THE ANNOUNCEMENT
About thirty people sat in a circle on the grass in the grove on the A-Y,
engaged in taking viands from the well-filled plates which made the
rounds. Keen humor from all sides kept them in roars of laughter, Humble
and Bill provoking the greater part of it. Humble sat next to Miss
Ritchie, while The Orphan and Bill flanked Helen, the sheriff next to his
new foreman. Humble's face had a look of benign condescension when he
allowed himself to bestow perfunctory attentions on the members of
his outfit, whom he graciously called "purty fair punchers in a way."
Crawford, the former owner of the A-Y, sat next to Shields, and when the
lunch had reached the cigar stage he arose and cleared his throat.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Bill and Humble," he began amid laughter. "I
have been regarded as the host of this picnic, and the false position
embarrasses me. But any such momentary feeling is compensated by the
importance of what I have to tell you.
"When I took up the A-Y it was with a determination to keep it and to
spend the rest of my days on it in peace. This I have found to be
impossible, and in consequence I have turned it over to a better man. The
energy which I have seen applied in the right way for the last few weeks
has assured me that the A-Y will soon be second in importance and
wealth to no ranch in this country. I have seen order, system, emerge
from chaos; I have seen five thousand cattle re-branded and taken care
of in such dispatch as to astonish me and be almost beyond my belief.
The sheriff has been as economical in the use of his energy as he can
be in the use of his words. By that I don't mean in the way that is
causing you to smile, but simply that he knows how to accomplish the
most work with the least possible expenditure of effort and time, as
witnessed by the condition of this ranch to-day. But while he has been
the guiding spirit in the work of putting the ranch on its proper
footing, he has had as good assistants as it is possible to find.
"I don't wish to tire you with any long speech, for brevity is the soul
of more than wit, so I will close by telling you that the A-Y is in new
and better hands--our sheriff is now its owner, and I extend to him my
heartiest wishes for his success in his new venture. I must thank him and
all of you for a very pleasant day and a memory to take East with me."
For an instant there was intense silence, and then a small battle seemed
to be taking place. The noise of the shooting and cheering was deafening
and smoke rolled down like a heavy fog. The sheriff met the rush toward
him and put in a very busy few minutes in shaking hands and replying
to the hearty congratulations which poured in upon him from all sides.
Everybody was happy and all were talking at once, and Bill could be heard
reeling off an unbroken string of words at high speed.
The Orphan fought his way to his best friend and gripped both hands in his
own.
"By God, Sheriff!" he cried. "This is great news, and I'm plumb glad to
hear it! I hope you have the very best of luck and that your returns, both
in pleasure and money, far exceed your fondest expectations. Anything I
can do is yours for the asking."
"Thank you, son," replied the sheriff, looking fondly into his friend's
eyes. "I'm going to call on you just as soon as I can make myself heard
in all this hellabaloo. Just listen to that!" he exclaimed as Silent let
loose again.
"Glory be!" yelled he of the misleading name, slapping Humble across the
back. "For this you ride home like a white man, Humble--all your sins are
forgiven! Hurrah for the sheriff, his family and the A-Y!" he shouted at
the top of his lungs, and his cheer was supported unanimously with true
cowboy enthusiasm and vim.
"Hurray for me, too!" shouted Bill in laughter. Then he fled, with Silent
in hot pursuit.
The sheriff tried to speak, and after several attempts was finally given
silence.
"Thank you, everybody!" he cried, his face beaming. "I am happy for many
reasons to-day, but foremost among them is the fact that I have so many
warm and loyal friends. The A-Y is always open to all of you, and I'll be
some disappointed if you don't put in a lot of your spare time over here."
He paused for a few seconds and then looked at The Orphan, who stood at
Helen's side.
"Mr. Crawford did his part a whole lot better than I can do mine, I'm
afraid, but I'm going to do my best, anyhow. The news has only been half
told--the name of the new foreman of the A-Y henceforth will be The
Orphan! Whoop her up, boys!" he shouted, leading a cheer which was not
one whit less a cheer than those which had gone before.
The Orphan stared in astonishment, for once in his life he had been
surprised. The sheriff at last had the drop on him. He looked from one to
another, started to step forward and then changed his mind and looked
appealingly at Helen, who smiled in a way to double the speed of his
heart-beats.
Her eyes were moist, and the sudden consciousness that she formed half
of the objective of all eyes caused her cheeks to go crimson. Her hand
impulsively went to his shoulder and without thought on her part, and his
incredulous questioning was answered by her.
"It's all true," she said earnestly. "I've known of it for a whole week
now. You are the real foreman of the A-Y, and I most earnestly hope for
your success."
He suddenly seemed to be above the earth and his voice broke in his
stammered reply. For a fraction of a second her eyes had told him what
he had dreamed of, what he had hoped for above all things, and he grasped
her hand for a second as he stepped forward toward his new employer,
whose hand met his with a man's grasp.
"Thank you, Sheriff," he said, his head whirling from the surprises of a
minute. "You've been squarer and fairer with me than any man I've ever
known, and hell will look nice to me if I don't make good with you.
"Thank you, boys; thank you, Bill: you're all right, every one of you!"
he cried as his friends crowded about him. "What the sheriff said
about warm friends was the truth--thank you, Bud and Jim! Thank you,
Blake--you're another brick! Good God, what I have gained in two months!
I can scarcely believe it, it seems so like a dream. That's a real
warm grip, all right, though," he exclaimed as he shook hands with Humble,
"so I reckon it's all true. Two months!" he marveled. "Two glorious,
glorious months! A new start in life, a loyal crowd of friends, a--and
all in two months! And there is the man I owe it all to," he suddenly
cried, pointing to the sheriff. "There's the whitest man God ever made,
and I'll kill the man who says I lie!"
"Good boy!" shouted Bill in enthusiastic endorsement. "You two make a pair
of aces what can beat any full-house ever got together, and _I_'ll lick
the man who says _I_ lie!" he yelled pugnaciously. "The Orphant may be
an orphant, all right, but he's got a whole lot of brothers."
Mrs. Shields walked over to The Orphan and placed a motherly hand on his
shoulder as he recovered.
"You won't be an orphan any longer, my boy," she said, smiling up at him.
"You're one of us now--I always wanted a son, and God has given me one
in you."