Bloom of Cactus

by Robert Ames Bennet

  CHAPTER XIII

  THE BLOSSOMING

  At the supper table Slade returned to his jovial praises of Elsie as acook. Under his bold admiring gaze the girl blushed much and ate little.Lennon kept his head with difficulty. To sit quiet and feignindifference required all his self-control.

  Farley had been brought in by Carmena. Toward the end of the meal Sladebegan to browbeat the abject, liquor-poisoned man. Lennon had no pity tospare for his broken-spirited host, but his compassion for Elsie and hisgrowing anger against Slade soon received fresh stimulation.

  The trader made blunt demand that Farley should agree to give Elsie tohim in marriage--Indian marriage. After considerable bullyragging,Farley weakly gave way. Carmena continued strongly to protest, but herplea was only for a legal marriage.

  Slade contended that one kind of marriage was as good as another. But hefinally said he would wait and take Elsie out to where they could get alicense and a minister. This would be immediately after the relocationof the mine and the driving off of Cochise.

  Lennon was more than satisfied over the final agreement. Once rid ofCochise and out of the Hole with Slade and Elsie, he felt certain of hisability to save the girl from a forced marriage. In keeping with hisassumed indifference to the affair he changed the subject by inquiringwhen the start for Triple Butte would be made.

  "Daybreak," muttered Slade, and he fixed an intent gaze upon Elsie."I'll be ready by then. I'll bunk with you to-night, Dad. Come in andwe'll check up on business accounts."

  The moment the two older men left the living room Elsie burst into tearsand began piteously imploring Lennon and Carmena to save her. Carmenaclapped a hand over the quivering lips of the terrified girl and rushedher out of hearing of Slade.

  At the same time Lennon stepped out after the trader to keep him fromturning back. The massive bulk of Slade shadowed the light of the candlethat Farley was carrying into a second of the inner rooms.

  The trader looked back, but failed to see Lennon, who had stepped to oneside of the living-room doorway. The bull voice rumbled in what wasevidently intended for a murmur:

  "Well, Dad, I guess Carmena ain't such a fool as you might expect fromher being your gal. She sure got that tenderfoot roped mighty slick.Just wait and watch me hogtie the cripple. All I got to do is let himlead me to that there gold mine. Then I figger he's apt to git lost.Mebbe he believes that bunk about the lode being copper, and mebbe hedon't. The point is, I git the mine, and he----"

  The rest of the prediction was lost to Lennon. He went back into theliving room and pulled his arm out of the sling to test his grip onFarley's short-barrelled revolver. His wounded hand had almost regainedits full strength. As he replaced the arm in the sling Elsie peepedtimidly into the room. She saw that he was alone and darted out to clasphis arm.

  "Oh, Jack, dear Jack!" she panted. "You--you won't let Slade take meeither, will you? You promised about Cochise. But Carmena--she saysSlade--that maybe I'll have to marry him--unless you have heaps of grit.He's no better than Cochise. But at least he's not an Indian, Menasays."

  Lennon patted the yellow locks of the girl's back-flung head.

  "Never fear, Blossom. We will take care of you. Where is Carmena?"

  "She's still looking for Dad's old pick for you. We found the pan andspade. Mena says Dad stumbled into Dead Hole 'cause he was looking forthat lost gold mine of Cripple Sim's you're after. Then he went intostock."

  "Was he--did he--er--brand-blot before Slade came?"

  "Oh, no. Slade and Cochise started the business. Cochise rounds up thehosses and cattle when Slade tells him of a good chance, and the 'Pachesrustle 'em and bring 'em into the Hole and make the brands over, andthen they run 'em out Hell Canon, and Slade sells 'em under his othername. Dad's share is for the feed and the use of the Hole."

  For the first time Lennon's suspicions of the Dead Hole partners wereclarified and confirmed. The gang were not only moonshiners but horseand cattle thieves. Slade was the ringleader and brains of the gang,while Cochise and his followers were the crafty and probably murderousrustlers and brand-blotters.

  Farley was a more or less willing accomplice. He may have been forcedinto the criminal partnership, but now refused to attempt an escape.Rather than give up his share of the loot, he chose to risk the greatdanger to his little foster-daughter.

  The realization that Slade was even more of a criminal than themoonshining and bootlegging had indicated, quickened Lennon'scompassion for the girl. She was so artless and clinging andhelpless----

  He put his free arm about her quivering shoulders. In a twinkling herhands were clasped about his neck and she was smiling up into his facein naive delight.

  "Dear, dear Jack!" she whispered. "You're just awful nice to me. Ibelieve, really and truly, I love you even more than Mena."

  The girl was too childlike in mind to realize the meaning of her sweetemotion. Lennon made allowance for her innocence, but her allusion toCarmena startled him, though the words were ambiguous. Elsie may onlyhave meant that she loved him more than she loved Carmena--not that sheloved him more than Carmena loved him.

  The girl's upturned piquant face was more than tempting. Its flowerlikedelicacy and prettiness and the glow in her wide blue eyes were morethan he could withstand. He bent down and pressed a kiss upon herhalf-parted lips.

  "You darling!" he said. "You adorable little Blossom!"

  She sought shyly to draw away from him. He held her fast. The kiss hadput an end to his last doubt.

  "Wait, dear, do not try to get away from me," he commanded. "I am goingto keep you--always. Until I get you out of here--safe from Slade andCochise--I shall be just your Brother Jack. But I love you, dear, andwhen we reach a town we shall be married."

  "O-o-oh! Then I'll belong to you--I'll be your woman?"

  "You will be my darling little wife. I will be good to you and take careof you--always."

  "Oh, you dear, nice Jack! And Mena--she'll go along too and help takecare of me and love us? Won't she? You know I couldn't ever bear to goaway and leave Mena."

  Along with his amusement over the child's naive suggestion Lennon wasconscious of an odd thrill. He remembered the look in Carmena's darkeyes when she saved him from the poison of the Gila monster and at theend of their desperate flight across the Basin. They had risked deathtogether--and _she_ was not a child.

  But close upon these pleasantly disquieting remembrances of the oldergirl came the harsh afterthought of his suspicions against her. He bentto kiss Elsie with almost aggressive fervour.

  From the doorway behind him came a stifled cry that might have been asob. He held fast to Elsie and glanced over his shoulder. Carmena wasstanding in the doorway, with her head bent. As Lennon looked, shestraightened and came toward him, cold-eyed and determined.

  "What are you doing, Jack Lennon?" she demanded. "I trusted you. Ibelieved that you were not the kind to take advantage of Blossom. Ithought you----"

  Elsie struggled free from Lennon to fling her arms about herfoster-sister.

  "Oh, Mena, please, please don't be cross with Jack! I love him so,and--and he loves me back!"

  Lennon met Carmena's hard stare with a gaze no less cool and resolute.

  "Elsie is to be my wife," he declared. "I shall marry her as soon aspossible."

  "Your wife? Marry her? You mean that?"

  "Yes."

  Carmena's fixed gaze wavered and sank. But almost immediately she lookedup again, her eyes lustrous with soft radiance.

  "She is very precious to me, Jack. She deserves to be safe and happy allthe rest of her life."

  Before Lennon could reply, the girl gently freed herself from Elsie andturned to go.

  "Pardon me--one moment, Miss Farley," appealed Lennon. "There issomething I must tell you. I happened to overhear Slade speak to yourfather. He insists that the lost mine is a gold lode and proposes totake possession when I have led him to it."

  The girl smiled a bit mockingly.

  "What else could you expect
?" she asked. "If he hadn't believed it agold lode he wouldn't have made the deal with you. When you show him thecopper, it will be up to you to hold him to his bargain. We have nochance unless he splits with Cochise."

  "Why not persuade your father to slip out of the Hole with us--startimmediately? The Apaches have gone off. I'll engage to tie up Slade. Wewould have an all-night lead."

  "No," refused Carmena. "The Hole belongs to Dad. He will not leave it.Besides, there are at least three Apaches on watch in Hell Canon."

  Lennon realized the uselessness of arguing with the girl. If, as hestill half suspected, she was scheming with Slade, the less said abouther father's share in the stock stealing the better.

  "Very well," he acquiesced. "I shall try to manage Slade. If he isunreasonable, I will do as I think best."

  "So will I," replied Carmena, her eyes sombre.

  "Come on, Blossom. Slade said he would leave at daybreak."

  She abruptly turned away, and made no remonstrance when Elsie offeredher lips to Lennon for a good-night kiss.

  Left alone, he sat down in one of the big chairs and fell to planninghow, after the relocation of the copper lode, he would make his escape.He would bring a sheriff's posse to arrest Slade and his fellowcriminals. Elsie would then be freed from all danger, and the mine couldbe developed.