CHAPTER VI.
THE ARRIVAL AT THE HOUSE PARTY.
"I CAN'T call you Olilie, it is too long and too funny a name," Friedaannounced.
The four girls were being driven over to the Simpson ranch in a bigwagon, which was used in the spring as one of the mess-wagons at theround-up, when the cowboys brought in the stock to be branded.
Jack sat on the driver's seat with Jim; Frieda, Jean and Olilie were onpiles of straw in the back. There was a big, rusty valise between themwhich contained the entire wardrobe of the four members of the houseparty from Rainbow Ranch.
Jean and Jack had even fewer costumes than usual, for they had dividedtheir belongings with the Indian girl, and the valise was the very sameone that Mr. Ralston had brought across the prairies with him fourteenyears before. It had never dawned on the girls that it was shabby andold-fashioned looking, as they had never traveled more than a few milesfrom the ranch and knew nothing of stylish suit cases and leatherhand-bags.
Jack screwed her head around at Frieda's words: "I wonder if you wouldmind our calling you Olive, instead of Olilie," she suggested. "It isever so much easier to say, and I have always thought Olive a perfectlybeautiful name. Besides you seem like a wild olive, you are so prettyand Spanish-looking." Jack spoke carelessly, not dreaming that theyoung, captive girl had conceived the deepest devotion to her. Oliliewas grateful to Jean and Frieda for their kindness to her, but as longas she lived she would remember that it was Jacqueline who had put herarms about her and brought her to the ranch house on the day she haddecided that she could bear life with old Laska no longer. Olilie wastoo shy to show what she felt, but Jack was to find it out some day in awonderful way.
"I shall be very glad to have you call me, Olive," she answered, in themusical tones that surprised everybody acquainted with the gutturalsounds the Indians make in trying to speak English.
Jim turned to stare back of him. He was very much displeased with thislatest escapade of the ranch girls, and had no idea of giving hisconsent to their keeping this girl. Already he had ridden over to tellLaska and Josef that they could have her back in a few days. Frieda andJean were treating this Indian wench like a sister, and a stop had to beput to their nonsense. Jim swallowed hard as he caught sight of Oliliewhom he had seen but a few times before to-day: "Kind of wish the girlshad never run across this one," he muttered to himself. "They have gotplenty to do to take care of themselves."
Olilie looked to-day as you would imagine a gypsy maiden appeared longyears ago in her own land of Romany. She had on a faded blue gown ofJean's and a cape of Jack's; her hair was parted in the middle, likeJack's and Frieda's and plaited in two braids, coming way down over herlow broad forehead. Her eyes were long and narrow, of a clear burningblack, her skin a dark olive and her color spread all over her cheeksinstead of centering in single, bright patches.
"Jack," Jim whispered, "don't you say too much at the Simpson's aboutkeeping this Indian girl at Rainbow Ranch and don't you be tellinganything at this house party about what is worrying us. What we want todo is to keep mum and fight our own battles; if we get the Indiansagainst us, the cattle and horses will disappear faster than they aregoing now."
There were at least a dozen young people, the sons and daughters of themost prosperous ranchmen in that part of Wyoming, scattered all aboutthe front of the Simpson ranch house when the girls drove up in theirold wagon. An automobile stood in front of the door, for Mr. Simpson wasan up-to-date cattleman and rode around his vast place in a sixtyhorse-power machine, instead of on the back of a shaggy broncho.
"Hurrah for the Ranch Girls of Rainbow Lodge!" some one shouted. Jackand Jean and Frieda waved their hands, but Olive was too frightened tostir.
The girls tumbled out of the wagon one over the other, trying to speakto all their friends at once. People did not see each other every dayout West as they do in smaller places, and a house party like Mrs.Simpson's was a notable event.
Frieda kept tight hold on Olive, knowing that she was feeling shy andthe little girl was glad to have a companion herself, as most of theother young people were older.
Mrs. Simpson stared curiously at her unknown visitor. Then she pattedher kindly. "Laura does not see that you have come," she explained tothe little group.
Jack and Jean glanced up at one end of the long veranda. Laura couldplainly see their arrival. But she made no effort to welcome them. Shewas talking to two boys.
"Children, perhaps I ought to have told you," Mrs. Simpson whispered, "Isimply had to invite Dan Norton and his guest to our house party, forLaura likes Dan better than any one she has met in the neighborhood. AndI don't approve of you girls carrying on an old feud simply because yourfather and Dan's were enemies."
Jack had her head in the air and her cheeks were scarlet. Jean openlyrebelled: "You ought to have told us, Aunt Sallie, you know we have aperfect right to hate those Nortons," she murmured.
"Of course we will be as polite as we know how," Jacqueline agreed. But,Mrs. Simpson frowned; she knew Jack's high temper and she feared therewould be a clash between her and Dan before the house party was over.
"How do you do, Miss Ralston, and Miss Bruce and Frieda," Laura Postsaid frigidly, holding her hand so high up in the air to shake handsthat it almost touched her nose. "I suppose you know Mr. Norton and hisguest, Mr. Kent." Laura had not paid the least attention to theexistence of the Indian girl. Olilie might have been a wooden image.
Jack bowed coldly as though she were speaking to perfect strangers. ButJean's brown eyes laughed and Frieda held out her hand innocently toFrank Kent: "I am awfully glad to see you again," she said. "See, thingsare quite all right so far. We still have our new friend with us."
Jack could not help flashing a grateful look at Frank Kent. He came overat once and bowed in his best English fashion to Olive, and then stoodby her while the others were talking.
"There goes the latest addition to the wonderful maidens who are runningtheir own ranch," Laura breathed in an undertone to Dan Norton, as thenewcomers moved toward the door to go to their rooms.
Dan laughed. "Their ranch, did you say? We have a different idea over atour place as to whom Rainbow Ranch belongs. Those girls are a bit toosure of themselves; I expect to see their pride taken down a peg or twosome day."
"What do you mean?" Laura whispered excitedly, her cheeks getting pinkerand her eyes sparkling from curiosity.
Dan shrugged his shoulders and waited until he was sure that Frank couldnot hear him. "Oh, we don't talk about it much out here; remember I amtelling you this in the strictest confidence," he went on. "But RainbowRanch actually belongs to my father and me. You see, it is like this:Father came to Wyoming before Mr. Ralston did. And father and somefriends laid claim to the best part of the Ralston ranch. Mr. Ralstonsays he bought the ranch from father's friends and father says he hadalready purchased their part. So you understand the mix-up. But thebully thing is, that since Mr. Ralston's death the girls have never beenable to find his title to the property. They haven't a sign of a paperto prove they are the owners of Rainbow Ranch. Court records did notuse, to be kept very well in Wyoming. We are not sure about it, butfather is working quietly. Some day we will bring suit and just takepossession of their place; won't it be corking? Rainbow Ranch is rightnext ours, and when we get it we will have the biggest ranch in thispart of the state. If you stay out here long enough, you may see somefun."
Laura nodded eagerly. She did not like the ranch girls, besides she wasone of the disagreeable persons who dearly love to see other people inhot water. She did not mind how much it hurt them so long as it did notaffect her. "No, I will never tell anybody what you have told me," sheagreed confidentially. "Only if anything should develop, you will besure to tell me about it, won't you?" she begged.