Desert Dust

by Edwin L. Sabin

  CHAPTER XII

  DANIEL TAKES POSSESSION

  I was more than ever convinced of her wisdom in choice of garb when inearly morning I glimpsed her with the two other women at the Adams fire;for, bright-haired and small, she had been sorrily dulled by the plainill-fitting waist and long shapeless skirt in one garment, as adopted bythe feminine contingent of the train. In her particular case these wereworse fitting and longer than common--an artifice that certainly snuffed aportion of her charms for Gentile and Mormon eyes alike.

  What further disposition of her was to be made we might not yet know. Weall kept to our own tasks and our own fires, with the exception thatDaniel gawked and strutted in the manner of a silly gander, and madefrequent errands to his father's household.

  It was after the red sun-up and the initial signaling by dust cloud todust cloud announcing the commencement of another day's desert traffic,and in response to the orders "Ketch up!" we were putting animals towagons (My Lady still in evidence forward), when a horseman bored in at agallop, over the road from the east.

  "Montoyo, by Gawd!" Jenks pronounced, in a grumble of disgust rather thanwith any note of alarm. "Look alive." And--"He don't hang up my pelt; no,nor yourn if I can help it."

  I saw him give a twitch to his holster and slightly loosen the Colt's. ButI was unburthened by guilt in past events, and I conceived no reason forfearing the future--other than that now I was likely to lose her. Heavenpity her! Probably she would have to go, even if she managed later to killhim. The delay in our start had been unfortunate.

  It was dollars to doughnuts that every man in the company had had his eyeout for Montoyo, since daylight; and the odds were that every man hadsighted him as quickly as we. Notwithstanding, save by an occasional quickglance none appeared to pay attention to his rapid approach. We ourselveswent right along hooking up, like the others.

  As chanced, our outfit was the first upon his way in. I heard him reinsharply beside us and his horse fidget, panting. Not until he spoke did welift eyes.

  "Howdy, gentlemen?"

  "Howdy yourself, sir," answered Mr. Jenks, straightening up and meetinghis gaze. I paused, to gaze also. Montoyo was pale as death, his lips hardset, his peculiar gray eyes and his black moustache the only vivifyingfeatures in his coldly menacing countenance.

  He was in white linen shirt, his left arm slung; fine riding bootsencasing his legs above the knees and Spanish spurs at their heels--hishorse's flanks reddened by their jabs. The pearl butt of a six-shooterjutted from his belt holster. He sat jaunty, excepting for his lips andeyes.

  He looked upon me, with a trace of recognition less to be seen than felt.His glance leaped to the wagon--traveled swiftly and surely and returnedto Mr. Jenks.

  "You're pulling out, I believe."

  "Yes, you bet yuh."

  "This is the Adams train?"

  "It is."

  "I'm looking for my wife, gentlemen. May I ask whether you've seen her?"

  "You can."

  "You have seen her?"

  "Yes, sir. We'll not beat around any bush over that."

  He meditated, frowning a bit, eying us narrowly.

  "I had the notion," he said. "If you have staked her to shelter I thankyou; but now I aim to play the hand myself. This is a strictly privategame. Where is she?"

  "I call yuh, Pedro," my friend answered. "We ain't keepin' cases on her,or on you. You don't find her in my outfit, that's flat. She spent thenight with the Adams women. You'll find her waitin' for you, on ahead."He grinned. "She'll be powerful glad to see you." He sobered. "And I'llsay this: I'm kinder sorry I ain't got her, for she'd be interestin'company on the road."

  "The road to hell, yes," Montoyo coolly remarked. "I'd guarantee you quickpassage. Good-day."

  With sudden steely glare that embraced us both he jumped his mount into agallop and tore past the team, for the front. He must have inquired, onceor twice, as to the whereabouts of the Captain's party; I saw fingerspointing.

  "Here! You've swapped collars on your lead span, boy," Mr. Jenksreproved--but he likewise fumbling while he gazed.

  I could hold back no longer.

  "Just a minute, if you please," I pleaded; and hastened on up, halfrunning in my anxiety to face the worst; to help, if I might, for thebest.

  A little knot of people had formed, constantly increasing by oncomers likemyself and friend Jenks who had lumbered behind me. Montoyo's horse stoodheaving, on the outskirts; and ruthlessly pushing through I found himinside, with My Lady at bay before him--her eyes brilliant, her cheekshot, her two hands clenched tightly, her slim figure dangerously tensewithin her absurd garment, and the arm of the brightly flushed but calmRachael resting restraintfully around her. The circling faces peered.

  Captain Adams, at one side apart, was replying to the gambler. His smallchina-blue eyes had begun to glint; otherwise he maintained an air ofstolidity as if immune to the outcome.

  "You see her," he said. "She has had the care of my own household, for Iturn nobody away. She came against my will, and she shall go of her will.I am not her keeper."

  "You Mormons have the advantage of us white men, sir," Montoyo sneered."No one of the sex seems to be denied bed and board in yourestablishments."

  "By the help of the Lord we of the elect can manage our establishmentsmuch better than you do yours," big Hyrum responded; and his facesombered. "Who are you? A panderer to the devil, a thief with paintedcard-boards, a despoiler of the ignorant, and a feeder to hell--yea, astriker of women and a trafficker in flesh! Who are you, to think the nameof the Lord's anointed? There she is, your chattel. Take her, or leaveher. This train starts on in ten minutes."

  "I'll take her or kill her," Montoyo snarled. "You call me a feeder, butshe shall not be fed to your mill, Adams. You'll get on that horse pronto,madam," he added, stepping forward (no one could question his nerve), "andwe'll discuss our affairs in private."

  She cast about with swift beseeching look, as if for a friendly face orsign of rescue. And that agonized quest was enough. Whether she saw me ornot, here I was. With a spring I had burst in.

  But somebody already had drawn fresh attention. Daniel Adams was standingbetween her and her husband.

  "Say, Mister, will yu fight?" he drawled, breathing hard, his broadnostrils quivering.

  A silence fell. Singularly, the circle parted right and left in a jostleand a scramble.

  Montoyo surveyed him.

  "Why?"

  "For her, o' course."

  The gambler smiled--a slow, contemptuous smile while his gray eyes focusedwatchfully.

  "It's a case where I have nothing to gain," said he. "And you've nothingto lose. I never bet in the teeth of a pat hand. Sabe? Besides, my youngMormon cub, when did you enter this game? Where's your ante? For the sportof it, now, what do you think of putting up, to make it interesting? Oneof your mammies? Tut, tut!"

  Daniel's freckled bovine face flushed muddy red; in the midst of it hisfaulty eyes were more pronounced than ever--beady, twinkling, and so atcross purposes that they apparently did not center upon the gambler atall. But his right hand had stiffened at his side--extended there flat andtremulous like the vibrant tail of a rattlesnake. He blurted harshly:

  "I 'laow to kill yu for that. Draw, yu----!"

  We caught breath. Montoyo's hand had darted down, and up, with motion toosmooth and elusive for the eye, particularly when our eyes had to be uponboth. His revolver poised half-way out of the scabbard, held thererigidly, frozen in mid course; for Daniel had laughed loudly over leveledbarrel.

  How he had achieved so quickly no man of us knew. Yet there it was--hisColt's, out, cocked, wicked and yearning and ready.

  He whirled it with tempting carelessness, butt first, muzzle first, hisdiscolored teeth set in a yellow grin. The breath of the spectators ventedin a sigh.

  "Haow'll yu take it, Mister?" he gibed. "I could l'arn an old caow to beatyu on the draw. Aw, shucks! I 'laow yu'd better go back to yorepasteboards. Naow git!"

  M
ontoyo, his eyes steady, scarcely changed expression. He let his revolverslip down into its scabbard. Then he smiled.

  "You have a pretty trick," he commented, relaxing. "Some day I'd like totest it out again. Just now I pass. Madam, are you coming?"

  "You know I'm not," she uttered clearly.

  "Your choice of company is hardly to your credit," he sneered. "Or, Ishould say, to your education. Saintliness does not set well upon you,madam. Your clothes are ill-fitting already. Of your two champions----"

  And here I realized that I was standing out, one foot advanced, my fistsfoolishly doubled, my presence a useless factor.

  "--I recommend the gentleman from New York as more to your tastes. But youare going of your own free will. You will always be my wife. You can't getaway from that, you devil. I shall expect you in Benton, for I have thehunch that your little flight will fetch you back pretty well tamed, tothe place where damaged goods are not so heavily discounted." He ignoredDaniel and turned upon me. "As for you," he said, "I warn you you areplaying against a marked deck. You will find fists a poor hand. Ladies andgentlemen, good-morning." With that he strode straight for his horse,climbed aboard (a trifle awkwardly by reason of his one arm disabled) andgalloped, granting us not another glance.

  Card shark and desperado that he was, his consummate aplomb nobody coulddeny, except Daniel, now capering and swaggering and twirling hisrevolver.

  "I showed him. I made him take water. I 'laow I'm 'bout the best man witha six-shooter in these hyar parts."

  "Ketch up and stretch out," Captain Adams ordered, disregarding. "We've nomore time for foolery."

  My eyes met My Lady's. She smiled a little ruefully, and I responded,shamed by the poor role I had borne. With that still jubilating lout tothe fore, certainly I cut small figure.

  This night we made camp at Rawlins' Springs, some twelve miles on. Theday's march had been, so to speak, rather pensive; for while there werethe rough jokes and the talking back and forth, it seemed as though thescene of early morning lingered in our vista. The words of Montoyo hadscored deeply, and the presence of our supernumerary laid a kind ofincubus, like an omen of ill luck, upon us. Indeed the prophecies darklyuttered showed the current of thought.

  "It's a she Jonah we got. Sure a woman the likes o' her hain't no place ina freightin' outfit. We're off on the wrong fut," an Irishman declared towagging of heads. "Faith, she's enough to set the saints above an' thesaints below both by the ears." He paused to light his dudeen. "There'llbe a Donnybrook Fair in Utah, if belike we don't have it along the way."

  "No Mormon'll need another wife if he takes her," laughed somebody else.

  "She'll be promised to Dan'l 'fore ever we cross the Wasatch." And theyall in the group looked slyly at me. "Acts as if she'd been sealed to himalready, he does."

  This had occurred at our nooning hour, amidst the dust and the heat, whilethe animals drooped and dozed and panted and in the scant shade of thehooded wagons we drank our coffee and crunched our hardtack. Throughoutthe morning My Lady had ridden upon the seat of Daniel's wagon, with himsometimes trudging beside, in pride of new ownership, cracking his whip,and again planted sidewise upon one of the wheel animals, facing backwardto leer at her.

  Why I should now have especially detested him I would not admit to myself.At any rate the dislike dated before her arrival. That was one sop toconscience when I remembered that she was a wife.

  Friend Jenks must have read my thoughts, inasmuch as during the course ofthe afternoon he had uttered abruptly:

  "These Mormons don't exactly recognize Gentile marriages. Did you knowthat?" He flung me a look from beneath shaggy brows.

  "What?" I exclaimed. "How so?"

  "Meanin' to say that layin' on of hands by the Lord's an'inted isnecessary to reel j'inin' in marriage."

  "But that's monstrous!" I stammered.

  "Dare say," said he. "It's the way white gospelers look at Injuns, ain'tit? Anyhow, to convert her out of sin, as they'd call it, and put her overinto the company of the saints wouldn't be no bad deal, by their kind o'thinkin'. It's been done before, I reckon. Jest thought I'd warn you.She's made her own bed and if it's a Mormon bed she's well quit ofMontoyo, that's sartin. Did you ever see the beat of that young feller onthe draw?"

  "No," I admitted. "I never did."

  "And you never will."

  "He says his name's Bonnie Bravo. Where did he find that?"

  "Haw haw." Friend Jenks spat. "Must ha' heard it in a play-house or got itread to him out a book. Sounds to him like he was some punkins. Anyhow, ifyou've any feelin's in the matter keep 'em under your hat. I don't knowwhat there's been between you and her, but the Mormon church is betweenyou now and it's got the dead-wood on you. It's either that for her, orMontoyo. He knows; he's no fool and he'll take his time. So you'd betterstick to mule-whacking and sowbelly."

  Still it was only decent that I should inquire after her. No Daniel and no"Bonnie Bravo" was going to shut me from my duty. Therefore this eveningafter we had formed corral, watered our animals at the one good-waterspring, staked them out in the bottoms of the ravine here, and eaten oursupper, I went with clean hands and face and, I resolved, a clean heart,to pay my respects at the Hyrum Adams fire.

  A cheery sight it was, too, for one bred as I had been to the company ofwomen. Whereas during the day and somewhat in the evenings we Gentiles andthe Mormon men fraternized without conflict of sect save by long-windedarguments, at nightfall the main Mormon gathering centered about the Adamsquarters, where the men and women sang hymns in praise of theirpretensions, and listened to homilies by Hyrum himself.

  They were singing now, as I approached--every woman busy also with herhands. The words were destined to be familiar to me, being from theirfavorite lines:

  Cheer, saints, cheer! We're bound for peaceful Zion! Cheer, saints, cheer! For that free and happy land! Cheer, saints, cheer! We'll Israel's God rely on; We will be led by the power of His hand.

  Away, far away to the everlasting mountains, Away, far away to the valley in the West; Away, far away to yonder gushing fountains, Where all the faithful in the latter days are blest.

  Into this domestic circle I civilly entered just as they had finishedtheir hymn. She was seated beside the sleek-haired Rachael, with Danielupon her other hand. I sensed her quickly ready smile; and with the same asurly stare from him, disclosing that by one person at least I was notwelcomed.

  "Anything special wanted, stranger?" Hyrum demanded.

  "No, sir. I was attracted by your singing," I replied. "Do I intrude?"

  "Not at all, not at all." He was more hospitable. "Set if you like, in thecircle of the Saints. You'll get no harm by it, that's certain."

  So I seated myself just behind Rachael. A moment of constraint seemed tofall upon the group. I broke it by my inquiry, addressed to a cleanprofile.

  "I came also to inquire after Mrs. Montoyo," I carefully said. "You havestood the journey well, this far, madam?"

  Daniel turned instantly.

  "Thar's no 'Mrs. Montoyo' in this camp, Mister. And I'll thank yu it's aname yu'd best leave alone."

  "How so, sir?"

  "Cause that's the right of it. I 'laow I've told yu."

  "I'm called Edna now, by my friends," she vouchsafed, coloring. "Yes,thank you, I've enjoyed the day."

  Rachael spoke softly, in her gentle English accents. I learned later thatshe was an English girl, convert to Mormonism.

  "We Latter Day Saints know that the marriage rites of Gentiles are notcountenanced by the Lord. If you would see the light you would understand.Sister Edna is being well cared for. Whatever we have is hers."

  "You will take her on with you to Salt Lake?"

  "That is as Hyrum says. He has spoken of putting her on the stage at thenext crossing. He will decide."

  "I think I'd rather stay with the train," My Lady murmured.

  "Yu will, too, by gum," Daniel pronounced. "I'll talk w
ith paw. Yu'regoin' to travel on to Zion 'long with me. I 'laow I'm man enough to lookout for ye an' I got plenty room. The hull wagon's yourn. Guess thar won'tnobody have anything to say ag'in that." His tone was pointed,unmistakable, and I sat fuming with it.

  My Lady drily acknowledged.

  "You are very kind, Daniel."

  "Wall, yu see I'm the best man on the draw in this hyar train. I'm a badone, I am. My name's Bonnie Bravo. That gambler--he 'laowed to pop me butI could ha' killed him 'fore his gun was loose. I kin ride, wrastle, drivea bull team ag'in ary man from the States, an' I got the gift o' tongues.Ain't afeared o' Injuns, neither. I'm elected. I foller the Lord an' someday I'll be a bishop. I hain't been more'n middlin' interested in wimmen,but I'm gittin' old enough, an' yu an' me'll be purty well acquainted bythe time we reach Zion. Thar's a long spell ahead of us, but I aim to lookout for yu, yu bet."

  His blatancy was arrested by the intonation of another hymn. They allchimed in, except My Lady and me.

  There is a people in the West, the world calls Mormonites in jest, The only people who can say, we have the truth, and own its sway. Away in Utah's valleys, away in Utah's valleys, Away in Utah's valleys, the chambers of the Lord.

  And all ye saints, where'er you be, from bondage try to be set free, Escape unto fair Zion's land, and thus fulfil the Lord's command, And help to build up Zion, and help to build up Zion, And help to build up Zion, before the Lord appear.

  They concluded; sat with heads bowed while Hyrum, standing, deliveredhimself of a long-winded blessing, through his nose. It was the signal forbreaking up. They stood. My Lady arose lithely; encumbered by her trailingskirt she pitched forward and I caught her. Daniel sprang in a moment,with a growl.

  "None o' that, Mister. I'm takin' keer of her. Hands off."

  "Don't bully me, sir," I retorted, furious. "I'm only acting thegentleman, and you're acting the boor."

  I would willingly have fought him then and there, probably to my disaster,but Hyrum's heavy voice cut in.

  "Who quarrels at my fire? Mark you, I'll have no more of it. Stranger, getyou where you belong. Daniel, get you to bed. And you, woman, takeyourself off properly and thank God that you are among his chosen and notadrift in sin."

  "Good-night, sir," I answered. And I walked easily away, a triumphantwarmth buoying me, for ere releasing her strong young body I had felt anote tucked into my hand.