CHAPTER XV.
SOMETHING WORSE THAN A GOLD CRISIS.
"What is the matter with your friend?" asked Overton, as Lyster stoodstaring after Mr. Haydon, who walked alone down the way they had come fromthe boats. "Is one glimpse of our camp life enough to drive him to theriver again?"
"No, no--that is--well, I don't just know what ails him," confessedLyster, rather lamely. "He went in with me to see 'Tana, and seems allupset by the sight of her. She does look very low, Dan. At home he has adaughter about her age, who really resembles her a little--as he does--agirl he thinks the world of. Maybe that had something to do with hisfeelings. I don't know, though; never imagined he was so impressionable toother people's misfortunes. And that satanic-looking old Indian helpedmake things uncomfortable for him."
"Who--Akkomi?"
"Oh, that is Akkomi, is it? The old chief who was too indisposed toreceive me when I awaited admittance to his royal presence! Humph! Well,he seemed lively enough a minute ago--said something to Haydon that nearlygave him fits; and then, as if satisfied with his deviltry, he collapsedinto the folds of his blanket again, and looks bland and innocent as aspring lamb at the present speaking. Is he grand chamberlain of yourestablishment here? Or is he a medicine man you depend on to cure'Tana?"
"Akkomi said something to Mr. Haydon?" asked Overton, incredulously."Nonsense! It could not have been anything Haydon would understand,anyway, for Akkomi does not speak English."
Lyster looked at him from the corner of his eyes, and whistled ratherrudely.
"Now, it is not necessary for any reason whatever, for you to hide theaccomplishments of your noble red friend," he remarked. "You are eithertrying to gull me, or Akkomi is trying to gull you--which is it?"
"What do you mean?" demanded Overton, impatiently. "You look as thoughthere may be a grain of sense in the immense amount of fool stuff you aretalking. Akkomi, maybe, understands English a little when it is spoken;but, like many another Indian who does the same, he will not speak it. Ihave known him for two years, in his own camp and on the trail, and I havenever yet heard him use English words."
"Well, I have not had the felicity of even a two-hour acquaintance withhis royal chieftainship," remarked Lyster, "but during the limited spaceof time I have been allowed to gaze on him I am confident I heard him usefive English words, and use them very naturally."
"Can you tell me what they were?"
"Certainly; and I see I will have to--and maybe bring proof to indorse mebefore you will quite credit what I tell you," answered Lyster, with anamused expression. "You can scarcely believe a tenderfoot has learned moreof your vagabond reds than you yourself knew, can you? Well, I distinctlyheard him say to Mr. Haydon: 'See! She looks at you.' But his othermutterings did not reach my ears; they did Haydon's, however, and drovehim out yonder. I tell you, Dan, you ought to chain up your medicine menwhen capitalists brave the wilds of the Kootenai to lay wealth at yourdoorstep, for this pet of yours is not very engaging."
Overton paid little heed to the chaffing of his friend. His gaze wanderedto the old Indian, who, as Lyster said, was at that moment a picture ofbland indifference. He was sunning himself again at the door of Harris'cabin, and his eyes followed sleepily the form of Mr. Haydon, who hadstopped at the creek, and with hands clasped back of him, was staring intothe swift-flowing mountain stream.
"Oh, I don't doubt you, Max," said Overton, at last. "Don't speak as if Idid. But the idea that old Akkomi really expressed himself in Englishwould suggest to me a vital necessity, or else that he was becoming weakin his old age; for his prejudice against his people using any of thewhite men's words has been the most stubborn thing in his whole make-up.And what strong necessity could there be for him to address Mr. Haydon, anutter stranger?"
"Don't know, I am sure--unless it is that his interest in 'Tana is verystrong. You know she saved the life of his little grandchild--the futurechief, you said. And I think you are fond of asserting that an Indiannever forgets a favor; so it may be that his satanic majesty over thereonly wanted to interest a seemingly influential stranger in a poor littlesick girl, and was not aware that he took an uncanny way of doing it. Hadwe better go down and apologize to Haydon?"
"You can--directly. Who is he?"
"Well, he is the great moneyed mogul at the back of the company for whomyou have been doing some responsible work out here. I guess he is what youcall a silent partner; while Mr. Seldon--my relation, you know--has beenthe active member in the mining deals. They have been friends this longtime. I have heard that Seldon was to have married Haydon's sister yearsago. Wedding day set and all, when the charms of a handsome employee oftheirs proved stronger than her promise, and she was found missing onemorning; also the handsome clerk, as well as a rather heavy sum of money,to which the clerk had access. Of course, they never supposed that thegirl knew she was eloping with a thief. But her brother--this onehere--never forgave her. An appeal for help came to him once fromher--there was a child then--but it was ignored, and they never heard fromher again. Haydon was very fond of her, I believe--fond and proud, andnever got over the disgrace of it. Seldon never married, and he did whathe could to make her family forgive her, and look after her. But it was nouse, though their regard for him never lessened. So you see they arepartners from away back; and while Haydon is considerable of an expert inmineralogy, this is the first visit he has ever made to their works up inthe Northwest. In fact, he had not intended coming so far north just now;he was waiting for Seldon, who was down in Idaho. But when I got yourletter, and impressed on his mind the good business policy of having thefirm investigate at once, he fell in with the idea, and--here we are! Now,that is about all I can tell you of Haydon, and how he came here."
"Less would have been plenty," said Overton, with a pretended sigh ofrelief. "I didn't ask to be told his sister's love affairs or hisbrother-in-law's failings. I was asking about the man himself."
"Well, I don't know what to tell you about him; there doesn't seem to beanything to say. He is T. J. Haydon, a man who inherited both money and agenius for speculation. Not a plunger, you know; but one of those pursy,far-seeing fellows who always put their money on the right number and waitpatiently until it wins. I might tell you that he was sentimental once inhis life, and got married; and I might tell you of a pretty daughter hehas (and whom he used to be very much afraid I would make love to), but Isuppose you would not be interested in those exciting details, so I willrefrain. But as to the man himself and his trip here, I can only say, ifyou have made a strike up here, he is the very best man I know to getinterested. Better even than Seldon, for Seldon always defers to Haydon,while Haydon always acts on his own judgment. And say, old fellow, long aswe have talked, you have not yet told me one word of the new gold mine. Isuspected none of the Ferry folks knew of it, from the general opinionthat your trip here was an idiotic affair. Even the doctor said there wasno sane reason why you should have dragged Harris and 'Tana into the woodsas you did. I kept quiet, remembering the news in your letter, for I wassure you did not decide on this expedition without a good reason. Then thecontents of that letter I read the night Harris collapsed--well, it stuckin my mind, and I got to wondering if your bonanza was the one he hadfound before. Oh, I've been doing some surmising about it. Am I right?"
"Pretty nearly," assented Overton. "Of course I knew some of the folkswould raise a howl because I let 'Tana come along; but it was necessary,and I thought it would be best for her in the end, else you may besure--be very sure--I would not have had her come. She--was to have goneback--at once--the very next day; but when the next day came, she was notable. I have done what I could, but nothing seems to count. She does notget well, and the gold doesn't play much of a figure in this camp justnow. One-third of the find is hers, and the same for Harris and me; butI'd give my share cheerfully this minute if it would buy back health forher and let me see her laughing and bright again."
Lyster reached out his hand and gave Overton's arm an affectionatepressure.
"Don't I know it, Dan?" he asked kindly. "Can't I see that you have justworked and worried yourself sick over her illness--blaming yourself,perhaps--"
"Yes, that is it--blaming myself for--many things," he agreed, brokenly,and then he checked himself as Lyster's curious glance was turned on him."So you see I am in no fit condition to talk values with this Mr. Haydon.All my thoughts are somewhere else. Doctor says if she is not betterto-night she will not get well. That means she will not live. Tell yourfriend that something worse than a gold crisis is here just now, and Ican't talk to him till it is over. Don't mind if I'm even a bit carelesswith you, Max. Look after yourselves as well as you can. You arewelcome--you know that; but--what's the use of words? Perhaps 'Tana isdying!"
And turning his back abruptly on his friend, he walked away, while Lysterlooked after him with some surprise.
"I seem to be dropped by everybody," he remarked, "first Haydon and nowDan. But I don't believe there is danger of her dying. I _won't_ believeit! Dan has worried himself sick and fearful during these terrible days,but I'll do my share now and let him get some rest and sleep. 'Tana die! Ican't think it. But I care ten times more for Dan, just because of hisdevotion to her. I wonder what he would think if he knew why I wanted herto go to school, or how much she was in my mind every hour I was gone. Ifelt like telling him just now, but better not--not yet. He thinks she isonly a little child yet. Dear old Dan!"
He entered the cabin and spoke to Harris, whom he had not seen before, andwho looked with pleasure at him, though, as ever, speechless and moveless,but for that nod of his head and the bright, quick glance of his eyes.
From him he went again to 'Tana; but she lay still and pale, with closedeyes and no longer muttering.
"There ain't a blessed thing you can do, Mr. Max," said Mrs. Huzzard, in awheezing whisper; "but if there is, you may be sure I'll let you know andglad to do it. Lavina says she's going to help me to a rest; and you musthelp Dan Overton, for slept he has not, and I know it, these eight nightssince I've been here. And if that ain't enough to kill a man!"
"Sure enough. But now that I am here, we will not have any night watcheson his part," decided Lyster. "Between Miss Slocum and myself I think wecan manage to do some very creditable nursing."
"I am willing to do my best," said Miss Lavina, with a shrinking glancetoward Flap-Jacks, who just slouched past with a bucket of water; "but Imust confess I do feel a timidity in the presence of these sly-lookingIndians. And if at night I can only be sure none of them are very close, Imay be able to watch this poor girl instead of watching for them withtheir tomahawks."
"Never fear while I am detailed as guard," answered Lyster, reassuringly."They will reach you only over my dead body."
"Oh, but--" and the timid one arose as if for instant flight, but was heldby Mrs. Huzzard.
"Now, now!" she said reprovingly to the young fellow, "it's nowaysgood-natured of you to make us more scared of the dirty things than we arenaturally. But, Lavina, I'll go bail that he never yet has seen a deadbody of their killing since he came in the country. Lord knows, they don'tlook as if they would kill a sheep, though they might steal them fastenough. It ain't from Dan Overton that you ever learned to scare women,Mr. Max; you wouldn't catch him at such tricks."
"Now I beg that whatever you do, Mrs. Huzzard, you will not compare me tothat personage," objected Lyster; "for I am convinced that anything humanwould in your eyes suffer by such a comparison. Great is Dan in the campof the Kootenais!"
Mrs. Huzzard only laughed at his words, but Miss Lavina did not. She evenlet her eyes wander again to Akkomi, in order to show her disapproval offrivolous comment on Mr. Overton; a fact Lyster perceived and wasimmensely amused by.
"She has set her covetous maidenly eyes on him, and if she doesn't marryhim before the year is over, he will have to be clever," he decided, as heleft them and went to look up Haydon. "Serves Dan right if she did, for henever gives any other fellow half a chance with the old ladies. The restof us have to be content with the young ones."
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