`Gosh!' said Durran, as he helped to lift the stricken man inno his bunk and tried to revive him. `I'd sooner be kicked by an army mule.'
`Served him right for tryin' to pull a gun on an unarmed man,' snorted Dirty.
`Well, mebbe it warn't the right play,' Durran had to admit; `but a foreman can't allow his outfit to rough-ride him.'
`An' he can't rough-ride them neither, which is one o' the things Rattler's gotta learn,' retorted Dirty.
On leaving the bunkhouse, Green went in search of Simon. He found him in his office, and the worried look on his face did not lighten when he saw the visitor. Green stated his business bluntly: `There's somenhin' yu have to know. Yore foreman accused me of runnin' with the gang that's rustlin' yore cows, tried to pull a gun on me, an' I knocked him cold. Reckon yu better give me my time.'
Old Simon studied the puncher for a moment. He had had dealings with many men during an eventful life and could usually size one up to his own satisfaction at least, but this one puzzled him. He did not believe that Green was crooked, and that odd feeling of attraction which he had experienced before again assailed him. He became surprisedly aware that he was loth to let the puncher go.
`What yu aimin' to do?' he asked.
`Stay around,' replied the other. `I ain't double-crossin' yu an' I'm agoin' to prove it in time, but this ranch ain't big enough for me an' Blaynes. The next play he makes will be the finish--for him.'
It was a plain statement of fact, with no trace of boast about it, and the cattle-owner knew that the speaker meant just what he said. He had to choose between the two men. For a while he was silent, trying to find a way out. Presently he hit upon one.
`I ain't accusin' yu, an' Blaynes has been with me for some time,' he began slowly. `Supposin' yu stay on the pay-roll an' let on yu have quit. I reckon that would give yu more of a free hand.'
The cowpuncher considered the proposition for a few moments and saw that it possessed advantages. As a mere loafer in town, attached to no ranch, he could not be regarded as a danger by the rustlers, and apart from the personal enmities he had acquired, which troubled him not at all, could expect to oerelieved of their attentions. Another possibility also presented itself.
`I'll take yu,' he said, `but don't yu forget that I came to ask for my time, an' yu give it me.'
`That's whatever,' Simon agreed. `We've had a hell of a row over yu beatin' up my foreman, an' we ain't on speakin' terms.' He produced a roll of bills and peeled off a number of them. `Here's what's due to yu, an' a month's pay in advance; yu want to be well heeled to hang about town. Where do yu aim to put up?'
`The hotel--I'll hear all the news there. Yu had any offers for the range?'
`Why, no,' said Simon in surprise, and then, `Well, Tarman did mention a figure, but in was so low that I took it he was jokin' an' laughed it off. What yu askin' that for?'
`Just a notion I had,' replied Green. `Well, I'll be gettin' my war-bags an' hosses; I'm takin' Blue Devil with me.'
`Shore, I gave yu the hoss,' Simon said.
The cowpuncher returned to the bunkhouse and began to pack his few belongings. The place was empty save for the invalid, Ginger, the rest of the outfit being abroad on various duties. Blaynes, according to the sick man, had eventually been restored to consciousness, and had departed, vowing all kinds of reprisals.
`Looks like yu was preparin' for a long trip,' was the nearest approach to the question that Ginger would venture on. `Only to town, but I may be there quite a spell,' said Green. `I'll be at the hotel if I'm wanted,' he added meaningly. `So long, Ginger, an' good luck.'
The wounded man asked no more, but through the open door he presently saw his friend ride away on Blue, leading his other pony, and drew his own conclusions. When, later in the day, Larry, with Dirty and Simple, rode in, he told them the news and a small indignation meeting was immediately held, which resulted in the three striding determinedly to the ranch-house. That they walked speaks eloquently for the state of their minds, for your cowboy normally will fork his pony to cross a street. Old Simon met them at the door.
`Well, boys, what's eatin' yu,' he asked, scenting trouble from their perturbed appearance.
`We understan' yu fired Green,' Larry blurted out.
`Well, what of it?' asked the boss acidly.
`We don't reckon he's had a square deal, an...' Larry bogged down.
`We want our time,' Dirty came to the rescue.
`We're speakin' for Ginger too,' added Simple, not to be left out.
For about ten seconds the old man glared at them in speechless amazement, and then the storm broke :
`Damnation!' he roared. `What the devil's it gotta do with yu if I fire a hand? Have I gotta ask a passel o' bone-headed cowwrastlers how I'm to run my own ranch? If yu want yore time yu can have it, every mother's son o' ye, but if yu got any sense at all yu'll get to hell out o' this an' mind yore own business, an' I reckon Green'll tell yu the same if yu ask him. Now, get out, 'fore I lose my wool over yu.'
As Dirty put it afterwards, `The depitation then withdrew,' and the Old Man, with a final snort of disgust, vanished into the office.
`An' now where are we?' disconsolately queried Larry, when they foregathered again at Ginger's bedside, and informed him of the result of their protest. `Did we resign, were we fired, or are we still "Wise-heads"?'
` "Bone-heads" the Old Man called us,' Dirty reminded. `But he didn't pay us off, so I reckon we still belong.'
`One o' yu ride in tonight an' see Green,' suggested Ginger. This seemed a good idea and they cut the cards to decide who should make the trip. The choice fell to Larry, much to the disgust of the other two, which was not decreased when he added cheerfully, `Now yu gotta cut to see which o' yu takes my place line-ridin' to-night--I shan't be back in time likely.'
`By Gosh, yu got nerve,' snorted Dirty.
Nevertheless, being good fellows and good friends, they submitted, and in due course Larry set out in search of the man for whom they had gone on strike. He found him in the bar of the Folly, and far less grateful than the circumstances might seem to warrant. After listening to the emissary's account of the bearding of their employer and the reception they met with, he remarked :
`Huh! "Bone-heads" he called yu, did he? Well, he got yu dead right. D'yu reckon any self-respectin' feller is goin' to let his men dictate to him? I wonder he didn't fire you straight away.'
`We did it to help yu,' Larry reminded him.
`Shore, I know,' smiled Green, `but yu get this into yore brainbox--yu can help me the best way by holdin' down yore jobs at the Y Z. There's dirty work goin' on, an' I'm aimin' to clean up before I leave the district, for my own satisfaction, yu understand. What yu gotta remember is that I'm an outawork puncher, layin' off for a spell, an' not too well disposed to the ranch that give me the bounce. When I want any o' yu I'll let yu know. Seen anythin' o' Job?'
`Nope,' said Larry, `but I hear he's the maddest man this side o' the Rockies. Simple ran across Woods an' he said Leeming damn near blew up when they got back an' found another lot lifted. These fellers ain't sleepin' on their job for shore.'
`All the same, they'll be caught nappin' one o' these days,' Green retorted, with a grin.
`See here, Don,' wheedled Larry. `What about me cuttin' loose an' throwin' in with yu? The others can look after the ranch end of it, an' two of us can keep cases on these cutthroats better than one.'
`Nothin' doin',' was the reply. `I'm playin' a lone hand for the present. Yu gotta toddle back to the Y Z like a good little boy, be very polite to the foreman, an' not too kind to me.'