Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch; Or, Schoolgirls Among the Cowboys
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CHAPTER XXIII--BASHFUL IKE TAKES THE BIT IN HIS TEETH
There was great commotion at Silver Ranch when Jib Pottoway (on a freshhorse he had picked up at the riverside cow camp) rode madly to theranch-house with the news of what was afoot so far away across RollingRiver. From Old Bill down, the friends of Ruth were horror-stricken thatshe should so recklessly (or, so it seemed) expose herself to thecontagion of the fever.
"And for a person who is absolutely nothing to her at all!" wailedJennie Stone. "Ruth is utterly reckless."
"She is utterly brave," said Madge, sharply.
"She has the most grateful heart in the world," Helen declared. "Hesaved her life in the canyon--you remember it, Mary. Of course she couldnot leave the poor creature to die there alone."
The Fox had turned pallid and seemed horrified. But she was silent whileall the others about the ranch-house, from Old Bill Hicks down to Mariathe cook, were voluble indeed. The ranchman might have laid violenthands upon Jib Pottoway, only there was so much to do. Such simplemedicines as there were in the house were packed to take to Tintacker.Old Bill determined to go over himself, but he would not allow any ofthe young folks to go.
"And you kin bet," he added, "that you'll see Jane Ann come back herea-whizzin'!"
The unfortunate Jib had enough to do to answer questions. The girlswould not let him go until he had told every particular of the findingof the man at Tintacker.
"Was he just _crazy_?" queried Heavy.
"I don't know whether he's been loony all the time he's been hangingaround the mines, or not," growled the Indian. "But I'm mighty sure he'sloco _now_."
"If that was him who shot the bear up in the canyon that day, he didn'tappear to be crazy enough to hurt," said Helen.
"But is this the same man?" queried Mary Cox, and had they not all beenso busy pumping Jib of the last particular regarding the adventure, theymight have noticed that The Fox was very pale.
When Jib first rode up, however, and told his tale, Bashful Ike Stedmanhad set to work to run the big touring car out of the shed in which itwas kept. During the time the young folk had been at Silver Ranch fromthe East, the foreman had learned from Tom and Bob how to run the car.It came puffing up to the door now, headed toward the Bullhide trail.
"What in tarnashun you goin' ter do with that contarption, Ike?" bawledMr. Hicks. "I can't go to Tintacker in it."
"No, yuh can't, Boss. But I kin go to Bullhide for the sawbones in it,and bring him back, too. We kin git as far as the Rolling River camp inthe old steam engine--if she don't break down. Then we'll foller on arteryuh a-hawseback."
"You won't git no doctor to come 'way out there," gasped the ranchowner.
"Won't I?" returned the foreman. "You wait and see. Ruthie says adoctor's got to be brought for that feller, and I'm goin' to git Doc.Burgess if I hafter rope an' hogtie him--you hear me!"
The engine began to pop again and the automobile rolled away from theranch-house before Mr. Hicks could enter any further objections, or anyof the young folk could offer to attend Ike on his long trip.Fortunately Tom and Bob had seen to it that the machine was in excellentshape, there was plenty of gasoline in the tank, and she ran easily overthe trail.
At the Crossing Ike was hailed by Sally Dickson. Sally had been about tomount her pony for a ride, but when the animal saw the automobile comingalong the trail he started on the jump for the corral, leaving MissSally in the lurch.
"Well! if that ain't just like you, Ike Stedman!" sputtered thered-haired schoolma'am. "Bringin' that puffin' abomination over thistrail. Ain't you afraid it'll buck and throw yuh?"
"I got it gentled--it'll eat right off yuh hand," grinned the foreman ofSilver Ranch.
"And I was going to ride in to Bullhide," exclaimed Sally. "I won't beable to catch the pony in a week."
"You hop in with me, Sally," urged Ike, blushing very red. "I'm goin' toBullhide."
"Go joy-ridin' with _you_, Mr. Stedman?" responded the schoolma'am. "Idon't know about that. Are you to be trusted with that automobile?"
"I tell yuh I got it gentled," declared Ike. "And I got to be moving onmighty quick." He told Sally why in a few words and immediately theyoung lady was interested.
"That Ruth Fielding! Isn't she a plucky one for a Down East girl? Butshe's too young to nurse that sick man. And she'll catch the feverherself like enough."
"Hope not," grunted Ike. "That would be an awful misfortune. She's thenicest little thing that ever grazed on _this_ range--yuh hear me!"
"Well," said Sally, briskly. "I got to go to town and I might as welltake my life in my hands and go with you, Ike," and she swung herselfinto the seat beside him.
Ike started the machine again. He was delighted. Never before had SallyDickson allowed him to be alone with her more than a scant few momentsat a time. Ike began to swallow hard, the perspiration stood on his browand he grew actually pale around the mouth. It seemed to him as thougheverything inside of him rose up in his throat. As he told about it longafterward, if somebody had shot him through the body just then it wouldonly have made a flesh-wound!
"Sally!" he gasped, before her father's store and the schoolhouse wereout of sight.
"Why, Ike! what's the matter with you? Are you sick?"
"N-no! I ain't sick," mumbled the bashful one.
"You're surely not scared?" demanded Sally. "There hasn't anythinghappened wrong to this automobile?"
"No, ma'am."
"Are you sure? It bumps a whole lot--Ugh! It's not running away, is it?"
"I tell yuh it's tame all right," grunted Ike.
"Then, what's the matter with you, Ike Stedman?" demanded theschoolmistress, with considerable sharpness.
"I--I'm suah in love with yuh, Sally! That's what's the matter with me.Now, don't you laugh--I mean it."
"Well, my soul!" exclaimed the practical Sally, "don't let it take sucha hold on you, Ike. Other men have been in love before--or thought theywas--and it ain't given 'em a conniption fit."
"I got it harder than most men," Ike was able to articulate. "Why,Sally, I love you so hard _that it makes me ache_!"
The red-haired schoolmistress looked at him for a silent moment. Hereyes were pretty hard at first; but finally a softer light came intothem and a faint little blush colored her face.
"Well, Ike! is that all you've got to say?" she asked.
"Why--why, Sally! I got lots to say, only it's plugged up and I can'tseem to get it out," stammered Ike. "I got five hundred head o' steers,and I've proven on a quarter-section of as nice land as there is in thisState--and there's a good open range right beside it yet----"
"I never _did_ think I'd marry a bunch o' steers," murmured Sally.
"Why--why, Sally, punchin' cattle is about all I know how to do well,"declared Bashful Ike. "But you say the word and I'll try any businessyou like better."
"I wouldn't want you to change your business, Ike," said Sally, turningher head away. "But--but ain't you got anything else to offer me butthose steers?"
"Why--why," stammered poor Ike again. "I ain't got nothin' else butmyself----"
She turned on him swiftly with her face all smiling and her eyestwinkling.
"There, Ike Stedman!" she ejaculated in her old, sharp way. "Have youfinally got around to offering _yourself_? My soul! if you practiced onevery girl you met for the next hundred years you'd never learn how toask her to marry you proper. I'd better take you, Ike, and save the restof the female tribe a whole lot of trouble."
"D'ye mean it, Sally?" cried the bewildered and delighted foreman ofSilver Ranch.
"I sure do."
"Ye-yi-yip!" yelled Ike, and the next moment the big touring car wabbledall over the trail and came near to dumping the loving pair into thegully.