Part 5

“Me?” countered Joe. “I wasn’t there. I come over today with the bunch to see if I couldn’t help rescue the lad lef’ behind. Also to spread a little peace talk.”

“Jingle Bell,” maintained Indigo with dignity, “has suffered long enough. Why, that nice little town has been a vale o’ tears goin’ on twenty years now. All because o’ Big Elk--” He bogged down there and had to lean on Joe for data. “Say, what caused this scrappin’ in the first place?”

“Don’t you know what yore fightin’ for?” demanded Joe.

“Oh,” said Indigo, waving an arm vaguely, “it looked ’sif they needed help.”

“Listen,” drawled Joe, grinding his cigarette into the earth. “Thirty years ago, Big Elk took the county seat away from Jingle Bell----”

“A blamed outrage!” broke in Indigo.

“--and the towns have been scrappin’ ever since. But lately it’d have died down if certain parties hadn’t sorter fed the flames to keep it goin’. Savee? Well, the sheriff is naturally a Big Elk gent. His life wouldn’t be worth a plugged dime in Jingle Bell. So every time any son-of-a-gun wants to escape the wrath o’ justice he hides out in Jingle Bell. These certain parties know that. They need this kind o’ protection.”

“What parties--what for?”

“Rustlin’,” murmured Joe. “They’s two jaspers at the top o’ the heap. One is a fella by name o’ Sweeny, from Big Elk. The other holes up at Jingle Bell. Monicker’s Gabe Wales.”

“That hop-toad!” snorted Indigo. “Allus shootin’ off his face about Big Elk.”

“Shore. Pays him to.”

* * * * *

Now Indigo was a forthright soul. Having once discovered an error in the universe, he was all for righting it. So naturally enough his first suggestion was for action. “Why not get these gents?”

“It would’ve been difficult--up to this mornin’,” answered Joe. “Only a few folks knew about it. I got good friends, which is how I knew. But this mornin’ Mister Sweeny made the mistake o’ venturin’ into Trent county an’ the sheriff nails him on an old charge. Before Sweeny dies he makes a complete statement of what it’s all about. Namin’ Gabe Wales. Of course, Jingle Bell wouldn’t believe the yarn if a Big Elk sheriff happened to tell it--so the Trent county sheriff is moseyin’ over to Jingle Bell to explain. Prob’ly there now.”

“So that caused all this ruckus,” murmured Indigo. “Well, it’s over now. I ain’t sorry. I’m sorter fatigued with fightin’.”

But Joe Breedlove was not finished. Whereas Indigo always wanted to wind up a matter as abruptly as possible, Joe loved to hemstitch a few artistic posies into human relations. Said he, “Yeah, it’s over. Now we’ll get both towns together at some place, have a banquet and formally bury the hatchet.”

Indigo looked coldly at his partner. “It won’t do. Nossir, it won’t do.”

“Why not?”

“I dunno why not,” said Indigo, not given to analysis. “But it won’t do.”

Joe, however, was set on his point. “It’ll be an experiment in the mutability o’ human nature.”

“I don’t reco’nize the word,” grumbled Indigo, “but it shore sounds harsh.”

Joe got up. “Of course, if you ain’t with me on the idea----”

“Who said I wasn’t with you?” barked Indigo--testily. “I only said it was an awful idee. If yore so daggone bound up in it, all right, I’m in. But you bet I’ll be ready to duck.”

They parted, each going to his horse and riding off. On the solitary trip to Jingle Bell, Indigo shook his head more than once. “Sometimes it seems to me Joe gets unnecessarily sentimental. It’ll be an awful bust.”

* * * * *

It was sunset when Indigo reached town. And before he could get off his horse, Petey and Ort came up to explain their retreat. “We figgered mebbe them Big Elk boys was tryin’ to run a whizzer on us. So we dusted for town. Didn’t know what had happened to you, anyhow. Say, heard the news? Gabe Wales is in jail, complicated with rustlin’.”

“Sad--very sad,” said Indigo, though he seemed to bear up well under the news.

“Sad?” snorted Petey. “Huh! You know what he an’ Sweeny of Big Elk was a-doin’? A-fomentin’ trouble between the two towns, so’s their crew o’ rustlers could have a safe harbor in time o’ trouble! Ain’t that sweet, now?”