Zane Grey Wilderness

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"Hush! Don't say that--don't ever think of that again!" he said, sternly.
"That is absolutely the only obstacle between you. The jealous fool in his bad
hours thinks you regret...I won't say it, Beryl Dann. And for Red's sake and
yours and ours, Les's and mine, forget. Forget! Because Red Krehl worships
you. Don't grieve another single hour. Don't believe in his indifference.
Break down his armor. Oh, child, a woman can, you know. Why--why Beryl..."
She slid off the rock into his arms, blind, weeping, torn asunder, her slender
hands clutching him. "No--more," she sobbed. "You break--my heart--with joy.
I--I had--despaired. Twice I have--nearly died. I knew--the next time...But
this--this will save me."
Day after day the purple range loomed closer. The scouts saw at last that the
stream they had followed for so long was presently going to join a river. That
green and gold line disappeared round the northern end of the range. And the
next day the leader of the drovers, for once actuated by haste, made for the
junction. Blue smoke rose about the big trees. It must come from aboriginals,
but it was not hostile.
"Boss, I ben tinkit no black fella," said Friday to Sterl. Sterl rode ahead to
tell Dann.
"Aye, my boy, I guessed that," he cried. "We have fought the good fight. With
His guidance! Look around you, Sterl--richest, finest land I ever saw! Ha! A
road--a ford!" and Dann pointed. He had indeed come to a road that sloped down
under the giant trees to the shallow stream. His followers all saw, but none
could believe his eyes.
Three white men came out into the open, halting to stare. They pointed. They
gesticulated. They saw Dann's wagons, the women on the drivers' seats, the
mounted drovers, the big band of horses, the great mob and ran to meet the
trekkers. Dann halted his four horses, and Slyter stopped beside him. The
mounted drovers lined up, a lean ragged crew, with Leslie conspicuous among
them, unmistakably a girl, bronzed and beautiful.
"Good day, cobbers!" called Dann.
"Who may you be?" replied one of the three, a stalwart man with clean-shaven,
rugged face and keen, intelligent eyes.
"Are those mountains the Kimberleys?" asked Dann, intensely.
"Yes. The eastern Kimberleys. Drover, you can't be Stanley Dann?"
"It really seems I can't be. But I am!" declared Dann.
"Great Scott! Dann was lost two years and more ago, according to reports at
Darwin. It has taken you two years and five months to get here!"
"But death visited and dogged our trek, alas!" said Dann. "We trekked almost
to the Gulf and then across the Never-never Land. And we lost several drovers,
five thousand head of cattle, and a hundred horses on the way."
"My word! What great news for western Australia! I see you have a mob of
cattle left. I'm glad to be the first to tell you good news."
"Good news?" boomed Dann, in echo.
"Well, rather. Dann, cattle are worth unheard-of prices. Horses the same.
Reason is that gold has been discovered in the Kimberleys!"
"GOLD!"
"Yes, gold! There's been a rush-in for months. Mines south of here. Trekkers
coming in from Perth and Fremantle. Settlers by ship to Darwin and Wyndham. I
have been freighting supplies in to the gold fields. My name is Horton."
"Do you hear, all?" boomed Dann. "The beginning of the empire I envisioned."
"We all hear, Stanley, and our hearts are full," replied Slyter.
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"What river is this?" queried Dann, shaking off his bedazzlement, to point to
the shining water through the trees.
"That is the Ord. You have come down the Elivre," replied Horton. "Dennison
Plains are in sight to the south. The finest country, the finest grazing for
stock in the world!"
"Aye, friend. It looks so. But this road? Where does it lead and how far?"
"Follows the Ord to the seaport. Wyndham, a good few miles less than two
hundred. You are in the nick of time, Dann. The government will sell this land
to you so cheap it is unbelievable!"
"Ha! This land?" called Dann, his voice rolling, "Dann's Station! This will be
our range!"
"Stanley, we must send at once for supplies," said Slyter, rousing.
"Horton, do we look like starving trekkers?"
"Indeed you do. I never saw such a peak-faced, ragamuffin lot of drovers. Or
ladies so charming despite all!"
"They have lived for days now wholly on meat."
"Forgive me, Dann, for not thinking of that! Sam, run and boil the billy.
Dann, I can let you have tea, fruit, sugar, tinned milk..."
"Enough, man! Do not overwhelm us! Slyter, what shall we do next--that is,
after that cup of tea?"
"Stanley, we should thank heaven, pitch camp, and plan to send both wagons to
Wyndham for supplies."
"Wal, air you gonna ask us to get down an' come in?" drawled Red. "I reckon I
can stand tea."
"American!" called out Horton, with twinkling eyes.
"Savvied again. The name is Krehl. An' heah's my pard, Hazelton."
After supper, Beryl and Leslie went into conference over the innumerable
things they wanted bought. Sterl and Red sat beside a box and racked their
brains to think of necessities to purchase from town.
"Strange, Red, just think!" ejaculated Sterl. "We don't really need anything.
We have lost the sense of need."
"Yeah! How about toothbrushes, powder, soap, towels, iodine, glycerine, combs,
shears to cut hair--an' socks?"
"On account of the girls we must get over all these savage habits, I
suppose...Have you made up your mind about Beryl?" Sterl asked, averting his
eyes.
"Pard, she cares more about me than I deserve--than I ever had a girl care for
me before. An' lately, I don't know how long long. She's been different. All
that misery gone! She's forgot Ormiston an' every damn bit of
thet--thet...An's she's been happy. Jest the sweetest, softest, lovingest,
most unselfish creature under the sun! An' I'd be loco if I didn't see it's
because of me--that she takes it for granted..."
"I should think you'd be the happiest man in the world," declared Sterl,
feelingly. "I am."
"I reckon I'd be too, if I'd jest give up."
"Red! Then right this minute--do it!"
"Holy Mackeli! Don't knock me down. All right, old pard, I knuckle. I show
yellow! But there's a queer twist in my mind. She always got the best of me.
If I could jest think up one more way to get the best of her before, or mebbe
better when I tell her how I want her--then I'd match you for who's the
luckiest an' happiest man." He changed the subject abruptly. "Have you looked
over this range? Grandest I ever seen! Wal, think! I've got more money in my
kick than I ever earned in my life. An' you had a small fortune when I see
yore belt last."
"I have it all, packed in my bag."
"Good! Wal, bright prospect, huh?"
By the eighth day, on which Benson and Roland were expected to return with the
wagons and supplies, Sterl and Red had progressed well with their cabin
building. The site was the Ord River side of the wooded point, high up on a
grassy, flower-spangled bank, shaded by great trees from the morning sun, and
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facing the Kimberleys.
The cabin was to have thatched roof and walls, for which Friday scouted out a
wide-leaved palm, perhaps a species of pandanus. Slyter designed the
framework, which consisted of long round poles carefully fitted. Larry, who
was a good carpenter, often lent a helping hand. The girls, enthusiastic over
its beauty, visited the site several times a day. Red, who was now unusually
mild and sweet, made one characteristic remark.
"Say, anybody would think you girls expected to live over heah with us
fellers!"
That sally precipitated blushes, a rout, and from a little distance, very
audible giggles.
"Red, that was a dig," remonstrated Sterl. "You are a mean cuss. If you would
only take a tumble to yourself the girls could come over here to live." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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