could see he was a hand with an ax, but what surprised me was him doing it at all, because most cowhands resent any but riding work, even digging postholes.
The way it worked out we rode away from the place an hour earlier than I'd ever been able to with Ed or Johnny, and by noon we had hazed seventy head down on the flat, but we were mighty shy of young stuff. Whatever else he was, I'd hired a hand. He was up on pa's bay gelding and he knew how to sit a cutting horse and handle a rope.
Next three days we worked like all getout. Riley was up early and working late, and I being boss couldn't let him best me, but working with him was like working with pa, for we shared around and helped each other and I never did see a man learn country faster than he did. Time to time he'd top out on high ground and then he'd set a spell and study the country. Sometimes he'd ask questions. Mostly, he just looked.
Third day we had built us a hatful of fire for coffee and shucked the wrappings off the lunches ma fixed. "You said your pa was killed. HowM it happen?"
"Ma and me didn't see it. Pa had been to the Coopers' on business and when he got back to town he picked up some dress goods for ma and a few supplies. He was tying the sack on the saddle when he had a difficulty with a stranger. The stranger shot him."
"Was your pa wearing a gun?"
"ifes, sir. Pa always wore a gun, but not to use on no man. He carried it for varmints or to shoot the horse if he got thrown and his foot caught in the stirrup."
"You hear that stranger's name?"
"Yes, sir. His name was Cad Miller."
That afternoon we ran into Ed Shifrin and Johnny Loftus. First time I'd seen them up thataway except when working for us, but they were coming down the draw just as we put out our fire.
Riley heard them coming before I did, but he looked around at the mountainside like he was expecting somebody else. He looked most careful at the trees and rocks where a man might take cover.
Both of them were armed, but if Riley had a gun I had seen no sign of it. He wore that buckskin jacket that hung even with his belt, but there might have been a gun in his waistband under the jacket. But I didn't think of guns until later.
"You still around?" Shifrin sounded like he was building trouble. "I figured you'd be run out before this."
"I like it here." Riley talked pleasant-like. "Pretty country, nice folks. Not as many cows as a man would expect, but they're fat."
"What d' you mean by that? Not as many cows as you'd expect?"
"Maybe I should have said calves. Not as many calves as a man would expect, but by the time the roundup is over we'll find what happened to the others."
Shifrin looked over at Johnny. "What about the kid?"
Johnny shrugged. "To hell with the kid."
The way they talked back and forth made no sense to me, but it made sense to Riley.
"Was I you," Riley said, "I'd be mighty sure Cooper wants it this way. With the kid, and all."
"What d' you mean by that?"
"Why, it just won't work. There's no way you can make it look right. The kid doesn't carry a gun. You boys don't know your business like you should."
"Maybe you know it better?" Johnny sounded mean.
"Why, I do, at that. Did Sheriff Russell tell Pike what I said?"
"Who's Pike?" Shifrin asked suspiciously.
"Why, Pike Cooper. That's what they used to call him in the old days. He ever tell you how he happened to leave Pike County, Missouri? It's quite a story."
Something about the easy way Riley talked was bothering them. They weren't quite so sure of themselves now.
"And while you're at it," Riley added, "you get him to tell you why he left the Nation."
Neither of them seemed to know what to do next. The fact that Riley seemed to know Cooper bothered them, and Johnny was uneasy. He kept looking at me, and I kept looking right back at him, and that seemed to worry him too.
"You boys tell him that. You also tell him not to send boys to do a man's job."
"What's that mean?" Shift-in was sore and he shaped up
The way it worked out we rode away from the place an hour earlier than I'd ever been able to with Ed or Johnny, and by noon we had hazed seventy head down on the flat, but we were mighty shy of young stuff. Whatever else he was, I'd hired a hand. He was up on pa's bay gelding and he knew how to sit a cutting horse and handle a rope.
Next three days we worked like all getout. Riley was up early and working late, and I being boss couldn't let him best me, but working with him was like working with pa, for we shared around and helped each other and I never did see a man learn country faster than he did. Time to time he'd top out on high ground and then he'd set a spell and study the country. Sometimes he'd ask questions. Mostly, he just looked.
Third day we had built us a hatful of fire for coffee and shucked the wrappings off the lunches ma fixed. "You said your pa was killed. HowM it happen?"
"Ma and me didn't see it. Pa had been to the Coopers' on business and when he got back to town he picked up some dress goods for ma and a few supplies. He was tying the sack on the saddle when he had a difficulty with a stranger. The stranger shot him."
"Was your pa wearing a gun?"
"ifes, sir. Pa always wore a gun, but not to use on no man. He carried it for varmints or to shoot the horse if he got thrown and his foot caught in the stirrup."
"You hear that stranger's name?"
"Yes, sir. His name was Cad Miller."
That afternoon we ran into Ed Shifrin and Johnny Loftus. First time I'd seen them up thataway except when working for us, but they were coming down the draw just as we put out our fire.
Riley heard them coming before I did, but he looked around at the mountainside like he was expecting somebody else. He looked most careful at the trees and rocks where a man might take cover.
Both of them were armed, but if Riley had a gun I had seen no sign of it. He wore that buckskin jacket that hung even with his belt, but there might have been a gun in his waistband under the jacket. But I didn't think of guns until later.
"You still around?" Shifrin sounded like he was building trouble. "I figured you'd be run out before this."
"I like it here." Riley talked pleasant-like. "Pretty country, nice folks. Not as many cows as a man would expect, but they're fat."
"What d' you mean by that? Not as many cows as you'd expect?"
"Maybe I should have said calves. Not as many calves as a man would expect, but by the time the roundup is over we'll find what happened to the others."
Shifrin looked over at Johnny. "What about the kid?"
Johnny shrugged. "To hell with the kid."
The way they talked back and forth made no sense to me, but it made sense to Riley.
"Was I you," Riley said, "I'd be mighty sure Cooper wants it this way. With the kid, and all."
"What d' you mean by that?"
"Why, it just won't work. There's no way you can make it look right. The kid doesn't carry a gun. You boys don't know your business like you should."
"Maybe you know it better?" Johnny sounded mean.
"Why, I do, at that. Did Sheriff Russell tell Pike what I said?"
"Who's Pike?" Shifrin asked suspiciously.
"Why, Pike Cooper. That's what they used to call him in the old days. He ever tell you how he happened to leave Pike County, Missouri? It's quite a story."
Something about the easy way Riley talked was bothering them. They weren't quite so sure of themselves now.
"And while you're at it," Riley added, "you get him to tell you why he left the Nation."
Neither of them seemed to know what to do next. The fact that Riley seemed to know Cooper bothered them, and Johnny was uneasy. He kept looking at me, and I kept looking right back at him, and that seemed to worry him too.
"You boys tell him that. You also tell him not to send boys to do a man's job."
"What's that mean?" Shift-in was sore and he shaped up
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