“Have you got anythin’ to work on at all?”
“Two murders and three robberies,” smiled Hashknife, “not to mention the
fact that we’re still here and our eight hours were up a long time ago.”
“They were bluffin’, Hashknife.”
“Mebby.”
“Well, they ain’t made good.”
Hashknife smiled.
“The note didn’t say they’d kill us five minutes after our time was up.
Give ’em time, cowboy.”
* * * * *
Tex Blanco stopped short in the center of the living room at the B Arrow
and looked at Marion. Tex had been working late and was still clad in
his wide, batwing chaps, his features streaked with dust. He had left
the ranch about the time Andy Hastings had gone to Pineville and did not
know Marion had come back with him.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” he said. “I told Andy I didn’t think you
would, but he said he’d try.”
“I guess I just came,” said Marion simply.
Tex shook his head slowly.
“I—we all wanted you to come, Marion, but I think we did wrong in askin’
you to come out here.”
“It doesn’t make any difference, now. You see, I’ve lost my school.”
“You’ve lost your school?” He came toward her. “I don’t know what you
mean, Marion.”
She shrugged her shoulders wearily.
“Just lost it. They hired a man to take my place.”
“They hired a man—but why?”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter. They said I wasn’t satisfactory.”
Tex stared at her for a moment.
“They know that wasn’t true,” he said firmly, “and you know it, too,
Marion. It was my fault. Oh, I know; it was because I came there. I’m to
blame for you losin’ that job.”
Marion shook her head.
“No, that wasn’t it.”
“Oh, I know. I—I guess I contaminated the kids.”
He turned away and flung his sombrero on a chair.
“Jimmy told me what the children said. And they don’t talk, unless they
hear things at home. How is he, Marion?”
“Sleeping. The doctor promised to come out tonight. You heard what
happened in Pineville?”
“Judd told me.”
Mrs. Blanco came in from the kitchen and Tex went to her, bending down
to kiss the little old lady.
“Ye are a little late,” she said, “but I’ve kept the supper warm. And
were ye surprised to see the lady with us? Ah, it was fine of her to
come. Do ye know it, the boy went fast asleep when she talked to him,
Tex?”
“It was mighty fine of her to come; Jimmy will get well now.”
“He will, thanks to a most unselfish young lady. Ah, ye are unselfish,
though.”
Mrs. Blanco put her arms around Marion’s waist, patting her on the arm.
“Do ye know, my dear, you are the first woman to come in this house in
years?”
“I don’t understand what you mean,” smiled Marion.
“They’d know in Pineville. Folks avoid this place as though it had a
plague. ’Tis a bad reputation the B Arrow has. Aye, that’s a fact. They
say that the old lady smokes a pipe. And she does. She may put unclean
things in her mouth, but—but never mind. Tex, I’ll set ye a supper.”
She patted Marion on the arm and hurried away to get the supper for Tex.
“I think she’s wonderful,” said Marion.
Tex nodded slowly.
“You don’t know half of it, Marion. She’s my silver linin’. I’d have
left this country a long time ago, but for her. The Spanish half of me
gets mad and wants to run away, but the Irish half listens to her, and I
stay. What pleasure can she get out of life? No women ever come here.
You don’t know what it means to be shunned. When I take her to Pineville
the women avoid her. They all avoid me, too. But that doesn’t hurt me.
“That’s what a reputation will do, Marion. I’ve killed men in fair
fights. They had an even break. But they call me a killer. I’m not a
killer. God knows, I’m not. And then some dirty voiced liar hinted that
we stole cattle. It don’t take long for such things to get around.
Killers and cow thieves! No wonder they leave us alone. They say I
killed Buck Dennig—”
Tex laughed bitterly. He started to say something about the stage
robbery, but checked himself in time. Mrs. Blanco called him from the
kitchen, and he went out to her.
Marion sat down on a couch covered with a gaudy blanket. It was quite
cool, and one of the boys had built a fire in the big fireplace. The
flames crackled merrily, and a little yellow canary in a homemade cage
began singing softly.
Old Doctor Brent came before Tex finished supper. Jimmy was still
asleep, and the doctor was well satisfied. Mrs. Blanco told him the
effect Marion had had on Jimmy, and the old doctor thanked her for
coming.
“I don’t blame Jimmy.” He smiled, looking closely at Marion, as they
were introduced. “Don’t blame him in the least. Fact of the matter is, I
envy Jimmy.”
He chuckled to himself, as he gave them orders. As he left he put a hand
on Marion’s shoulder.
“Mrs. Cooper told me about the school,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.
I hope you can stay here until the boy is out of danger.”
“Oh, I don’t think I can stay here very long, Doctor.”
“I don’t expect him to be sick _very_ long.”
That night the cowboys all sat around the living room, telling stories.
Little Jimmy was worse and babbled incessantly about the school. No one
went to bed. The cowboys drowsed heavily, awoke to roll cigarets and
drowsed some more. They were all fond of Jimmy.
Morning came. Jimmy went to sleep and the cowboys dragged out to
breakfast. It was about nine o’clock when Mrs. Cooper came. It was the
first time she had ever been on the ranch, but Mrs. Blanco greeted her
warmly. Marion was asleep on a couch in the living room, but awoke at
sound of Mrs. Cooper’s voice.
Ma Cooper fairly hugged her.
“I met Mrs. Beebee this mornin’,” chuckled Ma Cooper. “She tried to
avoid me, but I cornered her, and what I told her would take the polish
off a mahogany table. Whoo-ee-e-e! Oh, we had it hot and heavy. She
swears you eloped with Andy Hastings. Ha-ha-ha-ha! Well, how’s the
little boy?”
“He’s asleep, Ma Cooper. Had a bad night, though. The doctor wants me to
stay here until Jimmy is better.”
Mrs. Cooper lifted her brows quickly, a smile in her eyes.
“The doctor does, eh? Well, always obey the doctor, honey.”