"I was just thanking Senator Fairclothe for influencing me in the
purchase of land down here," said Roger deliberately. "If it hadn't
been for him, Garman, I wouldn't be here now."
"If that is so," returned Garman, "we must thank him, too. For we
wouldn't be deprived of your company for a lot--would we, Annette?"
"Mr. Payne was speaking of the land he bought," said Annette. "The
land with the water on it."
"Yes, dear." Garman's mocking eyes were on Payne as he spoke. "Water
galore. But Payne is a worker. Youth, strength, high hopes, ambition!
Payne will have that water off in a hurry. We'll be glad to see that
done, won't we, Senator?"
"Yes, indeed. Improvement work----"
"Mrs. Livingston was asking for you and Annette, Senator," said Garman.
Payne nearly started at the change in his tone. It was a tone of
command, of dismissal, and to Roger's astonishment Annette and her
father obeyed. Garman strolled into the pergola and dropped into a
chair, a huge, oppressive figure in white silk. Lazily and from
beneath the half-closed heavy lids his eyes watched Annette as she
walked toward the house. With an air of playful possession he followed
the play of her young body in motion, the quick, strong flip of her
foot upon the hard sand of the path, the firmness of her limbs, the
sway of her rounded torso, the poise of her neck and head. A smile
lifted his mustache, revealing the thick red mouth beneath. Indolently
he breathed through half-parted lips.
"Payne," he said thickly, "there goes Love. There goes the dream of
all young fools. Aren't you dreaming a little yourself, Payne, eh?--I
see you are. You have looked upon the dream in the flesh, and hope has
been born in your young, manly bosom. Hope? No; belief. Belief in
the realization of ideals. What damn fools all you young cubs are, to
be sure!"
"Well," said Roger calmly, "I like that. I like to have a man ask me
to be his guest and try to make things pleasant for me by calling me a
damn fool."
"If," retorted Garman slowly, "you were the average young cub I'd get
to my feet and apologize for speaking sense; but you're fairly well
grown. All you need, Payne, is to have the fresh young mask pulled
from the face of Life and to see the old hag as she really is. Then
you'd be fit for something. Payne, I believe I'm going to do that
service for you."
He looked toward the house where Annette was to be seen on the
verandah. He smiled as he saw how Roger's eyes followed his.
"Payne, it's those girls with the fair, thin skin that the Southern sun
and tropical environment are ruthless with. They've no shield against
nature's relentless desire down here, tropical nature's desire for a
welter of life. And when they're too young to have developed the hard
outer shell of experience, why, their womanhood is just naked to the
searching, smirching tropical sun, and they go plumb crazy. Develop
dual personalities. Lose their civilization. Want to go into the
jungle, and so on. Thin white skin, like thinnest silk, and blue veins
full of young red blood showing through. A fine spectacle, Payne; a
natural princess among girls writhing in a struggle against the luring
muck of the jungle. Ever hear of Palm Island? She's struggling
against going there. Well, she'll lose her struggle; has lost it;
that's settled. Come on to dinner."
On the verandah he paused sharply, whirling about with the swiftness of
a tiger. Ramos, the Mexican, had come galloping out of the jungle,
flogging his horse as he came.
"Well?" Garman's attitude, suggested the crouch of a tiger ready to
spring.
"_Si_! Yes; it is so!"
"They've got him?"
"Yes. He is on Palm Island, surrounded; not caught."
"A-a-ah!" Garman rubbed his hands together as a growl of triumph
rumbled up from his thick red throat. "Have Prince saddled, Ramos.
Then ride back and watch so they don't hurt him. I'll follow--I'm
called away--on business, Annette. You entertain Mr. Payne."
With a leap he was off the verandah and running for the stables.
Payne met him as he mounted, and caught the horse by the head.
"Garman, who's the man Ramos spoke of?"
"Let go, you fool! The brute's a striker."
Payne dodged the flash of the animal's forehoofs, but caught a bridle
rein.
"Who is he, Garman?"
"A fool--trespassing. Just business."
"Not Higgins or any of my men?"
"No, nobody you know. Look out!"
The horse lunged forward. Payne stepped aside. Garman was gone, like
a hunter in sight of his quarry.