The Long Dim TrailHooker, Forrestine C. (Forrestine Cooper)
General
The Long Dim Trail
Hooker, Forrestine C. (Forrestine Cooper)
Arizona -- Fiction; Cowboys -- Fiction; Ranch life -- Fiction; Western stories
They were settled in their beds when Limber opened the door and peered
into the room.
"Hello! I been lookin' all over for you," he announced. "When did you
get back? I was up here a while ago and none of you was in."
"Oh, we was just walkin' around town a piece," was Bronco's answer.
"Well, I got your guns for you. You all went off in sech a hurry from
the church that you forgot 'em. It's too bad you boys didn't stay for
the feed. It was fine."
"Oh, we knowed we had a hard day's work ahead of us," drawled Bronco,
"so we figured we'd better come home and git to bed."
"Some one stole one of the freezers," continued Limber, soberly. "But
whoever done it got the empty one."
"Served the derned galoots right," pronounced Bronco virtuously.
"That's what I say," endorsed Roarer, while Holy expressed his
sentiments more forcibly.
Limber struck a match which he held to his cigarette, but his eyes
regarded the grave faces of the boys. The match flickered out and the
room was again in darkness, but not before they had seen the ghost of a
twinkle in Limber's grey eyes.
"They got the freezer all right," he continued in the darkness.
"Who found it?" asked Bronco carelessly, pretending to smother a yawn.
"I done it," said Limber. "I was just a walkin' around town a piece,
like you all was doin', and I come across it accidental like."
Silence was the only comment.
"The Inspector will be ready for us at eleven o'clock. Agent says the
cars will be here by that time, so we can load out and get back to the
ranch by supper."
"All right," chorused three voices in the dark, and Limber went to his
own room. As he lighted the lamp there was a broad grin on his face, and
his eyes danced with laughter, while he reiterated Bronco's
denunciation, "Served the darned galoots right!"
Willcox slept late Sunday morning, so no one noticed shadowy figures
dismount from three cowponies two hours before daylight. A struggling
calf was making a heroic fight for freedom, but found itself propelled
toward the picket fence surrounding the church and thrust through the
gate. The mysterious men hitched the animal firmly inside the fence,
then two placards of pasteboard, tied loosely together, were thrown
across the calf's back and secured like a pack-saddle by strong cord.
This accomplished, the three men mounted their ponies and disappeared in
the starlight.
Willcox woke, rubbed its eyes and remembered a minister was to hold
Divine Services that day of the year. Ten o'clock arrived. The first
youngsters and their adult family connections approached the church
gate. They congregated in animated groups, were joined by others, and
finally spectators across the street, realizing that something
interesting was detaining the congregation from entering the church,
sauntered over. These inquirers hastened back to town and circulated
news that caused a veritable stampede.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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