CHAPTER XVIII.
THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Uncle Fred," Adrian told him, realizingwhat a struggle must be going on inside, when the other talked in thisstrain. "Things can't be any worse for you than they seem right now; andwho knows what might turn up to bring about a change. Anyhow, I believein sticking it out. If it gets to the worst, why, between you and methere might be a chance for you to run down to Arizona, and be theoverseer at the Mackay place; because I happen to know that his foreman,Si Ketcham, is going to marry a girl who owns a ranch, and that heexpects to throw up his job with Donald's dad pretty soon."
"Oh! that would be just the thing, if only _she_ didn't know where I'dgone!" exclaimed the other, eagerly; "but let's forget my troubles for awhile, Adrian, and talk of other things. You'll want to know all aboutmatters here, how many cattle have been carried off the last year, andwhat's left. Come with me into this bunk house, where we can sit down,and have it over with."
As they turned the corner of the long, low building they came upon acrouching figure. It was Mr. Thomas, who started to limp away at theirapproach.
"Who's this tramp?" asked Uncle Fred, quickly.
"He's a poor fellow," explained Adrian, "whose horse died under himwhile he was on the way to see if he could get a job with you, takingcare of the ranch books. All he asks is his board in payment for hisservices. I took him back of me on my pony, thinking we might keep him,for a while anyhow, till he felt better. He's sick now, and badly off,you see."
"I should say I was in a tough corner all around," mumbled the man; "andp'raps it'd be better for me to go as soon as I'm able. Don't botherabout me; I c'n hang out around the bunk house here, and get a bite nowand then, till there's a wagon going off, when mebbe you'll let me ride.I've changed my mind about wantin' to take up a job here; too muchexcitement to suit me. I'm all of a tremble right now with hearing whatI did."
"Oh! all right, Mr. Thomas, please yourself," said Adrian, with a shrugof his shoulders; "you can stay around awhile, and the first chance thatcomes along make a shift of quarters. The boys'll see that you getsomething to eat; or else ask the Chink cook."
As he and the deposed manager entered the building, he went on toexplain a little further, seeing that Uncle Fred looked curious.
"He's pretty much of a harmless fellow, I take it. All the way here hekept telling of things he had done until you'd think he was a hero ifever there was one; but I reckon it's all brag with him, and that he'sas timid as they make them. But let's sit down here, and have a goodchin, Uncle."
They were alone in the bunk house, as far as Adrian could see, so he didnot hesitate to speak freely concerning his plans, especially withregard to having sent for the sheriff and his posse, with the idea ofopposing any hostile move the lawless Walkers might undertake, uponfinding how conditions had changed with the coming of the real owner ofBar-S Ranch.
"It may pass off without open trouble," Adrian concluded, "but if halfI've been hearing about this Hatch Walker is true, I don't think he'llstand by and see his sway of power over the section knocked out, withoutmaking some sort of fight. He may not come into the open, but there arelots of ways of burning ranch buildings, or running off stock, thatcould be tried. One thing I'm determined on, and that is either I'mgoing to be boss of my own outfit, or else there won't be any outfitleft on Bar-S Ranch!"
"Good! I like to hear that sort of talk. It's the stuff I used to put upbefore I was so unfortunate as to run across a woman who was bent onmarrying me. There was where I made my one great mistake. The widow wastoo much for me, and almost before I knew it we were spliced. You canimagine how I felt later on when first I learned that Mrs. Smeed wasreally the sister of Hatch Walker. Oh! well, here I am talking about mypersonal affairs again, when I said I'd let them drop."
"First of all," said Adrian, "you must give me a list of the puncherswho are employed on the range here, and put a cross in front of everyname belonging to a man you have any reason to believe is connected withthe Walkers."
"Oh! I can do that easy, and right now," replied the other quickly. "Iknow them all, for haven't they laughed at my orders of late, after theylearned how I was badgered by a woman, me who had always been a _man_before. Shall I write them out now for you, son?"
"Yes, because I will want to weed out the goats from the sheep prettysoon, and at that time a mistake might cost us dear. Only the faithfulshall be put on guard. The ones you black-ball will get their month'spay, and be made to walk the plank by night-time, if possible; becausewho knows what may happen once darkness comes along; and a traitor inthe camp is worse than three open foes."
"Right you are there, Adrian; and it tickles me to find you so clever atsizing things up."
He busied himself with pencil and paper for several minutes; after whichhe handed over the list he had made out.
"You see," Mr. Comstock presently said, as Adrian looked over the list,"we've got ten punchers here just now, though time was when we needednearly twice that number; but then the herds ain't what they used to be,what with two big hauls, and some hard luck last winter in a blizzard."
"And you seem to have put a cross in front of just five out of the tennames; so it looks as though you couldn't trust half your force," theboy remarked.
"Just so, Adrian," came the reply. "She let some of my best men gobecause they wouldn't take orders from her. In time p'raps the rest ofthe decent ones'd have been weeded out too; they were always in hotwater with the missus, and threatening to throw up their jobs, only Ibegged them to stand by me, or I'd quit too. You can depend on the fivethrough thick and thin."
"One of them is Frank Bowker, the man you sent to town, so that leavesjust four on deck right now; with my three new hands that makes seven ofthe right sort; and then the three of us boys adds up ten, just enoughto handle things if we have to."
"And count me in with you, because I'm not too old to throw a rope orride the wickedest cayuse in the bunch; fact is, there's only one thingon the face of this earth I seem to be afraid of. I won't mention names,son, because you know what that is without my saying it."
"Supposing now that those four rustlers made a bee line for home as soonas the one we had with us part of the way here could get back to hismates, and set them free, what do you expect would happen?" Adrianinquired.
"Well," said Mr. Comstock, "if Hatch Walker was home the chances are thefirst thing he'd do would be to knock those unlucky punchers sky-high.Depend on it the next time you come across any one of that bunch you'llnotice black eyes in plenty."
"And then what else?" continued the boy.
"You see, Hatch, he's run things so long around here now, at his sweetwill, that like as not he'll think of that bunch of cattle as belongingto him. And getting a lot of his boys together he'll even come swingingalong this way to try to run 'em off the second time, and in broaddaylight, too."
"Well, he certainly is a bold one for a fact, and it's about time he hadhis wings clipped!" declared the boy, surprised at the condition ofaffairs in the region that had, during the lifetime of his father, beena peaceful community, stirred up only once in a while when some herderof sheep angered the cow-punchers, and a little shooting followed.
"I'm wondering if I could manage to get into my room through the windowwithout Josie seeing me," Uncle Fred continued.
Then seeing the boy's look of astonishment he went on to explain.
"You see, I came running out so fast I hadn't time to think of pickingup my belt, and putting it on; so my gun is in there. And the worst ofit is, I can't enter my room without passing through the one _she_occupies. That's how she manages all the time. Just now I wouldn't liketo let her get hold of me. I never yet struck a woman in all my life,and no matter what happens I'm getting too old now to begin on a newtack. So, there you see what a fix I'm in, son."
"Oh!" laughed Adrian, "you could borrow a gun from one of the boys whomight happen to own an extra one. Don't have anything to do with AuntJosie until we see h
ow things turn out here. Perhaps there'll be a bigchange come along, and the situation will take on a new phase. Butsuppose the Walkers do make a daylight raid, what about the other herdsthat are out on the range?"
Mr. Comstock jumped to his feet excitedly.
"There's two big lots, and they'd get 'em as easy as falling off a log,that's dead sure!" he exclaimed; "and to think of me sitting here takingthings easy when I ought to be outside hustling every puncher off todrive the balance of our cattle into the corrals, where we could standguard over them tonight, or till the sheriff comes, anyway."
"But there must be some system about what you do, Uncle Fred,"interposed Adrian.
"Yes, sure there must, but what do you mean by that, son?"
"There are fourteen punchers all told, and five of them you can't dependon to do the right thing; is that so?" continued the boy.
"Yes, and now I see what you mean, Adrian; we must fix it so that thegreater part of each bunch of drivers will be our stand-by men," thedeposed manager said, hastily.
"Yes, if two gangs go out let three of the suspects accompany the onethat has five of our fellows along, so that if they desert, or try anytricks, they'll be at least outnumbered. Billie needn't do any ridingbecause I reckon he's nearly played out. That would leave two others togo with me and a couple of the Walker sympathizers; and depend on itI'll keep an eye on that pair good and hard. If they try any funnybusiness they'll be sorry, that's all. So fix things that way, UncleFred; and chances are we'll get all the cattle safely home before theWalkers come along."
"You're a great hand to plan things, son; and I'll do that same; only Ihope I can get the loan of a spare gun, if I'm to be left at home whenthe rest of you go off. I'd be afraid of my life otherwise, I give youmy solemn word for it."
They left the bunk house after that. As they did so a face showed up atone of the windows further on, proving that some one had taken thetrouble to listen, in hopes of hearing what plans they made; and it wasthe face of one of the suspects, in the bargain.