the Light Of Western Stars (1992) (23 page)

"I hope so, Miss Hammond," replied Stewart
.
It was an instant response, but none the less fraught with consciousness of responsibility
.
He waited a moment, and then, as neither Stillwell nor Madeline offered further speech, he bowed and turned down the path, his long spurs clinking in the gravel
.

"Wal, wal," exclaimed Stillwell, "thet's no little job you give him, Miss Majesty
.
"

"It was a woman's cunning, Stillwell," said Alfred
.
"My sister used to be a wonder at getting her own way when we were kids
.
Just a smile or two, a few sweet words or turns of thought, and she had what she wanted
.
"

"Al, what a character to give me!" protested Madeline
.
"Indeed, I was deeply in earnest with Stewart
.
I do not understand just why, but I trust him
.
He seems like iron and steel
.
Then I was a little frightened at the prospect of trouble with the vaqueros
.
Both you and Stillwell have influenced me to look upon Stewart as invaluable
.
I thought it best to confess my utter helplessness and to look to him for support
.
"

"Majesty, whatever actuated you, it was a stroke of diplomacy," replied her brother
.
"Stewart has got good stuff in him
.
He was down and out
.
Well, he's made a game fight, and it looks as if he'd win
.
Trusting him, giving him responsibility, relying upon him, was the surest way to strengthen his hold upon himself
.
Then that little touch of sentiment about being your kind of cowboy and protecting you-well, if Gene Stewart doesn't develop into an Argus-eyed knight I'll say I don't know cowboys
.
But, Majesty, remember, he's a composite of tiger breed and forked lightning, and don't imagine he has failed you if he gets into a fight
.

"I'll sure tell you what Gene Stewart will do," said Florence
.
"Don't I know cowboys?Why, they used to take me up on their horses when I was a baby
.
Gene Stewart will be the kind of cowboy your sister said he might be, whatever that is
.
She may not know and we may not guess, but he knows
.
"

"Wal, Flo, there you hit plumb center," replied the old cattleman
.
"An' I couldn't be gladder if he was my own son
.
"

X - Don Carlos's Vaqueros Early the following morning Stewart, with a company of cowboys, departed for Don Carlos's rancho
.
As the day wore on without any report from him, Stillwell appeared to grow more at ease; and at nightfall he told Madeline that he guessed there was now no reason for concern
.

"Wal, though it's sure amazin' strange," he continued, "I've been worryin' some about how we was goin' to fire Don Carlos
.
But Gene has a way of doin' things
.
"

Next day Stillwell and Alfred decided to ride over Don Carlos's place, taking Madeline and Florence with them, and upon the return trip to stop at Alfred's ranch
.
They started in the cool, gray dawn, and after three hours' riding, as the sun began to get bright, they entered a mesquite grove, surrounding corrals and barns, and a number of low, squat buildings and a huge, rambling structure, all built of adobe and mostly crumbling to ruin
.
Only one green spot relieved the bald red of grounds and walls; and this evidently was made by the spring which had given both value and fame to Don Carlos's range
.
The approach to the house was through a wide courtyard, bare, stony, hard packed, with hitching-rails and watering-troughs in front of a long porch
.
Several dusty, tired horses stood with drooping heads and bridles down, their wet flanks attesting to travel just ended
.

"Wal, dog-gone it, Al, if there ain't Pat Hawe's hoss I'll eat it," exclaimed Stillwell
.

"What's Pat want here, anyhow?" growled Alfred
.

No one was in sight; but Madeline heard loud voices coming from the house
.
Stillwell dismounted at the porch and stalked in at the door
.
Alfred leaped off his horse, helped Florence and Madeline down, and, bidding them rest and wait on the porch, he followed Stillwell
.

"I hate these Greaser places," said Florence, with a grimace
.
"They're so mysterious and creepy
.
Just watch now! They'll be dark-skinned, beady-eyed, soft-footed Greasers slip right up out of the ground!There'll be an ugly face in every door and window and crack
.
"

"It's like a huge barn with its characteristic odor permeated by tobacco smoke," replied Madeline, sitting down beside Florence
.
"I don't think very much of this end of my purchase
.
Florence, isn't that Don Carlos's black horse over there in the corral?"

"It sure is
.
Then the Don's heah yet
.
I wish we hadn't been in such a hurry to come over
.
There! that doesn't sound encouraging
.
"

From the corridor came the rattling of spurs, tramping of boots, and loud voices
.
Madeline detected Alfred's quick notes when he was annoyed: "We'll rustle back home, then," he said
.
The answer came, "No!"Madeline recognized Stewart's voice, and she quickly straightened up
.
"I won't have them in here," went on Alfred
.

"Outdoors or in, they've got to be with us!" replied Stewart, sharply
.
"Listen, Al," came the boom of Stillwell's big voice, "now that we've butted in over hyar with the girls, you let Stewart run things
.
"

Then a crowd of men tramped pell-mell out upon the porch
.
Stewart, dark-browed and somber, was in the lad
.
Nels hung close to him, and Madeline's quick glance saw that Nels had undergone some indescribable change
.
The grinning, brilliant-eyed Don Carlos came jostling out beside a gaunt, sharp-featured man wearing a silver shield
.
This, no doubt, was Pat Hawe
.
In the background behind Stillwell and Alfred stood Nick Steele, head and shoulders over a number of vaqueros and cowboys
.

"Miss Hammond, I'm sorry you came," said Stewart, bluntly
.
"We're in a muddle here
.
I've insisted that you and Flo be kept close to us
.
I'll explain later
.
If you can't stop your ears I beg you to overlook rough talk
.
"

With that he turned to the men behind him: "Nick, take Booly, go back to Monty and the boys
.
Fetch out that stuff
.
All of it
.
Rustle, now!"

Stillwell and Alfred disengaged themselves from the crowd to take up positions in front of Madeline and Florence
.
Pat Hawe leaned against a post and insolently ogled Madeline and then Florence
.
Don Carlos pressed forward
.
His whole figure filled Madeline's reluctant but fascinated eyes
.
He wore tight velveteen breeches, with a heavy fold down the outside seam, which was ornamented with silver buttons
.
Round his waist was a sash, and a belt with fringed holster, from which protruded a pearl-handled gun
.
A vest or waistcoat, richly embroidered, partly concealed a blouse of silk and wholly revealed a silken scarf round his neck
.
His swarthy face showed dark lines, like cords, under the surface
.
His little eyes were exceedingly prominent and glittering
.
To Madeline his face seemed to be a bold, handsome mask through which his eyes piercingly betrayed the evil nature of the man
.

He bowed low with elaborate and sinuous grace
.
His smile revealed brilliant teeth, enhanced the brillance of his eyes
.
He slowly spread deprecatory hands
.

"Senoritas, I beg a thousand pardons," he said
.
How strange it was for Madeline to hear English spoken in a soft, whiningly sweet accent!"The gracious hospitality of Don Carlos has passed with his house
.
"

Stewart stepped forward and, thrusting Don Carlos aside, he called, "Make way, there!"

The crowd fell back to the tramp of heavy boots
.
Cowboys appeared staggering out of the corridor with long boxes
.
These they placed side by side upon the floor of the porch
.

"Now, Hawe, we'll proceed with our business," said Stewart
.
"You see these boxes, don't you?"

"I reckon I see a good many things round hyar," replied Hawe, meaningly
.

"Well, do you intend to open these boxes upon my say-so?"

"No!" retorted Hawe
.
"It's not my place to meddle with property as come by express an' all accounted fer regular
.
"

"You call yourself a sheriff!" exclaimed Stewart, scornfully
.

"Mebbe you'll think so before long," rejoined Hawe, sullenly
.

"I'll open them
.
Here, one of you boys, knock the tops off these boxes," ordered Stewart
.
"No, not you, Monty
.
You use your eyes
.
Let Booly handle the ax
.
Rustle, now!"

Monty Price had jumped out of the crowd into the middle of the porch
.
The manner in which he gave way to Booly and faced the vaqueros was not significant of friendliness or trust
.

"Stewart, you're dead wrong to bust open them boxes
.
Thet's ag'in' the law," protested Hawe, trying to interfere
.

Stewart pushed him back
.
Then Don Carlos, who had been stunned by the appearance of the boxes, suddenly became active in speech and person
.
Stewart thrust him back also
.
The Mexican's excitement increased
.
He wildly gesticulated; he exclaimed shrilly in Spanish
.
When, however, the lids were wrenched open and an inside packing torn away he grew rigid and silent
.
Madeline raised herself behind Stillwell to see that the boxes were full of rifles and ammunition
.

"There, Hawe!What did I tell you?" demanded Stewart
.
"I came over here to take charge of this ranch
.
I found these boxes hidden in an unused room
.
I suspected what they were
.
Contraband goods!"

"Wal, supposin' they are?I don't see any call fer sech all-fired fuss as you're makin'
.
Stewart, I calkilate you're some stuck on your new job an' want to make a big show before -"

"Hawe, stop slinging that kind of talk," interrupted Stewart
.
"You got too free with your mouth once before!Now here, I'm supposed to be consulting an officer of the law
.
Will you take charge of these contraband goods?"

"Say, you're holdin' on high an' mighty," replied Hawe, in astonishment that was plainly pretended
.
"What 're you drivin' at?"

Stewart muttered an imprecation
.
He took several swift strides across the porch; he held out his hands to Stillwell as if to indicate the hopelessness of intelligent and reasonable arbitration; he looked at Madeline with a glance eloquent of his regret that he could not handle the situation to please her
.
Then as he wheeled he came face to face with Nels, who had slipped forward out of the crowd
.

Madeline gathered serious import from the steel-blue meaning flash of eyes whereby Nels communicated something to Stewart
.
Whatever that something was, it dispelled Stewart's impatience
.
A slight movement of his hand brought Monty Price forward with a jump
.
In these sudden jumps of Monty's there was a suggestion of restrained ferocity
.
Then Nels and Monty lined up behind Stewart
.
It was a deliberate action, even to Madeline, unmistakably formidable
.
Pat Hawe's face took on an ugly look; his eyes had a reddish gleam
.
Don Carlos added a pale face and extreme nervousness to his former expressions of agitation
.
The cowboys edged away from the vaqueros and the bronzed, bearded horsemen who were evidently Hawe's assistants
.