Part 9 (2/2)
”Give me the flowers,” said Molly. And she left him to arrange them on the table as Lin came hurrying out.
”I've told her,” said he to the Southerner and me, ”that I've asked her twiced, and I'm going to let her have one more chance. And I've told her that if it's a log cabin she's marryin', why Tommy is a sure good wooden piece of furniture to put inside it. And I guess she knows there's not much wooden furniture about me. I want to speak to you.” He took the Virginian round the corner. But though he would not confide in me, I began to discern something quite definite at supper.
”Cattle men will lose stock if the Crows get down as far as this,” he said, casually, and Mrs. Taylor suppressed a t.i.tter.
”Ain't it hawses the're repawted as running off?” said the Virginian.
”Chap come into the round-up this afternoon,” said Lin. ”But he was rattled, and told a heap o' facts that wouldn't square.”
”Of course they wouldn't,” said Tommy, haughtily.
”Oh, there's nothing in it,” said Lin, dismissing the subject.
”Have yu' been to the opera since we went to Cheyenne, Mrs. Taylor?”
Mrs. Taylor had not.
”Lin,” said the Virginian, ”did yu ever see that opera Cyarmen?”
”You bet. Fellow's girl quits him for a bullfighter. Gets him up in the mountains, and quits him. He wasn't much good--not in her cla.s.s o'
sports, smugglin' and such.”
”I reckon she was doubtful of him from the start. Took him to the mount'ins to experiment, where they'd not have interruption,” said the Virginian.
”Talking of mountains,” said Tommy, ”this range here used to be a great place for Indians till we ran 'em out with Terry. Pumped lead into the red sons-of-guns.”
”You bet,” said Lin. ”Do yu' figure that girl tired of her bull-fighter and quit him, too?”
”I reckon,” replied the Virginian, ”that the bull-fighter wore better.”
”Fans and taverns and gypsies and sportin',” said Lin. ”My! but I'd like to see them countries with oranges and bull-fights! Only I expect Spain, maybe, ain't keepin' it up so gay as when 'Carmen' happened.”
The table-talk soon left romance and turned upon steers and alfalfa, a gra.s.s but lately introduced in the country. No further mention was made of the hostile Crows, and from this I drew the false conclusion that Tommy had not come up to their hopes in the matter of reciting his campaigns. But when the hour came for those visitors who were not spending the night to take their leave, Taylor drew Tommy aside with me, and I noticed the Virginian speaking with Molly Wood, whose face showed diversion.
”Don't seem to make anything of it,” whispered Taylor to Tommy, ”but the ladies have got their minds on this Indian truck.”
”Why, I'll just explain--” began Tommy.
”Don't,” whispered Lin, joining us. ”Yu' know how women are. Once they take a notion, why, the more yu' deny the surer they get. Now, yu' see, him and me” (he jerked his elbow towards the Virginian) ”must go back to camp, for we're on second relief.”
”And the ladies would sleep better knowing there was another man in the house,” said Taylor.
”In that case,” said Tommy, ”I--”
”Yu' see,” said Lin, ”they've been told about Ten Sleep being burned two nights ago.”
”It ain't!” cried Tommy.
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