"Say," began Weary, mildly. "Did yuh say your name was Ira Mallory, and do yuh mind how they used to mix us up in school, when we were both kids? "Cause I"ve got a hunch you"re the same irrepressible that has the honor to be my cousin."
"I didn"t say it," retorted his other self, pugnaciously. "But I don"t know as it"s worth while denying it. If you"re Will Davidson, shake.
What the devil d"yuh want to look so much like me, for? Ain"t yuh got any manners? Yuh always was imitating your betters." He grinned and got slowly to his feet. "Boys, I don"t know yuh, but I"ve a hazy recollection that we had one h.e.l.l of a time shooting up that little townerine, back there. I don"t go on a limb very often, but when I do, folks are apt to find it out right away."
The Happy Family laughed.
"By golly," said Slim slowly, "that cousin story "s all right--but I bet yuh you two fellows are twins, at the very least!"
"Guess again, Slim," cried Weary, already in the clutch of old times.
"Run away and play, you kids. Irish and me have got steen things to talk about, and mustn"t be bothered."
THE UNHEAVENLY TWINS
There was a dead man"s estate to be settled, over beyond the Bear Paws, and several hundred head of cattle and horses had been sold to the highest bidder, who was Chip Bennett, of the Flying U. Later, there were the cattle and horses to be gathered and brought to the home range; and Weary, always Chip"s choice when came need of a trusted man, was sent to bring them. He was to hire what men he needed down there, work the range with the Rocking R, and bring home the stock--when his men could take the train and go back whence they had come.
The Happy Family was disappointed. Pink and Irish, especially, had hoped to be sent along; for both knew well the range north of the Bear Paws, and both would like to have made the trip with Weary. But men were scarce and the Happy Family worked well together--so well that Chip grudged every man of them that ever had to be sent afar. So Weary went alone, and Pink and Irish watched him wistfully when he rode away and were extremely unpleasant companions for the rest of that day, at least.
Over beyond the Bear Paws men seemed scarcer even than around the Flying U range. Weary scouted fruitlessly for help, wasted two days in the search, and then rode to Bullhook and sent this wire--collect--to Chip, and grinned as he wondered how much it would cost. He, too, had rather resented being sent off down there alone.
"C. BENNETT, Dry Lake: Can"t get a man here for love or money. Have tried both, and held one up with a gun. No use.
Couldn"t top a saw horse. For the Lord"s sake, send somebody I know. I want Irish and Pink and Happy--and I want them bad. Get a move on.
W. DAVIDSON."
Chip grinned when he read it, paid the bill, and told the three to get ready to hit the trail. And the three grinned answer and immediately became very busy; hitting the trail, in this case, meant catching the next train out of Dry Lake, for there were horses bought with the cattle, and much time would be saved by making up an outfit down there.
Weary rode dispiritedly into Sleepy Trail (which Irish usually spoke of as Camas, because it had but lately been rechristened to avoid conflictions with another Camas farther up on Milk River). Weary thought, as he dismounted from Glory, which he had brought with him from home, that Sleepy Trail fitted the place exactly, and that whenever he heard Irish refer to it as Camas, he would call him down and make him use this other and more appropriate t.i.tle.
Sleepy it was, in that hazy sunshine of mid fore-noon, and apparently deserted. He tied Glory to the long hitching pole where a mild-eyed gray stood dozing on three legs, and went striding, rowels a-clank, into the saloon. He had not had any answer to his telegram, and the world did not look so very good to him. He did not know that Pink and Irish and Happy Jack were even then speeding over the prairies on the eastbound train from Dry Lake, to meet him. He had come to Sleepy Trail to wait for the next stage, on a mere hope of some message from the Flying U.
The bartender looked up, gave a little, welcoming whoop and leaned half over the bar, hand extended. "h.e.l.lo, Irish! Lord! When did _you_ get back?"
Weary smiled and shook the hand with much emphasis. Irish had once created a sensation in Dry Lake by being taken for Weary; Weary wondered if, in the guise of Irish, there might not be some diversion for him here in Sleepy Trail. He remembered the maxim "Turn about is fair play," and immediately acted thereon.
"I just came down from the Flying U the other day," he said.
The bartender half turned, reached a tall, ribbed bottle and two gla.s.ses, and set them on the bar before Weary. "Go to it," he invited cordially. "I"ll gamble yuh brought your thirst right along with yuh--and that"s your pet brand. Back to stay?"
Weary poured himself a modest "two fingers," and wondered if he had better claim to have reformed; Irish could--and did--drink long and deep, where Weary indulged but moderately.
"No," he said, setting the gla.s.s down without refilling. "They sent me back on business. How"s everything?"
The bartender spoke his wonder at the empty gla.s.s, listened while Weary explained how he had cut down his liquid refreshments "just to see how it would go, and which was boss," and then told much unmeaning gossip about men and women Weary had never heard of before.
Weary listened with exaggerated interest, and wondered what the fellow would do if he told him he was not Irish Mallory at all. He reflected, with some amus.e.m.e.nt, that he did not even know what to call the bartender, and tried to remember if Irish had ever mentioned him. He was about to state quietly that he had never met him before, and watch the surprise of the other, when the bartender grew more interesting.
"And say! yuh"d best keep your gun strapped on yuh, whilst you"re down here," he told Weary, with some earnestness. "Spikes Weber is in this country--come just after yuh left; fact is, he"s got it into his block that you left _because_ he come. Brought his wife along--say! I feel sorry for that little woman--and when he ain"t bowling up and singing his war-song about you, and all he"ll do when he meets up with yuh, he"s dealing her misery and keeping cases that n.o.body runs off with her. Why, at dances, he won"t let her dance with n.o.body but him! Goes plumb wild, sometimes, when it"s "change partners" in a square dance, and he sees her swingin" with somebody he thinks looks good to her.
I"ve saw him raising h.e.l.l with her, off in some corner between dances, and her trying not to let on she"s cryin". He"s dead sure you"re still crazy over her, and ready to steal her away from him first chance, only you"re afraid uh him. He never gits full but he reads out your pedigree to the crowd. So I just thought I"d tell you, and let yuh be on your guard."
"Thanks," said Weary, getting out papers and tobacco. "And whereabouts will I find this lovely specimen uh manhood?"
"They"re stopping over to Bill Mason"s; but yuh better not go hunting trouble, Irish. That"s the worst about putting yuh next to the lay.
You sure do love a fight. But I thought I"d let yuh know, as a friend, so he wouldn"t take you unawares. Don"t be a fool and go out looking for him, though; he ain"t worth the trouble."
"I won"t," Weary promised generously. "I haven"t lost n.o.body that looks like Spikes-er-" he searched his memory frantically for the other name, failed to get it, and busied himself with his cigarette, looking mean and bloodthirsty to make up. "Still," he added darkly, "if I should happen to meet up with him, yuh couldn"t blame me--"
"Oh, sure not!" the bartender hastened to cut in. "It"d be a case uh self-defence--the way he"s been makin" threats. But--"
"Maybe," hazarded Weary mildly, "you"d kinda like to see--_her_--a widow?"
"From all accounts," the other retorted, flushing a bit nevertheless, "If yuh make her a widow, yuh won"t leave her that way long. I"ve heard it said you was pretty far gone, there."
Weary considered, the while he struck another match and relighted his cigarette. He had not expected to lay bare any romance in the somewhat tumultuous past of Irish. Irish had not seemed the sort of fellow who had an unhappy love affair to dream of nights; he had seemed a particularly whole-hearted young man.
"Well, yuh see," he said vaguely, "Maybe I"ve got over it."
The bartender regarded him fixedly and unbelievingly. "You"ll have quite a contract making Spikes swallow that," he remarked drily.
"Oh, d.a.m.n Spikes," murmured Weary, with the fine recklessness of Irish in his tone.
At that moment a cowboy jangled in, caught sight of Weary"s back and fell upon him joyously, hailing him as Irish. Weary was very glad to see him, and listened a.s.siduously for something that would give him a clue to the fellow"s ident.i.ty. In the meantime he called him "Say, Old-timer," and "Cully." It had come to be a self-inst.i.tuted point of honor to play the game through without blundering. He waved his hand hospitably toward the ribbed bottle, and told the stranger to "Throw into yuh, Old-timer--it"s on me." And when Old-timer straightway began doing so, Weary leaned against the bar and wiped his forehead, and wondered who the d.i.c.kens the fellow could be. In Dry Lake, Irish had been--well, hilarious--and not accountable for any little peculiarities. In Sleepy Trail Weary was, perhaps he considered unfortunately, sober and therefore obliged to feel his way carefully.
"Say! yuh want to keep your eyes peeled for Spikes Weber, Irish,"
remarked the unknown, after two drinks. "He"s pawing up the earth whenever he hears your name called. He"s sure anxious to see the sod packed down nice on top uh yuh."
"So I heard; his nibs here," indicating the bartender, "has been wising me up, a lot. When"s the stage due, tomorrow, Oldtimer?" Weary was getting a bit ashamed of addressing them both impartially in that manner, but it was the best he could do, not knowing the names men called them. In this instance he spoke to the bartender.
"Why, yuh going to pull out while your hide"s whole?" bantered the cowboy, with the freedom which long acquaintance breeds.
"I"ve got business out uh town, and I want to be back time the stage pulls in."
"Well, Limpy"s still holding the ribbons over them buckskins uh his, and he ain"t varied five minutes in five years," responded the bartender. "So I guess yuh can look for him same old time."
Weary"s eyes opened a bit wider, then drooped humorously. "Oh, all right," he murmured, as though thoroughly enlightened rather than being rather more in the dark than before. In the name of Irish he found it expedient to take another modest drink, and then excused himself with a "See yuh later, boys," and went out and mounted Glory.
Ten miles nearer the railroad--which at that was not what even a Montanan would call close--he had that day established headquarters and was holding a bunch of saddle horses pending the arrival of help. He rode out on the trail thoughtfully, a bit surprised that he had not found the situation more amusing. To be taken for Irish was a joke, and to learn thereby of Irish"s little romance should be funny. But it wasn"t.
Weary wondered how Irish got mixed up in a deal like that, which somehow did not seem to be in line with his character. And he wished, a bit vindictively, that this Spikes Weber _could_ meet Irish. He rather thought that Spikes needed the chastening effects of such a meeting. Weary, while not in the least quarrelsome on his own account, was ever the staunch defender of a friend.
Just where another brown trail branched off and wandered away over a hill to the east, a woman rode out and met him face to face. She pulled up and gave a little cry that brought Weary involuntarily to a halt.
"You!" she exclaimed, in a tone that Weary felt he had no right to hear from any but his little schoolma"am. "But I knew you"d come back when you heard I--Have--have you seen Spikes, Ira?"