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out with the Cavalry； and it's still a hell of a good gun。 I had her out trying her this afternoon。 She don't throw much of a slug but you can hit things with her。〃
He had put the gun back in the drawer in the cabinet where it belonged； but the next day he took it out and he had ridden up to the top of the high country above Red Lodge； with Chub； where they had built the road to Cooke City now over the pass and across the Bear Tooth plateau； and up there where the wind was thin and there was snow all summer on the hills they had stopped by the lake which was supposed to be eight hundred feet deep and was a deep green color； and Chub held the two horses and he climbed out on a rock and leaned over and saw his face in the still water； and saw himself holding the gun； and then he dropped it； holding it by the muzzle； and saw it go down making bubbles until it was just as big as a watch charm in that clear water； and then it was out of sight。 Then he came back off the rock and when he swung up into the saddle he gave old Bess such a clout with the spurs she started to buck like an old rocking horse。 He bucked her out along the shore Qf the lake and as soon as she was reasonable they went on back along the trail。
〃I know why you did that with the old gun； Bob；〃 Chub said。
〃Well； then we don't have to talk about it；〃 he had said。
They never talked about it and that was the end of Grandfather's side arms except for the saber。 He still had the saber in his trunk with the rest of his things at Missoula。
I wonder what Grandfather would think of this situation； he thought。 Grandfather was a hell of a good soldier； everybody said。 They said if he had been with Custer that day he never would have let him be sucked in that way。 How could he ever not have seen the smoke nor the dust of all those lodges down there in the draw along the Little Big Horn unless there must have been a heavy morning mist？ But there wasn't any mist。
I wish Grandfather were here instead of me。 Well； maybe we will all be together by tomorrow night。 If there should be any such damn fool business as a hereafter； and I'm sure there isn't； he thought； I would certainly like to talk to him。 Because there are a lot of things I would like to know。 I have a right to ask him now because I have had to do the same sort of things myself。 I don't think he'd mind my asking now。 I had no right to ask before。 I understand him not telling me because he didn't know me。 But now I think that we would get along all right。 I'd like to be able to talk to him now and get his advice。 Hell； if I didn't get advice I'd just like to talk to him。 It's a shame there is such a jump in time between ones like us。
Then； as he thought； he realized that if there was any such thing as ever meeting； both he and his grandfather would be acutely embarrassed by the presence of his father。 Any one has a right to do it； he thought。 But it isn't a good thing to do。 I understand it； but I do not approve of it。 _Lache_ was the word。 But you _do_ understand it？ Sure； I understand it but。 Yes； but。 You have to be awfully occupied with yourself to do a thing like that。
Aw hell； I wish Grandfather was here； he thought。 For about an hour anyway。 Maybe he sent me what little I have through that other one that misused the gun。 Maybe that is the only communication that we have。 But； damn it。 Truly damn it； but I wish the time…lag wasn't so long so that I could have learned from him what the other one never had to teach me。 But suppose the fear he had to go through and dominate and just get rid of finally in four years of that and then in the Indian fighting； although in that； mostly； there couldn't have been so much fear； had made a _cobarde_ out of the other one the way second generation bullfighters almost always are？ Suppose that？ And maybe the good juice only came through straight again after passing through that one？
I'll never forget how sick it made me the first time I knew he was a _cobarde_。 Go on； say it in English。 Coward。 It's easier when you have it said and there is never any point in referring to a son of a bitch by some foreign term。 He wasn't any son of a bitch； though。 He was just a coward and that was the worst luck any man could have。 Because if he wasn't a coward he would have stood up to that woman and not let her bully him。 I wonder what I would have been like if he had married a different woman？ That's something you'll never know； he thought； and grinned。 Maybe the bully in her helped to supply what was missing in the other。 And you。 Take it a little easy。 Don't get to referring to the good juice and such other things until you are through tomorrow。 Don't be snotty too soon。 And then don't be snotty at all。 We'll see what sort of juice you have tomorrow。
But he started thinking about Grandfather again。
〃George Custer was not an intelligent leader of cavalry； Robert；〃 his grandfather had said。 〃He was not even an intelligent man。〃
He remembered that when his grandfather said that he felt resentment that any one should speak against that figure in the buckskin shirt； the yellow curls blowing； that stood on that hill holding a service revolver as the Sioux closed in around him in the old Anheuser…Busch lithograph that hung on the poolroom wall in Red Lodge。
〃He just had great ability to get himself in and out of trouble；〃 his grandfather went on； 〃and on the Little Big Horn he got into it but he couldn't get out。
〃Now Phil Sheridan was an intelligent man and so was Jeb Stuart。 But John Mosby was the finest cavalry leader that ever lived。〃
He had a letter in his things in the trunk at Missoula from General Phil Sheridan to old Killy…the…Horse Kilpatrick that said his grandfather was a finer leader of irregular cavalry than John Mosby。
I ought to tell Golz about my grandfather； he thought。 He wouldn't ever have heard of him though。 He probably never even heard of John Mosby。 The British all had heard of them though because they had to study our Civil War much more than people did on the Continent。 Karkov said after this was over I could go to the Lenin Institute in Moscow if I wanted to。 He said I could go to the military academy of the Red Army if I wanted to do that。 I wonder what Grandfather would think of that？ Grandfather； who never knowingly sat at table with a Democrat in his life。
Well； I don't want to be a soldier； he thought。 I know that。 So that's out。 I just want us to win this war。 I guess really good soldiers are really good at very little else； he thought。 That's obviously untrue。 Look at Napoleon and Wellington。 You're very stupid this evening； he thought。
Usually his mind was very good company and tonight it had been when he thought about his grandfather。 Then thinking of his father had thrown him off。 He understood his father and he forgave him everything and he pitied him but he was ashamed of him。
You better not think at all； he told himself。 Soon you will be with Maria and you won't have to think。 That's the best way now that everything is worked out。 When you have been concentrating so hard on something you can't stop and your brain gets to racing like a flywheel with the weight gone。 You better just not think。
But just suppose； he thought。 Jus