OCR Text |
Show Judith of Blue Lake Ranch . . " "CAN SHE RIDE7" SYNOI'SfS. P.ikI Ie, horse foreman of the Blue Lake rnn:h, convlncMMl liaynti Trevors, man-affur, man-affur, In df-JiberatoIy wrecking the prujK-riy owne'l by Judith Kan-furi, Kan-furi, ft yountf woman, ner cou.sin, i'uilock I fa nip tun, an Timothy (irixy, J;i:liit;a to throw up h:a Joh. Judith arrives and annuuncf-a ulie hfiH houKht Oray'H share in thu ranrrh and will run it. She d iHcharK'-a Trevors. CHAPTER I Continued 2 "Well," Judith snlfTiMl. "I don't fciin w. It will bo a Jult to me If there's a 1 11 11 1- man lt;ft on the ranch I Cm down to the ljtink-hiiu.se and tell Hie rimk I'm here and I'm hungry uh u wlldeat. Tell him and any of the hoys that are down there that I've pmiii! to sirty and that Trevors Tre-vors Is fired. They take orde -s from mi; and no one else. Anil hurry, If you know how. (loudness knows, you , look as though It would lake you half ! an hour to turn around !" "Thank you, nia'ain," said Bud I.ee. "Mill you see I had Just told Trevors Tre-vors here he eould count nie out. I'm ' not working for the Blue I, nke any more. As I go down to the corral, shall I send up one of the hoys to take your orders?" There was a Utile .smile under the last words, Just as (here was a liltle .smile In liud I.ee's heart at the thought of the hoys taking orders from a III lie slip of n girl. Inside he was chuckling, vastly delighted with the comedy of the morning. "She's a sure-enough little wonder-bird, wonder-bird, all right," he mused, "lint, say, what does she want to butt In on a inan's-slze Joh for, I want to know?" "Lee," called Trevors, "you take orders from nie or no one on this ranch. You can go now. And Just I keep your mouth shut." Hud Lee was turning to go out and down to Ids horse wdien he saw the look In Trevors' eyes, a look of consuming con-suming rage. The general manager's voice had been hoarse. "I n you," shouted Trevors, "get out 1" 'Tut out the swear-words, Trevors," said Lee with quiet sternness. "There's a lady here." "Lady !" scoffed Trevors. He laughed contemptuously. "Where's your lady? That?" and he leveled a scornful linger at the girl. "A ranting rant-ing tough of a female who brings a breath of the stables with her and scolds like a lish-wll'e. . . ." "Shut up!" said Lee, crossing the room wilh quick strides, Ids face thrust forward a little. "You shut up I" It was Judith's voice as Judith's hand fell upon Bud I.ee's shoulder, pushing him aside. "If I couldn't take care of myself do ; you think I'd he fool enough to take over a Utile Job like running the Blue j Lake? Now " and with blazing eyes she confronted Trevors "if you've got any more nice little things to say, sup- i pose you say them to me !" I Trevcns' temper had had ample provocation and no,w stood naked and hot In his hard eyes. In a blind Instant In-stant he laid his tongue to a word which would have sent Bud Lee at his tliront. But Judith stood between them and, like nil echo to the word, came the resounding slap as Judith's open palm smote Trevor's cheek. I "You wildcat I" he cried. And his j iwu uig nanus new uui, seeKiug uer I shoulders. j "Stand back !" called Judith. "Just ! because you are bigger than I am, don't make any mistake! Stand back I tell you I" Rud Lee marveled at the swiftness ' with which her hand had gone Into her blouse and out again, a smnll-cal-Iber revolver In the steady fingers now. He had never known a man himself possibly excepted quicker at the draw. But Bnyne Trevors, from whose ir-iko-up cowardice had been omitted, laughed snecringly at her and did not snind back. His two hands out before him. his face crimson, he came on. "Kool!" cried the girl. "Fool!" still he came on. Lee gathered Irmself to spring. Judith fired. Once, and Trevors' right arm fell to his side. A second lime, and Trevors' left arm hung 1 'ip like the other. The crimson was tone from his face now. It was dead " hite. Little beads of sweat began to form on his brow. I.ee turned astonished eyes to ,li dith. "Now you know who's running this outfit, don't you?" she said coolly. "I.ee. have a team hitched up to carry ', revors wherever he wants to go. lies not hurt much; I Just winged linn. And go tell the cook about my breakfast." But Let. stood and looked at her. lie hud no remark to offer. Then he tinned to go upon her bidding. As he went down to the bunk-house he .-id softly under his breath: "Well, I in d d. I most certainly am!" CHAPTER II Judith Puts It Straight Wrinkled, grizzled old half-breed ,'eso, his hands trembling with eager-rrss, eager-rrss, stood in the smaller rose-gai-len (tilling the perfect buds, a joyous (ear r uining its zigzag way down each cheek. "La senorlta ees come home!" he announced as Lee drew near on his way to the bunk-house. "Jesu Maria ! By JACKSON GREGORY Copyrtcht by Charlei Scrlbner's Sona Kim my heart It Is like the singing of leetie birdies. .Mire, senor. My flowers flow-ers bloomin' the brighter, already no?" "You've known her a long time, Joe?" "Seence she ees born I" arid Jose, unashamed, wiped a tear upon the back of a leathery hand. "Senor San-ford San-ford and nie, senor, we teach her when she ees so leetie!" Jose's shaking hand wag lowered until It marked the stature of a twelve-Inch pigmy. "Never at all until one year ago does she leave us and the rancho. We, us two who love her, senor, learn her to walk and to ride and to shoot and to talk. You shall hear her say, 'Buenos dias, Jose, ml amlgo!' You shall see her kees the cheek of old Jose. Madre de I-dos ! I would go down to h 1 for her to bring back fire to warm her leetie feet een weentcr!" Lee went thoughtfully on his way to the bunk-house. "I've got orders for you fellows," he said from the door way, -'me doss of the outfit, the real owner, you know, just blew In. Up at the house. Says you boys are to stick around to take orders straight from headquarters. You, Benny," to I he cook, "are to have a man's size breakfast ready In a Jiffy." Naturally Benny led the clamor with a string of oaths. What In blazes did the owner of the ranch have to show-up show-up for anyway? he wanted to know. He accepted the fact as a personal affront. af-front. Who was this owner? demanded de-manded Ward Ilannon, the foreman of the lower ranch, where the alfalfa fields were. Lee explained gravely that the newcomer new-comer was some sort of relative of old Luke Sanford, who had recently acquired ac-quired a controlling Interest In the ranch. Ward Ilannon grunted contemptuously. con-temptuously. "The Lord deliver us !" he moaned. "Eastern jasper! One of the know-all-about-It brand, huh. Bud? I'll bet he combs his hair In the middle and smokes cigareets out'n a box! The putty-headed loons can't even roll their own smokes." "Don't believe," hazarded Lee Indifferently, In-differently, "from the looks of our visitor that that the owner smokes anything I" "Listen to that!" grunted Ward Ilannon. "Softy, huh?" "Well," Bud admitted slowly, "looks sort of like a girl, you know!" "Wouldn't that choke you?" demanded de-manded Carson, the cow foreman, a thin, awkward little man, gray in the service of "real men." "Taking orders or-ders off'n a fool easterner's bad enough. But old man or young, Bud?" "Just a kid," was Lee's further dampening news. And as he nonchalantly noncha-lantly buttered his hot cakes he added carelessly: "Something of a scrapper, though. Just put two thirty-two calibers Into Trevors." They stared at him Incredulously. Then Carson's dry cackle led the laughter. "You're the biggest liar, Bud Lee," said the old man good-naturedly, "I ever focused my two eyes on. I'll lay an even bet there ain't nobody showed a-tall up this morning." "You. Tommy," said Lee to the boy at his side, "shovel your grub down lively and go hitch Molly and old Pie- t M f , m"-'i Mi A Second Time and Trevors' Left Arm Hung Limp Like the Other. face to the buekboard. That's Orders from headquarters," he grinned. "Trevors Is to be hauled away first thing." Tommy looked curiously at his superior. su-perior. "On the level, Bud?" he asked douhtingly. "On the level. laddie," was the quiet response. And young Burkitt. wondering, but doubting no longer, hastened with his breakfast. The others, looking at Lee's sober face questloningly. tired a broadside of Inquiries at him. But they got no further information. "I've told you boys all the news," he announced positively. "Lord! Isn't that an earful for this time of day? The real boss Is on the Job : Trevors !s winged ; you are to stick around for orders from headquarters." Out of the tall of bis eye he saw the swift approach of ISayne Trevors. The general manager's face was black with ruge and through that dark wrath showed a dull red flush of shame. He walked with his two arms lax at his sides. "Give me a cup of coffee, Ben," he commanded curtly,- slumping Into a chair. "Hurry!" Benny, looking at him curiously, brought a steaming cup and offered It. Trevors moved to lift a hand ; then sank back a little farther In his chair, his face twisting In his pain. "But some milk In It," he snarled. "Then hold It to my mouth. For the love of heaven, hurry, man !" Then no man there doubted longer the mad tale Bud Lee had brought them. Down from Trevors' sleeves, staining each hand, there had come a broadening trickle of blood. Trevors drank swiftly, draining the cup. "Get this coat off me," he commanded. com-manded. "Curse you, don't tear my arms off! Slit the sleeves." It Was Lee who nnylilrw Hin olnrtici. cook aside, silently made the two bandages from strips of Trevors' shirt. It was Lee who brought a flask of brandy from which Trevors drank deep. And then came Judith. They stared at her as they might have done had the heavens opened and an angel come down, or the earth spilt and a devil sprung up. She looked in upon them with quick, keen eyes which sought to take every man's measure. They returned her regard with a variety of amazed expressions. Never since these men had come to work for Bayne Trevors had a woman so much as ridden by the door. And to have her stand there, composed, utterly nt her ease, her air vaguely authoritative, a vitally vivid being who might, suddenly, have taken tangible form from the dawn, bewildered bewil-dered them. "I am Judith Sanford," she said in her abrupt fashion, quite as she had made the announcement to Lee and Trevors. "This outfit belongs to me. I have fired Trevors. You take your orders straight from me from now on. Cookie, give me some coffee." She came In without ceremony and sat clown nt the head of the table. Benny hastily brought the coffee. From some emotion certainly not clear to him he went a violent red. Perhaps the emotion emo-tion was just sheer embarrassment. He brought hot cakes with one hand while with the other he buttoned his gaping shirt-collar over a bulging, hairy chest. Men who had finished their breakfasts break-fasts rose hastily with a marked awkwardness awk-wardness and ill-concealed haste and went outside, whence their low voices came back in a confused consultation. Men who had not finished followed hem. In an amazingly short time there were but the girl, Lee, Trevors and the cook In the room. Bud Lee. moving with his usual leisurellness. was following when Judith's cool voice said quietly: "Y'ou, Lee, wait a moment. I want to talk with you." Lee hesitated. Then he came back and waited. The men outside naturally grouped about the general manager. His angry voice, lifted clearly, reached the two in the room. "I'm fired," said Trevors harshly. "As soon as I can get going lam leaving leav-ing for the Western Lumber camp. Every one of you boys holds his job here because I gave it to him. Do you want to hold it now, with a fool girl telling you what to do? Do you want men up and down the state to laugh at you and jeer at you for a pack of softies and imbeciles? Or do you want to roll your blankets and quit? To every man that jumps the job here and follows me today I promise prom-ise a job with the Western. Y'ou fellows fel-lows know the sort of boss I've been to you. Y'ou can guess the sort of boss that chicken in there would be. Now I'm going. It's up to you. Stick to a white man or fuss around for a woman?" He had said what he had to say and, cursing when his shoulder struck ,t it'i ill iietu nun, in. mt: i uowil to the stables. Burkitt was ahead of him, going for the team. "Well, Lee," said Judith sharply, "where do you get off? Do you want to stick? Or shall I count you out?" "I guess," said Bud very gently, "you'd better count me out." "Y'ou're going with that crook?" "No. I'm going on my own." "Why? Y'ou're getting good money here. If you're square I'll keep you at the same figure." But Bud shook his head. "I'm game to play square," he said slowly. "I'll stick a week, giving you a chance to get a man In my place. That's all." "What's the matter with you?" she cried hotly. "Why won't you stay with your Job? Is It because you don't want to take orders from me?" Then Lee lifted his grave eyes to hers and answered simply: "That's it. I'm not saying you're not all right. But I got It figured out, there's just two kinds of ladies. If you want to know, I don't see that you've got any call to tie into a man's Job." "Oh. scat !" cried the girl angrily. "Y'ou men make nie tired. Two kinds of ladies. And ten thousand kinds of men! Y'ou want me to dress like' a doll, I suppose, and keep my hands soft and white and go around like a brainless, simpering fool I There are f. two kinds of ladies, my fine friend: the kind that can and the kind that can't! Thank God I'm none of your precious, sighing, hothouse little fools !" Gulping down a last mouthful of coffee, she was on her feet and passed swiftly out among the men. "Y'ou men!" she cried, and they turned sober eyes upon her, "listen to me! Y'ou've heard that big stiff rant; now hear me! I'm here because I belong be-long here. My dad was Luke Sanford and he made this ranch. I was raised here. It's two-thirds mine right now. Trevors there is a crook and I told him so. He's been trying to sell me out, to make such a failure of the outfit that I'd have to let It go for a comic song. He got gay and I fired him. He tried to manhandle me and I plugged him. And now I'm going to run my own outfit! What have you got to say nnout it, you grumoiing oiu grouch with the crooked face! Put up or shut up! I'm calling you!" The men turned from her to Ward Hannon, the field foreman, who had been Trevors' right-hand man and who now was sneering openly. "I'm saying it's no work for a kid of a girl," grumbled Ilannon. "You run an outfit like this?" He laughed derisively. "It can't be did." "It can't, can't It?" cried Judith. "Tell me why, old smarty. Spit It out lively." Jake Carson's shrill cackle cut through a low rumble of laughter. "That's passing It to him straight," said the old cattleman. "What's the word, Ward?" Ward Ilannon shrugged his shoulders shoul-ders and spat impudently. "I ain't saying nothing," he growled, "only this: I got a right to quit, ain't I? Well, I'm quitting. Any time you ketch me working for a female girl that can't ride a horse 'thout fallln" off, that can't see a pig stuck 'thout fainting, that can't walk a mile 'thout getting laid up, that can't. . . ." "Slow up there!" called Judith. "Didn't I stick a pig already this morning, and have I keeled over yet? Didn't I ride the forty miles from Rocky Bend last night and get here before sunup? Listen to me, chief kicker: If you've got a horse on the ranch I can't ride I'll quit right now and give you my job ! How's that strike you? I tell you the word on this ranch is going to be 'Put up or shut up!' Which is it. Growly?" Again the men laughed and Ilan-non's Ilan-non's face showed his anger. "Mean that,, lady?" he demanded briefly. "You can just bet your eyes I mean it !" Hannon turned toward the stable. "All right. Wei! see who's going to put tip or shut up .'" he jeered over his shoulder. "You ride the Prince just two little minutes and I'll stay and work for you !" Bud Lee from the doorway Interfered. Inter-fered. He was a man who loved fair play and he knew the Prince. "None of that. Ward," he called sternly. "Not the Prince !" But Judith, her eyes aflame, whirled upon Lee, her voice like a whip as she said : "Lee, you keep out of this. The sooner you learn who's running things here the better for you." "Maybe so," said Lee quietly. "But don't you fool yourself you can ride Prince. There's not a man on the job except me that can ride him." It was not boastfully said, but with calm assurance. as-surance. "He's an outlaw, Miss Judith. Jud-ith. He's the horse that killed Jimmy Carpenter last spring, and Jimmy " "Go ahead, Ward," Judith repeated. "I've got something to do today besides be-sides play pussy-wants-a-corner with you boys." Ward went, his eyes filled with malice. Two or three of the other men joined their voices to Bud's and Carson's, expostulating, telling of that fearful thing, an outlaw horse. Judith maintained a scornful silence. In due time Ward came back. He was leading a saddled horse, a great, wild-eyed roan that snapped viciously as he came on, walking with the wide, spreading stride of a horse little used to the saddle. Judith measured him with her eyes as she had measured the men in the bunkhouse. "He's an ugly devil," she said, ami Lee, at her side, smiled again. But the girl' had not altered her intention. inten-tion. She stepped closer, looking to cinch, bit and reins. She commanded Ward to draw the latigo tighter, and Ward did so, dodging back as the big brute snapped at him. Judith laughed. "Look out, Ward," she taunted him. "He's after your hair!" Two men held the Prince. At Judith's Jud-ith's command they shortened the stirrups stir-rups and then blinded him with a bandanna ban-danna handkerchief. Then, moving with incredible swiftness, she was in the saddle, the reins firmly gripped. The Prince, a sudden trembling thrilling thrill-ing through him. stood with his four feet planted. The girl leaned forward and whipped the blind from his red-rimmed red-rimmed eyes. "There's a good boy!" said Judith coolly. "Euck a little for the ladv Prince!" Slowly the great muscles of Prince's leg and shoulder and flank corded. The trembling passed; he was like a horse carven in bluish' granite He shook his head a little. Judith' her hand tightening upon the reins' held his head well up. the severe bit thwarting the attempt to get his nose down between his forelegs. Then suddenly, without" warning the horse whirled, leaping far out to' th left, striking with hard hoofs bunched. gathering himself as he lasted, swerving swerv-ing with the quickness of light, plung ing again to the right. And again he stood still. Judith, sitting securely on his rebellious back, laughed. Her laughter, cool and unafraid, sent a strange little thrill through Bud Lee who, with fear in his heart, was watching her. "Look out for him now!" he called warningly. In truth the Prince had not yet he-gun. he-gun. He plunged toward the corral, his purpose plain, the one desire In his heart to crush his rider against the high fence. But Judith's spurs answered an-swered him, and the bit, savage in his jaws, brought him about, whirling, sidling, striking, bucking as only a strong, fearless, devil-hearted horse knows how to buck. He doubled up under her ; he rose and fell In a quick series of short jumps which tore and jerked at her body, which strove to tear her knees away from his sides and break the grip of her hand on the iftV Bucking as Only a Devil-Hearted Horse Knows How. reins. But It seemed to the men watching that the girl knew before the horse which way he would Jump, that she knew how to sway her body with his so that she and he were not separate sepa-rate beings but just one, moving together to-gether in some mad devil's dance. "Can she ride !" whispered Bud Lee. "I want to know !" Again the maddened Prince reared and again she brought him to earth. Again he resumed the terribly tearing series of short, sharp bucks. And still her hair tumbling, blown about her shoulders, she rode him. Suddenly, with a quick, concerted action of spur, whip and rein, Judith swuiiy ine I'lince auout so unit ne was headed for the open valley, running run-ning toward the west, giving him his head only a little, driving him. He broke into a thundering run, snortiJig as, with mane and tail flying, he dashed through the men who fell away from his furious rush. And as he ran, Judith spurred him so that his only thought lay in running away from the menace upon his back. Three minutes later she rode ba-Jk to the bunk-house and slipped from the saddle. Bud Lee, going to her, had his hat in his hand. "Now, Ward," she said quickly, her breathing hurried, her cheeks red, "what do you say?" "I said I'd stick If you rode him," muttered Ward. "And " "And," cried -the girl with quick passion, "I'll tell you something. You're a great big lumbering coward! Stick with me?" She laughed again, a new laugh, ringing with her scorn. ""Here's your outlaw; I've gentled him a bit. Y'ou ride him !" His fellows laughed at Ward; fot the field foreman was no horseman and the timorous way in which he had brought out this snapping, vicious animal ani-mal had testified to the fact. H'J drew hack now, muttering. "Ride him!" cried Judith, her vole Stinging him. "Ride him or get oft the ranch ! Which is it?" Ward Hannon. glad of the opening, answered surlily: "Aw! think I want-to want-to take orders off'n a woman? You're right, I'll get off'n the ranch!" "That's two down," said Judith Now, take this horse back to the stable; I'm going up to the office. You men come there in five minutes. If you want to stay, and are worth your salt, you can. Or I'll give you your time. It's up to you: It's a free country. But" and she said it slowly, confronting them "if you all throw me down and leave me short-handed short-handed without giving me time to take on another set of men, you are a pretty low-lived bunch !" Then, without turning, she went swiftly to the ranch-house. Old Man Carson wiped the sweat from his forehead. Judith certainly can ride, but will the men stay and be bossed by a girl? (TO BE CONTINUED.) |