human
But--my wife! he persisted,
gpt
Not me, interrupted the man,
human
I didn't bring her nowheres. An' besides she ain't here.
gpt
Where is she? And who did bring her! Speak up, man!
human
She's safe enough. You don't need to worry about her. She's over to Cinnabar Joe's ranch on Red Sand. Purdy took her there yesterday.
gpt
Purdy! shouted Endicott,
human
Yup, interrupted the other,
gpt
How do you know she's safe? cried Endicott.
human
How do you know he ever took her there? I wouldn't trust Purdy out of my sight!
gpt
You an' me both, grinned the man,
human
But the people at the ranch--this Cinnabar Joe?
gpt
Ace high all around--the breed, there, he knows 'em.
human
How did Purdy know about the reward?
gpt
Long Bill Kearney, he brung the bills along.
human
Long Bill! He's another fine specimen! She's not safe as long as those two scoundrels are at large. Where are they now? And where's Tex?
gpt
Well, Long Bill, he's quite a piece away from the bad lands by now. I 'spect he wishes he was back--but he won't come back. An' Purdy, he's prob'ly wishin', by now, that he'd listened to me. God knows, I tried to make a horse-thief out of him, but it wasn't no use--he's crooked. An' Tex, he's busy an' don't want to be disturbed.
human
Busy?
gpt
Yup. Busy killin' some folks--Purdy an' some others. I wanted he should let me an' Bill Harlow go 'long an' help--but he wouldn't. Said he wanted to settle with Purdy hisself.
human
Who are you?
gpt
Me? I'm Cass Grimshaw.
human
Ha! cried Bat, climbing from the saddle,
gpt
A'm lak A'm shake you han'. A'm know 'bout you. You de bes' hoss-t'ief in Montana, _sacre_! Me--A'm Batiste Xavier Jean Jacques de Beaumont Lajune----
human
Is that one word--or several? grinned Grimshaw.
gpt
An' as long as we started in passin' poseys back an' forth, I've heard tell of both of you birds. You're Tex's side kick an' your regular name's Bat, ain't it? An' this here's the pilgrim that nicked Purdy over in Wolf River an' then cussed out the lynchin' party to their face, thereby displayin' a set of red guts that was entirely onlooked for in a pilgrim. So, bein' as we're all friends together, let's hit it out an' see how Tex is makin' it. He turned to Endicott,
human
Onless you'd ruther hit fer Cinnabar Joe's?
gpt
No! If my wife is safe, my place is right here beside Tex. This is my fight as much as it is his--more so, for it's on her account he's after Purdy.
human
That's what I call a man! exclaimed Grimshaw extending a hand which Endicott shook heartily.
gpt
Here's a gun--but let me slip you the word to lay off Purdy. Nick away at the others, there's three more of 'em--or was--but Tex he wants Purdy. Of course if anything should happen to Tex--that lets us in. We'll pick up Bill Harlow on the way. Come on, let's ride!
human
And in this friendship he suddenly realized he felt nothing but pride. The feel of his galloping horse was good. He raised his eyes to the purpled peaks of the distant Bear Paws, and as he filled his lungs to their depths with the keen, clean air his knees tightened upon his saddle, his fingers involuntarily closed about the butt of the gun that protruded from the waistband of his corduroy trousers.
gpt
All friends together,
human
I wish you--luck! she breathed,
gpt
She stepped from the cabin and glanced up at the paling stars.
human
Oh, I know! she exclaimed, bitterly,
gpt
I saw it in his eye when I mentioned the reward. It isn't the reward he wants--it's _her_!
human
of sheep. Then she pitched a forkful of hay into the corral for the bay mare and returned to the cabin. Picking up a magazine, she threw herself into a chair and vainly endeavoured to interest herself in its contents. Ten minutes later she flung the magazine onto the table and, hastening into her own room, dressed for a ride. Stepping to the wall she removed a six-gun and a belt of cartridges from a peg and buckled the belt about her waist. Drawing the gun from its holster, she examined it critically. Her thoughts were of Purdy, now, and she shuddered:
gpt
I must never be without this--after yesterday. She stepped to the door of the cabin and glanced about her.
human
He said the next time it will be his turn--well, we'll see. An empty tomato can lay on its side, its red label flapping in the breeze. Levelling the gun the girl fired and the tomato can went spinning over the short-cropped buffalo grass. And without stopping it kept on spinning as she continued to shoot, until with the last shot it came to rest, a ripped and battered thing a hundred feet away.
gpt
Maybe it will be his turn--and maybe not, she muttered grimly.
human
He's the one person in the world I could kill.
gpt
Shines like a lookin' glass, he observed, and throwing the gun to his shoulder, sighted at a rounded rock that protruded from a cutbank a quarter of a mile away.
human
If that had of be'n Purdy's head, an' I'd of pulled the trigger--there wouldn't of be'n no more Purdy, he grinned.
gpt
He better not stick his nose in this here valley, he muttered,
human
Why, what's the matter? You look as though you wanted to kill me!
gpt
Nerves, I guess. Don't mind me. Be'n smokin' too much, maybe.
human
What's all the artillery for? You look as though you were going to start a war.
gpt
Maybe I am. But speakin' of artillery, you're pretty well heeled yourself. Coyotes be'n killin' lambs?
human
Yes, the worst coyote on the range killed one of them yesterday and then offered to pay for it. I mean your friend Purdy.
gpt
Yes--your friend, and Dad's friend, too. If you men wouldn't tolerate such characters around--if you'd try to clean them out of the country instead of doing everything in your power to make it easy for them, they would soon be wiped out.
human
But, we'd git wiped out first--an' besides they ain't all like Purdy.
gpt
They're all criminals. They all ought to be in prison.
human
No, there's plenty of criminals that hadn't ought to be in prison: an' there's plenty of folks that ain't criminals that had ought to be in prison. Trouble is--the gauge ain't right that they measure 'em with.
gpt
All men talk alike, sniffed Janet,
human
In the house, feedin' a woman the first square meal she's et in the Lord knows when.
gpt
Woman! What woman?
human
I never seen her before. Jennie says she's the pilgrim's wife--fellow name of Henderson, or Kottmeyer, or some such a name. About a year back, in Wolf River he took a shot at Purdy, an' come near gittin' him, 'cause Purdy had toled her out fer a ride an' then drug her off her horse--they wasn't married then.
gpt
Is she--all right?
human
All right? Yes, I guess she's all right, now. She slep' most of yesterday afternoon, an' all night.
gpt
What are you going to do with her?
human
When she's able to travel, we're goin' to git her back to her folks.
gpt
And claim the reward?
human
Reward?
gpt
Yes, didn't you know that there is a reward of a thousand dollars for information concerning her?
human
No. I didn't know that. No. We won't be claimin' no reward. So, that's his game, is it?
gpt
That isn't his game, she said,
human
I thought it was, at first. But, do you know, I believe he really loves her.
gpt
Loves her! he roared, when he could find his voice.
human
That damn snake couldn't love no one!
gpt
You know him?
human
Know him! You bet I know him! I know he's the orneriest livin' white man! They ain't nothin' he wouldn't do--onless it was somethin' decent!
gpt
And yet--I can hardly believe it. There's something about him so--wholesome--so clean--and he has really fine eyes.
human
You ain't be'n into old Mac's bottle, have you? he asked, at length.
gpt
Wholesome! Clean! Fine eyes! Why, he's the slimiest, dirtiest, evil-eyedest lookin' scoundrel that ever draw'd breath!
human
When did he bring her here?
gpt
Yesterday afternoon.
human
Yesterday afternoon! Why, he--told me last night that he hadn't found her!
gpt
You ain't none surprised that he'd lie, be you?
human
Yes, I am, she answered.
gpt
He didn't look like he was lying. Oh, there must be some mistake! Did you know him before he worked on the Y Bar?
human
Y Bar! Cinnabar laughed,
gpt
Run off horses! Is he a horse-thief, too?
human
Oh, no, he asserted, emphasizing the ponderous sarcasm of his words with a dolorous shaking of the head,
gpt
Don't try to be facetious. You do it badly. But the fact is, he don't live in the bad lands, he don't look like a horse-thief, he don't act like a horse-thief--and I don't believe he is a horse-thief--so there! When he struck out this morning on Purdy's trail----
human
On Purdy's trail! Cinnabar fairly shouted the words.
gpt
Who's on who's trail? What's all this mixup about? Purdy ain't no horse-thief! He's a wet nurse in a orphan asylum! He's clean lookin' an' wholesome. He wouldn't lie!
human
Purdy! exclaimed Janet,
gpt
Who did you think I was talkin' about, he grinned,