CHAPTER XXI
THE ANNOUNCEMENT
About thirty people sat in a circle on the grass in the grove on the A-Y,engaged in taking viands from the well-filled plates which made therounds. Keen humor from all sides kept them in roars of laughter, Humbleand Bill provoking the greater part of it. Humble sat next to MissRitchie, while The Orphan and Bill flanked Helen, the sheriff next to hisnew foreman. Humble's face had a look of benign condescension when heallowed himself to bestow perfunctory attentions on the members ofhis outfit, whom he graciously called "purty fair punchers in a way."
Crawford, the former owner of the A-Y, sat next to Shields, and when thelunch had reached the cigar stage he arose and cleared his throat.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Bill and Humble," he began amid laughter. "Ihave been regarded as the host of this picnic, and the false positionembarrasses me. But any such momentary feeling is compensated by theimportance of what I have to tell you.
"When I took up the A-Y it was with a determination to keep it and tospend the rest of my days on it in peace. This I have found to beimpossible, and in consequence I have turned it over to a better man. Theenergy which I have seen applied in the right way for the last few weekshas assured me that the A-Y will soon be second in importance andwealth to no ranch in this country. I have seen order, system, emergefrom chaos; I have seen five thousand cattle re-branded and taken careof in such dispatch as to astonish me and be almost beyond my belief.The sheriff has been as economical in the use of his energy as he canbe in the use of his words. By that I don't mean in the way that iscausing you to smile, but simply that he knows how to accomplish themost work with the least possible expenditure of effort and time, aswitnessed by the condition of this ranch to-day. But while he has beenthe guiding spirit in the work of putting the ranch on its properfooting, he has had as good assistants as it is possible to find.
"I don't wish to tire you with any long speech, for brevity is the soulof more than wit, so I will close by telling you that the A-Y is in newand better hands--our sheriff is now its owner, and I extend to him myheartiest wishes for his success in his new venture. I must thank him andall of you for a very pleasant day and a memory to take East with me."
For an instant there was intense silence, and then a small battle seemedto be taking place. The noise of the shooting and cheering was deafeningand smoke rolled down like a heavy fog. The sheriff met the rush towardhim and put in a very busy few minutes in shaking hands and replyingto the hearty congratulations which poured in upon him from all sides.Everybody was happy and all were talking at once, and Bill could be heardreeling off an unbroken string of words at high speed.
The Orphan fought his way to his best friend and gripped both hands in hisown.
"By God, Sheriff!" he cried. "This is great news, and I'm plumb glad tohear it! I hope you have the very best of luck and that your returns, bothin pleasure and money, far exceed your fondest expectations. Anything Ican do is yours for the asking."
"Thank you, son," replied the sheriff, looking fondly into his friend'seyes. "I'm going to call on you just as soon as I can make myself heardin all this hellabaloo. Just listen to that!" he exclaimed as Silent letloose again.
"Glory be!" yelled he of the misleading name, slapping Humble across theback. "For this you ride home like a white man, Humble--all your sins areforgiven! Hurrah for the sheriff, his family and the A-Y!" he shouted atthe top of his lungs, and his cheer was supported unanimously with truecowboy enthusiasm and vim.
"Hurray for me, too!" shouted Bill in laughter. Then he fled, with Silentin hot pursuit.
The sheriff tried to speak, and after several attempts was finally givensilence.
"Thank you, everybody!" he cried, his face beaming. "I am happy for manyreasons to-day, but foremost among them is the fact that I have so manywarm and loyal friends. The A-Y is always open to all of you, and I'll besome disappointed if you don't put in a lot of your spare time over here."
He paused for a few seconds and then looked at The Orphan, who stood atHelen's side.
"Mr. Crawford did his part a whole lot better than I can do mine, I'mafraid, but I'm going to do my best, anyhow. The news has only been halftold--the name of the new foreman of the A-Y henceforth will be TheOrphan! Whoop her up, boys!" he shouted, leading a cheer which was notone whit less a cheer than those which had gone before.
The Orphan stared in astonishment, for once in his life he had beensurprised. The sheriff at last had the drop on him. He looked from one toanother, started to step forward and then changed his mind and lookedappealingly at Helen, who smiled in a way to double the speed of hisheart-beats.
Her eyes were moist, and the sudden consciousness that she formed halfof the objective of all eyes caused her cheeks to go crimson. Her handimpulsively went to his shoulder and without thought on her part, and hisincredulous questioning was answered by her.
"It's all true," she said earnestly. "I've known of it for a whole weeknow. You are the real foreman of the A-Y, and I most earnestly hope foryour success."
He suddenly seemed to be above the earth and his voice broke in hisstammered reply. For a fraction of a second her eyes had told him whathe had dreamed of, what he had hoped for above all things, and he graspedher hand for a second as he stepped forward toward his new employer,whose hand met his with a man's grasp.
"Thank you, Sheriff," he said, his head whirling from the surprises of aminute. "You've been squarer and fairer with me than any man I've everknown, and hell will look nice to me if I don't make good with you.
"Thank you, boys; thank you, Bill: you're all right, every one of you!"he cried as his friends crowded about him. "What the sheriff saidabout warm friends was the truth--thank you, Bud and Jim! Thank you,Blake--you're another brick! Good God, what I have gained in two months!I can scarcely believe it, it seems so like a dream. That's a realwarm grip, all right, though," he exclaimed as he shook hands with Humble,"so I reckon it's all true. Two months!" he marveled. "Two glorious,glorious months! A new start in life, a loyal crowd of friends, a--andall in two months! And there is the man I owe it all to," he suddenlycried, pointing to the sheriff. "There's the whitest man God ever made,and I'll kill the man who says I lie!"
"Good boy!" shouted Bill in enthusiastic endorsement. "You two make a pairof aces what can beat any full-house ever got together, and _I_'ll lickthe man who says _I_ lie!" he yelled pugnaciously. "The Orphant may bean orphant, all right, but he's got a whole lot of brothers."
Mrs. Shields walked over to The Orphan and placed a motherly hand on hisshoulder as he recovered.
"You won't be an orphan any longer, my boy," she said, smiling up at him."You're one of us now--I always wanted a son, and God has given me onein you."