CHAPTER XVI
"OLD FAITHFUL"
"O Miss Ralston, will you ride horseback with me this morning instead ofgoing over in the coach to see the geysers?" An unfamiliar masculinevoice spoke near Jack. She had stolen out of doors early to catch a viewof "The Sleeping Giant," one of the natural curiosities of YellowstoneLake, the perfect outline of a human face turned skyward reflected inone of the pools near the hotel. Jack started and turned to discover Mr.Drummond.
"I brought my own horses to the Yellowstone with me," he continued, "andI am sure you will find riding more agreeable than being bounced aroundin a rickety coach. I heard your chaperon say last night that youintended to give your own horses and caravan a rest. We can ride nearenough the stage for them to look after you."
Jack's eyes sparkled with pleasure, like a child's. "Oh, please, do youreally wish me to ride with you?" she asked, only half convinced. "Oneof the girls I met at the hotel yesterday told me you had the mostwonderful horses. But how did you ever guess how I loved to ride?"
Mr. Drummond laughed. Jack's acceptance of his invitation was as frankas a boy's. She made no pretense of caring for Mr. Drummond's society asshe did for the chance to ride.
"It is easy enough to guess you can ride or do anything else thatbelongs to the outdoors," he returned smiling. "So please don't forgetto ask your chaperon right away, so I can give my man the order for ourhorses."
Jack nodded happily. "Oh, I am sure it will be all right," she answered."I hope you won't think we are very unconventional, but you see we havealways lived on a ranch, and perhaps we don't know all the fine socialdistinctions, just what's right and what's wrong for a girl to do." Shelaughed cheerfully. Nothing in the wide world interested Jack less thansociety, and never could she have become such good friends with Peter ifshe had met him anywhere else than here in the wilderness. Jack had noneof the stirrings of sentiment in her, but although she was a young girland Mr. Drummond a man of wide experience she had a genius forfriendship, which he was to find out in an amazingly short time.
An hour later a dozen or more people trooped out of the hotel ready forthe day's amusement. It had been arranged that the Harmons and thecaravan party should drive over to the most reliable geyser in theYellowstone Park, "Old Faithful," who pours forth his steaming, scaldingwater every seventy minutes as regularly as clock work. Fortunately forthe ranch girls, Ruth had seen that each one of them owned a secondtraveling costume, for the outfits in which they left Rainbow Ranch weretoo dilapidated to put on again. Now they appeared in new khakicostumes, looking as fresh and businesslike as the day they first setout on their journey. Only Jack wore a corduroy riding habit.
Olive and Jack gazed with open admiration at Mrs. Harmon, never havingseen a woman so beautifully gowned before. Somehow in her soft, hunter'sgreen broadcloth and close-fitting hat she did suggest Olive--Jackthought, perhaps because she wore Olive's favorite shade of green.
Ralph Merrit had waited to say a final good-by to the caravan partyjust before the stage rolled away. He had walked over with Jack to whereMr. Drummond and his groom waited with the horses; then he came back,kissed Frieda and shook hands with Olive, Ruth and Jim. Jean was lookingeverywhere but in his direction.
She held a small book in her hand, and Ruth looked at it curiously. Jeanwas fond of reading, but she would hardly select the day they were tovisit the most famous geyser in the world to pursue her literary tastes.Sticking forth from the pages, quite by accident Ruth saw a spray ofpale blue forget-me-nots; they grew everywhere about the park.
"You'll be sure to come to Rainbow Lodge to see us some day, won't you?"Ruth urged cordially. Jim gave Ralph's hand another shake. "We'll counton you," he urged. "You know I told you I never liked a fellow half sowell in so short a time."
"Won't you say good-by, Jean, and take back what you said last night?"Ralph asked, half serious and half smiling.
Jean thrust out a book. "I suppose I must," she answered, "as I hate tobe cross with people when they are so far away there is no chance toquarrel. I have put a spray of forget-me-nots in this book, so youwon't forget us," she ended prettily.
Just before the coach moved off Jack, mounted on a thoroughbred horse,rode up to show herself to her friends with Mr. Drummond followingbehind her.
In the best seat in the stage, with sofa cushions piled about her, satElizabeth Harmon. As she saw Jack an ill-humored expression crossed herface. "I thought we were going to have the drive together. You promisedonly last night that you would try to make me have a good time, and nowfirst thing next morning you are going off and leaving me," sheexclaimed.
Jack turned crimson. She had meant to be good to Elizabeth, but it hadnever occurred to her to give up her horseback ride on her account.
"I am sorry, Elizabeth," she answered uncomfortably. "Perhaps Mr.Drummond would exchange me for Jean or Olive. I didn't know you cared somuch about my driving with you."
Jean and Olive both shook their heads decidedly, and Frieda gazed atElizabeth in stern disapproval; but Mr. Drummond, who was alsoaccustomed to having his own way, settled the matter. "_You'll_ takethe ride with me this morning, Miss Ralston," he announced, "then youcan devote yourself to your friend later in the day if you like." AndElizabeth was obliged to be content.
Jack was convinced she had never had such a wonderful ride in her life,never had she felt in such glorious health and spirits. Her horse movedalong under her with a gait to which she was entirely unaccustomed. Onlyshaggy bronchos and rough western ponies had been her mounts untilto-day, and now she was on the back of a beautiful Kentuckythoroughbred, riding over a perfect road, very different from the longstretches of sand on the plains. The two riders had galloped on forseveral miles without a word, Peter keeping a little in the backgroundto enjoy the wonderful grace and ease of Jack's horsemanship.
Suddenly the girl reined in her horse and the man slowed down. "I wantto thank you for this glorious ride now while I have the chance," shesaid simply. "Sometimes I wish I could spend my whole life in thesaddle, I love it so. I hope I wasn't selfish in not driving withElizabeth Harmon. I am so horribly sorry for people who can't ride andwalk and swim and enjoy the things I do, I would do nearly anything inthe world for them," she ended wistfully. And for a long time afterwardMr. Drummond remembered what Jack had said and her beauty and carelessvigor as she spoke, with her hands holding her mare's reins lightly butfirmly and her body keeping perfect rhythm with its every movement.
The two riders came to the neighborhood of the great geyser a little inadvance of the coaching party. They rode up to within a reasonabledistance of the queer, symmetrical, cone-shaped hill. There were a fewpeople waiting about, but the place was quite peaceful and showed nosign of the leaping torrent of water Jack anticipated. She was intendingto dismount from her horse when the stage arrived. Suddenly a roar, likea giant's snort, came from beneath the earth and almost instantlysteaming water began to rise through the mouth of the cone inglistening, gleaming bubbles, then a giant cataract reared itself. Jackand Peter Drummond had been too surprised at the geyser's sudden displayof its powers to get off their horses at once, and Jack's thoroughbredwas not trained to endure any such exhibition of the unknown forces ofnature. Her whole body quivered as though she had been struck a cruelblow, then, making a leap straight into the air and coming down on hertwo hind feet, she began to dance and curvet and leap about as thoughbewitched. Mr. Drummond had a horrified moment of fearing Jack would bedreadfully injured, but he was too engaged in quieting his own horse'sterror to give her aid. The coaching party arrived on the scene at thisminute and they were torn between interest in the marvelous geyser andconcern for Jack's safety.
Jack proved her horsemanship by recognizing that the high-strung animalshe was riding required a different treatment from one of her roughponies. Never once did she use her whip on the pretty mare, but talkedto her in a gentle, soothing tone, keeping her nose turned directlytoward the roaring stream of water, so that the mare should not bolt andrun on hearing ext
raordinary noises at her back.
In four or five minutes two hundred and fifty thousand gallons ofscalding water had been raised one hundred and fifty feet in the air,held for a little time and then dashed down to earth again, and "OldFaithful" was once more peaceful for exactly an hour and ten minutes.
But in this period Jacqueline had brought her horse to a quiveringstandstill not far from the geyser. Elizabeth Harmon was pale withfright and her eyes were full of tears of apprehension, but Frieda wasmerely interested in her sister's performance, as she had not the leastidea of her being hurt.
In a few seconds after the excitement had passed, Jim Colter leapt outof the stage and walked toward Jack. "Bravo!" he said, as she slid offher mare, handing her reins to Mr. Drummond.
"I beg your pardon, sir," he continued stiffly--Mr. Drummond's citifiedelegance had irritated him--"I couldn't help feeling some pride in MissRalston's cool head. When it comes to a question of nerve, Jack, youcertainly have got the right stuff in you," he concluded. And Jackblushed happily, because Jim's praises were rare, not caring half somuch that her new friend was even more impressed by her courage than herold one.