shot last month down on the Diamond."
"Shot!... Was it an accident?"
"Shore was, for him. But whoever did it was lookin' pretty straight."
Jim did not betray the shock this intelligence gave him, but he certainly made note of another circumstance his uncle had not imparted.
"Which one of you has been longest with my uncle?" he questioned.
"Hump Stevens, heah, was in the first Diamond outfit. Six years ago, wasn't it, Hump?"
"Round aboot thet," drawled a tall, tawny cowboy who was stoop-shouldered.
"Stevens, then, ought to be foreman of this outfit," returned Jim. "And after him every one of you according to your service. Well, let's understand each other right here. I certainly am not stuck on the job and think I'm the last fellow on earth to tackle it. But my uncle has put it on me. He wants to leave his property to me. And I won't have it unless I can deserve it. And that means make good at ranching from the ground up."
Blank, still faces baffled Jim. It was impossible to tell whether or not these cowboys were in the least impressed. They certainly thought he was a liar.
"You can lay off till Monday morning," added Jim, curtly. And before he started to limp away he gathered that his first order to them had been received with a pleasant surprise. Perhaps the ensuing hour was the most profoundly thoughtful of any since he had decided to embark upon this adventure. What an unknown quantity the Diamond outfit! He had needed only one look at these devil-may-care boys to realize it. Cowboys were not wholly strangers to him. These, however, were the dyed-in-the-wool range product. They were potential chain lightning and firebrand. He was conscious of admiration, dread, and an acute desire to make friends with them. After meeting them he realized he could not expect any material help from Ring Locke or his uncle. The matter was personal.
Wherefore he carefully kept out of their way for a day and a half. On Saturday afternoon he went to town, and he had not been there long before he heard that the Diamond outfit was painting some very vivid red. Jim laughed. After a while, however, it grew monotonous. And when he happened to encounter Miss Blodgett in one of the stores and have her subtly refer to his cowboys he became irritated. Must the whole town take up the situation which his uncle had precipitated? A second look into Miss Blodgett's hazel eyes confirmed the suspicion. She was the nicest of the girls he had met so far, a tall, rangy girl who looked like she could ride a horse. She had freckles and brown curls and was rather pretty.
"I met Curly Prentiss in the post-office," she announced, after he had greeted her.
"Who's he?" asked Jim, though he had an inkling.
"Don't you know Curly yet?" she rejoined, merrily. "Well, he's one of your Diamonds."
"Oh, I see! Fact is I don't know any of them. Was there anything particular about your meeting him today?"
"Not so very--for Curly. He used to ride for us. Finest cowboy in the world. But when he drinks--well, his tongue wags."
"Reckon it wagged about me on this occasion?"
"It sure did... Mr. Jim, have you anyone to write home to your mother and sister?"
Jim eyed her with misgivings. These Western girls were as deep as the cowboys. Jim conceived an idea, however, that Miss Blodgett was friendly, or she would never have made that remark.
"You mean about the disposition of my remains?" rejoined Jim, dryly. "Thanks, but I'm going to see that will not be necessary.
I've fallen in love with my new job. In fact, I like the West--and everybody out here. Good afternoon, Miss Blodgett."
And Jim went on, muttering to himself: "Dog-gone it! They're all after my scalp, even the girls. I hope I'm not going to get sore."
Presently he went into a pool-room to buy a smoke. The place was fairly well crowded, and at the very first table he saw a cowboy he recognized as one of his Diamond outfit. He was in the act of making a shot. But he straightened up. His fine tanned young face
"Shot!... Was it an accident?"
"Shore was, for him. But whoever did it was lookin' pretty straight."
Jim did not betray the shock this intelligence gave him, but he certainly made note of another circumstance his uncle had not imparted.
"Which one of you has been longest with my uncle?" he questioned.
"Hump Stevens, heah, was in the first Diamond outfit. Six years ago, wasn't it, Hump?"
"Round aboot thet," drawled a tall, tawny cowboy who was stoop-shouldered.
"Stevens, then, ought to be foreman of this outfit," returned Jim. "And after him every one of you according to your service. Well, let's understand each other right here. I certainly am not stuck on the job and think I'm the last fellow on earth to tackle it. But my uncle has put it on me. He wants to leave his property to me. And I won't have it unless I can deserve it. And that means make good at ranching from the ground up."
Blank, still faces baffled Jim. It was impossible to tell whether or not these cowboys were in the least impressed. They certainly thought he was a liar.
"You can lay off till Monday morning," added Jim, curtly. And before he started to limp away he gathered that his first order to them had been received with a pleasant surprise. Perhaps the ensuing hour was the most profoundly thoughtful of any since he had decided to embark upon this adventure. What an unknown quantity the Diamond outfit! He had needed only one look at these devil-may-care boys to realize it. Cowboys were not wholly strangers to him. These, however, were the dyed-in-the-wool range product. They were potential chain lightning and firebrand. He was conscious of admiration, dread, and an acute desire to make friends with them. After meeting them he realized he could not expect any material help from Ring Locke or his uncle. The matter was personal.
Wherefore he carefully kept out of their way for a day and a half. On Saturday afternoon he went to town, and he had not been there long before he heard that the Diamond outfit was painting some very vivid red. Jim laughed. After a while, however, it grew monotonous. And when he happened to encounter Miss Blodgett in one of the stores and have her subtly refer to his cowboys he became irritated. Must the whole town take up the situation which his uncle had precipitated? A second look into Miss Blodgett's hazel eyes confirmed the suspicion. She was the nicest of the girls he had met so far, a tall, rangy girl who looked like she could ride a horse. She had freckles and brown curls and was rather pretty.
"I met Curly Prentiss in the post-office," she announced, after he had greeted her.
"Who's he?" asked Jim, though he had an inkling.
"Don't you know Curly yet?" she rejoined, merrily. "Well, he's one of your Diamonds."
"Oh, I see! Fact is I don't know any of them. Was there anything particular about your meeting him today?"
"Not so very--for Curly. He used to ride for us. Finest cowboy in the world. But when he drinks--well, his tongue wags."
"Reckon it wagged about me on this occasion?"
"It sure did... Mr. Jim, have you anyone to write home to your mother and sister?"
Jim eyed her with misgivings. These Western girls were as deep as the cowboys. Jim conceived an idea, however, that Miss Blodgett was friendly, or she would never have made that remark.
"You mean about the disposition of my remains?" rejoined Jim, dryly. "Thanks, but I'm going to see that will not be necessary.
I've fallen in love with my new job. In fact, I like the West--and everybody out here. Good afternoon, Miss Blodgett."
And Jim went on, muttering to himself: "Dog-gone it! They're all after my scalp, even the girls. I hope I'm not going to get sore."
Presently he went into a pool-room to buy a smoke. The place was fairly well crowded, and at the very first table he saw a cowboy he recognized as one of his Diamond outfit. He was in the act of making a shot. But he straightened up. His fine tanned young face
Similar Books
Doc Savage: Phantom Lagoon (The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage)
Kenneth Robeson, Lester Dent, Will Murray
