The Long Shadow Page 4

  CHAPTER IV.

  _Canned._

  The foreman came in, blinking at the sudden change from bright lightto half twilight, and Charming Billy took the opportunity to kick asardine can of stove-blacking under the stove where it would not beseen. Some predecessor with domestic instincts had left behindhim half a package of "Rising Sun," and Billy had found it and wasintending to blacken the stove just as soon as he finished the dishes.That he had left it as a crowning embellishment, rather than making itthe foundation of his house-cleaning, only proved his inexperience inthat line. Billy had "bached" a great deal, but he had never blacked astove in his life.

  The foreman passed gloved fingers over his eyes, held them therea moment, took them away and gazed in amazement; since he had beenforeman of the Double-Crank--and the years were many--CharmingBilly Boyle had been one of its "top-hands," and he had never beforecaught him in the throes of "digging out."

  "Fundamental furies!" swore he, in the unorthodox way he had. "Lookslike the Pilgrim was right--there's a lady took charge here."

  Charming Billy turned red with embarrassment, and then quite pale withrage. "The Pilgrim lied!" he denied sweepingly.

  The foreman picked his way over the wet floor, in deference to itscomparative cleanliness stepping long so that he might leave as fewdisfiguring tracks as possible, and unbuttoned his fur coat before theheat of the stove.

  "Well, maybe he did," he assented generously, gleaning a box fromthe pile on the bunk and sitting down, "but it sure looks likecorroborative evidence, in here. How about it, Bill?"

  "How about what?" countered Billy, his teeth close together.

  "The girl, and the dawg, and the fight--but more especially the girl.The Pilgrim--"

  "_Damn_ the Pilgrim! I wisht I'd a-killed the lying ---- The girl'sa lady, and he ain't fit to speak her name. She come here last nightbecause her hoss fell and got crippled, and there wasn't a hoss I'dtrust at night with her, it was storming so hard, and slippery--andat daylight I put her on the gentlest one we had, and took her home.That's all there is to it. There's nothing to gabble about, and if thePilgrim goes around shooting off his face--" Billy clicked his teethominously.

  "Well, that ain't _just_ the way he told it," commented the foreman,stooping to expectorate into the hearth and stopping to regardsurprisedly its unwonted emptiness. "He said--"

  "I don't give a damn what he said," snapped Billy. "He lied, thelow-down cur."

  "Uh-huh--he said something about you shooting that dawg of his. I sawthe carcass out there in the snow." The foreman spoke with carefulneutrality.

  "I did. I wisht now I'd laid the two of 'em out together. The dawgtried to feed offa my leg. I shot the blame thing." Charming Billysat down upon the edge of the table--sliding the dishpan out of hisway--and folded his arms, and pushed his hat farther back from hisforehead. His whole attitude spoke impenitent scorn.

  "I also licked the Pilgrim and hazed him away from camp and told himparticular not to come back," he informed the other defiantly. He didnot add, "What are you going to do about it?" but his tone carriedunmistakably that sentiment.

  "And the Pilgrim happens to be a stepbrother uh the widow the Old Manis at present running after, and aiming to marry. I was sent over hereto put the can onto you, Billy. I hate like thunder to do it, but--"The foreman waved a hand to signify his utter helplessness.

  The face of Billy stiffened perceptibly; otherwise he moved not amuscle.

  "The Old Man says for you to stay till he can put another man downhere in your place, though. He'll send Jim Bleeker soon as he comesback from town--which ain't apt to be for two or three days unlessthey're short on booze."

  Billy caught his breath, hesitated, and reached for his smokingmaterial. It was not till he had licked his cigarette into shape andwas feeling in his pocket for a match that he spoke. "I've drawedwages from the Double-Crank for quite a spell, and I always aimedto act white with the outfit. It's more than they're doing by me,but--I'll stay till Jim comes." He smoked moodily, and stared at hisboots. "Yuh ain't going back tonight, are yuh?"

  The foreman said he must, and came back to the subject. "Yuh don'twant to think I'm firing yuh, Billy. If it was my say-so, I'd tell thePilgrim to go to hell. But he went straight to headquarters with histale uh woe, and the Old Man is kinda uncertain these days, on accountuh not being right sure uh the widow. He feels just about obliged tokeep the Pilgrim smoothed down; he ain't worth his grub, if you askme."

  "Oh, I ain't thinking nothing at all about it," Billy lied proudly."If the Old Man feels like canning me, that there's his funeral. Ireckon maybe he likes the Pilgrim's breed better for a change. AndI wouldn't be none surprised if I could get a job with some otheroutfit, all right. I ain't aiming to starve--nor yet ride grub-line."

  "When you analyze the thing right down to fundamentals," observed theforeman, whom men called "Jawbreaker" for obvious reasons, "it's acussed shame. You're one of the oldest men with the outfit, and thePilgrim is the youngest--and the most inadequate. The Old Man oughtawaited till he heard both sides uh the case, and I told him so. Buthe couldn't forget how the widow might feel if he canned herstepbrother--and what's a man, more or less, in a case uh that kind?"

  "Now look here, Jawbreaker," Billy protested cheerfully, "don't yuh gooozing comfort and sympathy on my account. I don't know but what I'mtickled to death. As yuh say, I've worked for this outfit a blame longwhile--and it's maybe kinda hard on other outfits; they oughta have achance to use me for a spell. There's no reason why the Double-Crankshould be a hog and keep a good man forever."

  The foreman studied keenly the face of Charming Billy, saw there animmobility that somehow belied his cheerful view of the case, andabruptly changed the subject.

  "You've got things swept and garnished, all right," he remarked,looking at the nearly clean floor with the tiny pools of dirty waterstill standing in the worn places. "When did the fit take yuh? Did itcome on with fever-n'-chills, like most other breaking-outs? Or, didthe girl--"

  "Aw, the darned dawg mussed up the floor, dying in here," Billyapologized weakly. "I was plumb obliged to clean up after him." Heglanced somewhat shamefacedly at the floor. After all, it did notlook quite like the one where Miss Bridger lived; in his heart Billybelieved that was because he had no strip of carpet to spread beforethe table. He permitted his glance to take in the bunk, nakedlyshowing the hay it held for a softening influence and piled high withmany things--the things that would not go beneath.

  "Your soogans are gathering frost to beat the band, Bill," the foremaninformed him, following his glance to the bunk. "Your inexperienceis something appalling, for a man that has fried his own bacon andswabbed out his own frying-pan as many times as you have. Better gobring 'em in. It was thinking about snowing again when I come."

  Billy grinned a little and went after his bedding, brought it andthrew it with a fine disregard for order upon the accumulation ofboxes and benches in the bunk. "I'll go feed the hosses, and then I'llcook yuh some supper," he told the foreman still humped comfortablybefore the stove with his fur coat thrown open to the heat and hisspurred boots hoisted upon the hearth. "Better make up your mind tostay till morning; it's getting mighty chilly, outside."

  The foreman, at the critical stage of cigarette lighting, gruntedunintelligibly. Billy was just laying hand to the door-knob when theforeman looked toward him in the manner of one about to speak. Billystood and waited inquiringly.

  "Say, Bill," drawled Jawbreaker, "yuh never told me her name, yet."

  The brows of Charming Billy pinched involuntarily together. "I thoughtthe Pilgrim had wised yuh up to all the details," he said coldly.

  "The Pilgrim didn't know; he says yuh never introduced him. And seeingit's serious enough to start yuh on the godly trail uh cleanliness,I'm naturally taking a friendly interest in her, and--"

  "Aw--go to hell!" snapped Charming Billy, and went out and slammed thedoor behind him so that the cabin shook.