UNDER WHICH FLAG?
THIRTY miles down the Red River, where it originally was crossed by
the old Arbuckle Trail, early known as the Whisky Trail, Rudabaugh and
his men lay encamped. They were and for some days had been impatiently
a-waiting news from the south. Mr. Jameson, cattle inspector for the
northern district of Texas, brought them news; but Mr. Jameson, for
reasons of his own, preferred to preserve his dignity; so his news was
highly censored, expurgated. He declared that his horse had thrown him
into a cactus patch. Moreover, he declared that the Del Sol herd was
already across the river and bound north; whereas the truth was that he
only had guessed that the herd soon would cross, provided that the
waters fell. He had not tarried. Rudabaugh was irritated.
“You ought to have got two bits a head straight through for those cows,”
said he.
“They’re out of our jurisdiction now,” defended the thornful fugitive.
“They ain’t never out of my jurisdiction!” rejoined the leader savagely.
“I’ll follow that outfit till hell freezes. Where there ain’t no law is
where Sim Rudabaugh’s jurisdiction runs.
“I wish I knew where that fellow McMasters is,” he added. “I’m only
waiting for him.”
That evening at dusk McMasters did come into camp. Rudabaugh welcomed
him with as much graciousness as he could muster, but did not spare
complaints over the long delay.
“None of you Texans seem to know the value of time,” he began. “You
can’t look ahead. The herd that breaks trail for five million Texas cows
ruins every plan for us if it gets to the railroad. If that herd gets
through, cows will be worth ten dollars a head in Texas this fall, next
year twenty dollars—and they have been costing me twenty-five cents!
When cows go to twenty a head, land goes up with them. Now, it don’t
take any watchmaking to figure why I don’t want those things to happen
just yet.
“McMasters, that herd must never get out of the Nations. We’ve got to
have this season to finish our plans. I don’t intend to have my hand
forced by any red-head girl and her red-neck cow hands, I can tell you
that. Let that bunch trail north this summer, and they’ll make a market
for every cow in Texas! If they don’t get north Sim Rudabaugh’ll be the
richest man that ever set foot on Texas soil. And what do you suppose
Texas will do for a man who can prove that he has doubled and trebled
and quadrupled the price of every acre and every cow inside the lines of
Texas? In that case, Mr. Rudabaugh might be able to look wider than the
lines of Texas, eh?”
“Your plans do seem large,” said McMasters quietly. “How can I help you
in them?”
“Every way in the world. Scout out on ahead. It’s hard for me to keep my
fingers on you, you shift about so much; but if you help me break up the
T.L. herd there’ll be everything in it for you that you will ever want
in life.
“Of course, you know I kept awful quiet. It’s a long way out to the edge
of the Staked Plains, and only a few cowmen are in there now. But the
lands I have got my eye on are covered with vine mesquite like a carpet,
or with bunch grass almost as good. That’s the coming cattle range, once
the Comanches are off of it. That’s where I am locating our lands. I
want a million acres more of scrip.
“And to think,” he added, “what all of that hangs on! Leave them alone
and they may find Abilene, for all I know. I am taking no chances about
that—that’s why I want you. I want you to go on north and find that
outfit.
“We’ll cross the river in the morning.”
Again he resumed his pacing and his cursing, in one of the moods during
which he really was out of his own mind. He was well in his cups almost
all the time.
McMasters turned toward him suddenly.
“You carry fire a long time, don’t you?” said he.
“I never had any one oppose me yet that didn’t get the worst of it,”
replied the outlaw, ever serene in his conceit.
McMasters smiled.
“Not even Burleson Lockhart?”
“Not even Burleson Lockhart,” rejoined Rudabaugh savagely. “He did!”
He pulled up. Something chill seemed to sit in the air about him. “Well,
come into camp,” said he, “and let’s have a snort of liquor. I have got
some left.”