The sun was low but the light was good, and Jimmy's party, crossing a
hillside, saw a long plume of smoke. The smoke moved and when it melted
the rumble of a distant freight train rolled up the valley. After a
time, they saw telegraph posts, a break in the rocks, and two or three
small houses. Then their fatigue vanished and all went fast, but Jimmy
was sorry for Dillon, whose mouth was tight. Jimmy thought Laura waited
at the railroad and Frank must tell her Stannard would not come back.
Moreover, she must soon know Stannard had shot the game warden and was
willing for Jimmy to pay. When they reached the bottom of the hill he
stopped Dillon.
"I expect Laura has got a cruel knock, but perhaps we can save her some
extra pain. If you take the line you think will hurt her least, I'll
play up, and you can trust Deering."
Dillon said nothing, but gave Jimmy a grateful look. Half an hour
afterwards they pushed through a belt of trees and saw a party waiting
by the railroad. It was obvious the telegrams had arrived. Although the
people were some distance off, Jimmy picked out Margaret, who stood by
a man he did not think was Jardine; the bush ranchers did not wear furs
like his. By and by he distinguished Mrs. Dillon and Mrs. Jardine,
Graham, the section hand, and a police trooper, but they were not
important and he speculated about the stranger, until, when the track
was not far off, he saw a light. Margaret's companion was Sir James
Leyland.
Jimmy frowned. His uncle's arrival was awkward, for he had rather hoped
to work on Margaret's emotion and carry her away. In fact, he had
wondered whether to take her boldly in his arms might not be a useful
plan. Now the plan would not work; although when he stopped in front of
Margaret he saw she was moved. The blood came to her skin and her glance
was very kind. She wore an old fur cap and a soft deerskin jacket; in
fact, her clothes were a rancher's daughter's clothes, but somehow she
was marked by a touch of dignity. She gave Jimmy her hand and he turned
to his uncle.
"You know Miss Jardine, sir?"
"It looks like that," Sir James replied with a smile. "Since you are my
nephew, I felt I ought to know your friends. Then Miss Jardine was kind,
and seeing my curiosity, helped to throw some light upon your romantic
adventures."
Jimmy gave Margaret a grateful look and laughed. "I expect you were
puzzled, sir?"
"To some extent, I was puzzled," Sir James agreed. "I'm a sober and
perhaps old-fashioned business man. The golden days when I was young
and rash are gone, but one recaptures a reflection of their vanished
charm."
"Ah," said Jimmy, "I knew you were human! No days were golden for Uncle
Dick. I expect you know we jarred?"
"Dick indicated something like that, but he has a number of useful
qualities. Perhaps they're inherited qualities, because I think one or
two are yours. For example, I went to see your ranch. You have made good
progress, on sound business lines, although chopping trees is obviously
a strenuous job."
"Do you know much about ranching?" Jimmy inquired.
"I do not. Miss Jardine thought I ought to see the ranch and her father
enlightened me."
Margaret blushed and Sir James smiled. "Friends are useful, Jimmy, so
long as one's friends are good; but we mustn't philosophize. They are
cooking some food for you at the post office and the station agent has
agreed to stop the Vancouver express. He imagines the train will arrive
before very long."
They went to the post office and soon afterwards the train rolled down
the gorge. Jimmy helped Margaret up the steps, gave Peter his awkward
thanks, and jumped on board. By and by the cars sped past a small stone
hut and he wondered whether he was the man who had not long since stolen
down at night to meet the section hand.
When they reached the hotel the guests Jimmy had known were gone, and a
lonely stranger occupied a room. The clerk stated they would shut down
for the winter as soon as the party went, but dinner would be served as
usual in the big dining-room.
Jimmy, refreshed by a hot bath, dressed with luxurious satisfaction. To
wear clean, dry clothes and know others would cook his food was
something new. When he went downstairs Sir James was in the rotunda.
"Now you are the fashionable young fellow I expected to meet," he
remarked with a twinkle. "You see, Dick drew your portrait."
"Oh, well," said Jimmy, "I expect I bothered Dick and perhaps he was a
better friend than I thought. All the same, I hope to persuade you the
portrait was something of a caricature."
Sir James gave him a thoughtful glance. "It is possible. When you came
down the hill at Green River, carrying your heavy pack, your mouth tight
and your eyes fixed, I knew my nephew. Sometimes when the cheap mill
engine stopped and your father put down his pen and took off his coat he
looked like that. Well, it's long since and I have got a title I did not
particularly want; but after all we are new arrivals and the primitive
vein is not yet run out----" He stopped and resumed: "Mrs. Dillon is in
the drawing-room, but we must wait for Miss Jardine. She and her father
are my guests."
"You are kind, but I thought them my guests, sir!"
Sir James smiled. "You are rather dull, Jimmy. After all, I am the head
of your house."
They went to the dining-room and at the door Jimmy stopped. Margaret and
Jardine crossed the belt of polished wood between the pillars, but now
Margaret was not dressed like a bush girl. The deerskin jacket was gone,
her clothes were fashionable and her skin shone against the fine
dark-colored material. Yet she was marked by the grace and balance one
gets in the woods, and Jimmy thought her step like a mountain deer's.
Then he saw his uncle studied him and he crossed the floor.
Mrs. Dillon, Frank and Deering came in, but although Sir James was an
urbane host sometimes the talk got slack. Laura had not come down and
another occupied Stannard's chair.
The stranger Jimmy had remarked dined alone some distance off, but when
Mrs. Dillon got up he joined the group.
"You agreed to give me an interview," he said to Sir James.
"That is so," Sir James replied. "You wanted to see my nephew, I think,
and since we may talk about Stannard, I would like Mr. Deering to join
us."
They went to the rotunda and the stranger pulled out some documents. He
was old and rather fat, but his clothes were fastidiously neat and his
glance was keen.
"You know I'm Mayson, and my London address is on my card," he said.
"The card does not state my occupation, but I lend money."
"I imagined something like that," said Sir James. "Stannard was your
partner?"
"He was my agent. Stannard belonged to exclusive sporting clubs I could
not join; but perhaps this is not important. I understand you are
satisfied he is dead?"
Deering nodded. "Nothing made of flesh and blood could stand for his
plunge down the rocks."
"Since he was a famous mountaineer, I expect you thought his
carelessness strange."
"I have some grounds to think you could account for it," said Deering
dryly.
"We will talk about this again," said Mayson and turned to Sir James.
"Mr. Leyland owes me a large sum; I have brought his notes."
Sir James studied the documents and gave them to Jimmy, who admitted the
account was accurate.
"Very well," said Sir James. "My nephew meets his bills. The interest is
high, but he must pay for his extravagance. Before I write you a check,
I want to see your agreement with Stannard and would like some
particulars."
Mayson gave him a document, and when Jimmy stated that he knew
Stannard's hand, resumed: "Stannard joined me some years since, at a
time when he was awkwardly embarrassed. The combine had advantages.
Stannard had qualities I had not; his friends were fashionable sporting
people. For all that, he was bankrupt and I supplied him with money."
"Exactly," said Sir James. "Still, perhaps Stannard's agreeing to tout
for you was strange. My nephew thought him a fastidious gentleman.
There's another thing: since he was willing to exploit his friends, did
you not imagine he might cheat you?"
Mayson smiled. "Stannard dared not cheat me, and perhaps I can give Mr.
Deering the light he wants. I knew something about Stannard that, had
others known, would have broken him. When we made our agreement, he
declared the person he had injured was recently dead and the risk he ran
was gone. Perhaps he was sincere, but sometimes I doubt. Not long since,
when he began to keep back sums I ought to have got, I made inquiries
and found out that another knew. In fact, it looked as if Stannard were
buying the fellow's silence with my money. Had he been frank, I might
have broken the extortioner, but he was not frank. I think he knew he
had deceived me about the agreement and was afraid. Anyhow, he tried to
meet the demands, until----"
"I think I see," said Deering. "You do not yet know all Stannard's plans
and now they're not important. I expect we can take it for granted that
he imagined the demands could not long be met. Then he saw the police
had found out his part in the shooting accident and he went down the
rocks."
"It looks like that," Mayson agreed.
Deering turned to Jimmy. Jimmy's look was stern and his brows were knit.
Deering thought he saw a light, but he said nothing and Sir James got
up.
"If you will go with me to the office, Mr. Mayson, I will write you a
check."
They went off and soon afterwards Dillon joined Jimmy.
"Laura wants to see you," he said in a disturbed voice. "She knows
Stannard shot Douglas, and it's now obvious he meant you to pay; but I
rather think that's not all. She talks about her not being justified in
marrying me. The thing's ridiculous; if Stannard was a crook, she's not
accountable, but my arguments don't carry much weight. Perhaps you can
help. You agreed to play up."
"I'll try," said Jimmy, and went to the drawing-room.
Nobody but Laura was about and her forlorn look moved him. Her face was
pinched and all her color was gone, but she gave Jimmy a level glance.
"You know I'm sorry," he said, and taking her cold hand, resumed with
some embarrassment: "Frank's my friend and you were very kind. Not long
since I thought----"
"You thought you were my lover?" said Laura in a quiet voice. "You were
lucky because you were not, but had you agreed to go back to the cotton
mill, I might have married you. Now you know my shabbiness."
"I know nothing like that," Jimmy declared. "I do, however, know I owe
you much. You were the first to warn me where my extravagance led. Now I
want to help----"
"Ah," said Laura, "you are generous! I was willing to cheat you and it's
plain my father was not your friend."
Jimmy studied her and thought her afraid. In fact, he began to see why
she had sent for him. Laura was keen; she knew something, but he
imagined she did not know all. Anyhow, he was not going to enlighten
her.
"You mustn't exaggerate the importance of the shooting accident," he
said. "I and Mr. Stannard used our rifles. The night was dark and I
imagined I had hit the warden. I expect Mr. Stannard had no grounds to
think the unlucky shot was his. Until recently, the police believed the
shot was mine."
Laura was quiet for a few moments, and then with an effort looked up.
"My father knew the rocks; he was a famous mountaineer. Yet when the
police sergeant ordered him to stop he went down the bank----"
"After all, his carelessness was not very strange," Jimmy replied. "Mr.
Stannard was leader and had borne a heavy strain; in fact, we were all
exhausted and our nerve was gone. Then the police came out of the mist,
the sergeant shouted, and Mr. Stannard knew they claimed he had shot the
warden. He was startled and, so to speak, mechanically stepped
back----"
He stopped, for although his object was good, he knew Laura's
cleverness. He did not know if he had altogether banished her doubts,
but she gave him a grateful look.
"Frank is your friend," she said in a quiet voice. "He wants me to marry
him. Are you satisfied I ought not to refuse?"
"Why, of course I'm satisfied," Jimmy declared. "You had nothing to do
with the shooting accident; you were my friend before Frank was. I hope
we're friends for good. To refuse to marry Frank is ridiculous. Since
I'm persuaded, you ought not to doubt."
Laura gave him her hand.
"You are stanch, Jimmy, but I'm tired," she said, and let him go.
In the hall Jimmy met Sir James, who said, "I am going for a quiet
smoke. Will you join me?"
"Not for a time, sir. Since I arrived I've been strenuously occupied
doing things I ought. Now I'm going to do something I want to do."
"For example?" Sir James inquired.
"I'm going to talk to Margaret. I hope to persuade her to marry me."
"When I suggested our taking a smoke, my object was to inquire about
your friendship for Miss Jardine. After all, I am your trustee."
"I hope you approve my plan, sir," Jimmy rejoined.
"You know where to stop," Sir James remarked with a twinkle. "Perhaps my
approval carries more weight than you think; because had I not approved,
Miss Jardine would not have agreed."
"Then you have talked to her about it?" said Jimmy with keen surprise.
"Not at all; Miss Jardine is not dull. I soon saw she understood my
importance, but did not mean to use her charm. Her friendliness was
marked by some reserve. In fact, it was plain she acknowledged my
business was to judge if she were the girl for you and she would not
persuade me. Well, I liked her pride, and although we did not talk about
it, I rather think she knew I did approve."
"Thank you, sir," said Jimmy with a grateful look.
Sir James put his hand on Jimmy's arm.
"When I started from Bombay I was bothered about you. Dick had found out
something about Stannard and he imagined that Miss Stannard was his
accomplice."
"Miss Stannard didn't know Stannard's occupation. She is not accountable
for her father."
"That is so," Sir James agreed. "I think Miss Stannard a charming girl,
but she was not the girl for you. Leylands are manufacturers and your
job is to control a big industry; Miss Stannard's is to cultivate her
social talents and amuse herself. Margaret Jardine, however, is our
sort. She's stanch and sincere; you know her pluck and all she risked
for you. You want a wife like that, and I wish you luck!"
Jimmy found Margaret in the drawing-room. Mrs. Dillon had gone off with
Laura, and Jimmy advanced resolutely.
"At Green Lake I asked you to marry me and you refused. Yet you knew I
loved you and perhaps I had some grounds to think----"
The blood came to Margaret's skin. "I did know, Jimmy; but to marry you
because I stopped the trooper was another thing."
"Now you're ridiculous! All the same, in some respects your refusal was
justified. My drawbacks were plain. For all you knew, I was an
extravagant wastrel, and the police were on my track. Since I mustn't
urge you, I was forced to be resigned."
"Sometimes you are rather dull," Margaret remarked and smiled.
"Well, I'm not forced to try for resignation now. I was something of an
extravagant fool, but the police will leave me alone."
"The police were not the obstacle," said Margaret in a quiet voice.
Jimmy laughed. "It looks like that; the trooper who tried to catch us
did not bother you long. If Sir James was the obstacle, he's, so to
speak, removed. You have conquered him and he declared a few minutes
since you were the girl for me. He's a kind old fellow. Don't you think
you ought to indulge him?"
He reached down and took her hands. "I want you, Margaret. My
extravagance is done with. I'm going back to undertake my proper job and
I need your help."
"Then I must try to help," said Margaret, and Jimmy took her in his
arms.