The Ranch Girls' Pot of Gold

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER II

  THE SPELL OF THE MOON

  The moon rose early and before dinner was over its pale crescentappeared overhead.

  The ranch girls were unusually restless. Jean especially was like awill-o'-the-wisp, never still for an instant. "Do let's go out for awalk; I feel as if I should stifle indoors," she begged.

  "Isn't it too cool?" Ruth objected faintly. "Remember how great a changealways comes here at night, no matter how warm the days have been. Ishould think the sudden coolness in the evening would be awfully tryingfor travelers on the prairies."

  Jean cast a tragic glance at their chaperon. "Oh, no, Cousin Ruth, Iassure you the nights on the plains are simply glorious! You just can'timagine how wonderful it is in the summer time, after the hot days, tofeel the delicious cool breezes spring up and blow softly over you,while you lie out in the darkness facing the stars," she endedbreathlessly.

  Ruth laughed and slipped on her coat. "You talk like a tramp, Jean,dear. When have you ever spent your days and nights out of doors?" shequeried.

  "Oh, lots of times. When Jack and I were little girls uncle used to takeus camping with him," Jean answered indifferently, not daring to trustherself to glance at the other girls.

  The night was delicious and Jean's and Frieda's violet beds near RainbowLodge were adding an unaccustomed fragrance to the desert air.

  "Let's walk down to the rancho. I should like to ask Jim why he sentthose gypsies away so soon this afternoon, even before their horses hadtime to rest," Jack proposed carelessly.

  Jean and Jack each slipped a hand in Ruth's, as they set out for theirstroll, for she was far more timid than any one of the ranch girls; andOlive and Frieda followed close behind. Near the rancho, where Jim andthe cowboys lived, a sound of singing and the low scrape of a fiddle,greeted them.

  Jack put her fingers to her lips and gave their familiar whistle, butJim did not answer; then Jean joined in, and the four girls finallywhistled in unison.

  A man's figure appeared at the front door of the rancho. He was one ofthe cowboys, who explained that Jim had disappeared immediately afterdinner without a word to anyone and no one knew where he had gone norwhen he meant to return.

  On their way back to the Lodge Ruth happened to glance idly across oneof the near-by alfalfa fields and saw the figures of two men plainlysilhouetted against the horizon. One of them she recognized as JimColter.

  "There is Mr. Colter over there talking to some one, girls," Ruthdeclared.

  "Then let's walk over in his direction. Jim will soon see us coming andjoin us," Jack suggested.

  But Jim apparently did not see the girls approaching him, he was sodeeply engaged in conversation. Once he raised his arm as though hemeant to strike the man with him, but a moment later his arm droppedlimply at his side. Frieda laughed aloud, for the two black shadowslooked like huge dolls.

  "I think we had better turn toward home, children," Ruth proposedhurriedly. "I don't believe Mr. Colter is going to look toward us and Idon't think he will want to be interrupted if he does." But at thismoment the man with Jim slipped quietly away in the darkness and Jimstrode forward to Ruth and the ranch girls. It was impossible to see hisface clearly, but it was evident there was something most unusual in hisbearing--a subtle change that could be felt rather than seen.

  "What are you doing, Miss Drew, wandering around at this hour of thenight with the girls? I am surprised at you," Jim said harshly. "Thereis no telling what danger you may get into." Jim's voice was so hot withanger and impatience that his audience was silent from sheer amazement.It was impossible to believe that he was speaking to Ruth in such afashion, when always before he had treated her as a queen who could dono wrong.

  Ruth was glad of the darkness, for her cheeks were flushing and herheart beat unevenly. For a moment the tears gathered in her eyes, butthey were blinked back indignantly. Why should she care because theoverseer of the ranch was rude to her? She had always believed that JimColter was not a gentleman and now felt sure of it. But why did notthis conviction make her able to answer Jim as he deserved, and whyshould she feel so unhappy? Ruth knew in her heart of hearts that shewas not being honest with herself. In her six months in the West she andJim had become good friends. There were other standards of life thanthose of her school teaching days in Vermont. Pretend as she would, aman could be a gentleman and yet wear strange clothes and use queerEnglish. But that Jim could fail in any other particular Ruth had notbelieved possible until now.

  Jean and Jack were as bewildered as their chaperon. For some time theyhad suspected that Jim was more interested in Ruth than he would letthem know. Certainly the poor fellow was doing his best to improve hisEnglish, for Jean had dived into his coat pocket one day in search ofthe mail and had brought forth instead a discarded English grammar whichJim had been studying surreptitiously.

  "Why Jim, how silly you are!" Jack exclaimed at last to relieve thepainful silence. "Why do you mind our taking a walk to-night? You knowwe often do, and we haven't been far. There is nothing that couldhappen to us."

  Frieda slipped her soft little hand inside Jim's big, strong one, and hestrode on ahead with her and Olive. "Don't you ever be too sure of notgetting into mischief, Jack Ralston," he called back.

  "We only went to the rancho to look for you, Jim," Jack replied lightly."I wanted to ask you why you sent those gypsies away from the ranch sosoon this afternoon. I didn't care about the people and I hated the man,but the poor horses were so tired I thought you would let them stay allnight so the horses could rest."

  "Miss Ralston, am I running this ranch, or are you?" Jim demandedangrily. "When I see a pack of tramps getting ready to take up theirresidence with us, have I the right to send them away, or must I askyour leave?" The overseer's tone was wrathful. He knew just how angryRuth was with him and now Jack would be equally offended; but fate hadplayed Jim Colter such a strange trick in the last few hours that he didnot care what he said or did.

  Frieda's surprised "Oh!" was the first word spoken. A few seconds laterJack faltered, "I am sure I beg your pardon, Jim; I didn't mean toquestion your right to do whatever you think best." Jack's voice trailedoff brokenly and Ruth gave her an indignant and sympathetic squeeze.Jean slipped around on the other side of Jack, and if Jim could havebeen injured by burning glances he must have perished on the spot, forJean's brown eyes and Ruth's darted flashes of lightning at his broadback.

  At the Lodge door Jack slipped away from the others. Jim saw her startand made a step toward her, but before he could speak she had vanished,with Olive following her. Neither Ruth nor Jean would ask Jim to beseated, and Frieda was too sleepy to think, yet Jim lingered calmly onthe porch. "Don't you think we had better go indoors? It's fairly cool,"he said at length.

  Ruth drew her coat closer about her and sank into a chair. "No, I don'tcare to go in," she replied coldly. Jean took Frieda's hand and facedJim boldly. "Jim Colter, there is something the matter with youto-night," she said. "I don't know what it is, but you were rude toCousin Ruth and horrid to Jack, and if I were in their places I wouldn'tspeak to you."

  The light from the big porch lantern shone full on Jim's strong,sun-tanned face. Jean and Ruth were both surprised at the change in hisexpression, for suddenly he looked like a repentant boy. "I say, Jean,do tell Jack for me that I am awfully sorry I was such a beast to herto-night," he pleaded. "Tell her I really didn't think for a minute thatshe meant any interference by her question. I was a bit upset and I----"

  Jean shook her head severely. "I shall not apologize to Jack for you,Jim Colter, so you just needn't ask me," she answered cruelly. "You werea wretch to her and you've hurt her feelings dreadfully. You can do yourown apologizing."

  "But I won't see Jack again to-night, Jean, and I can't have her go tobed thinking hardly of me," Jim expostulated.

  Jean glanced up at him demurely. She was an artful young person and ithad just occurred to her that it might be a good idea to get Mr. Colterunder her thumb by doing him a favor. She had n
ot been able to speak toRuth and Jim of her plan for the summer that evening, but she was onlyawaiting an opportunity.

  "If I make up with Jack for you, Jim, will you promise to listen tosomething we have to tell you in the morning and not say it is utterlyimpossible before you even _know_ what it is?" Jean demanded.

  Jim groaned, though his eyes twinkled. "Go to bed, Jean Bruce. I'll notmake you any rash promise, for there is no telling what you mean to letme in for," he answered.

  Jean gave her head a toss. "Oh, very well, Jim; just as you like," sheagreed suavely. "Only I suppose you saw poor Jack was crying when shewent indoors, and she doesn't cry once in a thousand years, so I am sureshe will have a headache in the morning and not be able to speak toyou."

  "I surrender, Jean," Jim replied meekly, holding up both hands. "I willlisten to anything you have to say in the morning if you will make mypeace with Jack to-night. I must have hurt her feelings if she wascrying, for I have seen her nearly kill herself a dozen times and nevershed a tear."

  The last of Mr. Colter's speech was addressed to Miss Drew alone, forJean, having gotten her own way, had hurried Frieda off to bed.

  Jim sank down comfortably on the porch steps and took off his bigStetson, as though he did not mean to leave just yet. Ruth yawnedopenly once or twice, but still her guest showed no intention of going.She frowned at him coldly, but he was not looking at her.

  Jim had sent an emissary to make his peace with Jack; but he had made nopretense of apologizing to her, and every bit of Ruth's New Englandpride was up in arms. Yet there was no doubt that Jim did look veryhandsome as he lingered on the steps in the moonlight. Ruth tried toconvince herself that it was only his western costume that waspicturesque, the soft shirt with the loose handkerchief knotted at thethroat.

  "I don't want you to think, Miss Drew, that Jack and I have everquarreled before about who was the boss of this ranch," Jim explainedregretfully. "To tell you the truth, I am a good deal worried aboutsomething and it has turned me into a bear." Jim rose up, smiling gentlyat Ruth. "I expect I had better be going," he said. "I am sorry I wasrude to you too to-night, but I will wear sackcloth and ashes withpleasure to-morrow if you will only forgive me, and I can find themanyways handy about the ranch." Jim laughed and bent over, suddenlytaking Ruth's hand in his to say good night, and she could but wonder ifit was because he was so big and strong that he held it in such a tightgrip.