Part 33 (1/2)
”By Gawd, I--I couldn't hev told you,” replied Blinky, just as hoa.r.s.ely. ”An' it couldn't be worse.”
”Blink--then we made a good haul?”
”Cowboy, n.o.body ever heerd of such a haul. We could moons.h.i.+ne wild hosses fer a hundred years an' never ketch as many.”
”How--many?” queried Pan, sharply, his voice breaking clear.
”Reckon we don't agree on figgerin' thet. I say fifteen hundred haid.
Your dad, who's aboot crazy, reckons two thousand. An' the other fellars come in between.”
”Fifteen hundred horses!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Pan intensely. ”Heavens, but it's great!”
”Pan, I wish to Gawd we hadn't ketched any,” declared Blinky, in hard fierce voice.
That brought Pan back to earth.
”What's their game?” he asked swiftly, indicating the watching whispering group.
”I had only a few words with Hardman. Your dad went out of his haid.
Reckon he'd have done fer Hardman with his bare hands, if Purcell hadn't knocked him down with the b.u.t.t of a gun.”
Again there was a violent leap of Pan's blood. It jerked his whole frame.
”Blink, did that big brute?--” asked Pan hoa.r.s.ely, suddenly breaking off.
”He sh.o.r.e did. Your dad's got a nasty knock over the eye.... No, I hadn't any chance to talk to Hardman. But his game's as plain as that big nose of his.”
”Well, what is it?” snapped Pan.
”Sh.o.r.e he'll grab our hosses, or most of them,” returned Blinky.
”You mean straight horse stealing?”
”Sh.o.r.e, thet's what it'll be. But the h.e.l.l of it is, Hardman's outfit helped make the drive.”
”No!”
”You bet they did. Thet's what galls me. Either they was layin' fer the day or just happened to ride up on us, an' figgered it out. Mebbe thet's where Mac New comes in.”
”Blink, I don't believe he's double-crossed us,” declared Pan stoutly.
”Wal, he's an outlaw.”
”No difference. I just don't believe it. But we'll find out.... So you think Hardman will claim most of our horses or take them all?”
”I sh.o.r.e do.”
”Blink, if he gets _one_ of our horses it'll be over my dead body. You fellows sure showed yellow clear through--to let them ride in here without a fight.”
”h.e.l.lsfire!” cried Blinky, as if stung. ”What you think? ... There wasn't a one of us thet had a single lead left fer our guns. Thet's where the rub comes in. We played their game. Wasted a lot of sh.e.l.ls on them d.a.m.n broomies! So how could we fight?”
”Ah-huh!” groaned Pan, appalled at the fatality of the whole incident.