That was after the excitement was all over, however. At the moment the mustangs started, all she did was to scream!
The four half-wild little beasts leaped forward with one accord when the frightened pullet flew squawking over them. The coach lurched horribly; but the wheels remained in the ruts.
Old John Dempsey held the ribbons, and held them firmly; but he was not on the driver’s side of the seat. There was both a foot-break and a half-lever-break; but he was unable to reach either. And in his old arms was no longer the strength to pull the beasts in.
Ned and Nat were shut off from the front seat by their mother and the two girls. Tavia, beside screaming, seized the railing of the seat. Aunt Winnie clung to her, and would have seized Dorothy as well, but the latter flung off her aunt’s hand and plunged2 over the back of the driver’s seat.
Frightened as she was, brave Dorothy knew that it was her chance, and her chance only. As the mustangs gathered their feet under them and whipped the tottering3 old coach up the side of the arroyo4, Dorothy slid into the place the Mexican had deserted5.
Fortunately she had watched him manipulate the brakes. And the mustangs had the drag of the coach behind them going up hill. Going down it might have been a very different story. True it was, that when the panting, straining horses came out upon the level at the top of the rise, they were glad to stop to breathe. With Dorothy giving them the brakes and the old Grand Army Veteran on the lines, the four rascals6 were glad to stop.
Up came José Morale7, having left the excited old lady, and the excited hen, at the bottom of the hill. What he said in his own language to the horses was a plenty! But in the next breath he praised Dorothy for her pluck in most extravagant8 terms.
As for that matter, they all praised her; but Dorothy would not listen.
“Somebody had to do it—why not me?” she demanded. “Now, Ned and Nat, you run back there and help Mrs. Petterby catch that hen, and then bring them both on. We’ll wait here for you.”
It was then that Tavia had a slight attack of hysterics. “That hen will be the death of me! she will! she will!” gasped9 the girl. “Did you ever hear of anything so ridiculous in all your life?”
“Now, don’t laugh and make Mrs. Petterby feel as though you were laughing at her,” admonished10 Dorothy.
“But if we take her to ride with us, and Ophelia lays an egg in this stage, and the egg hatches out a chicken,” gasped Tavia, “that chicken will be a nervous wreck11 from the start. At least, it will be afflicted12 with St. Vitus Dance.”
“Do be reasonable!” exclaimed Dorothy. “There! the boys have caught Ophelia.” She was standing13 up on the stage roof, looking back at the little group below. Suddenly a man on pony14-back appeared over the last rise the coach had crossed, and headed down into the hollow.
“Who’s that coming?” demanded Tavia, from whose bright eyes little escaped.
“Why—why——”
“I believe you are right. That is Gaby he is riding.”
“Of course it is Gaby,” said Tavia. “Now we can introduce him to your aunt. And oh! Mrs. White! he is just the loveliest thing!”
“How recklessly you talk about the young men, Octavia,” said Mrs. White. “I believe he was very kind to you girls, however. I shall be glad to thank him.”
Ned was helping17 Mrs. Petterby along on his arm, while Nat carried the basket, with Ophelia safely fastened within, when Lance overtook them.
The cowboy raised his hat in salute18 and would have ridden on, but Mrs. Petterby suddenly manifested much excitement. She screamed aloud and even Dorothy, on top of the hill, heard her:
“Lance Petterby! for the good land’s sake! if it ain’t my baby!”
The cowboy swung in his saddle, pulled the pony up short, and instantly leaped to the ground.
“Jerusha Juniper!” he yelled. “MOTHER!”
The little old lady ran straight into his arms. The big cowpuncher caught her up and hugged her tightly. Even at that distance Dorothy could see the surprise and delight depicted19 upon his countenance20.
“And we never dreamed,” murmured Tavia, “that ‘Lance’ was his first name.”
“She has found him; isn’t it delightful21?” cried Dorothy, and she insisted upon climbing down and running to meet the little old lady from Rand’s Falls, Massachusetts, and her stalwart son.
“Mr. Lance!” she cried, “I am so delighted127 to see you. And to think we know your mother, and were just about to give her a ride when those horrid22 ponies23 ran away!”
“Jerusha Juniper, Miss!” said the cowboy. “However this old lady got clean out yere, I dunno. But maybe I ain’t glad to see her!”
He caught her up again in his arms, and Mrs. Petterby laughed and flushed like a girl. “Stop your silliness, Lance Petterby,” she ordered. “Set me down. Miss Dale will think ye ain’t got the sense ye was born with. And don’t let that boy drop Ophelia.”
It took some minutes to explain to the cowboy the present situation—and especially how his mother came to be on this lonely trail, afoot.
It seemed that he was often at the squatter—Nicholson’s—house and that was why people in Dugonne had advised Mrs. Petterby to look for Lance there.
They got the old lady into the coach and seated her with the chicken’s basket in her lap, and Mrs. White elected to get down and ride with her. The mustangs started on; Lance Petterby rode beside the stage. Dorothy noticed that the cowboy kept close to Tavia’s side.
Tavia was talking “nineteen to the dozen,” as Nat disgustedly said; “and the use she’s making of her eyes is a shame!” he added, in an aside, to Dorothy. But Dorothy could not stop her chum.The reckless girl had “taken the bit in her teeth.”
Lance was fairly bowled over by the batteries of Tavia’s speech and glances. After all, to the unsophisticated cowboy, Tavia was quite a grown-up young lady. Dorothy knew that if he lost his head it would not be his fault, but her chum’s.
“I’m ashamed of you, Tavia Travers,” she whispered, fiercely, in the black-eyed girl’s ear. “How dare you? If Aunt Winnie was up here with us now she’d put a stop to this, young lady.”
“Oh, Doro! you’re just killing24!” cried Tavia, wickedly, and giggled25, and bridled26, just as though her friend had said something very funny to her. After that Dorothy held her peace grimly.
She was glad that Lance was going no further with them than Nicholson’s place. There he and Mrs. Petterby were to stay for a day or two before going on to the headquarters of the Double Chain Outfit27, where Lance worked.
Mrs. White invited them both to come over to Hardin’s, where she decided28 that she and the young folk would remain for six weeks, at least. She was especially gracious to Lance, and thanked him again for his kindness to the two girls when they had been left behind by the train; she might not have asked him so cordially to visit Hardin’s had she known how Tavia had been acting29.
“We sartain sure’ll come to see ye,” Mrs.129 Petterby said, briskly, “pervidin’ Lance kin1 find something a mite30 more steady for me to ride in. I shall want to see ye all again before I start back East.”
“Oh, yuh won’t want tuh start back yet awhile, mother,” drawled Lance.
“I dunno,” said Mrs. Petterby. “I ain’t seen nothin’ yet in Colorado the ekal of Rand’s Falls, Massachusetts.”
“We’ll fix that,” grunted31 Lance, waving his hat again, as the old coach lumbered32 away along the track.
The sun was sinking when the now wearied mustangs drew the coach up the round flank of the hill on which the Hardin ranch33 house was set. Like most dwellings34 in the cattle country, the house was sprawling35, one story only in height, and rather picturesque36.
“I just love the look of it,” Dorothy declared, standing up to see it better. “Don’t you, Tavia?”
“I would if I could think of the scene long enough,” admitted her chum. “But, oh, me! oh, my! I am wondering if there will be anything in the line of supper forthcoming? I’m so hungry it takes my mind off the scenery.”
“How ridiculous! of course there will be something to eat.”
“But will there be enough?” cried Tavia.
Mrs. White assured her there would be supper. The lawyers at Dugonne had told her that there were Colonel Hardin’s foreman and his family on the place, as well as several herdsmen.
Dorothy continued to gaze wonderingly at the rolling green and brown pastures, wire-fenced and evidently carefully kept up, rising in high terraces from beyond the ranch house into the wooded and rugged37 foothills to the west.
“I expect,” said Aunt Winnie, “up in that rugged country yonder lies the wonderful Lost River they tell me about—the water supply. It may increase the value of the great estate enormously, as the lawyers say, but I fear it is going to make me a lot of trouble.”
“Do you think so, Aunt Winnie?” asked Dorothy, earnestly.
“Yes. I spoke38 of the matter to Mr. Jermyn, and he advised me to go slowly. There are other people after the water beside Desert City and some farmers to whom Colonel Hardin promised it.”
“Who else?”
“Some big mining syndicate.”
“That must be the Consolidated39 Ackron Company,” Ned broke in. “But what do they want of water?”
“Hydraulic mining, I understand,” said his mother. “It would greatly cheapen their process of extracting gold from the soil. I do not understand much about it, I must admit.”
“Maybe the mining syndicate would give you more for the water than the desert people?” suggested Nat.
“That would make no difference to us,” said his mother, firmly. “If Colonel Hardin promised Desert City and the farmers, that Lost River would flow south, south it shall flow, if they keep their part of the bargain, and the thing can be done.”
“But,” cried Dorothy, “can it be made to flow either way? How wonderful! It must have a natural channel, mustn’t it?”
“So I suppose,” replied Aunt Winnie. “There seems to be more to the matter than we know about—yet. Mr. Philo Marsh40 gave us very few particulars.”
“I am sure that he is not a very trustworthy informant,” declared Dorothy, obstinately41, to Tavia. “We must watch Mr. Philo Marsh.”
“And you objected before because I just looked at him!” breathed Tavia, making very big eyes at her chum.
While they were indulging in these surmises42 the rattling43 old stagecoach44 had been mounting the rise toward the Hardin ranch-house. Finally José shouted to the mustangs again and they sprang forward in what Nat called “a grandstand finish,” stopping with a flourish before the front of the house.
There was nobody on the wide veranda45 to greet them, but beyond was a group of less important buildings, and from these came running several people.
First came Hank Ledger46, the foreman of the ranch, to whom Mrs. White had a letter of introduction from the lawyers. With him was his wife—a handsome, buxom47 woman, who came with floury arms and an apron48 on, being in the midst of preparations for supper for her husband and the hands.
Two Mexicans appeared, too, who greeted José Morale, the stage driver, in his own language. Last of all came a very pretty, dark and rosy49 girl, younger than Dorothy and Tavia in years, yet with something indefinably “grown-up” about her. The girl cast alternately shy looks at the visitors and at José Morale, with whom, later, Dorothy saw her talking very intimately in a secluded50 corner.
Just then, however, Dorothy was more interested in seeing the interior of the ranch-house that was to be their home for the next few weeks. The door was open and with Tavia she entered, while Mrs. White talked with Mr. and Mrs. Ledger on the veranda.
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1
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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arroyo
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| n.干涸的河床，小河 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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morale
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| n.道德准则，士气，斗志 | |
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8
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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10
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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11
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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12
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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lariat
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| n.系绳，套索；v.用套索套捕 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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19
depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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31
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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lumbered
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| 砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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36
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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38
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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39
consolidated
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| a.联合的 | |
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40
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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41
obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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42
surmises
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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43
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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44
stagecoach
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| n.公共马车 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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46
ledger
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| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
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47
buxom
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| adj.（妇女）丰满的，有健康美的 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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49
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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50
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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