"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 hell 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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