Boss, he said to Sterl, killum horse like white
man. Red had abandoned his plan of intimacy with Ormistons drovers. Ormiston wants
to be a partner of Stanley Danns after the trek.
Ormiston has control of three
thousandhaid.
For many of Stanley Dannstroop, and very possibly
for him, there would be none.
Black fella spearum cattle, was the reply. The
rumble of hoofs began to diminish involume as the gunshots became desultory. Leslie
gave proof to his theory by flashing, Sterl,you make me think. Sterl entertained a
queer thought that theincalculable difference might be cannibalism. Gimme some, said
the cowboy, as he reined in besideSterl.
On Sundays he held a short religious service which
allwere importuned to attend.
A thread of darker green promised a river or
stream.
Gimme some, said the cowboy, as he reined in
besideSterl. Ive had to do with a good manycattle drives, trek you call them. But we
might talk Slyter into findin out he wasalive. Red, Id rather have you in a fighting
mood. Thehorses fared badly, though not to the point of loss.
Youre very tenderhearted over snakes,arent you?
Next morning, Larry reported that horses were missingfrom the remuda. Cant we have
one little hourfree from work and fighting?
Ormiston, you and I will have real trouble over
Friday yet, rang outSterl.
Sterl, ready and quick as light,shot it out of
Ormistons hand.
He slipped out of his saddle, and motioned Friday
tocome from behind the horses. For weeks after Woolcotts death Ormiston had kept
mostly to his camp. I was after a bucket ofwater for Beryl, kinda under cover of the
bank where the brook was clean. Youre very tenderhearted over snakes,arent you? If
we dont, this nigger mob willgrow beyond our power to cope with it. The black fitted
the bloody spear to his wommera, and made ready as if tothrow.
I reckon I am, pard, thought I aint had time to
figger much. If you wish Ill read a Psalm out of hisBible, and bury it with him.
Sterl and Red had learned to like tea, but theyconfined drinking it to two meals a
day. Merge your cattle withmy mob, ordered Dann. The cowboys piled packs and bundles
outside of the wheels of their wagon.
Why didnt you hit Ormiston instead of your friend?
Ormistons drovers want a showdown fortheir labors or a speed-up of the break.
Mid-current, she looked up and saidsoftly:Id like to ride all the rest of way like
this.
Slyter lost two horses, and some twenty-odd head of
cattle.