Flying U Ranch (eBook)

The Coming of a Native Son The Happy Family, waiting for the Sunday supper call, were grouped around the open door of the bunk-house, gossiping idly of things purely local, when the Old hIan returned from the Stock Association at Helena beside him on the buggy seat sat a stranger. The Old Man pulled up at the bunk- house, the stranger sprang out over the wheel with the agility which bespoke youthful muscles, and the Old Man introduced him with a quirk of the lips This is Mr. Mig-U-ell Rapponi, boys-a peeler straight from the Goldell Gate. Throw out your war-bag and make yourself to home, Mig-U-ell some of the boys will show you where to bed down. Flying U Ranch The Old Man drove on to the house with his own luggage, and Happy Jack followed to take charge of the team but the remainder of the Happy family unobtrusively took the measure of the foreign elemmt. From his black-and-white horsehair hat- band, with tassels that swept to the very edge of his gray hatbrim, to the crimson silk neckerchief draped over the pale blue bosom of his shirt from the beautifully stamped leather cuffs, down to the exaggerated height of his tau hot-heels, their critical eyes swept in swift, appraising glances and unanimous disapproval was the result. The Happy Family had themselves an eye to picturesque garb upon occasion, but this passed even Pinks love of display. Hes soine gaudy to look at, Irish murmured under his breath to Cal Emnrett. All he lacks is a spot-light and a brass band, Cal returned, in much the same tone with which a woman remarks upon a last seasons hat on the head of a rival. Flying U Ranch Miguel was not embarrassed by the inspection. He was tall, straight, and swarthily handsome, and he stood with the complacence of a stage favorite waiting for the applause to cease so that he might speak his first lines and, while he waited, he sifted tobacco into a cigarette paper daintily, with his little finger extended. There was a ring upon that finger a ring with a moonstone setting as large and round as the eye of a startled cat, and the Happy Family caught the pale gleam of it and drew a Iong breath. He lighted a match nonchalantly, by the artfully simple method of pinching the head of it with his fingernails, leaned negligently against the wall of the bunk-house, and regarded the group incuriously while he smoked, Any pretty girls up this way he inquired languidly, after a moment, fanning a thin smoke-cloud from before his face while he spoke. The Happy Family went prickly hot. The girls in that neighborhood were held in esteem, and there was that in his tone which gave offense. Flying U Ranch Sure, theres pretty girls here Big Medicine bellowed unexpectedly, close heside him. Were all of us engaged to em, by cripes hfiguel shot an oblique glance at Big Medicine, examined the end of his cigarette, and gave a Iift of shoulder, which might mean anything or nothing, and so was irritating to a degree...