VII
THE HAPPENING IN SQUAW CREEK CANON
Busy days followed for Judith Sanford and for every man remaining uponBlue Lake ranch. A score of men, including the milkers, Johnson, theirrigation foreman and his crew of laborers, had quit work, going overopenly to Bayne Trevors at the Western Lumber camp. He had work therefor every man of them, and Judith was not the only one upon the ranchwho came to wonder how much money Trevors--or the lumber company--wasprepared to spend in fighting her. From the first day she found theoutfit short-handed.
Almost her first answer to Trevors's _coup_ was to telegraph SanFrancisco for a Firth milking-machine, together with an expert sent outby the Firth Company to install and superintend its working for thefirst few days. At the same time she hired from one of the Sacramentodairies a man who was to be foreman of her own dairy industry, acapable fellow with an intimate practical knowledge of automaticmilkers. He, with a couple of strippers paid overtime wages manageduntil the dairy crew could be builded up again. Her new foreman fromthe first took the greater part of this burden off her shoulders.
Mrs. Simpson, the matron from Rocky Bend, arrived, true to her promiseand, motherly soul that she was, took a keen interest in Judith'scomforts and in caring for the big house, of which she immediatelywaxed proud with an air of semiproprietorship. Jose, from the first,bestowed upon the cheerful, bustling woman a black hatred born of histhoroughgoing Latin jealousy. From this or that corner, appearingunexpectedly, glaring darkly at her in a manner which ruffled herplacidity and suggested to her lively imagination terrible visions ofknives in one's back, he brought an actual thrill into Mrs. Simpson'slong days of routine.
Busy days also for Bud Lee, who had already begun the education of astring of colts. Busy days for Doc Tripp who, unhampered, trusted,aided at every turn by his employer, was from dawn until dark among theranch live stock, all but feeling pulse and taking temperature ofhorses, cows, colts, calves, hogs, and mules. He stopped the calfsickness; effected cures in every case excepting one. And the rest ofthe stock he finally gave a clean bill of health.
Busy days for Carson. Painstakingly he estimated, to the head, thenumber of cattle the pastures should be carrying, counting from longexperience upon the hard months to come from August until December;estimating values; appearing at the week's end to suggest the purchaseof a herd of calves from the John Peters Dairy Company, to be had nowat a very attractive figure. And suggesting, almost insistently, uponbuying a certain Shorthorn bull worth twice the twelve hundred dollarsasked for him. Busy days for the foremen who had held over from themanagement of Trevors or who had been taken on since. The first cropof alfalfa, shot through with foxtails, must be cut without delay andfed into the silos before the beards of the interloping growth couldharden. Busy days for the short-handed milking crew; busy days ofinstalling the new milking-machines.
Judith and Doc Tripp had sought to find some trace of the man who,Judith insisted, had listened at the door in the hall. They had foundnothing. So that episode, as well as Trevors himself, was shoved asidein their minds, in the stress of activity demanding attentioneverywhere.
With Saturday came Pollock Hampton and his guests. Trevors hadmisnamed him a fool, sweepingly mistaking youth, business inexperienceand a careless way, for lack of brains. Just a breezy young fellow,likable, gay-hearted, keen for the joy of life, scarcely more than aboy after all. One of those rare beings whose attitude toward hisfellow mortals was one of generous faith, who sought to see the best inpeople, who had an outspoken admiration for efficiency in any form. Hecame to the ranch prepared to like everything and everybody.
"Look here!" he exclaimed to Judith, before she had had time for morethan a sweeping appraisal of his friends. "Why didn't you tell me youwere up to a thing like this? Great Scott, Judith, you don't know whatyou are tackling, do you? It's ripping of you; you're a sheer wonderto tie into it; you've got no end of nerve. But running a ranch likethis--why, it's a big proposition for a thunderingly big man to swing."
"Is it?" smiled Judith.
Beyond that, the only answer he got from this brief conference was thetimely suggestion that his chief concern for the immediate present layin making his guests comfortable.
Accompanying young Hampton were "Major" Langworthy, a little short,fat, bald gentleman, who, so far as the knowledge of his club memberswent, had never been connected with any part of the army or navy,unless one counted his congenial brigades of cocktail drinkers; Mrs.Langworthy, his supercilious, uninteresting wife; Marcia, his languidlygraceful daughter, in whom Hampton gave certain signs of beingconsiderably interested; Marshal Rogers, the Oakland lawyer, and FrankFarris, the artist. Also Marcia's maid and Hampton's Japanese valet,Fujioki. In due course of time this representative of the FloweryKingdom grew to be great friends with Jose, the two forthwith suspectedby Mrs. Simpson of all sorts of dark plots and of a racial sympathywhich must be watched lest it produce "something terrible."
Pollock Hampton, holding a third of the shares of the big venture, withhis legitimate claim upon a third of the income, was of course a factorwhich must be taken into account. Judith, knowing little of him,sought to know more, watched him when he was talking, got his viewsupon many matters that came up haphazard, and found that, while sheliked him, she would have been more than glad if he had not come tostill further complicate matters for her. For it was open and shutthat his interest and enthusiasm would demand a voice. She askedfrankly how long he planned to stay?
"I'm here for good," he answered cheerfully. His explanation followedwith a grin, quite as though he were telling her of some rare goodnews: "Money's all gone, creditors are nuisances, there's no prospectwith you here of having you send me anything. What is left for me butto stay?"
Judith suggested a monthly allowance. Hampton laughed good-humoredly.
"Pay me to keep me out of the way? There's nothing stirring, Judith.Absolutely. I'm here to give a hand."
Judith had hopes, even yet, that a couple or weeks or a month at themost, of life as it runs forty miles from a railroad would dampen andfinally extinguish his bright enthusiasm. But swiftly those hopesdied. This was his first visit to the mountains, and for a man sick ofthe city's social round, every inch of the ranch, river and cliffs androlling hills had its compelling interest. Perhaps the thing whichJudith overlooked was the blood of his fathers. For before PollockHampton, Sr., had made his money, he and his wife had been, like LukeSanford, pioneers. Now something in the mountains here called vaguelyto the soul of young Hampton and made him restless and stirred hisheart. He looked up at the sheer and mighty fall of rock behind theranchhouse and his face glowed; he leaned over the rail of a rusticbridge and forgot Marcia, who was with him, as he watched the beauty ofthe foam-flecked water. As he stood stock-still, looking on while BudLee rode a bucking bronco, his eyes were bright and eager.
"Glory to be!" he exclaimed to the major, who had been coaxed away fromthe buffet for a brief half-hour. "Watch that man ride! While I'vebeen learning to dance and play the piano these men have been doingreal things."
"Let's go have something," said the major hurriedly. For it did notfit in with his and Mrs. Langworthy's plans to have Hampton risk hisneck at such pastimes--at least not yet.
It soon became obvious that long ago Hampton had given freely of hisadmiration to Bayne Trevors. For Trevors had taken the time, his ownpurpose in mind, to look in upon Hampton some months ago in SanFrancisco. Further, he had created the impression which he sought tomake. An impression, by the way, not entirely erroneous.
"A great man!" cried Hampton warmly. "The only man I know big enoughto swing a job like this."
To himself he said that the chief good he could do at the outset was towork to get Trevors back. With this in his mind and having had no fullaccount of Judith's manner of ejecting the general manager, he wentstraight to her.
"Trevors is a friend of mine," he said lightly. "I'm going to ask himover to meet my guests. No object
ion, is there?"
She looked at him keenly.
"Do as you please," was her cool answer. "I imagine he won't care tocome."
Launched upon his first business venture, Hampton went to thetelephone. That evening at table he surprised Judith not a little whenhe said casually that Trevors had said he'd run over in a day or so, assoon as he could find time.
"What's that?" he asked, breaking off.
For certainly Judith had started to speak. But now she merely shruggedher shoulders and sat in silent thoughtfulness.
Mrs. Langworthy had no liking to bestow upon such as Judith. The girl,she confided every night to the major, was unladylike, unwomanly,_outre_, horsy, unthinkable, an insult to any woman into whose presenceshe came. The major agreed monosyllabically or with silent nods forthe sake of peace. Personally he was rather inclined to fancy Judith'suncorseted figure, to admire her red-blooded beauty, and he alwaystouched up the ends of his mustaches in her presence.
Judith, having early taken Mrs. Langworthy's measure, found an impishjoy in murdering the proprieties for her especial benefit. She said"Damn" upon occasions when Mrs. Langworthy was there to hear; she rodeher horse at a gallop into the yard and right up to the veranda whenMrs. Langworthy was there to see, swinging down as her mount jerked tostandstill, as "ladylike" about it all as a wild Comanche; at table shetalked of prize boars and sick calves and other kindred vulgar matters.
But the major admired her; Marcia, as days went by, proved to be asweet-tempered, somewhat timid, but highly good-natured, affectionatecreature generously offering her good-will; and Rogers, the lawyer, andFarris, the artist, both of the sophisticated, self-sufficient type,were little behind the major in interest.
During the last week of May, a rumor came to Judith's ears of which, atfirst, she thought little. Carson, coming to her upon a bit of ranchbusiness, remarked dryly before taking his departure, that a report hadgot around among his men--Poker Face had mentioned it to him--that BlueLake ranch was on its last legs; that it was even to be doubted, if themen ever saw another pay-day before the whole affair went into areceiver's hands. Judith laughed at him and told him not to worry.
"Me?" said Carson. "I'm not the worrying kind. But idees like thatain't good to have floating around. A man won't do more'n half workwhen he's wondering all the time if he's going to get his mazuma forit."
But, when again the rumor came, this time telephoned up to her from theLower End by Doc Tripp, she frowned and wondered. And she was careful,upon the thirtieth of May, to send Charlie Miller, the storekeeper,into Rocky Bend for the monthly pay-roll money. She gave him her checkfor one thousand dollars which, with what was in Charlie's safe at thestore and in her own here, would more than pay the monthly wages.Charlie left for Rocky Bend in the afternoon, spending the night intown to get the customary morning start for the ranch. The men were tobe paid at six o'clock.
Upon this same day Pollock Hampton told Judith that Bayne Trevors wascoming to the ranch to have dinner, spend the night and the followingday. Judith made no reply beyond favoring him with a quick look ofquestion. She had not believed that the man would come. What next?
The last day of May came, and true to his premise, Trevors was a guestat the house from which, so short a time ago, he had been evicted. Hedined there that night, cool and self-confident, casually polite toJudith, civil and courteous to the other guests, especially to Majorand Mrs. Langworthy and Marcia, leading conversations unobtrusively,making himself liked. He watched a game of billiards, but refused toplay, saying carelessly that he had a stiff shoulder. He and Hamptonstrolled out into the starlight and for some two or three hours walkedup and down, talking quietly.
"A gentleman!" cried Mrs. Langworthy with spirit. "It just shows thata person can do out-doors work and not sink back into the barbarian!"
The morning after Trevors's arrival, Judith was up betimes andbreakfasted alone. Lunching early, noon found her in the officeexpecting Charlie Miller. She was at work on the pay-roll book whenher telephone rang. It was Doc Tripp and there was suppressedexcitement in his voice.
"Bad news, Judy," he began. "It sure looks as though you were gettingyour share."
"What is it, Doc?" she broke in sharply. "Tell me!"
"It's Charlie Miller. Hurt. No, not bad. Thrown off his horse, backin Squaw Creek canon. And--robbed."
Quickly he told all that had happened. Miller, hastening back with thewage money, was riding through the narrow gorge when a man had sprungout suddenly in front of him. Miller's horse, shying, swervingunexpectedly, had thrown him. Before he could get to his feet the bagof gold under his coat had been torn off, his revolver wrenched awayand the highwayman, his face masked with a red bandana handkerchief,had run into the thick timber.
"Charlie just walked in, reeling like a drunken man," Tripp concluded."His fall and a rap over the head with a gun-butt have made him prettysick. I am sending out a posse of men from this end to try and get thestick-up man. You'd better do the same up there."
For a moment Judith sat staring at the telephone dully. Robbed of athousand dollars, and in broad daylight! A thing like this had notoccurred on the Blue Lake for a dozen years.
"Bayne Trevors!" she gasped. For, suddenly, she thought that sheunderstood the significance of the rumor which had twice in a week cometo her. Perhaps, as Tripp himself had said, she was getting nerves.Trevors himself was on the ranch right now. . . . Her two fistsclinched. Yes, Trevors was here with triple purpose: To curry favorwith Hampton against a possible need of it, to establish an alibi forhimself, to witness Judith's discomfiture, when at six o'clock she mustturn the men away with an excuse.