Park Reber was out of bed, and met them in the big living-room, a huge place forty feet long and twenty-five feet wide. Around two sides of this huge room was a wide veranda2. At one end was a doorway3 leading out on to the veranda; and there was another doorway about fifteen feet from the corner, on the side. About midway of the room was a big window, and there were two windows at the front end.
Across this front end of the room was a long table and a number of chairs. On the opposite side of the room from the side entrance was a huge fireplace, capable of taking ten-foot logs. Most of the furnishings were of the home-made variety, and the floors were strewn with bright-colored Navajo rugs and the skins of wolf and grizzly4. The walls were darkened with smoke and age.
The five foremen came in together. Reber seated them around the big table, he himself sitting at the head of the table, still a trifle pale, unable to use his left arm. At his right sat June Meline. She received several undisguised scowls5. Beside her sat Franks of the M 33. At the opposite end of the table sat McLeese, scowling6 at everybody, and June in particular. He did not like the idea of having a woman at their conference. On the other side of the table sat Patterson, Jackson and Carlin.
Reber’s glance swept around the table and came to rest on McLeese.
“You’re drunk,” he said shortly. “Why?”
McLeese grimaced7 and tried to laugh it off, but Reber’s eyes bored into him and he coughed a little.
“I wanted sober men at this meetin’,” said Reber.
“I’m sober enough to know what I’m doin’,” said McLeese.
“Not if you had three drinks—and you’ve had more.”
Reber did not wait for McLeese to reply, but turned to the others.
“I brought you boys here tonight to see if we can’t figure out some way to stop this rustlin’,” he said slowly. “We’re losin’ too many cattle to suit me. What’s to be done?”
Patterson shook his head.
“I dunno, Park,” he said slowly. “It beats me.”
“How about you, Jackson?”
“Same as Slim.”
“They ain’t hit my place,” said Franks of the M 33. “Mebbe I’m too far north.”
“That may be,” nodded Reber. “But it’s got to stop.”
Reber studied McLeese’s flushed face.
“You think they’re runnin’ ’em out this end of the valley, Mac?”
“Priest hates yuh, don’t he? They’re not goin’ over the West Fork pass, and the boys have been watchin’ the Trapper Creek10 pass. Jack1 Silver is friendly to Buck Priest. By ⸺, I’d wipe out that whole ⸺ gang.”
“There’s a lady present,” said Reber coldly.
“I forgot,” said McLeese. “Anyway, I don’t think this is any place for a woman.”
“I asked her to be here,” said Reber. “When I want yore opinion on that I’ll ask for it, McLeese!”
“I’m jist wonderin’ if McLeese’s idea ain’t worth quite a lot, at that,” said Jackson. “I don’t mean about the lady, but about Priest and Silver. We’ve tried to trap Silver a lot of times, but he’s too much Injun to be trapped.”
“He’s smart,” said McLeese.
“Too smart for you, eh?” asked Reber.
“You haven’t landed him, and that’s the answer,” said Reber. “He’s too smart. He thinks twice while you’re thinkin’ once. And you object to this lady being here. She’s got more sense in a minute than you’ll ever show, McLeese.”
Both June and McLeese flushed, but for different reasons.
The rest of the men eyed June closely. Perhaps they thought Reber was getting old and that this pretty girl was in a position to get a hand into the Reber fortune. It was an embarrassing position for the girl. McLeese laughed, and they saw Reber’s lips tighten12. Carlin kicked at McLeese’s ankle beneath the table, but only succeeded in kicking a leg of the table.
“We’re not gettin’ anywhere,” said Reber coldly.
“No, and we’ll not get anywhere as long as you’ll let Jack Silver and Buck Priest do as they please,” growled Carlin. “Let’s clean ’em out, I say.”
“On what evidence, Carlin?”
“General principles. Buck tried to kill you. He’ll try it again. Silver is a half-breed thief. Just pass the word and we’ll rid the valley of the whole brood.”
“Meanin’,” said Reber slowly, “that Silver is too smart for you to catch red-handed, eh?”
“If yuh want to put it that way—yes.”
“You think he bunches up cattle and takes ’em through the Trapper Creek pass and sells ’em in Clear Valley?”
“Cinch. We can’t get any evidence in Clear Valley. We’ve tried it often enough.”
“That gang over there will take stolen cattle, that’s a cinch,” said Jackson. “You’d never get any evidence if yuh went there in a gang—and one or two men would soon be wiped out. They’re pretty clannish13.”
Reber nodded slowly. He knew Jackson was right. Suddenly there came the slither of a moving body, and they turned toward the big window about ten feet beyond them. Just inside the window stood Jack Silver, his left shoulder resting against the wall, his two thumbs hooked over his belt.
For several moments no one spoke14. Silver laughed, and his teeth flashed white in the light from the hanging lamp in the center of the room. He seemed to be resting lazily against that shoulder, but every man at that table knew he could draw and shoot quicker than any of them.
“Gentlemen, Mr. Silver himself,” said Reber slowly.
“You sent for me,” said Jack.
Reber nodded.
“Yeah, I sent for yuh, Silver. Slim, will you get a chair for Mr. Silver?”
Slim Patterson started to get up, but Silver halted him.
“I’ll stand up,” he said slowly, smiling again. “Since when did the Reber outfits16 start havin’ squaws at their council?”
June straightened in her chair, her eyes flashing. Silver’s laugh was almost an insult. Reber did not look at her. McLeese grinned in evident enjoyment17.
“Silver,” said Reber firmly, “you’re deliberately18 tryin’ to antagonize us, but I’ll overlook it. I asked you here tonight to make you a proposition. Will you go to work for me as a foreman on one of my ranches20?”
It was like a bomb-shell exploding in the room. The idea of offering Jack Silver a position as foreman! The men wondered whether Reber was losing his mind. Even Silver laughed.
“Make me a foreman?” said Silver. “What’s the idea, Reber?”
“That’s my business, Silver. I’m makin’ you that offer.”
Silver’s eyes swept the faces of the five foremen.
“Any one you’ll take.”
Silver’s amused glance came back to June.
“Which one is the squaw goin’ to take?”
Reber shook his head sadly.
“You don’t understand what I’m offerin’ you, Silver.”
“Yes, I do, Reber.”
Silver was not smiling now and he had shoved away from the wall.
“You’re tryin’ to buy me off—tryin’ to get me to work for you. You’re afraid of me, Reber. I dunno why, but yuh are. Your men watch me day and night. I’m tired of it, but not so tired that I’ll take a job with you. You hate me because I’m half Cheyenne.
“You ran my people out of Tomahawk Valley, Reber. I know your story—know why you hate my people. I had a little herd21 of cattle started, but you and your men killed ’em off to keep me from being a cattleman. I’ve no cause to love you. I don’t want your job. Give it to the squaw.”
He flung his left leg across the windowsill, and before any one could say anything further, he disappeared. Patterson sprang to his feet, and the other men were behind him, but Reber stopped them.
“Sit down,” he ordered. “He’s done no wrong.”
June Meline was on her feet, her hands on the table, as she leaned forward, staring at the window where Silver had disappeared. He had taunted23 her, called her a squaw! But there was something romantically wild about this tall, slim, white-toothed young man who defied them. He had laughed at them and refused to work for Park Reber.
“The trouble is,” Reber was speaking, “yo’re all afraid of Jack Silver.”
June turned quickly to Reber.
“I’m not,” she declared.
Reber smiled at her.
“You’re not, June?”
“Not a bit. I’ll bet I could trap him.”
Several of the men laughed aloud.
“He’d steal you,” declared McLeese, and then laughed at his own statement.
“You think you could, eh?” said Reber slowly. “I wonder.”
“Ridiculous,” declared Jackson.
Reber leaned on the table looking at June, studying her keenly. Suddenly he struck the table with his clenched24 fist.
“I’ll do it!” he exclaimed. “June, beginnin’ tomorrow you’ll be a ranch-foreman for the Diamond R.”
He looked around at the hard-bitted faces of his men, who were looking at him, wondering whether he was in his right mind.
“What ranch?” asked McLeese.
Reber shifted his eyes to McLeese.
“The Two Bar X.”
McLeese’s ranch. He shut his jaws25 tightly and looked at Reber. He knew it meant that Reber was going to fire him.
“That’s a ⸺ of a note!” he snorted.
“I run my ranches to suit myself, McLeese.”
Reber reached in his pocket and took out a wallet, from which he counted out several bills. He handed them to McLeese.
“That’s yore pay up to the first of the month, McLeese.”
“And I’m through right now, eh?”
“Yeah, right now.”
“All right,” McLeese got to his feet unsteadily. “I’ve got some personal stuff at the ranch and I’ll go get it.”
Reber nodded, and they watched McLeese leave the house. None of the other men made any comment. For several moments after McLeese was gone Reber stared silently at the door. Then:
“I think that’s all boys. Goodnight.”
He got to his feet and June walked from the room with him. The men looked curiously at him, and went out.
“I need a shot of liquor,” said Patterson dryly. “Personally, I think the old man is losin’ his mind.”
“He’s as crazy as a bedbug!” snapped Carlin. “Offers a job to Jack Silver, and then gives it to a ⸺ woman! I’ll take a drink with yuh.”
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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scowls
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| 不悦之色，怒容( scowl的名词复数 ) | |
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scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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9
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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clannish
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| adj.排他的，门户之见的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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outfits
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| n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 ) | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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ranches
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| 大农场， （兼种果树，养鸡等的）大牧场( ranch的名词复数 ) | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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