CHAPTER XVI
THE SHOT IN THE NIGHT
It was dark when they drove into the grounds of the Gaylor ranch, andthe girls gave a gasp of surprise when they saw a regular avenue ofJapanese lanterns leading up to the main entrance.
"The Gaylor people certainly do things in style," Mason said inadmiration, as he brought the car to a stop in front of the porch.
The ranch house fairly blazed with different colored lanterns and asoft strain of music greeted their ears as Bruce Gaylor received themwith a shout of welcome. In his breezy Western style he introducedthem to his sisters and later to his parents and all the guests. Adance was in progress and Mason hastily made sure that he could havethe next one with Josephine. A moment later he signaled Bruce out andcalled him over to them.
"I must say you have surprised me this night, Bruce," he said gaily;"I didn't suppose you could put on so fine a show as this, and I wantto congratulate you. Why, this display matches our Eastern societydances. But there is one thing that sticks me, Bruce; you led me tosuppose you had but one sister, and now I find you have two."
"Yes, and hurry up and get them signed on your card. I will give you astraight tip, they are fine dancers," he answered jovially, seizingthe opportunity to ask Ethel for the next dance.
Mason had his dance with Josephine, and a little later when he came tolook over her card he discovered to his dismay that he could onlysecure one of the remaining dances. Her list contained the name of BudAnderson signed no less than six times.
When he mentioned this fact to her he thought her manner was a triflecool, and try his best, it put a damper on his spirits. He strolledmoodily out on the veranda where he could get a good view of thedancers. He lit a cigarette and was trying to enjoy a smoke when theorchestra struck up a waltz.
Josephine was dancing with Bud, and as they floated near to the windowwhere he stood, he saw that she was laughing and chatting gaily withhim. She certainly was paying particular attention to Bud thisevening, and Mason realized that she had never been so friendly tohim.
"Josephine loves Bud all right, and Jack, you are a damn fool to thinkshe cares for you any more than a friend," he mused, savagely grindingthe cigarette under his heel. "Bud has the inside track and he hasknown her since she was a kid. Oh, I am a damned fool all right, but Isure do love her. None of my Eastern girl friends ever made me feelthis way, and the Lord knows, I had plenty of them."
He heard the rustle of a dress and turning his back drew further intothe shadow. Footsteps sounded behind him and a hand was laid on hisshoulder.
Turning reluctantly around he saw the smiling face of his sistergazing at him.
"So, here you are, and I have been looking all over the hall for you,"she cried triumphantly, "but, why the grouch, brother? You look asthough you were attending a funeral instead of a dance."
"My head felt dull and I came out to get the air," he answered lamely.
Her eyes looked searchingly into his face.
"It is something more than that. Come, you can't fool me, your sister.I know your disposition too well. Tell me what the trouble is, Jack,and maybe I can help you out."
"Well," he began, desperately, "it's about Josephine. Have you noticedthat she is dancing more often with Bud than anyone else?"
"Meaning yourself, I suppose," she said with a laugh; "my, but howvain you men are, and I am sure you haven't any strings on her?"
"That's right, rub it in," he grumbled.
She was tapping her fan lightly on his shoulder and smiling queerly athim.
"Well, let me give you a tip and see if you know enough to takeadvantage of it. When you come to know girls a little better you willlearn to act quicker. Josephine hasn't said a word to me, but I know Iam right in this; she is merely dancing often with Bud to make youjealous."
"What makes you think that?" he demanded eagerly.
She was turning to go and fired a bomb over her shoulder.
"You certainly are slow. When you looked Josephine's dance card overearly in the evening you failed to put your name down for more thanone dance number."
She left him with a tantalizing smile, while he cursed himself for anidiot.
"And I promised her some extra dances, too," he groaned dismally;"Gee, Jack, you sure will have to square yourself somehow withJosephine, and I'll get that last dance with her or there will bemurder done here this night."
He did manage to get the last dance with her, but her manner stillcontinued cool towards him, and for all of his eager advances he felthe had made a dismal failure in winning her good graces.
The dance broke up at a late hour and Bruce Gaylor prevailed onMason's party to stay at the ranch over night, as he wanted to showthem about the place the next day. He clinched his argument with Masonby saying he could leave any time the next day and could make the runback to Bar X ranch in quick time with his car. Bruce had already wonEthel and Josephine over to his plan, and under the circumstancesMason could not very well refuse.
The cowboys had already left as they had their duties to perform atBar X. This left just Mason's party with Waneda and Tex, as Bruce haddecided the trip was too long for the Spanish girl to undertake in thedark, and as Tex had not fully recovered from his wound, the Gaylorpeople would not consent to his taking the ride back until the nextday.
The girls readily consented to the plan as they were fatigued from thedance, and when Mason finally turned in for the night he was tiredenough to thank Bruce most heartily for his hospitality.
The next morning he awoke considerably refreshed and looking at hiswatch he was surprised to find he had slept until nine A.M. He dressedhastily and going out into the ranch grounds found his host conductinghis sister and Josephine about the place.
Mason joined them and was told by his host that they had just startedfor the house to have breakfast.
"Then I am just in time," he said cheerfully, watching Josephineclosely to see if she showed any signs of relenting toward him. "I wasafraid I had made you all late by my tardiness."
They spent a pleasant morning about the ranch and Mason had to admirethe well kept buildings. The Gaylor ranch differed in design from theBar X ranch which was of a Colonial type of construction. The Gaylorranch was a magnificent building finished in stucco work, but Masonliked the Bar X ranch better, with its huge columns and strictlySouthern type. In the afternoon, Bruce provided horses and theystarted for a ride over the range.
"It won't make any difference if you people don't start back untilnight," Bruce insisted; "and by the way, Jack, if you need anygasoline I have plenty of it in the storehouse. We use a gasolineengine to do some of our work here and I see you have powerful lightson your car, so why worry?"
"Oh, that will be fine," Josephine cried in delight, "and I only hopewe will have a moonlight night."
"All right," Mason agreed, pleased beyond measure that the idea suitedhis girl, for he had come to the point of secretly calling Josephinehis girl now.
"I may have to call on you for gas at that, Bruce, although my tankwas full when I left the Bar X ranch. Safety first, you know."
If Josephine had held any vexation against Mason the night before, alltraces of it had vanished by now, and she graciously permitted him toride by her side while Bruce and Ethel rode slightly in advance ofthem. Both girls were in high spirits and the laughter and wittyrepartee that passed among them was sparkling with good humor. Therewas a charm about this girl at his side that drew him to her as amagnet draws steel. Unconsciously Mason pressed his horse closer tohers until he was aware that she was smiling at him under almostclosed lashes.
"I don't see any occasion for you to try and run my horse down," shesaid, smiling at him.
He eased his horse away, feeling provoked at himself.
"There, that's better," she said gently; "I suppose the first thing Iknow you will be trying to make love to me again."
"I will most certainly if I get you out alone in my car sometime."
"That makes me think of something
. You promised to teach me how todrive, and if you remember, the last time I tried it was when we wentto Trader's Post. You know I am very anxious to learn."
"Just as soon as we get home again I will promise to take you out andkeep you at it until you do learn, and I will tell you truly that youdid fine that day."
"Yes, just about like you promised me those extra dances last night,"Josephine was pouting prettily now.
"You seemed to be enjoying yourself immensely with Bud last night, Ithought," he said surlily. It was a tender spot with him.
"And why not? He's a splendid dancer."
Her eyes were dancing with mischief as she fenced words with him likea skilful swordsman.
He flung his hands up in mock despair.
"A truce," he cried gaily, "I solemnly swear to make you an expertdriver the first time we go for an automobile ride. Now, does thatsuit you, my Princess?"
"Yes, and I will hold you to your promise, Sir Jack."
"You see," he continued, "in making you that promise I have secretdesigns on you."
Her blue eyes opened wide.
"And what are they?"
"That I have hope of succeeding in keeping you away from Bud Andersonfor a short time, at least," he answered.
Josephine laughed a silvery laugh.
"What in the world are you two chatting about?" Ethel called back tothem.
"Sir Jack just said something funny," Josephine answered, smilingroguishly at him.
"It may seem funny to you; but I mean it," he said frowning.
"My, but you can get serious at times, Sir Jack."
Ethel fell back and joined in the conversation, and Mason had to standsome good natured raillery from the girls until Bruce came to hisrescue by calling his attention to a group of riders on their right.
They were less than a quarter of a mile away and were riding slowly onalmost a parallel line with Bruce's party. There appeared to be fourmen in the group, and Mason looked at them in surprise.
"Wonder where those fellows came from," he observed; "queer we didn'tsee them before this."
"They just broke out from behind that knoll," Bruce answered,indicating with a wave of his hand a rise in the plain. "And theydon't belong on my ranch either," he continued; "my men never ridethis range only in pairs. They seem to be observing us pretty closetoo. Shall we ride over their way?"
Mason started to agree, but the girls put up such a protest against itthat he abandoned the idea. On second thought he reasoned it would bedoing the girls an injustice if the strangers should turn out to beenemies and a fight might be the result.
They were too far away to make out their features and he noticed witha feeling of relief that they had spurred their horses and weresetting rapidly off in a different direction.
"Did you recognize any of those men, Mr. Gaylor?" Josephinequestioned.
"No," he answered guardedly with a sidelong glance at Mason. "Thedistance was too great to make out their features."
Afterwards on their way back to the ranch, Bruce seizing a favorableopportunity, confided to Mason in an undertone that he was sure he hadrecognized one of the men as Spot Wells.
"Well, don't let the girls know, as it would worry them to death," hecautioned Bruce after he had recovered from his surprise. "I am morethan glad that we didn't start after them as there would have been ahot fight on our hands. I know the girls have been enjoying thisouting immensely, thanks to you, old man, and I don't want anything tohappen to mar their happiness. What makes you think one of them wasSpot Wells? I couldn't have told my own father at that distance."
"I didn't recognize him until they turned their horses and started toride off," Bruce answered. "I can tell Spot Wells by the way he rides;he used to be a jockey and has never gotten over the habit of ridingwell forward on a horse's neck. Just as they started off I noticed himtake that position."
"Now that you mention the fact, I noticed one of them rode in adifferent style when they started that spurt," Mason admitted.
The girls were riding up closer to them, putting a stop to theirconversation, and commenced to banter them for neglecting theircharges.
It was well towards evening when they arrived at the ranch and aftersupper Mason got his car out and looked at the sky. There was not astar in sight. Bruce wanted them to remain over and start early thenext morning, but Josephine would not hear to it. Mason seated thegirls and switched the powerful lights on.
"I'm sorry we haven't the nice moonlight night you wished for,Josephine," he said.
"Oh, I don't care, when we have such fine lights as you have on yourcar," she answered naively: "isn't it wonderful? Why, I can see thetrail just as well as in the day time."
He smiled at her childlike enthusiasm. This Western girl couldappreciate a ride in a fast car at night with the trail lighted upwith powerful headlights. It appealed to her fancy as she had spentall her life riding the range on horseback, but when it came night shehad to spend her time about the ranch house.
Mason wondered what would be her thoughts if she could see FifthAvenue in New York at night with its countless automobiles and glaringheadlights. He mentally resolved that she should see them if it lay inhis power, and the only bar to his ambition lay in Bud Anderson. Thethought almost caused him to groan out loud, when suddenly he realizedthat the object of his thoughts was regarding him gravely.
"Sir Jack," she cried with an attempt at severity.
He turned and looked at her guiltily.
"If you are going to sit there and moon-gaze when there isn't anymoon, then I will have to take the wheel and drive. Here comes Mr.Gaylor to say good-bye to us."
Mason thanked his host warmly for his hospitality. Ethel and Josephinejoined in by asking him to visit Bar X ranch and bring his sisters topay them a call. On his promise to come when he found an opportunity,Mason started the car off amid a loud roar from the motor. It was adelightful night for a ride as the day had been hot and the soft coolnight air in their faces with the humming of the motor almost lulledthem to sleep. The girls had little to say, being content to lie backand enjoy the ride, watching the trail shown by the glare of theheadlights.
Half the distance to Bar X had been covered, when the night airfreshening up a bit, he ordered the girls to wrap themselves up morewarmly.
He had slowed the car down considerably while this was beingaccomplished, and then seeing that his charges were again madecomfortable, he started the car off at a high rate of speed.
The car was easily taking the rises in the trail at this new speed andMason was figuring that they would arrive at Bar X in about a halfhour.
Suddenly they were startled by the sharp crack of a rifle causing thegirls to scream in terror, while one of the rear tires blew out with aloud report. For a moment the car plunged wildly, and Mason with hisface drawn white managed by a supreme effort to bring it undercontrol.