Hugh Pendexter

“ The Vermonter shook his head dismally.
“I can't leave the United States. If I must lose myself, give up my name, and be thought a thief, at least I'll stay in the country.”
“Spoken like a mountain man!” cried Old Misery. “And all hell can't drive you out the Rockies, or from the plains. And you'll meet lots of folks who don't wear the names first saddled on 'em. Plenty of room to begin a new life. My offer of five dollars a day still holds. You've earned it most reg'lar right up to now. We'll notch a stick and bimeby you'll have 'nough money to square off that debt. ”

“ I put them in a bag for Gilbert.”
“But the men in Coloma!” cried Gilbert. “What will they be thinking? I'm branded as a thief by this time! I can't go home. I can't go anywhere under my own name. I'd rather stay and risk capture!”
“Easy and simple as lifting the back-fat out of a buf'ler,” declared Old Misery. “I've fetched a good rifle for you. We'll pick up some hosses after we git over the ridge. And a pack-mule. Once we git 'em we'll own all outdoors. Turn mountain man and live as you was made to live. Walk along the Rockies and see things. Work only for yourself. ”

“ We make other profits from wagon-trains. I'm free, you see, to tell you much. But there's one thing you must remember; I'm boss here. Brother Joaquin is a big man, but I shall be in the saddle long after he's made his last ride. He mixes vengeance with business. Now I'm all business. To be boss I have to have discipline. ”

“ Living seems to be made up of quitting doing things and beginning new things.
“You just stick along with me, younker. If you hanker for gold I know places where you can find it easy. Lots of it. There's the Snake River country. There's the Bitter Root country. Lawd! I've scuffed my feet over dozens of rich placer-mines, but I never was fool 'nough to take more'n what I needed for whisky, powder 'n' lead and terbacker.”
Gilbert had no heart for talk. Mountains of gold could not compensate him for being a nameless wanderer. ”

“ A bit of color showed in the thin cheeks, yet Martin was outwardly composed as he reminded the other.
“You couldn't speak after you were killed. Brother Joaquin would only know you had been knifed to death. On the other hand it's bad for discipline to have you talk so loud. If you're allowed to do it, others might take the notion to try it, and that would be very bad—for them. A man can't be a leader unless he has followers. Now there's Everick—” and he nodded toward the big man by the door—“no, that would never do. He's too much in earnest in his work. ”

“ Each one thinks his name's on every bullet. Aim your rifle at a line of fifty Injuns and every buck will go over the side of his pony, thinking he's your meat if he don't duck. Still, there's lots of Injuns I'd tie to quicker'n I would to most white men.”
“I'm afraid they'd find me easy game,” sighed Gilbert.
“Not after you've had one or two smart fusses with 'em. Now the Utes ain't any good on the plains, but in their mountains they're all devils. Mebbe we'll have a fracas with 'em going east and you can have a chance to git your hand in. But it would be better to break you in on open ground. ”

“ The travel through the eastern opening of the basin and up the ridge was rough, as there was no semblance of even an aboriginal path, and the fugitives' progress was slow. At midday they halted in a little valley, thick with firs and pines, and ate cooked meat.
“We'll split the trail here,” gruffly announced Old Misery. “If you're ever in the Rockies, Weymouth, look me up. Ben will go back to sea after the women folks in the towns have got all his gold. Don't forgit the ledge where Bill Williams slept. I've cracked out two hundred dollars a day with a hammer from that rotten rock. ”

“ You men see they don't get loose till I've learned certain things.”
“We'll go inside, but don't you make any throat-cutting talk to me, you little runt. Joaquin Murieta has a long arm; one that can reach a knife clear over the Sierra,” loudly cried Old Misery.
“Softly, softly,” advised the small man.
“Loudly, loudly, when I take the notion. You're buying stolen hosses from our men. Murieta can use you fine. But don't go to talking knives to your betters. It ain't for the likes of you to close a trail to me and my young friend.”
“Softly,” repeated the leader in a low voice. ”

“ And if they're inside and any one wants to steal 'em a lock won't stop the thief. Wagon-trains won't be pulling in for a long time.”
Now that they were at the front of the house Gilbert experienced a revulsion of feeling and wished they were on their way to the Carson. Without any discernible reason he felt uneasy. There had been nothing definite in his companion's words to occasion alarm, and yet he felt as if something evil was about to happen. He set it down to the lengthening shadows, the quiet of the fir-fringed hollow and the fact the log house was deserted. ”

“ I've seen stations chuck full of grub and goods that's been picked up where the greenhorns had to toss 'em aside. Sometimes they have to dump out small hills of flour and then pay a mighty big price for it when they hit these foot-hills. What they have to sell ain't worth nothing, but when they want to buy from a station it's worth its weight in dust.
“A train will pull in here with only half the stock needed to fetch it over the ridge; or with their hosses 'n' cattle played out. Trader buys at his own price, sells at his own price. And so it goes; white folks robbing white folks in trade. ”

“ We're staying just long enough to eat and pack the mule. You folks will take the mule. Double-Time 'n' me are off over the ridge and down the Truckee River to the immigrant road. Rest of you follow along the ridge, keeping down to 'bout this level. Keep well up when you reach the head of the San Joaquin; for posses will be combing the valley. Maria, I'd like to have you take Bill Williams along with you. Some greenhorn, or Pike, will shoot him if he goes with me. He's good medicine to have. ”

“ Old Misery, speaking slowly, said:
“If 'nough of you brave fellers have come in, and if 'nough guns are p'inted at us so you ain't afraid we'll bu'st loose and bite, we'd like to drop our arms. I'm an old man and I git tired easy.”
“You've got all their weapons, Jason?” piped up the little man. “Good. Now we'll take them inside so they won't catch a sickness from the evening air.”
Loud guffaws of amusement greeted the last. The leader glanced at the weapons and appropriated Gilbert's pocket-knife.
“They're clean as a hound's tooth,” Jason assured the little man. ”

“ We come in too much of a hustle to outfit with grub or a mule. So we aimed for here.”
“Good. Excellent,” murmured Martin. “It has the ring of truth. It may be true. I'll find out soon. We're hoss-thieves. We steal from ranchos, and we handle the stock Brother Joaquin's men steal. We sell the stock to immigrants in the fall and plan to steal it back before they can drive it over the ridge. Lacking the immigrant trade we sell to the Mormon stations in the Car son Valley, or make a drive even to Salt Lake City, where we have men who sell to the trains. ”

“ Lacking a hoss, throw up a little ridge of dirt with your knife. Even five or six inches makes you feel better.
“Never git excited when you see 'em come piling down. Never hurry. Make your first shot count. They'll try to scare hell out of you by howling and yowling. Just howl back at 'em. You'll find a big band of 'em will ride round you for hours, a-whooping, but not caring to rush in so long as your gun's loaded. They don't like to tackle mountain men. They've l'arned they have to pay too high a price, and they know they won't git much truck. ”

“ We'd see the same thing if we'd crossed from the head of the Tuolumne to the head of the Walker. Son or a traders have a station there. Immigrants find their wagons are too heavy when they come this far, or their stock is played out. They shift to lighter wagons, or use pack-animals. They strike into the plains with a big outfit and begin to leave things behind afore they make Great Salt Lake. ”

“ The second day after leaving the Truckee the mountain man announced:
“High time to hunt a Mormon station and buy a mule and some supplies. Two horses, if we can git 'em. Two seasons ago there was a log trading-station five miles from here. May not be kept up, or the trader may be gone as it's too early for the immigrant trade to come in. You're gitting to be a good shot—at game. ”

“ A Injun won't do that to t'other Injun. If he's at war he'll kill and sculp; but he won't charge him dollar a pound for poor flour just 'cause t'other Injun's got the dollar and is starving.
“If there's any stores left in that place I'll take what we want and leave 'nough nuggets to pay. ”

“ If you're chased by Injuns never try to hide up in bushes or woods. They'll sneak in and have your ha'r afore you know it. Break for open country and wait for 'em to come up. Sp'ils the best man's nerve to run away. ”