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Updated: May 14, 2025
"It was easy for him," I said, rising to the defence. "Ho, ho," said Ump, "I wouldn't think you'd be throwin' bokays after that duckin'. I saw him. It wasn't so killin' easy." "It couldn't be so bad," said Jud; "the horse ain't a bit winded." "Laddiebuck," cried the hunchback, "you'll see before you get through. That current's bad." I turned around in the saddle.
"When they are a-follerin' Mister Ward's drovers, it's a little too peaked for long ridin'." Then he broke off suddenly and called to the ferryman. "Danel," he said, "how many cattle will this boat hold?" "Big cattle or stockers?" inquired the man. "Exporters," said Ump. "Mart," called the brother, "can we carry thirty exporters?" "Are they dehorned?" inquired Mart. "Muley," said Ump.
I caught hold of the horn, settled down nerveless in the saddle, and looked around me. The cattle were streaming past in two long lines for the shore, led by Ump and the Aberdeen-Angus, now half-way up the north arm of the loop. The river was still roaring with the bellowings of the cattle, as though all the devils of the water howled with fury at this losing of their prey.
From a high swinging shelf he got two heifer hides, tanned with the hair on them, soft as cloth. In these Jud and Ump rolled themselves and, putting the saddles under their heads, were presently sleeping like the illustrious Seven. The old man fastened his door with a wooden bar, took off his shoes, and sat down by the fire.
The sunlight poured in and I was back in the road by the old carpet-weaver's cottage. The old woman was alarmed, but her curiosity held like a cable. "What's he sayin'," she piped; "what's he sayin'?" "That it's all a lie, Aunt Peggy," replied Jud. She turned her squint eyes on him. "Who told you so?" she said. "Who told you?" growled Ump. "Them as knows," she said.
Still, why had she made her promise, if she could not keep her shoulder to it like a man? We did not like it when Ward told us. We did not think much of women, Ump and Jud and I, except old Liza, who was another of those splendid Providences. Now it was clear that we were right.
As for me, I was desperately glad to be safe out of that pot of muddy water. I was ready like the apostle of old time to build here a tabernacle, or to go down on what Ump called my "marrow-bones." As it was, I dismounted and hugged El Mahdi, covering up in his wet mane a bit of trickling moisture strangely like those tears that kept getting in the way of my being a man.
Behind the old man Ump held up two fingers and made a sweeping gesture. The waggon-maker went back to the corner of his house for some bedding. Ump leaned over. "Two flyin'," he said. "One went east, an' one went west, an' one went over the cuckoo's nest. If I knowed where that cuckoo's nest was, we'd have the last one spotted." "What do you think they're up to?" said I. Ump laughed.
"According to what?" said I. "According to what you want, master." "Why, as to that " I began. "Because," he went on, administering a particularly vicious kick to the fire, "if you was to ask me for a French hortolon or even the 'ump of a cam-el being a very truthful man, I should say no." "But I want no such things," said I.
I'll stay here an' bring up the cattle as soon as it's light." Then he pulled his mare out of the way. El Mahdi was on his hind legs while Ump was speaking. When the Bay Eagle turned out, he came down with a great jump and began to run. I bent over and clamped my knees to the horse and let him go. He was like some engine whose throttle is thrown open.
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