CHAPTERONE：ANAMBITIOUSMAN—CHILDWASBUDDY

Inhotmidafternoonwhentheacrid，graydustcloudkickedupbythelistlessploddingofeightthousandclovenhoofsformedtheonlyblotonthehardblueabovetheStakedPlains，anoxstumbledandfellawkwardlyunderhisyoke，andrefusedtoscrambleupwhenhisnegrodrivershoutedandproddedhimwiththeendofawillowgad。

"Callyourmaster，Ezra，"directedaquietwomanvoicegonewearyandtonelesswiththeheatandtworestlesschildren。

"Don’tbeatthepoorbrute。Hecan’tgoanyfartherandcarrytheyoke，muchlesspullthewagon。"

Ezradroppedthegadandsteppeduponthewagontonguewherehemightsquintintothedustcloudanddecidewhichgray，ploddinghorsemanalongsidetheherdwasRobertBirnie。Faracrossthesluggishriverofgrimybacks，ahorsethrewupitsheadwithapeculiarsidelongmotion，andEzra’seyeslightenedwithrecognition。Thatwasthecolt，Rattler，chafingagainsttheslowpacehemustkeep。Handscuppedaroundbig，chocolate—coloredlipsandbig，yellow—whiteteeth，Ezrawhoo—ee—edthesignalthatcalledthenearestriderstothewagonthatheldtheboss’sfamily。

BobBirnieandanothermanturnedandcametrottingback，andatthecallascramblingyoungsterpeeredoverhismother’sshoulderintheforwardopeningoftheprairieschooner。

"O—oh，Dulcie！Wegonnagitawilecowagin！"

Dulciewasasleepanddidnotanswer，andthewomanintheslatsun—bonnetpushedbackwithherelbowtheeager，squirmingbodyofhereldest。"Stayinthewagon，Buddy。

Mustn’tgetdownamongsttheoxen。Onemightkickyou。Liedownandtakeanapwithsister。Whenyouwakenitwillbeniceandcoolagain。"

"Nots’eepy！"objectedBuddyforthetwentiethtimeinthepasttwohours。Buthecrawledback，andhismother，relievedofhisrestlesspresence，leanedforwardtowatchtheapproachofherhusbandandthecowboy。Thiswasthesecondtimeinthepasttwodaysthatanoxhadfallenexhausted，andhereyesshowedatraceofanxiety。Withthefeedsopoorandthewatersoscarce，itseemedasthoughtheheavywagon，loadedwithafewhouseholdidolstoodeartoleavebehind，acampoutfitandthenecessaryclothingandbeddingforawomanandtwochildren，wasgoingtobearealhandicaponthedrive。

"Robert，ifwehadanotherwagon，Icoulddriveitandmaketheloadlessforthesefouroxen，"shesuggestedwhenherhusbandcameup。"Alighterwagon，perhapswithoneteamofstronghorses，orevenwithayokeofoxen，Icoulddrivewellenough，andrelievethesepoorbrutes。"Shepushedbackhersun—bonnetandwithitamassofred—brownhairthatcurleddamplyonherforehead，andsmileddisarmingly。"BuddywouldbethehappiestbabyboyaliveifIcouldlethimdrivenowandthen！"sheaddedhumorously。

"Can’tmakeawagonandanextrayokeofoxenoutofthiscactuspatch，"BobBirniegrinnedgoodhumoredly。"NoteventotickleBuddy。I’llseewhatIcandowhenwereachOlathe。

Butyouwon’thavetotakeaman’splaceanddrive，Lassie。"

Hetookthecupofwatershedrewfromakegandproffered—

waterwaspreciousontheStakedPlains，thatseason—andhiseyesdweltonherfondlywhilehedrank。Then，givingherhandasqueezewhenhereturnedthecup，herodebacktoscantheherdforananimalbigenoughandwell—conditionedenoughtosupplanttheworn—outox。

"Aren’tyouthirsty，FrankDavis？Ithinkacupofwaterwilldoyougood，"shecalledouttothecowboy，whohaddismountedtotightenhisforwardcinchinexpectationofhavingtousehisrope。

Thecowboydroppedstirrupfromsaddlehornandcameforwardstiff—leggedly，leadinghishorse。Hissun—bakedface，grimedwiththedustoftheherd，wasaglowwithheat，andhiseyesshowedgratitude。Acupofwaterfromthehandoftheboss’swifewasworthagallonfromthebarrelslip—

sloppingalonginthelurchingchuck—wagon。

"How’sthekidsmakin’out，Mis’Birnie？"Frankinquiredpolitelywhenhehadswallowedthelastdropandhadwipedhismouthwiththebackofhishand。"It’srightwarmanddustyt’day。"

"They’reasleepatlast，thankgoodness，"sheanswered，glancingbackatahuddleofpinkcalicothatshowedjustoverthecrestofapileofcrumpledquilts。"Buddyhasahardtimeofit。He’sallmaninhisdisposition，andallbabyinsize。He’sbeenteasingtowalkwiththeniggersandhelpdrivethedrag。Ismyhusbandcalling？"

Herhusbandwas，andFrankrodeawayataleisurelytrot。

Hastehadlittletodowithtrailingaherd，whereeightmileswascalledagoodday’sjourneyandsixanaverageachievement。Thefallenoxwasunyokedbythemellow—voicedbutexasperatedEzra，andsincehewouldnotrise，thethreeremainingoxen，urgedbythegadandEzra’supbraiding，swungthewagontoonesideandmoveditalittlefartheraftertheslow—movingherd，sothattheexhaustedanimalcouldrest，andtherawrecruitbeyokedinwherehecoulddotheleastharmandwouldthespeediestlearnanewlessonindiscomfort。Mrs。Birnieglancedagainatthehuddleofpinkinthenestofquiltsbehindabelovedchestofdrawersinthewagon，andsighedwithreliefbecauseBuddyslept。

Anambitiousman—childalreadywasBuddy，accustomedtocertainphrasesthat，sincehecouldtoddle，hadformedinevitableaccompanimenttohisinvestigativefootsteps。

"L’k—out—dah！"hehadforalongtimebelievedtobehisnameamongtheblackfolkofhisworld。Whitefolkhadvarieditslightly。Heknewthat"Run—to—mother—now"meantthatsomethinghewoulddelightinbutmustnotwatchwasgoingtotakeplace。Spankingsmoreorlessofficialandnotoftenpainfulsignifiedthatbigfolksdidnotunderstandhimandhisactivities，orwerecrossaboutsomething。Now，motherdidnotwanthimtowatchthewildcowrunandjumpattheendofaropeuntilfinallyforcedtosubmittotheox—yokeandhelppullthewagon。Buddylovedtowatchthem，butheunderstoodthatmotherwasafraidthewildcowmightsteponhim。Whysheshouldwanthimtosleepwhenhewasnotsleepyhehadnotyetdiscovered，andsodisdainedtogiveitseriousconsideration。

"Nots’eepy，"Buddystatedagainemphaticallyasasortofmentaldismissalofthecommand，andcrawledcarefullypastSisterandliftedaflapofthecanvascover。Abutton——thelastbutton——poppedoffhispinkapronandthesleevesrumpleddownoverhishands。Itfeltalllooseanduseless，soBuddystoppedlongenoughtopulltheapronoffandthrowitbesideSisterbeforehecrawledunderthecanvasflapandwalkeddownthespokesofarearwheel。Hedidnotmeantogetinthewayofthewildcow，buthedidwantactionforhisrestlesslegs。Hethoughtthatifhewentawayfromthewagonandtheherdandplayedwhiletheywerecatchingthewildcow，itwouldbejustthesameasifhetookanap。Motherhadn’tthoughtofit，orshemighthavesuggestedit。

SoBuddywentawayfromthewagonanddownintoashallowdrywashwherethewildcowwouldnotcome，andplayed。Thefirstthinghesawwasascorpion—nastyoldbugthatwillbitehard—andhethrewrocksatituntilitscuttledunderaledgeoutofsight。Thenextthinghesawthatinterestedhimatallwasahornedtoad；ahawn—toe，hecalledit，afterEzra’smannerofspeaking。Ezrahadcaughtahawntoeforhimafewdaysago，butithadmysteriouslydisappearedoutofthewagon。Buddydidnotconnecthismother’slackofenthusiasmwiththedisappearance。Hersympathywithhislosshadseemedtohimreal，andhewantedanother，fullybelievingthatinthisalsomotherwouldbepleased。SohetookafterthisparticularHAWN—toe，thatcrawledintovarioushidingplacesonlytobespiedandroutedoutwithsmallrocksandasharpstick。

Thedrywashremainedshallow，andafterawhileBuddy，stillinhotpursuitofthehornedtoad，emergeduponthelevelwheretheherdhadpassed。Thewagonwasnowhereinsight，butthisdidnotdisturbBuddy。Hewasnotlost。Heknewperfectlythatthebrowncloudonhisnarrowedhorizonwasthedustovertheherd，andthatthewagonwasjustbehind，becausethewindthatdaywasblowingfromthesouthwest，andalsobecausetheoxendidnotwalkasfastastheherd。Inthedistancehesawthe"Drag"movinglazilyalongafterthedust—cloud，withbarefootedniggersdrivingthelaggardcattleandsingingdolefullyastheywalked。EmphaticallyBuddywasnotlost。

Hewantedthatparticularhornedtoad，however，andhekeptafterituntilhehaditsafeinhistwohands。

Ithappenedthatwhenhepouncedatlastuponthetoadhedisturbedwithhispresenceacolonyofredantsonmovingday。Thecloseranksofthem，comingandgoinginastraightline，caughtandheldBuddy’sattentiontotheexclusionofeverythingelse——savethehornedtoadhehadbeenatsuchpainstoacquire。Hetuckedthetoadinsidehisunderwaistandignoreditswrigglingagainsthisfleshwhilehesquattedinthehotsunshineandwatchedtheants，hismindonegreatquestion。Whereweretheygoing，andwhatweretheycarrying，andwhyweretheyallinsuchahurry？

Buddyhadtoknow。Tohimselfhecalledtrailherd——butfather’scattledidnotcarrywhitelumpsofstuffontheirheads，andfurthermore，theyallwalkedtogetherinthesamedirection；whereastheantherdtraveledbothways。Buddymadesureofthis，andthenstartedoff，followingwhathehaddecidedwastherealtrailoftheants。Mostchildrenwouldhavestirredthemupwithastick；Buddyletthemalonesothathecouldseewhattheyweredoingallbythemselves。

Theantsledhimtoatinyholewithafinelypulverizedrimjustattheedgeofasprawlycactus。ThislastBuddycarefullyavoided，forevenatfouryearsoldhehadlongagolearnedthestingofcactusthorns。ArattlesnakebuzzedwarningwhenhebackedawayandtheshocktoBuddy’snervesrousedwithinhimthefightingspirit。Rattlesnakesheknewalso，asthecommonenemyofmenandcattle。Onceasteerhadbeenbittenonthenoseandhisheadhadswollenupsohecouldn’teat。BuddydidnotwantthattohappentoHIM。

Hemadesurethatthehornedtoadwassafe，chosearockaslargeashecouldliftandheavefromhim，andthrewitatthebuzzing，graycoil。Hedidnotwaittoseewhathappened，butpickedupanotherrock，aterrificbuzzingsoundingstridentlyfromthecoil。Hethrewanotherandanotherwithalltheforceofhishealthylittlemuscles。Forafour—year—

oldheaimedwell；severaloftherockslandedonthecoil。

Thesnakewriggledfeeblyfromundertherocksandtriedtocrawlawayandhide，itsrattlesclickinglistlessly。Buddyhadanotherrockinhishandsandinhiseyesthebluefireofrighteousconquest。Hewentclose—closeenoughtohavebroughtaprotestingcryfromagrownup—liftedtherockhighashecouldandbroughtitdownfaironthebatteredheadoftherattler。Theloathsomelengthofitwincedandthrashedineffectively，andafterafewminuteslayslack，thetailwrigglingaimlessly。

Buddystoodwithhisfeetfarapartandhishandsonhiships，ashehadseenthecowboydowhomhehadunconsciouslyimitatedinthekilling。

"SnakeslikeInjuns。Dead’nsisgood’ens，"Heobservedsententiously，stillplayingthepartofthecowboy。Then，quitesurethatthesnakewasdead，hetookitbythetail，feltagainofthehornedtoadonhischestandwentbacktoseewhattheantsweredoing。

Whensoresponsibleapersonasagrownupstopstowatchtheorderlyactivitiesofanarmyofants，minutesandhoursslipawayunnoticed。Buddywasabsolutelyfascinated，losttoeverythingelse。WhensomeinstinctbornintheverybloodofhimwarnedBuddythattimewaspassing，hestoodupandsawthatthesunhungjustabovetheedgeoftheworld，andthattheskywasagloriousjumbleofredandpurpleandsoftrose。

ThefirstthingBuddydidwastostoopandstudyattentivelythedeadsnake，toseeifthetailstillwiggled。Itdidnot，thoughhewatcheditforafullminute。Helookedatthesun——

ithadnotsetbutglowedbigandyellowasfarfromtheearthashisfatherwastall。Ezrahadliedtohim。Deadsnakesdidnotwiggletheirtailsuntilsundown。

Buddylookedforthedustcloudoftheherd，andwassurprisedtofinditsmallerthanhehadeverseenit，andfartheraway。Indeed，hecouldonlyguessthatthefaintsmudgeonthehorizonwasthedusthehadfollowedformoredaysthanhecouldcount。Hewasnotafraid，buthewashungryandhethoughthismotherwouldmaybewonderwherehewas，andheknewthatthepoint—ridershadalreadystoppedpushingtheherdahead，andthatthecattlewerefeedingnowsothattheywouldbeddownatdusk。Thechuckwagonwascampedsomewherecloseby，andoldStep—and—a—Half，thelamecook，wasstirringthingsinhisDutchovensoverthecamp—

fire。Buddycouldalmostsmellthebeansandthemeatstew，hewassohungry。Heturnedandtookonelast，longlookattheendlessstreamofantsstillcrawlingalong，pickedupthedeadsnakebythetail，cuppedtheotherhandoverthehornedtoadinsidehiswaist，andstartedforcamp。

Afterawhileheheardsomeoneshouting，butbeyondfaintreliefthathewasafterallnearhis"Outfit"，Buddypaidnoattention。Theboyswerealwaysshoutingtooneanother，oryellingattheirhorsesorattheherdorattheniggers。Itdidnotoccurtohimthattheymightbeshoutingforhim，untilfromanotherdirectionheheardEzra’sunmistakable，boomingvoice。Ezrasangathunderousbaritonewhentheniggerslifteduptheirvoicesinsongaroundtheircamp—

fire，andhecouldbeheardforhalfamilewhenhecalledinrealearnest。Hewascallingnow，andBuddy，stoppingtolisten，fanciedthatheheardhisname。Alittlefartheron，hewassureofit。

"OOO—EE！Whahy’all，Buddy？OOO—EEE！"

"I’ma—comin’，"Buddyshrilledimpatiently。"Whaty’allwant？"

HispipingvoicedidnotcarrytoEzra，whokeptonshouting。

Theradiantpurpleandredandgoldabovehimdeepened，darkened。Thewholewildexpanseofhalf—barrenlandbecamesuddenlyaplaceofunearthlybeautythatdulledtotheshadowsofdusk。Buddytrudgedon，keepingtothedeep—wornbuffalotrailswhichtheherdhadfollowedandscoredafreshwiththeirhoofs。Hecouldnotmisshisway—notBuddy，sonofBobBirnie，owneroftheTomahawkoutfit—buthislegsweregrowingprettytired，andhewassohungrythathecouldhavesatdownonthegroundandcriedwiththegnawingfood—callofhisemptylittlestomach。

Hecouldhearothervoicesshoutingatintervalsnow，butEzra’svoicewastheloudestandtheclosest，anditseemedtoBuddythatEzraneveroncestoppedcalling。TwiceBuddycalledbackthathewasa—comin’，butEzrashoutedjustthesame："OOO—EE！WHAHY’ALL，BUDDY？OOO—EE！"

Imperceptiblyduskdeepenedtodarkness。AgustofangersweptBuddy’ssoulbecausehewastired，becausehewashungryandhewasyetalongwayfromthecamp，butchieflybecauseEzrapersistedincallingafterBuddyhadseveraltimesanswered。HeheardsomeonewhomherecognizedasFrankDavis，butbythistimehewassoangrythathewouldnotsayaword，thoughhewastemptedtoaskFranktotakehimuponhishorseandlethimridetocamp。Heheardothers—andoncethebeatofhoofscamequiteclose。ButtherewasawidestreakofScotchstubbornnessinBuddy——alongwithseveralotherScotchstreaks——andhecontinuedhisstumblingprogress，draggingthesnakebythetail，hisotherhandholdingfastthehornedtoad。

Hisheartjumpedupandalmostchokedhimwhenfirstsawthethreetwinklesonthegroundwhichknewwerenotstarsbutcamp—fires。

QuiteunexpectedlyhetrudgedintothefirelightwhereStep—

and—a—Halfwasstirringdelectablethingsintheironpotsandstoppingeveryminuteorsotostareanxiouslyintothegloom。Buddystoodblinkingandsniffing，hiseyesfixedupontheDutchovens。

"I’mHUNGRY！"heannouncedaccusingly，grippingthetoadthathadbeguntosquirmattheheatandlight。Ikiltasnakean’

I’mHUNGRY！"

"Goodgorry！"sworeStep—and—a—Half，andwhippedouthissix—shooterandfiredthreeshotsintotheair。

Footstepscamescurrying。Buddy’smotherswepthimintoherarms，laughingwithalittlewhimperingsoundoftearsinthelaughter。Buddywriggledprotestinglyinherarms。

"L’kout！Y’allSKUCSH’im！IgotaHAWN—toe；wighthere。"

Hepattedhischestgloatingly。"An’Igotasnake。Ikilt’im。An’I’mHUNGRY。"

MotherofBuddythoughshewas，Lassiesethimdownhurriedlyandsurveyedherman—childfromalittledistance。

"Buddy！Dropthatsnakeinstantly’"

Buddyobeyed，butheplantedafootclosetohiskillandpoutedhislips。"’Smysnake。Ikilt’im，"Hesaidfirmly。

Hepulledthehornedtoadfromhiswaist—frontandheldittightlyinhistwohands。"An’smyhawn—toe。Iketche’d’m。

’Wayovadere，"headded，tiltinghistowheadtowardthedarknessbehindhim。

BobBirnierodeupatagallop，pulleduphishorseintheedgeofthefireglowanddismountedhastily。

BobBirnieneverneededmorethanoneglancetofurnishhimthedetailsofascene。Hesawtheverysmallboyconfrontinghismotherwithadeadsnake，ahornedtoadandastubbornsettohislips。Hesawthatthemotherlookedratherhelplessbeforethecombination——andhisbrownmustachehidasmile。Hewalkedupandlookedhisfirst—bornover。

"Buddy，"Hedemandedsternly，"wherehaveyoubeen？"

"Outdere。Kiltasnake。Antswastrailingaherd。IgotaHAWN—toe。An’I’mhungry！"

"Youknowbetterthantoleavethewagon，youngman。Didn’tyouknowwehadtogetoutandhuntyou，andmotherwasscaredthewolvesmighteatyou？Didn’tyouhearuscallingyou？Whydidn’tyouanswer？"

Buddylookedupfromunderhisbabyeyebrowsathisfather，whoseemedverytallandveryterrible。Buthisbarefoottouchedthedeadsnakeandhetookcomfort。"Iwascomin’，"

hesaid。"IWASN’Tlos’。Ibringedmysnakeandmyhawn—toe。

An’dey——WASN’T——any——woluffs！"Thelastwordcamemuffled，buriedinhismother’sskirts。

CHAPTERTWO：THETRAILHERD

Dayafterdaythetrailherdploddedslowlytothenorth，followingthebuffalotrailsthatwouldleadtowater，andthecrudemapofonewhohadtakenaherdnorthandhadreturnedwithataleofvastplainsandnorivals。Alwaysthroughthedaythedustcloudhungoverthebacksofthecattle，settledintotheclothesofthosewhofollowed，grimedthepinkapronsofBuddyandhissmallsisterDulciesothattheywerenolongerpink。Wheneverastreamwasreached，mothersearchedpatientlyforclearwaterandanuntrampledbitofbankwhereshemightdothefamilywashing，leavingEzratomindthechildren。Butevensothecrustandthewearandtearoftravelremainedtoharassherfastidioussoul。

Buddyrememberedthatdriveashecouldnotrememberthecomfortableranchhouseofhisearlierbabyhood。Tohimafterwarditseemedthatlifebeganwiththegreatherdofcattle。Hecametoknowjusthowlowthesunmustslidefromthetopoftheskybeforethe"point"wouldspreadoutwithnosestotheground，pausingwhereveramouthfulofgrasswastobefound。Whentheseleadersoftheherdstopped，thecattlewouldscatterandbeginfeeding。Iftherewaswatertheywouldcrowdthebanksofthestreamorpool，pushingandproddingoneanotherwiththeirgreat，sharphorns。Later，whenthesunwasgoneandduskcreptoutofnowhere，thecowboyswouldrideslowlyaroundtheherd，pushingitquietlyintoasmallercompass。Then，ifBuddywerenottoosleepy，hewouldwatchthecattleliedowntochewtheircudsindeep，sighingcontentuntiltheyslept。ItremindedBuddyvaguelyofwhenmotherpoppedcorninawirepopper，alongtimeago—beforetheyalllivedinawagonandwentwiththeherd。Firstoneandtwo—thentherewouldbethree，four，five，asmanyasBuddycouldcount—thenthewholeherdwouldbelyingdown。

Buddylovedthecamp—fires。Thecowboyswouldsitaroundtheonewherehisfatherandmothersat——motherwithDulcieinherarms——andtheywouldsmokeandtellstories，untilmothertoldhimitwastimelittleboyswereinbed。Buddyalwayswantedtoknowwhattheysaidafterhehadclimbedintothebigwagonwheremotherhadmadeabed，butheneverfoundout。Hecouldrememberlyingtherelisteningsometimestotheniggerssingingattheirowncampfirewithincall，Ezraalwayssingingtheloudest，——justasabullalwayscouldbeheardabovethebellowingoftheherd。

Allhislife，Ezra’ssingingandthemonotonousbellowingofaherdremindedBuddyofonemysteriouslyterribletimewhenthereweren’tanyriversoranypondsoranythingalongthetrail，andtheyhadtobecarefulofthewaterandsaveit，andheandDulciewerenotaskedtowashtheirfaces。IthinkthatmiraclehelpedtofixtheincidentindeliblyinBuddy’smind；that，andthebellowingofthecattle。ItseemedamonthtoBuddy，butashegrewolderhelearnedthatitwasthreedaystheywentwithoutwater。

Thefirstdayhedidnotrememberespecially，exceptthatmotherhadtalkedaboutcleanapronsthatnight，andfailedtoproduceany。Thesecondherecalledquiteclearly。Fathercametothewagonssometimeinthenighttoseeifmotherwasasleep。TheirmurmuredtalkwakenedBuddyandheheardfathersay：

"We’llhold’em，allright，Lassie。Andthere’swaterahead。

It’smarkedonthetrailmap。Don’tyouworry——I’llstayupandhelptheboys。Thecattleareuneasy——butwe’llhold’em。"

ThethirddayBuddyneverforgot。ThatwasthedaywhenmotherforgotthatQstandsforQuagga，andpermittedBuddytocallitP，justforfun，becauseitlookedsomuchlikeP。

Andwhenhesaid"Wiswater"，mothermadeafunnysoundandsaidrightoutloud，"0hGod，please！"andtoldBuddytocreepbackandplaywithSister——whenSisterwasasleep，andtherewerestillx，yandztosay，letalonethatmysteriousAnd—so—forthwhichseemedtomeansomuchandsolittleandneverwascalledupontohelpspellaword。Neversincehebegantohavelessonshadmotheromittedasingleletterorcutthestudyhourdowntheteeniestlittlebit。

Buddywasafraidofsomething，buthecouldnotthinkwhatitwasthatfrightenedhim。Hebegantothinkseriouslyaboutwater，andtolistenuneasilytotheconstantlowingoftheherd。Theincreasedshoutingoftheniggersdrivingthelaggingonesheldasuddensignificance。Itoccurredtohimthattheniggershadtheirhandsfull，andthattheyhadneverdrivensobiga"Drag。"Itwashotterthanever，too，andtheyhadtwicestoppedtoyokeinfreshoxen。EzrahadboastedallalongthatoleBawleywouldkeephisenduptilltheygotclahtoWyoming。ButoleBawleyhadstopped，andstopped，andatlasthadtobetakenoutoftheyoke。Buddybegantowishtheywouldhurryupandfindariver。

Noneofthecowboyswouldtakehimonthesaddleandlethimride，thatday。Theylookedharassed——Buddycalleditcross——

whentheyrodeuptothewagontogivetheirhorsesafewmouthfulsofwaterfromthebarrel。Step—and—a—Halfcouldn’tspareanymore，theytoldmother。Hehaddeclaredatnoonthatheneededeverydrophehadforthecooking，andtherewouldbenowashingofdisheswhatever。Later，motherhadstudiedamapandafterwardshadsatforalongwhilestaringoutoverthebacksofthecattle，herfacewhite。Buddythoughtperhapsmotherwassick。

ThatdaylastedhoursandhourslongerthananyotherdaythatBuddycouldremember。Hisfatherlookedcross，too，whenherodebacktothem。Onceitwastolookatthemapwhichmotherhadstudied。Theytalkedtogetherafterwards，andBuddyheardhisfathersaythatshemustnotworry；thecattlehadgoodbottom，andcouldstandthirstbetterthanapoorherd，andanotherdrycampwouldnotreallyhurtanyone。

Hehaduncoveredthewaterbarrelandlookedin，andhadriddenstraightovertothechuck—wagon，hishorsewalkingalongsidethehighseatwhereStep—and—a—Halfsatperchedlistlesslywithalong—lashedoxwhipinhishand。Fatherhadtalkedforafewminutes，andhadriddenbackscowling。

"Thatoldscoundrelhasgottwoten—gallonkegsthathaven’tbeentouched！"hetoldmother。"Yo’allmustn’twateranymorehorsesoutofyourbarrelSendtheboystoStep—and—a—

Half。Yo’allkeepwhatyou’vegot。Thehorseshavegottohavewater—to—nightit’sgoingtobehelltoholdtheherd，andifanybodygoesthirstyit’llbethemen，notthehorsesButyo’allsendthemtotheotherwagon，LassieMind，now！

Notadroptoanyone。"

Afterfatherrodeaway，Buddycreptupandputhistwoshortarmsaroundmother。"Don’tcry。Idon’thavetodrinkanywater，"hesoothedher。Hewaitedaminuteandaddedoptimistically，"Dere’saBI——IGwivercomin’pittysoon。

Oxessmellswaterahunerdmiles。Ezrasaysso。An’las’

nightCrumpywassnuffin’an’snuffin’。Isaw’imdoit。HesmeltaBIGwiver。THATbi—ig！"Hespreadhisshortarmsaswideapartastheywouldreach，andsmiledtremulously。

MothersqueezedBuddysohardthathegrunted。

"Dearlittleman，ofcoursethereis。WEdon’tmind，dowe？

I—wasfeelingsorryforthepoorcattle。"

"De’refirsty，"Buddystatedsolemnly，hiseyesbig。"De’rebawlin’feradrinkofwater。Iguessde’reAWFULfirsty。

Dere’sabigwivercomin’nowCrumpysmeltabigwiver。"

Buddy’smotherstaredacrossthearidplainparchedintogreaterbarrennessbytheheatthathadbeenunremittingforthepastweek。Buddy’sfaithinthebigrivershecouldnotshare。SomehowtheyhaddriftedoffthetrailmarkedonthemapdrawnbyGeorgeWilliams。

Williamshadwarnedthemtocarryasmuchwateraspossibleinbarrels，asaprecautionagainstsufferingiftheyfailedtostrikewatereachnight。Hehadtoldthemthatwaterwasscarce，butthathiscowboyscoutsandthedeep—wornbuffalotrailshadbeenabletobringhimthroughwithwaterateverycampsavetwoorthree。TheStakedPlains，hesaid，wouldbethehardestdrive。AndthiswastheStakedPlains——anditwasharddriving！

Buddydidnotknowallthatuntilafterwards，whenheheardfathertalkofthedrivenorth。Buthewouldhaverememberedthatdayandthenightthatfollowed，eventhoughhehadneverheardawordaboutit。Thebawlingoftheherdbecameadolefulchantofmisery。Eventhephlegmaticoxenthatdrewthewagonsbawledandslaveredwhiletheystrainedforward，twistingtheirheadsundertheheavyyokes。Theystoppedoftenerthanusualtorest，andwhenBuddywaspermittedtowalkwiththeperspiringEzrabytheleaders，hewonderedwhytheoxen’seyeswerered，likeDulcie’swhenshehadoneofhercryingspells。

Atnightthecowboysdidnottietheirhorsesandsitdownwhiletheyate，butstoodbytheirmountsandboltedfoodhurriedly，oneeyealwaysontherestlesscattle，thatwalkedaroundandaround，andwouldneithereatnorliedown，butlowedincessantly。OnceafewanimalscamecloseenoughtosmellthewaterinabucketwhereFrankDaviswaswateringhissweat—streakedhorse，andStep—and—a—Half’swagonwasalmostupsetbeforethemaddenedcattlecouldbedrivenbacktothemainherd。

"Nousecamping，"BobBirnietoldtheboysgatheredaroundStep—and—a—Half’sDutchovens。"Thecattlewon’tstand。We’llwearourselvesandthemouttryingtohold’em—theymayaswellbehuntingwaterasrunningincircles。Step—and—a—Half，keepyourcookedgrubhandyfortheboys，andyo’allpackupandpullout。We’llturnthecattlelooseandfollow。Ifthere’sanywaterinthisdamnedcountrythey’llfindit。"

Yearsafterwards，Buddylearnedthathisfatherhadsentmenouttohuntwater，andthattheyhadnotfoundany。Hewastenwhenthiswasdiscussedaroundaspringroundupfire，andhehadstudiedthematterforafewminutesandthenhadspokenboldlyhismind。

"Yououghtakeptyourhorsesasthirstyasthecattlewas，andIbetthey’da’foundthatwater，"hecriticized，andwassenttobedforhistactlessness。BobBirniehimselfhadthoughtofthatafterwards，andhadexcusedtheoversightbysayingthathehaddependedonthemap，andhadnotforeseenathree—daydrydrive。

Howeverthatmaybe，thatnightwasanightofpanickydesperation。Ezrawalkedbesidetheoxenandshoutedandswunghislash，andtheoxenstrainedforwardbellowingsothatnotevenDulciecouldsleep，butwhimperedfretfullyinhermother’sarms。Buddysatupwide—eyedandwatchedforthebigriver，andtriednottobea’fraid—catandcrylikeDulcie。

Itwaslongpaststarrymidnightwhenalittlewindpuffedoutofthedarknessandtheoxenthrewuptheirheadsandsniffed，andputanewnoteintotheir"M—baw—aw—aw—mm！"

Theyswungsharplysothatthewindblewstraightintothefrontofthewagon，whichlurchedforwardwithanewimpetus。

"Glo—oryt’Gawd，Missy！deysmellswatah，sho’syo’bawn！"

sobbedEzraashebrokeintoatrotbesidethewheelers"

’Tain’tfur——lookitdat—ahhuhda—goin’it！No’m，Missy，DEY

ain’twoahout——deysmellin’watahan’dey’mgittin’TOit！

’Tain’tfur，Missy。"

Buddyclungtothebackoftheseatandstaredround—eyedintothegloom。Heneverforgotthatlumpyshadowwhichwastheherd，travelingfastindustthatobscuredtheneareststars。Theshadowhumpedhereandthereasthecattlecrowdedforwardatashufflinghalftrot，theclick——awashoftheirshamblingfeettreadingcloseononeanother。Therappingtattooofwide—spreadhornsclashingagainstwide—spreadhornsfilledhimwithaformlessterror，sothatheletgotheseattoclutchatmother’sdress。Hewasnotafraidofcattle—theywereasmuchapartofhisworldaswereEzraandthewagonandthecamp—fires—buthetrembledwiththedreadwhichnomancouldnameforhim。

Thesewerenotthenormal，everydaysoundsoftheherd。Theherdhadsomehowchangedfromploddinganimalstooneoverwhelmingpurposethatwouldsweepawayanythingthatcameinitspath。Twothousandparchedthroatsanddust—drytongues—andsuddenlythesmellofwaterthatwouldgogurglingdowntwothousandeagergullets，andeveryinterveningsecondacurseddelayagainstwhichthecattlesurgedblindly。Itwasthemobspirit，whenthemobwasfightingforitsveryexistence。

Overthebellowingofthecattleayellingcowboynowandthenmadehimselfheard。Thefouroxenstrainingundertheiryokesbrokeintoalumberinggalloplesttheybeoutdistancedbytheherd，andDulciescreamedwhenthewagonlurchedacrossadrywashandalmostupset，whileEzrapliedtheox—

whipandyelledfranticallyatfirstoneoxandthenanother，inventingnamesforthenewones。Buddydrewinhisbreathandheldituntilthewagonrolledonfourwheelsinsteadoftwo，buthedidnotscream。

Stillthebigriverdidnotcome。ItseemedtoBuddythatthecattlewouldneverstoprunning。TangledintheterrorwasEzra’sshoutingasheranalongsidethewagonandcalledtoMissythatitwas"DatoleCrumpyactin’thefool"，andthatthewagonwouldn’tupset。"No’m，dey’sjestinahurrytogitderefoolhaidssunktodeeyesindatwatah。Deyain’taimin’torunaway——no’m，dishyerain’tnostampede！"

PerhapsBuddydozed。Thenextthingheremembered，daywasbreaking，withthesunallred，seenthroughthedust。Theherdwasstillgoing，butnowitwasrunningandsomehowtheyokedoxenwerekeepingclosebehind，lumberingalongwithheadsheldlowandthesweatreekingfromtheirspentbodies。

Buddyhearddimlyhismother’ssharpcommandtoEzra：

"Standback，Ezra！We’renotgoingtobecaughtinthatterribletrap。They’repilingoverthebankaheadofus。Getawayfromtheleaders。Iamgoingtoshoot。"

Buddycrawledupalittlehigherontheblanketsbehindtheseat，andsawmothersteadyherselfandaimtheriflestraightatCrumpy。Therewasthefamiliar，deafeningroar，theacridsmellofblackpowdersmoke，andCrumpywentdownloosely，hisnoserootingthetrampledgroundforaspacebeforethegunbelchedblacksmokeagainandCrumpy’syoke—

matepitchedforward。ThewagonstoppedsoabruptlythatBuddysprawledhelplesslyonhisbacklikeanoverturnedbeetle。

Hesawmotherstandlookingdownatthewheelers，thatbackedandtwistedtheirnecksundertheiryokes。Herlipsweresetfirmlytogether，andhereyeswerebrightwithpurplehollowsbeneath。Sheheldtherifleforamoment，thensetthebuttofitonthe"jockeybox"justinfrontofthedashboard。

Thewheelers，helplessbetweentheweightofthewagonbehindandthedeadoxeninfront，mighttwisttheirnecksoffbuttheycoulddonodamage。

"Unyokethewheelers，Ezra，andletthepoorcreatureshavetheirchanceatthewater，"shecriedsharply，andEzra，dodgingthehornsofthefranticbrutes，madeshifttoobey。

Fairlyonthebankofthesluggishstreamwithitsflood—wornchannelanditstreacherouspatchesofquicksand，thewagonthushaltedbythesheernerveandquick—thinkingofmotherbecameaverysmallislandinatroubledseaofwelteringbacksandtossinghornsandstaringeyeballs。Ridersshoutedandlashedunavailinglywiththeirquirts，tryingtoholdbackthefullbulkoftheherduntiltheforemosthadslakedtheirthirstandgoneon。Buttheherdwascrazyforthewater，andtheforemostwereplungedheadlongintothesoftmudwheretheymired，trampledunderthehoofsofthosewhocamecrowdingfrombehind。

Someoneshouted，closetothewagonyetdownthebankattheedgeofthewater。Thewordswereindistinguishable，butawarningwasinthevoice。Ontheechoofthatcry，amanscreamedtwice。

"Ezra！"criedmotherfiercely。"It’sFrankDavis——they’vegothimdown，somehow。Climboverthebacksofthecattle——There’snootherway——andGETHIM！"

"Yas’m，Missy！"Ezracalledback，andthenBuddysawhimgoovertheherd，scrambling，jumpingfrombacktoback。

Buddyrememberedthatalways，andthefuneraltheyhadlaterintheday，whentheherdwasagainjusttrail—wearycattlefeedinghungrilyonthescantygrass。Downattheedgeofthecreekthecarcassesofmanydeadanimalslayhalf—buriedinthemud。Uponalittleknollwhereafewstuntedtreesgrew，thenegroesdugalong，deephole。Mother’seyeswereoftenfilledwithtearsthatday，andthecowboysscarcelytalkedatallwhentheygatheredatthechuckwagon。

Afterawhiletheyallwenttotheholewhichthenegroeshaddug，andtherewasalongSomethingwrappedupincanvas。

Motherworeherbestdresswhichwasblack，andfatherandalltheboyshadshavedtheirfacesandlookedverysober。

Thenegroesstoodbackinagroupbythemselves，andeveryfewminutesBuddysawthemdrawtheirtatteredshirtsleevesacrosstheirfaces。Andfather——Buddylookedonceandsawtwotearsrunningdownfather’scheeks。Buddywasshockedintoastonycalm。Hehadneverdreamedthatfathersevercried。

MotherreadoutofherBible，andalltheboysheldtheirhatsinfrontofthem，withtheirhandsclasped，andlookedatthegroundwhilesheread。Thenmothersang。Shesang，"Weshallmeetbeyondtheriver"，whichBuddythoughtwasaveryqueersong，becausetheywerealltherebutFrankDavis；

thenshesang"Nearer，MyGod，toThee。"Buddysangtoo，pipingthenotesaccurately，withavaguepronunciationofthewordsandafeelingthatsomehowhewashelpingmother。

Afterthattheyputthelong，canvas—wrappedSomethingdowninthehole，andmothersaid"OurFatherWhoArtinHeaven"，withBuddyrepeatingituncertainlyafterherandpausingtosay"TRETHpatheth"verycarefully。ThenmotherpickedupDulcieinherarms，tookBuddybythehandandwalkedslowlybacktothewagon，andwouldnotlethimturntoseewhattheboysweredoing。

ItwasfromthatdaythatBuddymissedFrankDavis，whohadmysteriouslygonetoHeaven，accordingtomother。Buddy’sinterestinHeavenwasextremelykeenforatime，andheaskedquestionswhichnotevenmothercouldanswer。ThenhismemoryofFrankDavisblurred。ButneverhismemoryofthatterribletimewhentheTomahawkoutfitlostfivehundredcattleinthedrydriveandthestampedeforwater。

CHAPTERTHREE：SOMEINDIANLORE

BuddyknewIndiansasheknewcattle，horses，rattlesnakesandstorms——byhavingthemmixedinwithhiseverydaylife。

Hecouldn’ttellyouwhereorwhenhehadlearnedthatIndiansaretricky。PerhapshisfirstideasonthatsubjectweregleanedfromthefriendlytribeswholivedalongtheChisolmTrailandusedtovisitthechuck—wagon，theirblanketsheldclosearoundthemandtheireyesglancingeverywherewhiletheygrinnedandtalkedandpointed——andate。Buddyusedtositinthechuck—wagon，outofharm’sway，andwatchthemeat。

Step—and—a—HalfhadawayofentertainingIndianswhichneverfailedtointerestBuddy，howeveroftenhewitnessedit。WhenStep—and—a—HalfglimpsedIndianscomingafaroff，hewouldtakehisdishpananddumpintoitwhateverscrapsoffoodwereleftoverfromtheprecedingmeal。HeusedtosaythatIndianscouldsmellgrubasfarasabuzzardcansmelladeadcarcase，andBuddybelievedit，fortheyalwaysarrivedatmealtimeorshortlyafterwards。Step—and—a—Halfwouldmakeastew，iftherewerescrapsenough。Ifthegleaningsweresmall，hewouldusethedishwater——hewasafrugalman——andwiththatforthestart—offhewouldmakesoup，whichtheIndiansgulpeddownwithgreatrelishandmanygurglysounds。

Buddywatchedthemeatwhathecalledpig—dinner。WhenStep—

and—a—Halfwasnotlookinghesawthemstealwhatevertheirdirtybrownhandscouldreadilysnatchandhideundertheirblankets。SoheknewfromveryearlyexperiencethatIndianswerenottobetrusted。

Once，whenhehadagainstrayedtoofarfromcamp，someIndiansridingthatwaysawhim，andoneleanedandliftedhimfromthegroundandrodeoffwithhim。Buddydidnotstrugglemuch。Hesavedhisbreathforthelong，shrillyellofcow—country。TwiceheyodledbeforetheIndianclappedahandoverhismouth。

Fatherandsomeofthecowboysheardandcameafter，ridinghardandshootingastheycame。Buddy’spinkapronflutteredasignalflaginthearmsofhiscaptor，andsoithappenedthatthebulletswhistledclosetothatparticularIndian。HegatheredahandfulofcalicobetweenBuddy’sshoulders，heldhimaloftlikeapuppy，leanedfaroveranddepositedhimontheground。

Buddyrolledovertwiceandgotup，alittledizzyandveryindignant，andshoutedtofather，"Shootasunsyguns！"

FromthattimeBuddyaddedhatredtohisdistrustofIndians。

FromthetimewhenhewasfouruntilhewasthirteenBuddy’slifecontainedenoughthrillstokeepamovie—madboyofto—

daysittingontheedgeofhisseatgaspingenviouslythroughmanyareel，buttoBuddyitwasallratherhumdrumandmonotonous。

Whathewantedtodowastogetoutandhuntbuffalo。Justherdinghorses，andwatchingoutforIndians，andkillingrattlesnakeswaswhatanyboyinthecountrywouldbedoing。

Still，Buddyhimselfachievednowandthenathrill。

Therewasoneday，whenhestoodheedlesslyonaridgelookingforadozenheadoflosthorsesinthedrawsbelow。

ItwasallverywelltoexplainmissinghorsesbytheconjecturethattheInjunsmusthavegotthem，butBuddyhappenedtomissoldRattlerwiththeothers。Rattlerhadcomenorthwiththetrailherd，andhewaswisebeyondthewisdomofmosthorses。Hewoulddrivecattleoutofthebrushwithoutaridertoguidehim，ifonlyyouputasaddleonhim。HehadhelpedBuddytomounthisback——whenBuddywasmuchsmallerthannow——byloweringhisheaduntilBuddystraddledit，andthenliftingitsothatBuddysliddownhisneckandoverhiswitherstohisback。EvennowBuddysometimesmountedthatwaywhennoonewaslooking。ManyotherlovabletraitshadRattler，andtolosehimwouldbeatragedytothefamily。

SoBuddywasontheridge，scanningallthedeeplittlewashesanddraws，whenabulletPING—G—GEDoverhishead。

Buddycaughtthebridlereinsandpulledhishorseintotheshelterofrocks，untiedhisriflefromthesaddleandcreptbacktoreconnoitre。Itwasthefirsttimehehadeverbeenshotat——exceptinthearmyposts，whentheIndianshad"brokenout"，——andtheaimthenwasgenerallydirectedtowardhisvicinityratherthanhisperson。

AnIndianonahorsepresentlyappearedcautiouslyfromcover，andBuddy，tremblingwithexcitement，shotwild；butnotsowildthattheIndiancouldaffordtoscoffandridecloser。AfteranotherineffectualshotatBuddy，hewhippedhishorsedowntheridge，andmadeforBannockcreek。

BuddyatthirteenknewmoreofthewilesofIndiansthandoesthehardiestIndianfighteronthescreento—day。FatherhadwarnedhimnevertochaseanIndianintocover，whereotherswouldprobablybewaitingforhim。Sohestayedwherehewas，prettywellhiddenintherocks，andletthebulletshehimselfhad"run"infather’sbullet—moldfollowtheenemytothefringeofbushes。HislastshotknockedtheIndianoffhishorse——orsoitlookedtoBuddy。Hewaitedforalongtime，watchingthebrushandthinkingwhatafoolthatIndianwastoimagineBuddywouldfollowhimdownthere。AfterawhilehesawtheIndian’shorseclimbingtheslopeacrossthecreek。Therewasnorider。

Buddyrodehomewithoutthemissinghorses，anddidnottellanyoneabouttheIndian，thoughhisthoughtswouldnotleavethesubject。

Hewonderedwhatmotherwouldthinkofit。Mother’sinterestsseemedmostlyconfinedtoteachingBuddyandDulciewhattheyweredeprivedoflearninginschools，andtoplaythepiano——

awonderfuloldsquarepianothathadcomeallthewayfromScotlandtotheTomahawkranch，theveryfrontieroftheWest。

Motherwasawonderfulwoman，withasoftvoiceandaslightScotchaccent，andwit；andaknowledgeofthingswhichwerelittleknowninthewilderness。Buddyneverdreamedthenhowstrangelyculturewasmixedwithpuresavageryinhislife。

TohimthesecretregretthathehadnotdaredrideintothebushestoscalptheIndianhebelievedhehadshot，andthefactthathishandswerestrainingatthefullchordsoftheANVILCHORUSonthatveryevening，wasnoteventobeconsideredunusual。Still，certainstrainsofthatclassicwerealwaysafterwardassociatedinhismindwiththeshootingoftheIndian——ifhehadreallyshothim。

Whilehecountedthetimewithaconscientiousregardfortherests，hedebatedthewisdomoftellingmother，anddecidedthatperhapshehadbetterkeepthatmattertohimself，likeaman。

CHAPTERFOUR：BUDDYGIVESWARNING

Buddyswungdownfromhishorse，unsaddleditandwentstaggeringtothestablewallwiththeburdenofastock—

saddlemuchtoobigforhim。Hehadtostandonhisboot—toestoreachandpullthebridledownovertheearsofWhitefoot，whichturnedwithanairofimmensereliefintothecorralgateandthehaypiledatthefurtherend。Buddygavehimonepreoccupiedglanceandstartedforthecabin，walkingwiththecowpuncher’speculiar，bowleggedgaitwhichcomesofwearingchapsandthrowingoutthekneestoovercomethestiffnessoftheleather。AtthirteenBuddywasacowboyfromhat—crowntospurs—andatthirteenBuddygloriedinthefact。

To—day，however，hismindwasweightedwithmattersofmoreimportancethanhimself。

"TheUtesarehavingawar—dance，mother，"heannouncedwhenhehadclosedthestoutdoorofthekitchenbehindhim。"Theymeanitthistime。Ilayinthebrushandwatchedthemlastnight。"Hestoodlookingathismotherspeculatively，alittlegrinonhisface。"Itoldyou，youcan’tchangeanInjunbylearninghimtoeatwithaknifeandfork，"headded。"Colorouain’tanywhiterthanhewasbeforeyousetouttolearnhimmanners。Hewashoppin’higherthananyof’em。"

"Teach，Buddy，notlearn。Youknowbetterthantosay’learnhimmanners。’"

"Teachhimmanners，"Buddycorrectedhimselfobediently。"I

wasthinkingmoreaboutwhatIsawthanaboutgrammar。

Where’sfather？IguessI’dbettertellhim。He’llwanttogetthestockoutofthemountains，Ishouldthink。"

"Colorouwillsendmewordbeforetheytakethewarpath，"

motherobservedreassuringly。"Healwayshas。Igavehimawholepoundofteaandablueribbonthelasttimehewashere，"

"Yes，andthelasttimetheybrokeouttheygotawaywithmore’nahundredheadofcattle。YougottoLaramie，allright，buthedidn’ttellfatherintimetomakearoundupbackinthefoothills。They’reDANCING，mother！"

"Well，IsupposeWe’redueforanoutbreak，"sighedmother。

"Colorousayshecan’tholdhisyoungmenoffwhensomeofthetribehavebeenkilled。Hehimselfdoesn’tcountenancethestealingandtheoccasionalkillingofwhitemen。TherearebadIndiansandgoodones。"

"Iknowacoupleofgoodones，"Buddymurmuredashemadeforthewashbasin。"It’sthebadonesthatweredoingthedancing，mother，"heflungoverhisshoulder。"AndifIwasyouI’dtakeDulcieandthecatsandhitforLaramie。Coloroumightgetbusyandforgettosendword！"

"IfIWASyou？"Mothercameupandnippedhisearbetweenthumbandfinger。"Robert，Iamdiscouragedoveryou。AllthatIteachyouinthewinterseemstoevaporatefromyourmindduringthesummerwhenyougooutridingwiththeboys。"

Buddywipedhisfacewithanup—and—downmotionontherollertowelandclankedacrosstothecupboardwhichheopenedinvestigatively。"Anypie？"hequestionedashepeeredintothecorners。"Say，ifIhadthehandlingofthoseUtes，mother，I’dfix’emsotheywouldn’tbebreakingouteveryfewmonthsandmakingfolksleavetheirhomestobepawedoverandburnt，maybe。"Hefoundajaroffreshdoughnutsandtookthree。

"They’lltromparoundonyourflower—beds——itjustmakesmeSICKwhenIthinkhowthey’llmussthingsuparoundhere！I

wishnow，"Heblurtedunthinkingly，"thatIhadn’tkilledtheInjunthatstoleRattler。"

"Buddy！NotYOU。"Hismothermadeaswiftlittlerunacrossthekitchenandcaughthimonhislean，hard—muscledyoungshoulders。"You——youbaby！Whatdidyoudo？Youdidn’tharmanIndian，didyou，laddie？"

Buddytiltedhisheaddownwardsothatshecouldnotlookintohiseyes。"IdunnoasIharmedhim——much，"hesaid，wipingdoughnutcrumbsfromhismouthwithonehastysweepofhisforearm。"Buthishorsecameoutathebrush，andhenever。IguessIkilledhim，allright。Anyway，mother，Ihadto。Hetookashotatmefirst。ItwasthedaywelostRattlerandthebronks，"Headdedaccurately。

Motherdidnotsayanythingforaminute，andBuddyhunghisheadlower，dreadingtoseethehurtlookwhichhefeltwasinhereyes。

"IhavetopackagunwhenIrideanywhere，"heremindedherdefensively。"Itain’ttobalancemeonthehorse，either。IfInjunstakeinafterme，thegun’ssoIcanshoot。Andafellerdon’tshootupintheair——andifanInjunishuntingtroubleheoughtaexpectthatmaybehemightgetshotsometime。You——youwouldn’twantmetojustrunandletthemcatchme，wouldyou？"

Mother’shandslippeduptohisheadandpresseditagainstherbreastsothatBuddyheardherheartbeatingsteadyandsweetandtrue。Motherwasn’tafraid——never，never！

"Iknow——it’sthedreadfulnecessityofdefendingourlives。

Butyou’resoyoung——justmother’sbabyman！

Buddylookedupatherthen，alaughtwinklinginhiseyes。

Afterall，motherunderstood。

"I’mgoingtobeyourbabymanalwaysifyouwantmeto，mother，"Hewhispered，closinghisarmsaroundherneckinasturdyhug。"ButI’mfather’shorse—wrangler，too。Andahorse—wranglerhasgottoholduphisend。I——Ididn’twanttokillanybody，honest。ButInjunsaredifferent。Youkillrattlers，andtheyain’tasmeanasInjuns。ThatoneIshotatwasshootingatmebeforeIevensomuchasknewtherewasonearound。Ijustshotback。Fatherwould，oranybodyelse。"

"Iknow——Iknow，"sheconceded，thetenderwomanlinessofhersighingovertheneed。Inthenextmomentshewasallmother，readytofightforheryoung。"Buddy，never，neverrideANYWHEREwithoutyourrifle！Andarevolver，too——besurethatitisinperfectcondition。And——haveyouaknife？

You’resoLITTLE！"shewailed。"Butfatherwillneedyou，andhe’lltakecareofyou——andColorouwouldnotletyoubehurtifheknew。But——Buddy，youmustbecareful，andalwayswatching——neverletthemcatchyouoffyourguard。IshallbeinLaramiebeforeyouandfatherandtheboys，Isuppose，iftheIndiansreallydobreakout。Andyoumustpromiseme——"

"I’llpromise，mother。Anddon’tyougoandtrustoldColorouaninch。Hewasjumpinghigherthananyof’em，andshakinghistomahawkandyelling——he’dhavescalpedmerightthereifhe’dseenmewatching’em。Mother，I’mgoingtofindfatherandtellhim。Andyoumayaswellbepackingup，and——don’tleavemyguitarforthemtosmash，willyou，mother？"

Hismotherlaughedthenandpushedhimtowardthedoor。Shehadanideaofherownandshedidnotwanttobehinderednowinputtingitintoaction。Upthecreek，inthebankbehindaclumpofwillows，wasasmallcave——oralargeniche，onemightcallit——wheremanyhouseholdtreasuresmightbesafelyhidden，ifonewentcarefully，wadinginthecreektohidethetracks。ShefollowedBuddyout，andcalledtoEzrawhowaschoppingwoodwithagruntforeveryfalloftheaxeandmanyrest——periodsintheshadeofthecottonwoodtree。

Atthestable，BuddylookedbackandsawhertalkingearnestlytoEzra，whostoodnoddinghisheadincompleteapproval。Buddy’sknowledgeofwomenbeganandendedwithhismother。Therefore，tohimallwomenwerewonderfulcreatureswhommenworshippedardentlybecausetheywerecreatedfortheadorationoflessersouls。Buddydidnotknowwhathismotherwasgoingtodo，buthewassurethatwhatevershedidwouldberight；sohehoistedhissaddleonthehandiestfreshhorse，andlopedofftodriveintheremuda，feelingcertainthathisfatherwouldmoveswiftlytosavehiscattlethatrangedbackinthefoothills，andthatthesaddlehorseswouldbewantedatamoment’snotice。

Also，hereasoned，therangehorses（maresandcoltsandtheunbrokengeldings）wouldnotbelefttothemercyoftheIndians。Hedidnotquiteknowhowhisfatherwouldmanageit，buthedecidedthathewouldcorraltheREMUDAfirst，andthendriveintheotherhorses，thatfedscatteredinundisturbedpossessionofafavoritegrassycreek—bottomfartherupthePlatte。

Thesaddlehorses，accustomedtoBuddy’sdriving，wereeasilycorralled。Theotherhorseswerefatand"sassy"andresentedhiscomingamongthemwiththeshrillwhoopofauthority。

Theygavehimahothour’sridingbeforetheyfinallybunchedandwenttearingdowntheriverbottomtowardtheranch。Evenso，Buddylefttwoofthewildestcareeningupanarrowgulch。Hehadnotattemptedtorideafterthem；notbecausehewasafraidofIndians，forhewasnot。Thewar—danceheldeveryyoungbuckandeveryoldoneincampbeyondthePass。

Butthemarginofsafetymightbenarrow，andBuddywastakingnochancesthatday。

Whenhewasconvincedthatitwasimpossibleforoneboytobeinhalfadozenplacesatonce，andthatthecowboyswouldbeneededtocorraltherangebunch，Buddywhoopedthemalldownthecreekbelowthehomeranchandletthemgojustashisfathercameridinguptothecorral。

"They’rewar—dancing，father，"Buddyshoutedeagerly，slippingoffhishorseandwipingawaythetricklesofperspirationwithahandkerchiefnotmuchredderthanhisface。"Idroveallthehorsesdown，sothey’dbehandy。Themrangehorsesareprettywild。TherewastwoIcouldn’tget。

What’llIdonow？"

BobBirnielookedathisyoungestriderandsmoothedhisbeardwithonehand。"You’reanambitiouslad，Buddy。It’stheUtesyou’remeaning——orisitthehorses？"

Buddyliftedhisheadandstaredathisfatherdisapprovingly。

"Colorouisgoingtobreakout。Iknow。They’vegottheirwarpaintallonandthey’redancing。Isawthemmyself。IwasgoingaftertheglovesColoroussquawwasmakingforme，——butIdidn’tget’em。Ilaidinthebrushandwatched’emdance。"Hestoppedandlookedagaindoubtfullyathisfather。"Ithoughtyoumightwanttogetthecattleoutatheway，headded。"IthoughtIcouldsavesometime——"

"You’resureaboutthepaint？"

"Yes，I’msure。AndColorouwasjusta—goingitwithhiswarbonnetonandshakinghistomahawkandyelling——"

"Yedidwell，lad。We’llbeleavingforBigCreekto—night，sorunawaynowandrestyourself。"

"Oh，andcanIgo？"Buddy’svoicewasshrillwitheagerness。

"I’llneedyou，lad，tolookafterthehorses。Itwillgivemeonemorehandwiththecattle。NowgotellStep—and—a—Halftomakereadyforaweekonthetrail，andtohavesupperearlysohecanmakehisstartwiththerest。"

Buddywalkedstifflyawaytothecook’scabinwhereStep—and—

a—Halfsatleisurelygougingtheworstblemishesoutofsoft，oldpotatoeswithachronictendencytogrowsprouts，beforehepeeledthemforsupperHiscrippledlegwasthrustoutstraight，hishatwasperchedprecariouslyoveroneearbecauseoftheslantingsunraysthroughthewindow，andahalf—smokedcigarettewaggleduncertainlyinthecornerofhismouthwhilehesangdolefullyamostoptimisticdittyoftheWest：

"Ogivemeahomewherethebuff—aloroam，Wherethedeerandtheantelopeplay，WhereneverisheardadiscouragingwordAndtheskyisnotcloudyallday。"

"You’regoingtohearadiscouragingwordrightnow，"Buddybrokeinruthlesslyuponthesong。Whereupon，withabitofimportanceinhisvoiceandinhismanner，heproceededtospoilStep—and—a—Half’sdispositionandtodeepen，ifthatwerepossible，hisloathingofIndians。Toooftenhadhemadedubioussoupofhisdishwaterandtheleavingsfromaroundupcrew’sdinner，andwatchedblanketedbuckssmacklipsoverthemess，torunfromthemnowwithoutfeelingutterlydisgustedwithlife。Step—and—a—Half’svituperationscouldbeheardabovetheclatterofpotsandpansashemadereadyforthejourney。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读