Rupert was on the roof of his shanty, and Mr. Bolton greeted him as he rode up.
"h.e.l.lo, Rupe, what"re ye doin"?"
"Just finishin" my house. It looks like more rain, an" I must have the roof good an" tight."
"You"re not goin" to live here?"
"Oh, yes, part of the time."
"What"s that for?"
"To secure our claim. Mother"s homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of this land."
"What in the world are you goin" to do with it?"
"We"ll farm some of it, of course, an" we"ll find some use for another part after awhile, I guess."
Then Mr. Bolton changed his tactics. He tried to discourage the boy by telling him that it was railroad land, and even if it wasn"t, his own adjacent claim took it all in anyway; Rupert did not scare, but said, "I guess not," as he went on quietly fitting and pounding.
The man had to give it up. "That Ames kid" had gotten the best of him.
This was four years ago, and wonderful changes had taken place since then. Rupert had begun work on his reservoir the spring after they had taken possession. He had a most beautiful site for one; and when the melting winter snows and spring rains filled Dry Hollow creek, most of it was turned into the Basin. It slowly spread out, filled the deep ravines, and crept up to Rupert"s embankment. Then he turned the stream back into its natural channel again. Many came to look at the wonder.
Some of his neighbor "dry-benchers" offered to join him and help him for a share in the water. The reservoir could be greatly enlarged, and the ca.n.a.l leading from it around the side-hills to the bench had yet to be dug; so Rupert and his mother accepted the offers of help and the work went on rapidly. The next year Dry Bench had water. New ground was broken and cleared. Trees were set out. There was new life on the farm, and new hopes within the hearts of Widow Ames and her children.
Dry Bench farm had undergone a change. A neat frame house stood in front of the log hut, which had been boarded and painted to match the newer part. A barn filled with hay and containing horses and cows stood at a proper distance back. A granary and a corn-crib were near. The new county road now extended along the fronting of the Ames place, and a neat fence separated the garden from the public highway. On the left was the orchard, a beautiful sight. Standing in long, symmetrical rows were peaches, apples, pears, and a dozen other varieties of fruit, now just beginning to bear. At the rear, stretching nearly to the mountains, were the grain and alfalfa fields. Neighboring farms also were greatly improved by the advent of water, but none showed such labor and care as the Ames farm. Rupert grew with the growth of his labors, until he was now a tall, muscular fellow, browned and calloused. Nina was fast outgrowing childish things and entering the young-lady period. A beautiful girl she was, and a favorite among her schoolmates. She had attended school in town for the past three winters, and her brother was talking of sending her to the high school.
Practically, Rupert was the head of the family. Always respectful to his mother, and generally consulting with her on any important matter, he nevertheless could not help seeing that everything depended on him, and that he was the master mind of Ames farm. And then the neighbors came to him for advice, and older and presumably wiser men counseled with him, and so it suggested itself to Rupert that he was the master mind of all Dry Bench besides. Everybody called him a "rustler." When he had leisure for school, he was beyond school age; so, nothing daunted, he set out to study by himself. He procured the necessary books, and went to them with an energy that made up for the lack of a teacher. Nina kept pace with him for a time, but the ungraded village school curriculum was too slow for Rupert; and when one spring the young reservoir projector appeared at the county teachers" examination and pa.s.sed creditably, all, as he said "just for fun and practice," the people talked again--and elected him to the board of trustees.
A beautiful spring morning dawned on Dry Bench. A cool breeze came from the mountains and played with the young leaves of the orchard. The apricots were white with blossoms, and the plums and peaches were just bursting into ma.s.ses of pink and white. The alfalfa and wheat fields were beautifully green. Blessed Morning, what a life promoter, what a dispeller of fears and bringer of hopes, thou art!
Rupert was out early. After tossing some hay to the horses and cows, he shouldered his shovel and strode up the ditch, whistling as he went. His straw hat set well back on his head. His blue "jumper" met the blue overalls which were tucked into a pair of heavy boots. His tune was a merry one and rang out over the still fields and up to the hills.
Rupert"s thoughts were a mixture that morning, and flew from one thing to another: the ditch which he was to clean and repair; the condition of the reservoir; the meeting of the school board; the planting of the garden; the dance at the hall in town; the wonderful spreading properties of weeds--so on from one subject to another, until he came to a standstill, leaning on his shovel and looking over his farm and down to the town, fast growing into a city. From a hundred chimneys smoke was beginning to come, befouling the clear air of the valley.
"It is a beautiful sight," said he to himself. "Six years ago and what was it? Under whose hand has this change grown? Mine. I have done most of the work, and I can lawfully claim most of the credit. Then it was worthless, and just the other day I was offered five thousand dollars for the place. That"s pretty good. Father couldn"t have done any better."
Rupert was not given to boasting, but it did seem lately that everything he set his hand to prospered exceedingly. This had brought some self-exalting thoughts into his mind; not that he talked of them to others, but he communed with them to himself, nevertheless.
That morning, as he rested his chin on his hands that clasped the end of his shovel, such thoughts swelled the pride in his heart, and his work was left undone. The sun came suddenly from behind the peak and flooded the valley with light; still Rupert stood looking over the fields. In the distance towards the left he caught sight of a horse and buggy coming at a good pace along the new country road. He watched it drawing nearer. A lady was driving. Her horse was on its mettle this morning and the reins were tight. They were at that ugly place where the road crosses the ca.n.a.l--he was to repair it that morning--He awoke from his dreaming with a start, but too late; the horse shied, a wheel went into the ugly hole, and the occupant was pitched into the dry bottom of the ca.n.a.l. Rupert ran down the road shouting "whoa" to the horse which galloped past him. The lady scrambled up before Rupert reached her.
"Are you hurt?" he inquired.
"No--no, sir," she managed to say. She was pale and trembling. "Can you catch my horse? I think he will stop at that barn."
"I"ll get your horse, never fear; just so you"re not hurt. Let me help you out of the ditch."
She held out a gloved hand and he a.s.sisted her up the bank. She was just a girl, and he could have carried her home, had it been necessary.
"Thank you, sir, but could you get my horse, please? There, he is stopping at that house."
"That is where I live. I"ll bring him to you, if you will wait."
"Oh, thanks; but I can walk that far. The fall has just shaken me up a little. I shall soon get over it."
They walked down the road to the gate.
"You must come in and rest," said he, "and I"ll take care of your horse." She remonstrated, but he insisted, and brought her into the kitchen where his mother was busy with breakfast. Rupert explained, and his mother instantly became solicitous. She drew a rocking chair up to the fire and with gentle force seated the stranger, continuously asking questions and exclaiming, "Too bad, too bad."
Rupert readily caught the runaway animal, and, leading him into the yard, fastened and fed him.
"Take off your hat, Miss," said Mrs. Ames, "your head"ll feel easier. I know it must ache with such a knock as that. I believe you"re cold, too.
Put your feet on the hearth--or here, I"ll open the oven door--there!
You must take a cup of coffee with us. It"ll warm you. You haven"t had breakfast yet, I dare say."
The stranger thanked her and leaned back in the chair quite content. The fall had really shaken her severely and a pain shot, now and then, into her head. Rupert foolishly fidgeted about outside before he could make up his mind to come in. Nina now made her appearance. The coffee was poured out and the stranger was invited to sit up. Once, twice, Mrs.
Ames spoke to her, but she sat perfectly still. Her face was pale, her eyes half closed.
"What"s the matter, Miss?" asked the mother, looking into the girl"s face.
"Mother, I believe she has fainted," said Nina.
The three bent over the still form. Mrs. Ames rubbed the cold hands, Nina became nervous, and Rupert looked down into the pale, beautiful face.
"Yes, she has fainted. It is too warm in here. We must get her in the sitting-room on the sofa. Rupert, help us."
Rupert stood at a distance. The mother and Nina tried to lift her, but they failed.
"You"ll have to carry her in, Rupert. Come, don"t stand there as if you couldn"t move. It"s too close in this kitchen."
But the young fellow still hesitated. To take a strange, fair girl in his arms--such a thing he had never done--but he must do so now. He put his strong arms under her and lifted her as he would a child, and carried her into the next room, where he laid his burden on the sofa.
The cool air had its effect, and she opened her eyes and smiled into the faces that were bent over her.
"Lie still, my dear," said Mrs. Ames. "You have been hurt more than you think."
"Did I faint?--yes, I must have--but I"m not hurt." She tried to rise, but with a moan she sank back on the pillow which Nina had brought.
"I"ll go for the doctor," said Rupert, and off he went. When he and Doctor Chase came in an hour later, the girl was again sitting at the table with Mrs. Ames and Nina.
"I met with a slight accident down the road," she explained to the doctor. "I wasn"t quite killed, you see, but these good people are trying to finish me with their kindness;" and she laughed merrily.
Her name was Miss Wilton. She was a school teacher, and was on her way to answer an advertis.e.m.e.nt of the Dry Bench trustees for a teacher. She hoped the doctor would p.r.o.nounce her all right that she might continue her journey, as she understood it was not far.
"You have had a severe shaking up, Miss Wilton, but I don"t think you need to postpone your journey more than a few hours," was the doctor"s decision.
About noon, Rupert drove Miss Wilton"s horse around to the front door and delivered it to her. With a profusion of thanks, she drove away in the direction of the chairman of the school trustees. Neither Nina nor her mother had said anything about Rupert"s being on the board. Mrs.
Ames had once seemed to broach the subject, but a look from Rupert was enough to check her. When the school teacher disappeared down the road, Rupert again shouldered his shovel, and this time the ugly hole where the road crossed the ca.n.a.l was mended. That done, he returned home, hitched a horse to his cart and drove to town.