CHAPTER XV
BEAUTY IN DISGUISE
Winter passed very monotonously with us in the sod-house at CraneValley. When the season's work is over and the prairie bound fast byiron frost, the man whom it has prospered spends his well-earned leisurevisiting his neighbors or lounging contentedly beside the stove; butthose oppressed by anxieties find the compulsory idleness irksome, and Icounted the days until we could commence again in the spring. Thegoodwill of my neighbors made this possible, for one promisedseed-wheat, to be paid for when harvest was gathered in; another placedsurplus stock under my charge on an agreement to share the resultantprofit, while Haldane sent a large draft of young horses and cattle hehad hardly hands enough to care for, under a similar arrangement.
I accepted these offers the more readily because, while prompted bykindness, the advantages were tolerably equal to all concerned. So thefuture looked slightly brighter, and I hoped that better times wouldcome, if we could hold out sufficiently long. The debt I still owedLane, however, hung as a menace over me, while although--doubtlessbecause it suited him--he did not press me for payment, the extortionateinterest was adding to it constantly. Some of my neighbors were insimilar circumstances, and at times we conferred together as to the bestmeans of mutual protection.
In the meantime the fire at Gaspard's Trail was almost forgotten--or so,at least, it seemed. Haldane, much against his wishes, spent most of thewinter at Bonaventure; but his elder daughter remained in Montreal.Boone, the photographer, appeared but once, and spent the night with us.He looked less like the average Englishman than ever, for frost andsnow-blink had darkened his skin to an Indian's color, and when supperwas over I watched him languidly as we lounged smoking about the stove.Sally Steel had managed to render the sod-house not only habitable butcomfortable in a homely way, and though she ruled us all in a somewhattyrannical fashion, she said it was for our good.
"There's a little favor I want to ask of you, Ormesby, but I suppose youare all in one another's confidence?" said Boone.
"Yes," I answered. "We are all, in one sense, partners, with a capitalof about ten dollars, and are further united by the fear of a commonenemy."
Boone laughed silently, though his face was a trifle sardonic. "That isas it should be, and you may have an opportunity for proving thestrength of the combination before very long. I have, as I once toldyou, a weakness for horses and cattle, and I couldn't resist purchasingsome at a bargain a little while ago. I want you to take charge of themfor me. Here are particulars, and my idea of an equitable agreement." Helaid a paper on the table, and I glanced through it. The conditions werethose usual in arrangements of the kind, which were not then uncommon,but though cattle and horses were lamentably cheap, they could not beobtained for nothing, and the total value surprised me.
"We are as honest as most people down this way, and we take oneanother's word without any use for spilling ink," observed theirrepressible Sally.
"I once heard of a grasping storekeeper being badly beaten over a dealin butter by a clever young lady," said Boone; and Steel laughed, whilehis sister frowned.
"He deserved it, but you seem to know just everything," she said.
"Some people are born clever, and some handsome; but it is really not myfault," said Boone, with a smile at Sally. "For instance, I know whatOrmesby is thinking. He is wondering where I got the money to pay forthose beasts."
The laugh was against me, but I answered frankly: "That was in mythoughts; but I also wondered what I had done to merit the trouble youhave taken to do me a kindness."
"Don't flatter yourself," said Boone. "It is a matter of business, andequally possible that I wished to do some other person the opposite. Youmust decide to-night, because I have a new assortment of beautifiers andcosmetics in my wagon which I must set about vending to-morrow. Theywould not, of course, be of any use to Miss Sally, but I am going on tothe Swedish settlement where the poor people need them."
It was not delicate flattery, but Boone was quick at judging hislistener's capacity, and it pleased Miss Steel--the more so because acertain Scandinavian damsel was her principal rival in the question ofcomeliness. She drew herself up a little, while Boone smiledwhimsically. "You know it is true," he said.
The man had always interested me. He was at home anywhere, and histongue equally adept at broad prairie raillery or finely modulatedEnglish. Yet one could see that there was a shadow upon him.
"You need have no compunction, Ormesby. I really made only onesuccessful attempt at housebreaking in my life," he said. "Do you acceptthe offer?"
"Yes, with many thanks; though I don't quite see why you make it inwriting," I said. "There are, however, a good many other things I don'tcomprehend just now, and sometimes I feel that I am being moved here andthere blindly to suit other persons' unknown purposes. The position doesnot please me."
Boone laughed. "There is something in the fancy. You are the king'sbishop, and I'm not sure that as yet even the players quite know theirown game. Of course you are aware that Lane holds a power of attachmentagainst you?"
"At present there is nothing but the prairie sod to attach, though Idon't see why he does not at once grab as much as he is entitled to ofthat," I said. "If I get enough time I may be able to pay him off afterharvest."
"I hope you will," was Boone's answer; and, changing the topic, heentertained us with the quaintest anecdotes.
Some time had passed since that evening, and spring had come suddenly,when I commenced my plowing. Hitherto little wheat had been grown so farWest, but the soil was good, and I knew that sooner or later there wouldbe grain elevators in Crane Valley. Though the sub-soil was stillfrozen, the black clods that curled in long waves from the mold-board'sside were steaming under the April sun; and as I tramped down thequarter-mile furrow my spirits rose with the freshness of the spring. Itwas good to be up and doing again, and the coming months of strain andeffort would help me to forget. Thorn and Steel, who were also plowing,shouted jests as they passed, and it was with a contentment long strangeto us we rested at noon. Some distance divided the breaking from thehouse, and we lay on the warm grasses, basking in the radiance of thecloudless sun over our simple meal.
The whole prairie was flooded with it, the air sweet and warm, and werecommenced our task with pulses which throbbed in unison with that ofreawakening nature. The long months of darkness and deathlike cold hadgone, green blades presaging the golden ears would soon shoot upwardsfrom every furrow, and one drank in the essence of hope eternal in everybreath of air. Anxiety faded into insignificance, and one rejoiced inthe mere possession of physical strength, while the tender greennesscheckering the frost-nipped sod testified again that seed time andharvest should not fail so long as the world rolled onward from darknessinto light.
We came home more cheerful than we had been for months, but I felt aninstinctive foreboding when I saw Cotton talking to Sally beside thecorral fence. She was apparently bantering him, but there wassatisfaction in his face, as, after some jests of hers, he glanced atthe stripes on his sleeve.
"I guess he's much too proud to look at you. They've made him acorporal!" said Sally.
There was a contrast between us. Spring plowing is not cleanly work, andthe mire which clung about our leggings had also freely spattered ourold jean overalls. Cotton was immaculate in new uniform, and sat, atrim, soldierly figure, on his freshly caparisoned horse.
"Here is a note for you from Bonaventure," he said. "I was riding in tothe railroad with some dispatches and to bring out our pay when MissHaldane asked me to give it to you."
I saw a faint sparkle in Sally's eyes at the mention of Bonaventure, asI said: "It was very good of you to ride so far round. Your superiorsare punctilious, are they not?"
"With the exception of Mackay, who's away, they don't leave one muchdiscretion," said the corporal. "Still, I have time to spare, and don'tsuppose anybody will be much the wiser. In any case, Miss Haldane saidthe note was urgent, and--though having to call at the reservation Imight hav
e passed this way on my homeward journey--I came at once."
The missive brought a frown to my face. "Our hired men are busy, andCorporal Cotton will kindly take you this," it ran. "Father, who wentEast for a day or two, writes me to let you know immediately that Laneis coming over shortly to attach your horses and cattle."
I saw at once that if the money-lender seized our working beasts in themidst of plowing, when nobody had a team to spare, our prospects of aharvest would be ruined. However, I reflected with grim satisfactionthat the beasts were not mine, and that every man is entitled to protectthe property entrusted to him. "Read that," I said, passing it to Thorn."You had better start after supper and let the South-side boys know.I'll warn the others, and it strikes me that Lane will have his work cutout to drive off a single head."
We had forgotten the bearer of the message, though once or twice I heardSally's voice and Cotton's laugh; but on turning towards the house I sawhe had backed his horse away from the corral and was somewhat dubiouslyregarding the fence. Sally leaned against it watching him with anassumption of ironical admiration.
"I'll see that you keep your promise if I win," he said; and the girllaughed mockingly.
"If you don't I'll try not to cry over you," she retorted; and I guessedthe madcap had made some wager with him that he could not leap thefence. Sally afterwards declared penitently that she never fancied hewould attempt it; but I could see by the lad's face he meant to take therisk.
"Your horse is not fresh enough, and you'll certainly break your neck!"I shouted.
Cotton glanced over his shoulder, then gathered up his bridle, while, asI ran towards him, Sally's heart must have failed her, for she calledout: "Don't! I'll pay forfeit!"
We were both too late. The corporal had touched the beast with thespurs, and man and horse were flying towards the tall and well-bracedfence. I held my breath as I watched, for I had nailed the birch poleshome securely, and had not much faith in the beast's leaping powers. Itlaunched itself into the air, then there was a crash, and the top railflew into splinters, while horse and rider parted company. The former,after rolling over, scrambled to its feet, but the uniformed figuresmote the ground with a distressful thud and lay very still. Sallyscreamed, and must have climbed the fence, for when we had run around bythe slip rails she was bending over the limp figure stretched upon thesod. Her eyes were wide with terror.
"He is dead, and I have killed him," she said.
I bent down with misgivings, for Cotton did not move, and there wassomething peculiar about his eyes. "Can you hear us? Are you badlyhurt?" I asked.
"What's that?" he answered drowsily; and I gathered courage, rememberingsymptoms noticeable in similar cases; but Thorn had administered a doseof prohibited whisky before he became intelligible. I was not whollysorry for Sally, but seeing that she had been sufficiently punished, Isaid: "There are no bones broken, and his pulse is regaining strength."
Cotton's scattered senses were evidently returning, for he looked up,saying: "I'm only shaken, Miss Steel, and I won the bet. Don't be in ahurry, Ormesby; I hardly fancy I could get up just yet."
We waited several minutes, then, forcibly refusing Miss Steel'sassistance, carried him into the house and laid him on a makeshift couchin our general-room. His color was returning, but his face was awry withpain, and, so he expressed it, something had given way inside his back.It was a dismal termination to an inspiriting day, and the olddepression returned with double force as I glanced at the untasted mealon the table, at Lucille Haldane's note, and around the disordered room.Sally looked badly frightened, Steel very grim, and Cotton seemed to besuffering.
"It will pass presently, and you had better get your supper," he said."I must try to eat a morsel, for I have a long way to ride to-night."
"You are not going to move off that couch until morning at least," Isaid. But the corporal answered: "I simply must. Is the horse allright?"
"Doesn't seem much the worse," said Steel; and Sally held a teacup tothe corporal's lips, and afterwards coaxed him very prettily to eat alittle. Seeing this, the rest of us attacked the cold supper, for we hadduties that must be attended to. Returning to the house some little timelater, I found that Sally had disappeared and Cotton was standingupright. He moved a few paces, and then halted, leaning heavily on thetable, while his face grew gray with pain.
"Lie down at once. You are not fit to move," I said.
"It means degradation and heaven knows what besides unless I can reachthe depot to-night," he said. "Mackay is away, and the other man's acast-iron martinet, while I have just got my stripes and a hint ofsomething better. You see we are not supposed to undertake privateerrands when under definite orders, and there are special reports and areceipt for the pay in my wallet."
He made another attempt to reach the door, then staggered, and, graspinghis arm, I settled him with some difficulty once more on the couch. "Youare right. There's nothing left but to face the inevitable," he said,trying to check a groan.
I forgot my own anxieties in my regret. "I am very sorry this shouldhave happened," I said. "You were far too generous; but can't one of ustake in the papers and get the money?"
Cotton tried to smile, though his fingers twitched. "Miss Haldane askedme; and it would be no use. They wouldn't give you the money, and ifthey did, how would that get over the fact that I'm lying here helpless?Why couldn't it have happened on the return journey?"
"Did you tell Miss Haldane you were running a risk?" I asked.
"Would one naturally do so when she asked a favor?" he answered, with atrace of indignation.
It was of course absurd of Corporal Cotton, but I felt very sorry forhim when he laid his head down with a groan, and I subsequently surmisedthat Sally had overheard part, at least, of the conversation, for whenthe lad, who had perhaps not wholly recovered from the weakness of theshock, sank into sleep, she called me.
"It's all my fault, and I'll never forgive myself; but I never guessedhe'd rush the fence," she said. "They couldn't put him in prison?"
"They might turn him out of the service, which, in his eyes, would beworse," I answered dryly. "It should be a lesson to you, Sally. Youcan't help being pretty, but that is no reason why you should so oftenlead some unfortunate man into difficulties."
Sally's penitent expression vanished, and there was a flash in her eyes."You are so foolish, all of you, and I guess you needn't look wise,Harry Ormesby. He is perhaps a little worse than the rest--and that'swhy one likes him. When he wakes, you and Charlie have just got to takethose tight things off him and put him in your berth. If anybody wantshim the next day or two they'll have to tackle me."
We did so presently, and, after seeing that our patient was comfortable,Sally returned, wearing his uniform tunic. "How does this fit me?" sheasked.
Steel looked angry, and I grew thoughtful. Nobody who knew her was, as arule, astonished at Sally's actions, but she asked the question soberly,with no trace of mischief.
"Do you wish me to say that you would look well in anything?" I asked.
"I don't. You can tell lies enough when you trade horses," she answeredtartly. "It's a plain question--how does this thing fit me?"
"Tolerably well," and I surveyed her critically. "It is a trifle large,but if you don't draw it in too much at the waist it wouldn't fit youbadly. Are you going to turn police trooper, Sally?"
Miss Steel was not generally bashful, but she looked a trifle confusedas she answered: "Don't ask any more fool questions."
I went out soon afterwards to overhaul a plow under a shed, and hadspent considerable time over it, when Steel approached with a lantern."Have you seen anything of Sally?" he asked.
"No," I answered carelessly. "What mischief has she been contrivingnow?"
"That's just what I'm anxious to know; that, and where the corporal'shorse is," he said. "They're both missing, and Cotton's fast asleep.I"--and Steel used a few illegal expletives before he continued--"Ican't find his uniform either."
"It must be somewher
e. You can't have looked properly," I said; andSteel restrained himself with an effort.
"You can try yourself, and I'd give a hundred dollars, if I had it, tosee you find it," he said.
I hurriedly left the plow, but though we hunted everywhere coulddiscover no trace of the missing uniform. "I didn't think we would,"said the harassed brother, with a groan of dismay. "She's--well, theLord only knows what Sally would do if she took the notion, and there'sno shirking the trouble. I've got to find out if she has the whole blameoutfit on."
"I'll leave you to settle that point," I said; and hearing the lockeddoor of Sally's portion of the house wrenched open and garments beinghurled about, I surmised that Steel was prosecuting his inquiries. Heflung the split door to with a crash when he came out, leaving, as I sawby a brief glimpse, ruin behind him, and he grew very red in the face ashe looked at me.
"It will be a mighty relief when she marries somebody," he saidgloomily. "The only comfort is that you're a sensible man, and one couldtrust you, Ormesby. You will never breathe a word of this. There's nouse trying to catch her, for she can get as much out of a beast as anyman."
I pledged myself willingly, smothering a wild desire to laugh; and, asit happened, it was I who met the truant riding home very wearily twodays later. Her mount was a chestnut, while Cotton's horse was gray, andthere was a bundle strapped before her. Still, except for a spatteringof mire, she was dressed in a manner befitting a young lady, andactually blushed crimson when I accosted her.
"Where have you been, Sally, and where did you get the horse?"
"In to the railroad; and I borrowed him from Carsley's wife. They'llsend the corporal's over," she said. "I'm very tired, Harry Ormesby.Won't you get me supper instead of worrying me?"
Silence seemed best, and I could not resist the appeal, and so hurriedback to set about the supper; while what passed between brother andsister I do not know, though when they came in together Sally appearedtriumphant and Steel in a very bad humor.
"I'm going to see whether you have let the patient starve. You'll comealong with me," she said, when she came out of her own quarters, with notrace of the journey about her. We entered the lean-to shed, whichSteel and I occupied together, and found Cotton better in health, thoughas depressed as he had been all day. Sally held out a bag and a handfulof documents towards him.
"There are your papers and money. Now all you have to do is to get wellagain," she said demurely.
There was no mistaking the relief in the corporal's face, and hepositively clutched at the articles she handed him. "You don't know whatthis has saved me from. But how did you get them?"
A flush of tell-tale color crept into Sally's cheeks, and I noticed thather voice was not quite steady as she answered him. "You must solemnlypromise never to ask that again, or to tell anyone you were not at thedepot yourself. Nobody will ask you, we fixed it up so well. Nowpromise, before I take them back again."
The lad did so, and Sally glanced at me. "If Harry Ormesby ever tellsyou I'll poison him."
I do not think Corporal Cotton ever discovered Sally's part, or whopersonated him, though he apparently suspected both Steel and myself;but when we went out together I turned to the girl: "Just one question,and then we'll forget it. How did you manage at the depot, Sally?"
Miss Steel avoided my glance, but she laughed. "It was very dark, therewas only a half-trimmed lamp, and the agent was 'most asleep. It'spretty easy, anyway, to fool a man," she said.
The Mistress of Bonaventure Page 15