The Wedge of Gold

by C. C. Goodwin

  CHAPTER XI.

  GOING TO EPSOM DOWNS.

  The next morning early the young couples started for Epsom Downs.Browning had engaged a carriage to take them, and they started a littleafter daylight. Early as it was, the procession which annually emptiesLondon to witness the great race was in motion. There had been a slightshower the previous evening; every bit of herbage was fresh andbeautiful; the day was perfect and the ride delicious. When part of thedistance had been traveled, Browning, looking back, said: "Grace, Ibelieve I see your destiny coming."

  "In what form?" asked Grace, laughing.

  "In a typical cowboy," said her foster brother.

  Then all looked, and sure enough there, two hundred yards away, was thebroad hat, the nameless grace, the erect form, the man straight as a linefrom his head to his stirrups, the Mexican saddle, the woven-hair bridlewith Spanish bit; all complete except the horse. That was not a steed ofthe plains, but a magnificent hunter. The girls clapped their hands indelight, and Grace wished he would "hurry up," so that they might get anearer view.

  Just then a cry arose in the rear, and a horse attached to a brokenvehicle was seen coming, running away in the very desperation of fear.

  The carriage was driven to the side of the road, and both men sprang out.A dense crowd of vehicles, many of them containing women and children,were just in front, and the thought of that mad horse dashing among themwas sickening. But Sedgwick cried out: "Look, ladies, quick!"

  What they saw was the hunter under a dead run, his rider urging him onapparently, and working something in his right hand. The harnessed horsewas a good one, but the hunter was gaining upon him, and just as the madrunaway was almost opposite the ladies, the right arm of the rider of thehunter made a quick curve, the looped end of a rope darted out like abird of prey from the hand; the loop went over the runaway's head; thehunter was brought almost to a dead stop; the other animal went up intothe air, then fell to his knees, then over on his side. Sedgwick andBrowning sprang to him, unfastened him from the wreck, got the reins andsecured his head, then took off the lariat, let him up, and tied him tothe hedge by the roadside.

  Browning first turned to the stranger who was coiling up his lariat onthe saddle's horn, and said: "That was a good morning's work, my friend;had that mad horse crashed into the vehicles ahead, he would have killedsome one."

  "I wur afeerd of that, stranger, and that's what made me think he orterbe stopped," said the horseman.

  Sedgwick wheeled quickly round when he heard the man's voice, and,looking up, cried: "Hello, Jordan, how did you leave the boys on theBrazos?"

  The man gave one look; then, springing from his horse, he rushed toSedgwick, and throwing both arms around him broke out with: "Why, Jim;bless my broad-horned heart, but I'm glad ter see yo'! How in kingdom cumdid yo' get heah?" Then he caught both his hands and wrung them, all thetime exclaiming: "Blame me, but I'm glad. This is the fust luck I've hadin the Kingdom. Jim, is it sho nuff you?" And he danced like a lunatic.And Sedgwick, if not quite so demonstrative, was quite as much rejoiced.

  When they quieted down a little, Sedgwick said: "Jordan, I have somefriends here whom I want to present to you."

  His face sobered in a moment. "I forgot, Jim," he said, "thet any one warheah savin' ourselves. They must think us two 'scaped lunertics."

  "That's all right, Jordan," said Sedgwick, and he formally presented hisfriend to the ladies and to Browning.

  The ladies told him how grateful they were that he was near to preventany damage by the fleeing horse, and how glad they were to see the actualpicture of how a wild horse is caught.

  Jordan blushed like a girl. "It war nothin', ladies," he said; "only itseemed like it war necessawy sunthin' should be done, and right soon. SoI interfeerd as well's I could."

  "Where the mischief did you get that rig, Jordan?" asked Sedgwick.

  "I brung it with me from ther old ranch; that is, all but the hoss. Ididn't know but I mighter want ter ride, and I knowd I couldn't sit anEnglish saddle a minit."

  "And why did you come away, Jordan?" asked Sedgwick.

  His face saddened for a moment, and then he smiled and said: "I got tiredof ranchin', sold out; but why I come here I've no idee, 'cept it mighto' been to stop that thar hoss."

  "It was a good idea, anyway, and we are all glad you came," said Rose."We started to see the great race, and we have seen a greater one," andshe smiled as she spoke, until the dark man again colored and said:"Indeed, Miss, it war nothin'."

  But the procession grew denser every moment; so Jordan mounted his horseagain and rode beside the carriage, and a running conversation was keptup all the way to the great race track.

  Jordan was exceedingly interested in the colts as they were brought uponthe track.

  "They is thoroughbreds, shore. They is beauties," he kept exclaiming; andas they were stripped for the race, he picked out the one he thoughtought to win, and offered to wager hats with Sedgwick and Browning andgloves with the ladies that his favorite would win.

  And the colt he set his heart upon came near winning; he was third amongthe eighteen starters, and to the last Jordan insisted that he would havewon if he had been well ridden.

  "He orter won," Jordan said. "The trouble war, his jockey lacks twothings; he don't understand hoss character, 'nd he lacks pluck. He neverinterested ther colt in him, never rubbed his nose and whispered interhis ear thet his heart would be broke if ther colt didn't win; so thercolt only ran ter please hisself 'nd never thought o' pleasin' his rider.Then, from the fust, ther rider believed he wouldn't be nearer nor third,'nd ter do anything a man's got ter believe he ken make it. Menny a grandhoss's repertation has ben ruined by ther fool man as has hed him incharge, and this war ther case ter-day."

  Then he was absorbed in thought for a moment, then went on again asthough he had not ceased: "It wer ther same with men. Ez often ez everther best men don't win ther prize; meny er blood man hez been distancedby er mustang."

  The race over, they all had dinner together, and with beautiful tact theladies kept Jordan talking most of the time, and enjoyed his quaintsayings exceedingly.

  He had been three months from the United States; had made one trip toScotland, one to Wales, one to Paris, and his impressions of thedifferent points and the people he had seen were most vivid and unique.

  His talk ran a little in this vein: "Yo' see, up in ther Highlands, Ilooked fur the lakes and mountains that yo' read to us about, Jim. Thereis some fine lakes, but mountains! sho, we can beat 'em in America, allholler. And ez to broad rivers, why, ther Mississippi cud take um all in,and wouldn't know she had a reinforcement; while pour 'um into therColorado gorge and they'd be spray afore they reached ther bottom. Ilooked for ther pituresk Highland heroes in ther tartans and with therbag-pipes; but they tho't, I reckon, that I war James Fitz, and wur allambushed. But I did see some pretty girls thar, 'an some powerful fineblack cattle. They war fine--good for twelve hundred pounds neat.

  "The blamd'st thing I seen war in Wales. I didn't see that, but hearn.That war the language. It's a jor-breaker, if you har me. I don't see howthe children up thar learn it so blam'd young.

  "Paris is a grand place, a genuine daisy; but I believe it is wickeder'nSanta Fe wuz when the rush war to New Mexico."

  Grace explained to Jordan that they were going down to Sussex to visitsome relatives of Rose, and begged him to go along, and bespoke for him ahearty welcome.

  "I'm greatly obleeged, Miss," said Jordan, "but I must beg yo' ter 'scuseme. I must see my hoss home. I've been ridin' him and teachin' him a fewthings, like startin' and stoppin', for a month. He war wild when I tukhim fust, but since he and I got 'quainted, we agree zactly, and I toldther men as own him he should be home ter night, and I must take him. Iwouldn't send him by the are-apparent hisself. Besides, my societyaccomplishments war neglected some'at when I war young, and I wouldrather break y'r heart, Miss, by declinin' ter go, than hev it broke bymy arkerdness 'mong y'r friends."

  But he told Sed
gwick where he was stopping in London, and it was agreedthat on the return of the party to the great city they should see more ofeach other. So Jordan returned to London, and the young people took thetrain for a little town on the coast, not far from Brighton, in Sussex.

  They found the uncle and aunt of Rose. A great welcome was given them,and four or five days were delightfully whiled away.

  A regiment of English regulars was stationed there. Our party made theacquaintance of the officers and their families, and one day a horsebackride into the country was proposed for the next morning.

  It taxed the capacity of the place to supply the necessary animals, andone of the horses brought up, though a magnificent and powerful fellow,was but half broken at best, and he snorted and blowed, and reared andpawed, and took on a great deal.

  The company were looking at him, and each selecting the horse that suitedhim best, when Miss Rose said: "What a pity that Mr. Jordan did not comealong! He would have selected that wild horse."

  The colonel of the regiment, a portly man, and a little inclined to bepompous, in a peculiarly English tone said: "Possibly, you know, ouryoung American friend would like to mount him."

  Sedgwick affected not to notice the tone or the accent, and answeredsimply: "I have ridden worse-looking horses. If I had a Mexican saddle,or one of your military saddles, I believe I should like to ride him; butI am a little afraid of these things you call saddles."

  Strangely enough, the officer thought the objection to the saddle wasmeant merely as an excuse to avoid riding the horse, and so he spoke upquickly, saying: "The gentleman shall be accommodated. I always have anextra saddle with me; he shall have that," and gave his servantdirections to go and bring the saddle and bridle. When they were brought,Sedgwick looked at them, said they would answer admirably, and throwingthe trappings over his left arm, went up to the snorting horse, pettedand soothed him, rubbed his nose, and talked low to him a moment; thenslipped the bridle on, then gently pushed the saddle and trappings overhis back; made all secure, and then, without assistance, mounted himtalking softly to him all the time.

  The horse made a few bounds, but quickly subsided. They were enough,however, to show the onlookers that the man on the horse was sufficientfor the task he had undertaken. Riding back, Sedgwick dismounted, stilltalking low to the horse and patting his neck, for, as he explained, "Thecolt has a lovely, honest face and head; he is only timid, and does notyet quite understand what is wanted of him, or whether it will do for himto give us his entire confidence."

  The officer who had sent for the saddle had watched everything; so whenSedgwick dismounted he held out his hand and said, heartily: "I beg yourpardon, Mr. Sedgwick, I was mistaken in you. You do more than ride. Whenmounted, you and the horse together make a centaur."

  With a celestial smile, Miss Jenvie said: "I beg your pardon, Mr.Sedgwick. Mr. Jordan is not needed, except as a pleasant addition to ourcompany."

  They all mounted and rode away. It was a jolly party. Grace and Rose rodewith two of the officers; two of the officers' wives were escorted bySedgwick and Browning.

  As they rode, Sedgwick kept patting his horse, and in a little while sowon his confidence that he was able to rub his whip all about his head.

  They stopped at a roadside inn for luncheon, and returned in the cool ofthe afternoon.

  By this time Sedgwick's horse had apparently given his rider his fullfaith, and Sedgwick, in sharp contrast with the other gentlemen, sat himin true cowboy style. They were riding at a brisk pace, when the hat ofone of the ladies was caught in a flurry of wind and carried twenty orthirty yards to the rear. The others began to pull in their horses, whenSedgwick, like a flash, whirled his horse about, and, calling to him, thehorse sprang forward at full speed. All turned, and the ladies screamed,as they thought Sedgwick was falling. He had ridden, not directly for thehat, but to one side until close upon it, then, turning his horse, hewent down at the same moment, seized the plume of the hat, regained hisupright attitude, and came smiling back, though the horse, not accustomedto such performances, was snorting and bounding like a deer.

  All hands were delighted, and Grace shot out to Sedgwick such a look ofpride and love that his heart beat a tattoo for a quarter of an hour.

  The officer who owned the saddle was most profuse in his expressionsof delight. "Give up America, my friend," he said; "come and be anEnglishman and join my regiment. We will get you a commission, and supplyevery chance for promotion."

  Sedgwick thanked him, and assured him that he would duly consider theoffer.

  The old English Colonel took a great fancy to Sedgwick. After dinner, theday of the ride, he sought him out, and they conversed together for twoor three hours; or, rather, the Colonel talked and Sedgwick listened. TheColonel had been sent on many a service by his government; he was a keenobserver, had good descriptive powers, and was an interesting talker.Moreover, he liked to hear himself converse.

  Having visited South Africa a few months before, he described thecountry minutely, its topography, its flora and fauna, its geologicalpresentations, and expatiated upon its promising future. Sedgwick wasvery greatly interested, and with his retentive memory the facts werefixed upon his mind.

  As they were about separating, Sedgwick said: "You ask me to leavemy native land and make this my country. I understand you, andappreciate the offer, but you do not comprehend the Great Republic atall. England, at the beginning of this century, was well-nigh the anchorof civilization. By the end of the next century England will be incap and slippers, and her children across the sea will have to be herprotector. The American who gives up his native land for any other isa renegade son."