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Calling Paul Weaver to ride by my side, I questioned him about the region before us. "I suppose you are familiar with this part of the country, Paul?" "Ought t' be. Trapped and hunted here since I was twenty, and I'm nigh on to sixty-five now." "Have these Apaches a camping-place near here?" "Yes; they spend a part of every year here-abouts, gatherin' mezcal.
The way we get wild cattle here-abouts is to take out a mob of quiet cattle, what we call coachers, and let 'em feed in the moonlight alongside the scrub, while we wait back out o' the road and watch 'em. When the wild cattle come out, they run over to see the coachers, and we dash up and cut 'em off from the scrub, and hustle 'em together into the open. It's good sport, Mister.
There are some curious old men here who tend cattle, sitting under the trees, with their knitting. I think they are Germans. They do not appear to understand when I speak to them. I thought they might be "broke miners," who are generally the most curious people here-abouts. One of these "broke miners" is employed to take care of two little children near us, whose mother is dead.
"'Lightning never strikes in the same place twice, Mrs. Brewster," said Eleanor, hopefully. "And you know, Maw, such a terrible slide has not occurred here-abouts in twenty years," quickly added Polly, dropping back into her ranch vernacular in her anxiety. "It may be another twenty years before such another slide happens."
I understand you have been here-abouts for thirty years," went on Hurd, carelessly, "possibly you may recollect the case." Jessop wiped his forehead. "I heard something about it. That there lady committed suicide they say." "I know what they say, but I want to know what you say?" "I won't be arsked questions," shouted the captain, angrily.
If the men have ample means they can pay the damages, but if they haven't, I will pay for them myself," explained Mr. Brewster. "I don't see why you should! You had nothing to do with their hiring, nor with anything connected with this accident," said Mr. Maynard. "No, but folks here-abouts stick together more or less, and if one has a loss, the others generally help out.
Bellairs started like a man roused from a dream. "That's your wife over there!" said Colonel Carter. "There can't be any other white woman here-abouts riding with a Rajput escort!" Bellairs gripped the colonel's outstretched arm. "Where?" he almost screamed. "Where? I don't see her!" "There, man! There, where that mass of men is moving! Look! By the Lord Harry! He's charging right through the mob!
I know how the wind gnaws and the rain wets through a ragged jacket, better than most people who have got a good coat on their backs." And with those words he had put his hand in his pocket, and had rewarded the boy's impudence with a present of a shilling. "Wrong here-abouts," said the grocer, touching his forehead. "That's my opinion of Mr. Armadale's friend!"
He soon returned with the horses, and handing me his rations, he said: "Sure, Captain, it's mesilf that thinks I'd better be afther takin' a look around here-abouts, as thim durty haythens might be afther playin' us the same game as they did me last evenin'." I told him it was a good scheme, that we might go up to the top of the hill and take a look as it was then most day, and if there were any Indians around they would be astir and that he had better let Jim Davis go with him, but he said no, for Jim to stay with me and the young lady and see that no "bloody blackguard of an Apache got her again," so I cautioned him to keep his ears and eyes open, and he struck out.
The sow-westers blow great guns here-abouts, it is true enough; and when they do, sich a sea comes tumbling in on that rock as man never seed anywhere else, perhaps; but, on the whull, I'd rather be close in here, than two hundred miles further to the southward.
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