The Return of the Rancher by Max Brand

Author:Max Brand [Brand, Max]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Western
Publisher: Roy Glashan's Library
Published: 2017-05-12T22:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER XXIII

THE delight of Molly Ash knew no bounds. She grew more familiar, with the voice of Seton constantly warning her. But she insisted on patting the shining neck of the gelding, and slapping his shoulder, and speaking little foolish phrases. And Blood and Bones most manifestly liked it! That was the amazing part of the affair.

“I want to ride him, some day, if you’ll let me, Jimmy!” she declared.

“You let me hold the reins while you’re on,” said Seton, “and you can ride him.”

“No, all by myself,” she insisted.

“Oh, she’ll do it,” said Henry Ash. “There’s a wild, stubborn streak in my girl. When it comes up to the surface, she’s pretty well bound to have her own way. Oh, she’ll ride Blood and Bones, one of these days.”

Douglas Walters laughed loudly, but Seton did not laugh at all. Instead, he looked earnestly, quietly, into the girl’s face. He was seeing in it something that he had not guessed at before—and this was the strength of which her father spoke. Yes, she was not all softness and half childish gentleness. There was a woman’s strength in her, besides; and perhaps, if the strain came, a strength like a man’s as well.

Then he rode off with Doug Walters toward the corral.

“Well, you made your grandstand,” said Walters, sourly.

“What’s the matter, Doug,” said Seton. “Are you afraid that I’ll get too friendly with the Ash family?”

“I saw your line,” said Walters, more bitterly still. “You wanted to make me out the big overbearing brute and horse torturer. That was it.”

“You talk like a baby,” said Seton. “You played that hand yourself and invited me to sit in on the cut.”

Walters made no reply. His jaw was set like a rock.

“Another thing, Doug,” said Seton.

“Go on, then.”

“I’ve just heard that Hooker’s changed his mind.”

“Changed his mind? About what? He never changes his mind.”

“You’re wrong. He’s changed his mind.”

“You mean about the ranch, here?”

“Yes.”

“The short loans?”

“Yes, that’s what I mean.”

“You’re a fool!” said Walters. “Whoever told you that was making a fool of you. Why, Hooker’s getting ready to take over the whole caboodle.”

Seton shook his head.

“He won’t.”

“Who told you that?”

“He did.”

Walters gasped. He literally was agape.

“You mean that you went in and saw him?”

“Yes.”

“By the Lord!” breathed Walters.

His amazement still mastered him.

“Who the devil are you, Seton?” he asked.

“I’m Jim Seton.”

“You’re the devil, you mean, if you could dent Hooker. You mean that you’re the devil himself.”

“No, Doug. I’m simply an honest man, or reasonably so, I hope.”

“Damn the Sunday school rot!” said Walters. “Talk sense to me. You mean that Hooker actually is giving more time?”

“Yes. I mean that.”

“He told you so his own self?”

“That’s what I mean.”

“The sky’s gonna drop on me in another minute,” gasped Walters. “You’ll be telling me that he wants to give us some more loans, in a little while.”

“That’s what I mean to say, too.”

“Hey?”

“Yes, that’s what I mean to say.”

“Now, Jimmy, it’s a fool line of talk that you’re throwing my way. We couldn’t get another bean out of him if we fell on our knees in a row.

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