The Gringos

by B. M. Bower

  CHAPTER XXV

  ADIOS

  The sun was sliding past the zenith when Jack yawned himself awake. Helay frowning at the ceiling as if he were trying to remember something,sat up when recollection came, and discovered that Dade was already upand getting into his jacket.

  "Dade, let's go back to the mine," he suggested abruptly, reaching forhis boots. "You aren't crazy about this job here, are you? I know youdidn't want to take it, at first."

  "And I know you bullied me into it," Dade retorted, with some acrimony.He had danced until his feet burned with fatigue, and there was thereaction from a month of worry to roughen his mood. Also, he had yet todigest the amazing fact that the sight of Teresita had not hurt him sovery much--not one quarter as much as he had expected it would do. Now,here was Jack proposing to leave, just when staying would be ratheragreeable!

  "Well--but times have changed, since then. I'm ready to go." Jackpulled on a boot and stamped his foot snugly into it. "What's more, I'mgoing!"

  "You'll eat, first, won't you?"

  Jack passed over the sarcasm. "No, sir, I won't. I'm not going toswallow another mouthful on this ranch. I held myself down till thatdamned fiesta was over, because I didn't want folks to say I was scaredoff. But now--I'm going, just as quick as the Lord'll let me get asaddle on that yellow mustang."

  "Why, you--"

  "Why, I nothing! I'm going. If you want to go along, you can; but Iwon't drag you off by the heels. You can suit yourself." He stampedhimself into the other boot, went over and splashed cold water into hiseyes and upon his head, shook off the drops that clung to his hair, madea few violent passes with towel and brush, and reached for his sombrero.

  "It's a long ways to ride on an empty stomach," Dade reminded him dryly.

  "We can stop at Jerry Simpson's and eat. That won't be more than a mileor so out of the way." Jack's hand was on the latch.

  "And that yellow horse ain't what you can call trail-broke."

  "He will be, by the time I get to the mine!"

  Dade threw out both hands in surrender. "Oh, well--you darned donkey,give me time to tell Don Andres good-by, anyway."

  Jack's eyes lighted with the smile Dade knew and loved to see. "Dade,they don't make 'em any better than you," he cried, and left the door totry and break a shoulder-blade with the flat of his hand, just to showhis appreciation of such friendship. "Bill Wilson has got enough goldthat he pulled out of the crowd for us yesterday to grub-stake us for agood long while, and--I can't get out of this valley a minute too soonto suit me," he confessed. "You go on and hunt up Don Andres, while Itackle Solano. I'll wait for you--but don't ask me to stay till afterdinner, because I won't do it.

  "We don't want to go off without saying good-by to Jerry and his wife,anyway; and we'll beg a meal from the old Turk, and listen to some moreyarns about Tige, just to show we're friendly. I'll have Surry saddled,so all you've got to do is make your talk to the don and pack yoursocks."

  Dade grinned and followed him outside. "Good thing I'm used to you," hecommented grimly, "or my head would be whirling, right now." Not a word,you will observe, as to whether his own interests would be furthered bythis sudden departure; but that was Dade's way. Not a word about thesudden change from last evening, when Jack had eaten at Don Andres'table and had talked amiably with Jose--amiably in spite of the factthat every one of them understood perfectly that the amiability was butthe flowers of courtesy strewn over a formal--and perhaps atemporary--truce. But Jose was not a fixture upon the ranch, and thedon's friendship for the two seemed unchanged.

  Dade did not argue nor did he question. Barring details, he thought heunderstood why it was that Jack wanted to go--why it was impossible forhim to stay. A girl may be only seventeen and as irresponsible as akitten, but for all that she may play an important part in the makingand the marring of a man's most practical plans.

  When he returned from the house, Don Andres walked beside him. The twoof them reached the corral just as Jack released Solano's foot from therawhide loop that had held it high while Jack cinched the saddle inplace. When Jack saw them he came forward, wiping from his face thebeads of perspiration which the tussle had brought there.

  "Senor Hunter tells me that you are going away," Don Andres began almostat once. "That you are acting wisely I am truly convinced, Senor Allen,though it irks me to say that it is so. For a little time would all bewell, perchance; for as long as your generosity fills the heart of Josewith gratitude, so that no ill will finds room there. But his temper ishot and hasty, as is yours; and with other considerations which one mustface--" He held out his hand for farewell.

  "Adios, Senor. I am indeed sorry that you must leave us," he saidsimply. "Under other circumstance I should urge you to remain; but mylips are sealed, as you well know. Adios, amigo mio. I have liked theewell." He gripped Jack's hand warmly, and turned away. Dade he gave afinal handclasp, and walked slowly back to the house, his proud old headbowed upon his chest.

  Valencia, yawning prodigiously, came forth from the vaqueros' hut andglimpsed them just as Jack was bringing Solano to something like decentbehavior before they started down the slope.

  "Dios!" cried Valencia, and ran to see what was taking place. For whilethe taming of a mustang is something which a man may undertake wheneverthe mood of him impels, the somewhat bulky packages tied behind the highcantles could mean nothing save a journey.

  When they told him, he expostulated with tears in his eyes. He had beennursing since yesterday a secret hope that the blue-eyed one would teachhim that wonderful trick of making a riata climb upward of its ownaccord as if it were a live thing. Beyond that he was genuinelydistressed to see them go, and even threatened to go with them before heyielded finally to the inevitable--remembering Felice, perhaps, and theemptiness of life without her.

  "Senor, should you chance to see that great hombre who whipped Manuel socompletely, you would do well to give the warning. Me, I heard fromRonaldo last night that Manuel spoke many threats against that gringowho had beaten him. Carlos also--and I think they mean ill towards theSenor Seem'son. Me, I thought to ride that way to-morrow and give theword of warning."

  "We're going there now," said Jack, with some difficulty holding theyellow horse quiet, while he shook hands with Valencia. "Adios,Valencia. If you ever come near our mine, remember that what we havewill be yours also."

  "Gracias, gracias--adios--" He stood staring regretfully after them whenthey started erratically down the slope; erratically, because Solanopreferred going backward or sidewise, or straight up and down, to goingforward. They were not two hundred yards away from the stable whenValencia overtook them, having saddled in haste that he might ride withthem for a way.

  "That caballo, he needs two to show him the way, Senors," grinnedValencia, to explain his coming. "Me, I shall help to get him started,and we will say adios farther up the valley, unless the senors desire toride to Senor Seem'son's cabin."

  "That's where we're headed for, believe it or not!" laughed Jack, who atthat moment was going round and round in a circle. "When he gets sodizzy he can't tell up from down, maybe he'll do as I say about goingstraight ahead."

  Eventually Solano did decide to move forward; and he did so at such apace that speedily they reached Jerry's claim and galloped furiously upthe slope to the cabin.

  "Must be asleep," Dade remarked carelessly, when they faced a quiet,straight-hanging bullock hide.

  But when a loud hallo brought no sign, even from Tige, he jumped off andwent to investigate the silence.

  "There ain't a single soul here," he announced, "and that's funny, too.They always leave Tige to watch the place, you know--or they did beforeI went on rodeo."

  "They do yet," said Jack. "Only Mrs. Jerry never goes anywhere. Shestays at home to watch their garden. That's it, over there; her 'truckpatch,' she calls it."

  "Things are all upset here. Get off, Jack, and let's see what's up. Idon't like the looks of things, myself." Dade's face was growing sober.

  Valencia
, on the ground, was helping Jack with Solano. But he turnedsuddenly and cast an uneasy glance towards the quiet log hut.

  "Senors, for these two who live here I am afraid! It is as I told you;that Manuel was speaking threats against the big senor, last night; andhe had drunk much wine, so that he walked not steady. And with Carlosand perhaps one or two others--of that I am not sure--he rode away soonafter dark. Dolt, that I did not tell thee at the time! But I wasdancing much," he confessed, "and the fiesta dance makes drunken thefeet, that they must dance--"

  "Well, tie up that mustang and never mind." Dade was walking aimlesslyabout, looking for something--what, he did not know. "There's tracks allaround, and--" he disappeared behind the cabin.

  In a minute he was calling them, and his tone brought them on the run."Now, what do you make of that?" he wanted to know, and pointed.

  Two fresh mounds of earth, narrow, long--graves, if size and shape meantanything at all. The form of a "T" they made there in the grass; for onewas short and extended across, near one end of the larger one.

  "What do you make of that?" Dade repeated, much lower than before.

  "Senors, evil has been done here. Me, I think--"

  "Don't think! Bring that shovel, over there--see it, by the tree?--anddig. There's one way to find out what it means."

  Valencia did not want to dig into those mounds, but the voice was thatof his majordomo, whom he had for a month obeyed implicitly. He got theshovel and he dug. And since it seemed too bad to make him do all thework, Jack and Dade each took their turn in opening the grave.

  And in that grave they found Mrs. Jerry, wrapped in her faded patchworkquilt, her hands folded at peace, her wistful brown eyes closedsoftly--There was no need to speculate long upon the cause of her death.Her shapeless brown dress was stained dark from throat to waist. Dade,shuddering a little, very gently lifted the hands that were folded;beneath was the hole where the bullet had struck.

  "Dios!" said Valencia, in a whisper.

  They were three white-faced young men who stood there, abashed beforethe tragedy they had uncovered. After a little, they filled the graveagain and stood back, trying to think the thing out and to think it outcalmly. They drew away from the spot, Dade leading.

  "We don't need to open the other one," he said. "That holds Tige, ofcourse. I wonder--"

  "Let's look around out there in the bushes," Jack suggested. "I can seehow the thing must have happened; somebody came and startedshooting--and that rifle he called Jemina, and the two pistols--don'tyou reckon they did some good for themselves?"

  "Probably--if Jerry was here."

  "Man, he must have been here! Who else--" he tilted his head towards thegraves. Surely, no one but Jerry would have buried them so, with Tigelying at the feet of his mistress. And, as Jack presently pointed out,if the shooting had taken place in Jerry's absence, he would certainlyhave notified them at the ranch. And Jack had a swift mental picture ofJerry galloping furiously up to the patio on one of his mules,brandishing his rifle, while he shouted to all around him the news ofthis terrible, unbelievable thing that had befallen him.

  They did not search long before they found plenty of evidence that Jerryhad been there at the time of the trouble. They found Manuel lying onhis back, with his beard clotted and stained red, and his black eyesstaring dully at the sky. Farther along they came upon Carlos, lyingupon his face, with a blood-stained trail behind him in the grass toshow how far he had crawled before death overtook him. But they did notfind Jerry, look where they would.

  In the cabin, where they finally went to search systematically forclews, they found places where the logs had been splintered near theloopholes with bullets from without. A siege it had been, then.

  Jack, more familiar with the interior than either of the others becauseof his frequent visits there with Teresita, missed certain articles; thefrying pan, an iron pot, a few dishes, and the bedding, to be exact.

  So, finally, they decided that Jerry, having had the worst befall him,had buried his dead, packed a few necessary things upon one of themules, mounted the other, and had gone--where? There was no tellingwhere, in that big land. Somewhere into the wilderness, they guessed,where he could be alone with the deadly hurt Fate and his enemies hadgiven him.

  The oxen, when they went outside, came shambling up the slope to the oaktree where they were wont to spend the night near the prairie schoonerthat had been their homing place for many a month. But without a doubtthe mules were gone; otherwise, Jack insisted, they would be near theoxen, as was their gregarious habit.

  "Jerry's gone--pulled out," Jack asserted for the third or fourth time."And the mules, and--the pup. Where's Chico? I haven't seen or heardanything of him; have you?"

  They had not; and they immediately began calling and looking for Chico,who was at that stage of puppyhood that insists upon getting in front ofone and then falling down and lying, paws in the air, waiting to bepicked up and petted. But Chico did not come lumbering up like ananimated black muff, and they could not find his little, dead body.

  It occurred to Dade that he might be buried with Tige; and, once theidea was presented to Jack, he could not content himself to leave theplace until he knew to a certainty. He would never have admitted it, butthere were certain sweet memories which made that particular pup not atall like other black pups. He got the shovel, and he dug in the littlegrave until he was certain that Tige lay there, and that he was alone.

  "Well, he's taken the pup along, then; and that proves to me that Jerrywasn't crazy, or anything like that. He's just pulled out, because hecouldn't stand it around here any longer--and I don't blame him. But Iwish I knew where; we'd take him up to the mine with us; huh?"

  "Yes--but we're about fourteen hours too late to find out where he went.If I'm any judge, these bodies have been dead that long. And if wefound him, the chances are he wouldn't go. If I'm any good at guessingpoor Jerry's state of mind, right now, he don't want to see or speak toany human being on earth."

  "I guess you're right," Jack assented, after a meditative pause. "Hejust worshiped that poor little woman."

  Beyond that, neither of them attempted to put into speech the tragedy;it was beyond the poor words we have thus far coined for our needs, likemany another thing that happens in these lives we live. They waited alittle while longer, wondering what they could or should do.

  Mrs. Jerry lay easily where she had been placed by the man who lovedher. The killers had been killed by the same hand that laid her deep, inher faded, patchwork quilt. There seemed nothing further to be done.

  But Valencia, when he had ridden a thoughtful half-mile, did think ofsomething.

  "Me, I shall give ten pesos of the gold I won yesterday upon the duelo,"he said, glancing back at the grim little cabin, "that mass may be saidfor the repose of the Senora Seem'son's soul. For thus will sleep comeeasier to me, Senors. And you?"

  "I think, Valencia, if I were going to say any prayers, they'd be saidfor Jerry," Dade told him. "He needs 'em worse than she does."

  "Oh, come on, Dade; let's be getting out of this valley!" Jack urgedirritably. "And I hope," he added, "I'll never see the place again!"

  "But, Senor!" Valencia rode alongside to protest almost tearfully, "Thevalley, it is not to be blame. Saw you ever a sweeter land than this?"He flung his arm outward to include the whole beautiful expanse of it."The valley, it is glorious! Am I not right? Blame not the beautifulland, Senor, for the trouble that has come; for trouble will find a manout, though he climb the loneliest mountain peak and hide himself amongthe rocks there! And the valley--Senors, the valley will hold friendsthat are true to thee."

  Jack flushed at the reproach; flushed and owned himself wrong. "I'llremember the friends," he said. "And I'll forget the things that hurt;I'm a selfish brute--whee-ee! I should say!" He pulled up as short asSolano would let him, and stared from Dade to Valencia with guilty eyes.

  "Diego--I forgot that Injun, Dade; and next to you, I believe he's thebest friend I've got on earth! I was so wrap
ped up in my own bruisesthat I clean overlooked something that I ought to be mighty gratefulfor. Dade, do you think he'd like to go along to the mine? You know hiswife died a few months ago, and he's kind of alone; do you think he'dgo?"

  "I think the chance to go would look like a ticket to glory," Dadeassured him sententiously.

  Whereupon Jack dismounted, that he might write a few lines as he hadwritten the note to Bill Wilson, a couple of months before: with a leaffrom his memorandum book and a bullet for pencil.

  "Give that to Don Andres, will you, Valencia? It's to ask how much isDiego's debt, and to say that I'll pay it if the peon wants to come withme. We'll wait in town until we hear; perhaps Don Andres will let youcome up with Diego--that is, if Diego wants to come. You ask him,Valencia."

  "He will come, Senor; nothing would give him greater joy. And," he addedwishfully, "but for my sweetheart, Senors, I would ask that I might comewith you also!"

  "You stick to your sweetheart, Valencia--if she's true," Jack advisedhim somberly. "Now, Dade, I guess we're ready for the long ride tosupper. Why don't you kick me for being such a selfish cuss?"

  "Maybe because I'm used to you," Dade's lips quirked humorously afterthe retort. "You're just Jack--and you couldn't be any different, Ireckon, if you tried. Well, come along, then. Adios, Valencia."

  Once more they shook hands solemnly with the vaquero, who had no smilefor the parting.

  "Adios, adios," Valencia called lingeringly after them, and held hishorse quiet that he might gaze after them until a willow bend hid themfinally from his view.