Free Slaughter's way by John Thomas Edson Page B

what might happen when associating with evil bad-whites like them ornery brothers.
    Bess looked like butter would have a hard time melting in her mouth as she sat facing her husband along the table in the dining room, with Washita Trace at her left and Tex Burton on the right side. Coonskin served the food equally without expression, setting down the plate with the red border before his boss and continuing to serve the other two men.
    On his first taste of the stew. Slaughter looked along the table and studied his wife's face. Both she and Coonskin knew that he did not take pepper on his food, and yet, unless he was mistaken, somebody had piled a fair slew of it on his stew. One glance told Slaughter that his wife had not forgotten his tastes and being a good, sensible husband, he carried on eating, taking his punishment like a man. He only hoped tihat Bess was not so riled that she had oversugared his coffee.
    The meal went by without any other retaliatory measures being taken, and after eating the three men gathered by the fireplace, sitting in comfortable chairs as they discussed the running of the ranch. While talking, John Slaughter and Washita Trace cleaned their Colts and Tex Burton knew enough about guns to see both men's weapons had been fired that day. He asked

    no questions, but told what he and the ranch crew accomplished during the day.
    '"We cut near on all the marketable stuff out of the pet alia,'' Burton said, nodding his thanks to Coonsldn as the latter brought a tray of drinks to them. "I reckon another day's cutting ought to see us with three thousand head ready to move out/'
    "Keep the boys at it in the morning," Slaughter replied. "\Ve'll need eighteen hands for the trail crew, Tex. I don't want to take more than ten of the regular hands. Unless Wash can't handle things if I take the ten."
    "Reckon I can get by," Trace answered. "Happen anything comes up, I can likely take a couple or so hands on."
    TDo that, Wash. Tex, how about the other eight we'll need?"
    "I've been passing word around, likely theyTl be along."
    Bess left her husband and the men to their talking. Not that they sat for long, for none of them believed in wasting time in idle gossip. All three would be up at da\^Ti and could look forward to at least ten hours of hard work the following day, so all aimed to catch all the sleep they could. Once the trail drive started, sleep was a thing nobody managed to get enough of. Nor would the depleted crew at the ranch be in much better position to get their heads on a pillow, for they would each be doing the work of two men.
    After seeing his men out Slaughter returned to the sitting room. He found Coonsldn had finished work for the day and just returning from allowing the blue-tick a chance to relieve itself outside.
    "Did you put that pepper on my stew?" he growled
    "Who, sah, me, sah?"
    "Yes, sir, you, sir!"
    "Why, not me, sah," Coonskin replied. "And I wishes to state that whoever done it has my sympathy."
    "Has, huhr
    **Yes, sah. Mr. John, sh—^whoever it was sure has. 60

    Why we all was worried plumb all ways when you never come back/'
    "I came back/' Slaughter pointed out.
    '"Yes, sir. But not until after you d got us all worrying"
    With that Coonskin took his hiuried departure. Slaughter watched his cook go and treated himself to one of his rare grins. While he could not see why his crew hked him, it seemed like they did. However, there was an important matter to be dealt with. Mrs. Slaughter must be taught that she could not get away with putting pepper in his stew.
    Taldng up his gunbelt, Slaughter glanced at the blue-tick, who had already settled down on a chair by the fire.
    *'Don t ever get married, Blue," he advised and went to the table to blow out the lamp.
    The moment Slaughter entered his bedroom, he saw that Mrs. Slaughter expected stirring times. She only wore that flimsy nightdress when she wanted to take his mind oflF something; like when she bought a hat for more than it