第37章 EN PASSANT(5)

Sponsilier had camped the night before on the main river, and as I crossed to the hotel, his commissary pulled up in front of Wright, Beverly & Co.'s outfitting store.Taking the chances of being seen, I interviewed Dave's cook, and learned that his foreman had given him an order for the supplies, and that Sponsilier would not come in until after the herd had passed the Saw Log.As I turned away, my attention was attracted by the deference being shown the financial man of the cattle firm, as the party wended their way around to the Wright House.The silent member of the firm was a portly fellow, and there was no one in the group but did him honor, even the detective carrying a light grip, while Tolleston lumbered along with a heavy one.

My effacement was only temporary, as Siringo appeared at his room shortly afterward."Well, Quirk," said he, with a smile, "Ireckon my work is all done.Field and Radcliff didn't feel like talking business this morning, at least until they had shown the financial member their purchases, both real and prospective.Yes, they took the fat Colonel and Tolleston with them and started for your camp with a two-seated rig.From yours they expect to drive to Forrest's camp, and then meet Sponsilier on the way coming back.No; I declined a very pressing invitation to go along--you see my mixed herds might come in any minute.And say, that man Tolleston was there in a hundred places with the big conversation; he claims to have been kidnapped, and was locked up for the last four days.He says he whipped your man Seay, but couldn't convince the authorities of his innocence until last night, when they set him free.According to his report, Seay's in jail yet at a little town down the road called Kinsley.Now, I'm going to take a conveyance to Spearville, and catch the first train out of there East.Settle my bill with this hotel, and say that I may be out of town for a few days, meeting a herd which I'm expecting.When Tolleston recognizes all three of those outfits as belonging to Don Lovell--well, won't there be hell to pay? Yes, my work is all done."I fully agreed with the detective that Archie would recognize the remudas and outfits as Lovell's, even though the cattle were road-branded out of the usual "Circle Dot." Siringo further informed me that north of Ford County was all an unorganized country until the Platte River was reached at Ogalalla, and advised me to ignore any legal process served outside those bounds.He was impatient to get away, and when he had put me in possession of everything to our advantage, we wrung each other's hands in farewell.As the drive outlined by the cattle buyers would absorb the day, I felt no necessity of being in a hurry.

The absence of Dorg Seay was annoying, and the fellow had done us such valiant service, I felt in honor bound to secure his release.Accordingly I wired the city marshal at Kinsley, and received a reply that Seay had been released early that morning, and had started overland for Dodge.This was fortunate, and after settling all bills, I offered to pay the liveryman in advance for the rig in Seay's possession, assuring him by the telegram that it would return that evening.He refused to make any settlement until the condition of both the animal and the conveyance bad been passed upon, and fearful lest Dorg should come back moneyless, I had nothing to do but await his return.I was growing impatient to reach camp, there being no opportunity to send word to amy outfit, and the passing hours seemed days, when late in the afternoon Dorg Seay drove down the main street of Dodge as big as a government beef buyer.The liveryman was pleased and accepted the regular rate, and Dorg and I were soon galloping out of town.As we neared the first divide, we dropped our horses into a walk to afford them a breathing spell, and in reply to my fund of information, Seay said:

"So Tolleston's telling that he licked me.Well, that's a good one on this one of old man Seay's boys.Archie must have been crazy with the heat.The fact is that he had been trying to quit me for several days.We had exhausted every line of dissipation, and when I decided that it was no longer possible to hold him, Iinsulted and provoked him into a quarrel, and we were both arrested.Licked me, did he? He couldn't lick his upper lip."