CHAPTER XIII
THE ELITE AMUSEMENT PARLOR
An hour after breakfast, on Monday morning, Old Heck, Ophelia, Skinnyand Carolyn June Were alone at the Quarter Circle KT. Parker and thecowboys were climbing out on the sand-hills north of the Cimarron,traveling in the direction of Battle Ridge, where the beef hunt was tobegin.
The circular corral was empty.
The Ramblin' Kid was riding the Gold Dust maverick. Captain Jack waswith the saddle horses which Pedro, the Mexican, had wrangled on aheadof the other riders an hour before.
The filly made no effort to throw the Ramblin' Kid on this her secondriding. She seemed perfectly willing to carry the burden on her back.Carolyn June watched the beautiful mare as she stepped lightly anddaintily along beside the other horses, and when the group disappearedamong the rolling ridges across the river the ranch someway seemeddeserted and she felt strangely alone, although Ophelia, Old Heck andSkinny were standing at her side.
Sing Pete followed the riders, jolting along in the grub-wagon,awkwardly driving, with much clucking and pidgin-English, Old Tom andBaldy hitched to the heavy, canvas-covered vehicle with its"box-kitchen" and mess-board protruding gawkily out from the rear.
Old Heck heaved a sigh of relief. There was a feeling of serene peace inhis heart, now that Parker and the cowboys were safely away on theround-up. In Skinny's heart the feeling was echoed.
For a week or more they would be able to love Ophelia and Carolyn Junewithout the constant fear of interruption.
Only one thing troubled Old Heck. The widow had not yet exposed her handin that suffragette movement or whatever it was. He dreaded the form inwhich it might, sooner or later, break out. But at that he would be gladto have it over. At present he felt as though he were sitting on theedge of a volcano, or above an unexplored blast of dynamite at thebottom of a well. Meanwhile he would have to wait and watch--and hopefor the best.
The week that followed was heaven and hell, mixed together, for Old Heckand Skinny.
The women were lovely and lovable to the last degree, but cautious andtormentingly self-restrained when it came to loving. At the firstintimation of dangerous sentimentality on the part of Old Heck the widowwould suddenly and without an instant's warning change the subject. WhenSkinny had been pensive and silent for half an hour or so and would thenstart, in a halting and quivering voice, to say something, Carolyn Juneinvariably interrupted with a remark about the weather, the Gold Dustmaverick, the Ramblin' Kid, Old Heck, Sing Pete, the yellow cat, thecoming Rodeo, Ophelia or something else.
They paired on the work of preparing the meals, Carolyn June and Skinnyand Ophelia and Old Heck taking shift and shift about in the kitchen. Inthis way the work was made a joke, with friendly rivalry between thecouples in the preparation of tasty dishes.
Old Heck and Skinny surprised the women with their knowledge of cooking.Nor was there the least embarrassment on the part of either when, withone of Sing Pete's aprons tied about his waist, he worked at the rangeor kitchen table. As a matter of course every cow-man must knowsomething of how to cook a meal and, also, naturally and as a matter ofcourse, Old Heck and Skinny, without the slightest thought that it was"womanish" or beneath the "dignity" of men, peeled potatoes, fried meat,washed dishes or did whatever there was to do.
Indeed each was proud of his skill.
Ophelia herself was clever, particularly at making biscuits and daintysalads.
Carolyn June's sole accomplishment in the art of preparing food was themaking of coffee-jelly. This she had learned at college--taught,perhaps, by the other girls during stolen midnight frolics. Probablythis, also, was the reason she usually made it the last thing at nightbefore Skinny and Old Heck left to go to the bunk-house. Coffee-jellywas the regular, inevitable, evening meal dessert for the entire week.
"It ain't so very filling," Skinny remarked the first time he tasted thedelicate dish, "but it's tender and has a dandy flavor!"
Carolyn June blushed at the compliment.
"It is pretty good," Old Heck agreed, "but these biscuits Ophelia madeare just what was needed to set it off!"
The widow smilingly showed her pleasure.
Twice during the week Skinny rode "line" on the big pasture to lookafter the Diamond Bar steers. Carolyn June accompanied him. Each timeshe rode Browny, the old cow-horse. On these days Old Heck and Ophelia,in the Clagstone "Six," drove to Eagle Butte. The second trip to townOphelia asked to be left at the minister's house. Old Heck was to callin an hour and get her. During the hour he slipped into the dentist'sand had his teeth cleaned. When the tobacco-blackened tartar was scrapedaway they were surprisingly white and even. He stopped at the drug storeand bought a tooth-brush and a tube of paste.
Ophelia noticed the wonderful improvement in his appearance, guessed thereason, and the thought sent a warm thrill through her body.
"Like a big boy," she laughed to herself, "when he begins to wash hisneck and ears!"
"It ain't healthy to have your teeth so dirty," Old Heck explained,coloring and in an apologizing manner, when Skinny discovered him, aftersupper that evening, carefully scrubbing his molars.
Skinny watched the performance, saw the result, and murmured:
"Guess I'll get me one of them layouts!"
On Friday the quartette went to Eagle Butte, Old Heck driving, withOphelia beside him, and Carolyn June and Skinny in the rear seat of theClagstone "Six."
It was on this trip, while Ophelia and Carolyn June were in the GoldenRule doing some shopping, that Old Heck and Skinny strolled into theElite Amusement Parlor. Lafe Dorsey, owner of the Y-Bar outfit and towhom belonged the black Thunderbolt horse; Newt Johnson, Dave Stover and"Flip" Williams--the latter three cowboys on the big Vermejo ranch--wereplaying a four-handed game of billiards at one of the tables near thefront of the place.
Dorsey noticed the entrance of the pair from the Quarter Circle KT. Allwere range men and were well known to one another. The Y-Bar owner hadbeen drinking. Boot-leg liquor was obtainable, if one knew how andwhere, in Eagle Butte.
"Hello, there, Old Heck!" Dorsey greeted them hilariously and with ahalf-leer. "Howdy, Skinny! How's the Cimarron? Don't reckon you'vetaught Old Quicksilver to run yet, have you?" with a boisterous laughas he referred to the race in which Thunderbolt had defeated Old Heck'scrack stallion.
The taunt stung Old Heck while it called out a suppressed snicker fromthe cowboys who were with Dorsey and the loafers in the pool-room. Thebull-like guffaw of Mike Sabota, the gorilla-built, half-Greekproprietor of the Amusement Parlor roared out above the ripple oflaughter from the others. The racing feud between the Y-Bar and theQuarter Circle KT was well known to all and Sabota himself had cleanedup a neat sum when the black horse from the Vermejo had outstepped therunner from the Quarter Circle KT.
Old Heck reddened at Dorsey's words but replied quietly:
"The Cimarron is middling--just middlin'. No, we ain't been paying muchattention to teaching horses how to run lately. Old Quicksilver's prettyfair. Of course he ain't the best horse in the world but he'll do forcows and general knocking around. Horses are a good deal like men, youknow, Dorsey--there's always one that's a little bit better!"
The Vermejo cow-man colored at the thrust.
"Any of you Quarter Circle KT fellers going in on anything at the Rodeo,this year?" one of the Y-Bar riders asked Skinny before Dorsey couldreply.
"Charley said he might go in on the 'bull-dogging' and Bert is figuringsome on the bucking events--but I don't reckon they'll either oneenter," Skinny carelessly; "both of them got first money in thementries last year and they ain't caring much. The Mexican," referring toPedro, "will probably do some roping--"
"What about you and the Ramblin' Kid?" Flip Williams interrupted, "ain'tneither of you going to take part?"
"Probably not," Skinny drawled. "I ain't aiming to, and I don't knowwhat th' Ramblin? Kid is figuring on. He ain't much for showing off. Heonly rode in the bucking contest last year because after that Cyclonehorse killed D
ick Stanley everybody said there wasn't any one that couldride him and the blamed little fool just wanted to demonstrate thatthere was. You never can tell what he'll do, though. He may be intendingto go in on something or other."
"Guess you people ain't got anything out there for the two-milesweepstakes this year, have you?" Dorsey broke in with a sneer. "OldThunderbolt's too much for them sand-hill jumpers from the Cimarron."
"Oh, I don't know as he is," Old Heck said in a voice emotionless as anIndian's. "The Quarter Circle KT will probably be represented in the bigevent. It seems to me I heard Chuck mention entering that Silver Tipcolt of his and, let's see, I believe th' Ramblin' Kid said somethingabout running a new filly he's been riding some, didn't he, Skinny?"
"Since I come to think of it I believe he did," Skinny answered as ifit were a matter without especial interest; "if I remember right he didspeak something of it a day or two ago."
"Well, bring 'em on!" Dorsey exclaimed boastfully, "the Y-Bar will takeall the money you Kiowa fellers feel like contributing! OldThunderbolt's as fit as a new rawhide rope and is just aching to rake inanother three or four thousand of Quarter Circle KT _dinero_ if youpeople have got the nerve to back your judgment!"
There was a dead hush as the crowd in the pool-room waited for OldHeck's reply to Dorsey's drunken challenge.
"We'll kind of remember that invitation, Dorsey," Old Heck said in tonesas hard and smooth and cold as ice, while his gray eyes narrowed andbored the boastful cow-man like points of steel, "we'll sort of bear inmind that suggestion of yours. The Quarter Circle KT will send a horseinto the big race that will beat that Thunderbolt critter of yours justthree times as bad as he set old Quicksilver back--and we'll give youaction on any amount of money, cattle or anything else you want to name!You can put your friends here in on it too, if you want to--" with ascornful glance around the pool-room at the loafers in the place. "Comeon, Skinny," he added as he started toward the door, "more than likelyOphelia and Carolyn June are through with their trading and ready to gohome."
All stood silent until Skinny and Old Heck stepped out of the door,then Mike Sabota broke into a coarse, taunting laugh. As they turned upthe street Old Heck and Skinny heard Dorsey and the crowd inside join inthe merriment.
"Damn that fool, Dorsey!" Old Heck exclaimed viciously, as he heard theshouts of derisive laughter. "I'm going to wipe him out on that race--ifhe's got the guts to come across and back up that Thunderbolt horse ashard as he blows about him!"
"I think I'll hook Sabota for a few hundred on the sweepstakes, myself,"Skinny replied with a good deal of feeling, "I don't like the way thatdirty cuss acts any better than I like Dorsey's bragging!"
Carolyn June and Ophelia were waiting when Old Heck and Skinny arrivedat the Golden Rule.
When the Clagstone "Six" whirled past the Amusement Parlor a few momentslater Dorsey and Sabota were standing in the door.
Carolyn June glanced at them.
"Heavens," she said as her eyes rested an instant on the burly,low-browed, Greek proprietor of the place, "what a big brute of alooking fellow that is!"
The two men stared insolently at the occupants of the car and as itpassed Sabota made some remark, evidently vulgar, that caused Dorsey toburst into another round of coarse laughter.
Old Heck was moody during the drive home.
For nearly two years Dorsey had been crowing because of the defeat ofQuicksilver by the black racer from the Vermejo. It was becoming morethan idle jesting. It looked as if, for some reason, he was trying totorment Old Heck until something serious was started. Old Heck was agood loser but he was growing tired of the persistent nagging. He hadnot whimpered at the loss of the twenty-five hundred dollars Dorsey wonfrom him on the race. Even the humiliation of seeing his best horse putin second place by the Y-Bar animal had been endured philosophically andwithout malice because he believed the thing had been run square and thefaster horse had won. But Dorsey on every occasion since had, drunk orsober, boasted of Thunderbolt's victory and taken a devilish delight inrubbing it in on the owner of the Quarter Circle KT.
To-day the Vermejo cattleman had been worse than usual, due, no doubt,to the rotten boot-leg whisky the brute-like proprietor of Eagle Butte'srather disreputable Amusement Parlor was supposed secretly to dispenseto those who had the price and the "honor" to keep sacred the source ofsupply.
Old Heck was sore and he was ready to go the limit in backing the GoldDust maverick. Both he and Skinny had purposely refrained frommentioning the horse the Ramblin' Kid would enter. The fame of theoutlaw filly extended throughout all of southwestern Texas and if theVermejo crowd had learned that the Ramblin' Kid had finally caught herand was intending to put her against Thunderbolt it was doubtful if theblack horse would be entered at all in the sweepstakes. Even if he was,Dorsey and his crowd would be shy of the betting.
This was one reason Old Heck had so played the conversation that Dorseydefinitely threw down the challenge and which was so coldly accepted.
The Vermejo cow-man would have to come in heavy on the betting or beplaced in the role of a bluffer.
By the time they reached the ranch Old Heck's good humor was restored.He thoroughly enjoyed the supper Skinny and Carolyn June prepared andjoked the girl about her coffee-jelly.
"She's learning how to make French toast, now," Skinny said proudly; "itwon't be long till she's a darned good cook!"
"Why not?" Carolyn June laughed. "See who I have to teach me!" andSkinny flushed while his heart hammered joyously.
"Well, I reckon anybody could live on fried bread and coffee-jelly in apinch," Old Heck joked back, "but for my part I'd be a good deal happierto mix a biscuit or two like Ophelia makes once in a while in withit"--giving the widow a worshipful look.
It was Ophelia's turn to register pleasurable confusion.
After supper Old Heck and the widow washed the dishes. When they werefinished Ophelia went into the front room. Old Heck took a glass ofwater, stepped out of the kitchen door, and diligently scrubbed histeeth. While he was still at it Skinny came out with a dipper in hishand and sheepishly drawing a tooth-brush from his hip pocket faithfullyimitated the actions of the other.
"I figure a man's taking a lot of chances if he don't keep his teethclean and everything," Skinny spluttered as the water splashed down hischin.
"Yes, that's right," Old Heck agreed, "there's germs and so on in them!"as he flipped the water from his own brush, dried his lips on hisshirtsleeve and turned back into the kitchen.
The next morning, Saturday, Old Heck came to the breakfast table againin a pensive mood.
"I was thinking about that man Dorsey," Skinny remarked, observing OldHeck's mental depression and attributing it to the meeting the daybefore in the pool-room at Eagle Butte. "Do you reckon the filly canreally beat that Thunderbolt horse?"
"Of course she can," Old Heck answered. "Th' Ramblin' Kid knows. All I'mafraid is that when Dorsey finds out it's the Gold Dust maverickThunderbolt has got to go up against he won't bet much on it."
"The boys ought to be in to-day," Skinny said, abruptly switching thesubject; "they figured on getting the Battle Ridge cattle gathered andin the big pasture by to-night, didn't they?"
"Yes," Old Heck replied, "that was what was in my mind. Parker willbe--" he stopped suddenly, "butting in again" he had started to say butcaught himself and finished lamely, "--probably pretty anxious to hurrythrough as soon as possible and get the beef animals in the uplandpasture!"
"How are you going to work things when he gets back?" Skinny asked with,a significant look at Old Heck.
"Blamed if I know--" Old Heck said uncertainly, stopping before hefinished the sentence. He understood what Skinny meant and just that hadbeen worrying him. He had reached the point where he could not endurethe thought of going back to the old arrangement of day and day aboutwith Parker in the enjoyment of the widow's society. Yet if Parker, onhis return, insisted on dividing Ophelia's time with him in conformitywith their original agreement, Old Heck knew h
e would have to yield. Hethought for a moment he would get the widow away from Skinny and CarolynJune after breakfast and make a full confession of the whole thing, askher to marry him, and have it done with. But he had not yet been able toget at the bottom of Ophelia's suffragette activities. What if shemarried him and then suddenly broke loose as a speech-maker or somethingfor woman's rights? It wouldn't pay to take the risk. "It sure does keepa man guessing!" he murmured under his breath, the sweat starting tobead his forehead from the mental effort to solve the problem beforehim.
Carolyn June and Ophelia exchanged sly winks as they guessed the thingthat was in Old Heck's mind.
Skinny, himself, was a bit worried as the time drew near for the returnof the cowboys. He hoped Carolyn June wouldn't spring another dance orsimilar opportunity for indiscriminate love-making.
Nor had Carolyn June forgotten that to-day was Saturday and Parker andthe cowboys were expected back from the first half of the beef round-up.The week had been pleasant enough but she had missed the Ramblin' Kidand the Gold Dust maverick more than she cared to confess. She wonderedif the outlaw filly would remember her.
Saturday was a day of considerable tension for all at the Quarter CircleKT. Night came and Parker and the cowboys had not returned. Nor did theycome on Sunday. Evidently the beef round-up had gone more slowly thanwas expected.
It was late Monday afternoon when the grub-wagon grumbled and creakedits way up the lane and stopped near the back-yard gate. Sing Peteclimbed clumsily down from the high seat. Old Heck and Skinny unhitchedOld Tom and Baldy while the Chinese cook chattered information aboutParker, the cowboys and the round-up. He had left the North Springsearly that morning. Two nights before the herd had run--it was astampede--some sheep had been where the cattle were bedded. Maybe thatwas it. Chuck and Bert were on night guard and could not hold them. Thesteers mixed badly with the rangers. Nearly two days it took to gatherthem again. That was why they were late. Now everything was all rightThe cattle were being driven to the big pasture. Pedro would be alongsoon with the saddle cavallard. By dark maybe the others would be at theranch.
It was midnight before Parker and the cowboys came in.
When Carolyn June stepped out on the porch Tuesday morning she glancedtoward the circular corral, which for more than a week had been empty.Her heart gave a leap of delight.
Captain Jack was standing at the bars of the corral and behind him theearly sunlight glinted on the chestnut sides of the Gold Dust maverick.