CHAPTER XVII. Good News
Pink rolled over in his bed so that he might look--howeversleepily--upon his fellows, dressing more or less quietly in the cooldawn-hour.
"Say, I got a letter for you, Weary," he yawned, stretching both armsabove his head. "I opened it and read it; it was from Chip, so--"
"What did he have to say?"
"Old Man any better?"
"How they comm', back here?"
Several voices, speaking at once, necessitated a delayed reply.
"They'll be here, to-day or to-morrow," Pink replied without anycircumlocution whatever, while he fumbled in his coat pocket for theletter. "He says the Old Man wants to come, and the doctors think hemight as well tackle it as stay there fussing over it. They're coming ina special car, and we've got to rig up an outfit to meet him. The LittleDoctor tells just how she wants things fixed. I thought maybe it wasimportant--it come special delivery," Pink added naively, "so I justplayed it was mine and read it."
"That's all right, Cadwalloper," Weary assured him while he read hastilythe letter. "Well, we'll fix up the spring wagon and take it in rightaway; somebody's got to go back anyway, with MacPherson. Hello, Cal;how's Happy?"
"All right," answered Cal, who had watched over him during the night andcame in at that moment after someone to take his place in the sickroom."Waked up on the fight because I just happened to be setting with myeyes shut. I wasn't asleep, but he said I was; claimed I snored so loudI kept him awake all night. Gee whiz! I'd ruther nurse a she bear withthe mumps!"
"Old Man's coming home, Cal." Pink announced with more joy in histone and in his face than had appeared in either for many a wearyday. Whereupon Cal gave an exultant whoop. "Go tell that to Happy,"he shouted. "Maybe he'll forget a grouch or two. Say, luck seems to bekinda casting loving glances our way again--what?"
"By golly, seems to me Pink oughta told us when he come in, las' night,"grumbled Slim, when he could make himself heard.
"You were all dead to the world," Pink defended, "and I wanted tobe. Two o'clock in the morning is a mighty poor time for elegantconversation, if you want my opinion."
"And the main point is, you knew all about it, and you didn't give adarn whether we did or not," Irish said bluntly. "And Weary sneaked in,too, and never let a yip outa him about things over in Denson coulee."
"Oh, what was the use?" asked Weary blandly. "I got an option out ofOleson for the ranch and outfit, and all his sheep, at a mighty goodfigure--for the Flying U. The Old Man can do what he likes about it;but ten to one he'll buy him out. That is, Oleson's share, which wastwo-thirds. I kinda counted on Dunk letting go easy. And," he added,reaching for his hat, "once I got the papers for it, there wasn'tanything to hang around for, was there? Especially," he said with hisold, sunny smile, "when we weren't urged a whole lot to stay."
Remained therefore little, save the actual arrival of the Old Man--apitifully weak Old Man, bandaged and odorous with antiseptics, and quitepathetically glad to be back home--and his recovery, which was ratherslow, and the recovery of Happy Jack, which was rapid.
For a brief space the Flying U outfit owned the Dots; very brief itwas; not a day longer than it took Chip to find a buyer--at a figureconsiderably above that named in the option, by the way.
So, after a season of worry and trouble and impending tragedy such asno man may face unflinchingly, life dropped back to its usual level, andthe trail of the Flying U outfit once more led through pleasant places.
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