CHAPTER XXXIX
BARB MAKES A SURPRISING ALLIANCE
By a happy chance, on the night of Laramie's great hour, Sawdy andLefever returned from Medicine Bend. It was late when theyarrived--into the early morning hours, in fact, and at the MountainHouse the bar was not only closed but securely closed--barricadedagainst just such marauders. Even the night clerk had gone to bed.But this was less of an embarrassment, for the two adventurers, turningon the lights, took his pass keys from the drawer and, opening thedoors of one room after another in the face of a variety of protests,kept on till they found satisfactory quarters that "seemed"unoccupied--quarters in which at least the beds were unoccupied.
The hardy scouts slept late. They breakfasted late, in what Sawdycalled the hotel "ornery," and while they were reducing the visiblesupply of ham and eggs, Tenison walked in on them to ask aboutcomplaints made at the office by indignant guests whose privacy hadbeen invaded during the night. Rebuffed on this subject, all knowledgebeing disclaimed, Tenison was called on for the story of events sincethe two had been away, and of these Laramie's escape from the canyoncame first. Tenison reported further, in confidence, Laramie's successwith Kate. Had the news provided every man in the Falling Wall with abrand-new wife, it could not have been more to the humor of Sawdy andLefever.
Sawdy rose and stretched himself from the waist down to make sure hislegs touched the floor: "I've got to have a good cigar on that," hedeclared. "Take away, Mabel." He nodded courteously to the waitress."Harry, we had the dustiest trip I ever seen in my life," he added, aswith his companions he left the table. "The old Ogallala trail wasn'ta marker to it. Why, the dust was a mile deep. My tonsils are plumbfull of it yet."
Not everyone in Sleepy Cat was so quick to credit the news that KateDoubleday was going to marry Jim Laramie. The cattlemen sympathizerslooked grumpy, when approached on the subject. They preferred not totalk, but if taunted would retort with an intimating oath: "That showain't over yet."
"Jim Laramie acts as if it was, anyway," grumbled Belle, when thebutcher told her what they were saying. In fact, all of Laramie'sintimates were out of patience with him when he announced he was goingto rebuild the cabin on his Falling Wall ranch and live there.
"Wait till this cattle fight is over," they would urge.
"It is over," he would retort. And heedless of their protests, hespent his time getting his building materials together.
"What do you want me to do?" he demanded, stirred at length by Belle'sremonstrances against going back to the Falling Wall. "I've got tolive somewhere. Danger? Why, yes--maybe. But I can't keep dyingevery day on that account. Here in town a man was run over just theother day by a railroad train."
Kate said little either way. She heard all that Belle could urge andheld in her heart all the men said. But when Jim asked her what _she_wanted to do she told him, simply, whatever _he_ wanted to do. ThenBelle would call her a ninny, and Laramie would kiss her, and Belle indisgust would disappear.
There came one morning the crowning sensation in the suspense of thesituation. Barb Doubleday drove into town in the buckboard, headed histeam into Kitchen's barn to put up and gave McAlpin a cigar.
An earthquake, where one had never been known, could not have stirredthe town more. When McAlpin ran up street to the Mountain House to befirst with his news, he was reviled as a vender of stories calculatedto start a shooting.
But McAlpin, with a cigar in his mouth--where no cigar, except a freecigar, was ever seen--his face bursting red with import, stuck to hisguns. He walked straight to the billiard room bar, and attractedattention by brusquely ordering his own drink. This, it was known,always meant something serious.
When Sawdy saw the commotion about the barn boss, he walked in andafter listening began a stern cross-examination.
"Explain?" McAlpin echoed scornfully. "I don't explain. No, he wasn'tdrinking! Nor he wasn't crazy!" McAlpin took the burning cigar fromhis mouth. "That's the cigar he give me, right there--and a bum one.Barb never smoked a good one in his life--you know that, Henry? Idon't explain--I drink. Hold on!" he exclaimed, as he emptied hisglass with a single gulp. He was looking across the street andpointing. "Who's that over there comin' out of the lumber yard withBarb Doubleday right now--blanked if it ain't! It's Jim Laramie,that's who it is."
Doubleday had in fact run into Laramie in the lumber yard. Withnothing more than a greeting, he opened his mind: "I want a talk withyou, Jim," he said bluntly. "Where's Kate?"
Not even the freedom of the bar fully established could hold McAlpinafter he had seen Laramie and Doubleday walk out of the lumber yard andstart down Main Street together. McAlpin had the reputation of havingmissed no important shooting in Sleepy Cat for years. He had beenwitness in more than one inquest and did not mean to imperil hisimportance by slacking now. As he hastened out to trail the long-daybitter enemies, he was framing in his mind the preliminary answers forthe coroner. He would be compelled to testify, he felt, that the deadman had showed no sign of intoxication or excitement when he drove histeam into the barn--for in the circumstances, the barn boss alreadyfigured Barb as the inevitable victim.
Thus ruminating, he trailed the unsuspecting pair as far as Belle's.At Belle's without sign of heated argument, they knocked and enteredthe cottage together. This left McAlpin across the street with nobodybut the butcher to talk to, while he listened intently for the firstshot.
Lefever was bolder. He followed the two men unceremoniously to Belle'sporch and bluffed Belle herself into admitting him to the living room.Laramie had gone into the back part of the house to hunt up Kate; Barb,alone, sat in the rocking chair, chewing an unlighted cigar.
Lefever greeted the big cattleman effusively; Barb's response was cold.He looked Lefever over critically: "What'you doing?" he asked, withoutwarm interest in any possible answer.
"Buying a relinquishment now and again, Barb."
"Railroad man, eh?" muttered Barb, irrelevantly.
"No, no. I've quit that game; I've got a claim up near you. I'm goingto try to live the life of a small but dishonest rancher, Barb."
"You ought to do well at that, eh?"
"Why, yes and no. But I'm thinking, if I can't figure out the game,some of my neighbors can help me catch on--what?"
Barb's retort--if he had one--to Lefever's continued laugh, was cut offby Laramie's entrance with Kate. John saw that he was _de trop_, thatit was a family conference, and only extracting from Laramie a promiseto see him--about nothing whatever--before leaving town he made what hetermed a graceful getaway. Kate and Laramie faced her father. Belle,too, was for going out. Doubleday stopped her: "No secrets, Belle;stay if you want to."
All sat down. Kate was for a chair, but Laramie domineering, made hersit with him on the sofa. Barb spoke first: "This Falling Wall fightis off," he began briefly. "Anyway, I quit on it. I've got to, Jim.The settlers there are in to stay," declared Barb philosophically."They've got to be reco'nized." The settlers, in this instance, meantJim Laramie, since practically everyone else had been driven orfrightened out. But all understood what was intended; for if thefighting ceased the park would fill up.
"Since yesterday," Doubleday went on, "I've found out something else."He was speaking directly to Laramie. "That man Stone," he exclaimed,"has been robbing me."
The old man paused. No one made any comment. Abe Hawk had long agotold Laramie as much. "He's been misbranding on me--him and thatrascally Van Horn have been selling my steers to the railroad camps onthe Reservation. I've got the evidence from some Indians that cameover yesterday with the hides. Last night," continued the victimcoolly, "I fired Stone. He went right over to Van Horn's. I told himthat's where he belongs. I'm through with 'em both."
"Why don't you have 'em arrested?" demanded Belle.
"I might, yet," muttered Barb vaguely.
Laramie held his peace; but even Kate realized _that_ would never do."Jim and me has had our differences," added Barb, "but t
hey're ended.If you two get married----"
"There ain't goin' to be any 'if,' Barb," interposed Laramie, "there'sjust going to be 'married,' and married right off."
"Well, that's for you and the girl to say; but when you say it, you'vegot to have a house to live in. I met Jim," added her father, speakingnow to Kate, "over in the lumber yard this morning. When you get yourhouse up, turn the bill in to me."
Kate's kisses confused and stopped her father. Belle made ready a gooddinner. The four ate together. Belle was excited, Kate happy andLaramie content. But for the old man it was somehow hard to fit in.Having had his say, he relapsed into grim silence and taciturnresponses. Even his presence would have repressed Belle but for Kate'shappy laugh. She looked at her father, talked to him, thought of him,studied him, and throwing off lingering doubts--for she never felt shequite knew her father--enjoyed him, eating as he was in peace with herhusband-to-be.
When Laramie's cigars were lighted after the dinner, Barb seemed tofeel more at his ease. He told stories of his old railroad days andlaughed when Kate and Belle and Laramie laughed. Later, his daughterand his new son-in-law walked up street with him. They went with himon his errands and then to the barn. McAlpin, personally, hitched upthe ponies, both in compliment to a new customer and to hear every wordthat passed in the talk.
"Damme," he muttered to the hostler in the harness room, "y' can't getaround old Barb. Look at him. What do I mean? Don't he fight Laramiefive years 'n' get licked? Now he turns him into his son-in-law andgets the Falling Wall range anyway--can y' beat it? Coming rightalong, sir!" he shouted, as Barb in the gangway bellowed for morespeed. And with a flutter of activity, real and feigned, McAlpin andhis helper fastened the traces.
When ready, the wiry team and the long narrow buckboard looked smallfor Barb, who cautiously clambered into the seat and gingerlydistributed his bulk upon it. Laramie had taken the reins fromMcAlpin; he passed them to Barb who, as he squared himself so as not tofall off his slender perch, was huskily demanding when Laramie and Katewould be out. At the last minute, Kate insisted on and was given, agood-by kiss. She and Jim promised to go out next day. Barb spoke tothe horses. They jumped half-way out of the barn. Kate, with Laramiefollowing, hurried forward to see her father drive away.
The broad back, topped by the powerful shoulders and neck, and the bighat bobbing up and down with the spring of the buckboard, the littleteam plunging at their bits, and her father heedless of theirantics--all this was a familiar sight, but never had it been sopleasing. The setting sun touched with gold the thin cloud of dustthat rose from the wheels. It was the close of a beautiful day and ithad been next to the happiest in her life, Kate thought, while shestood, watching and thinking. The ponies reaching a turn in the roaddashed ahead and her father disappeared.