Going Some

by Rex Beach

  CHAPTER XVI

  The day of the race dawned bright and fair, without a cloud tomar its splendor. As the golden morning wore on, a gradualexcitement became apparent among the cowboys, increasing as thehours passed, and as they prepared with joy to invade theirrival's territory; nevertheless, the vigilant watch upon theirchampion did not relax. Theirs was an attitude of confidencetinged with caution.

  It was some time after midnight that Lawrence Glass had been thecause of a wild alarm that brought the denizens of the ranch outin night apparel. Jack Chapin, awakened by a cry for help, hadfound him in the hands of Carara and Cloudy, who had been doingnight duty in accordance with Stover's orders. What with thetrainer's loud complaints, the excited words of his captors, andthe confusion resulting when the bunk-house emptied itself of menhalf clad, it had taken the ranch-owner some time to discoverthat Glass had been surprised in the act of escaping. It seemedthat the sentries, seeing a figure skulking past the white adobewalls of the house, had called upon it to halt. There had been adash for liberty, then a furious struggle before the intruder'sidentity became clear, and but for Chapin's prompt arrival uponthe scene violence would inevitably have resulted. As it was, theowner had difficulty in restraining his men, who saw in thissignificant effort a menace to their hopes.

  "I tell you, I'm walkin' in my sleep," declared Glass for thetwentieth time.

  "_Caramba!_ You try for get away," stormed the Mexican."Pig!"

  "Not a bit like it! I've been a sonnambulust ever since I'm ababy."

  "Why didn't you answer when we called?" Cloudy demanded.

  "How can I talk when I'm sound asleep?"

  "If you couldn't hear us call, why did you run?"

  "Now have a little sense, pal. A sleep-walker don't know whathe's doin'."

  "Since there's no harm done, you'd better all go back to bed,"Chapin advised. "Mr. Glass has the liberty of the ranch, boys,night or day, asleep or awake."

  "Looks to me like he was tryin' to elope some." Stover balancedupon one bare foot, and undertook to remove a sand-burr from theother. In the darkness he seemed supernaturally tall, so thatGlass hastened to strengthen his story.

  "I was walkin' in my sleep as nice as you please when thoserummies lep' on me. Say! You know that's dangerous; you can killa guy wakin' him up so sudden."

  "There's easier ways than that," spoke Willie from the gloom.

  "It's a yap trick just the same. I was in the middle of a swelldream, too."

  "Come, come, Stover, get your boys back to bed! We'll have thewhole ranch up with this noise."

  Chapin himself led Glass around the house, while that gentlemanmade no offer to explain the dream which had prompted him to packhis suit-case before letting himself out of the training-quarters. Once safely back in the gymnasium, he sat up till dawn,a prey to frightful visions which the comfortable morning lightdid not serve to dissipate.

  Wally Speed slept serenely through the whole disturbance, and wasgreatly amused at the story when he awoke. He was sorely temptedto make known his agreement with Skinner, and put an end to histrainer's agony of mind; but he recalled Skinner's caution, andreflected that the slightest indiscretion might precipitate atragedy. For the first time since the beginning of the adventurehe was perfectly at ease, and the phenomenon added to histrainer's dismay.

  Others beside Lawrence Glass were apprehensive. Culver Covington,for instance, was plainly upset, while Roberta Keap pleadedheadache and had her breakfast served in her room.

  It was shortly afterward that she appeared in the gymnasiumdoorway, and cried, in an accusing voice:

  "Well, Mr. Speed!"

  "Yes, quite well."

  "You traitor!"

  "You modern Borgia! Didn't you go and tell Helen everything?"

  "Didn't you promise to stop Culver?"

  "I did. I had him thrown in jail at Omaha. What more could I do?"

  "You _did_ try? Honestly?" Mrs. Keap allowed her indignationto abate slightly. "If I had known that, I wouldn't have toldHelen. I'm sorry you didn't explain. I was angry--furious. And Iwas frightened so!" She broke down suddenly. "What shall I doabout them? I can see what they want to say, and yet I daren'tlet either speak a word."

  "Mrs. Keap, are you sure Culver loves you?"

  "Horribly! And he suspects the truth. I saw him change the momenthe found me here." Roberta began to weep; two limpid tears stoledown her cheeks, she groped for a chair, and Wally hastened toher assistance. As he supported her, she gave way completely andbowed her head upon his shoulder.

  It was in perfect keeping with the luck of things that Miss Blakeshould enter at the moment. She had come with Jack and his sisterto inquire regarding the fitness of her champion and to nerve himfor the contest, and she stood aghast. Chapin stepped forwardwith a look of suspicion, inquiring:

  "What's going on here?"

  Miss Blake spoke brightly, tinkling ice in her voice.

  "There's no necessity for an explanation, is there? It seems timefor congratulations."

  "Oh, see here now! Mrs. Keap's really engaged to Culver, youknow."

  "Culver!"

  "Culver!"

  Both the young ranchman and his sister stared at the chaperonwith growing horror, while she undertook to explain; but the blowhad fallen so swiftly that her words were incoherent, and in themidst of them her hostess turned and fled from the room.

  "Now don't begin to aviate until you understand the truth," Speedcontinued. "While she's engaged to that broken-toed serpent, shedoesn't love him, do you see?" He smiled.

  "I do _not_ see!"

  "It was simply a habit Mrs. Keap had got into--I should say itwas an impulsive engagement that she has repented of."

  "No doubt she was repenting when we interrupted you," said MissBlake, bitterly.

  Then Chapin added, helplessly: "But Culver is engaged to mysister Jean!"

  "Jean!" Mrs. Keap exposed her tragic face. "Then--he deceived_me_! Oh-h! What wretches men are!" The widow commenced tosob.

  Outside came Miss Chapin's voice: "So here you are, Mr.Covington!" And the next moment she reappeared, dragging thecrippled champion behind her. Thrusting him toward Roberta, shepouted: "There, Mrs. Keap! I give him back to you."

  "Perhaps you'd better go on with your explanations," Chapinsuggested, coldly, to Speed.

  "How can I when you won't listen to me? Hear ye! Hear ye! Culverwas engaged to marry Mrs. Keap, but she discovered what areprobate he is--"

  There was indistinguishable dissent of some sort from Mr.Covington.

  "--and she learned to detest him!"

  Mrs. Keap likewise dissented in accents muffled.

  "Well, she would have learned to detest him in a short time,because she's in love with Jack Chapin; so she came to old DoctorSpeed in her troubles, and he promised to fix it all up. Now Iguess you four can do the rest of the explaining. Let this be alesson to all of you. If you ever get in trouble, come to thematch-making kid. I'll square it."

  They were four happy young people, and they lost no time inescaping elsewhere. When they had gone, their benefactor said toMiss Blake:

  "Wouldn't you like to make that a triple wedding? We might getclub rates."

  For answer Miss Blake hurried to the door and was gone.

  Over at the Centipede there was a great activity and yet acertain idleness also, as if it had been a holiday. The men hungabout in groups listening to the peripatetic phonograph. A dozenor more outsiders had ridden over from the post-office to witnessthe contest. Out by the corral, which stood close to the firstbreak of the foot-hills, Skinner was superintending the layingout of a course, selecting a stretch of level ground worn smoothand hard by the tread of countless hoofs.

  "Makes a pretty good track, eh?" he said to Gallagher. "I wonderhow fast this feller is? Ever heard?"

  "They seem to think he's a whirlin' ball of fire, but that don'tworry you none, does it?" Gallagher bent his lead-blue eyes uponthe cook, who shrugged carelessly, and Gallagher smiled; he wasforced to admit that h
is man did not appear to be one easilyfrightened. Skinner's face was hard, his lips thin, his jaw wasnot that of a weakling. He had dressed early, then wrapped ahorse-blanket about his shoulders, and now, casting this aside,sprinted down the dirt track for a few yards to test the footing,while Gallagher watched him with satisfaction--a thing of steeland wire, as tough, as agile, and as spirited as a range-raisedcow-pony. He was unshaven, his running-trunks were cut from apair of overalls, held up at the waist by a section of window-cord, and his chest was scantily covered by an undershirt fromwhich the sleeves had been pulled. But when he returned to pickup his blanket Gallagher noted approvingly that he was not evenbreathing heavily. With a knowledge confined mainly to live-stock, the foremen inquried:

  "How's your laigs? I like to see 'em hairy, that-a-way; it's asign of stren'th. I bet this college boy is as pink as a maiden'spalm! He don't look to me like he could run."

  "They fool you sometimes," said Skinner. "By-the-way, what haveyou bet?"

  "We laid the phonograph agin their treasures an' trappin's--"

  "But how much money?"

  "We got three hundred pesos down, but they sent word they wascomin' loaded for b'ar, so we rustled five hundred more."

  Skinner's eyes gleamed. "I wish I had a couple of hundred to beton myself."

  "Broke, eh?"

  "I'm as clean as a hound's tooth."

  "I'm sorry y'all tossed off your wages, but"--Gallagher startedsuspiciously--"say! I reckon that won't affect your runnin' none,will it?"

  Skinner admitted that he could run best when he had something torun for. "You might advance me a month's wages," he reflected.

  "I'll do it. Hello! Say, ain't that one of them Flyin' Heart cityvisitors?" From the direction of the ranch buildings BerkeleyFresno was approaching.

  "Good-afternoon! You are Mr. Gallagher, I believe? I rode overwith our crowd just now." Fresno looked back. "Let's step aroundto the other side of the corral; I want to talk to you." He ledthe way; then inquired, "Is this your runner?"

  "That's him. His name's Skinner, and that's a promisin' title tobet on." Gallagher slipped a roll of bank-notes from his pocket."Unhook! I'll bet you."

  "No, no! I think myself Mr. Skinner will win. That's why I'mhere."

  "Strip your hand, son. I don't savvy."

  And Fresno explained.

  "You see, I'm a guest over there; but there's no sentiment withme in money matters." He produced a wallet, and took from it fiveone-hundred-dollar bills. "Bet this for me, and don't let onwhere it came from. I'll see you after the race. Mind you, not aword!"

  "I'm dumb as the Egyptian Spinks."

  "This race means a lot to me, Mr. Skinner." The guest of theFlying Heart Ranch turned to its enemy. "There's a girl in it.Understand?" The cook showed the gleam of his teeth. "If you win,I'll send you some wedding-cake and--a box of cigars."

  "Thanks," said the other; "but I've got a bum tooth, and I don'tsmoke."

  As Fresno left, there approached, in a surging group, theopposing side.

  "Good-evenin', Gabby!" Stover called, loudly, as he came withinspeaking distance. "Here we come _en massay_, and withladies, to further embarrass and degrade you in the hour of yourdefeat!"

  "We ain't defeated yit! How do, Mr. Chapin."

  "Did you get our message?"

  "Yes. But we ain't seen the color of y'all's money."

  "Mr. Speed borrowed five hundred dollars from me, and said hemight want more," Chapin volunteered.

  "Is that all?"

  "All?" jeered Still Bill. "Why, this mangy layout ain't never sawthat much money," upon which Gallagher carelessly displayed acorpulent roll of bills, remarking:

  "Count a thousand, Bill. It all goes on Skinner."

  "I ain't heard of no train-robbery," muttered the lanky foremanof the Flying Heart, "nor I don't aim to handle no' taintedmoney." And Stover and Gallagher faced each other hard beforeturning.

  Jean saw it, and whispered to Chapin: "Oh, Jack dear, I'mterribly frightened!" But Helen Blake, who overheard, left hercompanions and went straight to Gallagher.

  "I should like," she said, "to wager a few dollars on Mr. Speedand the honor of the Flying Heart."

  Both Skinner and his foreman stared at her nonplussed.

  "You don't look like a bettin' lady," the latter managed toremark, jocularly.

  "I'm not, I never made a wager before in all my life; but yousee, Mr. Gallagher, I believe in our man." Gallagher lowered hiseyes. "How much do you aim to risk, miss?"

  "I don't know what the rules are, but I think our side ought tobet as much as your side. That is the way it is done, isn't it?"

  "You mean that you aim to cover what Mr. Speed don't?" The girlnodded.

  Gallagher spoke admiringly. "You're right game, miss, but Ireckon we don't want your money."

  "Why not?"

  "I suppose there ain't no partic'lar reason."

  "If Mr. Speed can beat Mr. Covington, who is the best runner atYale, I'm sure he can defeat Mr. Skinner, who never went tocollege at all. They have all turned against him, and he-he is sobrave!" Miss Blake's indignation was tearful, and Gallagher spokehurriedly:

  "He may be brave all right, miss, but he can't win unless Skinnerdies. You save your money to buy chocolates an' bon-mots, miss.Why, listen" (the stock man softened his voice in a fatherlymanner): "this Fresno party is wise; five hundred of this coin ishis."

  Helen uttered a cry. "Do you mean he is betting _against_Mr. Speed?"

  "Nothin' else."

  "Despicable!" breathed the girl. "Wait a moment, please!" Helenhurried back to Chapin, while Gallagher muttered something like"I ain't takin' no orphan's money."

  "Jack!" (the girl was trembling with excitement), "you told me onthe way over that you had five hundred dollars with you. Let mehave it, please. I'll give you my check when we get home."

  "My dear girl, you aren't going to--bet it?"

  "Yes, I am."

  "Don't do that!"

  For answer she snatched the pocket-book from his hand.

  "Mr. Gallagher!" she called.

  Skinner watched from afar. "Some class to that gal!" was what hesaid, which proved that he was a person not wholly withoutsentiment.