第19章 THE WINNING OF THE BISCUIT-SHOOTER(9)

"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.

"Why,of course it ain't,"drawled the ingenious Lin."But that's what Isay.You and I know Ten Sleep's all right,but we can't report from our own knowledge seeing it all right,and there it is.They get these nervous notions.""Just don't appear to make anything special of not going back to Riverside,"repeated Taylor,"but--""But just kind of stay here,"said Lin.

"I will!"exclaimed Tommy."Of course,I'm glad to oblige."I suppose I was slow-sighted.All this pains seemed to me larger than its results.They had imposed upon Tommy,yes.But what of that?He was to be kept from going back to Riverside until morning.Unless they proposed to visit his empty cabin and play tricks--but that would be too childish,even for Lin McLean,to say nothing of the Virginian,his occasional partner in mischief.

"In spite of the Crows,"I satirically told the ladies,"I shall sleep outside,as I intended.I've no use for houses at this season."The cinches of the horses were tightened,Lin and the Virginian laid a hand on their saddle-horns,swung up,and soon all sound of the galloping horses had ceased.Molly Wood declined to be nervous and crossed to her little neighbor cabin;we all parted,and (as always in that blessed country)deep sleep quickly came to me.

I don't know how long after it was that I sprang from my blankets in half-doubting fright.But I had dreamed nothing.A second long,wild yell now gave me (I must own to it)a horrible chill.I had no pistol--nothing.In the hateful brightness of the moon my single thought was "House!House!"and I fled across the lane in my underclothes to the cabin,when round the corner whirled the two cow-punchers,and Iunderstood.I saw the Virginian catch sight of me in my shirt,and saw his teeth as he smiled.I hastened to my blankets,and returned more decent to stand and watch the two go shooting and yelling round the cabin,crazy with their youth.The door was opened,and Taylor courageously emerged,bearing a Winchester.He fired at the sky immediately.

"B'gosh!"he roared."That's one."He fired again."Out and at 'em.They're running."

At this,duly came Mrs.Taylor in white with a pistol,and Miss Peck in white,staring and stolid.But no Tommy.Noise prevailed without,shots by the stable and shots by the creek.The two cow-punchers dismounted and joined Taylor.Maniac delight seized me,and I,too,rushed about with them,helping the din.

"Oh,Mr.Taylor!"said a voice."I didn't think it of you."It was Molly Wood,come from her cabin,very pretty in a hood-and-cloak arrangement.

She stood by the fence,laughing,but more at us than with us.

"Stop,friends!"said Taylor,gasping."She teaches my Bobbie his A B C.I'd hate to have Bobbie--"

"Speak to your papa,"said Molly,and held her scholar up on the fence.

"Well,I'll be gol-darned,"said Taylor,surveying his costume,"if Lin McLean hasn't made a fool of me to-night!""Where has Tommy got?"said Mrs.Taylor.

"Didn't yus see him?"said the biscuit-shooter speaking her first word in all this.

We followed her into the kitchen.The table was covered with tin plates.

Beneath it,wedged knelt Tommy with a pistol firm in his hand;but the plates were rattling up and down like castanets.

There was a silence among us,and I wondered what we were going to do.

"Well,"murmured the Virginian to himself,"if I could have foresaw,I'd not--it makes yu'feel humiliated yu'self."He marched out,got on his horse,and rode away.Lin followed him,but perhaps less penitently.We all dispersed without saying anything,and presently from my blankets I saw poor Tommy come out of the silent cabin,mount,and slowly,very slowly,ride away.He would spend the night at Riverside,after all.

Of course we recovered from our unexpected shame,and the tale of the table and the dancing plates was not told as a sad one.But it is a sad one when you think of it.

I was not there to see Lin get his bride.I learned from the Virginian how the victorious puncher had ridden away across the sunny sagebrush,bearing the biscuit-shooter with him to the nearest justice of the peace.

She was astride the horse he had brought for her.

"Yes,he beat Tommy,"said the Virginian."Some folks,anyway,get what they want in this hyeh world."From which I inferred that Miss Molly Wood was harder to beat than Tommy.