THE WOLF HUNTERS 



had a lot of the ponies packed with what seemed 

 to be some of Peacock's goods. This made 'em 

 suspect that the Injuns had captured an' plun- 

 dered the ranch, ef they hadn't killed Peacock an 

 his men; so they dropped their work, mounted 

 their horses, an* went a-flying up to Peacock's to 

 see what was up, an' found all hands killed 'cept 

 the sick man, an' he told 'em what little he'd seen 

 an' heerd of the fracas, from where he lay in bed, 

 not bein* able to get out, an' how after killing the 

 other men the Injuns had come to the open door 

 of the room where he lay helpless an' fully expect- 

 ing to be murdered, an' how surprised an' glad he 

 was when they turned away without disturbin' him. 

 "Peacock had left no heirs on the place, an' 

 there was no one in this part of the country that 

 had any claim on it, so Rath an* Long decided to 

 abandon the ranch they had just begun to build 

 here at the Bend an' move up an* take possession 

 of Peacock's place, jumping the claim, same as 

 Peacock had done after Allison died. An' Rath 

 is holding it yet, but George Long quit the busi- 

 ness an* went back to the settlements got scared 

 out, I guess. Charley Rath barring the everlast- 

 ing danger from Injuns has got a bully good lay- 

 out in that Walnut Creek ranch, both for trade 

 of the road an* for Injun trade, for there he gits 

 part of the trade of Kiowas, Comanches, Chey- 

 ennes, an' 'Rapahoes; but it's more directly in the 

 Kiowa range than the others." 



108 



