Part 32 (1/2)
Peggy came in with disturbed look. ”It looks like rain,” she announced; ”the clouds are settling down all over the peaks.”
The outlaw sprang up and went to the door. ”It looked bad when I got up,” he said, as he studied the sky. ”I guess we're in for trouble. It may be snow.”
His fears were soon realized. Rain began to fall in a thin drizzle, and at four o'clock the first faint flakes of snow began to flash amid the gray veils of the water-drops. The women looked at each other in alarm as the cabin's interior darkened with the ominous shadow of the storm.
”I don't like this a bit,” said Peggy, after a while. ”This is no mountain squall. I wish the men were here.”
”It can't be anything that will last,” replied Alice. ”It isn't time for the winter snows.”
”I know,” replied Peggy. ”But it's snowing perfect feather beds now, and no wind. Lucky this forest-ranger is here. The men may get lost in this storm.”
”Mercy! Don't speak of such a thing!” exclaimed Alice; but she knew, just the same, that Ward and his party were high in the peaks, far, far above the cabin, and that the storm there would be proportionately fiercer. She listened with growing thankfulness to the outlaw's blows upon the dry limbs of wood that he was chopping for the fire. He was very capable and would not desert them--of that she felt a.s.sured.
As the man worked on, the women both came to keen realization of the serious view he took of the storm. He mounted his horse and with his rope dragged great bundles of f.a.gots from the thickets. As he came up, laden with one of his bundles of hard-won fuel, Mrs. Adams asked:
”You don't think it will keep this up, do you?”
”You never can tell what will happen in these mountains. It doesn't generally snow much till later, but you can't bank on anything in this range.”
Alice called to him and he stepped inside. ”What do you think we'd better do?” she asked.
”There isn't a thing you can do, miss. It's just a case of stick it out.
It may let up by sundown; but, as it is, your party can't get back to-night, and if you don't mind I'll camp down just outside the door and keep the fire going.”
”You will be a comfort to us,” she replied, ”but I feel that--that you ought to be going. Isn't it dangerous for you? I mean you will be shut in here.”
”If I'm shut in, others are shut out,” he answered, with a grim smile.
”My job is to keep fire.” With these words he returned to his work of breaking limbs from the dead firs.
Alice said: ”If it does turn out as this--this ranger says--if the storm keeps up, you mustn't let him sleep out in the snow.”
”Of course not,” said Peggy. ”He can sleep inside. I trust him perfectly--and, besides, you have your revolver.”
Alice smiled a little, wondering how Peggy's trust would stand the strain of a fuller knowledge concerning their guardian's stirring career.
III
In spite of her knowledge of the mountains and her natural intrepidity of character the wounded girl's heart sank as the snow and the night closed down over the tiny cabin in its covert of firs. To be on foot in such gloom, in the heart of such a wilderness, was sufficiently awe-inspiring, but to be helpless on a hard bed was to feel the utter inconsequence of humankind. ”Suppose the storm blocks the trails so that the men cannot return for a week? What will we do for food?”
Each time she heard the outlaw deliver his burden of wood her heart warmed to him. He was now her comfort and very present stay. ”If it should happen that the trails become impa.s.sable he alone will stand between us and death,” she thought.
The outlaw came in to say, abruptly, ”If you weren't hurt and if I weren't in such a hurry I'd rather enjoy this.”
He slashed his sombrero against his thigh as he spoke, and Mrs. Adams answered his remark without knowledge of its inner meaning.
”You mustn't think of sleeping outdoors to-night--Mr.--?”
”Smith. I belong to the big family, the Smiths,” he promptly replied.