CHAPTER XII
PLAY THAT WAS WORK AND WORK THAT WAS PLAY
The silence that followed Leslie's frightened cry, as he hurled himselfto the ground beside the old man he had struck, lasted but an instant.Then, recovering their scattered wits, Herbert and Monty stooped andlifted the Captain's head.
The movement roused him and he opened his eyes, drawing a long breath ashe did so and trying to speak. But he couldn't do that yet; nor, indeed,till Dorothy had come back with a glass of water, for which she hadinstantly run to the house as Captain Lemuel fell.
Dipping her fingers in the water she moistened his lips, and when heparted them as if demanding more, she gently dropped some between them.He swallowed with an effort but, presently, his strength returned and hetried to rise. The lads helped him and were overjoyed when he said,quite clearly and with a touch of his native humor:
"Ain't so tough as I thought. Eh, what? Lessen a little tenderfootlike--Why, what's he down for? Tried it on himself?"
At the sound of his victim's voice an infinite relief surged throughLeslie's heart and he lifted a very white face to look at the ranchman.
"Oh, Captain Lem! I--I was wild to do that! I beg your pardon--pleaseforgive me--if you can!"
The petition ended with a sob, that was really a gasp for breath, due tothe excitement of his rage, and the anger of his mates changed to pityfor him.
"His weak heart! How ill he has made himself!" thought Helena,compassionately putting her hand under his arm and helping him to hisfeet, where he stood trembling and still breathing with much difficulty.
Dorothy had told her of this weakness of the lad's and that his parentshad been somewhat doubtful if he could endure the rarefied air of thathigh region. If he could it would cure that other weakness of his lungsand they hoped for the best. She was frightened by his appearance andinwardly resolved to oppose any sort of fun which might bring on areturn of this attack. She had already heard her brother and Montyproposing a bear hunt on the more distant peaks of the mountains anddecided that it should never take place.
But Captain Lem was answering the boy and she listened to his words:
"Course, sonny, I shan't lay it up again' you. An' I allow 't there'sone thing decent about you: if you're quick to get r'iled you're just asquick to own yourself in fault. I'm willin' to wash the slate all cleannow, an' start over again with any little problems we may meet, same'swhen I was a little shaver, an' 'tended deestrict school an' got my sumswrong, the teacher made me do. I'm no hand to lay up malice just 'causea feller's got more 'n his share o' temper, specially not again' yourfather's son. Anybody 't spells his name Ford can do most as he's a mindto with Lemuel Hunt. Only--_don't you dast to do it again_; 'cause I'msome on the temper myself, an' I ain't much used to bein' struck.So--so--just don't show off any more o' that there little playfulnessagain. That's all."
Too proud to show how really shaken and miserable he felt, thesharpshooter retired to his own quarters at the Barracks and was seen nomore that night: but he sent word to Dorothy, the "Little One," thatNetty, the lamb, had been given a soft bed close to his own and would becarefully attended.
The hours passed quietly till bedtime, which all the young strangers atSan Leon felt inclined to make early that night. Seven young people,with all the means of enjoyment at hand which these had, should havebeen very merry, but these were not. The absence of their hosts made thegreat house seem very empty. Nobody had heart for any music, thoughDorothy bravely brought out her violin and Helena took her place at thepiano, ready to accompany. But, unfortunately, the first melody whichcame to Dolly's mind was one that Father John, Aunt Betty, and poor Jimhad each loved best--"Auld Lang Syne."
She mastered a few strains and the tears rose to her eyes. She suddenlyfelt lonely and helpless, so far from all who had hitherto made herhappy world. So, rather than break down completely and let the tearsfall, she nodded to Helena and put her beloved Cremona "to bed," as shecalled its placing in its case.
"Let's play 'Authors,'" suggested Molly.
"'Authors' is the dullest game going," objected Monty.
"That's because you're not well read. If you knew as much about books asJim Barlow--" she retorted, teasing, then stopped abruptly. That was anunfortunate reference, for who, alas! could tell if that too studiousyouth were alive or dead?
Alfaretta hurried to cover this mention by demanding:
"Let's sing 'rounds,' 'Scotland's burning,' or 'Three Blind Mice.' Nowdon't stop to object or say nothin' but _just begin_. I will, and Nell,you follow. Then the boys, if any of 'em can sing a note. Sometimestheir voices go 'way up in Q and sometimes 'way down suller. But theycan try. Now--here she goes: 'Three Blind Mice--Three Blind Mice--Formercy's sake, Helena Montaigne, why don't you take it up? I sing oneline, you know, then you sing the same one over--and we each do it threetimes then change to 'They--all--run--after--the--butcher's--wife--who--cut--off--their--tails--with--a--carving--kni-i-ife!--You--never--see--such--a--sight--in--your--life--as--Three--Blind Mice!' By that timeDolly'll be ready, over cryin'. She can sing real nice if she's a mindto. Listen! Everybody do it real solemn, no giggling, no forgettin'your parts, where you go in and come out at and doin' that part aboutthe butcher's wife and the tails just as fast as you can speak it andthe end--as--s-l-o-w--a-s--s-l-o-w. Begin!"
Alfy's rich, though untrained voice, started the song and Helenafollowed on time, singing very sweetly, indeed, until she came to thattragic part about the tails, when she burst out in a giggle and a vaineffort to race along as rapidly as Alfy had done.
Herbert could sing well. He helped Alfaretta carry the thing through toa triumphant finale, they two alone; for all the others had laughedthemselves out of place and tune, with Monty interspersing the melody byoutrageous cat calls and screechings of "Maria Maouw, come and catchthese Three Blind Mice!"
"Maria! Maria! Pussy, pussy cat Maria--Come to supper!" echoed Leslie,laughing as he rarely laughed. To him this company of young people waswholly delightful--except when he felt it his duty to entertain them.When they were thus willing to entertain him everything was all right.He had had so few young intimates in his life that each of theseyoungsters seemed wonderful to him. Their nonsense and good naturedchaffing of one another kept him amused at all times and was doublypleasant to him that night.
For, like Dorothy, he felt oddly forlorn and deserted in this greatbeautiful home that was practically his own; and he wished as he haddone before that he might step into that cottage of the Babcock's,"up-mounting" where Alfaretta belonged and where she said everyone wasas jolly as the day was long. He hadn't liked Alfy at first and hestill rather looked down upon her. She wasn't of his station in life,she _would_ not see that money made such a great difference, whetherone had it or had not. She was greatly lacking in delicacy of speech,but she was honest to a fault. Not honester than Dolly, perhaps, butin another way. She hadn't hesitated to give him one of those generous"pieces of her mind" with which she regaled anyone she considered atfault; and the "piece" she had cut for him that day had been:
"Well, Leslie Ford, if bein' rich as Croesus--whoever he was--or havin'all creation to wait on you can't make you no better 'n a coward--I pityyou. Yes, I do. That was the lowest-down, orneriest trick to hit an oldman like Captain Lem, without givin' him a chance to help himself. Why,a boy that hadn't a cent, an' never looked to have, couldn't ha' been nomeaner. An' just sayin' 'Forgive me' don't undo that job. Worst is, youraised a bigger welt on your own insides, on that thing Mr. Winterscalls your conscience, 'n you did on his old head, an' it won't heal soquick, neither. I sure was ashamed of you, I sure was."
This lecture had been in response to his appeal, as they chanced tostand together in the cloistered walk, waiting for supper:
"You don't think very badly of me, do you, Alfaretta, for getting soangry?"
The lad was very unhappy and very ashamed. He hoped to recover his ownself-respect by hearing his mates declare the recent affair had been"nothing." Herbert had gone so far, ind
eed, as to say that he, too,would have resented being told "must" and "mustn't" by a mere hired man,but Leslie knew that Herbert would never have struck anybody under anyprovocation; and Monty had simply remarked: "Well, if you really likedto soil your hands that way, all right."
Alfy was the first of the girls he had interviewed, though he hadgratefully recognized Helena's compassion and Dorothy's distress--forhimself. Molly--he guessed he wouldn't question Molly. That youngperson had a flippant tongue and she was always inclined to "call aspade a spade." He couldn't imagine her calling a coward a hero--and hisown heart told him he had not been that. But Alfy was poor and intenselygrateful for all his parents were doing for her. She would be the one tosoothe his self-esteem and overlook the episode, he thought, and so heappealed to her.
Alfy's opening remark had been:
"I can't say I think very well. You might ha' done worse, course, youmight have used that pistol I saw you cocking round, this morning, ifyou'd had it handy; and that you've got no more use for than a cat fortwo tails. You beat the Dutch, Leslie Ford. You're feelin' mean aspussley and you're coaxin' me to contradict you."
Then had followed that larger "slice" of the girl's opinion, recordedabove. It hadn't left a very pleasant "taste" in the lad's "mouth."
Summons to supper was an agreeable sound, just then, and nobody referredto the event again. Yet, as has been told, the evening was a dull onefor most of the party, the singing of the "rounds" its greatestamusement. Just as this ended, Dr. Jones appeared to read familyprayers.
Mrs. Ford had instituted this on her arrival at San Leon, and Mr. Fordhad conducted the little service with a dignified sincerity which couldnot fail to impress his young guests. On leaving, he had requested thedoctor to take his place, saying:
"No ceremony that will help to bring a blessing on our home must beomitted just because I am away."
But, to-night, they missed the master's earnest voice and Gray Lady'swonderful singing of just the familiar, common hymn which everybodyknew. The house-servants, and such of the ranchmen as would, filed intothe spacious music-room and took their seats in reverent quiet. This wasnew business to most of those rough westerners and they came partly fromcuriosity, partly from admiration of "Dan Ford, Railroad Boss"; so greata man in their opinion that whatever he did they felt must have somemerit in it.
Helena took her place at the piano and the other girls stood beside her;and Herbert, obeying a nod from Dorothy also came forward. Monty andLeslie reluctantly followed. They had grouped themselves thus when themaster was present but had hesitated now from a foolish shame beforethese untutored workmen.
Dorothy's face lighted with gratitude and between the lines of the hymnMolly murmured, "Good boys," while Alfy sang with even greater vim thanher beloved "rounds."
Then swift good nights and rest. It had been a busy, an exciting day;and Dorothy was soon asleep, though again her mind had been full ofwonder concerning absent Jim and she had meant to lie awake and, asAlfy expressed it: "Cipher out where he could be."
But still she could not worry greatly. The arrival of the lamb with hismessage assured her that he was alive and, she argued, must be wellsince he had not forgotten her.
But in one room there was no desire for sleep. Leslie was still restlessand excited. His heart bothered him. He missed his parents more than hewould acknowledge even to himself. He was fractious and tried Mateo'spatience sorely.
"No, Mateo, I shan't go to bed till I get ready. No matter if my motherdid say ten o'clock, it was because she didn't understand. You can't go,either. I want you to talk."
"Certainly, senor."
But when silence followed Leslie impatiently inquired:
"Well, why don't you?"
Poor Mateo sighed. Commonly his tongue would run so fast that his youngmaster would order him to be quiet. Now, when requested, the valet couldfind no word to say. He stood behind his master's chair, idly turningwith his foot the corners of a mighty bear skin which lay upon thefloor. It was the skin of an enormous grizzly, that had been shot byCaptain Lem and another _caballero_, or horse trainer and had beenmounted by themselves with infinite care, as a gift to their employer.The head was stuffed to the contour of life, and the paws outspread andperfect. It was, indeed, a most valuable skin and Leslie had admired itso greatly that it had been spread as a rug upon his floor. It annoyedhim now to see Mateo toying with it and he bade him stop.
The Mexican flushed and sighed:
"It is that _el senor_ is not well, _si_?" he suggested, suavely.
"Yes, I am well, too," retorted the boy, who felt wretched, with acurious oppression on his chest.
"Imagine, Senor Leslie, what it must be to kill, to slaughter such amonster!"
"Ah! a monster, indeed! But I shall kill just such another, you'll see.What's the use of a ranch on the Rockies and not go bear hunting? Theycan't keep me done up in cotton wool just because I used to cough alittle."
"Certainly not, senor."
"Oh! shut up with your everlasting 'certainly nots!' You're as tiresomeas an old woman. I wish you'd stayed in San Diego, where you belong."
Mateo was amazed. He was really devoted to Leslie and they had rarelydisagreed. He scarcely knew the lad in such a mood as this and realizedthat something must be done to give a pleasanter turn to things. A bearhunt? Was that what the young senor had set his heart upon and beendenied? An inspiration came to him.
"_Caramba!_ Behold! I have a fine thought, me. Will it please _el senor_to listen?"
"Of course. That's what I said to do--to talk."
Then Mateo did talk. For five, ten minutes, with many a gesture andmixture of Spanish and English, till his listener's face grew radiantand he sprang from his chair with a hip, hip, hurra! All his crossnesswas over and he now allowed Manuel to settle him for the night with agood nature not to be exceeded by anybody.
The morning found all the young folks happier than they had been on thenight before; and, nobody was late for breakfast. It had been explainedto them that each one should attend the grooming of his or her ownhorse. There would be men to wait upon them, of course, and for thegirls but little labor. Yet Mr. Ford believed that they would all bebenefited in health by this pleasant task and that the intimacy whichshould exist between horse and rider would be thus furthered.
Breakfast was scarcely over when Captain Lem appeared on the porch. Helooked older than usual and uncommonly pale under his weather toughenedskin, and he had put on his "specs," which he disliked. However, hismanner was as gay as ever and he began:
"You cert'nly are the laziest set o' youngsters I've met sence I wasknee-high to a hop-toad. Reckon if anybody'd give me a horse when I wasyour ages I'd ha' beat the sun a-risin' to see if 't had lived overnight. The boys is waiting in the stables, and gettin' pretty cross.Some on 'em sort-of-kind-of feel 's if they was playin' nurse to youkids, and the notion don't go down none too good even to oblige DanFord, Boss. They've lived in the open, most of the boys has, and arebetter used to roundin' up stock than to tendin' tenderfeet youngsters.Eh, Little One? Ain't you nowise curious to hear how Netty passed thenight?"
One thing was evident to them all--the sharpshooter's ready tongue hadsuffered no hurt from the unhappy incident of the day before.
Dorothy ran to put her hand in his, exclaiming:
"How dreadful of me! I had forgotten that darling thing. Actuallyforgotten. How could I when she came from Jim?"
Away she sped toward the Barracks, her white frock and scarlet ribbonsmaking a pretty spot of color on the wide shaven lawn; but practicalAlfaretta remarked:
"If that ain't just like Dolly Doodles! Make her think she's neglectedsomebody and off she flies, forgettin' things better worth rememberin'!The idea! She'll go right to cleanin' that calico filly, Zaraza, an'never think a mite about her clean clothes. Not till she gets 'emdirty--then nothing'll do but she must put on fresh. White frocks ain'tso easy did up, either, so I'll go get our high aprons, that Mrs.Calvert had made for us to dust the house in, at Paradis
e. We've gotquite a lot of 'em and, girls, if you'd like, I'll bring a couple foryou, too."
"You dear, thoughtful little caretaker! I'll be ever so obliged for theloan till I can make one for myself," answered Helena gratefully, givingher mate a smile that made Alfy happy.
Eager to see their horses but not so pleased with the idea of groomingthem, the lads sauntered toward the stables and corral, Leslieintimating that he thought "a quarter judiciously applied would bebetter than soiling himself by stable-work."
Neither Herbert nor Monty knew Leslie well enough yet to understand thisshirking of what they anticipated as a delightful task. Herbert hadalways been used to horses, and to fine ones. He loved his ownBucephalus, "back home," as a dear friend, and looked forward to equalenjoyment in his new Blackamoor. With a little laugh he glanced at hisyoung host and remarked:
"If I could help it I would never let another hand than mine touch thatsuperb animal your father gave me. I hardly realize it yet, that it istruly my own. Why, I mean to train him to hurdles and high jumps, andwhen I go back east, this autumn, I'll get myself proposed for theHighland Valley Hunt and--elected, if I can. I say, this is just aglorious chance to learn what I couldn't at home, where houses are thickand farmers so stubborn they will object to one's riding to houndsacross their property. Howev--"
Monty interrupted, rather jealously:
"Oh! Quit that riding-to-hounds talk! I don't know a thing abouthorses--except a saw-horse, that my mother insisted I should work on toreduce my--"
"'Too, too solid flesh!'" broke in Leslie, laughing now and eager towatch the inexperienced "fat boy" make his first attempt at grooming aspirited beast.
But they were apt to break in thus upon each other's remarks and nooffence taken, and they were soon at the stables, where the girls werealready assembled. One glance at his sister, covered from neck to footby a brown gingham apron, reminded the fastidious Herbert that he wasnot fixed for dirty work, and he promptly begged a set of overalls fromthe nearest workman. The other lads followed his example, discardingjackets and vests, and beginning on their new tasks with a zeal that wasalmost too eager.
Even Leslie had done the same, willing for once to try this new game andsee if there was any fun in it, as Herbert seemed to think. But hisfingers shrank from handling the curry comb and brushes, absolutely newand clean though they were, and the best he accomplished was aroughening of Caesar's coat which disgusted him as well as the horse. Atlast, with a remark that "looking on was good enough for him," hetossed his brushes aside and signalled an attendant to finish the taskso badly begun. To his amazement, the hostler declined:
"Sorry, Master Leslie, but the Boss's express orders was--have you do ityourself."
Leslie's eyes flashed. This was insubordination, indeed! Wasn't hemaster at San Leon, now? Then Captain Lem drew near, to pick up thebrush and explain in a matter-of-fact way:
"Best never rub anything--nor anybody--the wrong way, lad! This sorrel,here, 'd be sp'iled in next to no time if his hair ain't smoothed theway natur' meant it should lie. There. That's how. See how it shines?And just look at Herbert and his black! By the great horned spoon! Themtwo is cronies a'ready--hand-in-glove, pals! And let me say right herean' now; there ain't no comfortabler love nowhere in this world thanthat 'twixt a horse and his owner--if the last has got sense. Now pitchin, sonny, and don't let nobody get ahead of you on that line. No,siree! What'd the Boss say?" Then turning toward Monty, valiantlystruggling with this new business, he inquired in real kindness: "Wantme to lend a hand, youngster?"
Poor Monty would have given many "quarters" to say "yes." But he was tooplucky. His face was streaming with perspiration, he had worried thechestnut, Juan, till the creature threatened to kick, and he ached fromhead to foot. But he had glanced across to that open space where fourgirls were making a frolic of this "horrible mess" and manliness heldhim to his duty. But he couldn't refrain from a snappy:
"No, I don't! And how long at a time does a fellow keep at it? How tellwhether a horse is groomed or isn't?"
"Ginger! Do you know when your shirt's buttoned or when it ain't? Justlook at Herbert's piece o' work an' do accordin'. But keep cool, Monty.Don't get r'iled an' don't rile your nag. You'll do all right--you'vegot the makin' of a horseman in ye!"
Thus encouraged, Montmorency Vavasour-Stark renewed his efforts, thoughwith less force and better judgment. There is always a right and a wrongway to everything and the worried lad had, at last, fallen upon theright. He "would be a horseman!" Hurray! That opinion from such a sourcewas worth lots!
Well, that first lesson was over at last. Seven tired youngstersstripped off aprons and overalls and proceeded to mount the horses theyhad groomed and most of them were happy. It had been worth while, afterall, to get thus familiar with the animals; and the girls, at least,remembered that their hosts had spoken of how beneficial it would be fortheir beloved son to be with such creatures as much as possible. Likethe rifle practice, it was all for Leslie and Leslie's health; and theywould have been willing enough to help this good work along, even ifthey had not got all the fun out of it for themselves, which they did.
They rode "off bounds," that morning; following Captain Lem, with acouple of trained horsemen riding at their rear. Perhaps of all thecompany, Herbert and Molly were happiest. They were as much at home inthe saddle as any cowboy of them all, and their high spirits spread totheir mates, so that even they regretted the order that the leader gave:
"Right about, face! Rifle practice--nine o'clock, sharp!"
They hadn't a minute to lose; yet when the "awkward squad" repaired tothe Barracks only the four girls answered to roll call. The lads camestraggling up, later, their heads close together, an air of profoundmischief and mystery about them, and Dorothy heard the words "Bear Hunt"escape from one of them.
Her heart sank. Leslie was, indeed, coming to take the place he haddeclined in the "ranks," rather going with the crowd than be left outalone; but there was something in his manner that Dolly did not like.Were the three boys planning to steal off by themselves, despite CaptainLemuel's warnings?