That Girl Montana
of his blanket he could see plainly the face of the stranger and note the
perplexity in it.
The first tender flush of early day was making the stars dim when the
doctor met Overton between the tents and the cabins, and surveyed him
critically from his slouch hat to his boots, on which were splashes of
water and fresh loam.
"What, in the name of all that's infernal, has taken possession of you,
Overton?" he demanded, with assumed anger and real concern. "You have not
been in bed all night. I know, for I've been to your tent. You prowl
somewhere in the woods when you ought to be in bed, and you are looking
like a ghost of yourself."
"Oh, I guess I'll last a day or two yet, so quit your growling; you think
you'll scare me into asking for some of your medicines; but that is where
you will find yourself beautifully left. I prefer a natural death."
"And you will find it, too, if you don't mend your ways," retorted the man
of the medicines. "I thought at first it was the care of 'Tana that kept
you awake every hour of every night; but I see it is just the same now
when there are plenty to take your place; worse--for now you go tramping,
God only knows where, and come back looking tired, as though you had
been racing with the devil."
"You haven't told me how she is," was all the answer he made to this
tirade. "You said--that by daylight--"
"There would be a change--yes, and there is; only a shadow of a change as
yet, but the shadow leans the right way."
"The _right_ way," he half whispered, and walked on toward her cabin. He
felt dizzy and the tears crept up in his eyes, and he forgot the doctor,
who looked after him and muttered statements damaging to Dan's sanity.
All the long night he had fought with himself to keep away, to let the
others care for her--the others, who fancied they were giving him a
wished-for rest. And all the while the desire of his heart was to bar them
out--to wait, alone with her, for the life or death that was to come. He
had walked miles in his restlessness, but could not have found again the
paths he walked over. He had talked with some of the people who were
wakeful in the night, but could scarce have told of any words he had
said.
He had felt dazed by the dread of what the new day would bring, and now he
looked up at the morning star with a great thankfulness in his heart. The
new day had come, and with it a breath of hope.
Miss Lavina met him at the door, and whispered that the doctor thought the
fever had taken the hoped-for turn for the better. 'Tana had opened her
eyes but a moment before, and looked at Miss Slocum wonderingly, but fell
asleep again; she had looked rational, but very weak.
"Well, old fellow, I am proud of myself," said Lyster, as Overton entered.
"It took Miss Slocum and me only one night to bring 'Tana around several
degrees nearer health. We are the nurses! And if she only wakes
conscious--"
His words, or else the intense, wistful gaze of the man at the foot of the
bed, must have aroused her, for she moved and opened her eyes and looked
around aimlessly, passing over the faces of Miss Slocum, of the squaw, and
of Overton, until Lyster, close beside her, whispered her name. Then her
lips curved ever so little in a smile as her eyes met his.
"Max!" she said, and put out her hand to him. As his fingers clasped it,
she turned her face toward him, and fell contentedly asleep again, with
her cheek against his hand.
And Mr. Haydon, who came in with the doctor a moment later, glanced at the
picture they made, and smiled meaningly at Overton.
"You see, I was right," he observed. "And do you not think it would be a
very exacting guardian who could object?"
Overton only looked at Max, whose face had flushed a little, knowing how
significant his attitude must appear to others. But his hand remained in
hers, and his eyes turned to Dan with a half embarrassed confession in
them--a confession Dan read and understood.
"Yes, you may well be proud, Max," he said, answering Lyster's words. "You
deserve all gratitude; and I hope--I hope nothing but good luck will come
your way."
Mr. Haydon, who watched him with critical eyes, could read nothing in his
words but kindliest concern for a friend.
The doctor, who had suddenly got a ridiculous idea in his head that Dan
Overton was wearing himself out on 'Tana's account, changed his mind and
silently called himself a fool. He might have known Dan had more sense
than that. Yet, what was it that had changed him so?
Twenty-four hours later he thought he knew.
CHAPTER XVII.
MISS SLOCUM'S IDEAS REGARDING DEPORTMENT.
"So it was a gold mine that dragged you people up into this wilderness?
Well, I've puzzled my mind a good deal to understand your movements
lately; but the finding of a vein as rich as your free gold promises is
enough to turn any man's head for a while. Well, well; you are a lucky
fellow, Overton."
"Yes, I've no doubt that between good luck and bad luck, I've as much luck
as anybody," answered Overton, with a grimace, "but a week or so ago you
did not think me lucky--you thought me 'looney.'"
"You are more than half right," agreed the doctor; "appearances justified
me. My wife and I stormed at you--behind your back--for carrying 'Tana
with you on your fishing trip; it was such an unheard-of thing to my
folks, you know. Humph! I wonder what they will say when it is known that
she was on a prospecting trip, and that the venture will result in a gain
to her of dollars that will be counted by the tens of thousands. By
George! it seems incredible! Just like a chapter from the old fairy
tales."
"Yes. I find myself thinking about it like that sometimes," said Overton;
"a little afraid to lay plans, for fear that after all it may be a dream.
I never hoped much for it; I came under protest, and the luck seems more
than I deserved."
"Maybe that is the reason you accept it in such a sulky fashion," observed
the doctor, "for, upon my soul, I think I am more elated over your good
fortune than you are. You don't appear to get up a particle of enthusiasm
because of it."
"Well, I have not had an enthusiastic lot of partners, either. Harris,
here, not able to move; 'Tana not expected to live; and I suddenly face to
face with all this responsibility for them. It gave me considerable to
think about."
"You are right. I only wonder you are not gray-haired. A new gold-field
waiting for you to make it known, and you guarding it at the same time,
perhaps, from red tramps who come spying around. But you are lucky, Dan;
everything comes your way, even a capitalist ready at your word to put up
money on the strength of the ore you have to show. Why, man, many a poor
devil of a prospector has stood a long siege with starvation, even with
gold ore in sight, just because no one with capital would buy or back
him."
"I know. I realize that; and, for the sake of the other two, I am very
glad there need be no waiting for profits."
"Do you know, Dan, I fancy little 'Tana is in the way of being well cared
for, even without this good fortune," observed the doctor, looking at the
other in a questioning way. "It just occurred to me yesterday that that
fine young fellow, Lyster, is uncommonly fond of her. It may be simply
because she is ill, and he is sorry for her; but his devotion appeared to
me to have a sentimental tinge, and I thought what a fine thing it would
be."
"Very," agreed Overton; "and you are sentimental enough yourself to plan
it all out for them. I guess Haydon helped to put that notion into your
head, didn't he?"
The doctor laughed.
"Well, yes, he did speak of Lyster's devotion to your _protegee_" he
acknowledged; "and you think we are a couple of premature match-makers,
don't you?"
"I think maybe you had better leave it for 'Tana to decide," answered
Overton, "and I also think schools will be the first thing considered by
her. She is very young, you know."
"Seventeen, perhaps," hazarded the doctor; but Overton did not reply.
He was watching the canoe just launched by their Indian boatmen. They were
to take Mr. Haydon back again to the Ferry. He was to send up workmen, and
Overton was to manage the work for the present--or, at least, until Mr.
Seldon could arrive and organize the work of developing the vein that Mr.
Haydon had found was of such exceeding richness that his offer to the
owners had been of corresponding magnitude. Overton had promptly accepted
the terms offered; Harris agreed to them; and even if 'Tana should not,
Dan decided that out of his own share he could make up any added sum
desired by her for her share, though he had little idea that she would
find fault with his arrangements. She! who had thought, that day of the
gold find, that it was better to have their little camp unshared by the
many whom gold would bring to them--that it was almost better to be poor
than to have their happy life changed.
And it was all over now. Other people had come and were close about her,
while he had not seen her since the morning before, when she had awakened
and turned to Max. Well, he should be satisfied, so he told himself. She
was going to get well again. She was going to be happy. More wealth than
they had hoped for had come to her, and with it she would, of course,
leave the hills, would go into the life of the cities, and by and by would
be glad to forget the simple, primitive life they had shared for the few
days of one Kootenai summer. Well, she would be happy.
And here on the spot where their pretty camp had been, he would remain. No
thought of leaving came to him. It would all be changed, of course; men
and machinery would spoil all the beauty of their wilderness. But as yet
no plan for his own future had occurred to him. That he himself had wealth
sufficient to secure him from all toil and that a world of pleasure was
within his reach, did not seem to touch him with any alluring sense. He
was going to remain until the vein of the Twin Springs had a big hole made
in it; and the rich soil of the old river he had staked out as a reserve
for himself and his partners, to either work or sell. Through his
one-sided conversations with Harris he learned that he, too, wanted to
remain in the camp where their gold had been found. Doctors, medicines,
luxuries, could be brought to him, but he would remain.
Mrs. Huzzard had at once been offered a sum that in her eyes was
munificent, for the express purpose of managing the establishment of the
partners--when it was built. Until then she was to draw her salary, and
act as either nurse or cook in the rude dwellings that for the present had
to satisfy all their dreams of luxury.
An exodus from Sinna Ferry was expected; many changes were to be made;
and Overton and the doctor went down to the canoe to give final directions
to their Indian messenger.
Lyster was there, too, with a most exhausting list of articles which Mr.
Haydon was to send up from Helena.
"Dan, some of these things I put down for 'Tana, as I happened to think of
them," he said, and unfolded a little roll made from the leaves of a
notebook stuck together at the ends with molasses. "You look it over and
see if it's all right. I left one sheet empty for anything you might want
to add."
Dan took it, eying dubiously the length of it and the great array of
articles mentioned.
"I don't think I had better add anything to it until heavier boats are
carrying freight on the Kootenai," he remarked, and then commenced reading
aloud some of the items:
Eiderdown pillows.
Rugs and hammocks.
A guitar.
Hot water bottle.
Some good whisky.
Toilet soap.