Bloom of Cactus

by Robert Ames Bennet

  CHAPTER XXIII

  OUT OF THE PAST

  As Lennon knelt beside the swooning girl the shrieks rang nearer. Elsiecame flying through the rear opening, in wild fright. Her dress was tornand her yellow hair full of dust and wooden bits. Lennon sprang up,certain that the Apache who had been wounded in the kiva was pursuingher.

  In her flurry she appeared to heed nothing until almost upon the body ofCochise. But one glance at the ghostly whites of the Apache's upturnedeyes sent her shrinking backward, stricken to horrified silence. Herwild stare fixed first upon Carmena and then shifted to Lennon. With ashriek, she flung herself upon him, clutching him about the body infrantic terror.

  "Oh! oh! Papa! Papa! Papa!" she screamed, in a childish treble. "BadIndian! He's hurting mamma! He's choking mamma!"

  Lennon pressed her face hard against his breast to stifle her shrieks.

  "Be still," he shouted. "Stop that noise. You're safe. Be still. Hearme? You're safe."

  Checked by the sternness of his voice the distracted girl hushed herhysterical cries. When he repeated that she was safe, she at last seemedto grasp the fact. Yet she continued to cling fast to him.

  "Tell me quick," he demanded. "Is an Indian following you?"

  "No-no-no!" she babbled. "It's mamma--he's choking her! He----"

  The tremulous words broke off in a gasp of astonishment. The wild blueeyes stared up at Lennon in bewildered lack of recognition.

  "Why--why, you're not my papa!" she cried.

  "Of course not, Blossom. I'm Jack--Brother Jack. Don't you know me?"

  The girl shrank back.

  "You're not my brother. Let me go. I haven't any brother. I never sawyou before."

  "Oh, Blossom!" came a cry beside them.

  Lennon's glance darted aslant.

  Carmena had risen to a sitting position with her arms outstretchedtoward Elsie. Her face was white from pain, and she was swaying--but shewas sitting upright. Realization of what that meant burst upon Lennonlike a flood of golden sunshine.

  He dropped on his knees to fling a supporting arm about the girl'sshoulders.

  "Dearest, it's not true--not true that you---- Your back! You're able torise!"

  Carmena lowered her gaze from her bewildered sister.

  "What, I----" she murmured. "Why, so I am! There was a snap, and then,oh, such a pain! It must be the bone had only slipped. That twistsnapped it back into place."

  "But the pain, dear?"

  "It's getting better. It's good pain. It proves I'm alive again--allalive. Raise me up, Jack. I want to see if I can stand."

  He lifted her with utmost gentleness. Her teeth clenched upon her lip.But, once she was upright, the pain again eased. She was delighted tofind that she could stand with no more than half support from him.

  "Yes--all alive," she repeated and she turned to Elsie. "With a braceI'll be able to rise. Blossom, you can bind on----"

  "I'm not Blossom. I'm--I'm Elsie Lane," faltered the younger girl. "Andyou're not my mamma, no more than he's my papa."

  Lennon and Carmena stared at each other questioningly. The girl seemedrational, yet clearly she recognized neither of them. Carmena was firstto catch an inkling of the truth.

  "No, dear," she soothed. "Of course we're not your papa and mamma. Ofcourse you're Elsie Lane. But we want to help you. We are your friends,dear. What has happened? Tell us."

  The girl stared from them to her surroundings, more than everbewildered. But the hideous gape of Cochise's mouth and his upturnedglassy eyes drew from her a whimpering cry. She shrank around to hidebehind Lennon and clutch his arm.

  "Oh! That man--that bad Indian--he came after papa found old Sim's mine,and mamma fed him, and--and then he choked her, and I ran to get papa,and papa was lying down at the bottom, with an awful red hole in hishead--and I ran back to mamma--and she was dead. The bad Indian waschasing our ponies. I was 'fraid he'd kill me, too, and I ran and ranand ran, right up past the middle tower of the giant's castle and downthe other side, and I got awful thirsty. Then--then I went to sleep--andwhen I woke up the roof was falling on me and it was night, and when Igot out here, you weren't my papa and mamma, but there was that badIndian."

  Lennon needed no verification of the tragedy that the girl evidentlyremembered as having occurred only a few hours past. Before his mentalvision rose the gruesome images of the skeleton at the foot of the mineslide and the skeleton in the cabin.

  "I've been blind," he murmured to Carmena. "Sim told me that nine yearsago he gave maps of his mine and the Triple Butte region to a doctornamed Lane."

  Carmena was gazing yearningly at the unresponsive Elsie.

  "All these years!" she sighed. "First her childhood all a blank to her,and now all the years with me lost! I'm a stranger to her--to my littleBlossom! Oh, Jack!"

  "Give her time. She will remember. Such cases are not unknown,"comforted Lennon. He turned to Elsie.

  "Listen, dear. I found your papa and mamma and buried them. Now I havekilled the bad Indian. But you have been sick--out of your head--a longtime. This lady--Carmena--has taken care of you and she loves you."

  The child-minded girl peered up at her foster-sister.

  "You--you love me? But I know it. You look at me like mamma does."

  Carmena smiled radiantly. Lennon hastened to add an urgent appeal.

  "She is hurt, Elsie, and more bad Indians are coming. Won't you help meget her safe away from here?"

  The request diverted the girl's thoughts before she could yield again topanic. Instead of going frantic and becoming a drag upon Lennon'sefforts, she helped support Carmena through to the hoist room.

  Slade was lying as the Apaches had left him, beside the charcoalbrazier, his left arm still lashed behind to his right foot. He had diedfrom his wounds. As they passed by, Lennon shielded Elsie from theunpleasant sight. But Carmena looked full at the big twisted body of theman who had ruined and murdered her father.

  "He deserved it all and more--far more," she murmured. "First to makeDad believe the brand-blotting was a part of his honest cattle business,and then----"

  "What's that?" interrupted Lennon. "You mean he deceived your father? Idid not understand it that way."

  "Yes. He lied. Dad was an Easterner like yourself. Slade had himincriminated before he knew it was stock stealing. Then he forced tizwinmaking upon us. You know the consequences to poor Dad. And what if thebig beast had found Blossom! Oh, I should have waited for Cochise totorture him. But I could not bear it."

  "Because you are yourself, Carmena--as tender-hearted as you are strongand brave and wise."

  "Silly, you mean--to lose a single moment now in talk. Put me down here.I can get to the hoist. Hurry with Elsie--get saddles, food, your rifle.Hurry! We must get out of the Hole before Slade's punchers come."

  Lennon eased the girl to the floor and ran into the living room. Elsiedarted after him. Nor did she stop to be directed. She went straight toher food cupboard, without paying the slightest heed to the outstretchedbody of the luckless Farley. Lennon threw a rug over the pitiful formand hastened to drag three saddles and as many canteens out to thehoist.

  Carmena had crept back close to the body of Slade. She waved Lennon tohurry. He ran back for his rifle and the food. Elsie already had packedtwo pairs of saddlebags with flour, bacon, and dried meat, and wasunlashing the broad stiff hair girth from another saddle.

  "Here's just the thing to brace Mena's back," she said.

  "Good enough. It will go round her two or three times and----"

  Lennon stopped short to stare at the eager girl.

  "Why Blossom, you call her Mena--and you went direct to the foodcupboard. You've remembered all!"

  The girl gazed up at him, wide-eyed.

  "Oh, did I? Have I! I did it without thinking. It just seemed natural.But my name isn't Blossom--and it's--it's awful queer--I never saw thisplace before."

  "You have," contradicted Lennon. "It has been a long, long dream, littleBlossom. You are beginning to remember it n
ow."

  "O-oh--like a dream---- It does seem as if everything--and you--you'reBrother Jack, who was going to marry me. But how silly--when I'm onlyten years old! Of course it's just all a dream."

  Lennon caught at the point----

  "Yes, yes, that's a dream, only a dream about our marrying. You've beendreaming for years, and now you're much older than ten--much older. Butthat other is only a fancy--a mistake. It's Mena I'm to marry, andyou're to be our dear little sister. Remember, I'm to be yourbrother--your Brother Jack."

  "I'll remember," promised Elsie. "You're good, like her. You buried papaand mamma and you killed that bad Indian."

  A cry from Carmena sent Lennon bounding out into the anteroom, with hisrifle ready to fire. The girl had crouched low behind the massive bodyof Slade. She pointed to the far corner of the room and shrilledwarningly:

  "Look out, Jack! Cochise!--there in the window!"

  Lennon dashed straight at the dark opening where he had seen the grayface of Farley on his first coming to the cliff house. He thrust in themuzzle of his rifle and then his head. Though shadowed, the inner roomwas light enough for him to see that it was empty. He went back toCarmena.

  "No one there," he said. "Just your fancy, dear. You'renervous--overwrought. But no wonder. The sooner we're down and away fromhere, the better."

  "Wait. First take this," replied Carmena. She held up a thick-paddedleather belt.

  "Slade's," she explained. "I guessed he might be carrying it. It's hismoney-belt, stuffed with big bills. He lied about the partnershipbank-account. Take it, Jack--for Elsie and me. It's ours by rights. Hecheated us of our heritage. We have to leave Dad's ranch."

  The belt was already fast about Lennon's waist. Elsie appeared, draggingthe saddlebags and the girth. Lennon brought the wide cinch to wraparound Carmena's waist. The double fold lashed fast with the straps madea broad stiff corsage support for her wrenched back.

  In quick succession, Lennon then lowered, over the sacks of corn in thehoist opening, first Elsie, then the outfit, and lastly Carmena. Sheasked to see her father, but Lennon dissuaded her. He thought best thather last impression of Slade's victim should be the broken man'sredeeming flare of vengeful love and fatherhood.

  The moment the slackening hoist rope told him that Elsie had steadiedher foster-sister down upon the cliff foot, Lennon ran to descend therope ladder. Time was passing, and there was still much to be done. Hemust catch and saddle three good horses. Slade's punchers might not comefor four or five hours. But the earlier the start of the fugitives, thebetter would be their chance of escape if the Navahos should seek totrack them down.

  Elsie had drawn Carmena away from the heap of saddles and bags to a seaton a ledge. As Lennon sprang toward them from the foot of the shakingladder Carmena called out and pointed over his head. One rope of theladder had sagged as if broken. A moment later the ladder cameslithering down the cliff face.

  "Cut--That face in the window--Cochise! He's not dead!" cried Carmena."Oh, Jack, if you hadn't come down fast! He tried to make you fall!"

  Lennon was already running out to aim his rifle at the doorway fromwhich the ladder had fallen. There was no sign of the ladder-cutter. Outof the side of his eye Lennon saw the crane swing back into the otheropening and the hoist rope jerk upward. He swung his rifle to that side.

  The top sack of corn in the barricade slewed out over the brink. Ittoppled and came plunging downward. Above it a dark head came intosight, half out-thrust over the top of the other sacks.

  Lennon fired up past the falling bag of grain. The head jerked upward,twisted, and lay still on the edge of the barricade, as the sack of cornthudded and burst on the cliff foot within two feet of the saddles. Tomake doubly certain, Lennon sent up another bullet, as well-aimed as thefirst.

  His lips were set in a smile of stern satisfaction as he came to whereElsie was cowering in the arms of Carmena.

  "You were right--as usual," he said. "The knife could only have knockedhim out for a time. He must have played 'possum. But he was disabled.Crawled after us--couldn't get a gun till we left and too eager towait--thought we'd be under the hoist. Yet why he should have exposedhimself----"

  "His wounds," divined Carmena. "The strain of heaving over the sack wastoo much for him. He collapsed. You're sure you didn't miss him, Jack?"

  "No. Through the head--same as he shot Blossom's father."

  CHAPTER XXIV

  HIS DAUGHTER'S FATHER

  Carmena stroked the dishevelled Elsie's yellow locks.

  "There, there, sweetheart," she said soothingly. "The fighting is allover. The bad Indian really is dead this time. You've no more need to befrightened. Brother Jack and I will take care of you."

  Elsie gazed up into the loving dark eyes of her comforter.

  "Why, of course, Mena, when you've always----"

  The blue eyes suddenly widened.

  "But--but not always--papa and mamma--it seems only yesterday---- No,you--all these years---- But then I can't be only ten! My goodness, whata funny rumbly-wumble in my head--just like two dreams mixed up--onlythey're real--both of them!"

  "Yes, both real--all real, Blossom."

  "Except one thing," hastily put in Lennon. "It is Carmena whom I amgoing to marry, Elsie. Remember that."

  The girl looked at him, blushing and dimpling with shy delight.

  "Oh, it'll be ever so much nicer, 'cause then I can be just your dearlittle sister, and Mena loves you a thousand times more."

  Carmena's cheeks flooded with scarlet, but she faced Lennon with a lookof unflinching candour.

  "Yes, Jack, I do. I tricked you into the Basin. For Dad's sake, I wasready to lead you to almost certain death from Cochise and his bunch.But after that Gila monster I loved you--I put you above all else exceptBlossom's safety and Dad's good name."

  Lennon glowed back at her, proud that he had won the love of such awoman, yet humble over the consciousness of how he had misjudged her.

  "You had no thought for yourself," he said. "You would have given yourlife--and more. You failed to save your father's life, but we shall savehis name. Did Slade's Navahos share in the stock stealing?"

  "Only Pete. Of the others, Slade's four bodyguards alone knew about theHole. But, once in, any of the punchers can trail us."

  "No," declared Lennon. "To be sure, there is one of the four left. Butwhat if he does bring the punchers? All I need do is catch a pony, ridedown the valley, and haul up the lift in the lower canon."

  "Of course!" agreed Carmena. "What a loon I've been not to think of itmyself! Of course, Cochise would have done it if we hadn't got the bunchup the cliff when we did. It will take the Navahos till noon to-morrowto ride all the way back and round to the head of Hell Canon."

  "Good enough," said Lennon. "That solves all our difficulties. We can goout the canon to-night and have a long start for the railway. There wewill report how Slade and your father have been killed in a fight with aband of Apache stock thieves."

  "Oh, Jack! And Slade's Navahos will scatter when they hear he is dead,and they'll never talk. They're Indians. But the stock here in the Hole,what if the sheriff wants to investigate?"

  Lennon pointed upward.

  "If he should manage to get into the cliff house, there's nothingincriminating left. The dynamite obliterated the still. As for thestock, we will drive it out with us and deliver it up as part of theloot retaken by us from the thieves."

  Carmena put Elsie aside and rose to lay her hands on Lennon's shoulders.

  "Now I know for sure you love me," she said. "You love me enough toforget Dad as you knew him and to remember only that he was my father.You would shield his good name as you would shield your own. Yet I amthe daughter of a rustler, of a moonshiner, of a drunken criminal."

  "No," denied Lennon. "You are the daughter of an unfortunate gentleman,who paid bitterly for his mistakes--who gave his life in an attempt tosave you and the child whom he had taken in and sheltered. Let God judgewhether he was not far more victim than wrongdoer."


  "But the daughter of a weak man----"

  Lennon smiled into her troubled eyes.

  "You glory of the desert--you cactus blossom! It was your very strengththat repelled me, like the spines of the cactus. I never had known yourlike. I thought a woman must be weak and clinging."

  He cast a smiling glance at the wide-eyed Elsie.

  "But now, dear, I know that the bloom of the desert thorn may be evenmore fragrant and lovely than any garden flower."

  THE END

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  The Country Life Press--Garden City, N. Y.