Part 12 (1/2)
”He'll be captain if we has th' say-so,” replied Hank. ”Only thing, he's a mite too easy with th' fools; but thar's goin' ter be less squabblin'
about obeyin' orders this trip than ever afore. We'll see ter that.”
While they discussed matters pertaining to the caravan, and ran bullets, listening to the gossip of the smith's customers, they saw Uncle Joe and his two wagoners driving his mules toward the shop to have them re-shod.
They shook hands all around and soon Uncle Joe, grinning from ear to ear, told them that he was going out with the caravan. He was as tickled as a boy with a new knife.
”Just as I feared,” he said in explanation. ”I couldn't find any trader that was takin' any of his women folks along; so there was only one way out of it. I got to go. An' I don't mind tellin' you boys that it suits me clean down to th' ground. Anyhow, all I wanted was an excuse. I got a light wagon for Patience an' me an' our personal belongings, an' I'm goin' to drive it myself. Bein' th' only woman in th' caravan, fur as I know, it'll mebby be a little mite hard on her. Reckon she'll git lonesome, 'specially since she's so danged purty.”
When the laughter died down Hank Marshall, s.h.i.+fting his cud to the other cheek, looked from Uncle Joe to Tom and back again.
”Wall,” he drawled, ”I war puzzled a little at fust, but now I reckon I'm gittin' th' hang o' this hyar thing. Tom war sh.o.r.e h.e.l.l-bent fer ter go out ter Oregon this year.” He paused, scratched his head, and grinned. ”Reckon I kin drive them mules all by myself. 'Twon't be as though it war th' fust time I've done it.”
After a little good-natured banter Tom and Hank left the smithy to look after their affairs, for there was quite a lot to be done. The next few days would be busy ones for them both, but especially so for Tom, who was expected to share his company between Patience, Hank, and Uncle Joe.
As they swung up the street Hank edged to cross it, pointing to Schoolcraft's corral. ”Might as well be gittin' th' mules afore thar all run over an' th' best took. If he kin skin me in a mule deal I'm willin'
ter abide by it.”
”Not there,” objected Tom. ”I've had some trouble with him. I'll play pack animal myself before I'll buy a single critter from him.”
Hank shook with silent laughter. ”_That's_ whar he got it, huh?” he exulted. ”Cussed if he warn't trimmed proper. I might 'a' knowed it war you as done it by th' way it looked.” He shook again and then became alert ”Thar he is now; an' his friends air with him. Keep yer primin'
dry, boy.”
”I reckoned I could shake a laig,” said a voice behind them, and they looked over their shoulders to see Jim Ogden at their heels, and close behind him came his partner; ”but you two kiyotes plumb made me hoof it.
What's yer hurry, anyhow?”
The little group in front of the corral gate s.h.i.+fted in indecision and looked inquiringly at the horse-dealer. There was a difference between stirring up trouble between themselves and Tom Boyd for the purpose of manhandling _him_, and stirring it up between themselves and the four trappers.
Schoolcraft said something out of the corner of his mouth and the group melted away into the little shack at the corral gate. He remained where he was, scowling frankly at his enemy.
”Looks like they war a-fixin' ter try it on us,” growled Hank, returning the scowl with interest. ”Let's go over an' say how-de-do ter 'em. This here town's been too peaceable, _anyhow_.”
”What's th' trouble?” asked Ogden, curiously, his partner pressing against him to hear the answer.
”Ain't none,” answered Tom. ”Thar might 'a' been, but it's blowed over.”
”Wall,” drawled Ogden. ”Ye never kin tell about these hyar frontier winds. Yer th' partisan o' this hyar expedition, Tom. We'll foller yer lead. It's all one ter us whar ye go; we're with ye.”
Schoolcraft, knowing that trouble with these plainsmen would almost certainly end in serious bloodshed, shrugged his shoulders and entered the shack; and after him, from behind the corral wall darted the slender Mexican.
”Thar!” exclaimed Tom, pointing. ”See that greaser? Keep yer eyes skinned fer him. He's bad medicine.”
”Looks like he war fixin' fer ambus.h.i.+n' us, hidin' behind that wall,”
growled Hank.
”He's got a fine head o' hair ter peel,” snorted Zeb Houghton, whose reputation in regard to scalp lifting was anything but to his credit.
The fingers of his left hand closed involuntarily with a curling motion and the wrist turned suggestively; and the Mexican, well back from the dirty window of the shack, felt a rising of his stomach and was poor company for the rest of the day.
The four swung on again, Ogden and his partner soon leaving the party to go to their quarters, while Tom and Hank went on along the street and stopped at another horse-dealer's, where they bought two riding horses and eight broken-in mules, the latter covered with scars. The horses were broken to saddle and would carry them over the trail; two of the mules were to carry their necessaries and the other six their small stock of merchandise, which they now set out to obtain. In procuring the latter they were very fortunate, for they found a greenhorn who had paid too much attention to rumors and had decided at the last moment that trail life and trading in the far west did not impress him very favorably; and he sold his stock to them almost at their own terms, glad to get out of his venture so easily. They took what they wanted of it and then sold the remainder at a price which nearly paid for their own goods. Leaving their purchases at Uncle Joe's wagons under the care of his teamsters, they went to his hotel to spend the night.
After supper Hank, who had shown a restlessness very foreign to him, said that he was going out to take a walk and would return soon. When Tom offered to go with him he shook his head, grinned, and departed.
The evening pa.s.sed very pleasantly for Tom, who needed nothing more than Patience's presence to make him content, and after she had said good night he accompanied her uncle to the bar for a night-cap. As he entered the room he thought he saw a movement outside the window, down in one corner of the sash, and he slipped to the door and peered out. As he cogitated about scouting around outside he heard Uncle Joe's voice calling to him over the noise of the crowd and he made his way back to the bar, drank to the success of the coming expedition, and engaged in small talk with his companion and those around them. But his thoughts were elsewhere, for Hank had been gone a long time.