Desert Gold

  "Shore I never made a mistake in my life figger'n' people," said Laddy, stoutly.

  "Yes, you have, Laddy," replied Mrs. Belding.  "You're wrong about Tom....Well, supper is to be got.  That young man and the girl will be starved.  I'll go in now.  If Nell happens around don't–don't flatter her, Laddy, like you did at dinner.  Don't make her think of her looks."

  Dick heard Mrs. Belding walk away.

  "Shore she's powerful particular about that girl," observed Laddy. "Say, Tom, Nell knows she's pretty, doesn't she?"

  "She's liable to find it out unless you shut up, Laddy.  When you visited us out here some weeks ago, you kept paying cowboy compliments to her."

  "An' it's your idea that cowboy compliments are plumb bad for girls?"

  "Downright bad, Laddy, so my wife says."

  "I'll be darned if I believe any girl can be hurt by a little sweet talk.  It pleases 'em....But say, Beldin', speaking of looks, have you got a peek yet at the Spanish girl?"

  "Not in the light."

  "Well, neither have I in daytime.  I had enough by moonlight. Nell is some on looks, but I'm regretful passin' the ribbon to the lady from Mex.  Jim, where are you?"

  "My money's on Nell," replied Lash.  "Gimme a girl with flesh an' color, an' blue eyes a-laughin'.  Miss Castaneda is some peach, I'll not gainsay.  But her face seemed too white.  An' when she flashed those eyes on me, I thought I was shot!  When she stood up there at first, thankin' us, I felt as if a–a princess was round somewhere.  Now, Nell is kiddish an' sweet an'–"

  "Chop it," interrupted Belding.  "Here comes Nell now."

  Dick's tingling hears took in the pattering of light footsteps, the rush of some one running.

  "Here you are," cried a sweet, happy voice.  "Dad, the Senorita is perfectly lovely.  I've been peeping at her.  She sleeps like–like death.  She's so white.  Oh, I hope she won't be ill."

  "Shore she's only played out," said Laddy.  " But she had spunk while it lasted....I was just arguin' with Jim an' Tom about Miss Castaneda."

  "Gracious!  Why, she's beautiful.  I never saw any one so beautiful....How strange and sad, that about her!  Tell me more, Laddy.  You promised.  I'm dying to know.  I never hear anything in this awful place.  Didn't you say the Senorita had a sweetheart?"

  "Shore I did."

  "And he's a cavalryman?"

  "Yes."

  "Is he the young man who came with you?"

  "Nope.  That fellow's the one who saved the girl from Rojas."

  "Ah!  Where is he, Laddy?"

  "He's in there asleep."

  "Is he hurt?"

  "I reckon not.  He walked about fifteen miles."

  "Is he–nice, Laddy?"

  "Shore."

  "What is he like?"

  "Well, I'm not long acquainted, never say him by day, but I was some tolerable took with him.  An' Jim here, Jim says the young man can have his gun an' his hoss."

  "Wonderful!  Laddy, what on earth did this stranger do to win you cowboys in just one night?"

  "I'll shore have to tell you.  Me an' Jim were watchin' a game of cards in the Del Sol saloon in Casita.  That's across the line. We had acquaintances–four fellows from the Cross Bar outfit, where we worked a while back.  This Del Sol is a billiard hall, saloon, restaurant, an' the like.  An' it was full of Greasers. Some of Camp's rebels were there drinkin' an' playin' games. Then pretty soon in come Rojas with some of his outfit. They were packin' guns an' kept to themselves off to one side. I didn't give them a second look till Jim said he reckoned there was somethin' in the wind.  Then, careless-like, I began to peek at Rojas.  They call Rojas the 'dandy rebel,' an' he shore looked the part.  It made me sick to see him in all that lace an' glitter, knowin' him to be the cutthroat robber he is. It's no oncommon sight to see excited Greasers.  They're all crazy. But this bandit was shore some agitated.  He kept his men in a tight bunch round a table.  He talked an' waved his hands.  He was actually shakin'.  His eyes had a wild glare.  Now I figgered that trouble was brewin', most likely for the little Casita garrison. People seemed to think Campo an' Rojas would join forces to oust the federals.  Jim thought Rojas's excitement was at the hatchin' of some plot.  Anyway, we didn't join no card games, an' without pretendin' to, we was some watchful.

  "A little while afterward I seen a fellow standin' in the restaurant door.  He was a young American dressed in corduroys and boots, like a prospector.  You know it's no onusual fact to see prospectors in these parts.  What made me think twice about this one was how big he seemed, how he filled up that door.  He looked round the saloon, an' when he spotted Rojas he sorta jerked up.  Then he pulled his slouch hat lopsided an' began to stagger down, down the steps.  First off I mad shore he was drunk.  But I remembered he didn't seem drunk before.  It was some queer.  So I watched that young man.