Part 26 (1/2)
”Oh! that was the danger,” said Calhoun, on hearing the explanation.
”How do you know they have escaped it?”
”Look thur!”
”A dead horse! Freshly killed, he appears? What does that prove?”
”That the mowstanger hes killed him.”
”It frightened the others off, you think, and they followed no further?”
”They follered no further; but it wa'n't adzackly thet as scared 'em off. Thur's the thing as kep them from follerin'. Ole Hickory, what a jump!”
The speaker pointed to the arroyo, on the edge of which both riders had now arrived.
”You don't suppose they leaped it?” said Calhoun. ”Impossible.”
”Leaped it clur as the crack o' a rifle. Don't ye see thur toe-marks, both on this side an the t'other? An' Miss Peintdexter fust, too! By the jumpin' Geehosofat, what a gurl she air sure enuf! They must both a jumped afore the stellyun war shot; else they kedn't a got at it.
Thur's no other place whar a hoss ked go over. Geeroozalem! wa'n't it cunnin' o' the mowstanger to throw the stud in his tracks, jest in the very gap?”
”You think that he and my cousin crossed here together?”
”Not adzackly thegither,” explained Zeb, without suspecting the motive of the interrogatory. ”As I've sayed, Spotty went fust. You see the critter's tracks yonner on t'other side?”
”I do.”
”Wal--don't ye see they air kivered wi' them o' the mowstanger's hoss?”
”True--true.”
”As for the stellyuns, they hain't got over--ne'er a one o' the hul cavayurd. I kin see how it hez been. The young fellur pulled up on t'other side, an sent a bullet back inter this brute's karkidge. 'Twar jest like closin' the gap ahint him; an the pursooers, seein' it shet, guv up the chase, an scampered off in a different direckshun. Thur's the way they hev gone--up the side o' the gully!”
”They may have crossed at some other place, and continued the pursuit?”
”If they dud, they'd hev ten mile to go, afore they ked git back hyur-- five up, an five back agin. Not a bit o' that, Mister Calhoun. To needn't be uneezy 'bout Miss Lewaze bein' pursooed by _them_ any further. Arter the jump, she's rud off along wi' the mowstanger--both on 'em as quiet as a kupple o' lambs. Thur wa'n't no danger then; an by this time, they oughter be dog-goned well on torst rejoinin' the people as stayed by the purvision waggon.”
”Come on!” cried Calhoun, exhibiting as much impatience as when he believed his cousin to be in serious peril. ”Come on, Mr Stump! Let us get back as speedily as possible!”
”Not so fast, if you pleeze,” rejoined Zeb, permitting himself to slide leisurely out of his saddle, and then drawing his knife from his sheath.
”I'll only want ye to wait for a matter o' ten minutes, or thereabout.”
”Wait! For what?” peevishly inquired Calhoun.
”Till I kin strip the hide off o' this hyur sorrel. It appear to be a skin o' the fust qualerty; an oughter fetch a five-dollar bill in the settlements. Five-dollar bills ain't picked up every day on these hyur purayras.”
”d.a.m.n the skin!” angrily e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the impatient Southerner. ”Come on, an leave it!”
”Ain't a goin' to do anythin' o' the sort,” coolly responded the hunter, as he drew the sharp edge of his blade along the belly of the prostrate steed. ”You kin go on if ye like, Mister Calhoun; but Zeb Stump don't start till he packs the hide of this hyur stellyun on the krupper o' his old maar. Thet he don't.”
”Come, Zeb; what's the use of talking about my going back by myself?
You know I can't find my way?”