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It is down at Medicine Bend now, being dressed and mounted. By the way, I've forgotten to ask you, Miss Dicksie, about the high water. How did you get through at the ranch?" Dicksie, sitting on the piano-bench, looked up with resolution. "Bravely!" she exclaimed. "Mr. McCloud came to our rescue with bags and mattresses and a hundred men, and he has put in a revetement a thousand feet long.
Dicksie answered quite in earnest: "Oh, but we are. We must!" "Why did you come, then? It's taken half the night to get here, and will take a night and a half at least to get back." "We came to ask Mr. McCloud for some grain-sacks you know, they have nothing to work with at the ranch," said Marion; "and he said we might have some and we are to send for them in the morning." "I see.
"This way," laughed Dicksie. "Look out for the trail here. Give me your hand and let your horse have his head. If he slips, drop off quick on this side." McCloud caught her hand. They rode for a moment in silence, the horses stepping cautiously. "All right now," said Dicksie; "you may let go." But McCloud kept his horse up close and clung to the warm hand.
This young lady rode in twenty miles this morning and came to the office in tears to get news of you." Smith looked mildly at Dicksie. "Did you shed a tear for me? I should like to have seen just one! Where did I come from? I reported in wild over the telephone ten minutes ago. Didn't Marion tell you? She is so forgetful. That is what causes wrecks, Marion.
Oh, Marion!" she cried, suddenly conscious of the inertness of the burden in her arms. "Oh, what shall I do?" Moved by fright to her utmost strength, Dicksie drew the unconscious woman back to her room and managed to lay her on the bed. Marion opened her eyes a few minutes later to see the lights burning, to hear the telephone bell ringing, and to find Dicksie on the edge of the bed beside her.
At Marion's he saw Dicksie at intervals, and only to fall more hopelessly under her spell each time. She could be serious and she could be volatile and she could be something between which he could never quite make out. She could be serious with him when he was serious, and totally irresponsible the next minute with Marion.
Then she balanced herself with a flushed laugh in the saddle, and he guided her ahead among the loose rocks, the horse nosing at his elbow as they picked their way. Crossing the track, they gained better ground. As they reached the switch and passed a box car, Jim shied, and Dicksie spoke sharply to him. McCloud turned. In the shade of the car lay the tramp.
Some one is at the cottage door." "It is probably Mr. McCloud and Dicksie. I will let them in." McCloud and Dicksie met them at the porch door. Marion, unnerved, went directly to her room. Whispering Smith stopped to speak to Dicksie and McCloud interposed. "Bob Scott telephoned the office just now he had a man from Oroville who wanted to see you right away, Gordon," said he.
"Isn't it a shame to be disappointed like this?" complained Dicksie, pushing her hair impatiently back. "Really, poor George is worked to death. He was to be in at six o'clock, Mr. Lee said, and here it is ten, and all your beautiful dinner spoiled. Marion, are you keeping something from me? Look me in the eye. Have you heard from Gordon Smith?" "No, Dicksie."
But Dicksie had on her side that night One greater than her invincible will or her faithful horse. McCloud was two hundred miles away. Barnhardt lost no time in telephoning the Wickiup that Sinclair was in town, but within an hour, while the two women were still under the surgeon's protection, a knock at the cottage door gave them a second fright. Barnhardt answered the summons.
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