Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.) -- Fiction
It was so with Eleanor after her father passed from the Ranch House
that night. Afterwards, she knew that she had noticed the wistful look
on his face; but the memory of it did not come to the surface of
thought till she heard the click of Calamity's door in the basement and
recollected his words; "Keep Calamity by you." Also, at that very
moment, a great gray racing motor car swerved out across the white
bridge from the Senator's ranch buildings and went spinning down the
Valley road, the twin lanterns before and behind cutting the dark in
the double sword of a great search light that etched the sheathed pine
needles and twinkling cottonwoods in black against a background of
gold. Eleanor was perfectly certain she saw the same two hats in the
back seat that had met Wayland at the Cabin that afternoon.
"Calamity," she called down over the piazza railing.
The native woman came up the piazza stairs on a pattering run.
"Why has everybody gone down to Smelter City to-night? Is anything
wrong?"
The Cree woman's shawl had fallen back from her head. She stood
kneading her fingers in and out of her palms. There was a strange wild
look in the dark eyes and her breathing labored. "It ees Moyese," said
Calamity slowly. "He 'xamin d' mine t'-morrow."
"Why, Calamity, that is perfect nonsense! Moyese won't examine the
mine, at all! This young fellow from Washington is the one to examine
the mine?"
Calamity continued to knit her fingers in and out. "All 'same," she
said, "Messieu Waylan', he telephone Messieu MacDonal' come 'mine help
him t'-morrow!"
"Telephone my father? Why, how could he? I have been right here,
Calamity?"
"You go see Missy Villam, leetle gurl," explained Calamity. "Messieu
Waylan' he ride down hog back trail woods all night, 'lone! He ring
ting--ling--says he go 'samin mine."
Then, the child's babble, the looks of the two at the Cabin, her
father's wistful face, the quick departure of Matthews and himself,
followed almost immediately by Moyese's motor, confirmed Calamity's
incoherent account. Eleanor ran out to the telephone in the living
room, and rang for the Ranger's Cabin. There was no answer on the
local circuit, and Central at Smelter City could only say "They don't
answer! Try local!"
Yet why should she feel such alarm? Had he not gone down to the
Desert, and come back, and she had not known fear? Was the fear for
her father? Was it her father's wistful look? What could she do?
Would he wish her to do anything? This, too, was on the Firing Line,
but reason how she would, she could not subdue her fears, nor keep the
tremor from her hands as she ran back to the bed room dimly lighted by
the candle above the desk at the head of the bed.
"Calamity, you don't think there is any danger to Father?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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