"Oh." She could think of nothing else to say.
"In fact Van was all that got me out onct--Napoleon, too. We wasn"t worth it, prob"ly. That"s the joke on Van. Since then us three cusses has starved, and froze, and clean roasted, chasin" gold."
"Oh."
"We was lost in the snow, one winter, with nuthin" to eat but a plug of tobacker, a can of vasolene, and a porous plaster. We lived on that menu fer a week--that and snow-soup. But Van got us out all right--packed Napoleon about five miles on his back. Nap was so thin there wasn"t enough of him to die." His one good eye became dreamily focused on the past. He smiled. "But someways the desert is worse than the snow. We got ketched three times without no water. Never did know, Nap or me, how Van got our two old dried-up carca.s.ses out the last time, down to Death Valley. He"s a funny cuss, old Van."
Once more Beth merely answered: "Oh."
"You bet!" resumed Gettysburg. "He never quits. It ain"t in him. He works his hands off and his soul out of its socket, every time." He laughed heartily. "Lord! we have done an awful lot of fool work fer nuthin"! We"ve tackled tunnels and shafts, and several games like this, and pretty near died a dozen different styles--all uneasy kinds of dyin"--and we"ve lived when it was a darn sight uneasier than croakin", and kept on tryin" out new diggin"s, and kept on bein" busted all the time. "Nuff to make a lemon laugh, the fun we"ve had. But now, by Jupe! we"ve struck it at last--and it ain"t a-goin" to git away!"
"Oh, I"m glad--I"m glad!" said Beth, winking back a bit of suspicious moisture that came unbidden in her eyes as she looked on this weather-beaten, hardship-beaten old figure, still st.u.r.dily ready for the fates. "I"m sure you all deserve it! I"m sure of that!"
"Wal, that"s a question fer G.o.d Almighty," Gettysburg replied. "But there"s the gold, the good yellow gold! And I"m awful glad fer Van!"
Into the water he dipped his crooked old fingers, and scratching down behind a riffle he fetched up a small amount of gold, doubly bright with the water and the sunlight upon it.
"Gold--and we git it easy," he added, repeating: "I"m awful glad fer Van. You ought to see him shovel!" He dropped the gold back into the water carelessly. "It ain"t a-goin" to do us old jack-legged cusses much good, at our age, but I would like to go to San Francisco this summer once, and shoot the chutes!"
CHAPTER XXIX
SUSPICIOUS ANSWERS
Beth and Van rode away from the claim just after lunch; she on a borrowed horse. The girl had not slept, but she had rested well and was far more fit for the journey back to town than either she or Van had expected.
He went with her part way only--far enough to put her safely on a trail from which she could not wander. They talked but little as they rode--perhaps because they had so much to say that could not be approached. Never for a moment did Van relax his vigilance upon himself, or treat her otherwise than as a man for whom he had conceived a natural liking.
When they came to the place of parting he pulled up his broncho and faced about in the trail.
"Well, Kent," he said, "so long. You"ll have no trouble now." He held forth his hand.
Beth gave him hers--and all her heart. Nevertheless, his clasp was as brief as he would give to one of his s.e.x.
"So long," she answered. "Good luck. I am under many obligations."
"They won"t make you very round shouldered," he said. "See you again."
That was their parting. He rode back at once--and Beth continued on her way. She turned three times in her saddle to watch him as he went, but she did not catch him glancing back.
About sundown she rode into Goldite, went at once to Mrs. d.i.c.k"s, and tied her horse to a post. Mrs. d.i.c.k she met in the hall.
"Snakes alive!" exclaimed that lively little person. "If you ain"t back as natural as life!" The garb had not deceived her for a moment.
"Where in the world have you been, in such a rig?"
Beth"s answer was ready.
"I went to see my brother, and had to spend the night on the desert."
Mrs. d.i.c.k stared at her in wonder. "Talk to me about the Eastern women being mollycuddles! You don"t mean his cabin was blown down by the storm?"
Beth was ill-prepared for this, but she met it.
"I wish you could have seen that roof go by!"
"Are you hungry?" the hostess demanded. "You look all wore out."
"I am," Beth admitted. "Has Mr. Bostwick been here in my absence?"
"He ain"t been here in anything--nope."
Beth"s relief was inexpressible. She was safe, with everything behind her! No one knew, or would ever need to know, the secret in possession of herself and Van.
"If anyone comes that you can send, will you kindly have my horse taken over to the stable?" she said. "I must go upstairs and rest."
"Here"s Billy St.i.tts a-comin" now," replied the housewife, moving towards the door. "He"s been worried to death about you bein" gone!"
Beth ran at once for the stairs, and later, from the window, saw the faithful old Billy leading her pony away. She closed her door, darkened the light, and soon clambered wearily into bed, where she dropped off to sleep like a child, lost to the world through the dinner hour and till something like three in the morning. She awaked then for a moment, long enough to think of Van, then sighed in absolute comfort and turned to sleep again.
It was nine o"clock in the morning when at last she appeared on the scene.
"Land snakes!" said Mrs. d.i.c.k, who had heard her coming down. "Ain"t you the sleeper! Well, I"ve kept your breakfast, but I couldn"t keep last night"s supper. Your friend, Mr. Bostwick, was here about eight, but I told him he"d have to wait if it took you a week to come to."
"You didn"t tell him I"d been away, I hope," said Beth, suddenly alarmed at the thought of Searle"s presence in the town. "I"d rather no one knew but you."
"Lord! I wouldn"t tell him if a rat was dead in his pocket!" Mrs. d.i.c.k expostulated. "I can"t abide the man, and you might as well know it, even if it does hurt your feelings."
Beth sat down to her breakfast. "You"re as good as you can be."
"Well, the breakfast ain"t--"taint fresh," said Mrs. d.i.c.k. "But I"ll see you git a decent lunch."
She bustled off into the kitchen. Beth had barely finished eating when Bostwick again appeared.
The man was tanned from his trip in the desert. He seemed alert, excited, keen over prospects rapidly coming to a head.
"Well, well, Beth," he said as he came inside the dining-room, "I"m back, you see, but I"ve certainly had a time of it! The car broke down, and Glen had left Starlight when at last I arrived, and I hunted for him all through the mountains and only found him four days ago, and we"ve been going ever since. I couldn"t write, but I did feel cut up, I a.s.sure you, about leaving you here alone for so long a time."
He advanced as if to kiss her, but Beth avoided his caress. She was calm and possessed. She meant to ascertain just how far the man was trying to deceive her.
"Won"t you sit down, and tell me all about it," she said. "You saw Glen four days ago?" She resumed her place in her chair.
"Three or four days ago--I"m mixed in my dates," he said, as he also took a seat. "He"s looking fine, and sent his love, of course."
That the man was lying, in every particular, she began to feel convinced.
"You left him well? He was feeling strong and well?"