The Coming of Cassidy-And the Others

owed no interest if he had heard of it, so long as it lay so far away. He was abroad in search of adventure and work, and while his finances were almost at ebb tide he had youth

and glanced at the faint trail that led into the hills to the west. Cog

hile an' then drift on south again," he thought,

rence for arroyos and draws with but little regard, apparently, for direction or miles. He had just b

The stranger held a rifle at the ready and was examining him critically. "Wh

oked the stranger over a contemptuous smile flickered about his thin lips. "Why, I 'm goin' west,

e had not heard the flippant and pugnacious answer

'm goin' to mind my own business, because it's healthy," he retort

nge," came the even reply

mmy. "It 'll be some experience workin' for a sour dough as ornery as

ster, who returned the look with an ironical smile. "Wh

me nowhere, never, 'less 'n I want to

commanded the Boss

m you to me than

u? I 've got a notion to drop yo

t gent drifts along I 'm natchurally goin'

m smile fought its way into view. "I 've a mind to give you

to have a copper handy," bantered Jimmy. "

ore name,

sied? When do I start punch

l; an' there's a pleasant time comin

enough for you to know. Which co

I 'll show you where you eat," sm

n expression of innoce

wly responded. "I might get lost i

y at him and the smile fad

I allus insist on bein' polite. Otherwise, gimme my month's p

know th' term. But are you shore you won't get lost

plied as his new employer drew up alongside.

sympathize with th' shortness of yore sweet, young life. Somebody 's natchu

tries it," grinned Jimmy. "I got a' awful temper when I '

was a man who had emerged from another thicket when he saw the Boss go ahead; and he did not for one instant remove his eyes from the new member of the outfit. Jimmy, due

k out or he 'll gore

th' Englishman said. Are all his

ly worse; he's

Wonder what he'd do if I

out of th' way. If you do that it 'll s

could get out my smokin' what's in my hip po

He already knew that three different brands of cattle "belonged" to the "ranch," and his meager experience was sufficient to acquaint him with a blotted brand when the work had been carelessly done. The Boss was the foreman and his outfit, so far as Jimmy knew, consisted of Brazo Charley and Longhorn, both of whom worked nights. The smili

angry youth scrambled to his feet. "Easy, Kid," remarked the gun-man, a Colt swinging carelessly in his hand. "You 'll get as you give," he g

of trailing. Having nothing to do but ride and observe the cattle, which showed no desire to stray beyond the range allotted to them, he observed very thoroughly; and when he rode back to the bunkhouse that night he had deciphered the original brand on his cows and also the foundation for that worn by Brazo Charley's herd on the

ces of his anger had disappeared and

e direction of the corral, the Boss staying with Jimmy and effectually blocking the door. But he could not block Jimmy's hearing so easily and when the faint sound of hoofbeats rolled past

me was soon going on. "Seventeen," grunted the Boss, pegging slowly. "Pair of fools, they are," he growled. "Bo

as he pegged, if it was necessary to take along an escort when one went courting on the Tortilla. The idea of Brazo and Longh

-man. Twenty-three for six. Got th' o

ght-that's two for

ourt her, not even in th' dark-huh! Fifteen two an' a pair.

she would n't have nothin' to do with no man what wasn't honest, an' all that. But when a feller I knowed rid in to her place one night she shore hid him under her bed for three days an' nights. He had got real popular with a certain posse because he was careless with a straight iron. Folks fairly yearned for to get

ly. "She stood off a posse

sorry for her bein' even a li'l interested in a no-account brand-blotter like-him." He turned the crib o

hat feller?" the Bo

r. Us cow-punchers shore like to gamble. We are plumb childish th' way we bust into trouble. I never seen one

less breed. Sort of flighty an' reckless. Do you think that

mmy with spirit. "She 'l

ide it, Jimmy. Yo 're th' man what got

he assured him. "We sorta like fellers that 'll take a chance. I reckon we all have took th' short end one t

. "I reckon I 'd do a whole lot for

oys about it, first. Well, I 'm goin' to turn in. You ride Braz

entedly across the moonlit range. "Gosh," he laughed as he went over his story of the beautiful girl with the high ideals. "I 'm gettin' t

ming toward him and something in his hand glittered in the soft moo

ew near. "That's a bad sign-'specially while that gal's waitin' for

e into the blackened holster and grinned up at the Boss. "Much obliged. It feels right, now." He drew the Colt again and emptied the cartridges into his hand. "Them 's th' only pills as will cure troubles a doctor can't touch," he observed, holding one up close to his face and shaking it at the smiling Boss in the way of emphasis. His quick ear caught the sound he strained to hear, the soft swish inside the shell. "Them 's Law in this country," he soliloquize

across Jimmy's vision and became blotted out by an inky-black curtain that suddenly enveloped him. The B

ul friend," the Boss was saying, "but it don't work like powder. I purty near swallowed yore gal story; but I sorta reckoned mebby I better make shore about you. Yo 're clever, Jimmy; so clever that I dass n't

nched hands fell to his side and he bowed his head; but the Boss was too wary to be caught by any pretenses of

him. The rope that had hung on the wall passed over his wrists and in a few moments he was helpless. "Now sit down," came the order and the prisoner obeyed sullenly. The Boss went in the bunkhouse and soon returned, picke

g trail across the Tortilla, plain in the moonlight, a figure at the bunkh

stic challenge from the bunk. "Sneakin' back again, hey?" blazed Jimmy, trying in vain to bridge on his h

nge voice. "That's what I'm her

're

hem cows you been abusin'. Huh! he shore tied some kno

never did

n' an' I 'll give you some war-medicine for

that shack an' fill him so full o

oughta have a chance. He shore gave you some. Take it all in all, he '

'm goin' to

ant to freeze me out. But, Kid, mebby Longhorn won't come back no more. My outfit's a-layin' for his li'l party. I sent 'em down word to expect a call

my in surprise, pausing in his operati

tonight. You see, my friends might drop in here any minute an' if you was in bad company they might make a mi

on I will give th' Boss a chance.

so; he 'll have time to wonder a li'l. Now

We 'll keep on an' get that herd started back at daylight. If Longhorn shows up you can handle him; if you can't, there 's yore friend Jimmy," and the soft laugh warmed Jimmy's heart. "Why, Buck," replied Jimmy's friend, "he 's spoke for that job already

window: "Hey, if Longhorn shows up, give hi

dy. But Buck cut short the argument

of water to get hot. Buckling on his gun he opened the door and started toward t

ut here. What th' devil!" he shouted as he ducked. A bullet sang over his h

idea that sand was no longer sand. But the Boss had surmised this instantly and was greatly shocked by such miraculous happenings on his range. He nodded cheerfully at th

swayed and stopped, which sent the Boss forward on the jump. But the youth was only further proving his cleverness against a man whom he could not beat at so long a range. As the Boss stopped again to get the work over

st in a spurt of smoke. Longhorn, returning to warn his chief, felt savage elation at this opportunity to unload quite a cargo of accumulated grouches of various kinds and sizes, which collection he had picked up

ammed cartridges into the empty chambers. Jimmy's interest in the new conditions made him forget that he had a gun and he stared in rapt and delighted anti

by the pressure of the wind, revealed the determination and optimism that struggled to show itself around his firmly set lips; his neckerchief flapped and crac

uck his shoulder. He was firing hastily against a man who shot as though the devil had been his teacher. The man from the Bar-20 used two guns an

the short, five second, cracking tattoo died away Mr. Cassidy slipped his empty guns in their holsters and turned his pony's head toward the fascinated spectator, whose mouth offered easy entry to smoke and dust. As Cassidy glanced carelessly back at t