Ranching For Sylvia Volume-554 - Harold Bindloss (best black authors TXT) 📗

Volume 554 Chapter 27 (A Sign from Flett) Pg 200

Spare Time, Which Isn't Plentiful."

 

"Ah!" Exclaimed Flora; "That Agrees With Some Suspicions Of Mine.

Don't You Feel A Certain Amount Of Responsibility?"

 

"I Do," George Admitted.  "Still, He's Rather Head-Strong, And He

Hasn't Told Me Why He Goes To The Butte; Though The Girl's Father Gave

Me A Hint.  I Like Taunton--He's Perfectly Straightforward--And I'd

Almost Made Up My Mind To Ask Your Opinion About The Matter, But I Was

Diffident."

 

"I'll Give It To You Without Reserve--There's No Ground For Uneasiness

On West's Account; He Might Fall Into Much Worse Hands.  If Helen

Taunton Has Any Influence Over Him, It Will Be Wisely Used.  Besides,

She Has Been Well Educated; She Spent A Few Years In Montreal."

 

"She Has A Nice Face; In Fact, She's Decidedly Pretty."

 

"And That Would Cover A Multitude Of Shortcomings?"

 

"Well," Said George, Thoughtfully, "Mere Physical Beauty Is Something

To Be Thankful For; Though I'm Not Sure That Beauty Can Be, So To

Speak, Altogether Physical.  When I Said The Girl Had A Nice Face, I

Meant That Its Expression Suggested A Wholesome Character."

 

"You Seem To Have Been Cultivating Your Powers Of Observation," Flora

Told Him.  "But I'm More Disposed To Consider The Matter From Helen's

Point Of View.  As It Happens, She's A Friend Of Mine And I've Reasons

For Believing That Your Partner's Readily Susceptible And Inclined To

Be Fickle.  Of Course, I'm Not Jealous."

 

George Laughed.

 

"He's Too Venturesome Now And Then, But He Has Been A Little Spoiled.

I've An Idea That This Affair Is Likely To Be Permanent.  He Has Shown

A Keen Interest In The Price Of Land And The Finances Of Farming, Which

Struck Me As Having Its Meaning."

 

They Had Now Nearly Reached The Bluff And A Horseman In Khaki Uniform

Rode Out Of It To Meet Them.

 

"I've Been Over To Your Place," He Said To George, When He Had

Dismounted.  "I Was Sent To Show You A Photograph And Ask If You Can

Recognize Anybody In It?"

 

He Untied A Packet And George Studied The Picture Handed Him.  It

Showed The Rutted Main Street Of A Little Western Town, With The

Sunlight On A Row Of Wooden Buildings.  In The Distance A Band Of

Cattle Were Being Driven Forward By Two Mounted Men; Nearer At Hand A

Few Wagons Stood Outside A Livery Stable; And In The Foreground Three

Or Four Figures Occupied The Veranda Of A Frame Hotel.  The Ease Of

Their Attitudes Suggested That They Did Not Know They Were Being

Photographed, And Their Faces Were Distinct.  George Looked

Triumphantly Excited And Unhesitatingly Laid A Finger On One Face.

Volume 554 Chapter 27 (A Sign From Flett) Pg 201

"This Is The Man That Drove Off Mr. Grant's Percheron And Stabbed My

Horse."

 

The Trooper Produced A Thin Piece Of Card And A Small Reading-Glass.

 

"Take Another Look Through This; It Came Along With The Photograph.

Now, Would You Be Willing To Swear To Him?"

 

"I'll Be Glad To Do So, If I Have The Chance.  Shall I Put A Mark

Against The Fellow?"

 

"Not On That!"  The Trooper Handed George The Card, Which Proved To Be

A Carefully Drawn Key-Plan Of The Photograph, With The Figures

Outlined.  "You Can Mark This One."

 

George Did As He Was Told, And Then Handed The Photograph To Flora.

 

"How Did Your People Get It?" He Asked The Trooper.

 

"I Can't Say; They Don't Go Into Explanations."

 

"But What Do You Think?  Did Flett Take The Photograph?"

 

"No, Sir; I Heard Him Tell The Sergeant He Knew Nothing About A Camera.

He May Have Got Somebody To Take It Or May Have Bought The Thing."

 

"Do You Know Where He Is?"

 

"I Only Know He Got Special Orders After Mr. Grant Was Robbed.  It's My

Idea He Was Somewhere Around When The Photograph Was Taken."

 

"I Wonder Where It Was Taken?  In Alberta, Perhaps, Though I'm Inclined

To Think It Was On The Other Side Of The Frontier."

 

"That Is My Opinion," Said Flora.  "There's Not A Great Difference

Between Us And Our Neighbors, But The Dress Of The Mounted Men And The

Style Of The Stores Are Somehow American.  I'd Say Montana, Or Perhaps

Dakota."

 

"Montana," Said The Trooper.  "The Big Bunch Of Cattle Seems To Fix It."

 

"Then You Think Flett Is Over There?" Asked George.  "I'm Interested,

So Is Miss Grant, And You Needn't Be Afraid Of Either Of Us Spreading

What You Say."

 

"It's My Notion That Flett Has Spotted His Men, But I Guess He's Now

Watching Out Near The Boundary In Canada.  These Rustler Fellows Can't

Do All Their Business On One Side; They'll Have To Cross Now And Then.

Flett's In Touch With Some Of The American Sheriffs, Who'll Give Him

The Tip, And The First Time The Fellows Slip Over The Frontier He'll

Get Them.  That Would Suit Everybody Better And Save A Blamed Lot Of

Formalities."

 

Volume 554 Chapter 27 (A Sign From Flett) Pg 202

Flora Nodded.

 

"It Strikes Me As Very Likely; And Flett's Perhaps The Best Man You

Could Have Sent.  But Have You Shown The Photograph To My Father?"

 

"I Did That Before I Left The Homestead.  There's Nobody In The Picture

Like The Fellow Who Drove With Mr. Grant, And He Tells Me He Saw Nobody

Else.  Now I Must Be Getting On."

 

He Rode Away, And Flora Reverted To The Topic She And George Had Been

Discussing.

 

"So You Believe Mr. West Is Thinking Of Living Here Altogether!  I

Suppose He Would Be Able To Take A Farm Of Moderate Size?"

 

"It Wouldn't Be Very Large; He Can't Have Much Money, But His People

Would Help Him To Make A Start If They Were Satisfied.  That Means They

Would Consult Me."

 

Flora Smiled.

 

"And You Feel You Would Be In A Difficult Position, If You Were Asked

Whether It Would Be Wise To Let Him Marry A Prairie Girl?  Have You

Formed Any Decision About The Matter?"

 

She Spoke In An Indifferent Tone, But George Imagined That She Was

Interested.

 

"I Can't See Why He Shouldn't Do So."

 

"Think A Little.  West Has Been What You Call Well Brought Up, He's

Fastidious, And I Haven't Found English People Free From Social

Prejudices.  Could You, As His Friend, Contemplate His Marrying The

Daughter Of A Storekeeper In A Rather Primitive Western Town?  Taunton,

Of Course, Is Not A Polished Man."

 

"I Don't Think That Counts; He's A Very Good Type In Spite Of It.  The

Girl's Pretty, She Has Excellent Manners, And She Strikes Me As Having

Sense--And In Some Respects Edgar Has Very Little.  I'll Admit That At

One Time I Might Not Have Approved Of The Idea, But I Believe I've Got

Rid Of One Or Two Foolish Opinions That I Brought Out With Me.  If Miss

Taunton Is What She Appears To Be, He's Lucky In Getting Her.  Don't

You Think So?"

 

He Had Spoken With A Little Warmth, Though, As Flora Knew, He Was

Seldom Emphatic; And A Rather Curious Expression Crept Into Her Face.

He Did Not Quite Understand It, But He Thought She Was Pleased For Some

Reason Or Other!

 

"Oh," She Said Lightly, "I Have Told You My Opinion."

 

Nothing Further Was Said About The Subject, But George Walked Beside

His Team In A State Of Calm Content.  His Companion Was Unusually

Gracious; She Made A Picture That Was Pleasant To Watch As She Sat,

Volume 554 Chapter 27 (A Sign From Flett) Pg 203

Finely Poised, On The Big Horse, With The Strong Sunlight On Her Face.

Her Voice Was Attractive, Too; It Reached Him, Clear And Musical,

Through The Thud Of Hoofs And The Creak Of Slowly-Turning Wheels, For

He Made No Attempt To Hurry His Team.

 

When They Reached The Homestead, The Conversation Centered On The

Constable's Visit; And When The Grants Left, Edgar Stood Outside With

George, Watching The Slender Mounted Figure Grow Smaller Beside The

Jolting Buggy.

 

"George," He Said, "I've Met Very Few Girls Who Could Compare With

Flora Grant, Taking Her All Round."

 

"That's Correct," George Told Him.  "As A Matter Of Fact, I'm Doubtful

Whether You Have Met Any Who Would Bear The Comparison.  It Was The

Sillier Ones Who Made A Fuss Over You."

 

"I Know Of One," Edgar Resumed.  "As It Happens, She's In Canada."

 

"I'd A Suspicion Of Something Of The Kind," George Said Dryly.

 

Edgar Made No Answer, But Presently He Changed The Subject.

 

"What's The Least One Could Take Up A Farm Here With, And Have A Fair

Chance Of Success?"

 

"One Understands It Has Been Done With Practically Nothing On Preempted

Land, Though I'm Rather Dubious.  In Your Case, I'd Fix Five Thousand

Dollars As The Minimum; More Would Be Decidedly Better."

 

"Yes," Said Edgar Thoughtfully; "That's About My Idea; And I Suppose It

Could Be Raised, Though My Share Of What Was Left Us Has Nearly All

Been Spent In Cramming Me With Knowledge I've No Great Use For.

Stephen, However, Has Done Pretty Well, And I Think He Always Realized

That It Would Be His Privilege To Give Me A Lift; I've No Doubt He'll

Write To You As Soon As I Mention The Matter, And Your Answer Will Have

Its Effect."  He Looked At George With Anxious Eyes.  "I Venture To

Think You'll Strain A Point To Say What You Can In My Favor?"

 

"In The First Place, I'll Ride Over To The Butte And Have Supper With

Taunton, As Soon As I Can Find The Time."

 

"Thanks," Responded Edgar Gratefully; "You Won't Have Any Doubts After

That."  Then He Broke Into Laughter.  "You'll Excuse Me, But It's

Really Funny, George."

 

"I Don't See The Joke," George Said Shortly.

 

Edgar Tried To Look Serious, And Failed.

 

"I Can Imagine Your Trying To Weigh Up Helen; Starting A Subtle

Conversation To Elucidate Her Character, And Showing What You Were

After And Your Profound Ignorance With Every Word; Though You Mustn't

Suppose I'd Be Afraid Of Submitting Her To The Severest Test.  Why, You