CHAPTER XIX.
BILLIE HAS SUSPICIONS.
Once outside again they found that the punchers still hung around asthough understanding that their services would soon be needed in someway.
With something like his old decisive way of handling men, before hisspirit had been almost broken through constant quarrels with his wife,Mr. Comstock picked out such men as he thought ought to be sent out inthe two parties, with orders to drive all the stock into the corralswith all haste possible.
One of these was placed in charge of Donald. Besides himself itconsisted of three of the suspects and four reliable punchers, eight inall; and they were to go after the larger herd known to be feeding onthe hillsides some miles off.
Adrian himself had lanky George Hess, one of his new men, a puncherknown as Monkey Jones on account of his agility on the back of a pony,but who was one of Mr. Comstock's select list, and two of the suspects.They expected to round up a smaller bunch of long-horns, and get themhome safely.
Billie watched all these proceedings as though wondering where he camein.
"Don't I ride along with you, Adrian?" he asked, plaintively, when therewas no mention of his name given, and the two parties prepared to sallyforth.
"No, not this time, Billie," replied the other, softly, for some of themen were close by, looking to their saddle-girths, and in other waysmaking sure things were all right before galloping forth; "Uncle Fredhas to stay at home, and you had better keep him company. You see howthings stand. We'll have a warm ride of it; and you never did likedriving cattle, you know. Besides, if you are sighing for excitement whoknows what may happen here while the rest of us are gone; and you'dbetter make it a point not to get separated from your rifle, for evenone minute!"
Billie's eyes grew round with comprehension. He could not get the angryface of Mrs. Fred out of his mind; and he felt that Adrian must refer toher when he spoke of trouble springing up.
"Say, I reckon now that's right," he replied. "You never know what awoman's agoin' to do, any more'n you can tell which way she's meaning tothrow a ball by the way she aims. And poor old Uncle Fred looks like heneeded a guardian some, too. So I'll stick it out here at home; but getback as soon as you can, Adrian. Mebbe a bunch of them Walkers might runin on us here, and with only two men to hold 'em off, why, we'd needassistance, you see."
Satisfied that Billie was contented to carry out the part of the planassigned to him Adrian hurried over to where he had left his horse. Oneof the cowboys belonging to the ranch was standing close by, and whenAdrian saw that he happened to be one of the untrustworthy ones who hadbeen picked out to accompany him on the drive, he wondered whether thefellow might not have planned to do something to injure his preciousmount.
At least Ten Spot was holding his ears far back, and acting in a viciousmanner, as though determined not to allow the stranger to lay hands onhim.
When Adrian gave the fellow a keen look he mumbled something aboutmeaning to "fetch the boss' horse to him, only the animal wouldn't lethim come near;" and then shuffled away to where his own pony wasstanding.
"I'll look out for you, my hearty," thought the boy, for if ever therehad been such a thing as treachery on any face, he had seen it there inthose shifting eyes and hangdog attitude.
Presently the two parties started off. Of course they would not begenuine cow-punchers if they had not shown more or less extravagance intheir way of riding, every fellow seeming to have some favorite way ofjumping into his saddle, and then dashing away at headlong speed, wavinghis hat or his hand, and perhaps giving vent to shrill yells.
Away they coursed over the prairie, one to the north, and the otherheading further east. Of course both Adrian and Donald depended entirelyon the local punchers to find the cattle; and were wide-awake and not tobe deceived by anything that might be said by one of those under theban, who would possibly want to lead them astray, so that precious timemust be lost.
Billie stood and watched them depart with a feeling of despondency. Hedisliked seeing his two chums leave him, even if it was for only a shorttime. But then he remembered what Adrian had said about his being "onguard," and that something was likely to happen there while the otherswere gone, that would call for valor on his part.
He meant to stand by Uncle Fred, though secretly Billie hoped deep downin his heart that this would not bring him into personal contact withthat black-eyed woman who could cast a look on a fellow as though shemight be tempted to eat him.
The riders galloped steadily on until they looked like specks in thedistance. Of course their return would be considerably slower, becausethey would then be driving obstinate cattle; and no matter how dextrousthe punchers might be, delays were sure to occur.
"I hope they don't run upon any snag," Billie was muttering to himself,as he noticed that the smaller party had already vanished from his view;"because, after all that's been said and done, I think Adrian deservesto save what long-horns he's got left here on his ranch. Now, who wasthat peeking at me around the corner of that bunk house? Somebody drawedback like a flash, and acted suspicious, seems like. Reckon it's up tome to investigate the same. P'raps now this might turn out to be thetrouble that Adrian hinted would as like as not crop up here, and whichhe said I would have to handle. Here goes, then!"
Saying this Billie cautiously handled his repeating rifle, so that itlay in the crotch of his left arm; while he touched the trigger with theforefinger of his right hand; and having so arranged matters he tookseveral bold steps toward the spot where he had seen that head vanish.
His heart seemed to be in his mouth as he turned the corner of thebuilding, for he did not know what sort of a reception might greet him.
No sooner had he done this than he gave a relieved gasp. There wasindeed a cringing figure there, but he immediately recognized the fellowas Mr. Thomas, the pilgrim whom they had succored on the trail to Bar-SRanch, and who hoped to get some sort of position there, at least with achance of three square meals a day as payment for his clerical services.
"Oh! it's only you, is it?" grunted Billie, lowering the rifle that wastrembling in his nervous grip.
"Yes, that's all," whined the other. "Hope I didn't alarm you any when Ipoked my head out to see if the coast was clear."
"What, alarm _me_?" answered the fat boy, in a voice of lofty scorn;"well, let me tell you it'd take a whole lot more'n that to scare me.You saw how quick I stepped around here to find out what it meant,didn't you? That don't look like I could be so easy frightened, does it?Well, I should say not. But what're you hanging out here for, when youmight as well go to the house? Didn't Adrian tell you to stay for a timeanyhow; and he's the boss here, you must know."
"But I don't want to go to the house at all," remonstrated the man, ashe heaved a long sigh, and looked nervously around. "Fact is, I'vechanged my mind about acceptin' any work here. I might stay around tilltomorrow, sleeping out in the bunk house with the boys; and then ifthere's a wagon going to town I'll go along. I've remembered a veryimportant engagement that I ought to keep, you see. That's why Icouldn't think of staying here."
"Huh! seems to me it's mighty funny you didn't think of that same beforeyou ever started out on the trail," Billie grunted, eying the other halfsuspiciously; while to himself he was saying: "Wonder now what does ailthe fellow? Ever since he set eyes on Mr. Comstock he acts differentfrom what he did. Say, wonder if he could have done the gent an injury,and recognized him when he came here? I reckon I had ought to keep aneye on Mister Thomas; who knows what he might be up to? But I won't lethim know he's under suspicion. I'll just pretend to let it pass along,and watch him out of the corner of my left optic."
Following out this policy Billie engaged the other in conversation. Ifhe expected that the said Mr. Thomas would let fall any sort of hintthat would tell him why he had really changed his mind so suddenly,Billie must have been disappointed, for the other made no mention of hisown affairs, seeming to be more interested in the possibility oftrouble, should the dreaded Walkers come do
wn upon Bar-S Ranch, meaningto take by open force what they had failed to secure through thestampede.
"If they do tackle your crowd there's apt to be a fight on, I take it,"he remarked, "and more'n likely now somebody might get hurt. Guess itwas the worst thing I ever set out to do when that notion of getting ajob at the Bar-S popped into my silly head. Jumpin' right out of thefrying-pan into the fire, so to speak. But how'd I ever dream I'd runacrost--but I was going to say that when it comes time to feed p'rapsyou'll remember I'm out here in the bunk house, and fetch me just a fewbites. I'm half sick, and my leg hurts like anything, which is why Ihadn't ought to go in, to eat with the rest. But I just know I'll feedworse if I ain't had a few bites. You won't forget, will you, MisterBillie?"
Of course the fat boy promised to remember; but he thought it more thansuspicious that Thomas made such a silly excuse for keeping away fromthe rest. He hugged the idea to his heart that the man had anotherreason, and a good one too, for avoiding Uncle Fred; because, you seeBillie did not know that they had already met, and been "introduced" byAdrian, with no unpleasant discovery and explosion as a result.
Being very frank himself it was just like Billie to say something alongthese lines to the other, which he did in this way:
"Strikes me, Mr. Thomas, that you don't hanker much about striking up anacquaintance with Adrian's Uncle Fred. I only hope now that you haven'tdone anything to injure him in the past."
At that the man looked carefully about him, and then coming up to Billielaid a hand confidentially on his arm, as he went on to say softly:
"I understand what you're thinking about, sir, and I hasten to assureyou that your suspicions are all unfounded. I never injured Mr.Comstock, and I sure didn't rob him of anything in all my life. Fact is,the boot is on the other leg, if you come right down to hard facts. ButI'm not complaining, not one whit. He's as welcome as the daylight.Let's talk of other things, my young friend. And please turn thatrepeating gun the other way. It makes me nervous to see it pointingright at me. There, that's better; but I think I'd better go in and liedown, I'm feeling that bad."