Part 27 (1/2)

The mountains which had been brown and saffron when Jane Hunter came to take possession of her ranch grew tinted with green as gra.s.ses sprouted under the coaxing sun. Pinons were edged with lighter tints, contrasting sharply with the deep color of older growth. Service bushes turned cream color with bloom and sage put out new growth; calves, high-tailed and venturesome, frolicked between frequent meals from swollen udders, birds nested and shy mountain flowers completed their scant cycle.

No life remained arrested and with the rest the girl developed. She took on a more robust color, her eyes which had always been clear and cool, possessed a different look and a thin sprinkling of tiny freckles appeared across her nose. She had taken to the ways of the mountains easily. Her modish clothing was discarded and she wore brightly colored s.h.i.+rts, a brimmed hat, drab riding skirt and the smallest pair of boots that had ever been manufactured in that country.

Two-Bits was wide-eyed in his enthusiasm.

”My gosh, Reverend!” he whispered, ”look at them boots! Ain't they th'

grandest little things you ever seen?... Gosh, they're too little for any spurs she can buy, ain't they? _Gosh_ ...”--in helpless admiration.

Two-Bits and the Reverend had something on. This was evident from the manner in which they kept apart from the others. Each evening they would sit on a wagon seat or perch on a corral or Azariah would stand near while his brother groomed his little horse, n.i.g.g.e.r, and they would talk, low and confidently, the Reverend gesticulating and Two-Bits looking far away and talking laboriously as though he were memorizing something.

The homely fellow took several mysterious trips to town and once he borrowed ten dollars from Beck and offered a buckskin bridle as security, which the other waved away with affectionate curses.

Hepburn had been commissioned to talk with Cole, the nester, and determine his plans as they might affect the HC. This took him away from the ranch repeatedly ... so many times, in fact, that it gave Beck one more thing to wonder about. Also, there was a letter for Hepburn, arriving a day or two after his return with the stolen horses, which sent him suddenly to Ute Crossing; thereafter he went frequently.

There seemed no way around the potential difficulty which the nester presented and, as one of her last resorts, Jane sent Tom to the Crossing to look up the record of the filing himself and to confer with the one remaining attorney in the town. He announced his going and Two-Bits, hearing, asked him to bring back a package which would be waiting there. When Tom returned that night he handed the gawky lad a small parcel which he immediately stuffed into his s.h.i.+rt and carried to the supper table.

”Them your jooles?” Oliver asked.

”None of your gol-darned business!”

”Ah, come on, old timer, an' let us in on it,” the other pleaded. ”I'll bet it's a present for your best girl.”

”If you got to know, it's corn plasters for th' corns on your brains, Jimmy,” Two-Bits countered.

He hurried through his meal and from the table and, with the Reverend, walked down toward the creek where they went through their usual performance, this time, however, with less prompting from the clergyman. Then, brus.h.i.+ng the dust from his s.h.i.+rt, adjusting his scarf, Two-Bits walked nervously toward the ranch house.

Jane answered his knock with a call to enter. He stepped in with the package in his hand, but as he removed his hat the parcel dropped to the floor and when he regained an erect position after recovering it his face was fiery red.

”What's your trouble tonight, Two-Bits?” Jane asked, approaching him.

”In,” he began and stopped to clear his throat. He swallowed with great difficulty. ”In--In recognition of your--your G.o.d--” He coughed and swallowed once more.

_”What?”_--in amazement.

”In recognition of your G.o.d--your G.o.d given beauty, an'

estim--estimable qualifications--”

He ran a finger inside his collar and dropped his hat. Perspiration stood on his lip in beads and his dismayed eyes roved the room. He moved his feet nervously.

”In recognition of your G.o.d--” he began again, but broke short:

”h.e.l.l, ma'am,” he exploded, ”my brother taught me a fine speech--

”Here!”--holding the package toward her with an unsteady hand and a great relief coming into his eyes. ”I found this in th' road an'

thought mebby you might want 'em.”

Controlling her desire to laugh at his confusion Jane took the package and turned it over in her hands.