CHAPTER XXVII
ILLUMINATION
The binders were clanking through the wheat when I next met Haldane atCrane Valley. Having embarked upon his new career with characteristicenergy, he rode over from Bonaventure with his daughter to watch ourharvesting, and incidentally came near bewildering me with hisquestions. Some of them were hard to answer, and I felt a trace ofirritation, as well as surprise, that a few hours' observation shouldenable him to hit upon the best means of overcoming difficulties whichhad cost me months of experimenting to discover.
Thorn, I remember, stared at him in wonder, and afterwards observed:"You and I have just got to keep on trying until we find out the bestway of fixing things, and if our way's certain, it's often expensive.That man just chews on his cigar, and it comes to him. When I take up mylocated land and get worried about the money, I'm going to trycigar-smoking."
"You will have considerably less of it if you experiment with the brandthat Haldane keeps," I answered, jerking the lines, and my binder rolledon again behind the weary team. When each minute was worth a silvercoin, we dare not spare the beasts, and I had worn out four of them inas many days, and then sat almost nodding in the driving seat, with adeep sense of satisfaction in my heart which I was too tired to express.
Oat sheaves ridging the bleached prairie blazed in yellow ranks beforemy heavy eyes, and each heave of the binder's arms flung out behind me atruss of golden wheat. The glare was blinding, for we worked under thefull heat of a scorching afternoon, as we had done, and would do, by thepale light of the moon. Thick dust rolled about us, clogging my lashesand fouling the coats of the beasts, while the crackle of the flintystems, the rasp of shearing knives, the rhythm of trampling hoofs, andthe clink of metal throbbing harmoniously through the drowsy heat, wereflung back by other machines at work across the grain. There is,however, a limit to human powers, and I must have been drivingmechanically, and nearly asleep, when a clicking warned me that it wastime to fit another spool of twine. I remember that during the operationI envied the endurance of the soulless, but otherwise almost human,machine.
Steel came up with his binder before it was completed, a creak and thudand tinkle swelling in musical crescendo as the jaded team loomed nearerthrough the dust. There was a flash of varnished wood that rose andfell, and twinkling metal, and I saw the driver sitting stiffly withhands, that were almost blackened, clenched on the lines, peeringstraight before him out of half-closed eyes, while the moisture that ranfrom his forehead washed copper-tinted channels through the grime. Itwas by an effort he held himself to his task; but that was nothingunusual, for the prairie does not yield up her riches lightly, and bythe golden wake he left behind him the effort was justified. The earthhad been fruitful that season, and harvest had not failed; while, havingsown in deep dejection, uncertain who would reap, it was a small thingto strain one's strength to the utmost to gather the bounteous yield. Wewere already free, and every revolution of the binder's arms set us somuch farther on the road to prosperity.
Twice I jerked the lines, but the team stood still; and I was preparingto encourage them more vigorously, when Haldane and his daughterapproached. Both had insisted on my leaving them to their own devices,and now Lucille appeared to regard the beasts and myselfcompassionately.
"They look very tired, and they have done so much," she said, glancingdown the long rows of piled-up grain. "Is not that sufficient to justifyyour resting a little?"
"I am afraid not," I answered with a somewhat rueful smile. "You see,prosperity has made us greedy, while all the grain cut up to the presentbelongs to Lane."
The girl looked indignant--Haldane thoughtful. "I have been wonderingwhether you would feel inclined to contest his claim for the balance ofthe debt," he said. "Considering that he has taken from you twice thevalue of his loan, and the story in Miss Redmond's book, you might beethically and legally justified."
"No," I said. "I made the bargain, and I intend to keep my part of it.That accomplished, I shall have the fewer scruples about using everyeffort to utterly crush the man. All we cut henceforward is my own, andI can only repeat that I should be glad to devote every bushel to helpforward his defeat."
"I think you are right," said Lucille Haldane, with a trace of pride inher approval, though her eyes were mischievous as she continued: "It is,however, unfortunate you are so very busy, because, as father is riding,and as the team are a little wild, we hoped you would drive them homefor me."
I climbed down from the iron saddle, shouting to Steel, and Lucillesmiled demurely. "We could not tear you away from that machine when youwould grudge every minute," she said. "Remember that Bonaventure is along way off, and, even if we allowed it, you could hardly return beforeto-morrow."
I nevertheless fancied she was pleased at my eagerness, and, for Haldanehad passed on, I felt suddenly oppressed by the recognition of what Iowed her. Yet had it been possible I should not have lightened the debt.I looked down at her gravely, noticing how young and fresh and slendershe seemed--bright as the blaze of sunshine in which she stood--and thenI pointed towards the long ranks of sheaves and the sea of stately ears.
"I am not in the least inconsistent, and should not be if every momentwere thrice as precious," I said. "I remember most plainly that you gaveme all this. Strange as it may seem, it is, nevertheless, perfectlytrue."
The girl blushed prettily, and then glanced from me towards the tiredhorses and the standing machine, after which her eyes rested withapproval on the stalwart form of Thorn, who came up urging on hisplodding team.
"It would be something to be proud of, if one could believe you,Rancher; but I am not wholly pleased with the last part of the speech,"she said, with a faint, half-mocking inclination of the head. "I canguess what you are thinking, and you are a trifle slow to learn. Womenare very well in their own place, are they not? However, you find itperplexing when they will not stay there, but, because some of them growtired of breathing incense, they descend and interfere in masculineaffairs. It is truly strange that there should be more forces in theworld than those centered in big dusty men and splendid horses!"
"You must be a witch; but I am learning by degrees," I said. And thegirl laughed merrily.
"You have not progressed very far, to judge by the comparison. Witcheswere usually pictured as malevolent, old, and ugly."
"I meant a beneficent fairy; but the surprise was not quite unnatural,"I said. "Who could suspect in such a slender and fragile person thepower she possesses to banish gloom and poverty? Legions of men andhorses could not accomplish so much."
"Now you go too far in the opposite direction," and my companion shookher head. "It is the sense of balance you need."
The sun-blaze turned the clustered hair under her wide hat into thelikeness of burnished gold--the gold of our own Northwest, with acoppery warmth in it--but the light in her hazel eyes eclipsed itsbrilliancy. The lithe figure fitted its gorgeous background of yellowradiancy, and again I felt all my pulses quicken as I paid Haldane'sdaughter silent homage. Magnificent as the wheat, alike to eye andunderstanding, when one remembered its mission, her presence seemed thecrown and complement of all that splendid field. It was hard to refrainfrom telling her so, and possibly my voice was not pitched quite in itsnormal key when I said: "It is short of the truth, but there is just onething I should like to know, and that is whether any other motive thanpure benevolence prompted you."
"Why?"
Then I answered boldly: "Because it would be worth the rest to fancythat in some small measure it was due to individual goodwill towardsRancher Ormesby."
The girl looked away from me across the grain, and, as she turned herhead, it was with a thrill of pleasure, which may not have been whollyartistic, that I noticed the polished whiteness of her neck and adainty, pink-tinted little ear that peeped out from the clusters of herhair. Then she laughed, perhaps at Thorn, who argued quaintly, ifforcibly, with his reluctant beasts, and turned to me.
"If you desire another motive, you may conclude,
as you heard before,that it was love of justice; which really ought to satisfy you."
"It is a creditable one," I answered. "But I fear that it does not."
We left Crane Valley shortly, Haldane on horseback, hisdaughter--because something had gone wrong with the Bonaventurevehicle--beside me in our light wagon, which, if it in no way resembledthe cumbrous contrivance bearing that name in England, was, I wasuneasily conscious, by no means overclean. On the way we met thethreshers, and stronger teams hauling the machines towards Crane Valley,for our threshing is done mostly in the field. We stopped to bid themhurry, and Haldane, learning they had met Gordon, whom he desired tosee, bade us proceed while he looked for the rancher. I was not sorry todo so, and accordingly it was without him that we approached the dip tothe Sweetwater hollow.
The afternoon was waning, and the air very still. The tiny birch leaveshad ceased their whispering; but the sound of running water camemusically out of their cool shadow. All the winding valley was rolled ingreen, an oasis of verdure in the sweep of white-bleached prairie; and,pulling the team up between the first of the slender trunks, I pointeddown towards the half-seen lane of sliding water.
"I might never have known you if it had not been for a trifling accidentby yonder willow clump," I said. "I remember your sister suggested thatvery night that our meeting might be the first scene of a drama, and,considering all that has happened since then, her prediction has provedstrangely accurate."
Lucille Haldane nodded. "It is a coincidence that I was thinking of thesame thing, and wondering, now that the play must be drawing towards itsclose, what the end will be. The meeting must, however, have beenunlucky for you, because all your troubles date from that beginning."
"And my privileges," I answered, smiling. "The present is at least ahappy augury. When I met Boone beside the river there was not a leaf onthe birches, and their branches were moaning under a blast which makesone shiver from mere recollection. Remember the harvest at Crane Valley,and look down on yonder shining water and cool greenery. It was you whobrought us the sunshine, and even the memory of the dark days is nowmelting like that night's snow."
"That is exaggerated sentiment, and I have heard invertebrate youths inthe cities say such things more neatly," commented the girl, with an airof mock severity, and then glanced dreamily into the hollow; while, assilence succeeded, fate sent a little sting-fly to take a part--as, toconfound man's contriving, trifles often do--in ending the play. Theteam were ill-broken broncos which had already given me trouble, andwhen the fly bored with envenomed proboscis through the hide of one, thebeast flung up his head and kicked savagely.
The reins which I held loosely were whisked away, and before it waspossible to recover them both horses had bolted. The light wagon lurchedgiddily, and the next moment it swept like a toboggan down thedeclivity.
"Hold fast!" I shouted, leaning recklessly down; and the first shock ofenervating consternation vanished when I gripped the reins. Still, therewas cold fear at my heart when, bracing both feet against thewagon-front, I strove uselessly to master the team. The brutes' mouthsseemed made of iron, impervious to the bit; the slope was long andsteep; birches and willows straggled athwart it everywhere; and the soilwas treacherous. I could not break them from the gallop, and not daringto risk the sharp bends of the zigzag trail, I let them go straight forthe slide of water in the bottom of the hollow.
It was not the first time I had been run away with. A fall from astumbling horse or a wagon upset is a very common and, considering thehalf-tamed beasts we use, by no means surprising accident in ourcountry; but at first it was only by a fierce effort I shook off analmost overmastering terror as I contemplated the danger to mycompanion. I hazarded one glance at her and saw that her face was whiteand set, then dare look at nothing but the reeling trees ahead. Istrained every sinew to swing the team clear of them. Sometimes thebeasts responded, sometimes they did not, and it was by a miracle thetrunks went by. The wagon bounced more wildly, the slope grew steeper,and even if I could have checked the team this would only haveprecipitated a catastrophe. So, helpless, I clung to the reins until theend came suddenly.
Several birches barred our way; the brutes would swerve neither to rightnor to left; and with a hoarse shout of warning I strove desperately tohold them straight for the one passage, wondering whether there was roomenough in the narrow gap between the trunks. It was immediately evidentthat there was not. Simultaneously with a heavy shock, the wagonappeared to dissolve beneath me and I was hurled bodily into the air.Fortunately I alighted upon soft ground, headforemost, and perhaps, forthat reason, escaped serious injury. It is possible that, in differentcircumstances, I might have lain still partly stupefied, or spent sometime in ascertaining whether any bones had broken; but, as it was, Isprang to the overturned wagon, breathless with fear.
Lucille Haldane lay, mercifully, just clear of it, a pitiful whitefigure, and my heart stood still as I bent over her. She was pale andlimp as a crushed lily, and as beautiful; and it was with awe I droppedon one knee beside her. There was no sign of any breathing, coldnessseemed to emanate from her waxlike skin, and though I had seen manyaccidents, I dare scarcely venture to lay a finger on the slacklythrobbing artery in her wrist. Then I groaned aloud, borne down with anoverwhelming grief, for with the suddenness of a lightning flash I knewthe words spoken but such a little while ago had been more than true. Itwas she who had brought all the sunshine and sweetness into my life.Reason and power of action returned with the knowledge, and I startedfor the river at a breathless run, smashing savagely through everycluster of dwarf willows which barred my way, filled my hat with thecold water, and, returning, dashed it on her face. The action appearedbrutal, but terror was stronger than any sentimental fancies then, and Idare neglect no chance with that precious life at stake.
The slender form moved a little, and it was with relief unspeakable Iheard a fluttering sigh; then I raised the wet head upon my knee, andfell to chafing the cold hands vigorously. The time may have been fiveminutes, or less, but I had never spent such long days in my life asthose seconds while I waited, quivering in every limb, for some furthersign of returning animation. It was very still in the hollow, and thesong of the hurrying water maddened me. Its monotonous cadence mightdrown the faint breathing for which I listened with such intensity. Evenin that space of agony two other incidents flashed through my memory,and I understood my fear during the dark voyage, and on the moonlitnight when the cars lurched across the bridge. Life would be very emptyif the breath died out of that tender, shaken body.
The suspense was mercifully ended. Lucille Haldane half opened her eyes,and looked up at me without recognition, closed them, and caught at herbreath audibly, while I held her hands fast in a restraining grasp.Then, as she looked up again, the blood came back, mantling the clearskin, and she said, brokenly: "I fell out of the wagon, did I not? Howlong have I been here?--and my head is wet. I--I must get up."
I still held one hand fast; but, stooping, slipped one arm beneath hershoulder and raised her a little. "You must wait another few momentsfirst."
The girl appeared reluctant, but made no resistance, and when finally Iraised her to her feet I found it was necessary to lean against a birchtrunk to hide the fit of trembling that seized me.
"I am not much hurt," she said; and my voice broke as I interjected:"Thank God for it!"
I fancied that Lucille Haldane, shaken as she was, flashed a swiftsidelong glance at me, and that the returning color did not diminish inher cheek; then she said hurriedly: "Yes, I am not hurt, but I see thehorses yonder, and you had better make sure of them. We are still somedistance from home."
I turned without further speech, and found the vicious brutes, which hadbroken the wagon-pole, held fast by the tangled gear which had fouled afallen tree. It was almost with satisfaction I saw the bolter had lamedhimself badly. There was a change in Lucille Haldane when I led themback. She had recovered her faculties, but not her old frankfriendliness, and said, almost sharply: "The wagon
is useless. What doyou propose to do?"
"To fold up the rug in the box and make some kind of saddle for you," Isaid, and proceeded to do so, cutting up the gear, which was almost new,so recklessly that my companion seemed even then surprised.
"Do you know that you are destroying a good many dollars' worth ofharness?" she asked.
"It would not greatly matter if I spoiled a dozen sets so long as youreached home safely, and it is a very small fine for my carelessness," Ianswered. "I should never have forgiven myself if you had been injured;but are you--quite--sure that you are none the worse?"
"I do not think I am much the better," said the girl. "Still, I am notbadly hurt, and it was not your fault."
Though still languid in her movements, she seemed chary of acceptingmuch assistance when I helped her into the improvised saddle, and then,because the other horse was useless, I waded through the ford with myhand on the bridle. It was some distance to Bonaventure, and mycompanion was not communicative, but I did not find the silence irksome.Conflicting emotions would have made me slow of speech, and I wascontent with the fact that she rode beside me whole in limb andunspoiled in beauty. Indeed, so much had the sight of her lying whiteand apparently lifeless impressed me that I cast many apprehensiveglances in her direction before I could convince myself that all waswell.
Haldane, who overtook us, desired me to remain at Bonaventure; but everypair of hands was needed at Crane Valley, and I wished for solitude. So,stiffly mounting a borrowed horse, I set off homeward across theprairie. I had risen at three that morning, after an insufficient rest,and was worn out in body, but clear in mind, for a time, at least, whilethe brilliancy of the starshine and the silence of the waste helped meto think. I was by turns thankful, ashamed, dejected, and eager toclutch at an elusive hope. Illumination had followed disillusion, and Iknew at last that even while I was uplifted by vain imaginings, LucilleHaldane had, little by little, and unwittingly, extended her dominionover my heart. I had, it seemed, spent the best years of my lifestriving after an unattainable and shadowy ideal, while perhaps the realliving substance, endowed with the best of all pertaining to flesh andblood, lay within my grasp. It was true that the mistress of Bonaventurewas much too good for me; but with all her graces she was of like fiberto us, and her few weaknesses rendered her more desirable in proof ofthe fact. That Beatrice Haldane was worthy of all adulation remainedequally true; but it was hard to comprehend how, blinded by folly, I hadmistaken the respect I paid her for the warm tide of passion which nowpulsed through me. Neither was the latter of sudden origin, for, lookingback, I could see how, little by little, and imperceptibly, admiration,gratitude, and tenderness, had merged into it until terror opened myeyes and full understanding came at last.
There remained, however, one burning question--did Lucille Haldane, inany degree, reciprocate what I felt?--and this lacked an answer. Knowingher generous nature, it was clear that what she had done for me had notbeen done wittingly for a lover; but, on the other hand, I could recallmany trifles which may have had their significance. Thus alternate hopesand fears surged through my brain until, when I had decided that, beingyet a poor man, I must wait the advent of the railroad, at least, beforeputting my fate to the test, my thoughts commenced to wander, and I musthave guided the horse mechanically, for his sudden stopping roused mewith a jerk to recognize the corral at Crane Valley. There is a limitbeyond which no emotion may galvanize into continued activity theexhausted body, and we not infrequently reach it on the prairie. I donot know whether I was asleep or awake when I led the beast into thestable, but the sun was high when Sally Steel roused me from a couch oftrampled hay unpleasantly near his feet.
"You have had a tolerable sleep, and don't seem particular where youcamp," she said. "Come right along, and do your best with the secondbreakfast I've got waiting."
I glanced with consternation at my watch. "Why didn't one of the otherswaken me? Do you know it's ten o'clock, Sally?" I asked.
"Just because I wouldn't let them! You've got to last through harvest,anyway, and I guess Miss Haldane wouldn't have much use for a deadman," said Sally, and was retiring with mischievous laughter, when Irecalled her.
"You have been too good a friend to me to make such jokes again," Isaid.
"I'm not the only one. All the folks are talking," said the girl.
Thereupon I answered grimly: "If I hear any of them amusing themselvesin that fashion I shall do my best to choke them."
The Mistress of Bonaventure Page 27
