Fine, said she.
Did ye get as far back as my old town?
What town is that, Bill?
Oh, come off! You know Im from Omaha.
No, I only got as far as South Bend.
The picture which the girl had made as she dashed up to the pasture gate (her hat-rim blown away from her brown face and sparkling eyes), united with the kindliness in her voice as she accepted his gallant aid, entered a deep impression on the tourists mind; but he did not turn his head to look at her perhaps he feared Bills elbow quite as much as his guffaw but he listened closely, and by listening learned that she had been East for several weeks, and also that she was known, and favorably known, all along the line, for whenever they met a team or passed a ranch some one called out, Hello, Berrie! in cordial salute, and the men, old and young, were especially pleased to see her.
Meanwhile the stage rose and fell over the gigantic swells like a tiny boat on a monster sea, while the sun blazed ever more fervently from the splendid sky, and the hills glowed with ever-increasing tumult of color. Through this land of color, of repose, of romance, the young traveler rode, drinking deep of the germless air, feeling that the girl behind him was a wondrous part of this wild and unaccountable country.
He had no chance to study her face again till the coach rolled down the hill to Yancys, where they were to take dinner and change horses.
Yancys ranch-house stood on the bank of a fine stream which purled in keen defiance of the hot sun over a gravel bed, so near to the mountain snows that their coolness still lingered in the ripples. The house, a long, low, log hut, was fenced with antlers of the elk, adorned with morning-glory vines, and shaded by lofty cottonwood-trees, and its green grass-plat after the sun-smit hills of the long mornings ride was very grateful to the Eastern mans eyes.
With intent to show Bill that he did not greatly fear his smiles, the youth sprang down and offered a hand to assist his charming fellow-passenger to alight; and she, with kindly understanding, again accepted his aid to Bills chagrin and they walked up the path side by side.
This is all very new and wonderful to me, the young man said in explanation; but I suppose its quite commonplace to you and Bill.
Oh no its home!
You were born here?
No, I was born in the East; but Ive lived here ever since I was three years old.
By East you mean Kansas?
No, Missouri, she laughed back at him.
She was taller than most women, and gave out an air of fine unconscious health which made her good to see, although her face was too broad to be pretty. She smiled easily, and her teeth were white and even. Her hand he noticed was as strong as steel and brown as leather. Her neck rose from her shoulders like that of an acrobat, and she walked with the sense of security which comes from self-reliant strength.
She was met at the door by old lady Yancy, who pumped her hand up and down, exclaiming: My stars, Im glad to see ye back! Pears like the country is just naturally goin to the dogs without you. The dance last Saturday was a frost, so I hear, no snap to the fiddlin, no gimp to the jiggin. It shorely was pitiful.
Yancy himself, tall, grizzled, succinct, shook her hand in his turn. Mas right, girl, the country needs ye. Im scared every time ye go away fer fear some feller will snap ye up.
She laughed. No danger. Well, how are ye all, anyway? she asked.
All well, ceptin me,
said the little old woman. Im just about able to pick at my vittles.
She does her share o the work, and half the cooks besides, volunteered Yancy.
I know her, retorted Berrie, as she laid off her hat. Its me for a dip. Gee, but its dusty on the road!
The young tourist he signed W. W. Norcross in Yancys register watched her closely and listened to every word she spoke with an intensity of interest which led Mrs. Yancy to say, privately:
Pears like that young lunger aint goin to forgit you if he can help it.
What makes you think hes a lunger?
Dont haf to think. One look at him is enough.
Thereafter a softer light the light of pity shone in the eyes of the girl. Poor fellow, he does look kind o peaked; but this climate will bring him up to the scratch, she added, with optimistic faith in her beloved hills.
A moment later the down-coming stage pulled in, loaded to the side-lines, and everybody on it seemed to know Berea McFarlane. It was hello here and hello there, and how are ye between, with smacks from the women and open cries of pass it around on the part of the men, till Norcross marveled at the display.
She seems a great favorite, he observed to Yancy.
Who Berrie? Shes the whole works up at Bear Tooth. Good thing she dont want to go to Congress shed lay Jim Worthy on the shelf.
Bereas popularity was not so remarkable as her manner of receiving it. She took it all as a sort of joke a good, kindly joke. She shook hands with her male admirers, and smacked the cheeks of her female friends with an air of modest deprecation. Oh, you dont mean it, was one of her phrases. She enjoyed this display of affection, but it seemed not to touch her deeply, and her impartial, humorous acceptance of the courtship of the men was equally charming, though this was due, according to remark, to the claims of some rancher up the line.