Oh no, he protested, I cant take your coat.
Yes you can! You must! Dont you worry about me, Im used to weather. Put this on over your jacket and all. Youll need it. Rain wont hurt me ; but it will just about finish you.
The worst of this lay in its truth, and Norcross lost all his pride of sex for the moment. A wetting would not dim this girls splendid color, nor reduce her vitality one degree, while to him it might be a death-warrant. You could throw me over my own horse, he admitted, in a kind of bitter admiration, and slipped the coat on, shivering with cold as he did so.
You think me a poor excuse of a trailer, dont you? he said, ruefully, as the thunder began to roll.
Youve got to be all made over new, she replied, tolerantly. Stay here a year and youll be able to stand anything.
Remounting, she again led the way with cheery cry. The rain came dashing down in fitful, misty streams; but she merely pulled the rim of her sombrero closer over her eyes, and rode steadily on, while he followed, plunged in gloom as cold and gray as the storm. The splitting crashes of thunder echoed from the high peaks like the voices of siege-guns, and the lightning stabbed here and there as though blindly seeking some hidden foe. Long veils of falling water twisted and trailed through the valleys with swishing roar.
These mountain showers dont last long, the girl called back, her face shining like a rose. Well get the sun in a few minutes.
And so it turned out. In less than an hour they rode into the warm light again, and in spite of himself Norcross returned her smile, though he said: I feel like a selfish fool. You are soaked.
Hardly wet through, she reassured him. My jacket and skirt turn water pretty well. Ill be dry in a jiffy. It does a body good to be wet once in a while.
The shame of his action remained; but a closer friendship was established, and as he took off the coat and handed it back to her, he again apologized. I feel like a pig. I dont see how I came to do it. The thunder and the chill scared me, thats the truth of it. You hypnotized me into taking it. How wet you are ! he exclaimed, remorsefully. Youll surely take cold.
I never take cold, she returned. Im used to all kinds of weather. Dont you bother about me.
Topping a low divide the youth caught a glimpse of the range to the southeast, which took his breath. Isnt that superb! he exclaimed. Its like the shining roof of the world!
Yes, thats the Continental Divide, she confirmed, casually; but the lyrical note which he struck again reached her heart. The men she knew had so few words for the beautiful in life. She wondered whether this mans illness had given him this refinement or whether it was native to his kind. Im glad he took my coat, was her thought.
She pushed on down the slope, riding hard, but it was nearly two oclock when they drew up at Meekers house, which was a long, low, stone structure built along the north side of the road. The place was distinguished not merely by its masonry, but also by its picket fence, which had once been whitewashed. Farm-wagons of various degrees of decay stood by the gate, and in the barn-yard plows and harrows deeply buried by the weeds were rusting forlornly away. A little farther up the stream the tall pipe of a sawmill rose above the firs.
A pack of dogs of all sizes and signs came clamoring to the fence, followed by a big, slovenly dressed, red-bearded man of sixty or thereabouts.
Hello, Uncle Joe, called the girl, in offhand boyish fashion. How are you to-day ?
Howdy, girl, answered Meeker, gravely. What brings you up here this time?
She laughed. Heres a boarder who wants to learn how to raise cattle.
Meekers face lightened. I reckon youre Mr. Norcross? Im glad to see ye. Light off and make yourself to home. Turn your horses into the corral, the boys will feed em.
Am I in America? Norcross asked himself, as he followed the slouchy old rancher into the unkempt yard. This certainly is a long way from New Haven.
Without ceremony Meeker led his guests directly into the dining-room, a long and rather narrow room, wherein a woman and six or seven roughly dressed young men were sitting at a rudely appointed table.
Earth and seas! exclaimed Mrs. Meeker. Heres Berrie, and Ill bet thats Sutlers friend, our boarder.
Thats what, mother, admitted her husband. Berrie brought him up.
Youd ought o gone for him yourself, you big lump, she retorted.
Mrs. Meeker, who was as big as her husband, greeted Norcross warmly, and made a place for him beside her own chair.
Highst along there, boys, and give the company a chance, she commanded, sharply. Our dinners turrible late to-day.
The boys they were in reality full-grown cubs of eighteen or twenty did as they were bid with much noise, chaffing Berrie with blunt humor. The table was covered with a red oil-cloth, and set with heavy blue-and-white china. The forks were two-tined, steel-pronged, and not very polished, and the food was of the simplest sort; but the girl seemed at home there as she did everywhere and was soon deep in a discussion of the price of beef, and whether it was advisable to ship now or wait a month.