Louis LAmour - Down the Long Hills

Contents

L IFE OR D EATH

T HE WIND RUSTLED and something stirred in the brush. The stallions head was up, nostrils flared. Suddenly, angrily, he pawed the earth.

In the brush, the grizzly called Three-Paws peered through the leaves. Deep in his chest, he gave a growl. He crept forwardone stepanother.

Hardys heart was pounding and his mouth was dry with fear. He backed toward the tree. Betty Sue, he whispered hoarsely, climb up. Climb to that big limb above your head.

Hardy stood with his back to the tree and notched an arrow. Old Three-Paws thrust his huge head from the brush and stared at the horse. The stallion blew shrilly, then reared on his hind legs, his front legs pawing.

And then Old Three-Paws charged.

To Jody and Jonna,
to Beau and Anglique,
each of whom contributed
something to this book

Chapter 1

W HEN HARDY COLLINS woke up, Big Red was gone. Hardy had picketed the stallion himself, and with sudden guilt he remembered that in his hurry to return to the supper fire he had struck the picket-pin only a couple of sharp blows.

He knew the horse was gone because from where he lay he could have seen its outline against the sky. He lay still for a minute or two, his heart pounding, frightened by what had happened.

Red embers remained of the cooking fire.A coyote talked to the moon. In the wagon above him Mrs. Andy stirred in her sleep.

It was his fault that Big Red was gone. Mr. Andy was forever telling Hardy that he was old enough to accept responsibility; and aside from seeing his pa at the end of the trip there was nothing Hardy wanted more than to be considered responsible by Mr. Andy.

When folks crossed the plains together everybody had to do his or her part. Even Betty Sue, who was just past three, collected buffalo chips with her ma.

Careful to make no sound, Hardy eased from under the blankets and tugged on his boots. He knew by the stars that day was not far off, but he might find the stallion and get it back before anybody realized he was gone. And Hardy had a good idea where to look.

He was especially quiet because of Betty Sue, who tagged after him wherever he went. If she woke up now she would ask questions. That was the trouble with women, Hardy decided; they just asked too many darned fool questions.

First, he got his canteen. Mr. Andy had warned him that a western man should never be without a canteen of water; and out where his pa lived water was a scarce thing, so it was better to learn that lesson now.

His hunting knife he always carried with him, because that mountain man who had stopped by for supper and a yarning time had said that if you gave an Indian or a mountain man a knife hed make out anywhere, no matter what.

The circle of wagons was on a low hill with good visibility in all directions, and it was only a little more than a mile to the place where Hardy expected to find Big Red.

There was a seep back there with green grass all around, the best grass theyd seen in days, and when the wagons made camp for the night they had picketed the stock on that grass. When Hardy had gone out to bring him in, Big Red was of no mind to leave, and it would be like him to go back.

Out away from the wagons it did not seem so dark. He had walked almost a third of the way when he heard a rustle behind him and, scared, he turned sharply around. It was Betty Sue.

You turn right around and go back, Hardy said. What would your ma say if she knew you were out this time of night?

She wouldnt mind if I was with you.

You go on back, he repeated. Ive got to find Big Red.

I want to go with you.

She would surely get lost, Hardy reflected, if he made her go back now. Or she might even try to circle around and get ahead of him. It wouldnt be the first time shed done that. All right, he said. But youll have to be still. There might be Indians around.

She trudged along beside him, and after a while he admitted to himself that he was glad of her company. Not that he was scaredhe had said that about Indians just to keep Betty Sue quiet. Mr. Andy and the men all agreed there were no Indians around this time of year.

There was a faint suggestion of gray in the eastern sky when they reached the coulee and found the big chestnut cropping grass. He looked at them, ears pricked, and then started toward them, dragging his picket-pin behind him. But when he was almost to them he stopped and his head and ears went up, his nostrils flaring as he listened into the night.

Youre sure spooky, Red, Hardy said. He picked up the picket-rope. And you sure caused a sight of trouble, walkin off like that. Suppose wed gone off and left you? Then what would you do?

Big Red was a stallion, but he was also a pet. Hardy had sat on his back when he was just four and the stallion was a frisky two-year-old. He was still skittish around strangers, and at times he could be mean. Especially, he hated anybody fussing around his tail. He would kick like a mule even if Mr. Andy tried to take the cockle-burrs out of it.

Hardy had cared for Big Red since he was a colt, and it was Hardy who fed him carrots and turnips, and took him to water. Big Red knew who his friend was, and had known it all his born days.

The trouble now was that Hardy was too short to climb to his back without help, for Big Red stood a shade over seventeen hands. Hardy could boost Betty Sue up, but he couldnt make it himself. Otherwise they could have ridden back to camp.

Hardytheres plums! Betty Sue exclaimed.

Exasperated, Hardy looked around at her. Plums! Everything is plums to you! Those arent plums, theyre blackberries.

Betty Sue was picking them and cramming them into her mouth with a cheerful disregard for names.

In the distance there was a popping sound like a far-off breaking of branches, and Hardy glanced at the sky.

It was too late now to get back undiscovered. But if they took back a hatful of blackberries Mr. Andy might be less likely to be angry.

Hardy thought he heard an animal cry, or a baby. He listened, but heard nothing more, so he went back to picking berries, eating about every third one himself.

When his hat was full they started back, with Betty Sue sitting up on the horse, hands and mouth stained with berry juice. One thing you could say for Betty Sue. She would do what she was told, without making a big argument. A sight better than most grown-up womenalways arguing a man. Even Mrs. Andy. She couldnt do anything without making a lot of talk about it. Fussed more than a jaybird over a garden snake.

They climbed out of the coulee to within a couple of hundred yards of the wagons. He could see the smoke of the cook firesthat was an awful lot of smoke!

All of a sudden he was scared. That was a lot more smoke than he had ever seen, even that time when somebody dropped some hot coals and started a grass fire inside the wagon circle. He thought he heard a sound of running horses, but when they topped out on the next rise there was only the smoke and what might have been dust.

The first thing he noticed was that the white wagon-covers were missing. Of course, not many of them were white any more, but out on the prairie they looked white, and you could see them from miles off, like a string of clouds floating close to the ground. And there was no moving around and hooking up, as there should have been at this hour. When he had first seen the smoke he had dropped back by Big Red and taken Betty Sues hand. Now his grip unconsciously tightened and Betty Sue cried out in protest.