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The Flying U Ranch By: B. M. Bower (1874-1940) |
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By B. M. Bower
CONTENTS CHAPTER
I. The Coming of a Native Son
II. "When Greek Meets Greek"
III. Bad News
IV. Some Hopes
V. Sheep
VI. What Happened to Andy
VII. Truth Crushed to Earth, etc.
VIII. The Dot Outfit
IX. More Sheep
X. The Happy Family Herd Sheep
XI. Weary Unburdens
XII. Two of a Kind
XIII. The Happy Family Learn Something
XIV. Happy Jack
XV. Oleson
XVI. The End of the Dots
XVII. Good News
FLYING U RANCH CHAPTER I. The Coming of a Native Son The Happy Family, waiting for the Sunday supper call, were grouped
around the open door of the bunk house, gossiping idly of things purely
local, when the Old Man returned from the Stock Association at Helena;
beside him on the buggy seat sat a stranger. The Old Man pulled up at
the bunk house, the stranger sprang out over the wheel with the agility
which bespoke youthful muscles, and the Old Man introduced him with a
quirk of the lips: "This is Mr. Mig u ell Rapponi, boys a peeler straight from the Golden
Gate. Throw out your war bag and make yourself to home, Mig u ell; some
of the boys'll show you where to bed down." The Old Man drove on to the house with his own luggage, and Happy Jack
followed to take charge of the team; but the remainder of the Happy
Family unobtrusively took the measure of the foreign element. From his
black and white horsehair hatband, with tassels that swept to the very
edge of his gray hatbrim, to the crimson silk neckerchief draped over
the pale blue bosom of his shirt; from the beautifully stamped leather
cuffs, down to the exaggerated height of his tan boot heels, their
critical eyes swept in swift, appraising glances; and unanimous
disapproval was the result. The Happy Family had themselves an eye to
picturesque garb upon occasion, but this passed even Pink's love of
display. "He's some gaudy to look at," Irish murmured under his breath to Cal
Emmett. "All he lacks is a spot light and a brass band," Cal returned, in much
the same tone with which a woman remarks upon a last season's hat on the
head of a rival. Miguel was not embarrassed by the inspection. He was tall, straight,
and swarthily handsome, and he stood with the complacence of a stage
favorite waiting for the applause to cease so that he might speak his
first lines; and, while he waited, he sifted tobacco into a cigarette
paper daintily, with his little finger extended. There was a ring upon
that finger; a ring with a moonstone setting as large and round as the
eye of a startled cat, and the Happy Family caught the pale gleam of it
and drew a long breath. He lighted a match nonchalantly, by the artfully
simple method of pinching the head of it with his fingernails, leaned
negligently against the wall of the bunk house, and regarded the group
incuriously while he smoked. "Any pretty girls up this way?" he inquired languidly, after a moment,
fanning a thin smoke cloud from before his face while he spoke. The Happy Family went prickly hot. The girls in that neighborhood were
held in esteem, and there was that in his tone which gave offense. "Sure, there's pretty girls here!" Big Medicine bellowed unexpectedly,
close beside him. "We're all of us engaged to `em, by cripes!" Miguel shot an oblique glance at Big Medicine, examined the end of his
cigarette, and gave a lift of shoulder, which might mean anything
or nothing, and so was irritating to a degree. He did not pursue the
subject further, and so several belated retorts were left tickling
futilely the tongues of the Happy Family which does not make for
amiability. To a man they liked him little, in spite of their easy friendliness with
mankind in general. At supper they talked with him perfunctorily, and
covertly sneered because he sprinkled his food liberally with cayenne
and his speech with Spanish words pronounced with soft, slurred
vowels that made them sound unfamiliar, and against which his English
contrasted sharply with its crisp, American enunciation... Continue reading book >>
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Genres for this book |
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Fiction |
Literature |
Westerns |
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