Part 17 (2/2)

”Sheep, I'll bet a hat!”

CHAPTER XIV

THE SHEEP ARRIVE

Among the saddles, horse-gear, weapons, grub and other equipment that had been put in the fort at Spur Creek was a telescope. Remembering this, Bud rushed in to get it, while his companions stood in front of the place, gazing across the stream at the ever-increasing cloud of dust.

”Something's comin' on, anyhow,” observed Yellin' Kid.

”Can't be cattle,” remarked Snake Purdee. ”They ain't spread out enough for cattle.”

This was one way of telling, for, as the cowboy said, cattle, meaning by that steers or a herd of grazing horses, separate much more than do sheep, which stick in a bunch as they feed. Still there was no being certain of it until Bud should take an observation through the gla.s.s.

”Might be another bunch of Greasers--or rustlers,” said Snake, musingly.

”There's plenty of both kinds down there,” agreed Nort, with a wave of his hand in the general direction of Mexico, the border of which misruled, unhappy and greatly-misunderstood country was not far away.

Bud came running out with the telescope, pulling s.h.i.+ny bra.s.s lengths to their limit before focusing it.

”We'll soon tell now,” he said, as he raised the objective gla.s.s and pointed it at the cloud of dust, while he squinted through the eye-piece. A moment later, after he had made a better adjustment of the focus, he cried: ”It's sheep all right! A big bunch of 'em!”

”Any men with 'em? No, I shouldn't call 'em men,” hastily corrected d.i.c.k. ”No decent man would raise sheep.”

In this, of course, he was wrong. Sheep are needful and many a rancher is making a fortune out of them, but at this time, and in this part of the west, a sheep herder was despised and hated by his fellows.

”Yes, there's a bunch of Greasers or some one hazin' 'em on,” reported Bud. ”Here, Kid, take a look,” and he pa.s.sed the gla.s.s to the older cowboy.

The latter could but confirm what Bud had seen and then, in turn, the other three had a look through the telescope, which brought the details of the oncoming herd of ”woollies” startlingly near.

”Well, what we goin' to do about it?” asked Yellin' Kid, after they had made sure the sheep were headed toward the east bank of Spur Creek.

”We're going to stop 'em from coming over here,” declared Bud determinedly.

”Maybe they don't intend to come,” suggested Nort.

”What are they heading this way for, then?” demanded his cousin.

”To get better pasture.”

”Well, what pasture there is on that side of Spur Creek won't last the sheep very long!” exclaimed Snake Purdee. ”They'll be over here in a couple of days at the most. Reckon they think they have a right to this range.”

”Which they haven't,” said Bud, ”though how dad is going to prove his claim, with the papers gone, I don't see.”

”We'll prove it with force--that's what we'll do!” shouted Yellin' Kid.

”That's what we're here for. That's what we got our guns for!” and significantly he tapped the one on his hip.

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