Limber relented. "Mrs. Glendon seen 'em in time to get away, or else the
Apaches would of got her and Donnie. She hid in a cave, and when we
found her thar was two cartridges put one side. You know what that
means. 'Tain't a pleasant thing for any woman to be alone and get to a
point where she has to save two cartridges. No man has any right to ast
her to take such chances--and if he is skunk enough to expect it, he
ain't wuth doin' it for."
"How did you happen to find her?" asked Glendon, fingering the hanging
strap of the cinch, and avoiding the other man's eyes.
"I come over with Doctor Powell. He's a friend of Mr. Traynor's and been
at the Diamond H over a month. We come to see Doc King and rid down here
to trail him up. He wasn't at the Springs. That's how we found Mrs.
Glendon, and it made me hot all the way through."
"Oh, she's able to take care of herself. I guess there wasn't so much
danger. Katherine always exaggerates things. She's too melodramatic. I'm
used to her ways, you aren't."
Limber's eyes flashed and he grasped Glendon's arm roughly, compelling
the man to face him.
"Look here, Glen! I've stood by you when every other decent man has
throwed you down for a yellow cur. I done it because I thought mebbe
thar was a white streak in you that didn't show on top, but the bunch
you're getting mixed with ain't goin' to do you no good, and you've got
to pull up mighty quick. Best thing you kin do, and what you'd oughter
done without any one telling you, is quit this country. If you ain't man
enough to do it for your own sake, do it for their'n;" Limber's head
jerked toward the house.
"You've been a true friend, Limber, or else I wouldn't let you talk to
me that way. I can't leave here now, but I will pull out as soon as I
can arrange it. I give you my word of honour."
Limber gripped the outstretched hand, "I'm durned glad you told me," he
said earnestly. "I'll do anything I know how for you and Mrs. Glendon
any time you call on me."
Juan approached and removed the bridle from Glendon's pony, replacing a
halter on it he was turning away, when Limber spoke, "Thar's fresh lion
tracks leadin' to that cave whar Mrs. Glendon and Donnie hid this
mornin'. I didn't tell 'em, but they'd better keep away from the cave.
_Lucky the lion wasn't thar._ You lay for it, Juan."
"Si, Senor," the Mexican's promise was emphatic, and Glendon, too,
declared he would "run the brute down."
"I've been having a lot of bad luck lately," Glendon said as he and
Limber walked to the house. "This rough range is hard to work and cattle
so wild you can't round 'em up without running all the fat off their
bones. By the time they are driven thirty-five miles to Willcox, no
butcher wants 'em. The longer I stay here the worse off I will be. I've
written the old man and asked him to give me a chance somewhere else. He
may not answer my letter, but it won't be any worse than now, if he
doesn't. I didn't have enough money when I started to pay expenses."
They reached the house where Glendon welcomed Doctor Powell effusively.
Something of the charm that had attracted friends in other days, still
was apparent when Glendon was not drinking. Powell's keen eyes observed
the handsome face marred by lines of weakness and self-indulgence.
"Glad to meet you," Glendon's voice sounded sincere and he grasped
Doctor Powell's hand warmly. "We don't have very many visitors around
here, but from what Limber tells me, it's been a regular reception day
at the ranch. I wouldn't have gone away from the house if I had thought
there was any real danger."
Powell, remembering that Limber had warned Glendon previously about the
Indians, and that Mrs. Glendon had spoken of Doctor King's warning them,
knew Glendon was lying, and Powell hated a liar. Glendon's eyes shifted
under the steady gaze of the doctor, and he hastened to say, "I don't
suppose Katherine offered you a drink. Lucky I don't keep it in the
closet or Geronimo would have it by this time."
He started to get the liquor, but Powell prevented it by rising from his
chair and holding out his hand to Mrs. Glendon.
"Now that you are not alone, I think Limber and I had better be on our
way, trailing Doctor King. I am anxious to meet him as soon as
possible."
Katherine and Donnie bade him farewell. Glendon kept talking volubly.
"I'm glad we know the Apaches have passed here. No danger when you have
a line on their whereabouts, but when you don't know, they always bob
up. They hike for the Mexican border when the soldiers make it too hot
for 'em in Arizona." Limber now led the ponies to the gate, and Glendon
held out his hand to Powell, saying, "Glad to have met you, Doctor, and
let me know if there is anyway in which I can show my appreciation for
what you have done for Mrs. Glendon and Donnie."
Katherine smiled her gratitude, then Powell and Limber rode down the
trail to the San Pedro River, followed by the eyes of husband and wife
who stood on the porch of the Circle Cross ranch.
As the turn of the trail back of the stables hid the riders from view,
Glendon said to his wife, "I wonder what they want to see King about.
Looks urgent, chasing him that way."
"Doctor Powell said that he and Doctor King might form a partnership to
build a Sanitarium at the Springs. You know that has been Doctor King's
dream for many years; but he never has found any one who could qualify
as physician and also have sufficient capital. I hope they may carry out
the plan. It is such a splendid idea!"
"Oh, you do, eh?" Glendon snarled the words as he scowled at his wife.
"Well, you may be interested in knowing that I'm figuring on getting the
Springs myself. I've written father about the place. The only hitch
would be that it is on unsurveyed ground, and no one can get a title
except Squatter's Rights."
"But Doctor King won't sell to any one except a physician who will live
there with him and establish a Sanitarium," Katherine asserted. "I've
heard him say that so many times. He also told me that Mr. Traynor had
made a good offer for the place, but it was refused for those reasons.
Maybe Mr. Traynor wrote Doctor Powell about it. You see, Doctor Powell
could qualify as a physician, and if he has not the money to finance the
buildings, Mr. Traynor could supply that, or interest other capital."
Glendon did not answer, but sat on the lower step of the porch, staring
moodily down the canyon trail toward San Pedro. His wife, learning from
Juan that they had not eaten the lunch in their saddle bags, busied
herself preparing an early dinner, for the hands of the clock announced
four. She arranged the table then came to the front door and spoke
quietly. Glendon did not hear her.
She moved to his side and touched him lightly on the shoulder, saying,
"Dinner is ready, Jim. Juan said you had not eaten lunch."
He leaped violently to his feet uttering an oath and glaring at her.
"What are you doing? Spying on me?" he demanded furiously, and brushed
past her, knocking against her shoulder as she stood in the doorway.
Her face paled. She made no answer, but turned to the dining-room where
Juan was at the table. Glendon fortified his ragged nerves with a
generous drink of whiskey and slumped into his chair, only to grumble at
everything before him and finally push away his untasted food. Then he
rose so suddenly that his chair fell backward with a crash. He started,
glanced at the chair, gave it a kick and with another oath, flung
himself from the house. Through the window Katherine saw him again mount
his pony.
She sat with trembling lips, tears slowly forcing themselves from the
drooping eyelids and wetting her white cheeks. Juan's face was filled
with pity, but he knew he could do nothing--say nothing, and he rose
softly and slipped away that she might be alone with her misery.
Donnie's hand touched her cheek, and she opened her eyes and smiled at
him, thankful that the child was safe. Nothing else mattered, after all.
So while she removed and washed the dishes, she talked cheerfully to
Donnie.
Back in the front room again, the boy moved to and fro, and at last
turned his anxious face to his mother.
"I can't find my book, Marmee. Do you think the Indians took it?"
"Why, no, dear," she replied, looking at the table. She had noticed the
book where Donnie had left it. It had been there when she called Glendon
from the porch for dinner. No one had passed through the room since then
but Glendon.
Carefully she and Donnie searched the room, but no trace of the book
could be found. She stood staring down the front walk to the gate,
unwilling to acknowledge her suspicions against the father of her child.
Then on the walk she saw something that caused her to hurry out.
The wind carried a torn page to her feet. She stooped and picked up the
fluttering, tell-tale bit of paper, and as she held it in her trembling
hand, the words caught her eyes, "and he shall be a better man than his
father." On the upper part of the page rode Sir Galahad.
"Donnie, dear," she called and the boy came quickly to her side. "Come
and help me look out here for the book. Maybe we can find it in the
bushes, somewhere. See, here is a page, and the rest of it must be close
by."
They found it torn, soiled, the covers broken and cracked, and the
child's sobs came unchecked as his mother's arms went about him; the
ache in her heart was too great for tears.
"Donnie, we can mend it so it will be almost as good as ever," she
cheered him, and the child's sobs were choked though the quiet tears
rolled down his cheeks, as he went back to the house with his mother,
the mutilated book held in his little hands.