Show M y WATER 11 BEARER N DUNN DUNNO J o I II AMAN MAN TO O HIS MATE 0 AUTHOR 7 am q M RIMROCK TRAIL TRAI L I lib 3 Q a r. r do M r 1 r B S lip t t 1 1 all t al 01 HT ty 1 ld d co and nd CO i 11 afa L DD M Mat MEAD EAD at r ta r r wN u. u SERVICE i N our lOUr t In THE NS d I Uld d A fishing stun g fINc HIT fIN Idly IsoM so f idl ds-idl i y Bt Caleb S k in CaliCo c creek le ei t f Ica fJ O tree civil 1 en engineer and a on OD I. I rrt rt rr er of or thet thea theIn the tho witness England er Is s saiH t pulled down byI byes by In j of a co coyote coote ote es to d I urged on b by a al as I nl s Q Admiring the hounds rider T l himself and learns I ii U It i IS Clinton on n west west- fc tr 1 I r she Invites him to tu o father Cather her tn to meet ROL O te ranch a f s CHAPTER II IIo e e 2 otell 2 o- o tell Ye t p i El 1 N Nido ido and Padilla m rancho Poncho d El Nido which means s ne named Behind was as w well O Vest 1 ate j l e N ye l t let let lee of the tall eucalypts planted at right angles nestled I wo o rows robs I of the ranch ranch-bouse built I ill fashion of adobe ma cd d Californian y red tiled in the time shape of a ar lr Inclosing a gar r far square n it was ivas on a rising gro ground nd above ubo u between trees u stream stream that ran rJ s mantled with wild grapevines grape t the die bouse and a Its barns and andi i J is and andt corrals grew orchard trees and antl apricot almond cherr cherry Prot at There were some orange and anda a trees and antI a few fibs figs There Therea s I vineyard and the time patio was a n 1 jt I. I t of If flowers flowers- A spring sprint bubbled up the exact center of the court and ADeen 4 d b been n confined within a n stone basin one ODe outlet opt oyt of which the over over- r rippled and ran under an nn archin arch- arch sin Jin in the foundation of the tIle house The Tie place was above all a home horne 1 j rooted deep-rooted If a nest d St t on the ground as some nests 4 1 may mar be fancied to have taken takenA A at The place was well st styled led El EI Beth to it In the twilight at the Tat at sn suggestion of the girls girl's father estion that was half command ng such spontaneous Invitation at It could not be refused without touch looch of churlishness came Caleb WIlIng from the stream above the packing a well-filled well creel He The girl rose from an nn outer porch i j ate be e came up from the time stream and him at the steps She was trans trans- ted ed A soft gown of white had ma magic mazic c and she received the theof sage e of Calebs Caleb's surprised and wkly admiring gaze Jaze demurely lie He the Oie lid of the creel for Cor her Inaction In In- action You Ton know kno how bow to cast a tl fly In t 1 she said The They are 11 We a shall have ha them for Supt sup- sup t r Yang Wang i tat md genial Chinaman Se e in white appeared at the far end the tre gallery galler came forward and took fc te ish sh with vUth a n chuckle of approval i y arp poh h I heady leady ad twenty minnit minna Miss hiss i Iy 7 j he be said as he waddled off Betty fo Betty 7 Clinton lIe He had her herat herte te t at last and thought it suited her Tool want to wash up Maria Marla will 1 you ron to your room room 1 Too Boa 00 are to stay here tonight Fa- Fa would not hear of you vou going t re Is no moon I It t Is three three miles the can canyon on to the station at s IWard Seven Se by hr the road And ire are no trains that you JOU could i h h o con Ze e led the way In and delivered t f to Maria fatter than Wung Wang ample breast ast triple of chin Spanish of stand and accent said d the girl Is the actual tr of f El EI NIdo Ido You must pass ini In- In i 4 D by Maria to be welcome here to have bae fifteen een minutes We shall be bee e big room at the north end You corne In through the patio polio t 1 was Vias as altogether a little astounding 1 eh eb reflected as he lie made what toilet roald lIe He had come corne to the valley without mutual acquaint acquaint- at e i without Introduction and here t I c las u 5 pressed presse as a guest almost as us ashi hi Ill Ma Massachusetts Massachusetts-he he he laughed chi f In the mirror as he fussed his hist tie t This was California a ato tatty try to Itself with very pleasant talo ms A. A AnI And n J he tJ d was aware that his bis I come cOlne would be as his bis s behavior 1 i It ii was a as s all aU very pleasant very ery t siege tern rn lIe e MS big t. t room ran the file full length of Ide de of ot the house A At t either end a aIth aJ echo Ith J tr d Was nos as raised by two steps t d dr 1 n the ott one De part a library and tie walls covered with hooks books t r 1 other a slid more distinctly feminine II o. o flowers I r Inviting chairs chair cr p lh Ue ad good g gp rugs u some pictures i e Wa walls I Is ht Th The e Intermediate space la t comet on round ground dining room and lC h J room combined T The place was Rh h oil lamps n t n wrought Iron Iron nt-Iron 1 t k h he boll e s un and wIth candles In branch- branch oders rth h JJ the rs for fot the table The Thel meal e i rustling Maria In 4 gown n and white apron su P i. i kid I Wang nang ng who served ser as well as asih ih The cooked Was Vas perfection e H presided I. I over the main we n her Ired per er fath father r tall erect gray gray- I gray of ot close-clipped close mustache J Jand I and goatee had one sleeve tucked In the side pocket of his coat cont I OIl shall put the lion tion sir he lie said suid to formal S Caleb H How lIow d dI do doI you find the West Vest 1 I I find It eager And I I like It It We Ye bustle In the East but our w ways was and means are settled Eager gager I I like ike your t tam term And I 1 am glad v you like the it West 1 est We shall hope to see more of you You have hn lived here long lons asked Caleb My I grandfather settled here in eighteen eighteen lIe He was one of Fremont's Fremont's Frenn Fre- Fre nn monts mont's cavalry legIon lIe het helped to o take California California r from Pico He Be was on the shores of Monterey b bay ay when the British landed from their frigates and found the they R were too late My Iy father was then ten years old I was ns one when he went back to Virginia and fought i In n the War of the Secession For the South I beg your our pardon sir sir Caleb caught Betty Clinton smiling at him Not at nt all sir he answered My liMy own grandfather er fought for the North But nut that was Tas two generations ago Now No I 1 know he added with an answering answering answering an an- smile why you Miss Clinton called me Yank Tank with such unction My I grandfather used to say said Clinton that he was always cautious when he fought the Yanks but that he downright feared them when It came to business But you are right sir That Is all past I fought In the Span- Span Mi Ih war side by side with many gallant q u z i 1 t I r M fr i i The Trail Dipped Down n Toward Water Water Wa Wa- ter LeVel Fording the Stream gentlemen from New England One of them was major In m my company If It had not riot been for him I 1 ml might ht have ha lost more than this He lie touched his empty empt sleeve slee You held rank sir I tiros a captain It was a volunteer rank I 1 do not use it now My I sword Is If a plowshare I have sufficient souvenir Caleb thought he detected a little i bitterness In the cc to the missing missIng missIng miss- miss Ing limb Caleb noticed that Clinton refrained his guests guest's status states from any query as to mention It himself him him- In the war Nor did he self He was tired of talking about It who had The states were full of men done as much as ns he had What are you going to do In California 1 asked the girl The term hat Is wide one civil cI en engineer a Railroads Rail Hall Bridges does dues It menu mean to you roads 1 t ft was predestined said Caleb He struck a match mutch and showed her a seal seul at nt the end of his watch chain On the green stone two parallel zigzags were gra graven Yen the he of Aquarius The Tile Zodiac sign 1 Water Bearer It Is the eleventh sign and the sun enters It about the twenty twenty- do day that I 1 was first of January the engineer both born So I 1 am a n water b by choice and b by predestination as us she she bent She gave a n little cr cry seal The light look at nt the forward t to o swift burning match brought bought 0 of f the he darkness like a n her face out of the cameo curious cullous and altogether that ism t she said I II wonder delightful what hut will offer Caleb I I dont don't know wait gait too lon I have I 1 cannot said the Inclination I Ito neither the means nor tall had cr not I have e to staY stay t idle Je experience us such much practical I 1 should rather tie tic up go but things than work with enterprise wIth a new melt 1 l I Of course project n completed 1 he be able to everything above scheme plan lt It la eu ulato some devole to r It I must 00 took look for my ny o op OJ I 1 should hb ld Prefer pre for If IC I what Is Th et Caleb and nd said the girl were u a man approval of him lat lu la sensed a growing t her tone and w armed to It t To 10 create ng to be the e thirsty R a Water Ben Bearer reI toTo to toTo To make earth M or F tO thirst pe people been or e render n a city y gr grow grog W none ha leas has dry lands land s fertile Do Do you you von asked aar expect to settle out West here Clinton T uTo ss make your ss home homeI I hadn't gone quite as far as that answer answered ed Caleb with a smile Ponds It It depends den de de- upon n hether r I to get the chance chanco setti UP I settle i ETc like the mean by that at If lf work open West I 1 should like to toone make eL a h home here I l thInk I have none one elsewhere have ha ere he added simply 1 relatives i M In ID the East and I own even veu a R house SC out Ut there but there but It Isn't a home nn any longer and ana f since both m my father ather n mother are dead There are silences that create an nn atmosphere at at- finest 1 e more sympathetic than the choice of PhraSe Caleb fount found lt f talking IM of his plans In g gme greater renter extension than 1 he me would have considered considered consid- consid ered possible to met chance-met r recent scent acIle ac- ac lie Ile had he told them a little money monc he Ile had a chance to sell his nis Massachusetts house that held open Indefinitely This Tills with his train train- n Ing ing not and his youth constituted his cap cap- Ital ai At the end of the evening In his room the windows open admitting the fragrance u of f the patio g garden the e subdued chuckle of the overflow o from the he spring bas basin n he realized that ho he had done little tittle but talk about himself and his own affairs He wondered whether he had not been a n bit of or a prig even eyen a bore lIe He had shown no appreciation of the tune girls girl's femininity had hud surely been lacking In even cony conventional gallantry Girls Caleb believed liked that sort of thing expected expected It It Yet talking to her herin in the t dusk lush of the veranda ling had been a Rood good deal like talking to another man Her lieI Intelligence was keen her Interest had not seemed feigned Meanwhile In her own chamber r Bett Betty Clinton came to a favorable conclusion con con- elusion In the same matter For a Yank she told herself as she arranged her hair hall for the night In two great shining braids he is quite so agreeable agreeable so far I think I am going to like Caleb Warner Caleb decided not to outstay his welcome wel wel- come lie He announced his Intention at breakfast We shall h hue oe ue to see you yon again said Clinton and Betty backed his invitation In In- She seemed a little older this mornIng morning morn- morn Ing appearing the well-poised well hostess In her To Caleb still new to western ways It was hard to reconcile reconcile recon recon- cile this housewifely person presiding over O the silver coffee urn with the rider Ilder on the pinto galloping hard after her hounds to the kill Yet there was no real discrepancy no loss of dignity of sex ser And she made the girls that Caleb had grown up with seem suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly constricted In his recollection You are not walk down to the train she told him I am sorry that I cannot drive you jOU but I have a lot to do You shall ride the Don Padilla will go with you and bring him back And we are to see you again Soon I Caleb was not at all certain of his prowess In the saddle To his relief the hors horse turned out to be a natural single-footer single racking along with a as s smooth motion that left him almost motionless In the saddle The selection selection selection tion was he lie felt another Indication of kindly tact Padilla swarthy legged bow agile bore signs of battle that had come close cloS to maiming him The left side of his face was marked with a puckered puckered puck puck- ered scar purple against his brown skin It ran from eye to chin a raking raking rak rak- ing weal heal that showed where the flesh must hn have e been laid open by a a. a frightful fright fright- ful Jul blow UP lie wore no coat cont and hl his hla sleeves were rolled high His left forearm forearm forearm fore fore- arm was scored with cicatrices His left sid side side- seemed shrunken between hip and shoulder Caleb Cale was conscious that all down the canyon Padilla subjected subjected subjected sub sub- him limn to a close scrutiny When directly In ill front of him he could almost al almost almost al- al most feel Padilla's Padillas black eyes boring between his shoulder bla blades es Despite the unworried recommendation that the Mexican held from his employment at nt atEl atEl El EI NIdo Caleb fancied him a better companion for high noon than a dark durl night The trail dipped down towards water level fording the stream Caleb reined in to let the Don drink the bright water and Padilla followed rollow d ex ex- ex- ex ample As they sat sat sut side b by side th the Mexican spoke for the first time was here senor he lie said that I got ot these lie He touched his cheek his left ribs and tapped his left forearm with a a. swift g gesture sture flEet Est way was a U puma Jurna senor A cou cougar ar a It lion of oC the mountains Carrajo Carrajo- Carrajo Almost Almost Almost Al Al- most keel me Luis Padilla Knife against claws an teeth senor And the knife Thees hees knife With the same swift deftness he half halt drew a shining blade from a n sheath that was tucked Inside the belt of his Ills trousers then replaced it Tho The speedy excitation of or the Latin Latin convulsed con con- Fed hl his hi features The They twisted In Inn Ina n a ferocious snarl they as us they must have ha appeared In the actual con- con filet diet Caleb thought r This Padilla seems to be an Intense sort cart of person What's his purpose with Warner TO 10 BE nE CONTINUED |