CHAPTER IX
Mr. Postil's Offer
Connie rushed forward and snatched the child up in her arms. With theriders bearing down upon her, she dived head foremost, rolling over andover at the side of the track. The horses thundered past, and were lostin a cloud of dust.
The crowd, thrilled by Connie's act of bravery, surged forward. In vainthe guards sought to keep the arena clear. Friendly hands seized Connieand the child, lifting them to their feet.
The little girl was crying piteously, but more from fright than becauseshe had been hurt. Her only injury was a slight bruise on her arm.
"Are you all right, Baby?" Connie asked.
"You threw me down in the dirt," the little girl said accusingly. "Justlook at my pretty dress! I'm not a baby either!"
"Of course you're not," agreed Connie soothingly. "What is your name?"
Just at that moment a stout gentleman came hurrying up. He caught thechild in his arms, hugging her tightly. Without saying a word he brushedthe child's disheveled hair out of her eyes and mopped the dirt from herface with his handkerchief.
"I don't believe she's hurt, sir," declared Connie. "Only shaken up abit."
The old gentleman seemed too shocked by the accident to make any reply.Connie started to move away.
"No, wait, please," he requested. "You saved my granddaughter's life. Imust talk with you."
"Anyone would have done the same, sir," Connie responded, smiling. "Ijust happened to be close to the fence."
"I saw it all," the old man declared. "You risked your life to save thechild. It was magnificent."
"Oh, hardly that," said Connie, flushing with embarrassment.
"I didn't know Doris had wandered away until I saw her on the track,"the old gentleman went on. "I was stunned--paralyzed for I thoughtsurely she would be killed. The child is all I have in the world."
"I quite understand," Connie murmured.
"I haven't told you my name," the man said offering an engraved card. "Iam James Postil."
Connie, after introducing herself, glanced at the card, noticing that itbore a New York address. She remarked that Mr. Postil was a long wayfrom home.
"Yes, I am spending my vacation in the Southwest," he explained. "Mygranddaughter and I came out here to live at one of these dude ranchesfor a few weeks."
"I hope you found a nice place and that you're having an enjoyabletime," Connie said pleasantly.
"It hasn't turned out that way yet. I was looking for a nice, quietranch where Doris could run wild and grow healthy and strong. Perhapsyou've heard of Silverhorn Ranch?"
"Oh, yes," nodded Connie, "only it isn't really a ranch at all. Don'tyou find it more on the order of a big tourist hotel?"
"That's it exactly! Something going on from morning to night. I've madeup my mind to move out. But you're not interested in my difficulties.Tell me about yourself."
"There is really nothing to tell," said Connie evasively.
"You are too modest, I fear," smiled the old gentleman. "I remember younow. You are the young lady who won the bronco riding contest. Come,let's go somewhere away from the crowd. I'd like to talk with you."
By this time Connie had gathered that James Postil was a man ofconsiderable wealth, and she half suspected that he meant to offer hermoney for saving his grandchild. Of course she would refuse.
Mr. Postil seemed to sense the girl's attitude, for he led up to thesubject very gradually. First he told her more about himself. The headof a large manufacturing company in the east, he found himself atsixty-eight, lonely and alone in the world save for his one grandchild.
"I've done my best to raise her up right," he told Connie, "but Dorishas been too much under the care of a governess. That's why I cut loosethis summer and brought her out here. I thought I'd try to give her alittle personal looking-after. So far the idea hasn't turned out verywell."
"You'll probably find a more satisfactory place to stay than SilverhornRanch, Mr. Postil. I can understand that it wouldn't be suitable forDoris at all."
"Here I am, talking about myself again," declared Mr. Postil. "I've notgiven you an opportunity to tell me a thing about yourself."
Connie had not meant to reveal any of her personal troubles, but shefound the old gentleman a most sympathetic listener. He interposed aquestion here and there and before she knew it he had learned the entirestory of her financial difficulties.
"I don't believe you need to worry any more," Mr. Postil said briskly."How much is your bank loan?"
"Oh, I didn't mean----"
"I know you didn't, young lady," smiled Mr. Postil, "but it happens thatI owe you a great debt for saving the life of my grandchild. Doris meansmore to me than anything in the world. Now I'll be only too happy togive you enough money----"
"Oh, no," broke in Connie. "I couldn't take a penny."
"Call it a loan then."
Connie was sorely tempted but she shook her head.
"I really think I'll be able to weather the storm unaided," sheinsisted. "With the seven hundred and fifty dollars I won today, I'llfix the ranch up a bit and advertise for summer boarders. Then if thebank learns I am going ahead in a profitable way, my note may beextended."
Mr. Postil asked Connie many questions about Rainbow Ranch. With noconscious attempt to exaggerate she described the wonderful fishingstreams and the lake.
"We have an extra special attraction, too," she added. "The ruins ofancient cliff dwellings. My father discovered them in the canyon yearsago, and experts say they are in as fine a state of preservation as anyruins in the Southwest."
"Why, you have everything at your ranch," declared Mr. Postilenthusiastically. "I've been trying to find just such a place. How abouttaking Doris and me as your first paying guests?"
"Why, I'd like to have you," Connie stammered, "only the ranch houseisn't fixed up. The food would be plain and there wouldn't be anyfrills."
"That's exactly what I want," Mr. Postil insisted. "I'll tell you whatI'll do. I'll finish out the week at Silverhorn, then Monday morningI'll come to your place, and I may be able to round up a few otherguests for you. Here's a couple weeks' board and room money in advance."
The old gentleman handed her two bills.
"Why, you've given me a hundred dollars!" Connie protested. "I can'taccept that much."
"Take it, take it," Mr. Postil urged carelessly. "I'm a very cranky oldman and require a lot of service. You'll find it will be worth that muchto keep me."
Connie was quite overcome by her good fortune. She tried to thank Mr.Postil for his generosity.
"I'm doing myself the service," he declared. "I'll get busy right awayand see if I can't locate those friends of mine. If I have any luck I'llsend you word."
"But you've not even seen the ranch," Connie protested. "You may notlike it at all."
"I have no worry on that score," said Mr. Postil confidently.
After he and Doris had walked away, Connie stood for several minuteswith the money held tightly in her hand. It did not seem possible thatso many wonderful things could have happened in one day. Yet it wastrue.
"I can't help but succeed if Mr. Postil brings his rich friends to theranch," she thought excitedly. "But I'll need to hire extra householdhelp and redecorate the bedrooms. Oh, I have a million things I mustdo."
Connie wandered about the rodeo ground searching for Alkali or Lefty.She felt she had to tell someone about her good fortune, but apparentlyboth cowboys had drifted away from the arena.
Finally she gave up the search, and presenting her check at the rodeooffice, received cash in the amount of seven hundred and fifty dollars.Connie pinned the bills together and fastened the roll inside her shirtpocket.
It was after six o'clock by the time she rode Silvertail out of thegrounds. The streets still swarmed with people and Red Gulch would be alively place until the small hours of the morning. But Connie was eagerto get back home.
The sky in the west gl
owed rosy pink and slowly darkened. On either sideof the lonely road the limestone cliffs were a blaze of reflected color.Connie rode slowly, enjoying the twilight.
As she cantered along she made her plans. With eight hundred and fiftydollars she could remodel the ranch house, hire another Mexican woman tohelp Marie, and still have money left. With even a few paying guests shesoon would have all her debts paid.
Connie whistled a gay little tune. For the first time since she hadreturned home from the East, she felt entirely happy.
The sun dropped below the horizon line and the distant mountains seemedto cast their dark shadow over the earth. A chill wind sprang up,rustling the ragged branches of the gnarled cedars.
Connie shivered and drew her jacket more closely about her. She couldfeel the cold numbing her fingers.
Rainbow Ranch was still many miles away. The narrow road wound andtwisted as it steadily climbed toward Eagle Pass. Just ahead was a shorttunnel bored in the rock. As they approached it, Silvertail quivered andpricked up his ears.
"What's the matter, old boy?" Connie asked softly.
She thought someone might be approaching from the opposite direction butshe heard no one. It had grown so dark that she could not see far ahead.Yet for some reason Connie shared Silvertail's uneasiness.
She rode into the tunnel. As the walls closed in about her, she glancednervously over her shoulder. It was as if she could feel a presence. Yetof course there could be no one in the tunnel.
Connie breathed easier as she saw a circle of light ahead. The tunnelhad not been longer than fifty feet yet it had seemed six times thatlength.
Connie relaxed in the saddle, and just at that moment, as she emergedfrom the tunnel, she heard a horse nicker from the bushes at the side ofthe road.
Before she could turn her head to look, a man rode out in front of her,deliberately blocking the way. A blue bandana handkerchief had beenpulled high over his mouth, and a revolver dangled carelessly from hishand.
"Pass over the money," he said in a low, grim voice. "And don't try anytricks!"