Lucy glanced up quickly. The idea surprised her--pleased her. "In a minute," she replied. "And he"d be grand to you. You see, he"d have an eye for Wildfire."
The rider nodded his head as if he understood how that would be.
"And of course you"d never sell nor trade Wildfire?" went on Lucy.
The rider"s smile was sad, but it was conclusive.
"Then you"d better stay away from Bostil," returned Lucy, shortly.
He remained silent, and Lucy, busy about the campfire, did not speak again till the simple fare was ready. Then she spread a tarpaulin in the shade.
"I"m pretty hungry myself," she said. "But I don"t suppose I know what hunger is."
"After a while a fellow loses the feelin" of hunger," he replied. "I reckon it"ll come back quick.... This all looks good."
So they began to eat. Lucy"s excitement, her sense of the unreality of this adventure, in no wise impaired her appet.i.te. She seemed acutely sensitive to the perceptions of the moment. The shade of the cedars was cool. And out on the desert she could see the dark smoky veils of heat lifting. The breeze carried a dry odor of sand and gra.s.s. She heard bees humming by. And all around the great isolated monuments stood up, red tops against the blue sky. It was a silent, dreaming, impressive place, where she felt unlike herself.
"I mustn"t stay long," she said, suddenly remembering.
"Will you come back--again?" he asked.
The question startled Lucy. "Why--I--I don"t know.... Won"t you ride in to the Ford just as soon as you"re able?"
"I reckon not."
"But it"s the only place where there"s people in hundreds of miles.
Surely you won"t try to go back the way you came?"
"When Wildfire left that country I left it. We can"t back."
"Then you"ve no people--no one you care for?" she asked, in sweet seriousness.
"There"s no one. I"m an orphan. My people were lost in an Indian ma.s.sacre--with a wagon-train crossin" Wyomin". A few escaped, an" I was one of the youngsters. I had a tough time, like a stray dog, till I grew up. An" then I took to the desert."
"Oh, I see. I--I"m sorry," replied Lucy. "But that"s not very different from my dad"s story, of his early years.... What will you do now?"
"I"ll stay here till my back straightens out.... Will you ride out again?"
"Yes," replied Lucy, without looking at him; and she wondered if it were really she who was speaking.
Then he asked her about the Ford, and Bostil, and the ranches and villages north, and the riders and horses. Lucy told him everything she knew and could think of, and, lastly, after waxing eloquent on the horses of the uplands, particularly Bostil"s, she gave him a graphic account of Cordts and d.i.c.k Sears.
"Horse-thieves!" exclaimed the rider, darkly. There was a grimness as well as fear in his tone. "I"ve heard of Sears, but not Cordts. Where does this band hang out?"
"No one knows. Holley says they hide up in the canyon country. None of the riders have ever tried to track them far. It would be useless.
Holley says there are plateaus of rich gra.s.s and great forests. The Ute Indians say that much, too. But we know little about the wild country."
"Aren"t there any hunters at Bostil"s Ford?"
"Wild-horse hunters, you mean?"
"No. Bear an" deer hunters."
"There"s none. And I suppose that"s why we"re not familiar with the wild canyon country. I"d like to ride in there sometime and camp. But our people don"t go in for that. They love the open ranges. No one I know, except a half-witted boy, ever rode down among these monuments.
And how wonderful a place! It can"t be more than twenty miles from home.... I must be going soon. I"m forgetting Sage King. Did I tell you I was training him for the races?"
"No, you didn"t. What races? Tell me," he replied, with keen interest.
Then Lucy told him about the great pa.s.sion of her father--about the long, time-honored custom of free-for-all races, and the great races that had been run in the past; about the Creeches and their swift horses; about the rivalry and speculation and betting; and lastly about the races to be run in a few weeks--races so wonderful in prospect that even the horse-thief, Cordts, had begged to be allowed to attend.
"I"m going to see the King beat Creech"s roan," shouted the rider, with red in his cheeks and a flash in his eye.
His enthusiasm warmed Lucy"s interest, yet it made her thoughtful.
Ideas flashed into her mind. If the rider attended the races he would have that fleet stallion with him. He could not be separated from the horse that had cost him so dearly. What would Bostil and Holley and Farlane say at sight of Wildfire? Suppose Wildfire was to enter the races! It was probable that he could run away from the whole field--even beat the King. Lucy thrilled and thrilled. What a surprise it would be! She had the rider"s true love of seeing the unheralded horse win over the favorite. She had for years wanted to see a horse--and ride a horse--out in front of Sage King. Then suddenly all these flashing ideas coruscated seemingly into a gleam--a leaping, radiant, wonderful thought. Irresistibly it burst from her.
"Let ME ride your Wildfire in the great race?" she cried, breathlessly.
His response was instantaneous--a smile that was keen and sweet and strong, and a proffered hand. Impulsively Lucy clasped that hand with both hers.
"You don"t mean it," she said. "Oh, it"s what Auntie would call one of my wild dreams! ... And I"m growing up--they say.... But-- Oh, if I could ride Wildfire against the field in that race.... If I ONLY COULD!"
She was on fire with the hope, flushing, tingling. She was unconscious of her effect upon the rider, who gazed at her with a new-born light in his eyes.
"You can ride him. I reckon I"d like to see that race just as much as Bostil or Cordts or any man.... An" see here, girl, Wildfire can beat this gray racer of your father"s."
"Oh!" cried Lucy.
"Wildfire can beat the King," repeated the rider, intensely. "The tame horse doesn"t step on this earth that can run with Wildfire. He"s a stallion. He has been a killer of horses. It"s in him to KILL. If he ran a race it would be that instinct in him."
"How can we plan it?" went on Lucy, impulsively. She had forgotten to withdraw her hands from his. "It must be a surprise--a complete surprise. If you came to the Ford we couldn"t keep it secret. And Dad or Farlane would prevent me, somehow."
"It"s easy. Ride out here as often as you can. Bring a light saddle an"
let me put you up on Wildfire. You"ll run him, train him, get him in shape. Then the day of the races or the night before I"ll go in an"
hide out in the sage till you come or send for Wildfire."
"Oh, it"ll be glorious," she cried, with eyes like stars. "I know just where to have you hide. A pile of rocks near the racecourse. There"s a spring and good gra.s.s. I could ride out to you just before the big race, and we"d come back, with me on Wildfire. The crowd always stays down at the end of the racecourse. Only the starters stay out there....
Oh, I can see Bostil when that red stallion runs into sight!"
"Well, is it settled?" queried the rider, strangely.
Lucy was startled into self-consciousness by his tone.
How strangely he must have felt. And his eyes were piercing.
"You mean--that I ride Wildfire?" she replied, shyly. "Yes, if you"ll let me."
"I"ll be proud."