by B. M. Bower
CHAPTER XI
AN ILL WIND
A wind rose in the night, blowing straight out of the north; a windso chill that the senora unpacked extra blankets and distributed themlavishly amongst the beds of her household, and the oldest peon at thehacienda (who was Gustavo and a prophet more infallible than Elijah)stared into the heavens until his neck went lame; and predicted muchcold, so that the frost would surely kill the fruit blossoms on theslope behind the house; and after that much rain.
Don Andres, believing him implicitly, repeated the warning to Dade;and Dade, because that was now his business, rode here and there,giving orders to the peons and making sure that all would be snug whenthe storm broke.
The Senorita Teresa, bethinking her of the "pretty senora" who wouldhave scant shelter in that canvas-topped wagon-box, even though ithad been set under the thickest branches of a great live oak, calledguardedly to Diego who was passing, and ordered Tejon, her swiftestlittle mustang, saddled and held ready for her behind the last hut,where it could not be seen from the house.
Tejon, so named by his mistress because he was gray like a badger,hated wind, which the senorita knew well. Also, when the hatred grewinto rebellion, it needed a strong hand indeed to control him, if themood seized him to run. But the senorita was in a perverse mood, andnone but Tejon would she ride; even though--or perhaps because--sheknew that his temper would be uncertain.
She wanted to beg the pretty Senora Simpson to come and stay with themuntil the weather cleared and the cabin was finished. But more thanthat she wanted to punish Senor Jack Allen for laughing when she triedto speak the Americano sentence he had taught her the night before,and got it all backwards. Senor Jack would be frightened, perhaps,when he learned that she had ridden away alone upon Tejon; he wouldride after her--perhaps. And she would not talk to him when he foundher, but would be absolutely implacable in her displeasure, so that hewould be speedily reduced to the most abject humility.
Diego, when she ran stealthily across the patio, her riding-habitflapping about her feet in the wind, looked at her uneasily as if hewould like to remonstrate; but being a mere peon, he bent silentlyand held his calloused, brown palm for the senorita's foot; reverentlystraightened the flapping skirt when she was mounted, and sent a hastyprayer to whatever saint might be counted upon to watch most carefullyover a foolish little Spanish girl.
"An evil spirit is in the caballo to-day," Diego finally ventured toinform his mistress gravely. "For a week he has not felt the weightof saddle, and he loves not the trees which sway and sing, or the windwhistling in his ears."
"And for that he pleases me much," retorted the senorita, and touchedTejon with her spurred heel, so that he came near upsetting Diego withthe lunge he gave.
When the peon recovered his balance, he stood braced against the wind,and with both hands held his hat upon his head while he watched herflying down the slope and out of sight amongst the trees. No girl inall the valley rode better than the Senorita Teresa Picardo, and Diegoknew it well and boasted of it to the peons of other hacendados; butfor all that he was ill-at-ease, and when, ten minutes later, hecame upon Valencia at the stable, he told him of the madness of thesenorita.
"Tejon she would ride, and none other; and to-day he is a devil. Twicehe would have bitten my shoulder while I was saddling, and that is thesign that his heart is full of wickedness. Me, I would have put thefreno Chilene (Chilian bit) in his mouth--but that would start himbucking; for he hates it because then he cannot run."
Valencia, a little later, met the new majordomo and repeated whatDiego had said; and Dade, catching a little of the uneasiness and yetnot wanting to frighten the girl's father with the tale, made it hisimmediate business to find Jack and tell him that Teresita had riddenaway alone upon a horse that neither Diego nor Valencia consideredsafe.
Jack, at first declaring that he wouldn't go where he plainly wasnot wanted, at the end of an uncomfortable half-hour borrowed Surry,because he was fleet as any mustang in the valley, and rode after her.
In this wise did circumstances and Jack obey the piqued desire of thesenorita.
After the first headlong half mile, Tejon became the perfect littlesaddle-pony which fair weather found him; and Teresita, cheated of herbattle of wills and yet too honest to provoke him deliberately,began to think a little less of her own whims and more of the SenoraSimpson, housed miserably beneath the canvas covering of the prairieschooner.
She found Mrs. Jerry sitting inside, with a patchwork quilt overher shoulders, her eyes holding a shade more of wistfulness and lesstwinkle, perhaps, but with her lips quite ready to smile upon hervisitor. Teresita sat down upon a box and curiously watched the prettysenora try to make a small, triangular piece of cloth cover a large,irregular hole in the elbow of the big senor's coat sleeve. Sometimes,when she turned it so, the hole was nearly covered--except that therewas the frayed rent at the bottom still grinning maliciously up at themender.
"'Patch beside patch is neighborly, but patch upon patch isbeggarly!'" quoted Mrs. Jerry, at the moment forgetting that the girlcould not understand.
Whereupon Teresita bethought her of her last night's lesson,and replied slowly and solemnly: "My dear Mrs. Seem'son,how--do--you--_do_?"
"Mrs. Seem'son," realizing the underlying friendliness of thecarefully enunciated greeting, flushed with pleasure and for a minuteforgot all about the patch problem.
"Why, honey, you've been learnin' English jest so's you can talk tome!" She leaned and kissed the girl where the red blood of youth dyedbrightest the Latin duskiness of the cheek. "I wish't you could saysome more. Can't you?"
Teresita could; but her further store of American words relatedchiefly to the diet and general well-being of one very small andvery black pup, which was at that moment sleeping luxuriously in thechimney corner at home; and without the pup the words would be no morethan parrot-chattering. So the senorita shook her head and smiled, andMrs. Jerry went back to the problem of the small patch and the largehole.
Hampered thus by having no common language between them, Teresitafailed absolutely to accomplish her mission.
Mrs. Jerry, hazily guessing at the invitation without realizing anyurgent need of immediate acceptance, shook her head and pointed to herpitifully few household appurtenances, and tried to make it plainthat she had duties which kept her there in the little camp which shepathetically called home.
Teresita gathered that the pretty senora did not wish to leave thatgreat, gaunt hombre who was her husband. So, when she could no longerconceal her shiverings, and having no hope that the big senor wouldunderstand her any better when he returned with the load of logs heand the peons were after, she rose and prepared to depart. Surely theSenor Jack, if he were going to follow, would by this time be coming,and the hope rather hastened her adieu.
"Adios, amiga mia," she said, her eyes innocently turning from theSenora Simpson to scan stealthily the northern slope.
"Good-by, honey. Come again and see me. Jerry knows a few Spanishwords, and I'll make him learn 'em to me so I can talk a little ofyour kind, next time. And tell your mother I'm obliged for the wine;and them dried peaches tasted fine, after being without so long.Shan't I hold your horse while you git on? Seems to me he's prettyfrisky for a girl to be riding; but I guess you're equal to him!"
Teresita smiled vaguely. She had no idea of what the woman was saying,and she was beginning to wish that she had not tried in just thisway to punish the Senor Jack; if he were here now, he could make theSenora Simpson understand that the storm would be a very dreadfulone--else Gustavo was a liar, and whom should one believe?
Even while she was coaxing Tejon alongside a log and persuading him tostand so until she was in the saddle, she was generously forswearingSenor Jack's punishment that she might serve the pretty senora who hadTejon by the bit and was talking to him softly in words he had neverheard before in his life. She resolved that if she met Senor Jack, shewould ask him to come back with her and explain to the senora aboutthe cold and the rain, a
nd urge her to accept the hospitality of herneighbors.
For that reason she looked more anxiously than before for some signof him riding towards her through the fields of flowering mustard thatheaved in the wind like the waves on some strange, lemon-colored seatossing between high, green islands of oak and willow. Surely thatfool Diego would never keep the still tongue! He would tell, when someone missed her. If he did not, or if Senor Allen was an obstinate pigof a man and would not come, then she would tell Senor Hunter, who wasalways so kind, though not so handsome as the other, perhaps.
Senor Hunter's eyes were brown--and she had looked into brown eyesall her life. But the blue! The blue eyes that could so quickly changelighter or darker that they bewildered one; and could smile, or lightflames that could wither the soul of one.
Even the best rider among the Spanish girls as far south as PasoRobles should not meditate so deeply upon the color of a senor's eyesthat she forgets the horse she is riding, especially when the horse isTejon, whose heart is full of wickedness.
A coyote, stalking the new-made nest of a quail, leaped out of themustard and gave Tejon the excuse he wanted, and the dreaming senoritawas nearly unseated when he ducked and whirled in his tracks. He ran,and she could not stop him, pull hard as she might. If he had onlyrun towards home! But instead, he ran down the valley, because then heneed not face the wind; and he tried to outstrip the wind as he went.
It was when they topped a low knoll and darted under the wide,writhing branches of a live oak, that Jack glimpsed them and gavechase; and his heart forgot to beat until he saw them in the openbeyond, and knew that she had not been swept from the saddle by alow branch. He leaned lower over Surry's neck and felt gratefully theinstant response of the horse; he had thought that Surry was runninghis best on such uneven ground; but even a horse may call up anunsuspected reserve of speed or endurance, if his whole heart is givento the service of his master; there was a perceptible quickening and alengthening of stride, and Jack knew then that Surry could do nomore and keep his feet. Indeed, if he held that pace for long withoutstumbling, he would prove himself a more remarkable horse than evenDade declared him to be.
He hoped to overtake the girl soon, for in the glimpses he got of hernow and then, as she flew across an open space, he saw that shewas putting her whole weight upon the reins; and that should make asufficient handicap to the gray to wipe out the three-hundred-yarddistance between them. It did not seem possible that Tejon could berunning as fast as Surry; and yet, after a half-mile or so of thatkilling pace, Jack could not see that he was gaining much. Perhaps itwas his anxiety to overtake her that made the chase seem interminable;for presently they emerged upon the highway which led south to SantaClara and so on down the valley, and he saw, on a straight, openstretch, that he was much nearer; so near he could see that her hairwas down and blowing about her face in a way that must have blindedher at times.
Tejon showed no disposition to stop, however; and Jack, bethinking himof the trick Dade had played upon the Vigilantes with his riata, threwoff the loop that held it. If he could get close enough, he meantto lasso the horse unless she managed by that time to get him undercontrol. Now that they were in the road, Surry's stride was more even,and although his breathing was becoming audible, he held his pacewonderfully well--though for that matter, Tejon also seemed to berunning just as fast as at first, in spite of that steady pull;indeed, Tejon knew the trick of curling his chin down close to hischest, so that the girl's strength upon the reins was as nothing.
Jack was almost close enough to make it seem worth while to callencouragement, when a horseman appeared suddenly from behind a willowclump and pulled up in astonishment, as he saw Teresita bearing downupon him like a small whirlwind. Whereupon Tejon, recognizing horseand rider and knowing of old that they meant leisurely riding and muchchatter, with little laughs for punctuation, slowed of his own accordand so came up to the man at his usual easy lope, and stopped beforehim.
So quickly did it happen that a witness might easily have sworn inperfect good faith that the girl was fleeing from Jack Allen andpulled up thankfully when she met Jose Pacheco. One could not blameJose for so interpreting the race, or for the anger that blazed inhis eyes for the pursuer, even while his lips parted in a smile atthe coming of the girl. He reined in protectingly between her and theapproaching Jack, and spoke soothingly because of her apparent need.
"Be not frightened, querida mia. Thou art safe with me--and theaccursed gringo will get a lesson he will not soon forget, fordaring--"
Teresita, looking back, discovered Jack behind her. He was pullingSurry in, now, and he held his riata in one hand as though he wereready to use it at a moment's notice, and blank astonishment wason his face. That, perhaps, was because of Jose and Jose's hostileattitude, standing crosswise of the trail like that, and scowlingwhile he waited, with the fingers of his right hand fumbling insidehis sash--for his dagger, perchance! Teresita smiled wickedly, inappreciation of the joke on them both.
"Do not kill him, Jose," she begged caressingly. "Truly he did notharm me! I but ran from him because--" She sent a smile straight tothe leaping heart of Jose, and fumbled with her tossing banner ofhair, and turned eyes of innocent surprise on the Senor Allen, whoneeded some punishment--and was in fair way to get it.
"What is the pleasure of the senor?" Jose's voice was as smooth and askeen as the dagger-blade under his sash. "His message must indeedbe urgent to warrant such haste! You would do well to ride back ashastily as you came; for truly a blind man could see that the senoritahas not the smallest desire for your presence. As for me--" As forhim, he smiled a sneer and a threat together.
Jack looked to the girl for a rebuke of the man's insult; butTeresita's head was drooped and tilted sidewise while she made shiftto braid her hair, and if she heard she surely did not seem to heed.
"As for you, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to mind your ownbusiness," Jack retorted bluntly. "The senorita doesn't need anyinterpreter. The senorita is perfectly well-qualified to speak forherself. She knows--"
"The senorita knows whom she can trust--and it is not a low dog ofa gringo, who would be rotting now with a neck stretched by thehangman's rope, if he had but received his deserts; murderer of fivemen in one day, men of his own race at that! Gambler! loafer--"
At the press of silver rowels against his sides, Surry lunged forward.But Teresita's horse sidled suddenly between the two men.
"Senor Jack, we will go now, if this wicked caballo of mine willconsent to do his running towards home. Thank you, Jose, for stoppinghim for me; truly, I think he was minded to carry me to Santa Clara,whether I wished to go or not! But doubtless Senor Jack would haveovertaken him soon. Adios, Jose. Gracias, amigo mio!" Having put herhair into some sort of confinement, she picked up her reins and smiledat Jose and then at Jack in a way to tie the tongues of them both;though their brows were black with the hatred which must, if they metagain, bear fruit of violence.
Fifty yards away, Teresita looked back and waved a hand at the gayhorseman who still stood fair across the highway and stared blanklyafter them.
"Poor Jose!" she murmured mischievously. "Very puzzled and unhappy helooks. I wonder if the privilege of tearing you in pieces would notbring the smile to his lips? Senor Jack, if so be you should everdesire death, will you let Jose do the killing? To serve you thuswould give him great pleasure, I am sure."
Jack, usually so headlong in his speech and actions, rode a moodythree minutes without replying. He was not a fool, even though he wasrather deeply in love; he felt in her that feline instinct to tormentwhich wise men believe they can detect in all women; and angry as hewas at Jose's deliberate insults, he knew quite well in his heart thatTeresita had purposely provoked them.
"I've heard," he said at last, looking at her with the hard glint inhis eyes that thrilled her pleasurably, "that all women are eitherangels or devils. I believe you're both, Senorita!"
Teresita laughed and pouted her lips at him. "Such injustice! Am Ithen to be blame
d because Jose has a bad temper and speech hotter thanthe enchilladas of Margarita? I could love him for his rages! Whenthe Blessed Mary sends me a lover--" She looked over her shoulder andsighed romantically, hiding the laughter in her eyes and the telltaletwist of her lips as best she could, with lashes downcast and faceaverted.
Even a kitten the size of your two fists knows how to paw a mouse,even though it lacks the appetite for devouring it after the torture.One cannot logically blame Teresita. She merely used the weapons whichnature put into her pink palms.