Track's End

  CHAPTER V

  Alone in Track's End I repent of my hasty Action: with what I do atthe Headquarters House, and the whole Situation in a Nutshell.

  When I came to think of it afterward I thought it was odd, but thefirst thing that popped into my mind when I saw that the fire had goneout was that perhaps there were no matches left in the town. I ran tothe match-safe so fast that I bumped my head against the wall. Thesafe was almost full, and then it struck me that there were probablymatches in half the houses in town, and that I even had some in mypocket.

  I went over and peeped out of one corner of a window-pane where thewind had come in and kept back the frost. The snow was driving downthe street like a whirling cloud of fog. I could hardly see the bankbuilding opposite. An awful feeling like sinking came over me as Irealized how matters stood; and the worst of it was that I hadbrought it upon myself. I rushed into the dining-room and looked outof a side window to see if the train might not be coming back; butthere was only the whirlwind of snow. I went back in the office andthrew myself on a lounge in one corner.

  If any one says that I lay there with my face in a corn-husk pillowand cried as if I were a girl, I'm not going to dispute him. If anygirl thinks that she can cry harder than I did, I'd like to see hertry it. But it, or something, made me feel better, and after a while Icould think a little. But I could not get over knowing that it was allmy own fault, and that I might be riding away on the train withfriends, and with people to see and talk to. I realized that it wasall my quick temper and stubbornness which was to blame, andremembered how my mother had told me that it would get me into troublesome day. "If Tom hadn't come at me so suddenly," I said out loud,with my face still in the husk pillow, "I'd have agreed to it. Dearold Tom, he meant all right, and I was a fool!"

  When at last I sat up I found it was so dark that I could hardly see.The wind was roaring outside, and I could feel fine snow against myface from some crack. I was stiff and cold, and just remembered that Ihad not had above a quarter of a meal all day. I thought I heard ascratching at the door, and opened it. Something rushed in and almostupset me; then I knew it was Kaiser, Sours's dog. I was never so gladto see anything before. I dropped down on my knees and put my armsaround his neck and hugged him, and for all I know I may have kissedhim. I guess I again acted worse than a girl. I remember now that I_did_ kiss the dog.

  I got up at last and felt around till I found the match-safe, and litthe wall lamp over the desk. I thought it made it so I could actuallysee the cold. Kaiser seemed warm in his thick coat of black hair, andwagged his tail like a good fellow. I don't know why it was, but Ithought I had never wanted to talk so badly before. "We're gladthey're gone, aren't we, Kaiser?" I said to him; then I thought thatsounded foolish, so I didn't say anything more, but set to work tobuild the fire.

  When I went to the shed at the back door for the kindling-wood I foundanother friend, this time our cat, a big black-and-white one. I don'tthink I was quite so foolish about her as I had been about the dog,but I was glad to see her. After the fire was started I got a shoveland cleared the snow out of the office. Outside it was already bankedhalfway up the door, and the storm was still raging.

  As I turned from putting some coal on the fire I happened to see thehotel register lying on the desk. Another foolish notion seized me,and I took up the pen and as well as I could with my stiff fingersheaded a page "December 17th," and below registered myself, "JudsonPitcher, Track's End, Dakota Territory." I think the excitement musthave turned my brain, because I seemed to be doing silly things allthe time.

  But I managed to stop my foolishness long enough to get myself somesupper; which I guess was what I needed, because I acted more sensiblyafterward. Everything in the house was frozen, but I thawed out somemeat, and ate some bread without its being thawed, and boiled a coupleof eggs, and had a meal which tasted as good as any I ever ate, andwith enough left for Kaiser and the cat, who was named Pawsy, though Ican't imagine where such a name came from.

  The office was by this time quite comfortable. I had brought a smalltable in from the kitchen and eaten my supper close to the stove.Though it was pitch-dark outside, it was not yet six o'clock, and as Ifelt calmer than I had before, I sat down in front of the fire toconsider how matters stood. I think I realized what I was in forbetter than before, but I no longer felt like crying. If I rememberaright, it was now that I gave the first thought to Pike and hisgang.

  "Well," I said, speaking out loud, just as if there was somebody tohear me besides a cat and a dog, "I guess Pike won't do much as longas this storm lasts. But after that, I don't know. Maybe I can hide ifthey come." I thought a minute more and then said: "No, I won't dothat--I'll fight, if I have a chance. They won't have any way ofknowing that I am here alone, and if I can see them first I'll be allright." That is what I _said_; but I remember that I felt prettydoubtful about it all. I think I must have been trying not to letKaiser know that I was afraid.

  After a while I fell to thinking of home and of my mother. When Ithought of how she would worry when she didn't hear from me, it gaveme an idea of leaving Track's End and trying to make my way east tocivilization. It seemed to me that with a few days of good weather Iought to be able to get through if no more snow came; though I had noidea how far I might have to go, since for all I knew Lac-qui-Parlemight also be abandoned; and, even if it were not, I knew that it hadno trains and that I would probably have to travel overland to theother side of the Minnesota line before I could reach a settlementwith any connection with the outside world. I was before long verygloomy thinking about my troubles; then I happened to remember thehorses and cow about which I had tried to quarrel with poor Tom Carr,and I put on my overcoat and went out to look after them.

  I thought the wind would carry me away, and I had to shovel tenminutes by the light of a lantern half blown out before I could getthe door open. But when I did get in I found them glad to see me; andI was glad to see them. And while shoveling away the snow I hadshoveled away my fit of the blues; and from that day to this I'vetaken notice that the best way to get rid of trouble and feelings youdon't want is to go to work lively; which is a first-class thing toremember, and I throw it in here for good measure.

  The cow mooed at me, and even the horses whinnied a little, thoughthey were not what you might call children's pets, being broncos, andmore apt to take a kick at you than to try to throw you a kiss. Thechickens had gone to roost and didn't have much to say. They refusedto come down for their supper, but the horses and the cow were veryglad to get theirs. Then I milked the cow, told them all good-night,made everything about the barn as snug as I could, and shouldered myway through the storm to the house. I found both Kaiser and Pawsy wideawake and waiting for me. I don't think they liked the house being sodeserted and lonesome. I gave them both some of the warm milk, andtook a share of it myself.

  I was beginning to realize that I was tired by this time, and satdown in a big chair before the fire. The stove was a round, cast-ironone, shaped a good deal like a decanter. It burned soft coal, and, asit was going well, and was warm enough in the room, I threw the dooropen, making it seem very like a fireplace. I was over the excitementof the day, and fell to looking at the situation again. This is theway I made it out, to wit:

  First, that I was alone, except for the animals, and in charge of awhole town; that it was very improbable (as the blizzard still held)that any train would or could get through very soon--perhaps notbefore spring.

  Second, that the animals consisted of one large, shaggy, black dog(breed uncertain) named Kaiser; one large black-and-white cat namedPawsy; one cow named Blossom; two bronco horses, one named Dick, theother Ned; twenty-two hens and one rooster, without any particularnames except that I called one of the hens Crazy Jane.

  Third, that there was enough hay in the barn for the horses and cow,though other feed would be short unless I could find more about townsomewhere; that I ought to be able to scare up enough food for myselfby going through the stores, though some kinds might be shor
t; thatthere was plenty of coal.

  Fourth, that there were guns of all kinds, and probably a good supplyof ammunition.

  Fifth, that there might be $20,000 in a safe across the street.

  Sixth, that there was a gang of cutthroats somewhere about who wantedthe money, and would come after it the minute they knew I was alone;and might come sooner.

  By this time I was sleepy; so I covered up Kaiser on one end of thelounge, the cat on the other, put out the lamp, and went up-stairs andpopped into bed.