Read Online The Wrong Woman by Charles D Stewart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charles D Stewart
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But he
can't put the bones in him."
"Nor the git-ap," added Todd.
"Does he know anything?" asked Whallen.
"That's just what he does," answered Todd. "I threw a steer with him
yesterday and he held it while I made a tie. A steer can't get any slack rope on
him. He surprised me."
"Who had him?" inquired Whallen.
"Don't know. I bought him up at the county-seat. He was one of them
uncalled-for kindlike that suit of clothes they sold me up in Chicago. And
Steve Brown says to me, 'I should say they were uncalled for, entirely uncalled
for.' They can't fool me on horses, though."
"Say!" said Whallen; "Ed Curtis got in from Belleview yesterday. When he was
coming along the road he met a girl on a sorrel. And last night Tuck Reedy"
And Whallen went on to tell about the strange case of Steve Brown and the
woman.
"Was he sure that was Steve Brown?" the drug clerk questioned.
"Reedy could n't say it was Brown for certain; he did n't get a right good
view of his face. He said it looked like him. But he could see the woman plain."
"Why, sure that was Brown," said the owner of the horse. "I saw Pete Harding
when I was up at the county-seat; and he came along with me to see them auction
off the bunch of strays. This horse was one of them; that's why he's so thin. I
asked Harding who had his job now, and he told me nobody had it because Brown
was running the sheep himself."
"How did the woman come to be out there?"
"There was n't any woman out there when Pete left. I know Pete. Brown came
out there to see how things were doing, and while he was there Pete remarked
that sheep-life was getting pretty monotonous. So Brown told him to go away a
while and give his mind a change. Pete did n't say anything about a woman."
"I guess Mr. Reedy did n't see very plain," remarked the drug clerk.
"See plain!" said Todd in disgust. "You don't listen plain."
"Then Harding did n't quit on his own hook?" queried Whallen.
"He did n't quit at all. He's going back in a few days if he gets through
being drunk. He told me he had to get through before the lambs was born. He did
n't know about any woman."
"Humph! Brown went off by himself and did herding like that before. He acts
queer lately. He don't say much."
"That's what Pete said. Me and him trailed round Belleview all morning, and I
got him to go along and bid in this horse for me. I saw he was a good horse, but
I did n't know he was rope-wise. Look at his backbone. Look at how he's coupled
up."
The drug clerk, having affected horse wisdom and miscarried, now stepped
forward and began feeling the distance between the horse's rump and floating
ribs, a move evidently intended to show his knowledge of this last technical
term.
"What's all that for!" inquired Todd, with a touch of surprise. "Ain't them
bones plain enough to see? I guess you think he is one of them nice fat horses
that you have got to feel."
"That's right, Al," remarked Whallen. "Buy a horse like that and you see what
you 're getting. What's the use feeling when the package is open?"
The drug clerk, thus suddenly put out of countenance by the very bones he had
been flouting, stepped back and held his peace; and presently, under cover of
Whallen's going, he took his own departure.
Al, now that he had vanquished his opponent and made him seek the
intrenchment of his counter, cast his eye about and searched the length of Main
Street, one side and then the other. He expected to get sight of some one of the
crew that had brought the cattle into the loading-pens; but they had totally
disappeared. After looking into a few likely places, and finding that he had
guessed wrong, he paused on a street corner to give the matter deeper thought.
"Come on, Al," said Toot Wilson, hastening past.
"Where at?"
"Up to the saddle-maker's. They 're in there. He is making a fine one. Did
you see it?"
"No."
"It's for young Chase. It's great work."
In John Diefenbach's workroom was a numerous company of saddle
can't put the bones in him."
"Nor the git-ap," added Todd.
"Does he know anything?" asked Whallen.
"That's just what he does," answered Todd. "I threw a steer with him
yesterday and he held it while I made a tie. A steer can't get any slack rope on
him. He surprised me."
"Who had him?" inquired Whallen.
"Don't know. I bought him up at the county-seat. He was one of them
uncalled-for kindlike that suit of clothes they sold me up in Chicago. And
Steve Brown says to me, 'I should say they were uncalled for, entirely uncalled
for.' They can't fool me on horses, though."
"Say!" said Whallen; "Ed Curtis got in from Belleview yesterday. When he was
coming along the road he met a girl on a sorrel. And last night Tuck Reedy"
And Whallen went on to tell about the strange case of Steve Brown and the
woman.
"Was he sure that was Steve Brown?" the drug clerk questioned.
"Reedy could n't say it was Brown for certain; he did n't get a right good
view of his face. He said it looked like him. But he could see the woman plain."
"Why, sure that was Brown," said the owner of the horse. "I saw Pete Harding
when I was up at the county-seat; and he came along with me to see them auction
off the bunch of strays. This horse was one of them; that's why he's so thin. I
asked Harding who had his job now, and he told me nobody had it because Brown
was running the sheep himself."
"How did the woman come to be out there?"
"There was n't any woman out there when Pete left. I know Pete. Brown came
out there to see how things were doing, and while he was there Pete remarked
that sheep-life was getting pretty monotonous. So Brown told him to go away a
while and give his mind a change. Pete did n't say anything about a woman."
"I guess Mr. Reedy did n't see very plain," remarked the drug clerk.
"See plain!" said Todd in disgust. "You don't listen plain."
"Then Harding did n't quit on his own hook?" queried Whallen.
"He did n't quit at all. He's going back in a few days if he gets through
being drunk. He told me he had to get through before the lambs was born. He did
n't know about any woman."
"Humph! Brown went off by himself and did herding like that before. He acts
queer lately. He don't say much."
"That's what Pete said. Me and him trailed round Belleview all morning, and I
got him to go along and bid in this horse for me. I saw he was a good horse, but
I did n't know he was rope-wise. Look at his backbone. Look at how he's coupled
up."
The drug clerk, having affected horse wisdom and miscarried, now stepped
forward and began feeling the distance between the horse's rump and floating
ribs, a move evidently intended to show his knowledge of this last technical
term.
"What's all that for!" inquired Todd, with a touch of surprise. "Ain't them
bones plain enough to see? I guess you think he is one of them nice fat horses
that you have got to feel."
"That's right, Al," remarked Whallen. "Buy a horse like that and you see what
you 're getting. What's the use feeling when the package is open?"
The drug clerk, thus suddenly put out of countenance by the very bones he had
been flouting, stepped back and held his peace; and presently, under cover of
Whallen's going, he took his own departure.
Al, now that he had vanquished his opponent and made him seek the
intrenchment of his counter, cast his eye about and searched the length of Main
Street, one side and then the other. He expected to get sight of some one of the
crew that had brought the cattle into the loading-pens; but they had totally
disappeared. After looking into a few likely places, and finding that he had
guessed wrong, he paused on a street corner to give the matter deeper thought.
"Come on, Al," said Toot Wilson, hastening past.
"Where at?"
"Up to the saddle-maker's. They 're in there. He is making a fine one. Did
you see it?"
"No."
"It's for young Chase. It's great work."
In John Diefenbach's workroom was a numerous company of saddle
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