Part 13 (2/2)
”Let him keep away from my machine! And drop my wrist!” Charlie Menocal snarled.
”And you leave him alone hereafter, in any case,” Lee warned, shoving the speaker away in disgust. Then he helped Dave to rise.
Charlie straightened his disarranged tie and coat with trembling fingers. He could scarcely retain his rage; his body shook all over; his foot slipped twice when he sought to mount into his car. Leaning forward from his seat, he shook a finger in Bryant's face, exclaiming, ”You'll get what's coming to you! Like your d.a.m.ned dog!” His face was entirely viperish. His finger came within an inch of the engineer's nose. His words carried a furious hiss.
Then he whirled his car about and went tearing down the lane with exhaust wide open and roaring.
When Bryant, leading Dave, rejoined Louise Graham, a flush of embarra.s.sment dyed his face. She had sprung up at Menocal's blow knocking the boy over and remained standing, an indignant observer of the scene. When Menocal had departed, the engineer recalled suddenly what Ruth had said concerning Charlie and Louise Graham being practically engaged; and as he now saw her rigid figure and displeased countenance, he imagined he had lost her friends.h.i.+p. Still, he could not have acted otherwise.
”I'm very sorry for this occurrence, Miss Graham,” he said, contritely. ”Especially as I understand Charlie Menocal is very high in your esteem.”
”Who dares say that!”
”Well, Charlie himself is the authority, I believe,” Lee responded, with a slight smile.
Her eyes flashed at that.
”Well, it's not the case; and if it had been, this exhibition of bad manners and bad nature on his part would have changed it. Father and I consider him--well, a nuisance. There, I'm giving you a confidence.
We've tolerated him because Mr. Menocal senior is a gentleman, and a friend. Now I hope you'll not think me too talkative, but an explanation was necessary; and as far as Charlie Menocal is concerned, I'd be pleased if I never saw his face again. To knock your young friend over so heartlessly! You treated him with altogether too much leniency, Mr. Bryant.”
”I never do my fighting in the presence of ladies,” Lee remarked, with a grin. ”In fact, I try to confine my combats to those of wits.”
She nodded.
”Of course,” said she; and continued, ”this is the second time he has acted disgracefully to you when I've been by. The first occasion was at Perro Creek ford. I could have sunk into the earth for shame of him when he knew no better than to fling you money after you had filled his radiator; it was pure insolence, to begin with, to ask you to do it when he should have attended to the matter himself. I admired your conduct and self-control under the circ.u.mstances, Mr. Bryant.” And addressing Dave, she asked, ”Will you drink another gla.s.s of b.u.t.termilk if I pour it?”
Dave could and did, an example Lee followed. The subject of Menocal was dismissed, and the man and the girl fell into a conversation of general matters. She a.s.sured the engineer, when he inquired, that he was not detaining her from household affairs; and urged him, on learning of his prospective absence, to leave d.i.c.k at Diamond Creek and he himself to proceed to Kennard by stage. She owed d.i.c.k a return for the favour of carrying her home that day her own horse went lame; he could run in the pasture with the other horses, where Bryant would know he was safe. The plan included Bryant's remaining for dinner, naturally.
”Have I your permission, Dave?” Lee asked. ”Or do you refuse to share this pleasure with me?”
Dave looked at Louise and blushed furiously.
”I guess you've made your mind up,” he said, to Bryant.
”I guess I have,” Lee admitted.
Toward noon Mr. Graham joined them and laughingly stated that he was glad to make the acquaintance of the man who was causing such a furor among the Mexicans along the Pinas. He asked a number of questions and listened with interest to the engineer's brief exposition of the plan to unite the water rights of the Pinas River and of Perro Creek in a common system, though Bryant disclosed nothing of his survey on the mesa. Of the opposition Lee had met or might yet encounter the rancher was aware, for he remarked, ”You have a fight on your hands.” But that was his only comment.
After dinner they all continued to talk while the men were smoking cigars. Graham suggested that if Bryant should need an attorney it would be well to employ one from Kennard, as those in Bartolo were nearly all Mexicans. The engineer jotted down the name of one the rancher recommended, saying that he had his injunction suits to meet in the September term of court.
”Wins.h.i.+p, the sheriff, appears to be one man in Bartolo who's all right,” Lee stated.
”Yes, he's a good man,” Graham replied. ”Can't be influenced or bought; and is perfectly square and impartial in the execution of the duties of his office. He has served twenty years, with exception of one term when he and Menocal had a disagreement. Menocal controls the votes in this county, you know; that's general knowledge. But things became so lax under the Mexican sheriff who displaced him that he was put back in office. Menocal ordered it; he has much property and believes in law and order; and there's little or no stealing with Wins.h.i.+p in the sheriff's saddle. I've heard that he first required the banker to support him unconditionally before resuming the place.”
”I can believe that after a look at Wins.h.i.+p,” Lee said, smiling.
Mr. Graham presently went away to a field where his men were cutting and stacking alfalfa, after thanking Bryant for rendering a.s.sistance to his daughter on the road and inviting him to call again. Louise then showed him her flower garden, ablaze with poppies, nasturtiums, sweet peas, and other blossoms he could not name; and the orchard where apples and pears and plums weighed the branches. She was remarkably beautiful, he thought; and was quite sure the roses in the garden had no petals pinker or softer than her cheeks, and was sure the water rippling in the little, gra.s.sy orchard ca.n.a.ls was no clearer than her brown eyes, or the sky more serene than her brow. She was not in the least proud or vain or haughty, as he imagined when he first beheld her at the ford. He had had doubts of that after her kindly treatment of his dying dog Mike. And now to-day he knew that such an opinion did her an injustice, was absurd.
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