The Ranch Girls' Pot of Gold

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER XX

  FRANK AND JACK

  "Olive, Frank, Jean, what's the use of being a professional invalid ifI'm to be shamefully neglected?" a gay voice called, and JacquelineRalston, who was propped up in a big steamer chair on the porch of therancho, banged the book she had been reading violently against therailing. A bright colored Mexican shawl covered her knees, she wore ared rose stuck carelessly in her hair, and the verandah on which she wasenthroned was like a Spanish, American and Italian curiosity shop. Itsrough wooden floor was overlaid with many varieties of Indian blankets,its walls were decorated with arrows, old pistols, a splendid pipe-rackof carved wood filled with discarded pipes, and the skins of wildanimals. Every treasure possessed by the cowboys at the rancho had beenbrought forth to make an outdoor living room for "the boss," which hadalways been their title of affection for their youthful employer. Twobeautiful Spanish crepe shawls were draped artistically over the back ofJack's chair. Years before they had been purchased by two of the boys atthe rancho from some Spanish peddlers and now, much to Jack's regret,they insisted that the shawls form a part of her porch decoration. On atable near the invalid sat a big Indian basket of sunflowers, another oforanges and grapes; a pile of magazines, which Frank Kent had riddenmany miles to find, lay near a box of candy from Elizabeth Harmon and avase of red roses sent by Peter Drummond all the way from California.And yet Jack was feeling aggrieved.

  The ranch girls had been for little more than a week at the rancho. Thethird day after their arrival their old friend Frank Kent had appeared,refusing to be kept away any longer. He had expected to find a place toboard in the neighborhood so that he could drive over each day to seethe girls, but Jim had stored him away in one of the tents, saying hethought it good for the son "of a noble lord" to try roughing it, butreally knowing that it would give Frank great pleasure to be with them.And until this morning Frank had never gotten without the sound ofJack's voice if he thought there was any possibility of her needing him.

  Jack was already much better and able to sit up with something to act asa brace behind her; she had more color and was beginning to be her oldimpatient self. Early in the day she had persuaded Ruth to ride out overthe ranch with Jim. Ruth was tired, having unpacked and settled them atthe rancho, and, besides, Jack was bored with Jim for being so slow incoming to the point with Ruth and wanted to give him another chance. Sheand Jean had been dreadfully disappointed that nothing had happened ontheir caravan trip, but Jack had not expected, when Ruth left her, to bedeserted by the other ranch girls and Frank, for they had been givenstrict orders to stay at home and amuse her.

  There were no trees to be seen from the front of the rancho as therewere at the Lodge, but Jack could feast her eyes on the wide stretchesof her beloved plains and see the cattle grazing in the last crop ofalfalfa grass, which grows in fullest abundance in late August and isthe color of amethyst. No human being was in sight but Carlos, who wasplaying with a rough, gray-furred animal that looked like a cross andovergrown puppy. It was the baby wolf Carlos had found in the woods onthe day he deserted Jack at the gold mine. The boy had desired tointroduce it as a member of the caravan family, but, as it had not beenfound a cheerful traveling companion, Jim had shipped it home to therancho and the cowboys had been amusing themselves with it. It growledand snapped and bit at everybody who came within reach of its chain, butin queer, silent Carlos it recognized a master spirit in the kinship ofthe wilderness and played with the boy in a perfectly tame and friendlyway, as though he were its big brother.

  "Come here, Carlos," Jack cried, "and please tell me what has become ofeverybody. There doesn't seem to be a soul around the place except you."

  "I was told to stay near you," Carlos answered obediently. "Miss Jeansaid they were just homesick for a sight of the ranch and were going fora little walk. They would be back before you could miss them, for thetwo ladies from Rainbow Lodge are coming to see you. They should havecome before so long a time."

  "How did the girls and Mr. Kent get away without my knowing?" Jackdemanded wrathfully.

  "By the trail that leads from the back door," Carlos returned calmly,and then as Jack seemed to have no more questions to ask, he returned toplaying with his wolf dog.

  Jack's face clouded and she sighed mournfully.

  "How beastly selfish of everybody to leave me alone!" she thoughtangrily. "Ruth and Jim would be awfully cross if they knew. Of courseMrs. Harmon and Elizabeth are nice and sympathetic, but I don't feel asthough I wanted to see them to-day. Beth isn't half so difficult as sheused to be and is ever so much stronger, but she will talk about ouraccident all the time and Mrs. Harmon looks like she wanted to cry everytime she glances at me. Oh, dear me, how I do hate to be pitied--it isalmost the hardest thing I have to bear! I wonder if I ever will getused to it." And Jack put her thin hands, from which the brown strengthhad faded, over her flushed cheeks. "Anyhow, I am glad Jim has promisedto wait a little longer before he sells any part of our ranch to theHarmons, though he says Mr. Harmon has offered him more money if we willmake up our minds at once. I suppose if I don't get a lot better prettysoon I will have to give up in the end and let Jim sell, since everybodywants to except me and I know they want to do it on my account."

  For a few minutes Jack tried to find solace in the pages of herdiscarded book, but she sighed so heavily that the leaves fluttered.

  "It's the dullest thing I ever read in my life," she said resentfully."How I hate stories about wooden girls, who never have adventures orexcitement in their lives, but just go to sewing circles and nice littlepicnics, where grown people preach to them about feminine ideals! It'slike that tiresome poem, 'Be good, sweet maid, and let who will beclever,'--as though one couldn't be good and clever too! There is nospecial glory in being good just because you are dull, and I sha'n't beany longer," Jack announced, flinging her book against the wall of therancho with all the force she could muster.

  "What's the matter, Jack?" Frank Kent asked, suddenly appearing around acorner of the house. "Do you wish anything?"

  Jack had the grace to laugh at herself, though her eyes were filledwith tears. "No, there is nothing really the matter, Frank. I am not inpain nor anything like that," she answered, "so you need not look sosympathetic. I have just been feeling sorry for myself because all ofyou were wicked enough to take a walk about the dear old ranch when Icould not go with you. And I used to think Elizabeth Harmon dreadfullysilly when she was cross or complained. You see, I am finding out it ismuch easier to preach than to practice."

  "Why, Jack, you didn't think we would be horrid enough to desert you,"Frank protested. "It is rather my fault that you have been by yourselfthis long. Jean and Olive and I talked things over and thought it wouldbe all right, so I sent them off for a walk with Donald Harmon and Islipped up to the Lodge and borrowed Elizabeth's cart. How would youlike to drive down to Rainbow Creek and see if we can find the others?"Frank suggested casually, as though his request was a perfectly ordinaryone.

  Jack stared at him in amazement, her face radiant with pleasure, andthen she shook her head nervously. She never had been farther than thefront porch since her arrival at the rancho and now felt afraid to makethe attempt.

  "I don't think I dare try it, Frank," she returned wearily.

  "All right. What shall we do--read or play cards or just talk?" hedemanded cheerfully.

  "Just talk," Jack answered. "Isn't it dreadful, Frank, but I have neverliked sitting-still things in my life, reading or sewing or quiet games.Maybe my being sick will give me a chance to improve my mind," she addedmore courageously, seeing a shadow cross Frank's face.

  At this moment Elizabeth Harmon's low governess cart drawn by a smallranch pony and driven by Uncle Zack came trotting down the road whichled from the Lodge to the rancho.

  "Come along, Jack, do. I'll take good care of you," Frank urged. "UncleZack and I can lift you in the cart and make you comfortable and it willdo you lots of good to see the old creek and find out that you can getabout the ranch even
in this poor way."

  "You are awfully good, Frank," Jack said gratefully, sitting upstraighter than usual, so that one of her sofa cushions slid out on thefloor. Uncle Zack had stopped the pony in front of the porch, gottenout, and Carlos was holding it. Jack put out both arms toward Frank andUncle Zack as naturally as a child, though a few weeks before there wasnothing she felt she needed anyone's help to do. "Put me in the cart,"she begged wistfully. "I am sure it won't hurt me and I'd rather see thesun glisten like gold on Rainbow Creek than any other sight in theworld."

  Frank drove slowly across a bridge that had been recently built overRainbow Creek and along the path on the opposite side, where the girlsused so often to ride. The sun was shining and the muddy water looked toJack's adoring and homesick eyes like a stream of pure gold. Carlos saton the floor of the cart and Jack was arranged like an Indian princesson one of the long side seats with her shawls and cushions around her.

  "Oh, my goodness!" Jack said suddenly and turned so white that Frankreined in his pony and looked almost as pale as his companion.

  "You don't feel ill, Jack, please say you don't," he begged boyishly,"or Mr. Colter and Miss Ruth will never forgive me for running off withyou like this. We can go right back home now if you like."

  Jack shook her head, smiling. "Oh, no, there is nothing the matter. I amjust beautifully comfortable and happier than I have been in a longtime," she insisted. "But I was thinking that one morning Olive and Jeanand I were riding along here, and over by the big rock we saw the fellowcalled 'Gypsy Joe' washing some stones and gravel in the creek. Therewas nothing so remarkable in his performance, but the thought of himreminded me of the fortune his mother told me the day before. The oldgypsy did not like me and said I was so independent I was going to beforced to depend on other people. It is silly of me to think she couldhave had a premonition of my accident, isn't it? Have you seen this'Gypsy Joe' around the ranch since you have been here, Frank?" Jackended.

  "Yes, twice. I believe Mr. Colter intends to look him up to-day and makehim clear out. Suppose we rest here a while. Perhaps the girls may comealong this way," Frank replied.

  "Frank, there is the very pan 'Gypsy Joe' used when he was hunting forgold in our creek," Jack explained, pointing ahead. "Do get it for me.It's battered and ancient enough to look as though it belonged to theiron age and I'd like to see it."

  Glad to see Jack taking an interest in little things again, Frank Kenthopped obediently out of the cart, giving the reins to Carlos.

  "Climb into the rock there where it splits in two and forms a ravine andsee if it's a golden treasure house, as the story books say," Jacksuggested carelessly.

  Picking up the old pan, the young man clambered easily into the openledge of rock and got down on his knees among the bits of gravel andloose earth. The sun must have been shining more brilliantly on RainbowCreek to-day than it ever shone on the rainbow rocks of the YellowstonePark, for Frank imagined he could see tiny yellow veins running likethreads through the big, gray rock and grains of golden dust mixed withthe sand and pebbles in the crevices.

  Jack laughed as she saw him hammering off small pieces of the rock withthe end of his pocket knife. "Got the gold microbe too, Frank? Come on,don't let's wait any longer," she begged.

  "THERE IS GOLD IN RAINBOW CREEK, JACK!"]

  Apparently Frank Kent, who was a cool, clear-headed fellow, lost hismind, for he paid not the least attention to his companion, but filledhis pan with bits of stone, sand and gravel from the big rock andmarched to the edge of the creek. Quietly he held the pan on a levelwith the surface of the water and let it gradually sink until it filledwith water; then he lifted it out, tipped it to one side and, as far asJack could see from the cart, spilled all the water, mud and sand, socarefully collected, on the ground.

  "Please hurry, Frank," Jack called, crossly this time. "I am gettingtired and want to go back home."

  When the young man returned to her he held out the tin pan she hadwished for a souvenir, with an expression so unusual that the girlstared at him.

  "What is it, for goodness' sake, Frank?" she demanded petulantly. Theneven her indifferent eyes beheld small particles of a yellow metalclinging to the bottom of the old tin pan.

  "There is gold in Rainbow Creek, Jack!" Frank remarked with the quietself-control she once disliked in him. "I don't know how much, ofcourse, and it may be in such small quantities that it will amount tonothing. We must not get too excited, but I have not been studying goldmining in Colorado all summer without learning something about it. Let'sdon't say anything of our discovery just yet. I will take you home nowand come back this afternoon to see what I can find out. If RainbowCreek is bringing gold down from the mountains back of it or gatheringit from the rocks and soil along its shores you may be able to do someplacer mining that will make you richer than your wildest dreams."

  The two young people hardly dared speak of their hopes on their drive tothe rancho, and Carlos was solemnly sworn to secrecy. They were bothexcited, but Frank feared he had done wrong in agitating Jack before hewas sure of his discovery, and Jack dared not trust herself to think ofwhat the finding of gold on their ranch might mean in its effect ontheir future.

  As soon as Jack was safe at home with Olive, Jean and Frieda, Frankdisappeared. At supper time he had not come back to the rancho; theevening wore on until it was the hour for the invalid to be put to bed,and still he had not come. Jack was feeling sure that Frank had made amistake and glad they had kept their idea to themselves so that no oneshould share their disappointment, when the door of the small sittingroom at the rancho opened and Frank Kent walked quietly in. His firstglance was for Jack, and his face was so pale and serious the othersfeared some misfortune.

  The living room of the rancho was an odd place and yet a fitting one forFrank's disclosure. The room was small, of rough pine boards, withbright chromos and photographs of famous horses tacked on its walls. Thechairs were worn and the other odd bits of furniture as primitive aspossible. But to-night a bright fire glowed in the big fireplace. Jacklay on an old leather lounge with a rose-colored shawl draped over her,Jean sat at her feet, and Frieda and Olive were on sofa cushions beforethe fire. Jim was smoking comfortably in the corner, his face almost inshadow, yet wearing an expression of happiness that glowed like an innerradiance. His eyes were fixed on Ruth, though she alone was restlessto-night and kept flitting about on unnecessary errands, with her cheeksdeeply flushed from her long day out of doors.

  Frank walked directly up to Jim Colter.

  "Mr. Colter," he announced without wasting time, "I find you have goldon the Rainbow Ranch. I have been examining the bed of your creek allafternoon and as far as I can tell it is encrusted with fine particlesof gold. I don't want you to trust to my judgment, but I do want you tosend immediately for some one who knows more of placer mining than I do,for I believe we are on the verge of a great discovery."

  All of the girls, except Jack, laughed and Ruth shrugged her shoulders.

  "The thing is quite impossible, Frank!" Ruth argued. "I don't mean todoubt your word, but Mr. Colter could not have lived on the ranch allthese years without finding out whether there was gold in the creek."

  "Oh, yes, I could, Ruth," Jim answered slowly. "I told you I didn't knowa chunk of gold from a lump of mud. I--" Jim always talked slowly, butto-night it seemed as though his words would never come--"I ain't one togo off half cocked and I'm a pretty hard fellow to convince of goodluck, but I believe what Kent has found out is true. I have beenpuzzling my brains ever since we come home to know why this man Harmonis so anxious to buy our ranch that he will give almost any price for itand why he has had Joe Dawson hanging around here all summer. Seems likeI kind'er guess now. Dawson found the gold lode and Harmon thought itwould be a good business to buy the ranch and take his chances onstriking it rich before we got on to things. Girls, you've got to takeMr. Kent's advice and keep this discovery a secret until we find out forsure if there is enough gold on the ranch for us to get happy." Jimlowered
his voice. "Who can we send for to investigate for us, whom wecan trust with our secret?"

  "Ralph Merrit," Jean suggested.

  "Ralph Merrit, the very man!" Jim replied instantly. "Who would havethought of your having so much practical sense, Jean? But don't getexcited over this business, for heaven's sake, don't get excited," herepeated, charging up and down the room like a lion. "I tell you all isnot gold that glitters and there is many a slip between----"

  "The creek and the lip, Jim," Jean ended roguishly, and everybodylaughed and went away to dream; Ruth and Jim of something even moreimportant than the discovery of a gold mine.