CHAPTER VII
"A LITTLE HOUSE ON WHEELS"
"Our caravan looks like the real thing, doesn't it, Jim?" Jeanexclaimed, balancing herself insecurely on the front wheel of a mammothwagon and peering over inside it at a tall figure under the cover. "Doyou think we will be able to get off this afternoon?"
Jim Colter climbed wearily out and sat on the driver's seat, surveyinghis questioner gloomily. "Don't you think you might go in the house anddress or fix your hair or something?" he asked. "You have asked metwenty questions in the last ten minutes, and I might be working in thetime it takes to answer you. We are going to get away from this ranchto-day if it's dark before we start. It's awful with those Harmons, andyou and Jack sleeping at the rancho, and Olive and Frieda and Miss Ruthcrowded into one bedroom at the Lodge. I don't see why they couldn'thave stayed away from here until after we had gone. They have nearlypestered the life out of me, and now what do you think is the latest?"
Jim lit a cigar about half a foot long, so it occurred to Jean that hemust intend to continue the conversation with her for at least a fewminutes. She caught hold of Jim's hand and swung herself up into theseat beside him.
It was about ten o'clock in the morning, ten days after the ranch girls'trip to Laramie. The caravan for their journey to the Yellowstone Parkwas standing alongside the road midway between Rainbow Lodge and therancho, where Jim lived. It was a comfortable distance from the Lodge,because Jim preferred any amount of labor in carrying the girls'belongings from their house to the wagon to being compelled to exchangefashionable conversation with the Harmon family and to answer theirtenderfoot questions about the affairs of the ranch. Near Jean's andJim's novel traveling coach, four rough, short-legged ponies and fourlarger horses tethered to short ropes were quietly grazing. The scenesuggested a circus resting for a short time before starting on itstravels. The troupe of actors at present included only Jean and Jim,but the circus appeared to be a new and stylish one, for "Mrs. Jarley's"famous caravan was not more spick and span and less like a gypsy cartthan the little house on wheels belonging to the ranch girls. Instead ofbeing covered with an ordinary white canvas top, the canopy over thelargest of the ranch mess-wagons was made of new, strong and serviceablegolden-brown waterproof khaki. The expedition into wonderland was tohave a strictly military appearance, for the five girls were to wearservice uniforms of the same material.
"Well, what's the latest, Jim?" Jean inquired coaxingly, crossing herfeet and slipping her arm through her companion's. She was feeling alittle sore, for Olive and Jack had gone off driving with Elizabeth andDonald Harmon without asking her to go with them, as the cart held onlyfour people. So Jean was rather glad to gossip about the newly arrivedfamily.
Jim frowned darkly in answer to Jean's question. "Well, the firstthing--that Harmon fellow marched himself down to the rancho thismorning before any of you girls were up and invited me to let him goalong on our trip, if you would give your consent. I told him I wasn'tthinking of running a co-educational excursion party; my job was to lookafter girls, not boys." Jim took another long, slow puff at his cigarand was silent.
"Do go on, Jim," Jean urged, giving him a friendly nudge. "You knowDonald Harmon said something else that made you cross."
"Oh, no, except he asked such an all-fired lot of questions," Jimanswered. "I didn't see his game at first; he kind of led up to it bydegrees. But he wanted to know how long Olive had been living with usand how you girls happened to adopt her and what made her own peoplegive her up. When I found out what he was after I didn't give him theleast bit of information. I hate a Paul Pry."
Jean laughed lightly, "Oh, it isn't just curiosity on Donald Harmon'spart, Jim. Of course, you and Jack would scorn to notice it, but Donaldhas a crush on Olive. I have seen it from the first. Olive don't likehim a bit, but he is always staring at her."
Jim threw away his half-finished cigar. "Look here, Jean Bruce, will youplease stop talking about crushes and such nonsense?" he remarkedsternly. "I never hear any of the other girls talking such foolishness,and I think Miss Ruth ought to see that you put a stop to it. I mean tospeak to her about it."
"Grouchy," Jean whispered under her breath, then her eyes sparkledwickedly. "Here comes Ruth now; I'll run and tell her that you want tocomplain of the way she is bringing me up." Jean slid down over thewagon wheel out of the reach of Jim's restraining fingers, and heretired into the covered depth of the wagon, pretending not to haveobserved Miss Drew's approach. However, Jean fled past her chaperonwithout a word and only a mischievous nod of her head.
Ruth was walking down the road from the Lodge, already dressed for thejourney. Little blonde Frieda was on one side of her and little brownCarlos on the other, and all of them had their arms loaded with bundles.Ruth wore a short, plaited skirt which showed her pretty feet clad inhigh, brown leather boots. A Norfolk jacket, a tan silk blouse and asoft brown felt hat completed her costume. Somehow she seemed to havelost ten years of her age and looked about eighteen. There was no traceof the maidenly primness that had been so conspicuous in the early daysof her stay at the Rainbow Ranch. Her figure was pretty enough for amodel in a fashion paper; her ash-brown hair and eyes that had onceseemed plain when her skin was sallow, now had a picturesque charm oftheir own. Ruth's coloring suggested Burne-Jones' pictures of Englishwomen, with the same dull, even tones in their hair and eyes, and theirclear, pallid skins warmed by an inner glow.
Frieda's going-away suit was also khaki and made in exactly the samestyle as the other girls'. She was too funny in it, with her plump bodyand fat legs. But her eyes under her plain felt hat were bluer thanmyrtle and her cheeks pinker than a rose.
Of the trio approaching the apparently empty caravan, only Carlos'expression was serious. A kind of inner rapture transfigured even hisIndian solemnity. To be in the wilderness again and this time not with aroving Indian camp, but with "The Big White Chief," which was his nameof Jim, and "The Princess," his title for Olive--the soul of the lad wasfilled to overflowing. Therefore, since an Indian must never show anemotion of joy or sorrow, Carlos was more silent than ever. No wonderFrieda had lately found him a dull playmate, but then he filled onerequirement--he was a good listener. So, on the whole, she was glad hewas to be a member of their expedition though she could fancy acompanion.
"Oh, Mr. Colter," Ruth's voice called, as she drew nearer the caravan,"if you are not too busy here are a few more things you might put in thewagon for us. We saw you hide a few minutes ago."
Jim stuck his head out and tried to look as severe as possible, thoughhis companions were not of the kind one could easily treat withseverity.
"Miss Drew," he said sternly, "if I had known what you girls were goingto take on this trip I should never have consented to run it. I lieawake nights wondering how four horses are going to pull such a load,seven people and all this truck," Jim groaned. "I'm glad we've got twoextra pack horses and two ponies for riding."
Ruth laughed, not in the least disturbed by Jim's complaints. "Pleasecome down out of the wagon, Mr. Colter, and go attend to the last thingson the ranch. We are to have an early lunch so we can start soon after.I know I won't have the least trouble in finding a place to store awaythese things."
Jim crawled out submissively, lifting Frieda and Ruth into the van;then, after Carlos climbed in, he left them.
The three newcomers stood silent for a moment inside their caravan,speechless with satisfaction, as they surveyed the interior beauty andtrimness of their equipage. The frame that supported the khaki cover ofthe wagon had been made by a cowboy on the ranch who had formerly been acarpenter. He had fashioned two small windows, one on either side, andat these windows Ruth had hung white muslin curtains. Outside the canopytoward the front of the wagon were two broad seats, each capable ofholding three persons and shut off from the back by a heavy khakicurtain, while under the canopy were two long benches to rest thetravelers by day and to serve Jim and Carlos for beds by night.
Suitcases and boxes were stored under the benches
and seats, blanketsand pillows were rolled tight and crammed into every available space.From a nail in the frame of the wagon hung a large mirror which Jeaninsisted upon bringing, completely surrounded by pots and pans andimportant kitchen utensils. There was no great store of provisions; asthe caravaners trusted to their guns and fishing tackle for game andfish, and intended to restock their larder in the towns along theirroute. A plan of campaign had been drawn up and solemnly agreedupon--the five girls were to do the cooking, Jim to look after thehorses and set up the sleeping tent, and Carlos to fetch wood and waterand teach them all he knew of the lore of the great outdoors.
Ruth saw that everything in the little house on wheels was in shipshapeorder for their start before she and the children returned to the Lodgeto see if Olive and Jack were at home.
The two girls had been driving around the Rainbow Ranch with Donald andElizabeth Harmon the greater part of the morning. From the hour ofElizabeth's arrival at the Lodge the day before she had not been willingto let Jack out of her sight. It was very trying, as Jack longed to helpwith the last preparations for their departure, but, faithful to herpromise, with Olive's assistance she was showing off the place, drivingan old plough horse hitched to a low yellow cart, which Mr. Harmon hadsent from town for his daughter. There was no pony yet safe to use withElizabeth. They rode along on the far side of Rainbow Creek, the ranchgirls pointing out the best fishing pools to Donald and showing him thetrails that led to different parts of the ranch. Near the middle of thecreek and in sight of the big rock where "Gypsy Joe" had been seenmaking his investigations, Elizabeth insisted she was tired and theymust stop for her to rest. Donald lifted her out and she sat down on thetrunk of an old tree with Olive, while Jack and Donald walked a fewyards farther on, leaving their horse to wait patiently for them.
"I am going to show you a discovery, Mr. Harmon," Jack declared in afriendly fashion, anxious to make their new acquaintance feel at home."Years ago I found a secret trail along here which no one knew of. Itleads from this thick underbrush." Jack got down on her knees before aclump of bushes and parted them. Sure enough there was the beginning ofan overgrown path which the eye could follow for a short distance. "Ifound this trail one day when I was a little girl playing over here withJean and Frieda," she explained, "and I went on and on for miles untilI came to a cave in some rocks, where some settlers had once lived. JimColter believes the path was made by gold seekers who came to get waterfrom Rainbow Creek. Some of our other men claim they were searching forgold in our creek."
At this moment Elizabeth's impatient voice was heard, and Jack andDonald went back to her, but not before Donald had made up his mind toinvestigate the mysterious path pointed out to him. He meant to find outwhether an eastern tenderfoot could be trusted to find his way alongthose first trails which the earliest pioneers had left.
Olive had been amusing Elizabeth by carving on the stump of a tree anIndian design, a perfect square cut into four equal parts, representingthe direction of the four winds. Now Elizabeth insisted that they writetheir names in the spaces to show the bond of friendship between them.Neither Jack nor Olive wished to promise their friendship so readily tocomparative strangers, yet neither of them knew how to deny the sickgirl's whim. So the compact was made before they returned home.
Ruth and the girls were to have their last luncheon with Mr. and Mrs.Harmon at the Lodge; Jim was not to be with them, as he scorned to haveanything to do with the strangers. The last course had been served andthey were just getting up from the table when a long, clear call washeard. The five ranch girls sprang instantly to their feet and began togather up their coats and last remaining parcels. On the front porchfarewells were said to Mr. and Mrs. Harmon and Elizabeth and to AuntEllen and Uncle Zack. The old woman, who was to stay to look after thenewcomers with her husband's help, had her apron over her head andrefused to be comforted; Uncle Zack was equally depressed, realizing theloneliness and longing for the girls that they would soon feel.
Five khaki figures now sped down the road toward the caravan withDonald, who was trying to assist with the bundles. Seated in thedriver's seat, with Carlos next him, and cracking a long whip, was JimColter. Every speck of his grouchiness had disappeared; his eyes were asshining and his lips as smiling as Frieda's.
"Good-by, Mr. Harmon," Jack said, smiling half sadly at Donald. "Pleasetake good care of things for us at the ranch. I feel almost like atraitor in turning my back on my home."
Donald laughed. "Oh, don't worry," he answered kindly. "You will findthings just as you left them when you get back. You know we want toborrow, not to steal your place." And for some reason neither Jack norDonald ever forgot his words.
The horn sounded again; Jim turned his horses with their noses towardthe western sun, when suddenly there was a loud clanging from the greatbell that hung in front of the rancho to summon the cowboys from acrossthe fields. Six cowboys rode in toward the caravan in as many differentdirections. As the big wagon wheels crunched in the sand with thepack-horses trailing behind and Olive's and Jack's ponies alongside, thesix cowboys formed a semicircle, the emblem of the Rainbow Ranch, andcracking their whips in unison let out a tremendous yell. It was thecall the Indians use before going into battle and it might have frozenthe blood of the uninitiated, but the ranch girls knew it meant goodluck and went away with the sound ringing in their ears.
The caravan party did not feel they had started on their journey untilthey crossed the border of their own ranch. The land beyond wasfamiliar enough, but this afternoon it was invested with a new charm. Itwas a new world, because they had set out on a voyage of discovery, soit was disenchanting when they had ridden a few miles beyond their ownplace to discover another caravan, smaller and far shabbier than theirs,but still a caravan, drawn up by the side of a solitary tree along theroad. A ragged girl nursing a baby was resting in the grass and an oldwoman was bending over a freshly lit camp-fire. There was no man insight, but Jim recognized the wayfarers with a sudden tightening of hislips before any one of the girls spoke.
"Why, there are our gypsies!" Jean declared lightly. "And, Ruth, thereis the old woman who told us our fortunes. She said you were going on ajourney, and sure enough you are! I wonder if any other of herpredictions will come true. She told us such a jumble of things and mostof it was such utter nonsense that I can't remember half of them."
Ruth leaned over toward the front seat: "Have you any idea why thosepeople are staying around in this neighborhood, Mr. Jim?" she asked,using her new name for him for the first time.
"No," Jim answered truthfully, beaming approval of his title.
An hour or so afterwards Jack and Olive were riding ahead of the wagonlooking for a suitable place to strike camp for the night. There was nowater near, but a tiny clump of trees offered a certain shelter, andthey went toward it. From a cluster of bushes a western bluebird, whichis bluer than all others, rose up and soared over the girls' heads,homing toward its nest in the trees. It was a wonderful darting ray ofsplendid color against the orange glow of the setting sun.
Olive clapped her hands softly. "O Jack, do let's get Jim to pitch ourtent here for the night. That was a bluebird that flew across our path,and it's a good omen: 'the bluebird for happiness'--don't you rememberthe play Ruth read us?"