CHAPTER XIII
"DO YOU SMOKE?"
Leviatt rode down through the gully where Miss Radford had first caughtsight of Ferguson when he had entered the flat. He disappeared in thisand five minutes later came out upon a ridge above it. The distancewas too great to observe whether he turned to look back. But justbefore he disappeared finally they saw him sweep his hat from his head.It was a derisive motion, and Miss Radford colored and shot a furtiveglance at Ferguson.
The latter stood loosely beside her, his hat brim pulled well down overhis forehead. As she looked she saw his eyes narrow and his lips curveironically.
"What do you suppose he thought?" she questioned, her eyes droopingaway from his.
"Him?" Ferguson laughed. "I expect you could see from his actionsthat he wasn't a heap tickled." Some thought was moving him mightily.He chuckled gleefully. "Now if you could only put what he was thinkin'into your book, ma'am, it sure would make interestin' readin'."
"But he saw you holding my hand!" she declared, aware of theuselessness of telling him this, but unable to repress her indignationover the thought that Leviatt had seen.
"Why, I expect he did, ma'am!" he returned, trying hard to keep thepleasure out of his voice. "You see, he must have been lookin' rightat us. But there ain't nothin' to be flustered over. I reckon thatsome day, if he's around, he'll see me holdin' your hand again."
The red in her cheeks deepened. "Why, how conceited you are!" shesaid, trying to be very severe, but only succeeding in making him thinkthat her eyes were prettier than he had thought.
"I don't think I am conceited, ma'am," he returned, smiling. "I'veliked you right well since the beginning. I don't think it's conceitto tell a lady that you're thinkin' of holdin' her hand."
She was looking straight at him, trying to be very defiant. "And soyou have liked me?" she taunted. "I am considering whether to tell youthat I was not thinking of you as a possible admirer."
His eyes flashed. "I don't think you mean that, ma'am," he said. "Youain't treated me like you treated some others."
"Some others?" she questioned, not comprehending.
He laughed. "Them other Two Diamond men that took a shine to you.I've heard that you talked right sassy to them. But you ain't neverbeen sassy to me. Leastways, you ain't never told me to 'evaporate'."
She was suddenly convulsed. "They have told you that?" she questioned.And then not waiting for an answer she continued more soberly: "And soyou thought that in view of what I have said to those men you had beentreated comparatively civilly. I am afraid I have underestimated you.Hereafter I shall talk less intimately to you."
"I wouldn't do that, ma'am," he pleaded. "You don't need to be afraidthat I'll be too fresh."
"Oh, dear!" she exclaimed, with a pretense of delight. "It will bevery nice to know that I can talk to you without fear of your placing afalse construction on my words. But I am not afraid of you."
He stepped back from the rock, hitching at his cartridge belt. "I'mgoin' over to the Two Diamond now, ma'am," he said. "And since you'vesaid you ain't afraid of me, I'm askin' you if you won't go ridin' withme tomorrow. There's a right pretty stretch of country about fifteenmiles up the crick that you'd be tickled over."
Should she tell him that she had explored all of the country withinthirty miles? The words trembled on her lips but remained unspoken.
"Why, I don't know," she objected. "Do you think it is quite safe?"
He smiled and stepped away from her, looking back over his shoulder."Thank you, ma'am," he said. "I'll ride over for you some time in themornin'." He continued down the hill, loose stones rattling ahead ofhim. She looked after him, radiant.
"But I didn't say I would go," she called. And then, receiving noanswer to this, she waited until he had swung into the saddle and waswaving a farewell to her.
"Don't come before ten o'clock!" she advised.
She saw him smile and then she returned to her manuscript.
When the Sun-Gods kissed the crest of the hill and bathed her in therich rose colors that came straight down to the hill through the riftin the mountains, she rose and gathered up her papers. She had notwritten another line.
It was late in the afternoon when Leviatt rode up to the door ofStafford's office and dismounted. He took plenty of time walking theshort distance that lay between him and the door, and growled a savagereply to a loafing puncher, who asked him a question. Once in theoffice he dropped glumly into a chair, his eyes glittering vengefullyas his gaze rested on Stafford, who sat at his desk, engaged in hisaccounts. Through the open window Stafford had seen the range bosscoming and therefore when the latter had entered he had not looked up.
Presently he finished his work and drew back from the desk. Then hetook up a pipe, filled it with tobacco, lighted it, and puffed withsatisfaction.
"Nothin's happened?" he questioned, glancing at his range boss.
Leviatt's reply was short. "No. Dropped down to see how things wasrunnin'."
"Things is quiet," returned Stafford. "There ain't been any cattlemissed for a long time. I reckon the new stray-man is doin' some good."
Leviatt's eyes glowed. "If you call gassin' with Mary Radford doin'good, why then, he's doin' it!" he snapped.
"I ain't heard that he's doin' that," returned Stafford.
"I'm tellin' you about it now," said Leviatt. "I seen him to-day; himan' her holdin' hands on top of a hill in Bear Flat." He sneered."He's a better ladies' man than a gunfighter. I reckon we made amistake in pickin' him up."
Stafford smiled indulgently. "He's cert'nly a good looker," he said."I reckon some girls would take a shine to him. But I ain'tquestionin' his shootin'. I've been in this country a right smartwhile an' I ain't never seen another man that could bore a can sixtimes while it's in the air."
Leviatt's lips drooped. "He could do that an' not have nerve enough toshoot a coyote. Him not clashin' with Ben Radford proves he ain't gotnerve."
Stafford smiled. The story of how the stray-man had closed Leviatt'smouth was still fresh in his memory. He was wondering whether Leviattknew that he had heard about the incident.
"Suppose you try him?" he suggested. "That'd be as good a way as anyto find out if he's got nerve."
Leviatt's face bloated poisonously, but he made no answer. Apparentlyunaware that he had touched a tender spot Stafford continued.
"Mebbe his game is to get in with the girl, figgerin' that he'll bemore liable that way to get a chancst at Ben Radford. But whatever hisgame is, I ain't interferin'. He's got a season contract an' I ain'tbreakin' my word with the cuss. I ain't takin' no chances with him."
Leviatt rose abruptly, his face swelling with an anger that he wastrying hard to suppress. "He'd better not go to foolin' with MaryRadford, damn him!" he snapped.
"I reckon that wind is blowin' in two directions," grinned Stafford."When I see him I'll tell him----" A clatter of hoofs reached the earsof the two men, and Stafford turned to the window. "Here's thestray-man now," he said gravely.
Both men were silent when Ferguson reached the door. He stood justinside, looking at Stafford and Leviatt with cold, alert eyes. Henodded shortly to Stafford, not removing his gaze from the range boss.The latter deliberately turned his back and looked out of the window.
There was insolence in the movement, but apparently it had no effectupon the stray-man, beyond bringing a queer twitch into the corners ofhis mouth. He smiled at Stafford.
"Anything new?" questioned the latter, as he had questioned Leviatt.
"Nothin' doin'," returned Ferguson.
Leviatt now turned from the window. He spoke to Stafford, sneering."Ben Radford's quite a piece away from where he's hangin' out," hesaid. He again turned to the window.
Ferguson's lips smiled, but his eyes narrowed. Stafford stiffened inhis chair. He watched the stray-man's hands furtively, fearing theoutcome of this meeting. But Ferguson's hands were nowhere near hisguns. They were folded o
ver his chest--lightly--the fingers of hisright hand caressing his chin.
"You ridin' up the crick to-day?" he questioned of Leviatt. His tonewas mild, yet there was a peculiar quality in it that hinted athardness.
"No," answered Leviatt, without turning.
Ferguson began rolling a cigarette. When he had done this he lightedit and puffed slowly. "Well, now," he said, "that's mighty peculiar.I'd swore that I saw you over in Bear Flat."
Leviatt turned. "You've been pickin' posies too long with MaryRadford," he sneered.
Ferguson smiled. "Mebbe I have," he returned. "There's them thatshe'll let pick posies with her, an' them that she won't."
Leviatt's face crimsoned with anger. "I reckon if you hadn't beenmonkeyin' around too much with the girl, you'd have run across thatdead Two Diamond cow an' the dogie that she left," he sneered.
Ferguson's lips straightened. "How far off was you standin' when thatcow died?" he drawled.
A curse writhed through Leviatt's lips. "Why, you damned----"
"Don't!" warned Ferguson. He coolly stepped toward Leviatt, holding bythe thongs the leather tobacco pouch from which he had obtained thetobacco to make his cigarette. When he had approached close to therange boss he held the pouch up before his eyes.
"I reckon you'd better have a smoke," he said quietly; "they say it'sgood for the nerves." He took a long pull at the cigarette. "It'spretty fair tobacco," he continued. "I found it about ten miles up thecrick, on a ridge above a dry arroyo. I reckon it's your'n. It's gotyour initials on it."
The eyes of the two men met in a silent battle. Leviatt's were thefirst to waver. Then he reached out and took the pouch. "It's mine,"he said shortly. Again he looked straight at Ferguson, his eyescarrying a silent message.
"You see anything else?" he questioned.
Ferguson smiled. "I ain't sayin' anything about anything else," hereturned.
Thus, unsuspectingly, did Stafford watch and listen while these two menarranged to carry on their war man to man, neither asking any favorfrom the man who, with a word, might have settled it. With his replythat he wasn't "sayin' anything about anything else," Ferguson had toldLeviatt that he had no intention of telling his suspicions to any man.Nor from this moment would Leviatt dare whisper a derogatory word intothe manager's ear concerning Ferguson.