Brand Blotters - Page 47/180

Norris met this with his friendly smile. "You can't pick a row with me

about that, old man. I'm with you till the cows come home. But that ain't

quite the way to go at this business. First thing, we've got to wipe out

these tracks. How? Why, sheep! There's a bunch of three hundred in that

pasture. We'll drive the bunch down to the ditch and water them here.

Savez?"

"And wipe out the wheel-marks in the sand. Bully for you, Phil."

"That's the idea. After twelve hundred chisel feet have been over this

sand I reckon the wheel-tracks will be missing."

They rode up to the house, and the first thing that met them was the

candid question of the girl: "Have you heard, Daddy?"

And out of his troubled heart he had answered, "Beats me, 'Lissie."

"They've sent for the officers. Jack Flatray is on the way himself. So is

Sheriff Burke," volunteered Alan gloomily.

"Getting right busy, ain't they?" Norris sneered.

Again Lee glanced quickly at Norris. "I reckon, Phil, we better drive that

bunch of sheep down to water right away. I clean forgot them this

mo'ning."

"Sure." The younger man was not so easily shaken. He turned to McKinstra

naturally. "How many of the hold-ups were there?"

"I saw only one, and didn't see him very good. He was a slim fellow in a

black mask."

"You don't say. Were you the driver?"

Alan felt the color suffuse his face. "No, I was the guard."

"Oh, you were the guard."

Alan felt the suave irony that covered this man's amusement, and he

resented it impotently. When Melissy came to his support he was the more

grateful.

"And we all think he did just right in using his common sense, Mr.

Norris," the girl flashed.

"Oh, certainly."

And with that he was gone after her father to help him water the sheep.

"I don't see why those sheep have to be watered right now," she frowned

to Alan. "Dad did water them this morning. I helped him."

Together they went into the store, where José was telling his story for

the sixth time to a listening circle of plainsmen.

"And right then he come at you and ree-quested yore whole outfit to poke a

hole in the scenery with yore front feet?" old Dave Ellis asked just as

Melissy entered.

"Si, Señor."