CHAPTER XVII.
THE ROUND-UP.
JUST after dawn, Olive stole softly into Jack's and Jean's bedrooms.Jean was asleep. But Jack's place was empty. On her pillow was a sheetof paper addressed to "Miss Ruth Drew."
Olive alone of the group before the living-room fire in the evening justpast, had realized that Jack had no idea of giving up her intention.
Olive slipped quickly into her clothes, determined to follow her friend.She was unusually timid, but she knew that Jack must not go alone amongthe wild cattle and the strange men who gathered at the autumn round-up.The girl had little knowledge of what a round-up was like but knew thatthe Indians often went to it and camped about on the outskirts of theplains to enjoy the racing and sports that usually closed the day'swork.
Jack must have had about a half hour's start of Olive. She rode as fastas she could tear for the first few miles of the way, knowing that Jimhad started several hours before. Their cowboys had been off over theplains for two days searching for their stray cattle and herding theminto the great open field selected for the round-up. There was no one tofollow her and Jack slowed down. Then her heart began to fail her theleast little bit, for she supposed everybody at the ranch would befurious with her for her disobedience.
Jack heard another horse coming along the trail behind her. Herrepentance vanished, for she presumed Miss Drew had sent some one tobring her ignominiously back home.
"Jack, Jack," Olive's gentle voice called. "Won't you please slow down alittle? Your horse is faster than mine and my poor beast is tiredalready."
Jacqueline waited, but she stared at Olive reproachfully. "I did notthink you would come to try to make me go back home, Olive," Jackexclaimed. "I thought you knew that when I said I intended to do athing, I would do it, in spite of all the Miss Ruth Drews and Mr. JimColters in the world."
Olive knew that Jack was behaving abominably but she could not helpfeeling the deepest admiration for her. To Olive, Jack's courage andhigh spirit were glorious. Olive was so shy and frightened; she hadborne so much ill treatment from the time she was a little girl that hernature was almost crushed and she could only contend with people whenshe was driven to the last limit of patience. But when Olive made up hermind to a step, she had the Indian's power of endurance.
"I only came to go along to the round-up with you, Jack," Olive repliedquietly.
Jack flushed. She was fairly sure of being able to bear her own burdens,but she did hate getting other people into trouble. "You are awfullysweet, Olive dear, but do go back home," Jack urged. "Jim and CousinRuth will both be furiously angry with us and there is no reason why youshould have any of the blame. You know you will hate this old round-upand be dreadfully frightened, and that you are only coming on myaccount."
Olive shook her head. "Never mind, Jack," she answered, "I have comewith you now so I would have to get my share of the scolding and I amnot going to have you go to that place alone." Olive kept her horse justbehind Jack's and the two girls rode for a short time in silence. Byand by Jack sighed.
"What's the matter, Jack?" Olive asked quickly.
Jack laughed wickedly. "Oh, it is not that I have repented of my evildeed, Olive," she returned. "It is only that I am so dreadfully hungry.I sneaked off this morning without a bit of food. I know we can get somelunch at the mess-wagons, or perhaps we may find some one we know at theround-up. But the question with me is, how am I ever going to live untilthen?"
Olive silently produced two rolls with slices of bacon between them.
"I stole them on my way to the stable," she announced happily. "I knewyou hadn't eaten anything and I didn't dare to wait."
The two girls ate their outdoor breakfast ravenously, for both wereenjoying their morning ride. It was cold, but they wore heavy sweatersand corduroy riding skirts and besides, the swift ride had sent the warmblood tingling through them. Jack was in brown and Olive in green, thecolor Jack liked best for her. The sun had just risen and there was afaint rose glow over the bare prairies, and in the distance the girlsspied a few coyotes racing along over the hard ground in search of theirbreakfast, but for miles and miles there was no sign of human life.
Finally the girls rode up to a pair of tents set up within no greatdistance of the plain chosen for the round-up. There was a fire near oneof them, but the girls saw no people about and decided that they musthave been used by the cowboys for their sleeping quarters at night.
Olive brought her pony closer to Jack's.
"Don't be nervous, Olive," said Jack reassuringly. "I expect theround-up is a pretty wild business, but we won't go near enough to getinto trouble and you must be sure to stay close to me. I shall try tosee some one to ask about our cattle and then we will start right backhome. We will be sure to be at Rainbow Lodge by night."
Away off in the distance, the girls soon saw a great swirling cloud ofgrey dust, rising over the yellow plain. They could distinguish anenormous mass of moving objects and hear a far hollow roaring andbellowing of men and animals. To the left, across a diagonal trail,Jack saw a dark line of wagons at some distance from the round-up. Sheknew they were the mess-wagons and carriages of the ranchmen, who cameover to superintend the branding of their cattle. If the ranchmenhappened to live near the scene of the round-up their wives and familiessometimes drove over to spend a few hours, but the women were carefulnot to go near the frightened animals and returned home before night.
The two girls moved slowly along this trail.
Jack's eyes were dancing and her cheeks were glowing with excitement.She dearly loved this typical western scene and its noise and savagerydid not frighten her. It was a part of the business of the cattlemen towhich she had always been accustomed. She was sorry of course that thepoor animals had to be burned with the brands of their owners, but sincethe cattle ranged together through vast tracts of land, she knew of noother way by which one ranchman could distinguish his cattle fromanother's. Jack had been careful never to witness the branding, but shehad often seen the cowboys driving the herds across the plains.
But Olive did not feel so cheerful. The distant noise and the surgingcrowd alarmed her. She wished that she and Jack were safe at home.
Coming at full speed down the trail toward them, the two girls spied twocowboys wearing the full cowboy regalia, leather suits with fringedtrousers and immense sombrero hats, tied under their chins.
"Great Scott!" cried a familiar voice. "Here come Jack Ralston and herIndian girl! What a place for a couple of girls to be alone!"
Jack's ears burned. She recognized Dan's tones but was not so muchabashed by meeting him, as she was by Frank Kent's astonished face. Theyoung English fellow's surprise was unmistakable.
"May I stay with you until your escort joins you, Miss Ralston?" Frankasked immediately. "The men about here are pretty rough and if youshould happen to get too near the cattle it might be dangerous. I amtold they sometimes break out and start a stampede."
Jack kept her face turned away while Frank was speaking. She wasactually ashamed to return his friendly gaze. Frank had entirelyseparated himself from Dan Norton, who was grinning scornfully at Oliveand Jack.
"Please don't worry about us, Mr. Kent," Jack said quietly. "We won'tget into danger. I don't exactly like to tell you, but we rode over tothe round-up by ourselves. You understand that we didn't mean to go nearthe men or the cattle, but I thought we might find some one we knew nearthe mess-wagons."
"Come on, Frank Kent," Dan Norton yelled impatiently. "Do you think Ihave got time to waste while you talk to Jack Ralston all day? I toldLaura we would be back with them in half an hour. Hustle."
Frank Kent's face was no longer pale, as it had been when Jack had herfirst meeting with him on the Ralston Ranch. It had been tanned andreddened by his weeks in the sun and air of Wyoming, but that did notaccount for the sudden color that flamed in it. "Be quiet, Dan, youcad," he ordered sharply. "Go when you like, I shall stay with MissRalston and her friend."
"I say, Miss Ralston," Frank sugges
ted suddenly. "Mr. and Mrs. Simpsonare not very far away. They came over in their automobile, because Mrs.Simpson thought maybe her sister and niece would like to see the cowboysfrom the different ranches ride up to their work. Gee, they arestunning-looking fellows, aren't they? I wish I were an artist, I wouldlike to paint them. Won't you come over to Mrs. Simpson with me? Theyare well out of any danger and I know Mrs. Simpson would want you andMiss Olive to join her."
An unregenerate twinkle returned to Jack's eyes. "To tell you the truth,Mr. Kent, I would like awfully to go over and stay with Aunt Sallie.Olive and I feel very strange here alone, but the fact is I deliberatelyran away from home to come to the round-up and Olive rode along toprotect me. I am ashamed to confess my sin to Mrs. Simpson."
"Nevertheless you had better come," Frank urged, and for once, Jackyielded to another will.
It might have been wiser to have turned back home than to have facedAunt Sallie and her Eastern relatives, but Jack and Olive could not haveridden to Rainbow Lodge without having something more to eat. Olivealready seemed exhausted. She was quite pale and scarcely lifted hereyes. Jack knew that Olive hated to meet the members of the house party,whom she had not seen since the time when she was rescued from beingMiss Laura Post's maid.
"Jack Ralston, the most unlikely place in the world is the most likelyplace to find you," Mrs. Simpson exclaimed laughingly, as Frank and thetwo newcomers rode up to her big touring car. "What in the world are yougirls doing here?"
"Shall I tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, Aunt Sallie?"Jack demanded, smiling at Mrs. Simpson and bowing to Mrs. Post, Lauraand Mr. Simpson. Mrs. Post put up her lorgnettes, as though she were ina box at the opera, to gaze at these extraordinary girls. Their clotheswere dusty and their hair showed the effects of their long, morningride, but turning, Mrs. Post beheld her beloved Laura swathed in a palepink motor veil and a long fur coat, and breathed a sigh of admirationand relief. Surely her Laura was not in the least like these Westerntomboys!
Mrs. Simpson shrugged her handsome shoulders. "Well, you usually tellthe truth, whatever else you do and don't do, Jack," Mrs. Simpsonavowed. "I know you have run off, so just stay here and have lunch withme."
Mrs. Simpson was talking to Jack, but she was really interested inOlive. How the girl had changed, in the few weeks since she had seenher: she had always been pretty, but she had lost her look of fear. Hergrace and quiet manner showed beyond a doubt that from some source shehad a heritage of gentle blood. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson shook hands withOlive very kindly, but Mrs. Post and Laura utterly ignored her. Oliveshowed no resentment, but Jack was exceedingly provoked.
The girls dismounted and climbed into the automobile. Now and thengroups of cowboys would pass by them, jingling their spurs and jokingwith one another. Olive recognized a number of Indian boys, who hadlived in the Indian village, where she had been brought up. Among them,she thought she saw old Laska's son and her supposed brother, Josef.
Mrs. Simpson was worried over Dan's return to their party. She and Mr.Simpson, and indeed all the ranchmen in the neighborhood, now knew ofMr. Daniel Norton's claim to the ownership of Rainbow Ranch, and hisefforts to get it away from the ranch girls. Most of the neighborsdeeply sympathized with the Ralston girls. Mrs. Simpson dreaded ameeting between Jack and Dan. She knew they were open enemies and hatedeach other very sincerely.
But when Dan joined them, Jack showed no trace of ill feeling. She hadthought matters over and decided that good manners compelled her tobehave as naturally as possible. She had no right to continue a quarrel,when she and Dan were both guests.
Dan Norton was in no such humor. He was furious with Frank for havingbrought Jack and Olive to Mrs. Simpson, and he was determined to geteven with Jack, if he possibly could, for Jim's treatment of him attheir last meeting.
Mrs. Simpson had an early lunch, since they meant to return to theirranch in a short time. The tablecloth was spread out on the ground, andunconsciously she placed Laura and Dan next Olive, who made no effort tospeak to them. But Dan whispered something to Laura, immediately theygot up and marching to the other end of the line of guests, sat downdirectly opposite Jack and Frank.
Nobody had much to say. To save her life, Jack could not talk naturallywith Dan's sneering face across from her. Mr. and Mrs Simpson did theirbest, but the luncheon party was a failure.
Dan was awaiting his opportunity.
"Jack," Mr. Simpson remarked innocently, "Jim Colter tells me that youhave recently been losing some of your cattle and young colts. He saysthat they disappear from your ranch, and when they are seen again theyhave the brand of another owner on them. That is a pretty bad business.Have you any idea who is responsible for the trouble?"
Jack shook her head desperately. She was determined to say nothing thatcould make any trouble. "No, Mr. Simpson, we don't know. That is, itdon't make any difference. Perhaps we are mistaken," she answeredlamely.
Mr. Simpson was puzzled by Jack's manner. There was an awkward silence.
Dan leaned over and whispered to Laura in a tone that could bedistinctly heard, not only by Jack and Frank, but by every member of thesmall company. "I shouldn't think Jack Ralston would worry about losinga few of her old cattle. She is going to lose something else prettysoon, that is a good deal more important."
Laura snickered nervously. She caught sight of Jack's face.
Mrs. Simpson frowned and glanced hastily at Jack. Mr. Simpson's eyesflashed and he too watched his young girl guest. Jack was distinctlyconscious that everybody in the party stared straight at her when Danended his insulting speech.
Jack felt herself turn cold all over. Only her face was scorching hot.Half a dozen angry retorts trembled on her lips. She started to speak,but then she turned to Frank and said quietly. "Won't you tell mesomething more about your home in England? I am awfully interested."
Mrs. Simpson breathed a sigh of relief. Only Laura seemed disappointed.There was nothing she loved half so well as a scene and she fondlybelieved Dan and Jack meant to treat her to one.
Ten minutes later, Jack went over to Mrs. Simpson. "Aunt Sallie, I thinkOlive and I had better start back to the ranch now. You were awfullygood to give us our luncheon, but we ought to be at home by dark."
Mrs. Simpson caught Jack's hand. "You were a trump, Jack dear," shewhispered. "I would like to shake that red-headed boy if I had a chanceat him, but I believe somebody else will when you go."
Jack smiled, though her voice trembled a little. "I don't think Dan andI ought to carry on our quarrels at your table, Aunt Sallie," sheanswered. "But you know if he says anything like that to me again, Ishould die if I didn't answer him back. So, good-bye."
Jacqueline bowed her farewells and she and Olive started toward theirponies.
Frank Kent had a moment alone with Dan.
"Dan Norton, you have got to settle with me for that speech, you cub,"he insisted, in a white passion of anger that startled his host.
Dan thought Frank too much of a gentleman to be willing to fight.
"All right," he rejoined calmly, "choose your own time."
Half way over to their horses, Frank joined Olive and Jack.
"I am going to ride back to your ranch with you, Miss Ralston," Frankannounced quietly.
Olive looked relieved, but Jack shook her head firmly.
"You are awfully good, Mr. Kent," Jack protested. "But really Olive andI can go home perfectly well alone. We would rather not trouble you."
Frank assisted Olive on her broncho and then climbed into his ownsaddle, Jack being already mounted.
"Mr. Simpson thinks I had better go home with you," Frank repeatedcarelessly. "And I think you might let me act as an honorary escort,because in case you don't I shall simply ride along behind you."
The Ranch Girls at Rainbow Lodge Page 17