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the man of the forest-第10章

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change and then to fix。  It was her physical acceptance 
her eyes and her senses taking the West as she had already
taken it in spirit。

A woman should love her home wherever fate placed her; Helen
believed; and not so much from duty as from delight and
romance and living。  How could life ever be tedious or
monotonous out here in this tremendous vastness of bare
earth and open sky; where the need to achieve made thinking
and pondering superficial?

It was with regret that she saw the last of the valley of
the Rio Grande; and then of its paralleled mountain ranges。
But the miles brought compensation in other valleys; other
bold; black upheavals of rock; and then again bare;
boundless yellow plains; and sparsely cedared ridges; and
white dry washes; ghastly in the sunlight; and dazzling beds
of alkali; and then a desert space where golden and blue
flowers bloomed。

She noted; too; that the whites and yellows of earth and
rock had begun to shade to red  and this she knew meant an
approach to Arizona。  Arizona; the wild; the lonely; the red
desert; the green plateau  Arizona with its thundering
rivers; its unknown spaces; its pasture…lands and
timber…lands; its wild horses; cowboys; outlaws; wolves and
lions and savages!  As to a boy; that name stirred and
thrilled and sang to her of nameless; sweet; intangible
things; mysterious and all of adventure。  But she; being a
girl of twenty; who had accepted responsibilities; must
conceal the depths of her heart and that which her mother
had complained was her misfortune in not being born a boy。

Time passed; while Helen watched and learned and dreamed。
The train stopped; at long intervals; at wayside stations
where there seemed nothing but adobe sheds and lazy
Mexicans; and dust and heat。  Bo awoke and began to chatter;
and to dig into the basket。  She learned from the conductor
that Magdalena was only two stations on。  And she was full of
conjectures as to who would meet them; what would happen。  So
Helen was drawn back to sober realities; in which there was
considerable zest。  Assuredly she did not know what was going
to happen。  Twice Riggs passed up and down the aisle; his
dark face and light eyes and sardonic smile deliberately
forced upon her sight。  But again Helen fought a growing
dread with contemptuous scorn。  This fellow was not half a
man。  It was not conceivable what he could do; except annoy
her; until she arrived at Pine。  Her uncle was to meet her or
send for her at Snowdrop; which place; Helen knew; was
distant a good long ride by stage from Magdalena。  This
stage…ride was the climax and the dread of all the long
journey; in Helen's considerations。

〃Oh; Nell!〃 cried Bo; with delight。  〃We're nearly there!
Next station; the conductor said。〃

〃I wonder if the stage travels at night;〃 said Helen;
thoughtfully。

〃Sure it does!〃 replied the irrepressible Bo。

The train; though it clattered along as usual; seemed to
Helen to fly。  There the sun was setting over bleak New
Mexican bluffs; Magdalena was at hand; and night; and
adventure。  Helen's heart beat fast。  She watched the yellow
plains where the cattle grazed; their presence; and
irrigation ditches and cottonwood…trees told her that the
railroad part of the journey was nearly ended。  Then; at Bo's
little scream; she looked across the car and out of the
window to see a line of low; flat; red…adobe houses。  The
train began to slow down。  Helen saw children run; white
children and Mexican together; then more houses; and high
upon a hill an immense adobe church; crude and glaring; yet
somehow beautiful。

Helen told Bo to put on her bonnet; and; performing a like
office for herself; she was ashamed of the trembling of her
fingers。  There were bustle and talk in the car。

The train stopped。  Helen peered out to see a straggling
crowd of Mexicans and Indians; all motionless and stolid; as
if trains or nothing else mattered。  Next Helen saw a white
man; and that was a relief。  He stood out in front of the
others。  Tall and broad; somehow striking; he drew a second
glance that showed him to be a hunter clad in gray…fringed
buckskin; and carrying a rifle。



CHAPTER V

Here; there was no kindly brakeman to help the sisters with
their luggage。  Helen bade Bo take her share; thus burdened;
they made an awkward and laborious shift to get off the
train。

Upon the platform of the car a strong hand seized Helen's
heavy bag; with which she was straining; and a loud voice
called out:

〃Girls; we're here  sure out in the wild an' woolly West!〃

The speaker was Riggs; and he had possessed himself of part
of her baggage with action and speech meant more to impress
the curious crowd than to be really kind。  In the excitement
of arriving Helen had forgotten him。  The manner of sudden
reminder  the insincerity of it  made her temper flash。
She almost fell; encumbered as she was; in her hurry to
descend the steps。  She saw the tall hunter in gray step
forward close to her as she reached for the bag Riggs held。

〃Mr。  Riggs; I'll carry my bag;〃 she said。

〃Let me lug this。  You help Bo with hers;〃 he replied;
familiarly。

〃But I want it;〃 she rejoined; quietly; with sharp
determination。  No little force was needed to pull the bag
away from Riggs。

〃See here; Helen; you ain't goin' any farther with that
joke; are you?〃 he queried; deprecatingly; and he still
spoke quite loud。

〃It's no joke to me;〃 replied Helen。  〃I told you I didn't
want your attention。〃

〃Sure。  But that was temper。  I'm your friend  from your
home town。  An' I ain't goin' to let a quarrel keep me from
lookin' after you till you're safe at your uncle's。〃

Helen turned her back upon him。  The tall hunter had just
helped Bo off the car。  Then Helen looked up into a smooth
bronzed face and piercing gray eyes。

〃Are you Helen Rayner?〃 he asked。

〃Yes。〃

〃My name's Dale。  I've come to meet you。〃

〃Ah!  My uncle sent you?〃 added Helen; in quick relief。

〃No; I can't say Al sent me;〃 began the man; 〃but I reckon


He was interrupted by Riggs; who; grasping Helen by the arm;
pulled her back a step。

〃Say; mister; did Auchincloss send you to meet my young
friends here?〃 he demanded; arrogantly。

Dale's glance turned from Helen to Riggs。  She could not read
this quiet gray gaze; but it thrilled her。

〃No。  I come on my own hook;〃 he answered。

〃You'll understand; then  they're in my charge;〃 added
Riggs。

This time the steady light…gray eyes met Helen's; and if
there was not a smile in them or behind them she was still
further baffled。

〃Helen; I reckon you said you didn't want this fellow's
attention。〃

〃I certainly said that;〃 replied Helen; quickly。  Just then
Bo slipped close to her and gave her arm a little squeeze。
Probably Bo's thought was like hers  here was a real
Western man。  That was her first impression; and following
swiftly upon it was a sensation of eased nerves。

Riggs swaggered closer to Dale。

〃Say; Buckskin; I hail from Texas 〃

〃You're wastin' our time an' we've need to hurry;〃
interrupted Dale。  His tone seemed friendly。  〃An' if you ever
lived long in Texas you wouldn't pester a lady an' you sure
wouldn't talk like you do。〃

〃What!〃 shouted Riggs; hotly。  He dropped his right hand
significantly to his hip。

〃Don't throw your gun。  It might go off;〃 said Dale。

Whatever Riggs's intention had been  and it was probably
just what Dale evidently had read it  he now flushed an
angry red and jerked at his gun。

Dale's hand flashed too swiftly for Helen's eye to follow
it。  But she heard the thud as it struck。  The gun went flying
to the platform and scattered a group of Indians and
Mexicans。

〃You'll hurt yourself some day;〃 said Dale。

Helen had never heard a slow; cool voice like this hunter's。
Without excitement or emotion or hurry; it yet seemed full
and significant of things the words did not mean。  Bo uttered
a strange little exultant cry。

Riggs's arm had dropped limp。  No doubt it was numb。  He
stared; and his predominating expression was surprise。  As
the shuffling crowd began to snicker and whisper; Riggs gave
Dale a malignant glance; shifted it to Helen; and then

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