“I’m all right. See to the other man!”
Bess looked at Henry’s drawn and anxious face, and tears rushed into her eyes.
“Never mind, little girl, it’s over now,” he said softly, touched by her solicitude; and instantly flung all his savagery at the cowboy who ventured:
“You’re a damn fool, West, to risk your life for just an old Indian!”
“He—he is my brother!” retorted West, with eyes that might have killed with their intense fire.
Bess hastened away to seek Mrs. West, and was relieved to find that she had not known of the danger her son had been in.
“Get the bunch started, James,” said West, “and I’ll join you where we take up the rest of the herd.”
It was evening on the following day, when the weary herd, urged by the still wearier men and horses, came to the foot of the hill near the shipping place. The dust raised by the hoofs of two hundred steers was suffocating, and the cowboys congratulated themselves that plenty of water and “grub” were in sight.
The drive had been without incident or accident, and West was silently commending the good judgment of his foreman. By constant shouting, urging and driving the steers gained the summit of the hill and began to descend. West saw a long freight train standing on the tracks ready to start, and he became filled with trepidation for fear the wild creatures would become frightened, and serious consequences might follow.
They reached the flat near the corrals. West breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly the engine gave two long, shrill whistles! The hills caught the sound and hurled it back and forth again and again, as if the very fiends of the mountains were exultant at the terror of the dumb beasts! With a snort every head and tail went up; all seemed possessed with the instinct of flight from some dreadful danger. Wheeling, they plunged up the steep hillside. Every man knew instantly what to do. Three sent their spurs into the tired horses and urged them up the hill to head off the bellowing, frenzied herd. The horses intuitively knew that there was trouble, and were filled with new vim. With red nostrils and wet flanks, out of breath they gained the position and successfully turned the terrified animals again down the hill. On they rushed, snorting, bellowing, plunging, completely enveloped in a cloud of dust. West and Fletcher rode on to head them off, and now saw, as the dust subsided a little, that the wild things had begun already to go ‘round and round.’ If they should now get to milling, doubtless many of them would be crushed to death!