouse.
McWilliams looked round innocently. "I judge some of y'u boys musta-been teasing Reddy from his manner. Seemed like he didn't want to sitdown and talk."
"I shouldn't wonder but he'll hold his conversations standing for a dayor two," returned Missou gravely.
At the end of the laugh that greeted this Mac replied:
"Well, y'u boys want to be gentle with him." "He's so plumb tender nowthat I reckon he'll get along without any more treatment in that linefrom us," drawled Frisco.
Mac departed laughing. He had an engagement that recurred daily in thedusk of the evening, and he was always careful to be on time. The otherparty to the engagement met him at the kitchen door and fell with himinto the trail that led to Lee Ming's laundry.
"What made you late?" she asked.
"I'm not late, honey. I seem late because you're so anxious," heexplained.
"I'm not," protested Nora indignantly. "If you think you're the only manon the place, Jim McWilliams."
"Sho! Hold your hawsses a minute, Nora, darling. A spinster like y'u--"
"You think you're awful funny--writing in my autograph album that aspinster's best friend is her powder box. I like Mr. Halliday's waysbetter. He's a perfect gentleman."
"I ain't got a word to say against Denver, even if he did write in yourbook,
"'Sugar is sweet, The sky is blue, Grass is green And so are you.'
I reckon, being a perfect gentleman, he meant--"
"You know very well you wrote that in yourself and pretended it was Mr.Halliday, signing his name and everything. It wasn't a bit nice of you."
"Now do I look like a forger?" he wanted to know with innocence on hischerubic face.
"Anyway you know it was mean. Mr. Halliday wouldn't do such a thing. Youtake your arm down and keep it where it belongs, Mr. McWilliams."
"That ain't my name, Nora, darling, and I'd like to know where my armbelongs if it isn't round the prettiest girl in Wyoming. What's the useof being engaged if--"
"I'm not sure I'm going to stay engaged to you," announced the youngwoman coolly, walking at the opposite edge of the path from him.
"Now that ain't any way to talk."
"You needn't lecture me. I'm not your wife and I don't think I'm goingto be," cut in Nora, whose temper was ruffled on account of having hadto wait for him as well as for other reasons.
"Y'u surely wouldn't make me sue y'u for breach of promise, would y'u?"he demanded, with a burlesque of anxiety that was the final straw.
Nora turned on her heel and headed for the house.
"Now don't y'u get mad at me, honey. I was only joking," he explained ashe pursued her.
"You think you can laugh at me all you please. I'll show you that youcan't," she informed him icily.
"Sho! I wasn't laughing at y'u. What tickled me--"
"I'm not interested in your amusement, Mr. McWilliams."
"What's the use of flying out about a little thing like that? Honest,I don't even know what you're mad at me for," the perplexed foremanaverred.
"I'm not mad at you, as you call it. I'm simply disgusted."
And with a final "Good night" flung haughtily over her shoulder MissNora Darling disappeared into the house.
Mac took off his hat and gazed at the door that had been closed in hisface. He scratched his puzzled poll in vain.
"I ce'tainly got mine good and straight just like Reddy got his. Butwhat in time was it all about? And me thinkin' I was a graduate in thestudy of the ladies. I reckon I never did get jarred up so. It's plumbdiscouraging."
If he co
uld have caught a glimpse of Nora at that moment, lying on herbed and crying as if her heart would break, Mac might have found thesituation less hopeless.