Buck Peters, Ranchman

  CHAPTER XI

  THE MAN OUTSIDE

  Dave loped through Twin River in no amiable mood. An unreasoningirritability tormented and blinded him to everything but the trailahead. But if Dave failed to notice his friends, one of them at leastbore him no ill-feeling for the oversight; this one was so solicitousfor Dave's welfare that he followed all the way to the LaFrance cabin;when Dave went indoors he still lingered, hugging the cabin wall closeto a window, while he listened with much interest to the talk that wenton inside.

  "Where 's Jean?" asked Dave, briefly, as he entered.

  Rose glanced at him. The even, metallic tones meant temper and she waspainfully anxious to avoid crossing him when in this mood. Her voicewas soothing as a summer breeze through tree branches when she answered."He go to the station," she explained; "something about a harrow. Hewill be late."

  "See Peters?"

  "Yes."

  "What 'd he say about Tex Ewalt?"

  "He have not see him for many months. He ask me if I know him."

  "Well?"

  "You forget to tell me what to say. I forget to answer."

  "Hm! Beats th' Dutch how a woman 'll crawl out of a hole. When 's hecomin' to see you?"

  "I do not know. He--he is very droll, that M'sieu Peters. Always helook at me strange like he suspect something."

  "He ain't got nothin' to suspect. Did n't try to kiss you, did he?"

  "He never come near me one time--no; only he look at me, straight,without any smile."

  "Bah! I knowed you did n't take th' right way with him. You got t'tempt them gray-eyed galoots. They 'll follow you easy enough if youshow 'em there's somethin' at the end o' th' trail. You go ag'in. Makehim glad to see you. Won't be long afore he 's hangin' round, then."

  "_Quel jour_--when I must go?"

  "Oh, whenever you get th' chanst. Soon as you kin. You got Pickles foran excuse, ain't you?"

  At this point the solicitous caretaker outside risked a look through thewindow. His glance travelled over the shoulder of Dave, sitting withhis back to the window, and rested on the face of Rose. Wrhat he sawthere was a revelation: scorn, contempt, loathing, the expression anygood woman might bear toward a man with a mind considerably lower thanthe nobler beasts; it lasted but a moment; placidity swept over theregular features as she replied. "_Mais oui_," she admitted, "Fritz isexcuse."

  "Well, you won't need any excuse if you play th' game right. You 'll beexcuse enough, yourself."

  Enthralled by the contradiction between the expression and speech ofRose, the watcher prolonged his stare beyond safety. Rose's level gazelifted from the unnoting eyes of Dave and rested full on the face in thewindow. The watcher changed instantly to the listener with one hand onhis gun, but not so quickly that he failed to see the brilliant smilethat flashed across the face of Rose. The alert tenseness of hisattitude relaxed as he realized the significance of that smile and hisshoulders heaved in strangling a laugh at the way Dave was being fooled.

  Dave's moodiness persisted. He sat glowering at the point of his boot,switching it venomously with his quirt, a thing he had not carried sincehis experience with the Cyclone cattle at the Hog Back. It reminded himof his proven lack of ability as a driver of cows; but it was "out ofthis nettle, Chagrin, that he plucked the flower, Complacence"; acynical laugh announced recovery from the black mood. "Well, there 'ssome as help me better 'n you do," he declared. "If I can't get Petershere, I give him somethin' that 'll keep him busy at home."

  "_Bien_, but how?" Rose's interest had just the proper amount ofcongratulatory warmth and a faint wheeze escaped the listener outside ashe choked back a laugh of admiration.

  "I give him the itch," replied Dave, with dramatic brevity.

  "Itch?" repeated Rose, in perplexity.

  "Yes--itch, mange, scab! His d--n cows 'll be scratchin' their hidesoff afore he knows it. Th' Cyclone had it an' I got One-Eye Harris tosave me out some. Mangiest lot o' cows ever _I_ saw. We put 'em acrossth' Jill, up by th' Rocking Horse, a while back."

  "But the range--is it not bad?" asked Rose, wonderingly.

  "Shore is. What do I care? Makes 'em trouble, don't it? An' it 'llspoil some o' their cows, you bet."

  "M'sieu Schatz, he tell you do this?"

  "Smiler! The cussed ol' bear! He 's been a-layin' up all winter like abear in a hole an' he ain't woke up yet. Poetry! an' Philosophy! an'some shifty _I_talian named Mac--Mac somethin' or other. Smiler sets aheap by Mac. Jus' sits an' reads an' hol's out his han's an' says:'Gimme th' Double Y, Dave.' Mus' think I carry it in m' hat."

  "But you will get it, Dave--yes."

  "You bet yo' boots I 'll get it. Peters 'll be so sick o' that rangeafore I 'm done with him he 'll be glad to quit. But if you get himcomin' here, it 'll be done quicker."

  "I will try," murmured Rose.

  The flush that went with the words was wrongly interpreted by Dave."That's you!" he exclaimed, admiringly, and was at her side before sherealized it, bending over her in a swift movement that almost caught herby surprise. He laughed easily at his defeat, in no wise discomfited."Ain't come kissin'-time yet, eh, Rose?"

  She looked up coolly, careful not to give way an inch from the nearnessof him. Nothing tempts a man so much as a retreat. "_Mais non,m'sieu_. When the day, then the hour--you go too far unless," was hercalm warning.

  "All right. Time enough," he rejoined carelessly. "Guess I 'll driftback to Twin. Have to see Comin' an' keep him on edge, or he 'll gettired o' waitin' for that good thing I promised him. He ain't a felleras you can ask questions or I 'd cussed quick find out who he is an'where he come from."

  Rose stood in the doorway until the sound of his horse's feet assuredher that he was certainly on his way to Twin River. Then she went in,closed the door behind her, darkened the front windows and going to thewindow at the back called out clearly: "Enter. I want to talk to you,Tex Ewalt."

  Tex lounged forward a step, bringing himself into view, his face thepicture of mischievous amusement. He rested his arms on the sill andsmiled at her. "You are a good guesser," he admitted.

  "Enter," she insisted. "Not the door, no; the window--hurry."

  He slipped through with the suppleness of a naked Indian and she at onceshut out the night at this and the other windows. "We must beware moreeaves-droppers," she explained. She motioned to a bench and seatedherself near him, looking at him intently.

  "I think you kill Fritz' father that night," she began. "I am sorry."

  Tex bowed, as if such unjust suspicions were his daily portion, andwaited.

  "You are M'sieu Peters' friend?" she questioned.

  Tex carefully poked two depressions in the crown of his hat andcarefully poked them out again, thinking swiftly. "Yes," he replied,meeting her eyes again.

  "You are Tex Ewalt. Dave call you Comin'. M'sieu Peters not know youare here. You spy for M'sieu Peters, yes?"

  "Buck told you, eh? Did you tell him I was in Twin River?"

  She shook her head. "But no. I guess, when I see you at the window."

  Tex looked incredulous. "How did you guess?" he asked.

  Rose reviewed the incidents from which she had drawn her conclusion.Tex was impressed. "That's not guessing. That's pure reason," hedeclared.

  "You will tell M'sieu Peters about the itch?" she inquired eagerly.

  "Why don't you tell him? I can't risk going out to the ranch."

  "No! No! Dave must not suspect. You tell him quick so Dave not thinkit is me."

  "Why, Dave is in a hole. Harris will squeal the minute I put my fingerson him."

  "He will suspect. He must not--Oh! you do not understand."

  Tex indented his hat on the left side; that was Dave: then on the rightside; that was Buck: then, with careful precision, in the middle of thecrown; that was Rose. He studied the result with thoughtful attention."Like Dave?" he inquired, casually.

  "I--"
she began with passionate intensity but paused. "No," sheanswered, more calmly.

  "No," repeated Tex. He smoothed out the left-hand depression with anair of satisfaction. "That 's good," he continued, "because I shallhave to put a crimp, a very serious crimp, in his anatomy one of thesedays. I can feel it coming. What do you think of Buck?"

  "M'sieu Peters is a good man--a good man," she repeated, dreamily. Texglanced at her and back at his hat, which he eyed malevolently. Then hesighed. "Oh, well, every man has to find it out for himself," was hisirrelevant comment. "Where does Schatz stand in this?"

  "Dave say he try to get back the range. But Dave he is so much a liar."

  "Yes, I should say he was a pretty good liar. Well, I 'll be going."

  "But no!" she exclaimed. "You must eat supper," and she began hastilyto make preparations.

  "You did n't offer Dave any," suggested Tex, with a ghost of a grin.

  "No," she admitted, seriously. "Sometimes I must, but to-night it isnot necessary. I am glad, always, to see him go."

  "Well, so am I," agreed Tex. "Here, let me do that."

  Tex learned much during the meal that went to confirm the suspicions hehad already formed. Also his opinions in regard to women-kind ingeneral seemed less plausible than before. But though shaken, they werenot routed; and when he took up his hat in leaving, the two dimples init looked at him mockingly. "Oh, well, what's the use?" he said."Good-night, Miss LaFrance," and he threw the hat on his head as it was.