Part 37 (1/2)

”Swing,” said he, quietly, ”are you busy just now?”

Swing, suspecting a catch somewhere, stared in swift suspicion.

”Why--uh--no,” was his cautious reply.

”Then go off some'ers and die.”

Without waiting for Swing's possible comment Racey turned his back on his friend and walked unhurriedly to his horse Cuter. Swing slouched sidewise in the saddle and watched him go.

He rolled a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled luxuriously. And all without removing his gaze from Racey's back. He watched while Racey flung the reins crosswise over Cuter's neck, mounted, and rode down into the creek. When he saw that Racey, after allowing Cuter to drink nearly all he wanted, rode on across the creek and up the farther bank, Swing's brow became corrugated with a puzzled frown.

”He means business,” muttered Swing. ”I ain't seen that look on his face for some time. I wonder what did happen this morning.”

His eyes still fixed on the dwindling westward moving object that was Racey Dawson and his horse, he smoked his cigarette to a b.u.t.t. Then he picked up his reins, found his stirrups, and rode away.

Racey Dawson, bound for the 88 ranch-house, did not smoke. He did not feel like it. He did not feel like doing anything but facing Lanpher.

What he would be moved to do while facing Lanpher he was not sure.

Time enough to cross that bridge when the crucial moment should arrive. He knew what he wanted to do, but he knew, too, that he could not do it unless Lanpher made the first break. Otherwise it would be murder, and Racey was no murderer.

”He'll back down if he can, the snake,” Racey said aloud. ”And he'll be sh.o.r.e to slick and slime round till all's blue. d.a.m.n him, riding over those flowers of hers!”

Racey did not hurry. He had no desire to come up with Lanpher on the open range. It would be better to meet the man at his own ranch-house--where there were apt to be plenty of witnesses. Racey realized perfectly that he might need a witness, several witnesses, before the sunset. He hoped that all the boys of the 88 outfit would be at the ranch. He hoped that Luke Tweezy would be there, too.

Lanpher and Tweezy together, the pups.

”Fat Jakey Pooley's li'l playmates,” he muttered and swore again--heartily.

He understood now the true reason for Jack Harpe's lack of activity.

This purchasing by Lanpher and Tweezy of the Dale mortgage was the eminently safe and lawful plan of Jakey Pooley. In his letter Fat Jakey had written that it would take longer. And wasn't it taking longer? It was. Racey thought he saw the plan in its entirety, and was in a boil accordingly. He would have been in considerably more of a boil had he been blessed with the ability to read the future.

When he rode in among the buildings of the 88 ranch his eyes were gratified by the sight of freckle-faced Bill Allen straddling a cracker-box in front of the bunkhouse and having his hair cut by Rod Rockwell.

”That's right,” Bill Allen was complaining, ”whynell don't you cut off the whole ear while yo're about it?”

”Aw, shut up,” said Rod Rockwell, ”it was only the tip, and I didn't go to cut it, anyway.”

”I don't givead.a.m.n whether you went to cut it or not, you cut it! I can feel the blood running down the back of my neck.”

”That's only sweat, you bellerin' calf! Hold still, can't you? Djuh want me to hurt you?”

”You done have already,” snarled Bill Allen, fidgeting on his cracker-box. ”You wait till I cut yore hair after. I'll fix you. I'll scalp you, you pot-walloper.”

”That's right, Bill,” said Racey, checking his horse beside the quarrelling pair. ”Talk to him. Givem h.e.l.l.”

”'Lo, Racey,” grinned the two youngsters in unison.

”Where did you rustle _this_ hoss?” asked Bill Allen.

”Nemmine where,” smiled Racey, for both Bill and Rod had been his friends in his 88 days and could therefore insult him with impunity.

”I wouldn't wanna put li'l boys in the way of temptation. Does the cook still spank him regular, Rod?”