something worth taking.
'Get them mules, boys,' Dan said. 'No sense in leaving good mules.'
With that he rode off.
'He's bloody today,' Roy said, going over to the mules. 'If we run into any more sodbusters, it's too bad for them.'
Jake's happy mood was gone, though the day was as sunny as ever. It was clear to him that his only hope was to escape the Suggses as soon as possible. Dan Suggs could wake up feeling bloody any day, and the next time there might be no sodbusters around to absorb his fury, in which case things could turn really grim. He trotted along all day, well back from the horse herd, trying to forget the two blackened bodies, whose shoes had still been smoldering when they left.
72.
DEETS FOUND WILBARGER by backtracking his horse. The horse, with dried blood on the saddle and crusted in its mane, was waiting for them on the north bank of the Arkansas. Several times, as they were bringing the cattle to the crossing, the horse started to swim over to them, but turned back. Deets crossed first, ahead of Old Dog, and recognized the horse even before he hit the bank. It was the big bay Wilbarger had ridden into Lonesome Dove several months before.
He rode up and caught the horse easily-but then, what looked to be a simple cattle crossing turned out to be anything but simple. Dish Boggett's horse, which had crossed many rivers calmly and easily, took fright in midstream and very nearly drowned Dish. The horse went crazy in the water, and if Dish hadn't been a strong swimmer, would have pawed him under. Even then it might have happened if Deets had not dashed back into the water and fought the horse off long enough for Dish to get ashore.
The trouble opened a gap in the line of cowboys and some three hundred cattle veered off and began to swim straight downstream. The line of cattle broke, and in no time there were pockets of cattle here and there, swimming down the Arkansas, paying no attention to the riders who tried to turn them. Newt got caught beside such a bunch, and after swimming two hundred yards downstream with them, ended up on the same bank he had started out on.
Eventually the herd split into five or six groups. Augustus came over to help, but there was not much he could do. Most of the cattle went back to the south bank, but quite a few swam far downstream.
'Looks like your herd's floating away, Woodrow,' Augustus said.
'I know, I'm surprised that it ain't hailing or shooting lightning bolts at us,' Call said. Though the scattering was annoying, he was not seriously disturbed, for the river was fairly shallow and the banks rather low where they were crossing. It would only take a little more time to restart the cattle that had gone back to the south bank. Fortunately no cattle were bogged, and this time no cowboys drowned.
'Good lord,' Augustus said, as Deets came up leading the bay. 'Where's Mister Wilbarger, that he could afford to let his horse run loose?'
'Dead, I fear,' Call said. 'Look at the blood on that horse's mane.'
'Hell, I liked Wilbarger,' Augustus said. 'I'd be right sorry if he's dead. I'll go have a look.'
'Who'll watch the girl while you're gone?' Call asked.
Augustus stopped. 'You're right,' he said. 'It might make her uneasy if I just ride off. Maybe Deets better go have the look.'
'It could be Indians, you know,' Call said. 'I think you better move her a little closer to the wagon.'
Deets didn't come back until midafternoon, by which time the herd was a few miles north of the Arkansas.
'I doubt cattle has ever et this grass,' Augustus said. 'I doubt anyone's trailed cattle this far west of Dodge. Buffalo is probably all that's et it.'
Call's mind was on Wilbarger, a resourceful man if ever he had seen one. If such a man had got caught, then there could well be serious trouble waiting for them.
'You're supposed to be able to smell Indians,' he said to Augustus. 'Do you smell any?'
'No,' Augustus said. 'I just smell a lot of cowshit. I expect my smeller will be ruined forever before this trip is over by smelling so much cowshit.'
'It don't mention buffalo in the Bible,' Augustus remarked.
'Well, why should it?' Call said.
'It might be that a buffalo is a kind of ox, only browner,' Augustus said. 'Ox are mentioned in the Bible.'
'What got you on the Bible?' Call asked.
'Boredom,' Augustus said. 'Religious controversy is better than none.'
'If there's mad Indians around, you may get more controversy than you bargained for,' Call said.
Lorena heard the remark-she was riding behind them. Mention of Indians brought back memories and made her nervous.
Finally they saw Deets, coming along the river from the southeast. It was clear from the dried sweat on his horse that he had ridden hard.
'They didn't get Deets, whoever they are,' Augustus said.
'I found the man,' Deets said, drawing rein. 'He's shot.'
'Dead?' Call asked.
'Dying, I 'spect,' Deets said. 'I couldn't move him. He's hit three times.'
'How far away?'
'About ten miles,' Deets said. 'I got him propped up, but I couldn't bring him.'
'Did he say much?' Augustus asked.
'He wants to see you, if you're not too busy,' Deets said. 'He said if you were busy don't make the trip.'
'Why would I be that busy?' Augustus asked.
Deets looked at him. 'He's real polite, that gentleman,' he said. 'I guess he thinks he might be dead before you get there.'
'Oh, I see-the man don't want to put nobody out,' Augustus said. 'I'll go anyway. I admire his conversation.'
'Change horses,' Call said to Deets, and Deets loped off. He was trying to decide who they ought to take, and finally decided just to take Pea Eye, Deets and the boy. The boy could watch the horses, if there was trouble. It meant leaving the herd, but there was no help for it. There was good grazing and the herd looked peaceful. Dish and the rest of the crew ought to be about to handle it.
'Was it Indians got him?' he asked, when Deets returned.
Deets shook his head. 'White men,' he said. 'Horsethieves.'
'Oh,' Call said. 'Murdering horsethieves, at that.' But it relieved his mind, for horsethieves wouldn't attack an outfit as large as theirs.
Augustus dropped back to explain matters to Lorena. She looked at him with worry in her eyes.
'Now, Lorie, you relax,' he said. 'It wasn't Indians, after all.'
'What was it then?' she asked.
'The man who loaned us this tent got shot,' he said. 'He's in a bad way, it appears. We're going to see if we can help him.'
'How long will it take?' Lorena asked. It was already late afternoon-it meant a night without Gus, and she had not had to face one since he rescued her.
'I don't know, honey,' he said. 'A few days, maybe, if we go after the horsethieves that shot him. If there's a chance to get them we'll try. Call won't let a horsethief off, and he's right.'
'I'll go,' Lorena said. 'I can keep up. We don't need the tent.'
'No,' Augustus said. 'You stay with the wagon-you'll be perfectly safe. I'll ask Dish to look after you.'
Lorena began to shake. Maybe Gus was doing it because he was tired of her. Maybe he would never come back. He might slip off and find the woman in Nebraska.
To her surprise, Gus read her mind. He smiled his devilish smile at her. 'I ain't running for the bushes, if that's what you think,' he said.
