Part 28 (2/2)
visit with me. Young Matt there'll guide you.”
As he watched the wagon down the valley, the stranger mused.
”Doc--Doc--huh. Quite sure that fellow will buy a drink; quite sure.”
When the wagon had disappeared, he turned to Mr. Matthews and his son; ”According to that fellow, I am not far from a sheep ranch kept by a Mr. Howitt. That's it, Mr. Daniel Howitt; fine looking man, fine; brown eyes; great voice; gentleman, sir, gentleman, if he is keeping sheep in this wilderness. Blast it all, just like him, just like him; always keeping somebody's sheep; born to be a shepherd; born to be. Know him?”
At mention of Mr. Howitt's name, Young Matt had looked at his father quickly. When the stranger paused, he answered, ”Yes, sir.
We know Dad Howitt. Is he a friend of yourn?”
”Dad--Dad Howitt. Doc and Dad. Well, what would Sarah and the girls say? Friend of mine? Young man Daniel and David, I am David; Daniel and David lay on the same blanket when they were babies; played in the same alley; school together same cla.s.ses; colleged together; next door neighbors. Know him! Blast it all, where IS this sheep place?”
Again the two woodsmen exchanged glances. The elder Matthews spoke, ”It ain't so far from here, sir. The ranch belongs to me and my son. But Mr. Howitt will be out on the hills somewhere with the sheep now. You'd better go home with us and have supper, and the boy will take you down this evenin'.”
”Well, now, that's kind, sir; very kind, indeed. Man at the Postoffice is a savage, sir; blasted, old incorrigible savage. My name is Coughlan; Dr. David Coughlan, of Chicago; practicing physician for forty years; don't do anything now; not much, that is. Sarah and the girls won't let me. Your name, sir?”
”Grant Matthews. My boy there has the same. We're mighty glad to meet any friend of Dad's, I can tell you. He's sure been a G.o.d's blessin' to this neighborhood.”
Soon they started homeward, Young Matt going ahead to do the ch.o.r.es, and to tell his mother of their coming guest, while Mr.
Matthews followed more slowly with the doctor. Shortening his stride to conform to the slow pace of the smaller man, the mountaineer told his guest about the shepherd; how he had come to them; of his life; and how he had won the hearts of the people.
When he told how Mr. Howitt had educated Sammy, buying her books himself from his meager wages, the doctor interrupted in his quick way, ”Just like him! just like him. Always giving away everything he earned. Made others give, too. Blast it all, he's cost me thousands of dollars, thousands of dollars, treating patients of his that never paid a cent; not a cent, sir. Proud, though; proud as Lucifer. Fine old, family; finest in the country, sir. Right to be proud, right to be.”
Old Matt scowled as he returned coldly, ”He sure don't seem that way to us, Mister. He's as common as an old shoe.” And then the mountaineer told how his son loved the shepherd, and tried to explain what the old scholar's friends.h.i.+p had meant to them.
The stranger e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, ”Same old thing; same old trick. Did me that way; does everybody that way. Same old Daniel. Proud, though; can't help it; can't help it.”
The big man answered with still more warmth, ”You ought to hear how he talks to us folks when we have meetin's at the Cove school house. He's as good as any preacher you ever heard; except that he don't put on as much, maybe. Why, sir, when we buried Jim Lane week before last, everybody 'lowed he done as well as a regular parson.”
At this Dr. Coughlan stopped short and leaned against a convenient tree for support, looking up at his big host, with merriment he could not hide; ”Parson, parson! Daniel Howitt talk as good as a parson! Blast it all! Dan is one of the biggest D. D.'s in the United States; as good as a parson, I should think so! Why, man, he's my pastor; my pastor. Biggest church, greatest crowds in the city. Well what would Sarah and the girls say!” He stood there gasping and shaking with laughter, until Old Matt, finding the ridiculous side of the situation, joined in with a guffaw that fairly drowned the sound of the little man's merriment.
When they finally moved on again, the Doctor said, ”And you never knew? The papers were always full, always. His real name is--”
”Stop!” Old Matt spoke so suddenly and in such a tone that the other jumped in alarm. ”I ain't a meanin' no harm, Doc; but you oughtn't to tell his name, and--anyway I don't want to know.
Preacher or no preacher, he's a man, he is, and that's what counts in this here country. If Dad had wanted us to know about himself, I reckon he'd a told us, and I don't want to hear it until he's ready.”
The Doctor stopped short again, ”Right, sir; right. Daniel has his reasons, of course. I forgot. That savage at the Postoffice tried to interrogate me; tried to draw me. I was close; on guard you see. Fellow in the wagon tried; still on guard. You caught me.
Blast it all, I like you! Fine specimen that boy of yours; fine!”
When they reached the top of the ridge the stranger looked over the hills with exclamations of delight, ”Grand, sir; grand! Wish Sarah and the girls could see. Don't wonder Daniel staid. That Hollow down there you say; way down there? Mutton--Mutton Hollow?
Daniel lives there? Blast it all; come on, man; come on.”
As they drew near the house, Pete came slowly up the Old Trail and met them at the gate.
CHAPTER x.x.xVII.
OLD FRIENDS.
After supper Young Matt guided the stranger down the trail to the sheep ranch in Mutton Hollow.
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