As far as he knew there had been no misbranding of cattle. Therefore he was of the opinion that the rustlers were moving a bunch of his stock toward the West Fork pass. If Park Reber were stealing cattle, that was the pass he would take them through to Clear Valley.
There was just enough moonlight to enable them to see to travel by. Buck hoped to find the rustler4’s camp, but after traveling far along the Porcupine he decided5 to head toward the Half-Wheel, which was almost due west of where they were now. He reasoned that if the rustlers knew that O’Steen had escaped wounded they would possibly drop the herd6 and head for the Half-Wheel.
In the meantime Park Reber had gathered a dozen riders and was also heading down the valley. Nelson had told him what the two masked men had said about the road’s being dangerous, and Reber was not the man not to heed7 a warning. He left the road a short distance out of Tomahawk and took to the open hills where there would be no danger of an ambush8.
“We’ll head straight toward Jack9 Silver’s place,” he told his men. “Buck Priest is in with Silver on this deal, that’s a cinch, so there’s no use going to his place.”
“And if it’s a scheme to run a lot of cattle out of the valley they’ll use the Trapper Creek10 pass,” declared Nelson. “I’d like to notch11 my sight on the jasper that killed old Sam Herd.”
“There’ll be plenty of chances before this time tomorrow night,” said Reber. “I’ll clean this valley of every rustler or quit the cow business myself.”
The men knew the hills well, and they were able to make good time. Reber was suffering considerably12 with his shoulder, but he gritted13 his teeth and led the way.
There were no lights showing at the Half-Wheel when Buck Priest led his men down to the road past the ranch. For quite a while they sat on their horses at a little distance from the ranchhouse, debating just what to do.
“We’ll go on,” decided Buck Priest. “Before daylight we can be in the West Fork pass, and if they run those cows into that pass we’ll show the dirty thieves a merry time.”
“Jist lemme get a sight of the fellers that leaded up O’Steen,” said Rowdy. “I’m shore honin’ for a chance at ’em.”
“Daylight will tell the tale,” said Priest. “They’ll try and run ’em through early in the mornin’. I wouldn’t be surprized to find the hills around the Two Bar X full of my cows.”
They were about two miles south of the Half-Wheel, traveling along the road through a narrow defile14 in the heavy brush, when a rifle spat15 fire almost in front of them. It was so sudden and unexpected that the four riders whirled in a mass, trying to control their horses. From several places in the brush came orange-colored flashes, followed by the angry spat of rifle shots. Buck Priest’s horse went down in a heap, pinning Buck to the ground.
Ken16 Mader’s horse fell, but Ken flung himself free and began shooting from the ground. For several moments it was a nightmare of rearing, kicking horses and sporadic17 flashing of rifle and revolver shots. Mader went down on his face.
Rowdy’s horse was shot from under him, but he managed to regain18 his feet and mount behind Dick Leesom and spur the frightened horse into a gallop19 back up the road. Dick had been shot through the side and was unable to control his horse or to shoot a gun.
A flurry of rifle shots followed them, but the bullets buzzed far over their heads.
Not one of the bushwhackers came in sight. As far as they were concerned they never existed. Buck Priest had dropped flat on his back to escape the hail of lead. His leg was pinned beneath his dead horse, and it was impossible for him to extricate20 it. He could see the white face of Ken Mader in the moonlight, and he cursed Park Reber and his men.
He tried to draw his leg loose from beneath the horse, but the pain forced him to desist. He was sure the leg was broken. He swore bitterly, feeling sure that they had run into the rustler’s ambush.
Back in the hills, only a mile away from the road, were Park Reber and his men. They had heard the shooting, but the echoes were so confusing that none of them could tell where the shooting was taking place.
“Sounded like a battle all right,” declared Reber. “We’d better head for the road, I think. Unless I’m mistaken, that’s where the shooting came from.”
They traveled due east, striking the road a few hundred yards north of where the ambush had been laid. They did not see Leesom and Dow, who had gone past the spot, and were heading north. But they did find Dow’s hat in the road. It was a black Stetson, fairly new, but not marked with name or initial.
“Somebody goin’ plenty fast,” said one of the men. “That’s hat’s too good for a puncher to throw it away.”
“No way to tell which way he was goin’,” drawled a cowboy.
“We’ll go south and take a chance,” said Reber. And then they found Buck Priest, pinned down by his dead horse, and Ken Mader lying dead beside his dead horse. The men dismounted. Buck Priest recognized them and spat a curse at Park Reber.
“Mader’s dead,” said one of the men.
Reber gave them orders to lift the horse off Priest’s leg.
“Well, you’ve got me, Reber,” said Priest. “My leg’s busted22. I hope yo’re satisfied, you dirty cow thief!”
“I will be satisfied, yuh can bet on that,” said Reber. “Yo’re all through in this valley, Buck Priest—you and yore S\ Bar\ P outfit23. When I get my hands on Jack Silver I’ve made a clean sweep.”
“When yuh do,” gritted Priest.
“Oh, I will,” rasped Reber. “I’ve started out to clean up this valley.”
“Clean! It’ll never be clean as long as you live. You killed O’Steen today—yore men did. He saw yuh stealin’ my cows. And yuh—oh what’s the use? You’ve got the best hand, Reber. Go ahead and do what yuh want to.”
“I never killed O’Steen,” denied Reber.
“Yore men did.”
“Did they? I didn’t know it. Where’s June Meline?”
“That female fiddler?”
“Yeah, that female fiddler! Where is she?”
“I heard somebody stole her.”
“Oh, yuh did, eh? I reckon yuh didn’t need to hear it. Some of you boys lift him on a horse. We’ll take him along with us and settle his case at the Two Bar X.”
They lifted Buck Priest to a saddle, and he cursed them for hurting his broken leg. Perhaps they were none too gentle.
“Want to rope him on, Park?” asked one of the men.
“What for? If he falls off he can’t run away, can he?”
Two of the cowboys rode double and one of them led Buck Priest’s horse. The jolting24 of the horse was misery25 to Priest, but he clamped his jaws26 tightly and held all his weight on his right stirrup.
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1
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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rustler
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| n.[美口]偷牛贼 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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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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7
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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8
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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9
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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10
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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11
notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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12
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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13
gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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14
defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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15
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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16
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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17
sporadic
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| adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的 | |
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18
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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19
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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20
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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21
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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22
busted
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| adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
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23
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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24
jolting
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| adj.令人震惊的 | |
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25
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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26
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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