The Outlet Read online

  CHAPTER VII. WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK

  It was late that night when I reached the herd. Before I parted withmy employer we had carefully reviewed the situation in its minutestdetails. Since the future could not be foreseen, we could only watchand wait. The Texan may have his shortcomings, but lack of fidelity toa trust is not one of them, and relying on the metal of my outfit, I atonce put them in possession of the facts. At first their simple mindscould hardly grasp the enormity of the injustice to our employer, butonce the land lay clear, they would gladly have led a forlorn hope inDon Lovell's interests. Agitation over the matter was maintainedat white heat for several days, as we again angled back towards theCimarron. Around the camp-fires at night, the chicanery of The WesternSupply Company gave place to the best stories at our command. "Thereought to be a law," said Runt Pickett, in wrathy indignation, "making itlegal to kill some people, same as rattlesnakes. Now, you take a squaregambler and I don't think anything of losing my money against his game,but one of these sneaking, under-dealing, top-and-bottom-businesspimps, I do despise. You can find them in every honest calling, same asvultures hover round when cattle are dying. Honest, fellows, I'd justdearly love to pull on a rope and watch one of the varmints make hislast kick."

  Several days of showery weather followed. Crossing the Cimarron, wefollowed up its north slope to within thirty miles of the regularwestern trail. Not wishing to intercept it until necessity compelled us,when near the Kansas line we made our last tack for Dodge. The rains hadfreshened the country and flushed the creeks, making our work easy, andearly in the month of June we reached the Mulberry. Traveling at random,we struck that creek about twenty miles below the trail, and moved upthe stream to within a short distance of the old crossing. The presenceof a dozen other herds holding along it forced us into a permanent campa short half-day's ride from the town. The horse-wrangler was pressedinto service in making up the first guard that night, and taking MorgTussler with me, I struck out for Dodge in the falling darkness.On reaching the first divide, we halted long enough to locate thecamp-fires along the Mulberry to our rear, while above and below andbeyond the river, fires flickered like an Indian encampment. The lightsof Dodge were inviting us, and after making a rough estimate of thecamps in sight, we rode for town, arriving there between ten and eleveno'clock. The Dodge House was a popular hostelry for trail men and cattlebuyers, and on our making inquiry of the night clerk if a Mr. Siringowas stopping there, we were informed that he was, but had retired. I putup a trivial excuse for seeing him, the clerk gave me the number of hisroom, and Tussler and I were soon closeted with him. The detective wasa medium-sized, ordinary man, badly pock-marked, with a soft, musicalvoice, and apparently as innocent as a boy. In a brief preliminaryconversation, he proved to be a Texan, knowing every in and out ofcattle, having been bred to the occupation. Our relations to each otherwere easily established. Reviewing the situation thoroughly, he informedme that he had cultivated the acquaintance of the parties holding theassignment of the Buford award. He had represented to them that he wasthe fiscal agent of some six herds on the trail that year, three ofwhich were heavy beeves, and they had agreed to look them over, providedthey arrived before the 15th of the month. He further assured me thatthe parties were mere figureheads of The Supply Company; that they wereexceedingly bearish on the market, gloating over the recent depreciationin prices, and perfectly willing to fatten on the wreck and ruin ofothers.

  It was long after midnight when the consultation ended. Appointing anhour for showing the herd the next day, or that one rather, Tussler andI withdrew, agreeing to be out of town before daybreak. But the blazeof gambling and the blare of dance-halls held us as in a siren's embraceuntil the lights dimmed with the breaking of dawn. Mounting our horses,we forded the river east of town and avoided the herds, which were justarising from their bed-grounds. On the divide we halted. Within thehorizon before us, it is safe to assert that one hundred thousand cattlegrazed in lazy contentment, all feeding against the morning breeze. Savefor the freshness of early summer, with its background of green and therarified atmosphere of the elevated plain, the scene before us might becompared to a winter drift of buffalo, ten years previous. Riding downthe farther slope, we reached our camp in time for a late breakfast, thefifteen-mile ride having whetted our appetites. Three men were on herd,and sending two more with instructions to water the cattle an hourbefore noon, Tussler and I sought the shade of the wagon and fellasleep. It was some time after midday when, on sighting the expectedconveyance approaching our camp, the cook aroused us. Performing arather hasty ablution, I met the vehicle, freshened, and with my wits ontap. I nearly dragged the detective from the livery rig, addressing himas "Charley," and we made a rough ado over each other. Several of theother boys came forward and, shaking hands, greeted him with equalfamiliarity. As two strangers alighted on the opposite side, thedetective took me around and they were introduced as Mr. Field and Mr.Radcliff, prospective beef buyers. The boys had stretched a tarpaulin,affording ample shade, and Parent invited every one to dinner. The twostrangers were rather testy, but Siringo ate ravenously, repeatedlyasking for things which were usually kept in a well-stocked chuck-wagon,meanwhile talking with great familiarity with Tussler and me.

  The strangers said little, but were amused at the lightness of ourdinner chat. I could see at a glance that they were not cowmen. Theywere impatient to see the cattle; and when dinner was over, I explainedto them that the men on herd would be relieved for dinner by those incamp, and orders would be given, if it was their wish, to throw thecattle compactly together. To this Siringo objected. "No, Mac," said he,"that isn't the right way to show beeves. Here, Morg, listen to me; I'mforeman for the time being. When you relieve the other lads, edge inyour cattle from an ordinary loose herd until you have them on two orthree hundred acres. Then we can slowly drive through them for an houror so, or until these gentlemen are satisfied. They're not wild, arethey, Mac?"

  I assured every one that the cattle were unusually gentle; that wehad not had a run so far, but urged caution in approaching them with aconveyance. As soon as the relief started, I brought in the livery teamoff picket, watered, and harnessed them into the vehicle. It was myintention to accompany them on horseback, but Siringo hooted at theidea, and Mr. Radcliff and I occupied the back seat, puffing splendidcigars. We met the relieved men coming in, who informed us that the herdwas just over the hill on the south side of the creek. On reaching thegentle rise, there below us grazed the logy, lazy beeves, while the boysquietly rode round, silently moving them together as instructed. Siringodrove to their lead, and halting, we allowed the cattle to loiter pastus on either side of the conveyance. It was an easy herd to show, forthe pounds avoirdupois were there. Numerous big steers, out of purecuriosity, came up near the vehicle and innocently looked at us as ifexpecting a dole or sweetmeat. A snap of the finger would turn them,showing their rounded buttocks, and they would rejoin the guard ofhonor. If eyes could speak, the invitation was timidly extended, "Lookat me, Mr. Buyer." We allowed the herd to pass by us, then slowlycircled entirely around them, and finally drove back and forth throughthem for nearly two hours, when the prospective buyers expressedthemselves as satisfied.

  But the fiscal agent was not. Calling two of the boys, he asked for theloan of their horses and insisted that the buyers ride the cattleover and thoroughly satisfy themselves on the brands. The boys gladlyyielded, and as Mr. Field and Mr. Radcliff mounted to ride away, thedetective halted them long enough to say: "Now, gentlemen, I wish tocall your attention to the fact that over one half the herd are in thesingle Marshall ranch brand. There are also some five hundred head inthe '8=8,' that being an outside ranch, but belonging to the estate. Iam informed that the remainder of nearly a thousand were turned in byneighboring ranchmen in making up the herd, and you'll find those invarious mixed brands. If there's a hoof among them not in the 'Open A'road, we'll cut them out for fear of trouble to the buyer. I neversold a man cattle in my life who wasn't my customer ever afterward. Yougen
tlemen are strangers to me; and for that reason I concealnothing. Now look them over carefully, and keep a sharp lookout forstrays--cattle not in the road brand."

  I knew there were about twenty strays in the herd, and informed Siringoto that effect, but the cattle buyers noticed only two, a red and aroan, which again classed them as inexperienced men among cattle. Wereturned to camp, not a word being said about trading, when the buyerssuggested returning to town. Siringo looked at his watch, asked if therewas anything further they wished to see or know, and expressed himselflike a true Texan, "that there was ample time." I was the only one whohad alighted, and as they started to drive away, I said to Siringo:"Charley, let me talk to you a minute first. You see how I'm situatedhere--too many neighbors. I'm going to ride north of town to-morrow, andif I can find a good camp on Saw Log, why I'll move over. We are nearlyout of supplies, anyhow, and the wagon can go by town and load up.There's liable to be a mix-up here some night on the Mulberry, and I'drather be excused than present."

  "That's all right, Mac; that's just what I want you to do. If we trade,we'll make the deal within a day or two, and if not you can start righton for Ogalalla. I've been selling cattle the last few years to thebiggest feeders in Nebraska, and I'm not a little bit afraid of placingthose 'Open A's.' About four months full feed on corn will fit thosesteers to go to any market. Drop into town on your way back from the SawLog to-morrow."

  That evening my brother Bob rode into camp. He had seen our employerat Supply, and accordingly understood the situation. The courier hadreturned from Fort Elliott and reported his mission successful; he hadmet both Forrest and Sponsilier. The latter had had a slight run in thePanhandle during a storm, losing a few cattle, which he recoveredthe next day. For fear of a repetition, Forrest had taken the leadthereafter, and was due at Supply within a day or two. Flood and Priesthad passed Abilene, Texas, in safety, but no word had reached ouremployer since, and it was believed that they had turned eastward andwould come up the Chisholm Trail. Bob reported the country betweenAbilene and Doan's Crossing as cut into dust and barren of sustenance,many weak cattle having died in crossing the dry belt. But the moststartling news, seriously disturbing us both, was that Archie Tollestonwas stationed at Doan's Crossing on Red River as a trail-cutter. He hadcome up from the south to Wichita Falls by train with trail cattle, andfinding no opening as a foreman, had accepted the position of inspectorfor some Panhandle cattle companies. He and Bob had had a friendly chat,and Archie admitted that it was purely his own hot-headedness whichprevented his being one of Lovell's foremen on the present drive.The disturbing feature was, that after leaving headquarters in MedinaCounty, he had gone into San Antonio, where he met a couple of strangerswho partially promised him a job as trail boss, in case he presentedhimself in Dodge about June 15. They had intimated to him that it waspossible they would need a foreman or two who knew the trail from theArkansaw to the Yellowstone and Missouri River country. Putting this andthat together, the presence of Archie Tolleston in Dodge was not at allfavorable to the working out of our plans. "And Arch isn't the man toforget a humiliation," concluded Bob, to which I agreed.

  The next morning I rode across to the Saw Log, and up that creekbeyond all the herds. The best prospect for a camp was nearly due northopposite us, as the outfit lowest down the stream expected to start forthe Platte the next morning. Having fully made up my mind to move camp,I rode for town, taking dinner on Duck Creek, which was also litteredwith cattle and outfits. I reached town early in the afternoon, andafter searching all the hotels, located the fiscal agent in company withthe buyers at the Lone Star saloon. They were seated around a table, andMr. Field, noticing my entrance, beckoned me over and offered a chair.As I took the proffered seat, both strangers turned on me, and Mr.Radcliff said: "McIndoo, this agent of yours is the hardest man I evertried to trade with. Here we've wasted the whole morning dickering, andare no nearer together than when we started. The only concession whichMr. Siringo seems willing to admit is that cattle are off from three tofive dollars a head, while we contend that heavy beeves are off sevendollars."

  "Excuse me for interrupting," said the fiscal agent, "but since you haveused the words HEAVY BEEVES, either one of you ask Mac, here, what those'Open A's' will dress to-day, and what they ought to gain in the nextthree months on good grass and water. There he sits; ask him."

  Mr. Field explained that they had also differed as to what the herdwould dress out, and invited my opinion. "Those beeves will dress offfrom forty-five to fifty per cent.," I replied. "The Texan being a gauntanimal does not shrink like a domestic beef. Take that 'Open A' herdstraight through and they will dress from four fifty to six hundredpounds, or average better than five hundred all round. In three months,under favorable conditions, those steers ought to easily put on ahundred pounds of tallow apiece. Mr. Radcliff, do you remember pointingout a black muley yesterday and saying that he looked like a nativeanimal? I'll just bet either one of you a hundred dollars that he'lldress out over five hundred pounds; and I'll kill him in your presenceand you can weigh his quarters with a steelyard."

  They laughed at me, Siringo joining in, and Mr. Field ordered thedrinks. "Mac," said the detective, "these gentlemen are all right, andyou shouldn't take any offense, for I don't blame them for driving ahard bargain. I'd probably do the same thing if I was the buyer insteadof the seller. And remember, Mac, if the deal goes through, you are todrive the herd at the seller's risk, and deliver it at any point thebuyer designates, they accepting without expense or reserve the cattleonly. It means over three months' further expense, with a remuda thrownback on your hands; and all these incidentals run into money fast.Gentlemen, unless you increase the advance cash payment, I don't see howyou can expect me to shade my offer. What's your hurry, Mac?"

  As it was growing late, I had arisen, and saying that I expected to movecamp to-morrow, invited the party to join me at the bar. I informed thebuyers, during the few minutes' interim, that if they wished to look thecattle over again, the herd would cross the river below old Fort Dodgeabout noon the next day. They thanked me for the information, saying itwas quite possible that they might drive down, and discussing the matterwe all passed into the street. With the understanding that the prospectof making a deal was not hopeless, Siringo excused himself, and westrolled away together. No sooner was the coast clear than I informedthe detective of the arrival of my brother, putting him in possessionof every fact regarding Archie Tolleston. He readily agreed with methat the recent break between the latter and his former employer was adangerous factor, and even went so far as to say that Tolleston's posingas a trail-cutter at Doan's Crossing was more than likely a ruse. I wasgiving the detective a detailed description of Archie, when he stoppedme and asked what his special weaknesses were, if he had any. "Whiskeyand women," I replied. "That's good," said he, "and I want you to sendme in one of your best men in the morning--I mean one who will drinkand carouse. He can watch the trains, and if this fellow shows up, we'llkeep him soaked and let him enjoy himself. Send me one that's good fora ten days' protracted drunk. You think the other herds will be herewithin a few days? That's all I want to know."

  I reached camp a little before dark, and learned that Bob's herd haddropped in just below us on the Mulberry. He expected to lie over afew days in passing Dodge, and I lost no time in preparing to visit hiscamp. While riding out that evening, I had made up my mind to send inDorg Seay, as he was a heady fellow, and in drinking had an oak-tanstomach. Taking him with me, I rode down the Mulberry and reachedthe lower camp just as my brother and his outfit were returning frombedding-down the cattle. Bob readily agreed that the detective's planswere perfectly feasible, and offered to play a close second to Seay ifit was necessary. And if his own brother does say so, Bob Quirk nevermet the man who could drink him under the table.

  My herd started early for the Saw Log, and the wagon for town. Bob hadagreed to go into Dodge in the morning, so Dorg stayed with our outfitand was to go in with me after crossing the river. We threaded our waythroug
h the other herds, and shortly before noon made an easy ford abouta mile below old Fort Dodge. As we came down to the river, a carriagewas seen on the farther bank, and I dropped from the point back tothe drag end. Sure enough, as we trailed out, the fiscal agent and thebuyers were awaiting me. "Well, Mac, I sold your herd last night afteryou left," said Siringo, dejectedly. "It was a kind of compromise trade;they raised the cash payment to thirty thousand dollars, and I split thedifference in price. The herd goes at $29 a head all round. So from nowon, Mac, you're subject to these gentlemen's orders."

  Mr. Field, the elder of the two buyers, suggested that if a convenientcamp could be found, we should lie over a few days, when finalinstructions would be given me. He made a memorandum of the number ofhead that I claimed in our road brand, and asked me if we could holdup the herd for a closer inspection. The lead cattle were then nearlya mile away, and galloping off to overtake the point, I left the partywatching the saddle horses, which were then fording in our rear. Butno sooner had I reached the lead and held up the herd, than I noticedSiringo on the wrangler's horse, coming up on the opposite side ofthe column of cattle from the vehicle. Supposing he had something of aprivate nature to communicate, I leisurely rode down the line and methim.

  "Did you send that man in this morning?" he sternly demanded. Iexplained that my brother had done, properly coached, and that Seaywould go in with me in the course of an hour.

  "Give him any money you have and send him at once," commanded thedetective. "Tolleston was due on the ten o'clock train, but it wasan hour late. Those buyers wanted me to wait for it, so he could comealong, but I urged the importance of catching you at the ford. Now, sendyour man Seay at once, get Tolleston beastly drunk, and quarter him insome crib until night."

  Unobserved by the buyers, I signaled Seay, and gave him the particularsand what money I had. He rode back through the saddle stock, recrossedthe river, and after rounding the bend, galloped away. Siringocontinued: "You see, after we traded, they inquired if you were a safeman, saying if you didn't know the Yellowstone country, they had a manin sight who did. That was last night, and it seems that this morningthey got a letter from Tolleston, saying he would be there on the nexttrain. They're either struck on him, or else he's in their employ. Markmy words."

  When we had showed the herd to the satisfaction of the purchasers, theyexpressed themselves as anxious to return to town; but the fiscal agentof the Marshall estate wished to look over the saddle horses first.Since they were unsold, and amounted to quite an item, he begged forjust a few minutes' time to look them over carefully. Who could refusesuch a reasonable request? The herd had started on for the Saw Log,while the remuda had wandered down the river about half a mile, andit took us nearly an hour to give them a thorough inspection. Once byourselves, the detective said, with a chuckle: "All I was playing forwas to get as large a cash payment as possible. Those mixed brands weremy excuse for the money; the Marshall estate might wait for theirs, butthe small ranchmen would insist on an immediate settlement the momentthe cattle were reported sold. If it wasn't for this fellow Tolleston,I'd sell the other two Buford herds the day they arrive, and then wecould give The Western Supply Company the laugh. And say, when theydrew me a draft for thirty thousand dollars on a Washington City bank, Inever let the ink dry on it until I took it around to Wright, Beverly &Co., and had them wire its acceptance. We'll give Seay plenty of time,and I think there'll be an answer on the check when we get back totown."