CHAPTER XIII.
AT THE CABIN.
What did it mean?
Had the old hump-backed, bow-legged mine-locater gone crazy, or was hepurposely insulting the beautiful maiden? Fearless Frank stood aside,apparently offering no objections to the hugging, and the Indians didlikewise.
At least Miss Terry made no serious attempts to free herself from the"General's" bear-like embrace.
A few bounds brought Redburn to the spot, panting, breathless,perspiring. "What is the meaning of this disgraceful scene?" hedemanded, angrily.
"Disgraceful!" The old "General" set Miss Terry down on her feet,after giving her a resounding smack, and turned to stare at the youngminer, in astonishment. "Disgraceful! Waal, young man, ter tell thesolid Old Testament truth, more or less--consider'bly less o' more 'nmore o' less--I admire yer cheek, hard an' unblushin' as et ar'. Yecall my givin' this pretty piece o' feminine gander a squar', fatherlysort o' a hug, _disgraceful_, do ye? Think et's all out o' ther boundso' propriety, do ye?"
"I look at it in that light, yes," Redburn replied.
"Haw! haw! haw!" and the General shook his fat sides with immoderatelaughter. "Why, pilgrim-tender-fut, this 'ere hundred an' twenty-sixpounds o' feminine gender b'longs to me--ter yours, truly, WalsinghamNix--an' I have a parfec' indervidual right ter hug an' kiss her asmuch as I please, wi'out brookin' enny interference frum you. Alice,dear, this ar' Harry Redburn, ginerall sup'intendent o' ther FlowerPocket gold-mines, an' 'bout as fair specimen as they make, nowadays.Mr. Redburn, I'll formally present you to Miss Alice Terry, _mydarter!_"
Redburn colored, and was not a little disconcerted on account of hisblunder; but he rallied in a moment, and acknowledged the introductionwith becoming grace and dignity.
"You must excuse my interference," he said, earnestly. "I saw the old'General' here taking liberties that no stranger should take, andknowing nothing of the relationship existing between you, I wasnaturally inclined to think that he was either drunk or crazy;therefore I deemed it necessary to investigate. No offense, I hope."
"Of course not." and Alice smiled one of her sweetest smiles. "You didperfectly right and are deserving of no censure, whatever."
After a few moments of desultory conversation, Redburn took the"General" to one side, and spoke on the subject of Fearless Frank andAnita Harris--of his action in the matter, and so forth. Nix--orTerry, as the latter was evidently his real name--heartily coincidedwith his views, and both agreed that it was best not to let theScarlet Boy come within range of Anita, or, at least, not till NedHarris should return, when he could do as he chose.
Accordingly it was decided that Fearless Frank should be set to workin the quartz mine, that being the furthest from the cabin, and hecould eat and sleep either in the mine or in the crusher building,whichever he liked best.
After settling this point the two men rejoined the others, and Frankwas apprised of their decision. He made no remarks upon it, but it wasplain to see that he was anything but satisfied. His wild spirityearned for constant freedom.
The Utes were dismissed and sent back to their work; the "General"strolled off with McKenzie toward the quartz mine; it devolved uponRedburn to escort Alice to the cabin, which he did with pleasure, andgave her an introduction to sweet, sad-faced Anita, who awaited theircoming in the open doorway.
The two girls greeted each other with warmth; it was apparent thatthey would become fast friends when they learned more of each other.
As for Redburn, he was secretly enamored with the "General's" prettydaughter; she was beautiful, and evidently accomplished, and herprogenitor was financially well-to-do. What then was lacking to makeher a fitting mate for any man? Redburn pondered deeply on thissubject, as he left the girls together, and went out to see to hisduties in the mines.
He found Terry and Fearless Frank in the quartz mine, looking at theswarthy-skinned miners; examining new projected slopes; suggestingeasier methods for working out different lumps of gold-bearing rock.While the former's knowledge of practical mining was extended, thelatter's was limited.
"I think thet thar ar' bigger prospects yet, in further," the oldlocater was saying. "I ain't much varsed on jeeological an'toppygraffical formation, myself, ye see; but then, it kinder 'peersto me thet this quartz vein ar' a-goin' to hold out fer a consider'bletime yet."
"Doubtless. More straight digging an' less slopes I should think wouldbe practicable," McKenzie observed.
"I don't see it!" said Redburn, joining them. "Sloping andtransversing discovers new veins, while line work soon plays out. Ithink things are working in excellent order at present."
They all made a tour of the mine which had been dug a considerabledistance into the mountain. The quartz was ordinarily productive, andbeing rather loosely thrown together was blasted down without anyextra trouble. After a short consultation, Redburn and the "General"concluded to place Frank over the Utes as superintendent andmine-boss, as they saw that he was not used to digging, blasting orany of the rough work connected with the mine, although he wasclear-headed and inventive.
When tendered the position it was gratefully accepted by him, heexpressing it his intention to work for the interest of his employersas long as he should stay in the gulch.
Night at last fell over the Flower Pocket gold-mines, and work ceased.
The Utes procured their own food--mainly consisting of fish from thelittle creek and deer and mountain birds that could be brought down atalmost any hour from the neighboring crags--and slept in the open air.Redburn had McKenzie a comfortable bed made in the crusher-house, andsent him out a meal fit for a prince.
As yet, Anita knew nothing of the scarlet youth's identity;--scarcelyknew, in fact, that he was in the valley.
At the cabin, the evening meal was dispatched with a generalexpression of cheerfulness about the board. Anita seemed less downcastthan usual, and the vivacious Alice made life and merriment for all.She was witty where wit was proper, and sensible in an unusual degree.
Redburn was infatuated with her. He watched her with an expression offondness in his eyes; he admired her every gesture and action; he sawsomething new to admire in her, each moment he was in her society.
When the evening meal was cleared away, he took down the guitar, andsung several ballads, the old "General" accompanying him with his richdeep bass, and Alice with her clear birdlike alto; and the sweetmelody of the trio's voices called forth round after round ofrapturous applause from the road-agents camped upon the slope, andfrom the Utes who were lounging here and there among the flower-bedsof the valley. But of the lot, Deadwood Dick was the only one boldenough to approach the cabin, he came sauntering along and halted onthe threshold, nodding to the occupants of the little apartment with anonchalance which was not assumed.
"Good-evening!" he said, tipping his sombrero, but taking care not tolet the mask slip from his face. "I hope mine is not an intrusion.Hearing music, I was loth to stay away, for I am a great lover ofmusic;--it is the one passion that appeals to my better nature."
He seated himself on the little stone step, and motioned for Redburnto proceed.
One of those inside the cabin had been strangely affected at the sightof Dick, and that person was Anita. She turned deathly pale, her eyesassumed an expression of affright, and she trembled violently, as shefirst saw him. The Prince of the Road, however, if he saw her, noticednot her agitation; in fact, he took not the second glance at her whilehe remained at the cabin. His eyes were almost constantly fasteningupon the lovely face and form of Alice.
Thinking it best to humor one who might become either a powerful enemyor an influential friend, Redburn accordingly struck up a lively air,_a la banjo_, and in exact imitation of a minstrel, rendered "Gwine toGet a Home, Bymeby." And the thunders of _encore_ that came from theoutside listeners, showed how surely he had touched upon a pleasantchord. He followed that with several modern serio-comic songs, all ofwhich were received well and heartily applauded.
"That recalls memories of good ol
d times," said the road-agent, as heleaned back against the door-sill, and gazed at the mountains, grand,majestic, stupendous, and the starlit sky, azure, calm and serene."Recalls the days of early boyhood, that were gay, pure, and happy.Ah! ho!"
He heaved a deep sign, and his head dropped upon his breast.
A deathlike silence pervaded the cabin; that one heartfelt sigharoused a sensation of pity in each of the four hearts that beatwithin the cabin walls.
That the road-agent was a gentleman in disguise, was not to begainsayed; all felt that, despite his outlawed calling, he wasdeserving of a place among them, in his better moods.
As if to accord with his mood, Alice began a sweet birdlike song, fullof tender pathos, and of quieting sympathy.
It was a quaint Scottish melody,--rich in its honeyed meaning, sweetlyweird and pitiful; wonderfully soothing and nourishing to a weepingspirit.
Clear and flute-like the maiden's cultured voice swelled out on thestill night air, and the mountain echoes caught up the strains andlent a wild peculiar accompaniment.
Deadwood Dick listened, with his head still bowed, and his handsclasped about one knee;--listened in a kind of fascination, until thelast reverberations of the song had died out in a wailing echo; thenhe sprung abruptly to his feet, drew one hand wearily across themasked brow; raised his sombrero with a deft movement, and bowedhimself out--out into the night, where the moon and stars looked downat him, perhaps with more lenience than on some.
Alice Terry rose from her seat, crossed over to the door, and gazedafter the straight handsome form, until it had mingled with the otherroad-agents, who had camped upon the slope. Then she turned about, andsat down on the couch beside Anita.
"You are still, dear," she said, stroking the other's long, unconfinedhair. "Are you lonely? If not why don't you say something?"
"I have nothing to say," replied Anita, a sad, sweet smile playingover her features. "I have been too much taken up with the music tothink of talking."
"But, you are seldom talkative."
"So brother used to tell me. He said I had lost my heart, and tongue."
Redburn was drumming on the window-casing with his fingers;--a sort oflonely tattoo it was.
"You seemed to be much interested in the outlaw. Miss Terry," heobserved, as if by chance the thought had just occurred to him, when,in reality, he was downright jealous. "Had you two ever met--"
"Certainly not, sir," and Alice flashed him an inquiring glance. "Whydo you ask?"
"Oh! for no reason, in particular, only I fancied that song was meantespecially for him."
Redburn, afterward, would have given a hundred dollars to haverecalled those words, for the haughty, half-indignant look Alice gavehim instantly showed him he was on the wrong track.
If he wished to court her favor, it must be in a different way, and hemust not again give her a glimpse of his jealous nature.
"You spoke of a brother," said Alice, turning to Anita. "Does he livehere with you?"
"Yes, when not away on business. He has now been absent for over amonth."
"Indeed! Is he as sweet, sad, and silent as yourself?"
"Oh! no; Ned is unlike me; he is buoyant, cheerful, pleasant."
"Ned? What is his full name, dear?"
"Edward Harris."
Alice grew suddenly pale and speechless, as she remembered thehandsome young miner whom Fearless Frank had slain in the duel, justoutside of Deadwood. This, then, was his sister; and evidently she asyet knew nothing of his sad fate.
"Do you know aught concerning Edward Harris?" Redburn asked, seeingher agitation. Alice considered a moment.
"I do," she answered, at last. "This Fearless Frank, whom I came herewith, had a duel with a man, just above Deadwood, whose name wasEdward Harris!"
"My God;--and his fate--?"
"He was instantly killed, and left lying where he dropped!"
There was a scream of agony, just here, and a heavy fall.
Anita had fainted!