CHAPTER XV
SILENT SAUNDERS
One after another, in the course of the two years following Collie'sarrival, the old riders of the Moonstone Rancho drifted away. Thereremained but Brand Williams the foreman, Collie, and the sturdy,hard-riding Miguel, a young Spanish vaquero who was devoted to but twothings in life, his splendid pinto pony, and the Moonstone Ranch.
The others had been lured to the new oil-fields up north--to theexcitement of Goldfield, or to Mexico City, where even more excitementpromised. In their stead came new men--Bud Light, Parson Long, BillyDime, and one Silent Saunders.
Louise became acquainted with the new men while riding with her uncle.She was his constant companion in the hills. One by one the new arrivalsbecame devoted to her. Her sincere interest in the ranch work pleasedthem, and naturally, for it was their work. Walter Stone was alsopleased with his niece's interest in the detail of the ranch work. Shewas as a daughter to him. Some day the property would be hers.
Fully conscious, from within herself, of her dependence upon her uncle,Louise managed to be of inestimable service. She performed herself-allotted tasks without ostentation. She had that rare quality ofstimulating enthusiasm among the men--enthusiasm for their work andpride in giving faithful and energetic service--pride in accomplishing alittle more each day than was asked or expected of them. Louise's youth,her beauty, her sincerity, and, above all, her absolute simplicity ofmanner commanded admiration and respect among the hard-riding Moonstoneboys. She was, to them, a "lady," yet a lady they could understand. Herswas a gentle tyranny. A request from her was deemed a great complimentby its recipient.
All of them, with the exception of Collie, openly praised herhorsemanship, her quiet daring, her uniform kindness. Her beauty hadceased to be commented upon. It was accepted by them as one accepts thefragrant beauty of a rose, naturally, silently, gratefully.
Collie had gained in height and breadth of shoulder. He no longer neededinstruction in managing broncho stock. He loved the life of the hills;the cool, invigorating mornings, the keen wind of the noon peaks, theplacidity of the evening as the stars multiplied in the peaceful sky.
He became that rare quantity among cowmen, a rider who handled andmastered unbroken horses without brutality. This counted heavily for himboth with Louise and Walter Stone. Men new to the range laughed at hismethod of "gentling" horses. Later their laughter stilled to enviousdesire. Lacking his invariable patience, his consistent magnetism, theyfinally resumed their old methods, and earned dominance by sheerstrength of arm--"main strength and awkwardness," as Williams put it.
"It's easy--for him," commented Brand Williams, discussing Collie'salmost uncanny quelling of a vicious, unbitted mustang. "It's easy. Youfellas expect a boss to buck and bite and kick and buffalo yougenerally. _He_ don't. He don't expect anything like that, and he don'tlet 'em learn how."
"Can you work it that way?" asked Billy Dime.
"Nope. I learned the other way and the bosses knows it. I always had tosweat. He's born to it natural, like a good cow-pony is."
And Collie looked upon his work as a game--a game that had to be playedhard and well, but a game, nevertheless. Incidentally he thought oftenof Overland Red. He had searched the papers diligently for a year,before he received the first letter from Overland. The news it containedset Collie to thinking seriously of leaving the Moonstone Rancho andjoining his old companion in this new venture of gold-digging which, asOverland took pains to explain, was "paying big." But there wasLouise.... They were great friends. They had even ridden to towntogether and attended the little white church in the eucalyptusgrove.... He thought of their ride homeward late that Sundayafternoon....
* * * * *
Once and once only had Overland's name been mentioned in the bunk-house.Saunders, discussing horses and riders in general, listened to Collie'saccount of Overland's escape from the deputy, Tenlow. Then he spokeslightingly of the feat, claiming that any man who had ever ridden rangecould do as much, with the right pony.
Brand Williams tried to change the subject, for shrewd reasons of hisown, but Collie flamed up instantly. "I got a little saved up," he said;"mebby eight hundred. She's yours if you dast to walk a horse, comin' orgoin', over that drift that Red took on the jump. Are you game?"
"I'm not on the bet," replied Saunders. "So Overland Red is a friend ofyours, eh?"
"Overland Red could ride where you dassent to walk and drag a halter,"asserted Collie. Then he relapsed to silence, a little ashamed in thathe had been trapped into showing temper.
Williams the taciturn astonished the bunk-house by adding: "The kid isright. Red could outride most men. I was his pal once, down in Sonora.There ain't a better two-gun artist livin'." And the lean foreman lookedpointedly at Saunders.
Saunders smiled evilly. He had reason to believe that Williams hadspoken the truth.
* * * * *
A few weeks later, Williams, returning unexpectedly to the bunk-house,found Saunders changing his shirt preparatory to a ride to town. Therest of the boys were already on their way to the Oro Rancho across thevalley. Williams saw two puckered scars, each above the elbow onSaunders's bared arms.
"That was dam' good shootin'," said the foreman, indicating the other'sscarred arms.
"Fair," said Saunders gruffly.
"Takes a gun-artist to put a man out of business that way and not finishhim," said Williams, smiling.
"Cholo mix-up," said Saunders.
"And shootin' from the ground, at that," continued Williams. "And at afella on a horse. Easy to see that, for the both holes are slantin' up.The shootin' was done from below."
Saunders flushed. He was about to speak when Williams interrupted him."Makes me think of some of Overland Red's--that is, old Red JackSummers's fancy work. I don' know why," he drawled, and turning he leftthe bunk-house.
Collie, returning from a visit to the Oro Rancho that evening, was metby Williams. The latter was on foot.
"Drop into my shack after dark," said the foreman. Then he stepped backinto the bushes as the other men rode up.
The foreman's interview with Collie that evening was brief. It left alot to the imagination. "You said too much about Overland Red the othernight, when you was talkin' to Silent Saunders," said Williams. "He'stryin' to find out somethin'. I don't know what he's after. Keep youreye peeled and your teeth on the bit. That's all."