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Updated: June 9, 2025
Instead he saw a young girl of a little less than Barbee's age, roguish-eyed, black-haired, red-mouthed, plump and saucy. Her sleeves were up; her arms were brown and round; there was flour on them. 'Where are the Longstreets, Barbee? asked Howard. 'Gone, announced Barbee cheerfully. And as though that closed the matter to his entire satisfaction, he demanded: 'Come on, Pet; be a good kid.
Longstreet's two pack-horses were tied to the tail end of the wagon and trotted along with slack tie-ropes. Behind them rode the Longstreets upon saddle-horses, which Chuck Evans had brought to the house for them with his employer's compliments. 'Al said you was to ride this one, miss, said Chuck Evans.
It was Tod Barstow, an old hand. And he added, nodding, 'He's a damn good loser. Barbee chuckled and pocketed his small winnings. 'That's what I'm playing him for, Toddy, he admitted with his cheerful grin. In the end the Longstreets went from Desert Valley straight on to the nearest town, that of Big Run, only a dozen miles still east of the ranch.
The Longstreets, early risers as they had grown to be, had only finished breakfast when he came racing into Bear Valley, waving his hat to them and calling cheerily. A first frown came when he saw that Sanchia Murray was breakfasting with them, but the frown did not linger. 'Good morning, everybody, he greeted them.
'Jim Courtot, he muttered under his breath, as though the man were with him, and as he saw fancied visions of things to be, 'I have it in my heart to be almost sorry for you. Then he shrugged, filled his lungs with the fresh clean cool air which rose up across the miles from his own pastures and set his feet into the trail that would lead home by way of the Longstreets. Now he walked eagerly.
To-morrow, thought Howard, he would ride toward the Last Ridge, taking it upon himself to gather up the straggling stock there, and, purely incidentally, he would look in upon the Longstreets. He had not seen them for three days. But the night was destined to bring events to alter his plans.
Presently he stood on the edge of the same flat on which the Longstreets had made their camp, though a good half-mile to the east of the canvas shack. A wide black void across the plateau was Dry Gulch. Upon its nearer bank, not a hundred yards from him, a dry wood fire blazed brightly; he must have seen it long ago except that a shoulder of the mountain had hidden it.
'Look here, said Howard impatiently. 'I'm just asking a question, and I'll get out of your way. Where did they go? 'Who? asked Barbee. 'The Longstreets. 'Dunno, Barbee shrugged. Then, as an afterthought, 'Sanchia Murray could tell you; she's been sticking tight to them. She's got a tent up yonder, back of the Courtot House on the edge of town. Howard hurried on.
There is more gold left in these hills. Give him time and a free swing, and he'll find it. Carr appeared amazed. 'I can't imagine what makes you talk like that, Al, he said shortly. 'It's rather a serious thing with the Longstreets which way they move now. You are deliberately encouraging him to buck a game which he ought to leave to another type of man.
Seen the Longstreets lately? Howard admitted that he had. It was only a little way over, he reminded Carr, an hour and a half ride or such a matter, and the old boy was such a helplessly innocent old stranger, that it didn't seem quite right to turn them adrift altogether. 'The girl is a pretty thing. said Carr. 'Yes, agreed Howard. 'Kind of pretty. Carr looked at him steadily.
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