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Up sprang every Plainsman, painted shield dropped to the shoulder, right hand lifted, palm outward, and straight as an arrow out of every throat, the "Hey a-hey a-huh!" of the Indian salutation. "Backbone of the World!" cried the Blackfoot. "Did you come over that, Little Brother?" "Not I, but my father's father's first father.
It brought his head up with a jerk, his glance steady and keen on Bostil's. "Bostil, you know I don't drink," he said. "A-huh! I know a lot about you, Slone.... I heard you bought Vorhees's place, up on the bench." "Yes." "Did he tell you it was mortgaged to me for more'n it's worth?" "No, he didn't." "Did he make over any papers to you?" "No."
But I hold for his hosses as I would any man's." "A-huh! An' what's your kick?" "Nothin' except you could have fetched them over before the flood come down. That's all." The old horse-trader and his right-hand rider looked at each other for a moment in silence. They understood each other. Then Bostil returned to the task of pulling on wet boots and Holley went away.
"Where's the girl?" demanded Anson, in surprise, when he got back to the camp. "Wal, she's walkin' 'round between heah an' Pine," drawled Wilson. "Jim, you let her loose?" "Shore I did. She's been hawg-tied all the time. An' she said she'd not run off. I'd take thet girl's word even to a sheep-thief." "A-huh. So would I, for all of thet. But, Jim, somethin's workin' in you.
She's Nell Rayner's sister," replied Riggs, doggedly. "A-huh! Wal, why in the hell did you drag her into my camp an' off up here to signal Beasley? He ain't wantin' her. He wants the girl who owns the ranch. Did you take one fer the other same as thet day we was with you?" "Guess I must have," replied Riggs, sullenly. "But you knowed her from her sister afore you come to my camp?"
The stranger appeared to grow a little resentful and drew himself up disdainfully. "Wal, considerin' you-all seem so damn friendly an' oncurious down here in this Big Bend country, I don't mind sayin' yes I am in on the dodge," he replied, with deliberate sarcasm. "From west of Ord out El Paso way, mebbe?" "Sure." "A-huh! Thet so?" Knell's words cut the air, stilled the room.
"Jim, now hyar's a queer deal this feller has rung in on us. I thought thet kid was pretty young. Don't you remember Beasley told us Nell Rayner was a handsome woman?" "Wal, pard Anson, if this heah gurl ain't handsome my eyes have gone pore," drawled Wilson. "A-huh! So your Texas chilvaree over the ladies is some operatin'," retorted Anson, with fine sarcasm.
"Bernardino has just been killed murdered with his own gun." Gaston Isbel seemed to exhale a long-dammed, bursting breath that let his chest sag. A terrible deadly glint, pale and cold as sunlight on ice, grew slowly to dominate his clear eyes. "A-huh!" ejaculated Bill Isbel, hoarsely. Not one of the three men asked who had done the killing.
The hunter stepped closer. "I reckon I owe you more 'n I can ever pay," said Auchincloss, with an arm around each niece. "No, Al, you don't owe me anythin'," returned Dale, thoughtfully, as he looked away. "A-huh!" grunted Al. "You hear him, girls.... Now listen, you wild hunter. An' you girls listen.... Milt, I never thought you much good, 'cept for the wilds.
Some one said he said he slept in the canyon last night. Anyway, he's ravin' crazy now. An' if he doesn't do harm to some one or hisself I'll miss my guess." "A-huh!" grunted Bostil. "Right you are." "Dad, can't anything be done to help Creech now?" appealed Lucy, going close to her father.
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