"Let"s ask Tom Latimer; we"ll tell him Jim is going to be there at ten o"clock."
Tom heard the girls and laughed: "But why at the Bridal Contest tent?
Why not at the coal-heaving contest?"
"Perhaps the boys thought there wouldn"t be such a crowd at the Bridal,"
ventured Polly, guilelessly.
Tom and Eleanor laughed, and the former said: "Well, I"ll see that you two get there in ample time for the Bridal."
Long before ten o"clock, John and Anne had disappeared, and that left Tom to the sweet mercy of Barbara. He clung desperately to Polly and Eleanor until it was time to take them to the Bridal Contest, and then he begged Mrs. Brewster to take care of Barbara while he was absent with the girls.
Mrs. Brewster understood that Tom did not care for the young lady"s company, and she said in a low tone: "I would feel easier if I thought those four young people had a sensible head to look after them in this great mult.i.tude, Tom."
Tom looked at her, but she seemed innocent of any hidden meaning; so he replied fervently: "If you will tell Polly this, I will be only too happy to be the "head" they need."
So Tom really acted as "Official Guide" that day and, incidentally, paid all the bills for the young celebrators. This suited Jim and Kenneth, all right, as they were puzzling how to make a big splash in the puddle before these two girls, and yet escape bankruptcy.
The Bridal Contest was a strange sight. Any couple who wanted to marry in haste, could secure a special license at this booth and be married forthwith. And to every pair so married, the managers of the fair presented a twenty-dollar gold piece, that more than defrayed the costs of the ceremony. To say the Bridal Booth was a failure, would be rank envy and jealousy on the part of any single cow-boy or woman that attended the fair--and failed in securing a mate.
The girls watched while three pairs were married, and in each case, the bride was a stranger in Oak Creek, while the groom was a newly-fledged rancher who needed a housekeeper worse than he needed his freedom.
As the other contests were scheduled for eleven, the four young people, following after their Official Guide, went the rounds. Not one sight missed them that day, and they turned weary bodies towards the camp that night, thinking of but one thing--the cot-beds that awaited them.
Wednesday was the day when the races took place. Not only the broncho busting, but horse-racing and other events of the kind. A novelty was offered this year, by having several Nebraska cow-boys race on steers.
The people for twenty miles around Oak Creek, had seen bull fights, wild steer breaking, and all sorts of horse-racing, but never had they witnessed a steer race.
It proved very exciting, as the men who rode the animals were gayly trapped out and made a great noise when the race started. Their shouting and wildly waving hats, added no little to the frenzy of the steers. One animal tripped and threw his rider, and another balked outright and began to stampede. Finding he could not dislodge the enc.u.mbrance that clung to his back, he suddenly threw himself and rolled.
Every one screamed, but the rider was alert and the moment the steer touched the earth, he was up on his feet, bowing and smiling. A wild cheering greeted him, but he had no claim to the prize, as that went to the rider who won the race.
Polly and Eleanor became well-acquainted with Jim and Kenneth during those two days at the fair, and when it was time to say good-by, the boys felt as if they were losing two old chums.
"We have to ride across the desert to-morrow, you know," explained Jim, regretfully.
"That"s so! where will you work next?" asked Tom.
"From Rabbitt"s Ear Inn to the Highway," said Kenneth.
"And when will you be back again? When can you come to Pebbly Pit again to visit us?" asked Eleanor.
"We may not be there again this summer, as our work now leads away from this section. In fact, the Boss says, if the cold does not come too early to interfere, he wants to finish his survey all along the other side of the desert, this year," explained Kenneth.
"Oh pshaw! then we won"t have any more good times," said Eleanor, poutingly.
"But we will when we all meet in New York," reminded Jim.
Tom looked from one to the other, for here was news!
"Never mind that, Tom--it"s a secret with us!" laughed Eleanor.
"I"m sure it must be, for John never said a word about it to me. And if you girls were going with Anne Stewart, he would have told me," replied Tom.
"You know the old adage, "Plans of mice and men go astray," but it did not say "Plans of girls and mice." So my plan will come out fine, you-all wait and see!"
"Yes, I reckon we _will_ wait!" laughed Polly, incredulously.
CHAPTER XII
NOLLA"S PLANS DEVELOP
The days pa.s.sed joyously at Pebbly Pit, until John and Tom declared they must return to their work beyond Denver. They had been postponing their departure, because John had confided to his chum, that Anne was waiting to hear definitely about the school in New York City, and upon her going there depended many other important things.
Tom smiled knowingly to himself, as he was sure one of the "many things"
to John was his proposal to Anne. Every one felt more or less interested in the expectant letter, and when it finally arrived, Anne had a circle of anxious friends waiting to hear the verdict.
"Well, I"ve been accepted and I am to report at the address in New York on September twenty-fifth," said Anne, hastily scanning the short note.
"Hurrah! That means we go with you!" shouted Eleanor, catching hold of Anne and dancing her about.
Polly looked very glum. "Anne, how does your going effect my school plans?"
"You can talk about school some other time, Poll, but Tom and I have to start back to camp to-morrow, and _I_ want to know from Anne just how her going effects _me_?" demanded John, looking her in the eyes.
Anne smiled bravely back at him and said: "Just what I told you. I must help Paul complete his college course, then I will be free to sign other agreements."
"Meanwhile, I am to go on plodding through cla.s.ses and camp without knowing whether or not I am ever going to be rewarded!" grumbled John, so discouraged that every one felt sorry for him.
"One doesn"t plod through studies or work, for mere reward. Polly says she wants to study for the love of it, and Eleanor wants to go into business for the love of _that_! It is the only way one can succeed,"
ventured Mrs. Brewster, more to fill up an embarra.s.sing gap in the conversation than for anything else.
John turned sullenly and stamped away. He continued down the trail to the Cliffs and was soon lost to sight. The girls then coaxed Anne to come away with them as they had a plan to ask her about.
Mrs. Brewster waited until every one was gone his or her way, then she ran after her son. No one knows what was said or done, then or during the day but that night, as they all sat at supper, John stood up and smiled.
Jeb was just pa.s.sing with a basket of newly laid eggs, and Sary was leaning over Mr. Brewster"s back with a deep dish of milk-toast that she expected to place before him. John coughed significantly, and Sary stopped to listen.
"I"m going to announce good news to you-all, to-night. I finally persuaded Anne to promise to be my wife, someday. So she goes to New York City as my fiancee, and I will study hard and do everything possible to be worthy of her, for she is a brave girl!"
Sam Brewster half arose to congratulate the two young people, but Sary"s dish was in the way. He b.u.mped his head and the dish slid from her hands.
Sary threw up both hands in dismay--there was the milk-toast spattered all over the ground! But a laugh from her mistress caused her to look in the direction the family-group were gazing. She saw Jeb standing as if rooted to the gra.s.s, his lower jaw sagging as he frowned at a basket of broken eggs upon the ground.
Sary threw her inspiration into the double breach caused by maid and man. "Thar goes th" supper an" them eggs, but tush! Trifles don"t count none when a man hez sech fine news ez John an" Jeb hes. Come right over here, Jeb, an" spring _yur_ secret now that John hes split his"n to the fam"ly!"
Jeb scuffled his feet and sheepishly hung his head. One foot unconsciously stirred the yolks of the broken eggs. But Sary was not a woman to stand for such shyness when it cast reflections on her ardent manner in which she described how Jeb rose to the bait temptingly hung before his very nose.