Ted Strong in Montana

  CHAPTER XIII.

  AN UNEXPECTED GUEST.

  Although it was winter, the air was soft and pleasant, and at noon thesun shone with some fervor.

  It was Arizona, and as Ted Strong sat on Sultan and gazed across thewide valley, over which the sun's warm rays shimmered above the sand andcactus, greasewood and sage toward a low-lying ranch house in the fardistance, it did not seem at all like Christmas.

  But it was Christmas Eve, in spite of the fact that there was no snow,no sleigh bells, no apparent use for Santa Claus, and that roses wereblooming in yards where there was sufficient black earth for them tothrive.

  Behind his saddle Ted had a great bundle wrapped in burlap and securelytied.

  For many miles on the way Ted had cast anxious glances behind him, andoccasionally reached back to assure himself that he had not lost hisfreight.

  This argued that it was a very precious burden.

  "I guess that must be the place," mused Ted, as he looked at theapparently deserted house.

  Not a live creature was to be seen about the place, neither man, woman,nor beast.

  "Cheerful-looking prospect for Christmas," Ted continued to soliloquize,as those who travel or ride on mountain or plain in solitude often getin the habit of doing.

  "Wonder where the folks are?" he continued. "Hope they got here allright. But, of course, they did. Bud is too good a leader to let themget off the trail. Besides, they have been long enough on the way tohave got here and back again." Again he paused, musing.

  "Well, Sultan, old chap, it has been a long, dry drive, hasn't it?"

  Sultan, on hearing his name, gave a toss of his head and a soft snicker,and Ted's hand passed gently over his beautiful, glossy mane with acaressing gesture.

  "Hello, here comes some one. Wonder who it is. That's the only sign oflife, except a few rattlesnakes and horned toads I've seen since I leftthe railroad at San Carlos."

  Shading his eyes from the sun, Ted looked for several minutes at thedark speck bobbing along in the distance, a mere shadow against theyellow surface of the earth.

  "He's taking his time," muttered Ted. "Reckon he's wondering who I am,and what I'm standing here for. It can't be one of our fellows. I guessI'll just wait for him to come up and say howdy."

  There was a faint trail, or road, which skirted Sombrero Peak, the massof multicolored rock at Ted's back, over which he had come on his wayfrom San Carlos to the Bubbly Well ranch house, which he was now facingin the distance. But where he was now standing the road branched off tothe west, while a fainter trail lay straight before him to the ranchhouse.

  Bubbly Well was the ranch of Major Caruthers, an Englishman, and aretired officer of the British army, who had come to America to pass hisremaining days in the open. He was a well-preserved man, tall, stalwart,with white hair and a red, fresh-looking face, who could ride well andwas an excellent shot, but who knew nothing about the cattle business.

  Ted had met him in Phoenix, at the hotel, and had dropped into "cowtalk." When the English major learned that Ted knew so much about thecattle business, he told of his ranch at Bubbly Well, confessing thathis own knowledge of steers, cows, round-ups, and the like was solimited that, instead of making the ranch pay, it had been steadilylosing money for him.

  It was then that the major had invited Ted to visit him at the ranch,look the situation over, and give expert advice how to better thecondition of things.

  "I'll tell you what we'll do," said the major; "let's make up aChristmas party for Bubbly Well. The holidays are so beastly lonely outhere, don't you know, and Christmas knocks me all of a heap. Come outand help me make things cheerful."

  "I'd like to," Ted had said, "but I'm not a free agent. I am with aparty of friends, who are also my partners in the cattle business andother enterprises. You see, my first duty is to them. I don't know whattheir plans are."

  At this the major looked considerably crestfallen. Then Ted, as brieflyas he could, told the Englishman all about the broncho boys and theirplans and principles.

  As he talked, Major Caruthers occasionally interjected such exclamationsas "Extraordinary!" "Very remarkable!" "Fawncy!"

  He was intensely interested in Ted's accounts of some of the adventureswhich the members of the Moon Valley outfit had gone through, and whenTed stopped, with an apology for having consumed so much time in talkingabout himself and his friends, the major assured him that he couldlisten with pleasure and profit all night if Ted could only go ontelling him such stories.

  "My boy, I have the very thing," said the major, after a moment'sthought.

  Ted looked at the Englishman inquiringly.

  "Do you think your friends, not knowing me, would accept an invitationto spend Christmas at Bubbly Well, and as long thereafter as they canand will?"

  "That's a very kind thought," said Ted. "You see, we generally contriveto be at our Moon Valley Ranch at Christmas time, but this year we hadbusiness in this part of the country, and could not finish it in time toget back home, and were planning to get as much joy out of the day inthe hotel here as we could."

  "Christmas in a hotel!" exclaimed the major. "I can't think of anythingmore dismal. I'd spend Christmas in my own place even if there wasn'tanother live thing there, and nothing to eat but cheese and crackers."

  "I feel very much that way myself," laughed Ted.

  "Then you'll come?" asked the Englishman eagerly.

  "I think my friends will be very glad to accept the invitation,"answered Ted. "I am sure I should like to, personally, and I thank youfor the privilege and the honor."

  "Don't speak of it."

  They talked of other things; about sport, and about the dangers ofranching in that country.

  Before they parted it was decided that the broncho boys should visitMajor Caruthers' ranch. They were to take their own mounts on the trainto the nearest railroad station to Bubbly Well, where they would be metby one of the major's men as a guide.

  It was three days before Christmas when all of them, except Ted, arrivedat the ranch and were given a hearty welcome by the Englishman. That is,all arrived there except the leader of the broncho boys, who hadremained in Phoenix to attend to some business details and do someshopping, agreeing to follow them later and arrive at the ranchChristmas Eve.

  At the opening of this chapter we find him within sight of Bubbly Well,with a pack of Christmas presents for all hands on his back, waitingpatiently for the approaching rider.

  In the course of a few minutes, the stranger rode up, and, with a coldand quiet greeting, pulled in his mount, a beautiful chestnut mare, andlooked Ted over from top to toe in a cool manner.

  He was a handsome young chap, dressed in such a manner that Ted couldnot quite determine what he was. He had not the appearance of acow-puncher, nor was he a town man, for he was bronzed by the sun, andhe sat his mare like a born horseman.

  His clothes were dark, save for a tan vest which buttoned close aroundhis throat; his boots were of the very best quality, and fitted the calfof his leg snugly, and on his head was an expensive Stetson, with theskin of a rattlesnake for a band.

  But it was his face that affected Ted with a sort of dislike that yethad something of fascination in it, while at the same time it puzzledhim, it was such a strange mixture of good and bad.

  "Can you tell me what ranch house that is over there, and who owns it?"said the stranger, in a well-bred manner that yet had the freedom of theWest in it.

  "Yes," answered Ted. "That is the Bubbly Well Ranch, and it is owned byMajor Caruthers."

  A strange expression passed over the young fellow's face.

  "Jack Caruthers--do you happen to know?"

  "I have never heard him called Jack," said Ted, smiling. "He signshimself 'John Stairs Caruthers.'"

  "It must be the same," said the young fellow musingly.

  "Do you know him?" asked Ted.

  "Well, no. That is, not exactly." The stranger thought a moment. "Isuppose I'll have to put up somewhere for the night; it's a
dickens of away to anywhere out here. I started from Rodeo, across the mountain,early this morning, thinking I could make it to San Carlos by night,but----"

  "You couldn't get there before morning if you rode at top speed," saidTed, as the other hesitated.

  "Are you going to the ranch house?" asked the stranger suddenly.

  "Yes."

  "Do you think your friend would put me up for the night?"

  "I haven't a doubt of it. And to-morrow, too. You know this is ChristmasEve."

  "So it is. I hadn't thought of it. My name is Farnsworth--HilaryFarnsworth."

  The young fellow looked defiantly at Ted, who had started slightly atthe name.

  "Do you want to take me to the house now?" asked Farnsworth, with aslightly contemptuous smile.

  So this was Farnsworth. "Fancy" Farnsworth, as he was called in theSouthwest. Ted looked at him with new interest, and the other staredback with his gray eyes, which were as handsome as a woman's, and yethad in their depths a wicked, cruel gleam.

  "I don't see why not," said Ted.

  "You know me?" asked Farnsworth, with a smile.

  "By reputation."

  "May I ask your name?"

  "Certainly. I beg your pardon. I am Ted Strong."

  At this Farnsworth suddenly pulled his horse to its haunches, at thesame time throwing his hand backward, and, with almost incrediblerapidity, whipping out a revolver.

  His face was white, and had as suddenly assumed an expression in whichfear and determination were equally present.

  "No, you don't!" he said slowly and coldly. "You don't get me that way.I'm not as easy as that."

  Ted had made no move to draw his revolver, and was smiling in an amusedsort of way.

  "I'm sure I don't want you," he said.

  "You're a deputy United States marshal, aren't you?"

  "I am, but I'm not after you."

  "Then you haven't heard?"

  "Nothing about you recently. When I was in this part of the countrybefore I heard----"

  "Oh, you can always hear a lot about a fellow in this rotten part of theworld--except the truth. Then you haven't heard the latest news fromRodeo?"

  "Not a word."

  "And you don't want to arrest me?"

  "Not now. I wouldn't know what to arrest you for, and I haven't seen aUnited States warrant for months."

  "I believe I can trust you. You seem to be a square chap, in spite ofwhat I've heard of you. But I want to tell you one thing: I've got eyesin the back of my head, and there isn't a quicker man on the draw inArizona, so no monkey business. This is not a boast, but a warning."

  "I have nothing against you now," said Ted quietly; "but if I ever have,you'll know it, and have your chance. But I don't see any use instanding here in the sun palavering. Let's hike to the house yonder.I've been riding since daybreak without a drink, and I'd like to samplethe major's famous Bubbly Well."

  Farnsworth looked sharply at Ted for a moment, then replaced hisrevolver, and signaled to lead the way.

  They rode in silence along the trail toward the ranch house for severalminutes.

  "How shall I introduce you to the major--as Farnsworth?" asked Ted, atlast.

  Farnsworth paused to think before replying.

  "I think not," he said at last. "If I am to stay there for the night,there may as well be no unpleasant feeling. Call me anything you likebut that, and I will fall in with it. They may know something about me,and, while I would be safe while Major Caruthers considered me a guest,still, it might cause some restraint."

  "Probably you are right. How will Mr. Dickson do?"

  "As good as any. Say, Strong, you're a brick! I won't forget this."

  "This is a sort of truce. Anyway, it's Christmas, and a fellow shouldput away malice at such a time."

  "Have you malice toward me?"

  "No, I can't say that I have. But I have heard things about you thathaven't prepossessed me in your favor."

  "Have you ever thought that perhaps you have heard more than the truth?"

  "Of course; I know that men are usually painted worse than they are."

  "That's true. It's especially true with regard to myself."

  For a moment Ted said nothing. He was running over in his mind severalof the stories he had heard about this handsome and daring young fellow.

  "Well, I'll take your word for it because it's Christmas," he said atlast.

  "I'll make you believe that I'm telling the truth before ouracquaintance ends," said Farnsworth. As Ted looked into his eyes he sawthat they had changed in expression. Now they were bold and brave andtruthful, where before Ted had seen only a cold, cruel, relentless look.

  Ted threw back his head, and the Moon Valley yell issued from his mouth.

  It instantly transformed the slumbering ranch house. Out of doors, fromaround corners, and even as if they sprang out of the ground, appearedthe broncho boys, and the air fairly rang with their shouts of welcome.

  "That's the way I'd like to be greeted," said Farnsworth, a littlebitterly.

  "Then why don't you fix it so that you are?" asked Ted, smiling.