Part 25 (1/2)

”I thought of riding home today,” said Oliver.

”I was just talkin' to Jess'my,” Selden continued. ”Her and me concluded this here'd be a good time to invite ye over to get acquainted. Can't ye ride to Poison Oak Ranch with us just as well as ye can ride on home?”

He tried to grin, but the effort seemed to cause pain.

Toward them Oliver saw Jessamy walking. He always had admired her long, confident stride, and he watched her throughout the brief s.p.a.ce allowed him by courtesy to study his answer to her step-father. Then he caught her eye. She began nodding vigorously.

”I should have watered my garden before coming to the fiesta,” he told the old man. ”I'm afraid it will suffer if I don't get back to it directly. But--”

”Oh, she'll stand it another day. Folks irrigate too much, anyway. Ride home with us today and stay all night.”

”I thank you, I'm sure,” said Oliver.

”Yes, do come, Mr. Drew,” put in Jessamy as she reached the group.

”Just so!” added Selden.

And so it was arranged.

The four stood in conversation. Over the girl's shoulder Oliver now saw Digger Foss and two of the men who had ridden with Selden the day he called at the cabin. They were staring at their chief and Jessamy. A glowering look was on the face of at least one of them, and that one was the halfbreed, Digger Foss.

He stood with feet planted far apart, his fists on his hips--squat, his bullet head juked forward aggressively, his Mongolic black eyes glittering. A sneer curled his lips. He nodded now and then as one or the other of his companions spoke to him, but he did not reply and did not remove his steadfast glance from the group of which Oliver made one.

”They's a hoss race comin' off in a little,” Selden was saying. ”We'll stay for that, then throw on the saddles and cut the dust for the rancho.”

Here Foss, with a shrug of his wide, strong shoulders, turned away and disappeared in the crowd, his companions following at his heels.

Presently Selden and Tamroy left Jessamy and Oliver together.

”What's the idea?” Oliver asked her.

”It's quite apparent that he wants to be friendly with you,” she pointed out.

”It's just as well, of course,” said he. ”But I can't fathom it. And at least one of the Poison Oakers doesn't approve. I just saw Digger Foss glowering at us from behind Old Man Selden's back.”

Jessamy elevated her dark eyebrows. ”No, he wouldn't approve,” she declared. ”That's merely because of me, I guess. Well, we can't help that. It's your part to play up to Old Man Selden and find out what is the cause of his sudden change of heart toward you.”

”It's my riding outfit,” he averred. ”That, and the fact that I've danced the fire dance. I'm gradually picking up a thread here and there.

By the way, you neglected to tell me this morning, when we were on the subject, that Dan Smeed's partner was none other than Old Man Selden.”

She glanced at him quickly. ”I see that Mr. Damon Tamroy is in character today. He does love to talk, doesn't he?”

”You knew it, then?”

She hesitated. ”Yes--Old Dad Sloan let it out last night,” she admitted.

”I think he would have told me as much the day you and I called on him if he hadn't thought it might hurt my feelings. I don't think it was his forgetfulness that made him trip over the subject that day.”

”But if he mentioned it in your presence after the fire dance, he must have forgotten that you are vitally interested.”

Her long black lashes hid her eyes for an instant. ”That's true,” she admitted.

Oliver smiled grimly to himself. A lover would have small excuse for distrusting this girl, he thought, for deception was not in her. A little later he left her and sought out Damon Tamroy again.