Chapter X. Aftermath

by Andy Adams

　　My memory of what happened immediately after Mrs. Martin's contemptuoustreatment of me is as vague and indefinite as the vaporings of a fevereddream. I have a faint recollection of several friendly people offeringtheir sympathy. The old stableman, who looked after the horses,cautioned me not to start out alone; but I have since learned that Icursed him and all the rest, and rode away as one in a trance. But Imust have had some little caution left, for I remember giving Shepherd'sa wide berth, passing several miles to the south.The horses, taking their own way, were wandering home. Any exercise ofcontrol or guidance over them on my part was inspired by an instinctto avoid being seen. Of conscious direction there was none. Somewherebetween the ferry and the ranch I remember being awakened from my torporby the horse which I was leading showing an inclination to graze. ThenI noticed their gaunted condition, and in sympathy for the poor brutesunsaddled and picketed them in a secluded spot. What happened at thishalt has slipped from my memory. But I must have slept a long time; forI awoke to find the moon high overhead, and my watch, through neglect,run down and stopped. I now realized the better my predicament, andreasoned with myself whether I should return to Las Palomas or not. Butthere was no place else to go, and the horses did not belong to me. If Icould only reach the ranch and secure my own horse, I felt that no poweron earth could chain me to the scenes of my humiliation.The horses decided me to return. Resaddling at an unknown hour, I rodefor the ranch. The animals were refreshed and made good time. As I rodealong I tried to convince myself that I could slip into the ranch,secure my own saddle horse, and meet no one except the Mexicans. Therewas a possibility that Deweese might still be in camp at the newreservoir, and I was hopeful that my employer might not yet be returnedfrom the hunt on the Frio. After a number of hours' riding, the horseunder saddle nickered. Halting him, I listened and heard the roosterscrowing in a chorus at the ranch. Clouds had obscured the moon, and soby making a detour around the home buildings I was able to reach theMexican quarters unobserved. I rode up to the house of Enrique, andquietly aroused him; told him my misfortune and asked him to hide meuntil he could get up my horse. We turned the animals loose, and, takingmy saddle inside the jacal, held a whispered conversation. Deweese wasyet at the tank. If the hunting party had returned, they had done soduring the night. The distant range of my horse made it impossible toget him before the middle of the forenoon, but Enrique and Dona Anitaassured me that my slightest wish was law to them. Furnishing me with ablanket and pillow, they made me a couch on a dry cowskin on the dirtfloor at the foot of their bed, and before day broke I had fallenasleep.On awakening, I found the sun had already risen. Enrique and his wifewere missing from the room, but a peep through a crevice in the palisadewall revealed Dona Anita in the kitchen adjoining. She had detected myawakening, and soon brought me a cup of splendid coffee, which I drankwith relish. She urged on me also some dainty dishes, which had alwaysbeen favorites with me in Mexican cookery, but my appetite was gone.Throwing myself back on the cowskin, I asked Dona Anita how long Enriquehad been gone in quest of my horse, and was informed that he leftbefore dawn, not even waiting for his customary cup of coffee. With thekindness of a sister, the girl wife urged me to take their bed; butI assured her that comfort was the least of my concerns, completeeffacement being my consuming thought.Dona Anita withdrew, and as I lay pondering over the several possibleroutes of escape, I heard a commotion in the ranch. I was in the act ofrising when Dona Anita burst into the jacal to tell me that Don Lancehad been sighted returning. I was on my feet in an instant, heard thelong-drawn notes of the horn calling in the hounds, and, peering throughthe largest crack, saw the cavalcade. As they approached, driving theirloose mounts in front of them, I felt that my ill luck still hung overme; for among the unsaddled horses were the two which I had turned freebut a few hours before. The hunters had met the gaunted animals betweenthe ranch and the river, and were bringing them in to return them totheir own remuda. But at the same time the horses were evidence that Iwas in the ranch. From the position of Uncle Lance, in advance, I couldsee that he was riding direct to the house, and my absence there wouldsurely cause surprise. At best it was but a question of time until I wasdiscovered.In the face of this new development, I gave up. There was no escapingfate. Enrique might not return for two hours yet, and if he came,driving in my horse, it would only prove my presence. I begged DonaAnita to throw open the door and conceal nothing. But she was stillready to aid in my concealment until night, offering to deny mypresence. But how could I conceal myself in a single room, and what wasso simple a device to a worldly man of sixty years' experience? To methe case looked hopeless. Even before we had concluded our discussion,I saw Uncle Lance and the boys coming towards the Mexican quarters,followed by Miss Jean and the household contingent. The fact thatthe door of Enrique's jacal was closed, made it a shining mark forinvestigation. Opening the inner door, I started to meet the visitors;but Dona Anita planted herself at the outer entrance of the stoop, met thevisitors, and within my hearing and without being asked stoutly deniedmy presence. "Hush up, you little liar," said a voice, and I heard astep and clanking spurs which I recognized. I had sat down on the edgeof the bed, and was rolling a cigarette as the crowd filed into thejacal. A fortunate flush of anger came over me which served to steadymy voice; but I met their staring, after all, much as if I had been aculprit and they a vigilance committee."Well, young fellow, explain your presence here," demanded Uncle Lance.Had it not been for the presence of Miss Jean, I had on my tongue'send a reply, relative to the eleventh commandment, emphasized withsulphurous adjectives. But out of deference to the mistress of theranch, I controlled my anger, and, taking out of my pocket a flint,a steel, and, a bit of yesca, struck fire and leisurely lighted mycigarette. Throwing myself back on the bed, as my employer repeatedhis demand, I replied, "Ask Anita." The girl understood, and, nothingabashed, told the story in her native tongue, continually referring tome as pobre Tomas. When her disconnected narrative was concluded,Uncle Lance turned on me, saying:--"And this is the result of all our plans. You went into Oakville, didyou? Tom, you haven't, got as much sense as a candy frog. Walked rightinto a trap with your head up and sassy. That's right--don't you listento any one. Didn't I tell you that stage people would stick by eachother like thieves? And you forgot all my warnings and deliberately"--"Hold on," I interrupted. "You must recollect that the horses had had afifty-mile forced ride, were jaded, and on the point of collapse. Withthe down stage refusing to carry us, and the girl on the point ofhysteria, where else could I go?""Go to jail if necessary. Go anywhere but the place you went. The horseswere jaded on a fifty-mile ride, were they? Either one of them was goodfor a hundred without unsaddling, and you know it. Haven't I told youthat this ranch would raise horses when we were all dead and gone?Suppose you had killed a couple of horses? What would that have been,compared to your sneaking into the ranch this way, like a whipped curwith your tail between your legs? Now, the countryside will laugh at usboth.""The country may laugh," I answered, "but I'll not be here to hear it.Enrique has gone after my horse, and as soon as he gets in I'm leavingyou for good.""You'll do nothing of the kind. You think you're all shot to pieces,don't you? Well, you'll stay right here until all your wounds heal.I've taken all these degrees myself, and have lived to laugh at themafterward. And I have had lessons that I hope you'll never have tolearn. When I found out that my third wife had known a gambler beforeshe married me, I found out what the Bible means by rottenness of thebones with which it says an evil woman uncrowns her husband. I'll tellyou about it some day. But you've not been scarred in this littleside-play. You're not even powder burnt. Why, in less than a monthyou'll be just as happy again as if you had good sense."Miss Jean now interrupted. "Clear right out of here," she said to herbrother and the rest. "Yes, the whole pack of you. I want to talk withTom alone. Yes, you too--you've said too much already. Run along out."As they filed out, I noticed Uncle Lance pick up my saddle and throw itacross his shoulder, while Theodore gathered up the rancid blankets andmy fancy bridle, taking everything with them to the house. Waiting untilshe saw that her orders were obeyed, Miss Jean came over and sat downbeside me on the bed. Anita stood like a fawn near the door, likewisefearing banishment, but on a sign from her mistress she spread agoatskin on the floor and sat down at our feet. Between two languagesand two women, I was as helpless as an ironed prisoner. Not that Anitahad any influence over me, but the mistress of the ranch had. In herhands I was as helpless as a baby. I had come to the ranch a strangeronly a little over a year before, but had I been born there her interestcould have been no stronger. Jean Lovelace relinquished no one, any morethan a mother would one of her boys. I wanted to escape, to get awayfrom observation; I even plead for a month's leave of absence. But myreasons were of no avail, and after arguing pro and con for over anhour, I went with her to the house. If the Almighty ever made a goodwoman and placed her among men for their betterment, then the presenceof Jean Lovelace at Las Palomas savored of divine appointment.On reaching the yard, we rested a long time on a settee under a groupof china trees. The boys had dispersed, and after quite a friendly chattogether, we saw Uncle Lance sauntering out of the house, smiling as heapproached. "Tom's going to stay," said Miss Jean to her brother, asthe latter seated himself beside us; "but this abuse and blame you'reheaping on him must stop. He did what he thought was best under thecircumstances, and you don't know what they were. He has given me hispromise to stay, and I have given him mine that talk about this matterwill be dropped. Now that your anger has cooled, and I have you bothtogether, I want your word.""Tom," said my employer, throwing his long bony arm around me, "I wasdisappointed, terribly put out, and I showed it in freeing my mind. ButI feel better now--towards you, at least. I understand just how you feltwhen your plans were thwarted by an unforeseen incident. If I don't knoweverything, then, since the milk is spilt, I'm not asking forfurther particulars. If you did what you thought was best under thecircumstances, why, that's all we ever ask of any one at Las Palomas.A mistake is nothing; my whole life is a series of errors. I've beentrying, and expect to keep right on trying, to give you youngsters thebenefit of my years; but if you insist on learning it for yourselves,well enough. When I was your age, I took no one's advice; but look howI've paid the fiddler. Possibly it was ordained otherwise, but it looksto me like a shame that I can't give you boys the benefit of my dearlybought experience. But whether you take my advice or not, we're going tobe just as good friends as ever. I need young fellows like you on thisranch. I've sent Dan out after Deweese, and to-morrow we're going tocommence gathering beeves. A few weeks' good hard work will do youworlds of good. In less than a year, you'll look back at this as asplendid lesson. Shucks! boy, a man is a narrow, calloused creatureuntil he has been shook up a few times by love affairs. They develop himinto the man he was intended to be. Come on into the house, Tom, andJean will make us a couple of mint juleps."What a blessed panacea for mental trouble is work! We were in the saddleby daybreak the next morning, rounding up remudas. Every availablevaquero at the outlying ranchitas had been summoned. Dividing the outfitand horses, Uncle Lance took twelve men and struck west for the Ganso.With an equal number of men, Deweese pushed north for the Frio, whichhe was to work down below Shepherd's, thence back along the home river.From the ranch books, we knew there were fully two thousand beeves overfive years old in our brand. These cattle had never known an hour'srestraint since the day they were branded, and caution and cool judgmentwould be required in handling them. Since the contract only requiredtwelve hundred, we expected to make an extra clean gathering, using theoldest and naturally the largest beeves.During the week spent in gathering, I got the full benefit of everypossible hour in the saddle. We reached the Ganso about an hour beforesundown. The weather had settled; water was plentiful, and every onerealized that the work in hand would require wider riding than under dryconditions. By the time we had caught up fresh horses, the sun had gonedown. "Boys," said Uncle Lance, "we want to make a big rodeo on the headof this creek in the morning. Tom, you take two vaqueros and lay off tothe southwest about ten miles, and make a dry camp to-night. Glenn mayhave the same help to the southeast; and every rascal of you be in yoursaddles by daybreak. There are a lot of big ladino beeves in thosebrushy hills to the south and west. Be sure and be in your saddles earlyenough to catch all wild cattle out on the prairies. If you want to,you can take a lunch in your pocket for breakfast. No; you need noblankets--you'll get up earlier if you sleep cold."Taking Jose Pena and Pasquale Arispe with me, I struck off on our coursein the gathering twilight. The first twitter of a bird in the morningbrought me to my feet; I roused the others, and we saddled and wereriding with the first sign of dawn in the east. Taking the outsidecircle myself, I gave every bunch of cattle met on my course a goodstart for the centre of the round-up. Pasquale and Jose followed severalmiles to my rear on inner circles, drifting on the cattle which I hadstarted inward. As the sun arose, dispelling the morning mists, I couldsee other cattle coming down in long strings out of the hills to theeastward. Within an hour after starting, Gallup and I met. Our halfcircle to the southward was perfect, and each turning back, we rode ourappointed divisions until the vaqueros from the wagon were sighted,throwing in cattle and closing up the northern portion of the circle.Before the sun was two hours high, the first rodeo of the day wastogether, numbering about three thousand mixed cattle. In the few hourssince dawn, we had concentrated all animals in a territory at leastfifteen miles in diameter.Uncle Lance was in his element. Detailing two vaqueros to hold the beefcut within reach and a half dozen to keep the main herd compact, heordered the remainder of us to enter and begin the selecting of beeves.There were a number of big wild steers in the round-up, but we leftthose until the cut numbered over two hundred. When every hoof over fiveyears of age was separated, we had a nucleus for our beef herd numberingabout two hundred and forty steers. They were in fine condition forgrass cattle, and, turning the main herd free, we started our cut forthe wagon, being compelled to ride wide of them as we drifted downstream towards camp, as there were a number of old beeves which showedimpatience at the restraint. But by letting them scatter well, by thetime they reached the wagon it required but two vaqueros to hold them.The afternoon was but a repetition of the morning. Everything on thesouth side of the Nueces between the river and the wagon was throwntogether on the second round-up of the day, which yielded less than twohundred cattle for our beef herd. But when we went into camp, dividinginto squads for night-herding, the day's work was satisfactory to theranchero. Dan Happersett was given five vaqueros and stood the firstwatch or until one A.M. Glenn Gallup and myself took the remainder ofthe men and stood guard until morning. When Happersett called our guardan hour after midnight, he said to Gallup and me as we were pulling onour boots: "About a dozen big steers haven't laid down. There's onlyone of them that has given any trouble. He's a pinto that we cut in thefirst round-up in the morning. He has made two breaks already to getaway, and if you don't watch him close, he'll surely give you the slip."While riding to the relief, Glenn and I posted our vaqueros to be on thelookout for the pinto beef. The cattle were intentionally bedded loose;but even in the starlight and waning moon, every man easily spottedthe ladino beef, uneasily stalking back and forth like a caged tigeracross the bed ground. A half hour before dawn, he made a final effortto escape, charging out between Gallup and the vaquero following upon the same side. From the other side of the bed ground, I heard thecommotion, but dare not leave the herd to assist. There was a mile ofopen country surrounding our camp, and if two men could not turn thebeef on that space, it was useless for others to offer assistance. Inthe stillness of the morning hour, we could hear the running and seethe flashes from six-shooters, marking the course of the outlaw. Aftermaking a half circle, we heard them coming direct for the herd. For fearof a stampede, we raised a great commotion around the sleeping cattle;but in spite of our precaution, as the ladino beef reentered the herd,over half the beeves jumped to their feet and began milling. But we heldthem until dawn, and after scattering them over several hundred acres,left them grazing contentedly, when, leaving two vaqueros with thefeeding herd, we went back to the wagon. The camp had been astir sometime, and when Glenn reported the incident of our watch, Uncle Lancesaid: "I thought I heard some shooting while I was cat-napping atdaylight. Well, we can use a little fresh beef in this very camp. We'llkill him at noon. The wagon will move down near the river this morning,so we can make three rodeos from it without moving camp, and to-nightwe'll have a side of Pinto's ribs barbecued. My mouth is watering thisvery minute for a rib roast."That morning after a big rodeo on the Nueces, well above the Ganso, wereturned to camp. Throwing into our herd the cut of less than a hundredsecured on the morning round-up, Uncle Lance, who had preceded us, rodeout from the wagon with a carbine. Allowing the beeves to scatter, theold ranchero met and rode zigzagging through them until he came face toface with the pinto ladino. On noticing the intruding horseman, theoutlaw threw up his head. There was a carbine report and the big fellowwent down in his tracks. By the time the herd had grazed away, Tiburcio,who was cooking with our wagon, brought out all the knives, and the beefwas bled, dressed, and quartered."You can afford to be extravagant with this beef," said Uncle Lance tothe old cook, when the quarters had been carried in to the wagon. "I'vebeen ranching on this river nearly forty years, and I've always made ita rule, where cattle cannot be safely handled, to beef them then andthere. I've sat up many a night barbecuing the ribs of a ladino. Ifyou have plenty of salt, Tiburcio, you can make a brine and jerk thosehind quarters. It will make fine chewing for the boys on night herd whenonce we start for the coast."Following down the home river, we made ten other rodeos before we metDeweese. We had something over a thousand beeves while he had less thaneight hundred. Throwing the two cuts together, we made a count, and cutback all the younger and smaller cattle until the herd was reduced tothe required number. Before my advent at Las Palomas, about the onlyoutlet for beef cattle had been the canneries at Rockport and Fulton.But these cattle were for shipment by boat to New Orleans and othercoast cities. The route to the coast was well known to my employer, anddetailing twelve men for the herd, a horse wrangler and cook extra, westarted for it, barely touching at the ranch on our course. It was anice ten days' trip. After the first night, we used three guards of fourmen each. Grazing contentedly, the cattle quieted down until on ourarrival half our numbers could have handled them. The herd was countedand received on the outlying prairies, and as no steamer was due for afew days, another outfit took charge of them.Uncle Lance was never much of a man for towns, and soon after settlementthe next morning we were ready to start home. But the payment, amountingto thirty thousand dollars, presented a problem, as the bulk of it cameto us in silver. There was scarcely a merchant in the place who wouldassume the responsibility of receiving it even on deposit, and in theabsence of a bank, there was no alternative but to take it home. Theagent for the steamship company solicited the money for transportationto New Orleans, mentioning the danger of robbery, and referring to therecent attempt of bandits to hold up the San Antonio and Corpus Christistage. I had good cause to remember that incident, and was wonderingwhat my employer would do under the circumstances, when he turned fromthe agent, saying:--"Well, we'll take it home just the same. I have no use for money in NewOrleans. Nor do I care if every bandit in Texas knows we've got themoney in the wagon. I want to buy a few new guns, anyhow. If robberstackle us, we'll promise them a warm reception--and I never knew a thiefwho didn't think more of his own carcass than of another man's money."The silver was loaded into the wagon in sacks, and we started on ourreturn. It was rather a risky trip, but we never concealed the factthat we had every dollar of the money in the wagon. It would have beendangerous to make an attempt on us, for we were all well armed. Wereached the ranch in safety, rested a day, and then took the ambulanceand went on to San Antonio. Three of us, besides Tiburcio, accompaniedour employer, each taking a saddle horse, and stopping by night atranches where we were known. On the third day we reached the city ingood time to bank the money, much to my relief.As there was no work pressing at home, we spent a week in the city,thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Uncle Lance was negotiating for thepurchase of a large Spanish land grant, which adjoined our range on thewest, taking in the Ganso and several miles' frontage on both sides ofthe home river. This required his attention for a few days, during whichtime Deweese met two men on the lookout for stock cattle with which tostart a new ranch on the Devil's River in Valverde County. They were inthe market for three thousand cows, to be delivered that fall or thefollowing spring. Our segundo promptly invited them to meet hisemployer that evening at our hotel. As the ranges in eastern Texasbecame of value for agriculture, the cowman moved westward, disposingof his cattle or taking them with him. It was men of this class whomDeweese had met during the day, and on filling their appointment inthe evening, our employer and the buyers soon came to an agreement.References were exchanged, and the next afternoon a contract was enteredinto whereby we were to deliver, May first, at Las Palomas ranch, threethousand cows between the ages of two and four years.There was some delay in perfecting the title to the land grant. "We'llstart home in the morning, boys," said Uncle Lance, the evening afterthe contract was drawn. "You simply can't hurry a land deal. I'll getthat tract in time, but there's over a hundred heirs now of the originalDon. I'd just like to know what the grandee did for his king to get thatgrant. Tickled his royal nibs, I reckon, with some cock and bull story,and here I have to give up nearly forty thousand dollars of good honestmoney. Twenty years ago I was offered this same grant for ten cents anacre, and now I'm paying four bits. But I didn't have the money then,and I'm not sure I'd have bought it if I had. But I need it now, andI need it bad, and that's why I'm letting them hold me up for such afigure."Stopping at the "last chance" road house on the outskirts of the citythe next morning, for a final drink as we were leaving, Uncle Lance saidto us over the cattle contract: "There's money in it--good money, too.But we're not going to fill it out of our home brand. Not in this yearof our Lord. I think too much of my cows to part with a single animal.Boys, cows made Las Palomas what she is, and as long as they win forme, I intend--to swear by them through thick and thin, in good andbad repute, fair weather or foul. So, June, just as soon as the fallbranding is over, you can take Tom with you for an interpreter and startfor Mexico to contract these cows. Las Palomas is going to branch outand spread herself. As a ranchman, I can bring the cows across forbreeding purposes free of duty, and I know of no good reason why I can'tchange my mind and sell them. Dan, take Tiburcio out a cigar."