Charlie Menocal's object in calling upon the young ladies at Sarita
Creek was merely diversion. He was fond of girls, especially lively
ones, and knew a good many here and there within reach of his motor
car, including a number of pretty Mexican maidens of humble parentage.
But his serious attentions centred about Louise Graham of whom in
secret he was very jealous. Whenever he could find an excuse, and
frequently when not, he went to the Graham ranch on Diamond Creek,
five miles south of the girls' claims, where his figure was as
familiar (and of about as much interest) as the magpies in the
pasture. He fully meant to marry Louise, whose beauty and gracious
manner even to the smallest bare-legged Mexican boy on the ranch
captivated him and stirred in his breast a maddening desire for
possession, so that he might cut off the rest of the world from her
sweetness, so that it might alone feed his passion. Yes, he meant to
have Louise.
When he was with her his black eyes would shine and a ruddy tinge
appear in his dusky cheeks that were as soft and smooth as a Mexican
girl's, and he would restlessly finger a point of his little, silky,
black moustache and feel unutterable agitations proceeding in his
heart. Louise Graham did not allow him to declare his adoration, which
he would have done every moment they were together; when he tried,
she walked away. But Charlie counted on his good looks and his
father's wealth to win her in the end. One fear alone lurked in his
heart, that some young American might come along who would win her
interest; and earlier in the summer he had a decided uneasiness lest
Bryant prove to be the man. The scoundrelly engineer, however, had
fallen head over heels in love with Ruth Gardner, so that Charlie's
mind was relieved on that point. To his knowledge, Louise and Bryant
had never met--which was as it should be.
Charlie, having stopped about ten o'clock in the morning at the Graham
ranch for a chat with Louise while on his way to Kennard, was
considerably surprised and exceedingly nettled at beholding the
engineer, with Dave behind him on the horse, presently riding up the
lane between the rows of cottonwoods. Young Menocal had persuaded
Louise to leave her household duties for the moment to sit on the
veranda and talk with him. But now had come this impudent upstart!
Charlie's warning of someone at hand was when Louise ceased to speak
and gazed intently along the lane. His annoyance at the interruption
changed to a quick jealousy as his companion rose, descended the
steps, bade the engineer welcome, and extended her hand in greeting.
Bryant explained that he was dropping Dave here to take the stage for
Kennard when it came along after dinner. He himself was riding on.
"He'll eat dinner with us, of course, and I'll put him aboard the
stage myself," she exclaimed, with a pat on the shoulder of the boy
who had now dismounted. "Won't you stop for a moment, Mr. Bryant?
I'll give you a glass of fresh buttermilk to speed you on your way; a
stirrup cup, we'll call it. The woman has just finished churning."
Lee declared that he would drink a glass with very great pleasure. He
was thirsty, he said, and in addition was fond of buttermilk.
Menocal listened and watched him dismount and ground his teeth. Louise
knew the thief, after all. Where the devil had they become acquainted?
It was but one more instance of the engineer's pushing in where he
wasn't wanted. And she had not invited him, Charlie, to partake of
buttermilk, though, to be sure, she knew he did not like it. He felt
slighted.
When Bryant and Louise ascended the veranda, Dave loitering below, the
engineer said nonchalantly, "Hello, Charlie, how are tricks? Anything
new up your sleeve?"--in a way that set the other's blood boiling; and
when he carelessly added, "What about that story the stage-driver's
telling of you and a señorita going into a ditch with your car at
Rosita the other night?" he was quite ready to murder both Bryant and
the stage-driver.
So upset was Charlie that he was unable to share in the conversation.
He curtly refused a glass when Louise brought a pitcher of buttermilk,
then changed his mind, and ended by choking over the wretched stuff.
The situation was intolerable; his pride was smarting; the others
talked on with unperturbed countenances, ignoring his silence; and his
self-respect required some action in the face of the affront. He
abruptly stood up and announced that he was departing.
In Louise's manner at this news there was no repining that he could
observe. She did not protest. Her words were impersonally pleasant as
ever, but vague; and he perceived that she only half heeded his going;
and that her eyes brightened when once more she turned to her visitor.
This was the final stab. With hatred in his heart and a wicked glitter
in his eyes, Charlie Menocal went down the steps to his automobile,
feeling the need of a victim, preferably the engineer. Bryant had
insulted him at the ford; he was attempting to rob him and his father;
he had insolently threatened the elder Menocal; he stopped at nothing;
and now he was intruding here and deceiving Louise with his arrogant
pretentions. He came on Dave, standing beside the car and examining
the latch of a door.
"Keep your hands off that!" he snapped. At the same time he gave the
boy a cuff that sent him sprawling. "That will teach you!"
In two bounds Lee Bryant was at the spot. He caught the still-extended
hand in an iron grip.
"You miserable coward! Striking a boy!" he said, harshly. "Feeling
that you must vent your spite on someone, you pick on this unoffending
lad. If you ever raise so much as a finger against him again----"
"Let him keep away from my machine! And drop my wrist!" Charlie
Menocal snarled.
"And you leave him alone hereafter, in any case," Lee warned, shoving
the speaker away in disgust. Then he helped Dave to rise.
Charlie straightened his disarranged tie and coat with trembling
fingers. He could scarcely retain his rage; his body shook all over;
his foot slipped twice when he sought to mount into his car. Leaning
forward from his seat, he shook a finger in Bryant's face, exclaiming,
"You'll get what's coming to you! Like your damned dog!" His face was
entirely viperish. His finger came within an inch of the engineer's
nose. His words carried a furious hiss.
Then he whirled his car about and went tearing down the lane with
exhaust wide open and roaring.
When Bryant, leading Dave, rejoined Louise Graham, a flush of
embarrassment dyed his face. She had sprung up at Menocal's blow
knocking the boy over and remained standing, an indignant observer of
the scene. When Menocal had departed, the engineer recalled suddenly
what Ruth had said concerning Charlie and Louise Graham being
practically engaged; and as he now saw her rigid figure and displeased
countenance, he imagined he had lost her friendship. Still, he could
not have acted otherwise.
"I'm very sorry for this occurrence, Miss Graham," he said,
contritely. "Especially as I understand Charlie Menocal is very high
in your esteem."
"Who dares say that!"
"Well, Charlie himself is the authority, I believe," Lee responded,
with a slight smile.
Her eyes flashed at that.
"Well, it's not the case; and if it had been, this exhibition of bad
manners and bad nature on his part would have changed it. Father and I
consider him--well, a nuisance. There, I'm giving you a confidence.
We've tolerated him because Mr. Menocal senior is a gentleman, and a
friend. Now I hope you'll not think me too talkative, but an
explanation was necessary; and as far as Charlie Menocal is concerned,
I'd be pleased if I never saw his face again. To knock your young
friend over so heartlessly! You treated him with altogether too much
leniency, Mr. Bryant."
"I never do my fighting in the presence of ladies," Lee remarked, with
a grin. "In fact, I try to confine my combats to those of wits."
She nodded.
"Of course," said she; and continued, "this is the second time he has
acted disgracefully to you when I've been by. The first occasion was
at Perro Creek ford. I could have sunk into the earth for shame of him
when he knew no better than to fling you money after you had filled
his radiator; it was pure insolence, to begin with, to ask you to do
it when he should have attended to the matter himself. I admired your
conduct and self-control under the circumstances, Mr. Bryant." And
addressing Dave, she asked, "Will you drink another glass of
buttermilk if I pour it?"
Dave could and did, an example Lee followed. The subject of Menocal
was dismissed, and the man and the girl fell into a conversation of
general matters. She assured the engineer, when he inquired, that he
was not detaining her from household affairs; and urged him, on
learning of his prospective absence, to leave Dick at Diamond Creek
and he himself to proceed to Kennard by stage. She owed Dick a return
for the favour of carrying her home that day her own horse went lame;
he could run in the pasture with the other horses, where Bryant would
know he was safe. The plan included Bryant's remaining for dinner,
naturally.
"Have I your permission, Dave?" Lee asked. "Or do you refuse to share
this pleasure with me?"
Dave looked at Louise and blushed furiously.
"I guess you've made your mind up," he said, to Bryant.
"I guess I have," Lee admitted.
Toward noon Mr. Graham joined them and laughingly stated that he was
glad to make the acquaintance of the man who was causing such a furor
among the Mexicans along the Pinas. He asked a number of questions and
listened with interest to the engineer's brief exposition of the plan
to unite the water rights of the Pinas River and of Perro Creek in a
common system, though Bryant disclosed nothing of his survey on the
mesa. Of the opposition Lee had met or might yet encounter the rancher
was aware, for he remarked, "You have a fight on your hands." But that
was his only comment.
After dinner they all continued to talk while the men were smoking
cigars. Graham suggested that if Bryant should need an attorney it
would be well to employ one from Kennard, as those in Bartolo were
nearly all Mexicans. The engineer jotted down the name of one the
rancher recommended, saying that he had his injunction suits to meet
in the September term of court.
"Winship, the sheriff, appears to be one man in Bartolo who's all
right," Lee stated.
"Yes, he's a good man," Graham replied. "Can't be influenced or
bought; and is perfectly square and impartial in the execution of the
duties of his office. He has served twenty years, with exception of
one term when he and Menocal had a disagreement. Menocal controls the
votes in this county, you know; that's general knowledge. But things
became so lax under the Mexican sheriff who displaced him that he was
put back in office. Menocal ordered it; he has much property and
believes in law and order; and there's little or no stealing with
Winship in the sheriff's saddle. I've heard that he first required the
banker to support him unconditionally before resuming the place."
"I can believe that after a look at Winship," Lee said, smiling.
Mr. Graham presently went away to a field where his men were cutting
and stacking alfalfa, after thanking Bryant for rendering assistance
to his daughter on the road and inviting him to call again. Louise
then showed him her flower garden, ablaze with poppies, nasturtiums,
sweet peas, and other blossoms he could not name; and the orchard
where apples and pears and plums weighed the branches. She was
remarkably beautiful, he thought; and was quite sure the roses in the
garden had no petals pinker or softer than her cheeks, and was sure
the water rippling in the little, grassy orchard canals was no clearer
than her brown eyes, or the sky more serene than her brow. She was not
in the least proud or vain or haughty, as he imagined when he first
beheld her at the ford. He had had doubts of that after her kindly
treatment of his dying dog Mike. And now to-day he knew that such an
opinion did her an injustice, was absurd.
Louise, too, was thinking as they strolled about. Which of the two
girls on Sarita Creek did he love? For Charlie Menocal had said that
he was infatuated with one. Charlie Menocal! Her cheeks grew warm.
What he had boasted in regard to herself, and doubtless Mr. Bryant
had softened the truth, filled her with anger. She would treat the
insufferable wretch differently hereafter. And very likely his gossip
of the engineer's feelings for one of the homesteaders was likewise a
falsehood, though there was no reason in the world why Mr. Bryant
shouldn't love one of them if he chose. She had never met them. They
were very nice girls, she imagined. She had intended to call, but
something had always prevented. As for Mr. Bryant, he seemed a very
estimable young man, and good company, and an engineer of ability and
will.
She continued to speculate after he and Dave had departed on the
stage, with a vague sense of missing them. That, she reasoned, was
because Lee Bryant had "personality." And presently her thoughts
followed him. Lee's mind, however, was ranging back to Sarita Creek;
but Dave's was loyally with the lady of Diamond Creek ranch, as was
manifest when he murmured thickly, having fallen asleep during the
warm ride:
"No more chicken, thank you--or jelly--or apple pie."