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Prather concluded; but under his breath he added bitterly: "And you get both the store and Little Rivers!" in the prehensile instinct which gains one thing only to covet another. "You have the papers for the concession with you?" Jack asked. "Yes!" interposed Jack firmly. "Yes!" Prather admitted.
"My mother made a point of having her know. That was part of my mother's own bitterness. That was her teaching to me from the first. She had no illusions. She knew the advantages and the disadvantages of her position. She was and is one of the few persons in the world of whom my father is a little afraid." "Then she still lives?" asked Jack sharply. "Yes, she is in California," Prather returned.
"It will not give one self-respect or courage or moral fibre; it will not bring the gift of poetry, music, or painting; or turn a lie into truth; or bring back virtue to a woman who has been defiled; or make the courage to face death calmly." "It will do all I want!" Prather answered. "Father not having been true to his agreement by keeping you in New York, why should I keep his secret?
I told him that the only trouble was that while I was the real son, I had a mole on my cheek. "The West was best. There we could claim the favor of convention, Mrs. Prather and her son. I matriculated at Stanford, but I saw nothing in it for me. It was all dream stuff. Greek and Latin don't help in building a fortune.
Prather inquired hectically, with a momentary qualm of shame. "Why, if Firio and I are to have water to make coffee for breakfast we must take the water-hole!" Jack answered, as if this were a thing of minor importance beside seeing Prather safely on his way.
As they turned into the side street where the front of Jack's bungalow was visible, Jim Galway observed that they had seen nothing of Leddy or any of his followers. "Maybe he's gone to join Prather," said Bob Worther. But Jack paid no attention to the remark. He was preoccupied with the first sight of his ranch in over two months.
"I put it in storage in New York," Jack said laughing; then, with a sudden change to seriousness: "Leddy, is it true that you and John Prather have got the water rights to this town?" "None of your d d business!" Leddy rapped out. "The only business I've got with you has been waiting for some time, and you can have it your way out in the arroyo where we had it before, right now!"
Prather tells me that she is a host in herself." As Olive spoke, she flattered herself that she had bridged the chasm successfully. A glance at Brenton, though, assured her that he had been momentarily aware of the existence of the chasm. Hastily she changed the subject, too hastily, as it proved, to select her new theme with care.
Continuing his journey alone he stopped at the Tugaloo River in Habersham County, and remained at the house of Colonel Prather until Lieutenant Irvin, whom he had sent back to Washington with letters, could rejoin him with funds and clothing. Here his young companion soon found him, bringing, besides letters from home, some astonishing news. "General," said Lieutenant Irvin, "what do you think?
Easy traveller had turned speedy traveller, on a schedule. Never had he and Firio ridden so fast as in pursuit of John Prather, who had eight hours' start of them on a two-days' journey. Jag Ear had to trot all the time to keep up. Ounce by ounce he was drawing on his sinking fund of fat in a constitutional crisis. "I keep his hoofs good. I keep his wind good. All right!" said Firio.
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