Justin Wingate, Ranchman

by John Harvey Whitson

  CHAPTER VII

  WILLIAM SANDERS

  The feeling which hallowed the mere local surroundings of love heldits place tenaciously in Justin's heart and seemed not likely to passaway. It was no sickly sentimentality, but had the power to strengthenhis inner life and add to his growing manliness.

  Justin was employed on the ranch now, and though there were manydistasteful things connected with the work, he desired to remain,because it gave him so many opportunities to be near Lucy Davison. Thenecessary cruelties connected with the rearing and handling of cattleon a great range sickened him at times; for a love that was almost aworship of all life, the lower forms equally with the higher, had beeninstilled by Clayton into every fibre of his being. To Justin now eventhe elements seemed to stir with consciousness. Did not certainchemicals exhibited by Clayton rush together into precipitates andcrystals, as if they loved and longed to be united, and did not socommon a thing as fire throw out tentacles of flame, and grapple withthe wood as if hungry? And who was to say that the precipitates andcrystals and the fire did not know? Certainly not ignorant man.

  With this love of every form of life there grew a manly gentleness,broken strangely at times by outbursts of temper, so that often itseemed whimsical.

  Riding forth one day, in cowboy attire, along the line fence that heldin the cattle from the cultivated valley lands, he came upon PhilipDavison engaged in angry controversy with a young man of somewhatshabby appearance. The shrewd little eyes of this man observed Justinclosely. Beside the fence was a dirty prairie schooner, from which theman had descended, and to it two big raw-boned farm horses werehitched. Eyeing Justin the man pushed back his hat, then awkwardlyextended his hand.

  "So you're Justin, air ye--the little boy I met one't? I reckon youdon't know me? I wouldn't knowed you, but fer hearin' the name."

  Justin acknowledged that the man's face was unfamiliar.

  "Well, I'm William Sanders!" He plucked a spear of grass and began tosplinter it with his teeth. "I landed hyer some seasons ago with Mr.Fogg, and stayed all night with the doctor over there. Mebbe you'llremember me now. I've thought of you a good many times sense then.You've growed a lot. I was thinkin' about you t'other day while on myway hyer; and a fortune teller I went to in Pueblo picked you outstraight off, from the cards she told with. She showed me the jack ofhearts, and said that was the young feller I had in mind. Sing'lar,wasn't it?"

  Justin recalled this young man now, and shook his hand heartily.

  "It was singular," he admitted.

  "We'll have to talk over old times by and by," said Sanders, amiably.

  But Davison was not pleased to see Sanders, whom he had never metbefore. Sanders, it appeared, had bought a quarter-section of land notfar from the stream, and had now come to occupy it. Trouble had arisenover the fact that it was included in a large area of mortgaged andgovernment land which Davison had fenced for his cattle. Sanders wasdemanding that he should cut the fence.

  "Cut it and let me git my land," he insisted, "er I'll cut it fer ye.I know my rights under the law."

  "You can't farm there, and you know you can't," said Davison, in atone of expostulation. "This is simply a piece of blackmail. You wantme to pay you not to trouble me about the fence. But I won't do it. IfI did I'd have dozens of men landed on me demanding the same thing.You know that nothing but bunch grass will grow on that land."

  Though he chewed placidly on the grass spear, Sanders' little eyesglittered.

  "Cut the fence and let me git to my land, er I'll cut it fer ye!"

  His love for Lucy, which extended now to Philip Davison as a warmregard and intense boyish admiration, would have inclined Justin tothe ranchman's side; but it was clear that Sanders was in the rightand Davison in the wrong.

  "I'll see you again, Mr. Sanders," he said; and rode on while the twomen were still wrangling. It was remarkable, he thought, that Sandersshould have remembered him so long, and more remarkable that a fortuneteller who had never seen him should be able to describe him even in adim and uncertain way.

  Farther along he encountered Ben, ranging the mesa with dog and gun,training his young English setter. It was Ben's duty to ride the lineon this particular day; but Ben had shirked, and Justin had beenassigned to his place. The current opinion of the cowboys was that Benwas shiftless and unreliable.

  "What's that hayseed mouthing about?" Ben asked.

  "He has bought some land in there, and wants your father to cut thefence so that he can get to it."

  "These farmers are always making trouble," Ben growled.

  Then his face flushed.

  "Why didn't you stand up with me against that granger the other day,when I told him that his horses, and not ours, had damaged his crops?"

  Justin desired to think well of Ben and remain on terms of friendshipwith him because of Lucy.

  "I couldn't very well," he urged, "for I saw our horses in his millet,myself."

  "Well, he didn't; he was in town that day. He would have believed you,if you had said they were his horses. You might have backed me up,instead of flinching; I'd have done as much for you."

  "You've got a handsome dog there!" said Justin.

  "Oh, that setter's going to be fine when I get him broke," Benasserted, with enthusiasm. "I only wish we had some Eastern quailshere. Harkness put you on this line today, did he? I wanted to trainmy setter; so I told him I wasn't well, and slipped out of it."

  As the dog was now far ahead, Ben hastened to overtake him, and Justinrode on, thinking of Ben, of Lucy, and of William Sanders. Ben's easydisregard of certain things he had been taught to consider essentialstroubled him. He wanted to think well of Ben.

  When Justin learned the outcome of the controversy between Davison andSanders he was somewhat astonished. Sanders' truculence had made himthink the man would persist in his demands; but Sanders had agreed tofence his own land, if Davison would but give him a right of way toit.

  Within a week Justin understood why. Sanders, visiting the ranch-houseto see Davison, had also seen Lucy. He became a familiar visitor,where his presence was not desired. If Lucy rode out, William Sandersinvariably chanced to be in the trail going in the same direction. Ifshe remained at home he came to the house to get Davison's advice asto the best manner of constructing a fence, and Lucy's adviceconcerning the proper furnishing of a dug-out for a single man whoexpected to live alone and do his own cooking.

  Lucy came to Justin with the burden of her woes.

  "He follows me round all the time, just as if he were my dog!"

  "You ought to feel flattered," said Justin, though he was himselfhighly indignant. "I don't suppose you want me to say anything to himabout it?"

  "Oh, no--no!" she gasped, terrified by the threat concealed behind thewords.

  "I've noticed he hasn't come near me since our meeting down by theline fence. He told me then that he wanted to have a talk about oldtimes, but he hasn't seemed in any hurry to begin it."

  As Justin rode away in an angry mood Lucy Davison looked at hisreceding figure with some degree of uneasiness. Justin had on a fewoccasions showed a decidedly inflammable temper. Ordinarily mild inword and manner, borrowing much of that mildness doubtless fromClayton, when he gave way to a sudden spasm of rage it was likely tocarry him beyond the bounds of reason.

  The provocation came in a most unexpected, and at the timeinexplicable, way. Justin, riding along the trail by the stream, sawLucy come out from the shadows of the young cottonwoods near SloanJasper's and walk in his direction, as if to join him. The sight ofher there filled his sky with brightness and the music of singingbirds. He pricked up his broncho and turned it from the trail.

  As he did so he beheld William Sanders appear round the end of thecottonwood grove, mounted on one of his big, raw-boned horses. Ridingup to Lucy, Sanders slipped from his saddle and walked along by herside. Justin's anger burned. It was apparent to him, great as was theseparating distance, that Sanders' presence and words were distastefulto her. She stopped and seeme
d about to turn back to the grove. Justinsaw Sanders put out his hand as if to detain her. As he did so shestooped; then she screamed, and fell forward, apparently to avoid him.

  Justin drove his broncho from a trot into a wild gallop. His angerincreased to smoking rage. It passed to ungovernable fury, when hebeheld Sanders catch the screaming girl in his arms, lift her to theback of his horse, and scramble up behind her in the saddle. Justinyelled at him.

  "Stop--stop, you villain!"

  In utter disregard of him and his shouted command Sanders plunged hisspurs into the flanks of his big horse, and began to ride away fromthe cottonwoods at top speed. Lucy lay limp in his arms.

  "I'll have his life!" Justin cried, longing now for one of the cowboyrevolvers he had made it a practice, on the advice of Clayton, neverto carry; and he drove the broncho into furious pursuit of the bighorse that was bearing Lucy and Sanders away.

  The light, clean-limbed broncho, unimpeded by a cumbersome doubleweight, began to gain in the mad race. Justin ploughed its sidesmercilessly with the spurs, struck it with his hands, and yelled atit, to increase its speed.

  "Go, go!" he cried; "we must catch that scoundrel quick!"

  His line of action when that was accomplished was not formulated,further than that he knew he would hurl himself on Sanders, tear himfrom the saddle, and punish him as it seemed he deserved.

  Steadily the separating distance was decreased. Sanders still sent thebig horse on, almost without a backward glance. He held Lucy tightlyin his arms. Apparently she had fainted, for Justin could not observethat she struggled to release herself.

  Again Justin bellowed a command to Sanders to halt. He was close uponthe big horse now. Sanders turned in his saddle heavily, for theweight of the girl impeded his movements. Justin fancied he could seethe man's little eyes glitter, as they did that day when he deliveredhis ultimatum to Davison.

  "You go to hell!" he bellowed back.

  The momentary slacking of his rein caused his horse to stumble, and itfell to the ground.

  Justin galloped up in an insanity of blazing wrath. Lucy, hurled fromthe back of the horse with Sanders, sprang up with a cry, and rantoward Justin. Sanders, having picked himself up uninjured, stared ather. His flushed face whitened and his little eyes showed a singularand ominous gleam.

  "Take her," he said, hoarsely; "damn you, take her--I was doin' thebest I could!"

  Lucy's face was white--piteously white; her dry hot eyes gushed withtears, and a sob choked in her throat.

  "Justin--Justin, it was not--his fault--nothing he did; it was thesnake; see, it bit me, here!" She thrust forward her hand. "Near thewrist, there; and--and it is swelling fast, fast! We--we must--get toDoctor Clayton's quick--quick!"

  Justin staggered under the revulsion of feeling. He caught the shakingand terrified girl in his arms.

  "Help me--get her into the saddle, Sanders," he begged, stammering thewords. "And--and I ask your pardon! Later I will tell you what I--butnow I need you to--"

  Sanders sprang to his assistance.

  "Better take my horse; he's bigger!"

  "The broncho is faster," said Justin. "That's right. Now--that'sright!"

  He climbed shakily into the saddle. He felt his very brain reeling.Then the broncho leaped forward. Sanders struck it a smart blow tohurry it on; and stood looking at them, as they galloped wildly ontoward Clayton's, which had been his own destination.

  "Damn him!" he cried hoarsely. His little eyes glittered and his lipsfoamed. "I was doin' the best I could, and I would have made it allright." He clenched his fists. "I would 'a' been his friend--andhelped him; but now--"

  The sentence, the threat, died, gurgling, in his throat.

  As for Justin, he had no thought now but to reach Doctor Clayton's inthe quickest time possible. He did not spare the broncho. Yet, even inthese minutes of whirling excitement, when anxiety, fright, love,chagrin, and regret, fought within him for the mastery, he did notforget some of the things learned of Clayton. He took out hishandkerchief, rolled it into a cord with hands and teeth, and withhands and teeth knotted it round the bitten arm just above the twosmall punctures made by the teeth of the rattlesnake.

  The arm was already swollen, and he thought it was becomingdiscolored. At times burning tears gushed from his eyes in a way toblind him and keep him from seeing anything clearly. Lucy lay in hisarms as if dead. For aught he knew she might even then be dying. Thepoison of the rattlesnake had been injected near the great artery ofthe wrist, as she stooped in her embarrassment to pluck a flower, andit would be speedy in its malignant effects. With that terrible fearupon him, Justin blamed himself ceaselessly for the delay he hadwrought in the mistaken notion that Sanders was acting with sinisterintent. If that brief delay should aid to a fatal result he knew heshould go mad or kill himself.

  When Lucy stirred, or moaned, he bent over her with wild words ofinquiry. Her eyes were closed, and she was very white.

  "We are almost there--almost there!" he cried.

  Yet how long the distance seemed!

  Clayton came to the door, when he heard the clatter of hoofs. He worea faded smoking jacket and had a black skull cap perched on the top ofhis head. His half lounging manner changed when he saw the tremblingbroncho, dripping sweat and panting with labored breath from thestrain of its terrible run, and saw Justin climbing heavily out of thesaddle with Lucy. When her feet touched the ground she stood erect,but tottered, clinging weakly to Justin's arm. She made a brave effortto walk, as Clayton hurried to her side. He saw the knottedhandkerchief and the swollen arm, and knew what had happened.

  "Into the house," he said, tenderly supporting her. "Don't befrightened, Lucy--don't be frightened! Justin, help me on the otherside--ah, that's right! A little girl was here only the other day,from the Purgatoire, who had been bitten hours before, and I had herall right in a little while. So, there's really nothing to be alarmedabout."

  Clayton's cheering words were a stimulant. Yet the battle was notfought out. Before victory was announced, word had gone to theranch-house and to Jasper's. Philip Davison came, with Harkness andPearl Newcome, and Mary Jasper rode in on her pony, wild-eyed andtremulous. Among others who arrived was William Sanders.

  Justin found him in the yard, out by the grass-grown cellar, where hestood in a subdued manner, holding the reins of his raw-boned horse.His manner changed and his little eyes burned when he saw Justin.

  "I don't keer to have you speak to me," he said, abruptly. "I reckonfrom this on our ways lays in different directions. I don't know whatyou thought I was up to, but I was doin' the best I could to git thatgirl to this place in a hurry. You chipped in. I s'pose you think itwas all right, and that you helped matters?"

  "I have already asked your pardon, and I ask it again. I see now thatI was a fool. We'll forget the whole thing, if you're willing."

  Justin held out his hand in an amicable manner.

  Sanders disdained to take it.

  "I'm not willin' to fergit it, myself. I wanted to think well of you,rememberin' when I first come to this house, and some other things,but that's past. You made me look and feel cheaper than thirty centsMexican, and I ain't expectin' to fergit it."

  He turned away, and walked along the edge of the old cellar, leadinghis horse. That William Sanders had in him all the elements of avicious hater was shown then, and many times afterward. He did notspeak to Justin again that day; and when the announcement came thatClayton had won his hard fight and Lucy was on the high road torecovery, he mounted and rode away.