Free The Way West by A. B. Guthrie Jr. Page B

smoked a pipe and then got up and started for the group.
   "Becky says come take supper with us," Evans told Summers.
   "I can make out."
   "Not accordin' to Becky. She says you won't get the proper victuals. Says you're to come now and regular, from here on."
   "That's good of her, you and her both. I'll see there's meat in the pot."
   "Shot with McBee's gun?" Evans grinned, looking down at the two rifles Summers carried.
   "That preacher," Summers said while he thought back, "damn if he would take money for Mattie's funerall"
   "Here, Rock! I thought he always had his hat out."
   "He preached his head off and wouldn't take pay. Said preachin' was one thing and funeralizin' another."
   "I be damned!"
   They walked past the cook fires, among the tents, between the Wagons, Evans being careful to see his dog followed at his heels. Later, camp would be pitched according to plan, with one wagon close behind another and joined to it with ox chains and the whole of them forming a circle so people could fort up in case of Indians; but now all was sprawled out every which way.
   Tadlock was holding court, you might say, calling on the inspectors for reports and nodding or frowning to them and marking on a piece of paper as he heard the figures. Fairman and Mack were with him, and other men had gathered around -Brother Weatherby, Brewer, Higgins, and some whose names Summers was just learning -Gorham, Carpenter, Byrd, Daugherty, Patch, Holdridge, Martin. They were a good-enough looking lot, saving one or two like McBee. Summers stepped over to McBee and handed him his rifle and stepped back.
   The sun had grown to a red ball in the sky-line haze. With its setting a wind came out of the west, fanning the fires that Summers saw as he looked around and making the women circle about to get out of the smoke. He could hear the first sounds of bugs, not the steady chirp and whir of crickets and katydids and grasshoppers that would come later, but just now and then the buzz of a new pair of wings. The tree frogs, though; sang a steady song, sounding thin and far off, and the whippoorwill called again.
   Tadlock looked up from his paper and saw Evans and Summers and said, "I'm glad you came. We didn't mean to have trouble over the dogs."
   Summers said, "Wasn't no real trouble."
   "With the consent of everyone here, I'm going to suspend the rule against dogs until we can have another general meeting, along the trail some place. Is that satisfactory?"
   "It will be," Evans answered, "if you change the rule."
   "That will be up to the company." Tadlock paused a minute. "But I think we will. No one wants the train to split up over such a little matter."
   The men were nodding or agreeing with words to what Tadlock said.
   McBee spoke loud, "That'ud suit me. I don't prize the job nohow."
   What Tadlock was saying, Summers thought, was that dogs would be allowed after all. It wasn't likely the subject ever would come up again.
   Tadlock said to Evans, "Have you finished your inspection?"
   "All done."
   "Well?"
   "Everything's all right, I reckon. I got the figures. Except well-it's this way, Brother Weatherby's short. Beggin' your pardon, Brother Weatherby, but you know you're way short."
   Weatherby turned his seamed face to Tadlock. Tadlock asked, "That right, Weatherby?"
   "Materially, yes."
   "You know the rules."
   "I'm going, short or not, with you or alone."
   "I wouldn't be stiff-necked."
   "The Lord will provide."
   Fairman's man, Hig, interrupted. "While you're gettin' stuff from Him, get me a new pair of pants, will you?" He hitched the worn pair he wore.
   Tadlock frowned, as if this was no time for fun. "It's all right to put your trust in the Lord, but trust alone won't pass, not with this company." Tadlock's voice was sharp, as if he was tired of figures and reports and wanted to get the chore finished and