CHAPTER XXI
JIM GETS A BLOW
"The eagle has lived long in my side. He is cruel with talons built for seizing. Is this why so many nations choose him as their emblem?"
MUSINGS OF THE ELEPHANT.
Jane never had looked meeker or smaller or more desert worn than she didas she stood eying the two men; that is, meek except as to her eyes.These burned like sapphires in the sun. In them was concentrated thedeathless energy that Penelope had found was Jane's chiefcharacteristic.
"I've been sitting in the kitchen waiting for Mrs. Flynn and listeningto you two talk. It was very interesting."
"Jane, you keep quiet," said Oscar.
"Come in and sit down, Mrs. Ames," said Jim, pulling forward a chair.
"Don't be too polite to me, Mr. Manning," said Jane. "I ain't used to itand it makes me nervous. I made up my mind while I heard you talk I'dget a few things off my chest. It may help both of you. I've often said,when Oscar was always telling me to keep quiet, that when I hadsomething to say I'd say it."
Oscar looked very much mortified. "Jane," he said, "what's got intoyou?"
"Well, it isn't your politeness, that's sure. Funny now, that Mrs.Penelope and I both have nice manners while her husband and mine areboth pigs as far as their ways to us go. There isn't a more popular manin the country than Oscar, but he keeps his popular ways all outside hisown home."
Oscar and Jim looked at each other and waited. They both realized thatthe eruption was inevitable.
"Women are awful fools. Until I had running water put in against Oscar'swishes I lugged as many as thirty buckets of water a day for thirtyyears. I've carried water and I've chopped wood and I've had babies andI've come at your bidding, Oscar, but now, I'm going to complain. Andit's not about my life either.
"I used to feel sorry for myself until I got to know Mrs. Pen. She has_real_ trouble, but instead of getting peevish as I have over justOscar's selfishness, she's let it make her see the world instead ofherself. She has a sort of calm outlook on life. She has told me a dozentimes that she looks at life as a great game and trouble as one of thehazards. That's golf talk. She says the only real sport to be got out ofthe game is to play it according to rule. And she says marriage seems tobe one of the rules. Think of having the courage to talk that way aboutmarriage! She's better than a book."
Mrs. Ames chuckled reminiscently. Then stared out at the desert and herlips moved in silence as if she found it hard to frame her nextsentence.
"We've talked a lot about the Project, she and I. At first I was likeOscar, all for being afraid our ranch wasn't going to get as much and alittle more than anyone else's. Then after she kept talking about it,all of a sudden I saw that I wasn't Jane Ames at all, drudging out mylife in the sand. I'm a human being, struggling along with other humanbeings to make a living and _be happy_. And then I got the feeling thatI wanted to help to make this whole Project the finest place on earthnot only for myself but for everyone else.
"And then, just as I get started on something that's giving me my firstchance since I was married to mix with people and do some real big workin the world, I find out that Oscar is getting all mixed up in dealsthat'll ruin Mr. Manning and the whole Project as far as our owning itgoes."
"Jane!" shouted Oscar.
"Yes, Jane!" replied Mrs. Ames. "If you think I'm going to stand thatkind of disgrace, if you think I'm going to keep quiet while my babies'father is a cat's paw for fellows like that Greek and Freet, you aremistaken. And I'm not going to shilly-shally about it. Oscar, you aregoing to begin right now fighting with Mr. Manning for the Project orI'll leave you."
Oscar jumped to his feet. "For the Lord's sake, Jane, don't talk thatway! How did I know how you felt? You never talk to me.". Ames forgotJim. He laid a knotted hand on Jane's shoulder. "Why, Jane, I've oftenthought if anything happened to you, I'd kill myself. I didn't have timeto run in and tell you that every fifteen minutes. But I'll do it, now,by heck, if you want me to! You don't understand about me and Mr.Sardox, though."
Jane's burning eyes did not leave Oscar's face. "Oscar, you choose rightnow between the Freet crowd, and Mr. Manning and me."
There was that in Jane's eyes which caused Oscar to pale under his tan."All right, Jane! All right! When you put it that way there is just onething for me to do. I'll quit them."
Jane suddenly turned, and bowing her head against Oscar's arm she beganto sob. "It would have torn my heart strings out to have left you,Oscar."
Jim watched the two with eyes that saw none too clearly.
Oscar smoothed Jane's hair and shook his head. "No use to tell a woman asecret. Jane, you went and told Mrs. Penelope about Freet, didn't you?"
Mrs. Ames wiped her eyes. "You told her yourself. You talked to thewrong flower girl at the ball. She came to me about it the first thingwhen she saw me today."
"Shucks!" said Oscar.
"How did you get in touch with Freet, Oscar?" asked Jim.
"Aw, I'll help you, Mr. Manning, but I won't tell you other people'sbusiness."
"All right, Oscar. It may interest you to know that I had received anote this morning from Freet saying he was coming down here to see me onbusiness."
Oscar flushed. "Come on, Jane, let's be going. I'm much obliged to youfor the cement talk. Why didn't you help me that way before, Mr.Manning?"
Jim laughed. "I didn't know enough to, Oscar. To tell the truth, a ladyhas been after me, too!"
"Mrs. Pen!" exclaimed Jane.
Jim nodded comically and Oscar with a sudden roar of laughter shookhands with Jim. "And women think they need the vote!" he said, leadingJane out the door.
That evening just as Jim was finishing his supper Pen walked into theliving room. "Jim," she said, "did you know that Mr. Freet was coming?"
Jim pulled out a chair for Pen but she shook her head. "Yes, I had aletter from him. He wants to see my sand-cement work and one or twoother new stunts I'm trying out."
Pen moistened her lips. "Jim, he's up at our tent now, talking withSara. They say nothing before me, but--Still, I'm going to take Saraback to New York at once."
"We'll see what I can do first," said Jim. "I'll go up there now." Hepicked up his hat, then paused. "Pen, I haven't told you how much yourtalk the other night has done for me, or how--how I thank you forstaying on here to help me after--after Wind Ridge. It is--I----"
"Jane told me about your talk with Oscar this afternoon. O Still, I'm soproud and so glad!"
Jim looked at Pen's glowing cheeks and at her parted scarlet lips."Pen," he said suddenly, "I'm going to have Henderson give more maskballs. You are years younger since having a good dance, and it looks asif a dance will be the only chance I'll ever have to hug you for all thedear things you do for me!"
Then he fled out the door before Pen could answer. He walked in at theopen door of the tent.
"Good evening, Mr. Freet," he said.
Arthur Freet rose nonchalantly. "Hello, Manning! Pleasure before duty. Ihad to get Saradokis' report on my New York deals before I came to seeyou."
"Oh, come across, Mr. Freet!" said Jim quietly. "I know about what youwant and you'll have to approach me sooner or later, so let's get donewith it."
Freet smiled broadly. "I always knew you'd come to your senses, Manning,if we gave you time. Well, our friend Saradokis is in touch with the NewYork office of the Transcontinental Water Power Company. They have avery tempting proposition to make to the farmers. They stand ready tooutbid any competitor for the power you will develop on the Project."
"We'll let 'em bid, sure," replied Jim calmly. "I shall advertise forbids as soon as I am ready."
"That won't do," said Freet. "The only way to get away with this is todo it quietly. Hold the public off till the contract is signed."
Jim grunted. Sara eyed him without comment. Oscar spoke suddenly. "Nowlook here, Mr. Manning, I ain't as sore at you as I was. I guess, afterour talk this afternoon, you think you're doing wha
t's best for thevalley. But you want to be fair about this. It may not look quite right,but it's the best thing for the farmers. We want to get all the money wecan out of the power. You say yourself that's what will pay for the dam.And if these folks will give us twice what anyone else will, I say closethe deal with them, any way you can."
"What's _your_ price, Ames?" asked Jim clearly.
Oscar jumped to his feet. "In the old days," he roared, "no man wouldhave lived to ask me that twice!"
Jim looked for a long moment into Oscar's eyes, then he drawled: "Allright, Oscar, I apologize. Only you'd better leave national politics toyour inferiors after this. What's _your_ price, Mr. Freet?"
Arthur Freet laughed. "You can't get a rise out of me, Jim! My price isto see these Projects a financial success. Methods don't bother me, norhard names."
Jim sat silent for a moment, then he turned suddenly on Sara. "Ofcourse, you get a chunk of money, Sara. But there is something more init than that for you. What are you trying to ruin me for, Sara?"
Again Sara seemed to see scarlet. "Didn't you spoil Pen's----"
"Keep that name out of this!" shouted Jim.
"Then don't ask me again why I hate you," returned Sara. "I told youonce. But you are too superior, too one-sided, too egotistical, to seeanyone but yourself!" He rose on one elbow.
"You were the closest friend I ever had and you turned me down without achance to make myself right. You never sent me word in my living death.Do you suppose I enjoy this mental hell I live in? Did you ever dreamyou were nailed fast in your coffin? That's my life waking and sleeping.Why shouldn't I curse a God who could serve me such a trick? I wouldmake every living thing a cripple, if I could, and I'd begin on you,you! I'll get you yet!"
Jim glanced at Oscar. The big desert farmer was staring at Sara, horrorin every line of his face.
"Oh, come!" said Freet, "I didn't know you had anything personal inthis, Mr. Saradokis. Manning and I are engineers, out for the good ofthe Projects."
"Whatever your motives are, Mr. Freet," said Jim, "I don't like yourmethods and haven't since the Makon days. The water power will be openedto public bids and if you try to force me I'll tell what I guess."
Freet laughed. "Don't be too sure of yourself, Jim! You are branded asmy pupil. If I go, you will probably go."
"O hell!" said Jim, starting for the door. "I'd rather go if I've got tospend my life fighting fellows like you. In this instance, though, I'mboss. I have the sale of the water power in my control."
"Don't be too sure, Jim," said Freet, still smiling.
Oscar followed Jim from the tent. Neither of them spoke while on the wayto Jim's house where Pen and Jane were sitting with Mrs. Flynn. But inthe kitchen Oscar made Jim wait while he told the three women what hadoccurred in the tent house.
"Now all of you witness," he said, "that I'm through with that bunch.They played me for a sucker to influence the farmers against Mr. Manningand for the trust. When I think of the many different kinds of a fool Iam I wish some good trained mule would come along and kick me."
"That's all right, Oscar," said Jim, "you've been no bigger fool than Ihave. We'll get busy now, won't we?"
Oscar flushed as Jim smiled at him. "Darn it, Mr. Manning," he said,"why haven't you looked at me that way before?" Then he laughed with theothers.
Then Pen spoke very uncertainly: "This settles it, of course. I shall goback to New York at once with Sara."
The little group in the kitchen looked at Jim. His face was white andset.
"Wait a day or so, Pen. I must get some sort of a plan formulated."
"What am I to do with that man Freet hanging round?" asked Pen.
"Come down for a day or so with me, Mrs. Pen," said Mrs. Ames.
"That's a good idea," said Jim. "Freet won't stay after tomorrow,anyway. I can promise you that."
"And I'll look out for the caged hyena," said Mrs. Flynn. "If God letsme live to spare my life, he'll get a tongue lashing from me that'llgive him new respect for the Irish."
Once more the group in the kitchen laughed, though tensely, and partedfor the night.
The next day Freet put in on the dam with Jim. Jim treated him withcourtesy, showing him everything that he asked to see. Freet was verycomplimentary and told Jim he was a credit to his teacher. After a visitto the quarry Jim said suggestively:
"You will want to take the six o'clock train, tonight, of course."
Freet hesitated. Jim went on dryly. "Under the circumstances, it ishardly in good taste for you to remain. It might look as if you and Iwere having a gentleman's agreement on the price of dams."
Freet laughed. "I had planned to take the six o'clock train. I quitefinished my business with Saradokis last night. He's a brilliantbusiness man. Too bad he has that silly whim about you."
Jim did not answer. He called to Henderson and asked him to have theautomobile sent to the quarter house. He himself took Freet to thetrain. They talked construction work all the way and parted amiably.Then Jim returned to his belated office work.
The last letter that he opened was from the Director of the Service. Itexplained to Jim that while the Director had complete faith in Jim'sengineering ability and integrity, Jim's unpopularity not only with thepublic but with the investigating committee made his resignation seemexpedient for the good of the Service. It was with extreme regret andwith full appreciation of what Jim had done for the Service that theDirector asked for Jim's resignation, three months from date.
Jim folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Then he stared out ofthe door at the Elephant. The great beast was silent in the after-glow.A to-hee cheeped sleepily in a nearby cholla:
"O yahee! O yahai! Sweet as arrow weed in spring!"
Then Jim went slowly up the trail to his house, and, refusing hissupper, went into his room and closed the door.