Justin Wingate, Ranchman

by John Harvey Whitson

  CHAPTER XVII

  SHADOWS BEFORE

  Philip Davison, conveyed to his home in Paradise Valley, hoveredbetween life and death, attended by Doctor Clayton and waited upon byLucy and Justin. Fogg lent a hand with hearty will, and PearlHarkness, forgetting that there had ever been any disagreement betweenDavison and her husband, established herself again for a time in theDavison home, that she might assist Lucy. Steve Harkness, not to beoutdone by his wife, offered his services in any way they could beutilized, and found that there was enough for him to do.

  Davison improved somewhat, but could not leave his bed. From thestrong man he had been reduced until he was as helpless as a child;and for a time his mental strength was but little better than hisphysical.

  Before going back to Denver Fogg took Justin aside.

  "I don't see but I shall have to ask you to look after things here,Justin, while I am gone."

  "Command me in any way," said Justin.

  "It's a lucky thing that you're capable of taking hold now. Some oneought to visit the Purgatoire and see how the cattle are doing there,and some one must ride the ditch and look out for matters at this endof the line. Harkness can go to the Purgatoire; he will go if you askhim, though likely he wouldn't for me; and you can have charge here."

  Fogg was mentally distressed. The shock had left its traces even onhis buoyant nature. Through worry he had lost girth; the ponderousstomach on which the shining chain heaved up and down as he breathedheavily and talked was not so assertively protuberant, and his fatface had lost something of its unctuous shine. Somehow, though hecould hardly account for it, for nothing in the shape of materialwealth had so far been lost there by him, Paradise Valley oppressedhim like a bad dream, and he was anxious to get away from it for atime.

  "I shall be glad to do whatever I can," Justin declared.

  "It's your own father who is lying in that room, which he'll never getout of I'm afraid, and I knew of course you'd be willing to help outnow all you can. Clayton doesn't speak very favorably of the case.There isn't really anything the matter with Davison, so far as any onecan see. It's his mind, I reckon; it must have been an awful shock tohim, perfectly terrible, and it has simply laid him out. He thoughteverything of Ben. Well, I'm not a man to talk about the dead; but Benwould have tried the soul of a saint, and if I must say it to you Inever saw anything very saintly in the character of your father."

  "It's a good thing Harkness didn't move out of the valley when he leftthe ranch."

  "A great thing for us now. He's dropped everything over on his farmand stays here almost night and day. I'll see that he doesn't lose byit."

  While they were talking, William Sanders came up, chewing like aruminant.

  "When I had my fortune told that time in Denver the fortune tellersaid there was goin' to be a heap of trouble down here, and it's come.I don't reckon that Paradise Valley is any too lucky a place to livein, after all. But them that makes trouble must expect trouble."

  Fogg did not deign to notice this.

  "How are your crops, Mr. Sanders?" he asked, with his habitual smile.

  "They might be better, if the ditch company and the ditch rider donetheir duty. I ain't scarcely had any water fer a week, and that fieldof millet in the northeast corner of my place is dry as a dust heap. Ibeen wonderin' when I'll git water to it. That's why I come over."

  Justin promised to see to it.

  "Davison ain't doin' as well as he might, I hear?"

  He plucked a straw and set it between his teeth.

  "Not doing well at all," said Fogg.

  "Well, it's a pity; but them that makes trouble must expect trouble."

  When Lemuel Fogg returned to Paradise Valley a month later PhilipDavison was not changed greatly. His mind was clear, but his physicalcondition was low. Clayton remained with him much of the time, whennot called away to visit other patients. But Davison never spoke tohim of Ben nor of Justin.

  With Fogg at this time came a man who represented an Easternhome-builders' association, whose object was to establish homes forworthy but comparatively poor men in favorable places on the cheaplands of the West. The association was conducted by charitable men andwomen who had collected funds for their enterprise. There were manyexcellent families, this man said, in cities and elsewhere, who wouldbe glad to go upon farms, if only they could do so. It was the purposeof this society to help such people. It would place them upon farms,furnish comfortable houses, give them a start, and permit them torepay the outlay in longtime installments. The self-respect of afarming community thus established would be maintained, and that was afactor making for moral health which could not be overlooked.

  When Fogg had shown this man about the valley he introduced him toJustin, and later talked with Justin about him.

  "I've listened to him," he said, "and his proposition strikes mefavorably. He wants to buy canal and dam, land and everything, and heoffers a good price. If we accept, he will cut the tunnel through theridge to the Warrior River and bring that water in here to irrigatethe valley, and he will bring on his colony from the East. As soon asDavison is able to talk about it, I'll put the matter before him. Ithink it would mean big money to us, if we sell a part of the land,enough for them to settle their colony on; and sell out to them, too,our interests in the irrigation company. They're in shape to cut thattunnel to the Warrior and put in a good dam. When the thing has beendeveloped as they propose to develop it, every acre in this valleywill be worth ten times what it is now. So, you see my point. They'llcut the tunnel, develop and settle the country, and thus make the landwe shall still hold worth a good deal more than the whole of it isworth today, counting cattle and everything else in. But to inducethem to take up this enterprise we've got to sell them our stock inthe canal company and enough land to make it worth their while. If wedon't, there are other valleys in the state, and they'll go elsewhereand do what they think of doing here."

  Fogg was enthusiastic. This new plan offered greater profit thananything that had yet been brought to his consideration. It built anew dream-world in Justin's mind. In this dream-world the vision ofPeter Wingate took actual form, and he saw the desert burst into bloomand fruitage.

  At another time when Fogg came down there came with him a cattlemanwho desired to purchase the herd that grazed on the mesa aboveParadise Valley and watered where the fenced chute opened upon thewater-holes. It was still a considerable herd, and troublesome nearthe irrigated farms. Its grazing range lay on the now contracted areathat stretched round to the southward of the valley and extended toand beyond the Black Canon. The fence by the Black Canon had beenordered down by the government agents, and the herd was for sale.

  Davison's condition was improved, and Fogg went in to discuss with himthe subject of the sale of this herd, or a large portion of it, andalso the proposition of the man from the East.

  Coming out, he met Justin with a smile.

  "You haven't seen your father this morning?"

  "Not this morning; but I was in his room awhile yesterday, and heseemed much better."

  "Very much better; he's going to get well, in my opinion. I've had along talk with him, and he agrees with me about those sales. The manwho came down with me is ready to buy. We'll let him have what hewants; the remainder of the herd we'll throw over on the Purgatoire.You may tell Harkness about it, and things can be made ready for thetransfer of the cattle. They'll have to be driven to the station forshipment."