“Well,” said Mr. Comstock, “if Hatch Walker was home the chances are the first thing he’d do would be to knock those unlucky punchers sky-high. Depend on it the next time you come across any one of that bunch you’ll notice black eyes in plenty.”
“And then what else?” continued the boy.
“You see, Hatch, he’s run things so long around here now, at his sweet will, that like as not he’ll think of that bunch of cattle as belonging to him. And getting a lot of his boys together he’ll even come swinging along this way to try to run ’em off the second time, and in broad daylight, too.”
“Well, he certainly is a bold one for a fact, and it’s about time he had his wings clipped!” declared the boy, surprised at the condition of affairs in the region that had, during the lifetime of his father, been a peaceful community, stirred up only once in a
while when some herder of sheep angered the cow-punchers, and a little shooting followed.
“I’m wondering if I could manage to get into my room through the window without Josie seeing me,” Uncle Fred continued.
Then seeing the boy’s look of astonishment he went on to explain.
“You see, I came running out so fast I hadn’t time to think of picking up my belt, and putting it on; so my gun is in there. And the worst of it is, I can’t enter my room without passing through the one she occupies. That’s how she manages all the time. Just now I wouldn’t like to let her get hold of me. I never yet struck a woman in all my life, and no matter what happens I’m getting too old now to begin on a new tack. So, there you see what a fix I’m in, son.”
“Oh!” laughed Adrian, “you could borrow a gun from one of the boys who might happen to own an extra one. Don’t have anything to do with Aunt Josie until we see how things turn out here. Perhaps there’ll be a big change come along, and the situation will take on a new phase. But suppose the Walkers do make a daylight raid, what about the other herds that are out on the range?”
Mr. Comstock jumped to his feet excitedly.