Judith of Blue Lake Ranch

by Jackson Gregory

  XXVIII

  BACON, KISSES, AND A CONFESSION

  Throughout the night the tree blazed unseen. Judith's eyes were closedin the heavy sleep of exhaustion. The flames roared and leaped highskyward, burning branches felt crashingly, to lie smouldering on therocky soil, the upstanding trunk glowed, vivid against the sky-line.

  In the early morning at least two pairs of eyes found the plume ofsmoke above the still burning giant pine. A man named Greene, one ofthe government forest rangers, blazing a new trail over Devil's Ridge,came out upon a height, saw it and watched it frowningly across themiles. It called him to a hard ride, perhaps to a difficult journey onfoot after he must leave his horse. He turned promptly from the workin hand, ran to his horse, swung up and sped back to his cabin, totelephone to the nearest station, passing the word. Then with axe andshovel, he began his slow way toward the beacon.

  Bud Lee, from the mountain-top where he and Burkitt had taken Hampton,saw it. Lee judged roughly that it was separated from him by four orfive miles of broken country, impassable to a man on horseback, to becovered laboriously foot in a matter of weary hours.

  Lee and Greene approached the signal smoke from different quarters.Lee from the west, Greene from the northeast. They fought their way ontoward it with far different emotions in their breasts. Greene withthe desire to do a day's work and kill a forest-fire in its beginning.Lee with the passionate hope of finding Judith. Lee reached hisjourney's end first.

  As he came pantingly up the last climb he discharged his rifle againand again, to tell her that he was coming, to put hope into her. And,because he was a lover and a lover must be filled with dread when sheis out of his sight, he felt a growing anxiety. She had lighted thefire last night; what might have happened to her since then? Had shebeen wandering, lost all these days? If nothing else, then had shewaited here half the night and in the end had she gone on plunging deepinto some canon hidden to him? Would he find her well? Would he findher at all?

  Suddenly he called out, shouting mightily, and began running, thoughthe way was steep. He had seen Judith, he had found her. She wasstanding among the scattered boulders, her back to a great rock. Shewas waving to him. Her lips were moving, though he could not see thatyet, could not hear her tremulous:

  "Oh, thank God, thank God!"

  "Judith," he called, "Judith!"

  Now, near enough to see her distinctly, he saw that her face was white,that the hand she held out was shaking, that her clothes were torn,that she looked pitifully in need of him. But at last, when he stoodat her side, one of the old rare smiles came into Judith's tired eyes,her lips curved, and she said quietly:

  "Good morning, Bud Lee. You were very good--to come to me."

  "Oh, Judith," he cried sharply. But no other word came to his lipsthen. The brave little smile had gone, the whiteness of her face smotehim to the heart. And now she was shaking from head to foot, and heknew why she had not stepped out to meet him, why she had kept her backto the rock. He thought that she was going to fall, he saw two bigtears start from the suddenly closed eyelids, and with a littleinarticulate cry he took her into his arms.

  "If you had not come, Bud Lee," she whispered faintly, "I should havedied, I think."

  Very tenderly he gathered her up so that her little boots were swungclear of the flinty ground and she lay quiet in his arms. He stood amoment holding her thus, looking with eyes alternately hard and tenderinto her face. He wanted to hold her thus always, to watch the gladcolor come back into her cheeks, to carry her, like a baby, back acrossthe weary miles and home. And, oddly, perhaps, the thought came backto him and hurt him as it had never hurt him before, that he had oncebeen brutal with her, that he had crushed her in his arms and forcedupon her lips his kiss. He had been brutal with Judith, when now hecould kill a man for laying a little finger on her.

  "I have been a brute with you, a brute," he muttered to himself. ButJudith heard him, her eyes fluttered open and into them came again herglorious smile.

  "Because you kissed me that night, Bud Lee?" she asked him.

  "Don't!" he cried sharply. "Don't even remember it, Judith."

  "Do you know so little of a girl, Bud Lee," she went on slowly, "tothink that a man can so easily--find her lips with his unless--unlessshe wants to be kissed?"

  He almost doubted his ears; he could hardly believe that he had seenwhat he had seen in Judith's eyes. They were closed now, she lay quietin his arms, it seemed that she had fainted, or, was asleep, so verywhite and still was she. He had forgotten that he must carry her towhere he could lay her down and bring water to her, give her somethingto eat. He just stood motionless, holding her to him, staring hungrilydown at her.

  "Are you going to play--I'm your baby--all day, Bud Lee?" she askedsoftly.

  He carried her swiftly away from the ring of boulders and to a littlegrassy, level spot where he put her down with lingering tenderness.Judith had not been angry with him all these months! Judith had lethim kiss her because she wanted to be kissed--by him!

  He raked some coals out of the ashes, hastily set some slices of baconto fry, cursed himself for not having brought coffee and milk and sugarand a steak and a flask of whiskey and enough other articles to load amule. He ran down into the canon and brought water in his hat,swearing at himself all the way up that he had not brought a cup. Heput his arm about her while she drank; kept his arm about her, kneelingat her side, while he gave her a little, crisp slice of bacon, held hisarm there when she had finished, watching her solicitously.

  "The two nicest things in the world, Mr. Man," she said, with a secondattempt at the old Judith brightness, "are half-burnt bacon and BudLee!"

  Then, because, though he had been slow to believe, he was not a fool,and now did believe, he kissed her. And Judith's lips met hislingeringly. Judith's two arms rose, slipped about his neck, holdinghim tight to her.

  The faintest of flushes had come at last into a her cheeks. He saw itand grew glad as he held her so that he could look into her face. Butnow she laid a hand against his breast, holding him back from her.

  "That's all now," she told him, her eyes soft upon him. "Just one kissfor each slice of bacon, Mr. Lee. But--I'm so hungry!"

  For a little there was nothing to do but for Judith to rest and getsome of her strength back. Lee made of his coat and vest a seat forher against a rock, sat at her side, his arm about her, made her leanagainst him and just be happy. Not yet would he let her tell him ofthe horrors through which she had gone. And he saw no need of tellingher anything immediately of conditions as he had left them at theranch. Time enough for that when she was stronger, when they were nearBlue Lake.

  Greene, the forester, came at last up the mountain. He noted theisolated tree, nodded at it approvingly, made a brief tour around thecharred circle, extinguishing a burning brand here and there.

  "What sort of a fool would want to climb way up here to start a fire,anyway?" he grumbled.

  Then, unexpectedly, he came upon the happiest-looking man he had everseen, with his arms about an amazingly pretty girl. Not just the sortof thing a lone forest ranger counts upon stumbling upon on the top ofa mountain. Greene stared in bewilderment. Bud Lee turning a flamingred. Judith smiled.

  "Good morning, stranger," said Lee. "Fine day, isn't it?"

  Judith laughed. Greene continued to stare. Lee went a trifle redder.

  "If you two folks just started that fire for fun," grunted Greenefinally, "why, then, all I've got to say is you've got a blamed queeridea of fun. Here I've been busting myself wide open to get to it."

  "Haven't got a flask of brandy on you, have you?" asked Lee.

  "Yes, I have. And what's more I'm going to take a shot at it rightnow. If nobody asks you, I need it!"

  Now, Lee heard for the first time something of Judith's adventure.For, recognizing the ranger in Greene, she told him swiftly why she hadstarted the fire, of her trouble with Quinnion, of the cave whereQuinnion had attacked her and
of Mad Ruth. Greene's eyes lighted withinterest. He swept off his hat and came forward, suddenly apologeticand very human, proffering his brandy, insisting with Lee upon hertaking a sip of it.

  Yes, he knew Mad Ruth, he knew where her cabin was. He could find thecave from Judith's description. Also, he knew of Quinnion and would bedelighted to break a record getting back to his station and to WhiteRock. White Rock was in the next county, but so, for that matter, wasthe cave. He'd get the sheriff and would lose no time corneringQuinnion if the man had not already slipped away.

  "I don't know you two real well," said Greene, with a quick smile atthe end, "but if you don't mind, pardner," and he put out his hand toLee, "I'd like to congratulate you! I don't know a man that's quite aslucky this morning as you are!"

  "Thank you," laughed Judith. She rose and shook hands too. "We're atBlue Lake ranch for the present. Come and see us."

  "Then you're Miss Sanford?" said Greene. He laughed. "I've heard ofyou more than once. Greene's my name."

  "Lee's mine," offered Lee.

  "Bud Lee, eh? Oh, you two will do! So long, friends. I'm off to lookup Quinnion."

  And, swinging his axe blithely, Greene took his departure.

  "There are other things in the world besides just cliffs to stare at,"said Judith. "And I would like a bath and a change of clothes and achance to brush my hair. And the bacon doesn't taste so good as it didand I want an apple and a glass of milk."

  So at last they left the mountain-top and made their slow way down.

  As they went Lee told her something of what had happened at the ranch,how Carson would hold off the buyers, how Tommy Burkitt was assumingcharge of Pollock Hampton. And when they came near enough to Burkitt'sand Hampton's hiding-place, Lee fired a rifle several times to getBurkitt's attention. Finally they saw the boy, standing against thesky upon a big rock, waving to them. From Lee's shouts, from hisgestures, chiefly from the fact that Judith was there, Burkittunderstood and freed Hampton, the two of them coming swiftly down a toJudith and Lee.

  Hampton's face was hot with the anger which had grown overnight. Hecame on stiffly, chafing his wrists.

  "These two fools," he snapped to Judith, "have made an awful mess ofthings. They've queered the deal with Doan, Rockwell & Haight, they'vemade themselves liable to prosecution for holding me against my will,they've----"

  "Wait a minute, Pollock," said Judith quietly. "It's you who have madea mistake."

  Briefly, she told him what had happened. As word after word of heraccount fell upon Hampton's ears, his eyes widened, the stiffness ofhis bearing fell away, the glint of anger went out of his eyes, a lookof wonder came into them. And when she had finished, Hampton did nothesitate. He turned quickly and put out two hands, one to Lee, one toBurkitt.

  "I was a chump, same as usual," he grunted. "Forget it if you can. Ican't."

  They went on more swiftly now, the four of them together, Judithinsisting that that last sip of brandy had put new life into her. In alittle, seeing that Judith did in fact have herself in hand, Bud Lee,with a hidden pressure of her hand, left them, hurrying on ahead,trying to reach Carson or some of the men in Pocket Valley and to gethorses.

  As he drew nearer the ranch Lee saw smoke rising from the north ridge.Again he could turn his thoughts a little to what lay in front of him,wondering what luck Carson had had in his double task of fighting fireand holding off the buyers.

  At any rate, the Blue Lake stock had not been driven off. The bawlingof the big herds told him that before he saw the countless tossinghorns. Then, dropping down into Pocket Valley from above, he found hisown string of horses feeding quietly. Beyond, the cattle. At first hethought that the animals had been left to their own devices. He saw norider anywhere. Hurrying on, he shouted loudly. After he had calledrepeatedly, there floated to him from somewhere down on the lower flatan answering yell. And presently Carson himself came riding to meethim.

  Carson's face was smeared with blood; one bruised, battered, discoloredeye was swelling shut, but in his uninjured eye there was triumphantgladness.

  "We got the sons-o'-guns on the run, Bud," he announced from afar."Killed their pesky fires out before they got a good start, crippled acouple of 'em, counting Benny, the cook, in on the deal, chased theirdeputy sheriff off with a flea in his ear, an' set tight, holding ourown."

  "Where'd you get the eye, Carson?" demanded Lee.

  Carson grinned broadly, an evil grin of a distorted, battered face.

  "You want to take a good look at ol' Poker Face," he chuckled. "Hewon't cheat no more games of crib for a coon's age. I jus' nacherallybeat him all to hell, Bud."

  "Where are the rest of the men?" Lee asked.

  "Watching the fires an' seeing no more don't get started."

  Then Lee told him of Judith. Carson's good eye opened wide withinterest. Carson's bruised lips sought to form for a whistle whichmanaged to give them the air of a maidenly pout.

  "He had the nerve!" he muttered. "Trevors had the nerve! Bud, weought to make a little call on that gent."

  Then, seeing Lee's face, Carson realized that anything he might have toremark on this score was superfluous. Lee had already thought of that.

  They roped a couple of the wandering horses, improvised hackamores fromthe rope cut in two, and went to meet Judith. Carson snatched eagerlyat her hand and squeezed it and looked inexpressible things from hisone useful eye. He gave his saddled horse to her, watched her and Leeride on to the ranch, and sent Tommy to the old cabin for another rope,while he rounded up some more horses in a narrow canon for Burkitt andHampton.

  "You damn' fool," he said growlingly to Hampton, "look what you'vedone."

  "Of course I'm a damn fool," replied Hampton, by now his old cheerfulself. "I've apologized to Judith and Lee and Burkitt. I apologize toyou. I'll tell you confidentially that I'm a sucker and aCome-on-Charlie. I haven't got the brains of a jack-rabbit."

  Carson went away grumbling. But for the first time he felt a vaguerespect for Pollock Hampton.

  "He'll be a real man some day," thought Carson, "if the fool-killerdon't pick him off first."

  "You may come and see me this evening," Judith told Bud Lee as he lefther to Marcia's arms. "I'll be eating and sleeping and taking bathsuntil then. Thank you for the bacon--and the water--and----"

  She smiled at him from Marcia's excited embrace. Bud Lee, the bloodtingling through him, left her.

  "Before I come to you, Judith girl," he whispered to himself as hewent, "I'll have to have little talk with Bayne Trevors."