The Preacher of Cedar Mountain: A Tale of the Open Country

  CHAPTER XXX

  The Fire

  Every new town in America has the same set routine of experience. Itsprings up on land selected and laid out by a real estate speculator.The flimsiest and most combustible of buildings are rushed up. When thetown has about five thousand inhabitants and these fire-trap buildingsare close enough to burn one another, a fire breaks out and sweeps thewhole thing away, destroying human lives, valuable stock, and pricelessrecords; after which begins the epoch of brick buildings and fireprevention.

  Cedar Mountain had not reached the size or compactness required for thewipe-out when its baptism of fire took place. Hartigan was roused in thenight by a noise outside. Going to the window, he saw the sky filledwith the glare of fire. As quickly as possible, he dressed and ranforth, becoming deeply agitated when he found that the fire was in thehotel whose stable housed Blazing Star. It was with a dreadful heartsinkthat he ran there. The stable was smoking, but not yet afire, and, witha thankful heart, he hurried Blazing Star forth, got him away to a safeplace, and returned just in time to see the stable and all its immovablecontents go up in a ruddy roar as the hay and straw took fire.

  There were no human lives lost; nor any dwellings other than thehotel--for there was a clear space around that fire-trap and there hadbeen no wind--but it was a valid baptism of fire. It resulted in theorganization of a Volunteer Fire Brigade, and it also resulted inHartigan's determination to erect a stable of his own, where he couldhave his horse under his eye, day and night. What he built was not alarge stable, only ten by twelve feet, of rough pine lumber, withtar-paper weather-proofing and no floor, but he did it entirely with hisown hands at a material cost of twelve dollars; and he put his soul intoit. There were two stalls, one for Blazing Star and one for supplies.There was much good-humoured jesting at the "Horse Preacher" while thestable was building and the story went the rounds that he often used theempty stall for a study, in preference to the silent little room in thehouse. In any case, he hand-picked the hay to guard against thepoisonous loco-weed, and washed the oats, to shut out any possibility ofsmut.

  Immediately after the fire Higginbotham began to talk business to Jim. Amutual affection had grown up and the little agent and his wife hadearly become prominent in the church. As deacon, Higginbotham renderedgood service, although it was noted that his judgment was always bestafter he had talked matters over at home. He was not averse to using hischurch connection for business purposes. In fact, he had been heard tosay that the Church itself was chiefly a huge fire insurance company,taking risks for the next world instead of this. On the morning afterthe fire, he was up betimes to sail with the wind, to take advantage ofthe stir-up that the public mind had got; and he secured a lot of newbusiness.

  "Now, Mr. Hartigan, why don't you insure that horse of yours? Just thinkwhere you would have been if you hadn't got him out in time last night.Why, I knew a man who bought a horse for fifty dollars in the morning,insured him for two hundred and fifty dollars at noon, and next night hewas burnt up. The very next day he got his check for two hundred andfifty dollars. That's the way our company does business; all intwenty-four hours."

  The idea of a joyful profit out of Blazing Star's incinerated remainswas distinctly unpleasant, much like asking a mother to realize on herbaby, and Hartigan took out no policy, but it had the effect of makinghim try to set a market value on the horse.

  It was late in the season now, October was nearly gone; but still he andBelle rode forth together.

  "What is next Sunday's lesson?" was Belle's very usual question. "Well,"said Hartigan, "I came across a text that filled me with joy. 'WhenAmaziah, King of Judah, was murdered,' it says, 'They brought him uponhorses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.'

  "Brought him on horses. What a picture, Belle! Just think of that royalstiff strapped square across the backs of four fine horses, all bridledtogether, and then driven madly across the desert, through the land ofthe freebooting Arabs, who would be more than apt to seize the corpseand hold it for a ransom. What a race! You bet they had horses then!They were Arab stock all right. I wonder no artist ever put that royalfuneral on canvas. How does it strike you, Belle?"

  "Wild enough and picturesque enough for the Black Hills; but I don'tseem to get the lesson, I might almost add another text to your list: 'Ahorse is a vain thing for safety.'" Then, suddenly, she said: "Have youseen Colonel Waller lately?"

  "No."

  "Is it too far to ride there?"

  "Not if you can stand it."

  "I can; but I wish you'd tighten my cinch."

  Jim was well pleased to be her groom; and, hauling on the strap, his hattipped off and his head touched her knee, she laid her hand on his headand a thrill went through him. Belle knew the game and the risks, inspite of her very old-fashioned parents. All along, she had held himback to a certain line; even though it was clearly understood to both ofthem and all their world that he was her avowed and accepted lover. Shegloried in his physical charm and power. She took a woman's pride in hisdevotion, and maybe, most of all, in her sovereignty over him; sherealized more clearly than any one else, how completely he was herplastic material. A mighty engine, indeed, he had need of a skilfulengineer. A splendid steed of rarest power and gift, his power and giftwere useless, even worse, without the deft control of the rider, whoshould become in a sense his soul, as the captain is the soul of a greatship. And Belle had come to know that the best work she could ever hopeto do was as the captain of this ship.

  And what was to hinder? Belle knew; her soft brown eyes could see muchfarther through the stone wall than could his piercing eyes of blue. Sheestimated at its true potency the passion that now threatened to wreckhis career. A lover of horses always, an absolute worshipper of BlazingStar, he was barely held in restraint by his promises and fears ofChurch discipline, and Belle foresaw a time when his wild, impulsivenature would break out. He would surely be swept away by the wildcurrents of which the horse race is the vortex; and, having once losthold, he would go the pace, break all rules, and end...? She knew, butdared not say.

  Winter would soon be on them and, with that, the end of their happyrides together on the plains. The different life enforced would put themmore apart--cut off these saddle _tete-a-tetes_, and with all thehappenings, past or future, in her mind Belle was ready for a woman'sgame; the time had come to play it. That tightening of the cinch was notby chance.

  They rode a race for a mile and Jim gallantly held back his mount sothat she should keep the lead. They passed a slough along whose edge thegentians still were blue; she wanted some, and when he brought them shepatted his hand, and gave the flowers an honoured place. Suddenly acoyote appeared and she raced with him on its trail till it was lost toview. She called forth all her horsemanship to match his, and make himfeel their perfect harmony; and as they rode side by side, she laid herhand on his arm to call attention to some creature of the plains when atother times she would merely have spoken. It thrilled and stirred him,so he tried to follow up this willingness for touch. But she swung awayeach time. Then at a later keep-your-distance hint she gaily held out ahand to him and teased him by eluding his grasp. But not for long; witha great spurt he swept upon her, seized the tantalizing hand nowaccidentally bared, and the thrill of her touch, the joy of acceptationin that tiny squeeze, went warmly kindling through him. His colour came,his bright blue eyes grew brighter, he glowed in body and in spirit.Never before had she seemed so absolutely fascinating; never before hadhe felt how much she was to him, how wholly desirable and lovely shewas, how much his measure of all good things. But he was such a boy inthis side of life that he had never said one open word of love. He wasas shy as most youths are at sixteen.

  They were half way to the Fort now, the level plain spreading for a mileabout them. There was no chance of interruption. Their horses had drawnclose together again. She said, "Look at the bruise on my hand from lastweek's ride through the brush." He seized the hand; there was no bruiseto be seen, but he bent his head and
fervently kissed the place.

  "Jim, do you really care so much?" she asked, with a sidelong glance anda little flush.

  "Oh, Belle, you know--you must know----" And he choked.

  "I wouldn't like to see you hold any other woman's hand that way." Theirhorses' shoulders rubbed and she accidentally swayed toward him; sheseemed to lose her balance. In a minute his strong arms were about her;a great emotion swept him and all his ardent soul was aflame. Withsudden abandon of all restraint, he showered on her lips a lover'spassionate kisses, and forced his unwonted tongue and lips to shape theold refrain: "I love you; I love you; I love you better than my life."

  She hid her burning face, but he held her tight, and the horses moved asone.

  "Will you, Belle? Will you be my wife? I can't do anything without you.You have saved me from ruin. I can't do anything without you."

  A jack rabbit sprang from under their feet, and Blazing Star, true tohis training, darted away; and so the pair were forced apart. But, in amoment, Jim was back.

  "Will you, Belle? Won't you take me?" He seized her hand and would havesought her lips again, but she held him back.

  "I will, Jim, on one condition. Will you promise?"

  "Anything. I'll promise anything I have or can be. Tell me what it is,Belle?"

  "I will not tell you now; but I will before we get back to CedarMountain. Now let us ride"; and she touched her pony with the quirt, andled at a gallop which ended only at the house of Colonel Waller in FortRyan.