The Mistress of Bonaventure

I swept the glasses around the circumference of the prairie, and my voice was thick with disappointment as I answered: "No."

"Then you and I will have all we can do; and I wish to the Lord Sally were anywhere else," said Steel.

The diminutive figures rapidly resolved themselves into mounted men, with a wagon behind them, but still all the rest of the prairie was empty, and each time Steel asked the question: "Can't you see them yet?" I grew more doggedly savage as I answered: "No."

At last, when the money-lender's party were close at hand, I called out that three horsemen were just visible in the north. "That's Gordon; Jacques and the rest can't be here for a long while. It's time to come down," said Steel.

I came down, guessing that Lane, being on a lower level, could not see our allies, and waited with Steel, apparently unarmed, though we had weapons handy, in the space between the house and the stable. Sally had disappeared inside the dwelling, and I trusted that she would remain there. Presently, amid a rattle of gear and a confused trampling, a band of men rode up to the homestead and ranged themselves in rude order on each side of a wagon, some of them yelling in imitation of the American cowboy as they wheeled. They were unkempt, dirty, and dissolute in appearance, and I was not altogether surprised to see that most of them were English or Americans. One finds very little errant rascality on the Canadian prairie, perhaps because our money is very hardly earned, and there are few people worth exploiting there; but odd specimens exported from the great Republic and from the Old Country by disgusted friends gravitate towards the smaller Western cities when they find life in the waste too hard, and Lane had evidently collected some of the worst of them. He sat in the wagon, smoking, and actually smiled at me.

"Kind of surprise party, isn't it, Ormesby?" he said. "I've come round to collect what I can in accordance with the notice served on you. Here's a wallet full of papers, and this gentleman represents legal authority. He had a partner, but we lost him. Now, I've no personal feeling against you, and won't give you any trouble if it can be avoided."

Strange to say, I believed he spoke no more than the truth, and regarded us dispassionately as merely a source from which a little profit might be wrung. Neither Steel nor I, however, could look at the matter with equal calmness. We were standing for our rights, and ready to strike for shelter and daily bread, while the memory of former wrongs and a fierce revolt against the rich man's oppression fired our blood. Nevertheless, I remembered that it was necessary to gain time, and answered as coolly as I could:

"In the first place, the stock and horses belong to my neighbors, and in the second, you will be overstepping limits if you violently break into any part of my homestead. Neither does the law allow any private individual to gather a band of ruffians and forcibly seize his debtor's property."

Lane probed his cigar with slow deliberateness. "You are growing quite smart, Ormesby; but isn't it a pity you didn't display your acumen earlier? I don't know that a stable can be considered a dwelling under the homestead regulations, and there's nothing to prevent any man from hiring assistance to drive home sequestrated cattle. It is this gentleman's business to seize them, not mine. Neither is it clear how far a proved agreement to feed another person's stock frees them of a lien for debt. Have you got any in writing?"

It was evident that, in homely parlance, my adversary held the best end of the stick. The administration of justice is necessarily somewhat rough-and-ready in the West, and I saw that the representative of legal authority was at least two-thirds drunk. I also had little doubt that Lane's mercenaries would act independently of him; while if they exceeded legal limits there would be only our testimony to prove it against a dozen witnesses. Possession was evidently everything.

Lane had possibly guessed my thoughts, for he said: "Don't be mad enough to start a circus, Ormesby. We have come a long way for the beasts, and mean to get them. Can't you see that we could beat you if it came to testimony? And I don't mind admitting that these rascals are not particular."

His tranquillity enraged me, but I managed to answer him: "If you drive a hoof off you will have to defend your action against richer men than I."

"Well, I'll take my chances. It would cost them piles of money, and they would gain nothing then," he said. "Say, officer, hadn't you better begin?"

"Gotsh any papersh to prove objection?" demanded that individual, turning to me. And I took no pains to hide my disgust as I answered: "If I had I should not trouble to show them to you."

Steel, however, broke in: "We have. I'll show you a receipt for so many beasts to be fattened for Roland Adams."

"Whersh you keep them?" demanded the other.

"Where you won't find them; 'way back on the prairie," Steel answered triumphantly.

It was a blunder, for the other, who had a little shrewdness left, straightened himself. "Then all the beastsh heah belong to someone else," he said, with a tipsy leer, and waved his hand to the rest. "No papersh worth a shent. Whasher foolin' for? We'll just walk into the stable."

Several men sprang from their saddles, but Steel reached the door ahead of them, and stood with his back against it, swinging a great birch staff. "Nobody comes in here," he said.

I was at his side the next moment with a keen hay-fork, and the men halted in a semi-circle at the sight of our grim faces.

"These points will reach anybody within six feet," I said.

"Better quit fooling while your hide's whole. There's 'most a dozen of us," said one, while another criticised my personal appearance in uncomplimentary terms. One or two in the background advised their comrades as to how we might best be maimed, but stood fast themselves, for Steel was big and brawny, and looked coolly murderous as he balanced the heavy staff; while whoever looked at me did so over the twin points of steel. The interlude lasted at least a minute, and I listened with strained attention for the thud of hoofs. Gordon could not be far off, but he remained invisible behind a low rise, even if the buildings had not obscured our view. Then a newcomer shoved his way through the rest, and I saw that he was the genuine article as he stood before me in Montana cattle-rider's dress.

"It's a mighty poor show you're making, boys," he said contemptuously. "Stand out of my way. You can pick up the pieces when I've done with them."

He danced up and down a few paces and yelled, either to bewilder or to impress us, and I was conscious of a grim amusement, while Steel watched him narrowly. Then, for the man had spirit enough, he leaped at Steel like a panther, with something in his hand that twinkled. He was, however, a second too late, for the birch staff met him in the center of his face, and, falling like a log, he lay where he fell. Steel deliberately snapped the knife beneath his heel, and Lane shouted something as my comrade said: "The next man I down at that trick will get his skull smashed in."

There was a wrathful cry from the others, which convinced me that if we took our eyes off them for an instant the rush would come; but they hesitated, and Steel, standing poised with one foot forward and baleful eyes, made the staff whistle round his head. "You're a mighty long time beginning. Who's next – or maybe you only brought one man along?" he said.

"Where's that blamed officer? I guess this is his job," said one; but the worthy mentioned drew further back from the edge of the group.

"Deputsh you my authority. Thish not a house. Only beastsh live in stables," he explained.

"Better get it over. Sail in!" said one of the biggest, and there was a shout of "Look out!" from Steel.

Four or five men made a rush upon us, and, not wishing to inflict lethal injuries unless my life were threatened, I had barely time to reverse the fork before they were within striking distance. Another reeled backwards headlong beneath the staff, and, knowing that a thrust is more effective and harder to evade than a blow, I used the long-hafted fork, blunt-end foremost, as a pike with considerable success. The struggle continued for perhaps a minute, and was sharp while it lasted. Several times a panting man got within my guard, and Steel brought him down; but I was struck heavily, and had only a blurred vision of waving arms, scowling faces, and the whirling staff, while the air seemed filled with discordant shouts of encouragement from those outside. Either by sheer force of desperation, or by the power of better weapons, we wore them out, and the group broke up. One or two limped badly as they straggled back, some swore, and there was blood on the faces and garments of the rest.

"One fellow got me badly on the chest," said Steel, who breathed heavily, and I was conscious of several painful spots; and when I had recovered breath I saw that Lane had drawn his wagon back some distance, and was apparently upbraiding his bodyguard in no measured terms.

"Jump clear!" cried Steel presently, and I sprang aside a moment too late, for an exultant shout went up when a heavy billet struck me on the head. I felt the blood trickle warm and sticky into one eye, and I fell against the door feeling faint and sick, then stiffened myself again, with the fork held points foremost this time. Lane, it seemed, had lost control of his followers, and would doubtless rely on hard swearing to protect himself from unfortunate consequences, for I now suspected there would be bloodshed unless help arrived very shortly.

"They're going for the house, and Sally's inside there," cried Steel; and for the first time I remembered that the dwelling was unprotected, and feared that the girl had not slipped away, as she might have done by a rear window.

One of Lane's men reached the threshold before we did, and three or four others followed hard upon his heels. The door was wide open, and I sincerely trusted that Sally had made her escape. She had not, however, for the handle of a long brush swung out, and the first ruffian who rushed at the entrance staggered backwards against the comrade behind him. Steel flung him headlong the next moment; the rest yielded passage before the tines of the fork, and we sprang into the house, while our enemy's reinforcements came up at a run. So far we had succeeded better than might have been expected, but our adversaries were growing furious, and the defense of our property no longer appeared the main question. The girl had dropped the brush and grasped a red-ended iron bar.

"Give it to me, and reach down that rifle, Sally," I gasped, and while Steel dragged up furniture for a barricade, the rest, not knowing its magazine was empty, recoiled before the Winchester muzzle.

"I'll be through in another minute. Keep them out," Steel said.

A brief respite followed, for the iron was glowing still, and our enemies' supply of missiles was evidently exhausted; but as we waited, wondering what would happen next, I heard a beat of hoofs, and Sally cried out triumphantly as three well-mounted men swept up at a gallop.

"Ride over them!" shouted somebody. Warning cries went up, there was a scattering of Lane's ruffians, and the leading horseman pulled up his beast just outside the door. He was dripping with perspiration, bespattered all over, and his horse was white with lather.

"Couldn't get through earlier. Jacques' boys are away, but we sent a man to look for them, and he'll bring them along," he said.

We were very glad to see Rancher Gordon and his sturdy followers, though it was bad news he brought. Further reinforcements could hardly arrive in time to be of service, and where we had expected more than a dozen we must be content with three. Meanwhile, Lane's men had mounted and were trotting off across the prairie.

"They have probably gone in search of the loose stock. Come in. We have got to talk over our next step," I said.

The newcomers did so, and we were all glad of a breathing space. My head was somewhat badly cut, several purple bruises adorned my comrade's countenance, and the rest had ridden a long way in furious haste. At first the conference was conducted in half-breathless gasps, then the voices deepened into a sonorous ring, and I can recall the intent bronzed faces turned towards me, the thoughtful pauses when each speaker had aired his views, and how the slanting sunlight beat into the partly shadowed room. Last of all Rancher Gordon spoke: "We are waiting to hear your notions, Ormesby."

"The stable and corral must be held at any cost," I said, smearing my hands as I tried to clear my eye, while red drops splashed from them on to the table. "While that ought to be possible, we are hardly strong enough to force a fight in the open unless it is necessary. Lane's rascals may not find the stock, and may only be trying to draw us off, so my decision is to remain here. If they are successful we can see them from the roof, and must run the risk of taking their plunder from them. Should we fail we could follow them when our friends turn up."

"That's about my notion. We'll see you through with it," said Gordon quietly.

We had waited a considerable time before Steel hailed us from the roof that he could see our enemies riding south behind a bunch of cattle, and we mounted forthwith. There were now three rifles among us, but we had agreed these were not to be used unless somebody fired upon us. Riders and cattle dipped into a hollow, and we had covered several miles before we sighted them again. Lane and the representative of authority no longer accompanied them. The whole body wheeled around and halted when we came up. There was sweet grass in the hollow, so the cattle halted too, and for a space we sat silent, looking at one another. I dare not risk a blunder in face of such odds, though I determined to make an effort to recover the stock.

"You make us tired," said the American, whose face was partly covered by a dirty rag. "Go to perdition, before we make you!"

He waved his arm around the horizon, as though to indicate where the place in question lay, and I edged my horse a little nearer to him. He was the leading spirit, and it seemed possible that we might perhaps disperse the rest if I could dismount him. The man had evidently recovered from Steel's blow.

"We are not going away without the cattle, and you can see there are more of us now, while two proved too many for you before," I said, still decreasing the distance between us; but my adversary perhaps divined my intention, for a short barrel glinted in his hand when he raised it.

"It's going to be different this time. Keep back while you're safe," he said.

There was apparently no help for it, and I was not quite certain he would shoot, so balancing the long fork, lance fashion, I tightened my grip on the bridle, when Gordon drove his horse against me and gripped it violently. "Hold on; the boys are coming!" he said.

Friends and foes alike had been too intent to notice anything beyond each other during the past few minutes; but now a drumming of hoofs rose from behind the rise which shut in the hollow. Then a drawn-out line of mounted men came flying down the slope, and Steel flung his hat up with a triumphant yell. "It's the Bonaventure boys," he said. "There's Adams and Miss Haldane leading them."