We had high jinks when we reached Olaf’s; but Horace didn’t make any hit with the kid. The kid had a jack-in-the-box toy ’at looked consid’able like Horace, an’ the kid couldn’t square things in his own mind, to see a big size one, out an’ walkin’ about like a regular human; but when he also got to studyin’ Promotheus, he was all undone. Olaf tried to have him make up to Horace, but he wouldn’t stand for it. He’d sit on Olaf’s knee and look first at his jack-in-the-box, then at Horace, and wind up with a long look at Promotheus. Promotheus would try to smile kind an’ invitin’, and then the kid would twist around and bury his face in Olaf’s vest. Horace nor Promotheus didn’t mind it any; but as far as that goes, the kid was only actin’ honest an’ natural, accordin’ to his lights, an’ the jack-in-the-box had as much of a kick comin’ as anybody.
Ty had been down there just the day after we had left, an’ had wanted to buy Olaf’s place; but only offered half what it was worth. He had done this half a dozen times, an’ allus insulted Olaf as much as he could about it. Olaf had wanted to sell out at first; but Kit had been able to see ’at they had a homestead fit for any thing, and she had allus insisted that they get full price or hang on. Now, it was improved way beyond common, an’ they were both fond of it; so they had decided to stick it out.
“This is goin’ to be a dry summer,” sez I.
Olaf’s face clouded up but he only shut his lips tighter. We told ’em we were on our way up to try an’ have a look at Ty Jones’s woman, and Olaf said he’d go along if he didn’t have to trail his cattle up to the Raw Hide, this bein’ part o’ the deal he had made. He said it would take him about ten days probably, an’ wanted us to camp in the Spread, an’ keep an eye on his stuff. Olaf clipped the first joint off o’ Promotheus’s name, an’ I was glad of it.
We chucked our stuff into the barn next mornin’ an’ started to stalk the Cross brand neighborhood. Horace had a small field glass which was a wonder, and we worked as careful as we could. It was only fifteen miles across from Olaf’s; but all we were able to do the first day was to find a little sheltered spot up back o’ the ranch buildin’s where we could get a good view of ’em through the field glass.
Next day Olaf an’ Oscar started with the bunch o’ cattle, an’ we rode along part way with ’em to give ’em a good start; but Olaf had handled his stuff so gentle that it was no trouble, an’ we turned back an’ took up our watch again. We watched for a week without seein’ a thing, ridin’ in each night to sleep back of Olaf’s shack. Me an’ Theus—I had seen Olaf’s ante an’ had raised him one—were gettin’ purty weary o’ this sort o’ work; but Horace was as patient as a spider. Finally though, we got a little more risky, and leavin’ our hosses up in our sheltered spot, we follered down a ravine to get nearer to the new cabin.
We had caught several glimpses of a woman to prove to us ’at the’ was one there; but that was about all, an’ so we went down this ravine, tryin’ to figure out what excuse we’d give if we came across any of Ty Jones’s men. Neither me nor The—Promotheus had said ’at we couldn’t be no politer ’n he could, so he had lopped off the last joint, and now had as neat a workin’ name as any one, although Horace still insisted on usin’ the whole outfit when he had occasion to address him. Well, neither me nor The felt just easy in our minds at snoopin’ about Ty’s when we hadn’t any business to, especially The; but Horace was as selfcomposed as though he was herdin’ lions out o’ tall grass, which it seems had been his favorite pastime durin’ the last few years.
The knew the ravine well; he said it ran full o’ water in the spring, but after that was dry all the year. We got about half-way down it, an’ then we came to a path ’at was plain enough to see. The stopped an’ wagged his head. “No one ever used to use this,” sez he.
“Well, some one uses it purty constant, now,” sez I.
“The woman is the one who uses it,” sez Horace. “She’s lonely, that’s plain enough. The path climbs the opposite bank—let’s cross an’ go up.”