Sudden noticed that the other men were watching them. Presently Ropey, who was rolling a cigarette, snapped out an oath, and cried:
'Texas? I can tell yu what I think of it right now. When a Texan dies an' goes to hell--as they all do--he shore figures he's in heaven.'
He had turned as he spoke and his narrowed eyes were glaring at the visitor. It was a direct challenge, as all knew, and the chatter ceased. Sudden, lounging on the bench, took no notice, and Ropey, with a grin of contempt, struck a match. Ere he could apply it to the cigarette between his lips, a gun flamed from the lounger's hip and the light was extinguished.
'What th' hell! ' the man gasped. 'I'm from Texas,' Sudden quietly stated, and waited.
But Ropey had nothing to say ; the fragment of wood remaining in his fingers appeared to hypnotize him. Sudden addressed himself to the others generally:
'Any fella is free to damn Texas,' he said, 'but if he looks at me while he's doin' it, I take it as personal.'
Ropey made a desperate attempt to save his face. 'I was on'y joshin',' he expostulated.
'Same here,' Sudden told him, with a cold smile. 'If I hadn't been, I could 'a' put yore light out pretty permanent.'
This raised a laugh, in which, however, neither Navajo nor the victim of the 'joke' joined. Later on, when the visitor and Sandy had retired, the incident was again discussed. It was Navajo who brought it up.
'Didn't think yu'd be scared by a bit o' trick-shootin', Ropey,' he sneered. 'Anybody knows it's the wind o' the ullet puts the flame out.'
'Trick-shootin' my eye,' Ropey retorted. 'That match-tick was cut clean in half, a left-hand shot, an' him sittin' down. He's a born gunfighter, that fella ; he'd have to try--to miss.'
And because the speaker was deemed only second to Navajo in that gang of expert gunmen his word carried weight. One only still expressed scornful doubt, and Ropey did not let it pass.
'Take him on yoreself, Navajo,' he challenged. 'He's all yores--hide, horns, an' taller--an' I'm bettin' two to one agin yu.'
The half-breed shrugged impatiently. 'Kid's talk,' he said. 'C'mon, boys ; time to hit the hay ; we got a stiff job in the morning'.'
Meanwhile, in the little cabin they were to share, Sudden and Sandy also referred to the incident ; the latter was full of admiration for his new friend's marksmanship.
'My Gawd, I never seen anythin' like it,' he remarked. 'I ain't a mite surprised they named yu `Sudden.'
'My friends call me `Jim,' ' came the meaning reminder. 'Shore, whatever yu say goes with me-- Jim,' was the ready reply. 'Ropey didn't think o' that play--though he might be feelin' sore over yore bluffin' him when yu came in. Navajo put him up to it--he don't like yu--much.'
'I got the edge on him there--I don't like him a-tall.'
'See many folks on yore ride?' Sandy asked presently.
'Well, I wouldn't say the country was thickly-populated,' was the smiling reply. 'What's doin' to- morrow?'
'Like I told yu, brandin', damn it. They fetched in 'bout three score mavericks this afternoon an' we gotta put the 8 B iron on 'em.'
'Who owns that brand?'
'Couldn't say. There ain't no 8 B ranch around here that I know of, but Rogue gets four dollars a head for all he can turn over.'
Sudden was surprised ; this was legitimate enterprise, for in those days of free range, unbranded cattle were the property of the finder unless the real owner could prove a claim.
The explanation was to come in the morning, when the valley presented a scene of animation. A few hundred yards from the pool, a fire had been lighted, and to this each steer had to be dragged or driven, thrown and tied, while the hot iron was applied. This was no easy task, for the cattle were scattered and full of fight. Sudden found that he had been assigned the ticklish job of hog-tying the victims. As he had not yet joined the band, he might have declined to share the work, but the idea never occurred to him ; he was there, and it was the natural thing to help. He had tied the first brute before he noticed the branded letters, S E.
'Hey, this critter's got a label a'ready,' he said to Ropey, who came up swinging a long iron with a curved, red-hot end.
That individual grinned maliciously. 'Well, well, fancy that,' he said. 'Say, Navajo, the boys brought in one o' Sam Eden's cows yestiddy ; what we goin' to do about it?'
The half-breed slouched over. 'S'pose we oughta take her back an' 'pologize, but I guess we won't,' he replied, and grabbing the iron he added a few deft touches to the old brand, joining the ends of the S and the horizontal strokes of the E. 'There, she's an honest-to-Gawd 8 B now, an' as cows can't talk, nobody'll know any different.' He gave Sudden an ugly grin. 'Mistakes will happen, an' I wouldn't be s'prised if there's a few more.'
The tie-man knew he was being chaffed, but he was not foolish enough to show resentment. Instead, he returned the grin.
'Eden oughta make his brand bigger--he's got all the side o' the animal,' he said.
They laughed at this, but he fancied he could detect dis appointment in their expressions. The arrival of another steer. hauled by the ropes of two perspiring, blasphemous riders. ended the incident. From then on the man from Crawling Creek was kept busy, and, as he now expected, four out of every five of the beasts he handled bore the S E brand. So it was plain rustling. Nevertheless, he did his work with a thoroughness which earned reluctant approval even from Navajo.
'That hombre knows his job,' he admitted to Ropey. 'Shore does,' that worthy agreed. 'Never seed anyone tie 'em so slick.'
'Mebbe ; but I don't like him,' Navajo said.
'I'm plumb astonished,' was Ropey's unveracious retort.
Chapter VI
THE outlaw leader returned that same evening, and from his cheerful mood, it was evident that his errand had been successful. After supper, he called Sudden aside.
'Been helpin' the boys brand?' he asked casually.
'Been helpin' 'em blot brands,' Sudden corrected.
Rogue's brows ridged in a little frown. 'Yu didn't think this was a Methodis' community when yu come here, did yu?' he asked acidly, and then, 'Shucks, what's a few cows anyway? I got a big thing on now, Jim, one that'll give yu a chance o' gettin' away for a time. Savvy?'
Sudden nodded, and the other went on exultantly, 'Here's the lay-out: Eden is takin' a hefty herd--three thousand head--north, an' a fella I know is hopin' it won't get there.' He smiled felinely. 'In fact, he's hopin' so hard that he's willin' to pay pretty handsomely if it don't, an' buy--at a fair price--all the S E cows offered him.'
'Failure to make the drive would bust Eden wide open, huh?'
'Yeah, it's his last hope, I reckon ; he's been buyin' land an' got in deep. But that don't concern me ; a fella has to take care of hisself. Now, he'll want riders an' I'm proposin' that yu an' Sandy get took on--can't use the other boys, their faces is known. Yu can see how it would help me to have a coupla men on the inside. We'll be on the heels o' the herd an' cankeep in touch with yu. Far as yo're concerned, it gives yu a trail outa present trouble an' a tidy wad into the bargain. What d'yu say?'
'I'll drop in at the S E in the morning',' Sudden told him. 'Where d'yu aim to break the drive?'
'That'll depend on how things pan out, but not till they've got too far to come back an' gather another herd,' the outlaw said. 'Glad yo're comin' in, Jim ; yu can wise up Sandy.' He hesitated a moment. 'Hear yu had trouble with Ropey.'
Sudden laughed. 'I just had to let the fellas know that I'm growed up. I'd say it was Navajo's play.'
'Like enough,' Rogue agreed, and his face grew dark. 'One day I'll have to argue with that hombre.'
The cowboy came away from the interview with mixed feelings, certain only of one thing--he would join the S E, but whether as friend or foe he had not decided ; the deliberate part of his nature was in charge at the moment. He found Sandy loafing outside their habitation and prefaced his message from Rogue by relating his adventure of the previous afternoon.
