THE PETERS FAMILY.
“SET right up there!” said Mrs. Peters, pointing to a table which was
backed up against the wall with one leaf extended.
The antelope steak emitted a delicious odor to our hungry travelers,
and they did not mind the absence of a table-cloth and napkins. These
would have seemed out of place in this backwoods hotel.
In addition to the antelope meat there were corn cakes as promised and
cups of coffee which had already been poured out.
“Mrs. Peters,” said Brooke, “you have given us a supper fit for a king.”
“I don’t know about no kings,” said the bony landlady. “I’ve heerd of
’em, but don’t take much stock in ’em. I don’t believe they’re any
better than any other folks.”
“I am not personally acquainted with any, but if I were I am sure they
would relish your cooking.”
“You’re monstrous polite,” said Mrs. Peters, her grim features relaxing
somewhat, “but I reckon I can cook a little.”
“And your daughter, no doubt, understands cooking also.”
“No, she don’t. She don’t seem to have no gift that way.”
“That’s a mistake,” said Brooke gravely. “What will she do when she is
married and has a home of her own?”
“Oh, how you talk!” exclaimed the delighted Bess. “Who’d think of
marrying me?”
“I think, Miss Peters, any one who married you would get his money’s
worth.”
“Are you married?” asked Bess in an insinuating tone.
“I believe I am spoken for,” answered Brooke hastily, for it seemed
clear that he would not have to sue in vain for the hand of the plump
young lady, “but my friend here, Mr. Lane, is single.” Gerald looked
alarmed, but was relieved when Bess said, “He’s only a boy. He ain’t
old enough to be married.”
“Won’t you sit down and have your supper with us, Miss Peters?”
“No, I couldn’t eat a mite if anybody was looking,” answered Bess
bashfully.
“I feel that way myself,” said Brooke. “Please don’t look at me, Miss
Peters. Look at Gerald. It makes no difference to him.”
“What nonsense be you two talkin’?” asked the landlady, as Bess went
off into another fit of laughter. “I never saw Bess so silly before.”
“It ain’t me, mother. The man is so funny he makes me laugh.”
The conversation stopped here, as Bess was sent out on an errand by her
mother. Gerald and the tourist devoted themselves to eating, and did
full justice to the plain but wholesome meal.
“I feel better,” said Noel Brooke, as he rose from the table.
“Folks generally do after eatin’,” observed Mrs. Peters
philosophically. “I reckon if you’re through you’d better go out.
You’re only in the way here.”
“Mrs. Peters is delightfully unconventional,” remarked Mr. Brooke as in
obedience to the plain hint given by their landlady they went out and
resumed their seats under a large branching oak tree in the rear of the
cabin.
“She has given us a good supper. That’ll pay for her unconventional
manners. I wonder what sort of a person her ‘man’ is?”
The question was no sooner suggested than answered. A tall, powerfully
built man, clad in buckskin and carrying a rifle, followed by two young
men, slighter in figure, but quite as tall, strode from the woods, and
halted when they caught sight of Gerald and his companion.
“Who are you, strangers?” asked the old man suspiciously.
“We are travelers,” answered Noel Brooke promptly, “and at present we
are guests of Mrs. Peters. Are you Mr. Peters?”
“I run that cabin, if that is what you mean.”
“So I supposed. Then you are my landlord.”
“I’ve got nothin’ to do with that. Ef you’ve made a bargain with Sal
it’s all right.”
“We have made a bargain with Mrs. Peters, and she has given us a good
supper.”
“I hope there’s something left for us,” growled Peters, “or there’ll be
a row.”
The two sons carried between them an antelope, so it looked as if they
would not lack for supper.
The three men filed into the cabin, and their wants were provided for
without trenching upon the antelope they had brought with them. An
hour later they came out, and settled down near the two guests.
“Where do you come from?” demanded Peters with rude curiosity.
“From England, to start with,” answered Noel.
“So you’re a Britisher?”
“If you choose to call me so. I never heard the word till I came across
the water.”
“I don’t think much of Britishers.”
“I am sorry to hear it,” said Brooke amused. “May I ask why you are
prejudiced against my countrymen?”
“We’ve licked ’em twice, and we can lick ’em again,” answered Peters
forcibly.
“I really hope you will have no occasion. So far as I can judge England
feels very friendly toward the United States. I must contend, however,
that my countrymen know something about fighting.”
“Wal, perhaps they do!” admitted Peters shortly, “but you ain’t no
match for us. Take you, for instance, how old be you?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“My Ben, there, is only twenty, and he could double you up in less’n a
minute.”
Noel Brooke fixed a critical glance on the tall, awkward, but strongly
built youth, indicated as Ben.
“He is certainly taller than I am,” he admitted. There was about six
inches’ difference in their respective heights.
“Yes, and he’s tough and wiry. Do you think you could lay him out, Ben?”
Ben grinned and answered shortly, “I reckon!”
Gerald, who had witnessed his friend’s prowess, didn’t feel quite so
certain of this.
“I thought you’d crawl,” chuckled the old man, using an expression more
common in that locality than further east. “Ben’s a chip of the old
block, he is! He can lay out any tarnal Britisher you can fetch round.”
Noel Brooke felt that it was foolish, but this good-natured
depreciation of his abilities didn’t fail to nettle him. He again
surveyed Ben with a critical eye, and took stock of his points as a
fighting man. He saw that as an antagonist he was not to be despised.
Yet in his own case he possessed a scientific training to which
Ben could lay no claim. Then, again, he was unusually strong and
muscular for a man of his small proportions. He felt sure that even if
conquered, Ben would not gain an easy victory, and—though it was a
risk—he decided to take it.
“I don’t mind having a little contest with your son—friendly of
course,” he said quietly, as he rose in a leisurely, almost languid,
way from his low seat.
“What!” ejaculated Mr. Peters, almost doubting if he heard aright, “you
are willing to tackle Ben?”
“Yes.”
“Ho, ho! this is rich!” said the old man with an irresistible guffaw.
“You; oh jeminy!” and he nearly doubled up in a paroxysm of mirth.
“You seem amused,” said the tourist, rather provoked at the old man’s
estimate of his fighting ability.
“Excuse me, stranger! You’re the pluckiest man I’ve met in many a long
day. It does seem redikilus your standing up against Ben!”
“I won’t hurt him much, dad!” said Ben, opening his mouth in a
good-natured grin.
“Of course it’s all in fun,” rejoined Noel Brooke smiling.
“Sartin! But you’d best consider what you’re a undertakin’ before you
begin.”
“I have done that.”
“It’s like a boy standin’ up against me.”
“So I am a boy, am I?” asked Brooke with a smile at Gerald.
“You ain’t much bigger’n a boy, that’s a fact. My Ben was as big as you
when he was only fifteen years old. Wasn’t you, Ben?”
“I was as big as him when I was fourteen, dad.”
“That’s so. You see, stranger, we’re a big race—we Peterses. Ben takes
after the old man. When I was fifteen year old I could do a man’s work.”
“So could I, dad.”
“So you could, Ben. Do you want to feel Ben’s muscle, stranger?”
“No,” answered Noel Brooke smiling. “I would rather not. It might
frighten me in advance, you know, and I want to start fair.”
“I guess you’re right. Well, boys, you can begin if you’re ready. I
wouldn’t have missed this for ten dollars.”
He sat back and looked on with an air of intense interest, while the
two ill-matched antagonists prepared for the trial.