CHAPTER XVII
THE RAISING OF THE SIEGE
They were splendid horsemen who rode to our assistance, and their beastsas fine; but a slight figure led them a clear length ahead. In anotherminute Gordon's men copied their leader, who trotted forward with hisbroad hat at his knee, and I rode bareheaded with--though I hadforgotten this--an ensanguined face, to greet the mistress ofBonaventure. She was glowing with excitement, and I had never seenanything equal the fine damask in her cheeks. She started at the sightof me, and then impulsively held out a well-gloved hand.
"I hope you are not badly hurt?" she said.
"Only cut a trifle," I answered, gripping the little hand fervently."You have done a great deal for us, and no doubt prevented seriousbloodshed. It was wonderfully----"
"Don't. It was not in any way wonderful. My father was absent when Mr.Boone brought me the news, and, as you know, I am responsible for theprosperity of Bonaventure in his absence. Our cattle were in jeopardy."
She ceased abruptly, and grew pale, while I felt ashamed when I saw thecause of it. My hands had been reddened from clearing my eyes, and gloveand wrist were foul with crimson stains. Courageous as she was, the girlhad sickened at the sight of them.
"I can't excuse myself. You must try to forgive me," I said. "Pleasedon't look at it."
Lucille Haldane promptly recovered from the shock of repulsion. "Howcould you help it--and you were hurt protecting our cattle. I can seethe brand on some," she said. "It was very foolish of me to show suchweakness."
"You must come back to the house with me at once and rest," I said. "I'mindebted to you, boys, but the best way you could help me would be todrive those cattle into the corral. Then, for you are probably tired andhungry, come up and see what Sally Steel can find for you."
The newcomers hesitated, and inquired whether they might not pursue andchastise our adversaries instead, but Lucille Haldane rebuked them. "Youwill do just what Rancher Ormesby tells you," she said; and, turningtowards me, added: "I am ready to go with you."
Lucille was still a trifle pale, and wondering, because I could not seemyself, that one with so much spirit should be affected by such a smallthing, I presently dismounted and led her horse by the bridle. I hadtorn off the offending glove, and when we halted by the corral wouldhave removed the stains from the wrist with a handkerchief.
"No," said Lucile, snatching her hand away just too late, with a gestureof dismay, "do not touch it with that, please."
Then I remembered that the handkerchief had last been used to rub outthe fouled breach of a gun. The girl looked at the blur of red and blackwhich resulted from my efforts, and frowned, then broke out into arippling laugh. "Beatrice said your ways were refreshingly primitive,and I think she was right," she said.
The laugh put heart into me, but I still held the bridle with anensanguined hand close beside the little smeared one; and so, followedby as fine an escort as a princess could desire, we came to my door sideby side.
However, when I helped Lucille Haldane from the saddle I had misgivingsconcerning the reception Steel's sister might accord her. Sally'sloyalty to her friends was worthy of her name; but she was stanchlydemocratic, more than a little jealous, and not addicted to concealingher prejudices. The fears were groundless. Sally was waiting in thedoorway she had defended, and while I hoped for the best, the two stooda moment face to face. They were both worthy of inspection, though thecontrast between them was marked. Haldane's daughter was slight andslender, with grace and refinement stamped equally on every line of herdelicately chiseled face and on the curve of her dainty figure down tothe little feet beneath the riding skirt. Sally was round and ruddy ofcountenance, stalwart in frame, with the carriage of an Amazon, and, Ithink, could have crushed Lucille with a grip of her arms; but both hadan ample portion of the spirit of their race.
Then Steel's sister, stepping forward, took both the girl's hands withinher own, stooped a little, and kissed her on each cheek, after which shedrew her into the house, leaving her brother and myself equallyastonished. He looked at me whimsically, and though I tried, I could notfrown.
"That's about the last thing I expected. How does it strike you?" hesaid. "Afraid of committing yourself? Well, I don't mind allowing Iexpected most anything else. All women are curious, but there's nounderstanding Sally."
We were not left long to wonder, for Miss Steel reappeared in thedoorway.
"You two still standing there as if there were nothing to do! Get a bigfire on in the outside stove and kill about half the chickens. You'renot to come in, Harry Ormesby, until I've fixed you so you're fit to beseen."
I feared that Lucille heard her, and wondered what she thought. Our modeof life was widely different from that at Bonaventure and from whatwould have been for me possible had I not fallen into the hands of Lane.
We slew the chickens with the assistance of the newcomers, and sat downon the grass to pluck them, a fowl for every guest, although I wasslightly uncertain whether that would be sufficient. There is asimilarity between the very old and the very new, and ancient poetsperhaps best portray the primitive, sometimes heroic, life of effort themodern stockrider and plowman lead on the prairie.
"Why did you bring Miss Haldane, Boone? You should have known betterthan to allow her to run the slightest risk," I said, on opportunity;and the photographer smiled enigmatically.
"Miss Haldane did not ask my permission, and I am doubtful whetheranybody could have prevented her. She said she was mistress ofBonaventure, and the way the men stirred when she told them was proofenough that one could believe her."
Presently Sally came out with a roll of sticking-plaster, and, whileevery bachelor present offered assistance and advice, she proceeded to"fix me," as she expressed it. Then, amid a burst of laughter, she stoodback a little to survey her work with pride.
"I guess you can come in. You look too nice for anything. Gordon andAdams, you'll walk in, too. The rest will find all you want in the cookshed, and it will be your own fault if you don't help yourselves."
I was a little astonished when, with a cloth bound round my head, Ientered the house, for Miss Steel was in some respects a genius. Therewas no trace of disorder. Sally was immaculately neat; Lucille Haldanemight never have passed the door of Bonaventure; and the two hadapparently become good friends, while a table had been set out withSally's pretty crockery, and, as I noticed, an absolutely spotlesscloth, which was something of a rarity. I was glad of the presence ofBoone, for Gordon was a big, gaunt, silent man, and the events of theday had driven any conversational gifts we possessed out of both Steeland myself. When it pleased him, Adams, by which name alone he was knownto the rest, could entertain anybody, and that, too, in their ownparticular idiom. There was no trace of the pedlar about him now, andhis English was the best spoken in the Old Country. I noticed LucilleHaldane looked hard at him when she took her place at the table.
"It is curious, but I have been haunted by a feeling that we have metbefore to-day," she said. "If I am mistaken, it must have been somebodywho strongly resembles you."
For just a moment Boone looked uneasy, but he answered with a smile: "Idon't monopolize all the good looks on the prairie."
The girl flashed a swift sidelong glance at me, and I feared mycountenance was too wooden to be natural. "I am sure of the resemblancenow, though there is a change. It was one evening at Bonaventure, was itnot?" she said. "Have you forgotten me?"
"That would be impossible," and Boone bent his head a little as he madethe best of it. "I see that, if necessary I could rely on Miss Haldane'skindness a second time."
Lucille looked thoughtful, Sally inquisitive, and I feared the lattermight complicate circumstances by attempting to probe the mystery.Neither Gordon nor Steel noticed anything, but Boone was a judge ofcharacter and Lucille keen of wit. He asked nothing further, but I saw aquestion in his eyes.
"I think you could do so," she said. "You seem to have trusty friends,Rancher Ormesby; though that is not surprising on the prairie
."
The words were simply spoken, and wholly unstudied; but Lucille Haldanehad a very graceful way, and there was that in her eyes which brought asparkle into those of Sally, and I saw had made the silent Gordon herslave. Her gift of fascination was part of her birthright, and she usedit naturally without taint of artifice.
"Could anybody doubt it after to-day?" I said.
Then Boone smiled dryly. "I suppose it devolves upon me to acknowledgethe compliment, and I am afraid that some of his friends are better thanhe deserves," he said. "At least, I am willing to testify that RancherOrmesby does not importune them, for I never met any man slower toaccept either good advice or well-meant assistance. Have you not foundit so, Miss Steel?"
"All you men are foolish, and most of you slow," Sally answered archly."I had to convince one with a big hard brush to-day."
This commenced the relation of reminiscences, mostly humorous, of theaffray, for we could afford to laugh, and all joined in the burst ofmerriment which rose from outside when several horsemen came up at agallop across the prairie. A stockrider of Caledonian extraction hadborrowed my banjo to amuse his comrades, and they appreciated his ironywhen he played the new arrivals in to the tune of "The Campbells arecoming."
Then he took off his hat to the uniformed figure which led the advance."Ye're surely lang in comin', Sergeant, dear," he said.
There was another roar of laughter, and I heard Mackay's voice. "It wasno' my fault, and ye should ken what kind of horses ye sell theGovernment; but now I'm here I'm tempted to arrest the whole of ye forunlawful rioting!"
He halted in the doorway with displeasure in his face, and, disregardingmy invitation, waited until Miss Haldane bade him be seated, whilebefore commencing an attack upon a fowl, he said dryly: "Maybe I hadbetter begin my business first. It would be a poor return to eat yoursupper and than arrest ye, Ormesby."
"You had better make sure of the supper, and if you can take me out ofthe hands of my allies you are welcome to," I said.
Boone's lips twitched once or twice as though in enjoyment of a hiddenjoke as he discoursed with the sergeant upon the handling of mounted menand horses. He showed, I fancied, a curious knowledge of cavalryequipment and maneuvers, and Mackay was evidently struck with hisopinions. I also saw Lucille Haldane smile when the sergeant said: "Ifever ye pass my station come in and see me. It's a matter o' regret tome I had not already met ye."
"Thanks," said Boone, just moving his eyebrows as he looked across atme. "I narrowly missed spending some time in your company a little whileago."
"And now to business," said Mackay, with a last regretful glance at theskeletonized chicken. "From what I gather ye are all of ye implicated. Iwould like an account from Mr. Adams and Miss Haldane first."
"How did you come here instead of Gardiner; and how do you know thereis anything for you to trouble about?" I asked, and the sergeant showeda trace of impatience.
"Gardiner goes back to-morrow. Ye are my own particular sheep, and itwould take a new man ten years to learn the contrariness of ye. I heardsome talk at the railroad and came on in a hurry. Do ye usually nailyour stable or cut your own head open, Rancher Ormesby?"
Each in turn furnished an account of the affray, I last of all; andMackay expressed no opinion until Lucille Haldane asked him: "Was it notjustifiable for me to take measures to protect my father's cattle?"
"Supposing the Bonaventure brand had not been on that draft, and Lane'smen retained possession, what would ye have done?" was the shrewdrejoinder; and Lucille smiled as she looked steadily at the speaker.
"I really think, sergeant, that I should have ridden over them."
Mackay seemed to struggle with some natural feeling; but the silentrancher smote the table. "By the Lord, you would, and I'd have givenfive hundred dollars to go through beside you!" he said.
"Ye are quite old enough to ken better," said Mackay sententiously; andthe rancher squared his shoulders as he answered:
"I'm as good as any two of your troopers yet, and was never run into acattle corral. When I'm old enough to be useless I'll join the police."
"What were ye meaning?" asked the sergeant.
Gordon laughed. "Just that, for a tired man, it's a nice soft berth. Youtake your money and as much care as you can that you never turn up untilthe trouble's over!"
Before Mackay could retort, Lucille, smiling, raised her hand. "I thinkyou should both know better, and I want you to tell me, sergeant, whatwill be the end of this. Surely nobody has any right to drive off cattleand horses that don't belong to him?"
Mackay looked somewhat troubled, and one could guess that while eagerto please the fair questioner, he shrank with official caution fromcommitting himself. "It's not my part to express an opinion on pointsthat puzzle some lawyers," he said. "Still, I might tell ye that it willcost one man his position. Human nature's aye deceitful, Miss Haldane,and if Rancher Ormesby prosecuted them it would be just two or threemen's word against a dozen. Forby, they might make out illegalresistance against him!"
"Sergeant," said Lucille Haldane, looking at him severely, "dare youtell me that you would not take the word of three ranchers against theoath of a dozen such men as Lane?"
Mackay smiled, though he answered dryly: "They're both hard to manage,and ungrateful for their benefits; but maybe I would. Still, I am, yesee, neither judge nor jury. Would ye prefer a charge against them,Ormesby?"
I was willing enough to do so, but had already reflected. Every momentof my time was needed, the nearest seat of justice was far away, and itwould be only helping Lane if I wasted days attempting to substantiate acharge. I also surmised by his prompt disappearance when the fracasbecame serious that it would be very difficult to implicate my enemy,even if he did not turn the tables on me. Boone, when I looked at him,made a just perceptible negative movement with his head.
"I must leave this affair to the discretion of the police," I said."Several of Lane's friends have good cause to be sorry for themselvesalready, and it is hardly likely his action will be repeated."
Mackay said nothing further, and shortly afterwards Lucille said shemust take her departure. Sally stood smiling in the doorway while theriders of Bonaventure did her homage, and those whose compliments didnot please her suffered for their clumsiness. When I rode out withLucille Haldane there was a lifting of wide hats, and the sergeant,sitting upright in his saddle, saluted her as we passed with severalsplendid horsemen riding on each side.
I afterwards heard that Sally said to him mischievously: "I guess youmen don't quite know everything. How long did it take you to break yourtroopers in? Yonder's a slip of a girl who knows nothing of disciplineor drill, and there's not a man in all that outfit wouldn't ride rightinto the place where bad policemen go if she told him to. As good asyour troopers, aren't they? What are you thinking now?"
The sergeant followed her pointing hand, and, as it happened, Lucilleand I were just passing beyond the rise riding close together side byside. Mackay looked steadily after us, and doubtless noticed thatLucille rode very well. "I would not blame them. I'm just thinking I'msorry for Corporal Cotton," he said.
Sally looked away across the prairie, and, turning, saw a faint smilefade out of the sergeant's face. "What do you mean? Can't you ever talkstraight like a sensible man?" she asked.
"The corporal's young, an' needs considerable convincing," was the dryanswer.
When we dipped beyond the rise I turned to Lucille Haldane. "What didyou think of Sally? She is a stanch ally, but not always effusive tostrangers," I said.
I could not at the moment understand Lucille Haldane's expression. Thequestion was very simple, but the girl showed a trace of confusion, andwas apparently troubled as to how she should frame the answer. This didnot, however, last long, and when she raised her eyes to mine there wasin them the same look of confidence there had been when she said, "Ibelieve in you." It was very pleasant to see.
"I think a great deal of her, and must repeat what I said already. Youhave very loyal friends
. Miss Steel told me at length how kind you hadbeen to her and her brother, and I think they will fully repay you."
My wits must have been sharpened, for I understood, and blessed bothSally and the speaker. If Lucille Haldane, being slow to think evil,had faith in those she knew, it was possible she was glad of proof tojustify the confidence, and Sally must have furnished it.
"They have done so already," I said.
There was always something very winning about my companion, but she hadnever appeared so desirable as she did just then. The day was drawingtowards its close, and the light in the west called up the warm coloringthat the wind and sun had brought into her face and showed each grace ofthe slight figure silhouetted against it. The former was, perhaps, notstriking at first sight, though, with its setting of ruddy gold, and itshazel eyes filled with swift changes, it was pretty enough; but itscharm grew upon one, and I noticed that when she patted the horse's neckthe dumb beast moved as though it loved her. There was nothing of theAmazon about its rider except her courage.
"I have heard a good deal about your enemy and yourself of late, butthere are several points that puzzle me, and, though I know you have hissympathies, father is not communicative," she said. "For instance, ifyou do not resent the allusion, he could with so little trouble havemade a difference in the result of your sale."
"How could that be?" I asked, merely to see how far the speaker'sinterest in my affairs had carried her, and she answered: "Even if therehad been nothing we needed at Bonaventure he could have made the otherspay fair prices for all they bought. I cannot understand why he said itwas better not to do so."
I also failed to understand; but a light broke in upon me. "Did yousuggest that he should?" I asked, and the girl answered with somereluctance: "Yes; was it not natural that I should?"
"No one who knew you could doubt it," I said; and Lucille Haldanepresently dismissed me. I sat still and watched her and her escortdiminish across the long levels, and then rode slowly back towards CraneValley. Remembering Haldane's mention of a promise, the news that it washis younger daughter who sent him to my assistance brought at first ashock of disappointment. I had already convinced myself that BeatriceHaldane must remain very far beyond my reach, but the thought that shehad remembered me and sent what help she could had been comforting,nevertheless. Now it seemed that she had forgotten, and that thatconsolation must be abandoned, too. And yet the disappointment was notso crushing but that I could bear it with the rest. What might have beenhad passed beyond the limits of possibility, and there was nothing inthe future to look forward to except a struggle against poverty and thewiles of my enemy.
Steel took my horse when I rode up to the house, and it was acoincidence that his first remark should be: "We beat him badly thistime and he'll lie low a while. Then I guess you'll want both eyes openwhen he tries his luck again."