CHAPTER XXIV
PREPARING FOR THE FINALE
"I'm getting scared, Gordon. Real truth, I am."
Hazel was in the saddle. Gordon had just mounted Sunset. It was theclose of a long, arduous, triumphant day for Gordon, and he was feelingvery happy, though mentally weary. The horses moved off before he madeany reply. He had just dismissed Peter McSwain and Mike Callahan, withwhom he had been in close consultation, and Hazel's father was stillwithin the office to see to its closing for the night and the departureof the clerical staff.
The way lay towards the ranch, and the trail the horses were takingskirted the new township, now no longer a waste of untrodden grass, buta busy camp with a strongly flowing human tide.
Hazel had come to meet him at her lover's urgent request, and she wasglad enough to get away from the old ranch house, where the charge ofher captive there was seriously beginning to trouble her. Now she hadat last voiced something of those feelings which the rapid passing ofthe weeks had steadily inspired. She knew that her peace of minddemanded some change from this worrying situation. In her loyalty shehad struggled to perform her share in the conspiracy. She knew, too,that she had succeeded fairly well, and that her efforts were allappreciated to their full. She had contrived that her lover's fathershould never know a moment's discomfort. That his life in captivityshould be made as easy and pleasant as possible. There were no signsthat it had been otherwise, but now, seven weeks had elapsed since hisarrival, and what had just seemed a scandalous joke to her originally,had become a sort of painful nightmare which she was longing to throwoff. The moment she and Gordon were actually alone, she had beenimpelled to break the silence which was steadily undermining her nerve.
Gordon's horse was close abreast of the brown mare, and its ridersmiled down from his great height upon the pretty tailored figure ofthe girl who had become all the world to him.
"I know," he said sympathetically. "It's sort of that way with me,too. I don't just mean I'm scared. There's nothing for me to bescared about. It's--sort of conscience with me. As for yourfather--say"--his smile broadened--"he's taken to his eye-patch witheverybody--me, too. I guess that means he's worried no end."
"What--what are you going to do--then?"
Hazel eagerly watched that big, open, ingenuous face with its widelysmiling blue eyes. And, watching it, she discerned added signs of agrowing humor. Finally he laughed outright.
"Say, we're just the limit for a bunch of conspirators. Yes--thelimit. You're the only one of us who's had the moral courage to putyour feelings into words. We're all scared. We've all been scaredthese weeks. Your father's scared, so he can't look at any man withtwo eyes. Peter's all of a shiver every time he comes within hailingdistance of the sheriff. As for Mike--well, Mike's sold all hisholdings, and is bursting to sell his livery business, all but oneteam, so he'll have the means of skipping the border at a minute'snotice. Say, have you figured out how we stand? How I stand? Well,from a point of law I guess I'm a good candidate for ten years'penitentiary. I've kidnapped two men; one's a dirty dog, anyway, andthe other's one of the biggest millionaires in the country. I'vefraudulently played up a railroad. I've started this boom on thebiggest fraud ever practiced. I've--say, ten years! Why, I guess thetally of this adventure looks to me like twenty in the worstpenitentiary to be found in the country. It--makes me perspire tothink of it."
He was laughing in a perfectly reckless fashion, and, in spite of hervery real fears, Hazel perforce found herself joining in.
"It's desperate, Gordon," she cried. "And as for you, who worked itall out, and led it, you--you are the dearest blackguard everbreathed." Then quite suddenly her eyes sobered, and her apprehensionreturned with a rush. "But how long is--it to last? I--I can't go onmuch longer, and your father's getting restive and suspicious."
Gordon reached down and patted Sunset's crested neck.
"It's finished now. That's why I asked you to come and meet me. I'vesold."
"You've sold?"
In a moment the last shadow of fear had passed out of the girl's prettyeyes. Now she was agog with excited admiration.
"Yes." The man nodded. "It had to be done carefully. I've beenselling quietly for days and now it's finished. I didn't get theprices I hoped quite, but that was because I felt I dared not waitlonger to clear up the general mess I'd made. Your father helped me,and I now sit here with a roll of precisely one hundred and fivethousand dollars, and a definite promise to your father to fix thingswith the great James Carbhoy so no trouble is coming to any one--noteven Slosson. I don't know. Now it's all over I'm sort of sorry. Youknow this sort of thing--the excitement of beating folks--is a greatplay. I want to be at it all the time."
"You've got to meet your father yet," said the girl warningly.
"The old dad? Why, yes, I s'pose I have." Gordon chuckled. "Say, Idon't wonder folks taking to crooked ways. They just set your bloodtingling like--like a glass of champagne on an empty stomach. Justlook out there." He pointed at the new township. "Say, isn't itwonderful? All in a few weeks. And all the result of one man'scrookedness."
"And your father has been a--prisoner--the whole time. Over sevenweeks," rebuked the girl.
"But it's only three weeks since I met you that night on the trail,Hazel. No other time concerns me. Not even the dear old dad'scaptivity. That was the beginning of all things that matter for me."
"You seem to date everything around that--ridiculous episode," saidHazel slyly. "I----"
"I do."
"Don't interrupt me, sir. I was going to assure you that your properspirit should be one of contrition for what you have made your fatherendure."
"It is."
"You said you didn't care."
"I don't."
"Then----"
Gordon burst out into a happy laugh.
"Don't you see, dear? I just don't care for, or think about anythingelse in the world. You--you--you are just mine, so what's the use oftalking of the old dad."
"Really? True? True?" The girl's tender eyes were melting as theygazed up into her lover's. "More to you than all--this?" Sheindicated the busy life on the new township. The miracle, as sheregarded it, which he had worked. The man smiled, his eyes full of agreat, tender love. "I'm glad," the girl sighed. "It isn't always sowith men--where the making of money is concerned, is it?" She breatheda great contentment and happiness. "Yes, I'm--so glad. It's the samewith me, but--I want all this to go on right--because of you. I wantyour success. I want your success as a man, and--with your father.I'm very jealous for those things now. You see, you belong to me,don't you?" She turned and gazed away across the plain. "Oh, it'sgood to see it all--to see all the busy work going on. Look there--andthere," she pointed quickly in many directions. "Buildings going up.Temporary buildings. The substantial structures to come later. Thenthe road gangs at work. The carpenters at the sidewalks. Thesurveyors. The teams and wagons. Above all, that depot being builtwith all expedition by--your father." She laughed happily and clappedher hands. "It's all growing every day. A mushroom town. Andyou--you have made that money your great father dared you to make.Dared you--you, and you have made it out of him! Oh, dear! the humorof it is enough to make a cat laugh. Here you, by sheer audacity androguery, have held up a railroad and coolly played the highwayman onyour own father!"
Gordon shook his head.
"Call it grabbing opportunity. It was an opportunity which came my waythrough the trifling oversight of forgetting to return the private codebook which the old dad had entrusted to my care. Say, I can neverthank the dad enough for that half-hour talk in his office which sentme out into the wilderness. If he hadn't handed it to me, I shouldnever have blundered into Snake's; and if I hadn't blundered intoSnake's I shouldn't have found you. I guess my parent's just one ofthe few to whom a son owes anything. He gave me life, but didn't stopat that. He gave me you."
Hazel's eyes were smiling happily.
r /> "And in return you lay violent hands on him, and incarcerate him whileyou do your best to rob him."
"It sounds pretty bad."
"If I didn't know you I'd say that gratitude fell out of your cradleand killed herself when the fairies got around at your birth. But youdidn't ask me to ride all these miles in to--to say just all these nicethings to me, Gordon? Besides, now you've completed your--graft, whatabout your poor long-suffering prisoners? How are you going to save usall from the consequences of your evil ways? Your father will hateme." The girl sighed in pretended despair. "He'll never consentto--to----"
"Our marriage? Say, if I'm a judge of things I'll have to stand by sohe don't embrace you too often, himself."
They both laughed like the two happy children they were. There was nocloud that could mar the sun of their delight now. Hazel, for all herfears, had perfect faith in this great reckless creature. She hadnever been able to obscure the memory of his battle with Slosson on herbehalf. Her faith was unbounded.
So they rode on, leaving the busy new world the man had created behindthem, as they made their way on towards the ranch. They were leavingeverything behind them, the shadows and sunlight of past strenuousdays, which is the way of youth. They gazed ahead towards the futurewith every confidence, and lived in a perfect present which containedonly their two selves.
It was not until they had nearly reached the ranch, and the widepasture stocked with grazing cattle came into view, that the girl wasable to pin her lover down to the urgent matters which lay ahead ofhim. Then she received from that simple creature the brief account ofhis intentions. For a moment she was staggered. Then, after a briefdigestion of the details, she began to laugh. The rank absurdity andimpudence of them took her fancy, and she found herself caught in thehumor of it all, and ready again to carry out his lightest wish.
"It's still the same, you see," Gordon finished up. "I still want you,and your precious help, the same as I always shall. I just can't do athing without you, and as long as you are with me, why, I don't guessfailure's got a chance of getting its nose in front. I've got it allfixed, if you'll play your part. All I ask is, for the Lord's sakedon't start in to laugh at the critical time. I want you scared todeath till I appear, and then you'll just need to chase up an attack ofhysterics or something, throw your heels around and yell blue murder,and finish up by grabbing me around the neck, and fainting dead awaywith happiness. The rest I'll see to. It's some situation for you,but don't worry when the limelight leaves you in the dark and finds itsway to me. It's just the sort of thing you can find in any old dimenovel. The heroines always act that way, and the hero, too. When youget back, start right in to think about every dime story you've everread. Remember all the things the heroines ever did, and then do 'emall yourself. See? Guess that isn't as clear as it might be, but whenyou've filtered it through that bright little head of yours it'll belike spring water in a moss-grown mountain creek."
"Whatever will he say when he knows?" laughed the girl.
"Say? well, that's not an easy guess," retorted Gordon, with aresponsive laugh. "But, anyway, it's dead sure he'll think a heapmore. Say, there's just one thing more. When you come-to out of thatjoyous faint, you got to leave us together for half an hour. Maybeyou'll have some sort of preparation to make, or something. Sort ofstagger out of the room supported by me, and if Hip-Lee attempts tobutt in during that half hour--kill him."
"You really want me to do--all this?" Hazel's laughing eyes wereraised questioningly.
"Everything, but--the killing."
"The fainting--really?"
"Sure." The man's eyes opened wide. "It's the picture. It's thereality. It's the local color."
"Oh, dear!" laughed Hazel, as they rode up to the ranch house. "Isuppose I've got to do it."
"You will?"
Gordon flung himself out of the saddle. Hazel laughingly held out herhand in assurance.
"My hand on it, Gordon, dear," she cried.
The man seized it in both of his. Then, regardless of what sharp eyesmight be peeping in their direction, he reached up, and, catching herabout the waist, drew her down towards him till her head was level withhis, and kissed her rapturously.
"Say, you're the greatest little woman on earth, and--I love you todeath."
Hazel hastily drew herself out of his strong arms, and, with flushedface, straightened herself up in the saddle.
"And you are the greatest and most ridiculous creature ever let looseto roam this world--and I--love you for it."
The man laughed. Hazel's laugh joined in.
"Then--to-night?"
Hazel nodded.
"Good-by, dear--till to-night."