CHAPTER XIII
THE LURE OF GOLD
The task of releasing the imprisoned horses was not such an easy task asthe girls and even Andy Rawlinson had thought it would be.
In the first place, it took Andy and his company some time to discoverthe place along the trail where the landslide had occurred, for Betty'saccount had been hasty and excited and she had overlooked severaldetails that might have helped them in their work.
And when they did reach the scene of what might have been a tragedy theranch hands were appalled by the immensity of the landslide. There hadbeen several small ones in that vicinity, but this was what Andy termeda "humdinger."
There was a stamping and snorting from inside that dirt-choked cavernthat, there in that lonely spot on the very edge of night, seemedpositively uncanny to the men who stood and listened.
"Better get busy, boys," said Andy suddenly. "Those hosses ain't goin'to get any easier in they minds an' it's about time we dug 'em out ofthere. Back to Gold Run as fast as we can get there for the right kindof tools from the miners. We may need some more men, too. Gosh, but Ididn't know it was as bad as that," he added with a glance over hisshoulder as he turned his pony and dashed back down the trail in thedirection of Gold Run. "Reckon 'twas just plain grit that got thosegirls out."
Back in Gold Run they found several miners who were willing to offerboth themselves and their tools toward the work of liberation, and soonthe cowboys returned, accompanied by men with lanterns, and fell to workwith a will.
Two hours later, Andy Rawlinson ventured into the blackness of the cave,swinging his lantern before him, and led forth the first of thefrightened horses.
Meanwhile the girls had bathed away the stains of their adventure, andafter a hearty meal cooked by an over solicitous "Miz Cummins" andserved by a frankly envious and inquisitive Lizzie, they feltconsiderably more like their old self-confident selves.
However, they begged not to have to go to bed, as Mrs. Nelson anxiouslysuggested, until the boys had returned with their horses.
"I'm beginning to get dreadfully worried," Betty confessed after aninterval of staring out into the darkness. They were on the biggest ofthe many porches boasted by the quaint old ranch house, waiting eagerlyfor the first sound that would announce the return of Andy and theothers with their horses.
"I'd never get over it if anything happened to Old Nick," said Mollie,taking up Betty's theme. "Maybe we'd better borrow some other horsesfrom the corral and follow them."
"You'll do nothing of the kind," said Mr. Nelson, his voice soundingunusually stern there in the darkness. "I am going to keep my eye on youfor the rest of to-day, at least!"
And so they contented themselves as well as they could with waiting andfinally were rewarded by the regular beat of galloping horses in thedistance.
"They're coming!" cried Betty, springing to her feet, then turned to herfather pleadingly: "You won't mind if we go down to meet them, will you,Dad?" she asked. "They are our chums, you know--the horses, I mean."
Mr. Nelson nodded, and down the steps the girls sprang, racing out tomeet that sound of galloping hoofs which was coming ever nearer. A fewminutes later they were caressing the nervous animals that had gone withthem into the very shadow of death, rubbing their noses, laughing andcrying over them and calling them endearing names till it's a wonder thecowboys, who stood by, grinning sympathetically, did not turn green withenvy.
"Some anymiles do have all the luck," said one of them.
After that the girls and their horses were almost inseparable. If leftto themselves, the latter would follow the girls around like dogs. Even"Old Nick," who had been the most difficult to understand and win, nowwas devoted to Mollie. She was the only one who could quiet him, andthough there were some who did not care to ride him because of hisskittishness, he was never anything but gentle and docile with her.
As the days passed the girls became more and more interested in MeggyHiggins until the longing to give her one good time, in spite of herpride, became almost an obsession with them.
One day Betty begged so hard that the girl finally consented to take aholiday and go out with them for a day's fun. But Meggy surrenderedreluctantly, in spite of the fact that this invitation of the girls hadbeen like a glimpse of wonderland to her.
"I reckon dad can get along one day without me, specially as the hermitcan do part of my work. Pa's broke him in so he can be real helpfulnow----"
But she got no farther, for Betty threw her arms around the surprisedgirl and hugged her happily.
"I'm awfully glad!" she cried, adding with eyes that sparkled: "I tellyou what I'll do. I'll let you ride Nigger. There's a darling littlebrown colt over at the ranch that I've been just dying to try out."
Sudden tears sprang to Meggy's eyes, and with the disgust of allmountain folk for the expression of sentiment, she turned awayimpatiently to hide this tell-tale sign of weakness. But Betty hadglimpsed the tears and she was satisfied.
The day was all that even Meggy Higgins' starved imagination could haveexpected of it. The miner's daughter was so beatifically happy that thegirls found a new and most satisfying thrill in her enjoyment.
All her short, work-driven life Meggy Higgins had wanted a horse, abeautiful, sleek animal with supple limbs and shining coat like the onethat she was riding now--Betty's Nigger. Many have desired a fortune,some political fame, others social position, but Meggy merely desired ahorse. And even this had been denied her because her father had beendazzled by the lure of gold, a fortune always just before his eyes, butnever to be grasped.
The girls were sorry for old Dan Higgins and his thwarted hopes. Butthey were infinitely more sorry for this girl of his to whom hardshipwas a daily reality and pleasure a golden vision to be indulged in onlyby girls whose fathers did not own a worthless claim.
"Sometimes," spoke up Mollie, as she reined Old Nick into a walk, "Iwish I had the courage to rob somebody else's mine, Meggy, and plant thegold in yours. It doesn't seem fair for you to work all the time and getnothing for it."
The girl smiled sadly.
"I'm used to that," she said, with a grim philosophy far beyond heryears. Then she added, with a quick loyalty that made the girls' heartswarm to her: "I don't mind. I'd do anything for dad an' I guess if hethought I was gettin' discouraged he'd jest plum up an' quit. He'sgittin' old, he is, an' he ain't that spry like he used to be. All hehas is his hope in that mine--an' me. Ef you killed that you might aswell kill him."
After a while they stopped in the shade of some stunted trees and hadlunch. The girls could tell from Meggy's popping eyes that thedelicacies they drew forth from Miz Cummins' lunch basket had neverbeen dreamed of in all her hum-drum, joyless life.
Tongue sandwiches, buttered corn-bread, fried chicken that you were atperfect liberty to take up in your fingers and nibble to your heart'scontent, jelly and olives and hot cocoa in the thermos bottle with richcream already in it--truly a feast even worthy of the Outdoor Girls!
After lunch the girls strolled around a bit, leaving their mounts tograze lazily. They talked of many things, the adventures they had had,the curious people they had met in their adventuring, while Meggylistened to it all, drinking it in thirstily.
"To think of all the things you've seen," she breathed at last. "An'I've spent all my time sence I was able to toddle, I reckon, betwixt ourcabin an' the mine--back an' forth, back an' forth----"
After that they rode on again and it was quite late in the day when theydecided it was time to be going back.
"I don't see," said Grace, as they neared the ranch, "why we don't layout some claims and start digging ourselves, girls. The north end ofthis ranch is quite near the other mines. We might strike gold."
The words were spoken laughingly, but Meggy took them seriously.
"Mebbe there's some truth in that," she said soberly. "Dad allusreckoned they might be gold on Gold Run Ranch."
A short time later they left her at the mine and Betty mounted Nigger,leading the
brown colt by the reins. Meggy had tried to stammer somewords of thanks, but the girls would have none of it. They waved to hergayly and started for home.
After an unusually long and thoughtful silence, Amy spoke up softly.
"Betty," she said, "if Meggy is right about the ranch, there being goldhere, I mean, then what your mother had thought all along may turn outto be the truth."
"Well," said Betty, a joyous lilt to her voice that the girls knew well,"Allen will be here in a few days and then we'll start our gold hunt.Gold!" she repeated softly. "There is something romantic in the verysound of it!"