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Red grabbed him by the seat of his corduroys and the collar of his shirt and helped him outside, where they strolled about, taking pot shots at whatever their fancy suggested. Down the street in a cloud of dust rumbled the Las Cruces-El Paso stage and the two punchers went up to meet it. Raw furrows showed in the woodwork, one mule was missing and the driver and guard wore fresh bandages.
Frenchy McAllister, the foreman of the Tin-Cup, who was accompanied by six of his best and most trusted men. Mr. McAllister and party were followed by Mr. You-bet Somes, foreman of the Two-X-Two of Arizona, and five of his punchers, and later on the same day Mr. Pie Willis, accompanied by Mr. Billy Jordan and his two brothers, arrived from the Panhandle.
Maybe after all this excitement is over we can get the Indians to pose for us. I'll tell Mr. Pertell about it." The rescuing cowboys had drawn rein in front of the lined-up Indians, near the huts of the captives. There was a goodly squad of cow punchers, and they seemed delighted to have been of some service to the picture players.
It was no great matter to fight Indians, that they had done many times and found more or less enjoyment in it; but there was a vast difference between brave and puncher, and the chances of their salvation became very small. They surmised that it was the work of the cow-men on whom they had preyed and that vengeful punchers lay hidden behind that death-fringe of green willow and hazel.
"That fuss was a fool joke of Buck's, an' I wish they had been throwed out," Hopalong replied. "What I want to know is if Miss Deane is in her room. Yu see, I have a date with her." The clerk grinned: "So she's roped you, too, has she?" "What do yu mean?" Asked Hopalong in surprise. "Well, well," laughed the clerk. "You punchers are easy.
And turning abruptly, without another word, he jogged away around the house and started down the long slope already greying with the coming night. The foreman and the five punchers clamped over to the corner of the kitchen and watched him in speculative silence. Tharon came along and stood by Billy, her hand on the boy's arm.
"He ain't goin' to get off like that," declared Buck. Looking confidently at his own followers, he said: "The Lazy K can take care of him." Buck's men moved closer to him, preparing to draw their guns, if need be, and open fire on Jack's defenders. "Look out, boss!" warned Sage-brush, at the hostile movement of Buck and his punchers.
Amusement twinkled in his eyes at the personal remark and her utter unconsciousness of having said anything at which by any chance he could take offense, but he replied noncommittally: "I've put away my share, Miss." "I can always pick 'em out. Nearly all the freighters and cow punchers that stop here get drunk." He looked at her quizzically.
Farms would spring up and the sun of the free-and-easy cowboy would slowly set. "I reckons th' cutters are classed th' same as rustlers," remarked Red with a gleam of temper. "By th' owners, but not by th' punchers; an' it's th' punchers that count," replied Frenchy. "Well, we'll give them a fight," interposed Hopalong, riding up.
Often punchers from other outfits put up at the shack. Range favors of this sort were taken as a matter of course. If the cabin was empty the visiting cowboy helped himself to food, fire, and shelter. It was expected of him that he would cut a fresh supply of fuel to take the place of that he had used. It was getting on toward dusk when they reached Eleven Mile.
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