CHAPTER XII
BACK HOME
The dry heat of July gave way to the muggy heat of August and as theSeptember storms began to gather along the summits Wunpost Calhounreturned to his own. It was his own country, after all, this land ofdesert spaces and jagged mountains reared up again the sky; and he cameback in style, riding a big, round-bellied mule and leading another onepacked. He had a rifle under his knee, a pistol on his hip and a pair offield glasses in a case on the horn; and he rode in on a trot, lookingabout with a knowing smile that changed suddenly to a smirk of triumph.
"Well, well!" he exclaimed as he saw Eells emerge from the bank, "how'sthe mine, Mr. Eells; how's the mine?"
And Judson Eells, who had rushed out at the rumor of his approach, drewup his lip and glared at him hatefully.
"You're a criminal!" he bellowed, "I could have you jailed forthis--that Stinging Lizard mine was salted!"
"The hell you say!" shrilled Wunpost and then he laughed uproariouslywhile he did a little jig in his stirrups. "Yeee--hoo!" he yelled, "say,that's pretty good! Have you any idee who done it?"
"You did it!" answered Eells, "and I could have you arrested for it,only I don't want to have any trouble. But you agreed to leave town andnow I see you're back--what's the meaning of this, Mr. Calhoun?"
"Too slow inside," complained Mr. Calhoun, who was sporting a brand-newoutfit, "so I thought I'd come back and shake hands with my friends andtake another look at my mine. Costs money to live in Los Angeles and Ibought me a dog--looky here, cost me eight hundred dollars!"
He reached down into a nest which he had hollowed out of the pack andheld up a wilted fox terrier, and as Eells stood speechless he droppedit back into its cubby-hole and laid a loving hand on the mule.
"How's this for a mule?" he enquired ingenuously, "cost me five hundreddollars in Barstow. Fastest walker in the West--picked him out onpurpose--and my pack mule can carry four hundred. How much did you loseon the Stinging Lizard?"
"I lost over thirty thousand dollars, with the road work and all,"answered Eells with ponderous exactitude, and Wunpost laughed again.
"Thirty thousand!" he echoed. "I wish it was a million! But you can'tsay that I didn't warn you!"
"Warn me!" raged Eells, "you did nothing of the kind. It was adeliberate attempt to defraud me."
"Aw, cripes," scoffed Wunpost, "you can't win all the time--why don'tyou take your medicine like a sport? Didn't I name the danged hole TheStinging Lizard? Well, there was your warning--but you got stung!"
He laughed heartily at the joke and looked up the street, ignoring thestaring crowd.
"Well, got to go!" he said. "Where _is_ that road you built--liketo go up and take a look at it!"
"It extends up Jail Canyon," returned the banker grimly. "I understandMr. Campbell is using it."
"Pretty work!" exclaimed Wunpost, "won't be wasted, anyhow. That'll comein right handy for Cole. Why didn't you buy the old hassayamper out?"
"He won't sell!" grumbled Eells, "say, come in here a minute--I've gotsomething I want to talk over."
He led the way into his inner office, where an electric fan was running,and Wunpost took off his big, black hat to loll before the breeze.
"Pretty nice," he pronounced, "they've got lots of 'em in Los. But Inever suffered so much from heat in my life--the poor fools all wear_coats_! Gimme the desert, every time!"
"So you've come back to stay, eh?" inquired Eells unsociably, "I thoughtyou'd left these parts."
"Yep--left and came back," replied Wunpost lightly. "Say, how much doyou want for that contract? You might as well release me, because it'llnever buy _you_ anything--you've got all the mines you'll get."
"I'll never release you!" answered Judson Eells firmly. "It's against myprinciples to do it."
"Aw, put a price on it," burst out Wunpost bluffly, "you know youhaven't got any principles. You're out for the dough, the same as therest of us, and you figure you'll make more by holding on. But I'm hereto tell you that I'm getting too slick for you and you might as wellquit while you're lucky."
"Not for any money," responded Judson Eells solemnly, "I am in this as amatter of principle."
"Ahhr, principle!" scoffed Wunpost. "You're the crookedest dog that everdrew up a contract--and then talk to me about _principle_! Whydon't you say what you mean and call it your system--like they usetrying to break the roulette wheel? But I'm telling you your system isplayed out. I'll never locate another claim as long as I live, unlessI'm released from that contract; so where do you figure on any moreWillie Meenas? All you'll get will be Stinging Lizards."
He burst out into taunting laughter but Judson Eells sat dumb, his heavylower lip drawn up grimly.
"That's all right," he said at last, "I have reason to believe that youhave located a very rich mine--and the only way you personally can everget a dollar out of it, is to come through and give me half!"
"The only way, eh?" jeered Wunpost, "well, where did I get the price tobuy that swell pair of mules? Did I give you one half, or even a smell?Not much--and I got this, besides."
He slapped a wad of bills that he drew from his pocket, and Eells knewthey were a part of his payment--the purchase price of the saltedStinging Lizard--but he only looked them over and scowled.
"Nothing doing, eh?" observed Wunpost rising up to go, "you won't sellthat contract for no price. Going to follow me up, eh, and find thishidden treasure, and skin me out of it, too? Well, hop to it, Mr. Eells,and after you've got a bellyful perhaps you'll listen to reason. You gotstung good and plenty when you bought the Stinging Lizard and I figureI'm pretty well heeled. Got two new mules, beside my other animals, andan eight hundred dollar watch-dog to keep me company; and I'm going tocome back inside of a month with my mules loaded down with gold. Do youreckon your pet rabbit, Mr. Phillip F. Flappum, can make me come throughwith any part of it? Well, I consulted a lawyer before I left LosAngeles and he said--decidedly not! Your contract calls for claims,wherever located, but I haven't got any claim. This ore that I bring inmay be dug from some claim, and then again it may be high-graded fromsome mine; but you've got to find that claim and prove that it existsbefore you can call for a cent. You've got to prove, by grab, where Igot that gold, before you can claim that it's yours--and that'ssomething you never can do. I'm going to say I _stole_ it and ifyou sue for any part of it you make yourself out a thief!"
He slammed his hand on Eells' desk and slammed the door when he went outand mounted his big mule with a swagger. The citizens of Blackwater madeway for him promptly, though many a lip curled in scorn, and he rode outof town sitting sideways in his saddle while he did a little jig in hisstirrups. He had come into town and bearded their leading citizen andnow he was on his way. If any wished to follow, that was their privilegeas free citizens, and their efforts might lead them to a mine; but onthe other hand they might lead them up some very rocky canyons and downthrough Death Valley in summer. But there was one man he knew wouldfollow, for the stakes were high and Judson Eells was not to bedenied--it was up to Lynch, who had claimed to be so bad, to provehimself a tracker and a desert-man.
Wunpost rode along slowly until the sun went down, for the heat-hazehung black over the Sink, and that evening about midnight he enteredJail Canyon on a road that was graded like a boulevard. It swung aroundthe point well up above the creek, and then on along the wash toCorkscrew Gorge, and as he paused below the house Wunpost chuckled tohimself as he thought of his boasts to Wilhelmina. He had bet her twomonths before that, without turning his hand over or spending a cent ofmoney, he could build her father a road; and now here it was, laid outlike a highway--a proof that his system would work. She had chosen toscoff when he had made his big talk; but here he was back with hisclothes full of money, and Judson Eells had kindly built the road. Helooked up at the moon, where it rose swimming through the haze, andlaughed until he shook; then he camped and waited for day.
The dawn came in a wave of heat, preceding the sun like the breath froma furnace; and Wunp
ost woke up suddenly to hear his wilted terrierbarking furiously as he raced towards the house. There was a moment ofsilence, then the spit and yell of a cat and as Wunpost stood grinninghis dog came slinking back licking the blood from a scratch across hisnose. He was a fullblooded fox terrier, but small and white and trembly;and the baby-blue in his eyes pleaded of youth and inexperience as hecrouched before his stern master.
"Come here!" commanded Wunpost but as he reached down to slap him avoice called his name from above.
"_Don't_ whip him!" it begged and Wunpost withheld his hand forWilhelmina had been much in his mind. She came dancing down the trail,her curls tumbling about her face and down over the perennialbib-overalls, and when the pup saw her he left his scowling master andcrept meechingly to take refuge at her feet.
"He was chasing Red," she dimpled, "and you know how fierce he is--why,Red isn't afraid of a wildcat! Where have you been? We've all beenlooking for you!"
"I've been in Los Angeles," responded Wunpost with a sigh, "but, bygrab, I never thought that this dog of mine would get licked by an oldyaller cat!"
"He isn't yellow--he's red!" corrected Wilhelmina briskly, "the desertmakes all yellow cats red; but where'd you get your dog? And oh, yes;isn't it fine--how do you like our new road? They had it built up toyour mine!"
"So I hear," returned Wunpost with a grim twinkle in his eye, "what doyou think of my system now?"
"Why, what system?" asked Billy, staring blankly into his face, andWunpost pulled down his lip. Was it possible that this fly-away hadtaken his words so lightly that she had forgotten his exposition andprophecy? Did she think that this road had come there by accident andnot by deep-laid design? He called back his dog and made him lie downbehind him and then he changed the subject.
"How's your father getting along?" he asked after a silence, "has heshipped out any ore? Well say, you tell 'im to get a move on. There'sliable to be a cloudburst and wash the whole road out, and then where'dyou be with your home stake?"
"Well, I guess there hasn't been one for over twelve years," answeredBilly snapping her fingers enticingly to his dog, "and besides, it's sohot the trucks can't gull up the canyon--it makes their radiators boil.But we've got it all sacked and when Father gets his payment I'm goinginside, to school. Isn't it fine, after all they said about Dad--callinghim crazy and everything else--and now his mine is worth lots and lotsof money! I knew all the time he would win! And Eells has been up hereand offered us forty thousand dollars, but Father wouldn't even considerit."
She stepped over boldly and picked up the dog, who wriggled franticallyand tried to lick her face, and Wunpost stood mumbling to himself. Sonow it was her father who was getting all the credit for this wonderfulstroke of luck; and he and the others who had called old Cole crazy wereproven by the event to be fools. And yet he had packed ore for over twoweeks to salt the Stinging Lizard for Eells!
"Put your mules in the corral and come up to breakfast!" cried Billystarting off for the house; and then she dropped his dog, which rancapering along behind her--and Wunpost had named it Good Luck! If shestole his dog on top of everything else, he would learn about women fromher.
There was a cordial welcome at the house from Mrs. Campbell, who wasradiant with joy over their good fortune; but Wunpost avoided thesubject of the sale of his mine, for of course she must know it wassalted. Anyone would know that after they had dug down a ways forWunpost had simply quarried out a vein of rotten quartz and filled theresultant fissure with high grade. But there is something in Latin about_caveat emptor_, which is short for "Let the buyer beware!" and ifJudson Eells was so foolish as to build his road first that wascertainly no fault of Wunpost's. All he had done was to locate the hole,and then Judson Eells had jumped it; and if, as a result thereof,Wunpost had trimmed him of twenty thousand, that was nothing to whatEells had done to him. And yet every time he met Mrs. Campbell's eye hefelt that she had her reservations about him. He was a mine-salter, acrook, the same as Eells was a crook; but she welcomed him all the same.Perhaps she held it to his credit that he had given Billy a full halfwhen he had discovered the Willie Meena Mine; but it might be, ofcourse, that she was this way with everyone and simply tolerated him asshe did Hungry Bill. He ate a good breakfast, but without saying much,and then he went back to his camp.
Wilhelmina tagged along, joyous as a child to have company and quiteinnocent of what is called maidenly reserve; and Wunpost dug down intohis pack and gave her a bag of candy, at the same time patting her hand.
"Yours truly," he said, "sweets to the sweet, and all that. Say, what doyou think this is?"
He held up a box, which might contain almost anything that was less thansix inches square, and shook his head at all her guesses.
"Come on up to the lookout," he said at last and she followed alongfearlessly behind him. There are maidens, of course, who would refuse toenter dark tunnels in the company of masterful young prospectors; butWilhelmina had yet to learn both fear and feminine subterfuge and shemade no pretty excuses. She was neither afraid of the dark, norafflicted with vertigo, nor reminded of pressing home duties; and shewas frankly interested both in the contents of the box and the ways of aman with a maid. He had given her some candy, and there was a gift inthe little box--and once before he had made as if to kiss her; would henow, after bringing his lover's gifts, demand the customary tribute? Andif so, should she permit it; and if not, why not?
It was very perplexing and yet Billy was determined not to evade any ofthe problems of life. All girls had their suitors; and yet few of them,she knew, were cast in the heroic mold of Wunpost. He was big andstrong, with roving blue eyes and a smile that was both compelling andshy; and sometimes when he looked at her she felt a vague tumult, for ofcourse he could kiss her if he would. When he had assaulted Old Whiskersand seized Dusty Rhodes by the throat, in the contest over their mine,she had stood in awe of his violence; but except for that one time whenhe had attempted to steal a kiss, he had reserved his rough violence forhis enemies. Yet--and somehow the thought thrilled her--it might be,after all, that he was shy; and that playful, bear-like hug was only hisboyish way of hinting at the wish in his heart.
It might even be that he was secretly in love with her, as she had readof other lovers in books; and that all the time, unknown to her, he wasworshiping her beauty from afar. For she was beautiful, she knew it--andothers had told her so--and there are few girls indeed that have curlinghair _and_ dimples, but Nature had given her both. And now if hedid not kiss her, or speak from his heart, it would be because she wasdressed like a boy; and she would have to lay aside her overallsforever. For no one can hope to retain everything in this world, andlife is ours to be lived; and if worst came to worst, she might give upher freedom and consent to wear millinery and skirts. She sighed andfollowed on, and came safely to the portal which looked out on the greatworld below.
Wunpost sat down deliberately at the mouth of the tunnel, on the broadseat she had built along the wall, and handed Wilhelmina the package;and as she sank down beside him the panting fox terrier slumped down ather feet and wheezed. But Billy failed to notice this sign of affection,for as the package was broken open a dainty case was exposed and this inturn revealed a pair of glasses. Not ordinary, cheap field-glasses withrusty round barrels and lenses that refracted the colors of the rainbow;but exquisitely small ones, with square shoulders on the sides andquality showing in every line. She caught them up ecstatically andlooked out across the Sink; and Wunpost let her gaze, though her focuswas all wrong, while he made his little speech.
"Now," he said, "next time you see my dust you'll know whether it's aman or a dog."
"Oh, aren't they fine!" exclaimed Billy, swinging the glasses onBlackwater. "I can see every house in town. And there's a man on thetrail--yes, and another one behind--I believe they're coming this way."
"Probably Pisen-face Lynch," observed Wunpost unconcernedly, "I expectedhim to be on my trail."
"Why, what for?" murmured Billy still struggling with the
focus. "Oh,now I can see them fine! Oh, aren't these just wonderful--and suchlittle things, too--are you going to use them to hunt horses?"
"No, they're yours!" returned Wunpost with a generous swagger, "I've gotanother pair of my own. I'll never forget how you picked me up thattime, so this is a kind of present."
"A present!" gasped Wilhelmina and then she paused and blushed, for ofcourse she had known it all the time. They were small glasses, for alady, but it was nice of him to say it, and to mention her finding himon the desert. And now her mother would have to let her keep them, for,they were in remembrance of her saving his life.
"It's awful kind of you," she said, "and I'll never forget it--and now,won't you show me how they work?"
She drew a little closer, and as her curls brushed his cheek Wunpostreeled as if from a blow.
"Sure," he said and gave her a kiss just as if she had really asked forit.