David Lannarck, Midget

by George S. Harney

  16

  Sunday was a quiet day at the Gillis home. It was freighted with bothdoubt and hope. Landy and Davy were out of bed at four o'clock Mondaymorning. At five they were in the saddle; at six-thirty they were atthe Carter filling station. Adine had just arrived and had introducedherself to old Maddy, seated on the porch. She heard a brief recitalas to the cause of his injuries and as Landy and Davy rode up sheinvited the invalid to accompany the party.

  "It will do you good," she explained, "for after the snows come youmust stay in the house for a long time. We three ride the front seatbut there is a long, narrow seat at the rear where you can prop upyour injured feet and view the scenery."

  Maddy laughed. "I've seen too much scenery already. I feel more likeresting than I do gadding. I am, however, deeply interested in yourproject. If you take over that Barrow ranch and get Hulls out of thecountry, I want to recommend a tenant--a companionable fellow and ahard worker that will make a good neighbor and bring decency out ofthat disgrace. It's young Goff, who saved my life. He lives over thestate line; raises sheep and cattle; has no family, and needsexpansion. He would make that Tranquil Meadow area bloom like a rose."

  "Well, I'm not the buyer," cautioned Adine, "but I will certainly usemy influence. Your benefactor has already proven his worth as acitizen, and we need that kind of folks to live down the past. I willdo my best."

  Landy and Davy had parked their horses in the Carter corral to taketheir place in the awaiting car. At near the noon hour they parked infront of the National Bank in Cheyenne.

  "What's your birthday?" inquired the gentlemanly cashier, as Davy madeinquiry as to the receipt of the draft.

  "May thirtieth," responded Davy promptly.

  The cashier laughed as he produced the expected document. "Yoursending party seems to know you very well, and know how to solve ourproblem of identification. Do you want to open an account?"

  "Well, I suppose that's the way it should be handled. I want to paythe most of it to Mr. Logan, if he's prepared to accept it. I want topay Mr. Spencer here one hundred dollars and he wants to add that tothe account of Mrs. Gillis and I should add fully fifty dollars tothat account to keep sweet with the best cook I ever encountered.Then, too, I should pay Mr. Finch fifty dollars. After that, if thereis any left, I hope you can keep it for me until I can add it up to aprofitable figure."

  "Ah! here's Mr. Logan," interrupted the cashier. "You gentlemen justcome into the customers' room and we will work out the details."

  "You are prompt. I thought I would beat you here," said Logan to Davyand his party. "Saturday I had a deed prepared to the Barrow ranch andhad the judge approve the sale with the conditions of possession asstated agreed. I have it here and ready for delivery."

  It was Mr. Gore, the courteous cashier, who took charge of thebusiness. He secured the endorsement of Davy's draft, took hisverified signature, drew the required checks, saw them signed andexchanged. The entire transaction was completed in a few minutes.

  "You will see Mr. Finch before I do," said Davy to Logan. "Will youplease hand him this check for fifty which completes my obligations tohim and tell him that I am having the cattle remaining on the ranchappraised. If the appraisal warrants, I will pay the balance of hisbill and send the remainder to Hulls Barrow."

  "Appraised! Bosh!" snorted the bank receiver. "You'll not get close tosee any part of the ranch, let alone counting the scrub cattle. I'vebeen up against old Hulls and his gun, and I know what I'm talkingabout."

  "The cattle have already been counted," said Davy quietly, "and I had myfirst view of the Bar-O Friday. The cattle seem in good flesh but thegeneral property needs a lot of repair. I was very sorry to see Mr.Barrow leave; I could have used a man of his firm determination...."

  "Leave?" demanded Logan. "Is Hulls gone?"

  "Left Friday morning early, taking with him his gun, dog, chickens,household plunder, and worst of all, Maizie. And that woman was theexact type I needed."

  "Where did they go?" questioned the astonished receiver.

  "Except for the coop of chickens and the household goods, it lookedlike a picnic. However, their guide, mentor, and boss had a farawaylook in his eye--seemed impatient to get going. Who was he? Well, Idon't know the folks hereabouts." Turning to Landy, Davy drawled, "Whowas that fellow that was driving?"

  "Hit was Collins, Ugly Collins, en from the way he was bossin' enpushin' along, he was tryin' to make hit to Denver by nightfall."

  "Well, he certainly upset my plans," said Davy resignedly. "But that'swhat one encounters in making trades, Mr. Logan. You plan out what youare going to do, only to find out that others also make plans.

  "Well, folks," said Davy, picking up the new account book and pad ofchecks, "where is that famous restaurant that you've been talkingabout? Landy's breakfasts have no stretch in 'em, don't last. I'mwolfish. Well, good-by, Mister Logan, and good-by, Mister Gore. I hopewe have pleasant relations. Good-by all." And Davy ushered his partyto the street.

  Seated in the Little Gem, awaiting service, it was Adine Lough thatopened the conversation. "I hardly know how I am to get home," shesaid. "I don't like driving alone, but I certainly don't want to befound in the company of two heartless comedians who seek to injecttheir comedy into staid business transactions. I thought Mr. Logan'slower jaw would drop off when you fastened the blame of the entiremove on his friend Ugly Collins. I could hardly repress my tears inyour great loss of Maizie's services. I think Mr. Logan was affectedtoo. Shame on both of you for being so heartless."

  "Yes, Logan kinda got his fingers bruised in his own b'ar trap," saidLandy thoughtfully. "I hope his bankin' efforts won't git tangled upin some of his deep plannin'. Logan will git his bank started allright; but when this depression lifts en things git goin' Adot willstill need a bank; this one will turn out to be 'Logan's Tradin' Post'er 'Logan's Deadfall.' Ye can revive a bank by man-made laws, but hittakes more than a slicker to keep hit goin'. Have you two settled thehay trade?"

  "Yes," said Adine, "you are to have all the stacks and ricks in thesouth field. I think Mr. Potter estimated it at near one hundred tons.You can have the use of one of our trucks for hauling, but you willprobably have to hire help to move it. Our folks have never exchangedwork with the Bar-O. Our help will probably want to wait to see if thenew management is any improvement on the former control." The railleryof the youngest and happiest of the trio was seemingly lost on thetwo, now immersed in heavy responsibilities.

  Davy returned to the car; Adine Lough would telephone a school friendand window shop while Landy went to the hardware store to buy someneeded kitchen accessories as directed in a brief note that he hadcrumpled in a deep pocket. Before two o'clock the party was well onthe way to Carter's.

  Less than a month ago David Lannarck had traveled this same road. Thenhe was amazed at the shifting changes, the glory of its loneliness,and the utter absence of the curious and gawking. In his decade oftravel he never encountered the land of his dreams, the wide openspaces that reached from here to the horizon and free of human beings.His business led him to the congested spots on the earth. If and whenhe traveled with a circus he spent his spare hours in the animal tent.Here he was not taunted with verbal gibes. Maybe this was his reasonfor liking animals. Always, he dreamed of the day when he could owndogs, horses, or any living thing that didn't smirk or titter.

  And now, on this fine October afternoon, all past hopes and dreams hadcome true; his foot was in the doorway to an earthly heaven. He wasthe owner of a ranch (maybe Ralph Gaynor would condemn the investment)and it had length and breadth and the desirable loneliness. He was theowner of a grand little horse (maybe Jess and the gang of the circuswould scorn his size and color). He was the sole owner of a herd ofcattle (surely the experts and maybe the general public would classifythem as scrubs and yellow-hammers) and best of all, he had acquired afew understanding friends, true and loyal. During the time of the longtrip back to their horses he was in deep thought. His meditations didnot concern finances, nor that oth
er pressing question: when will thisdepression end? Truly he was trying to muster arguments and reasonswhereby he could persuade his mentor to move the scrub yearlings, nowquartered at the Cliffs, up to the stables and corrals with the restof the cattle.

  For this midget, David Lannarck, was very human. Possessed of an alertand active mind, he had, throughout adulthood, ever been classified asa child. He would use his recent accomplishments and present status tofrustrate that persistent impression. Secretly but in all details heplanned the coup.

  First, he would persuade Landy to round up those yearlings in a groupwith the rest of the cattle; second, on the basis that a generalpicture of the enterprise was sorely needed to bolster his financialstanding, he would have a photographer present, taking views of allphases of the adventure; thirdly, and most important, he, Davy, wouldbe astride Peaches, mingling with the several cow hands against abackground of milling cattle, either in the wide open spaces or in thecorrals at the stables. Copies of these pictures he would send to allhis old associates in vaudeville or in the circus business.Particularly, he would send several copies to Ralph Gaynor, presidentof the Dollar Savings, hoping that one of them might be displayedwhere the general public could see that a midget, a former resident,was active with other adults in the most fascinating business inAmerica. He was not seeking to establish financial credit; that hehad, in substantial deposits and other well known securities, but hewanted to get away from the persistent notion of classifying midgetsas children.

  Meanwhile Adine and Landy, having exhausted merry quips and scornfulcomparisons of the past and future management of the Bar-O, now gaveserious exchanges of opinions as to who would make a suitable tenantfor the property that was to be built up to a going concern. Landymentioned the names of a dozen old-time cattle men, now unemployed andsurely available. None of these suited the notions of the young ladywhose persistent idea was building up the neighborhood. She, too,mentioned the names of many, few of them known to the old timer.Finally the girl mentioned the name of Maddy's benefactor, young Goff,now residing across the state line. "He's in cramped quarters overthere, I understand," said the girl casually.

  "He's the best man in the deestrict," said Landy thoughtfully. "Buthe's got the same problems we have. He's got critters to feed, en hecan't run two places when the snow is here. I hope, however, thatDavy here can make him a permanent offer that will move him at once.

  "But we've got to git them yearlin's outa the Cliffs en up to thestables," Landy announced emphatically. "We can't haul hay, weancalves, en be traipsin' all over ten sections to feed a few critters.We've got to bunch 'em en show 'em that we mean business."

  "That's right, Landy," was Davy's prompt approval. "Can we get thatyoung Goff tomorrow? Is there a good photographer in Adot? When can wehaul the hay?"

  "Thar ye go crowdin' the question chute," complained Landy as theparty arrived at the filling station. "Tomorry we've got to be inAdot. We've got a deed to record; got to buy some ground feed, if themcalves are to be weaned; got to hire a lot of exter hay hands enenough he'p to corral them yearlin's. En besides all that," hecautioned, "we've got to go to the register's office en git asubstitute brand, fer old Hulls has shorely carried off the old ironsouta pure cussedness. Kin ye he'p us tomorry?" His question wasdirected to Adine Lough as the two got out of the car.

  "Yes, I've enlisted for the duration. I am anxious to learn if the newmanagement is an improvement over the old. Recent happenings havecreated doubts. Come over in the morning; I want to see the finish."