30,000 On the Hoof. Zane GreyЧитать онлайн книгу.
afraid I do—powerful much,” he admitted. “But I’m sort of taken back to see you grown up into a lady, stylish and dignified.”
“Wouldn’t you expect that from a school teacher?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what to expect. But in a way, out here, your school teaching may come in handy.”
“We have to get acquainted and find out all about each other,” she said, naïvely.
“I should smile—and get married in the bargain, all in one day.”
“All today?”
“Lucinda, I’m in a hurry to go,” he replied, anxiously. “I’ve bought my outfit and we’ll leave town—soon as we get it over.”
“Well . . . of course we must be married at once. But to rush away. . . . It isn’t far—is it—your ranch? I hope near town.”
“Pretty far,” he rejoined. “Four days, maybe five with oxen and cattle.”
“Is it out there—in the—the . . . ? she asked, faintly, with a slight gesture toward the range.
“South sixty miles. Nice drive most of the way, after we leave town.”
“Forest—like that the train came through?”
“Most of the way. But there are lakes, sage flats, desert. Wonderful country.”
“Logan, of course you’re located—near a town?” she faltered.
“Flagg is the closest,” he answered, patiently, as if she were a child.
Lucinda bit her lips to hold back an exclamation of dismay. Her strong capable hands trembled slightly as she opened her pocketbook. “Here are my checks. I brought a trunk and a chest. My hand-baggage is there.”
“Trunk and chest! Golly, where’ll I put them? We’ll have a wagonload,” he exclaimed, and taking the checks he hailed an expressman outside the rail. He gave him instructions, pointing out the two bags on the platform, then returned to Lucinda.
“Dear! You’re quite pale,” he said anxiously. “Tired from the long ride?”
“I’m afraid so. But I’ll be—all right. . . . Take me somewhere.”
“That I will. To Babbitts’, where you can buy anything from a needle to a piano. You’ll be surprised to see a bigger store than there is in Kansas City.”
“I want to get some things I hadn’t time for.”
“Fine. After we buy the wedding-ring. The parson told me not to forget that.”
Lucinda kept pace with his stride up town. But on the moment she did not evince her former interest in cowboys and westerners in general, nor the huge barnlike store he dragged her into. She picked out a plain wedding-ring and left it on her finger as if she was afraid to remove it. Logan’s earnest face touched her. For his sake she fought the poignant and sickening sensations that seemed to daze her.
“Give me an hour here—then come after me,” she said.
“So long! Why, for goodness’ sake?”
“I have to buy a lot of woman’s things.”
“Lucinda, my money’s about gone,” he said, perturbed. “It just melted away. I put aside some to pay Holbert for cattle I bought at Mormon Lake.”
“I have plenty, Logan. I saved my salary,” she returned, smilingly. But she did not mention the five hundred dollars her uncle had given her for a wedding-present. Lucinda had a premonition she would need that money.
“Good! Lucinda, you always were a saving girl. . . . Come, let’s get married pronto. Then you come back here while I repack that wagon.” He slipped his arm under hers and hustled her along. How powerful he was and what great strides he took! Lucinda wanted to cry out for a little time to adjust herself to this astounding situation. But he hurried her out of the store and up the street, talking earnestly. “Here’s a list of the stuff I bought for our new home. Doesn’t that sound good? Aw, I’m just tickled. . . . Read it over. Maybe you’ll think of things I couldn’t. You see we’ll camp out while we’re throwing up our log cabin. We’ll live in my big canvas-covered wagon—a regular prairie-schooner, till we get the cabin up. We’ll have to hustle, too, to get that done before the snow flies. . . . It’s going to be fun—and heaps of work—this start of mine at ranching. Oh, but I’m glad you’re such a strapping girl! . . . Lucinda, I’m lucky. I mustn’t forget to tell you how happy you’ve made me. I’ll work for you. Some day I’ll be able to give you all your heart could desire.”
“So we spend our honeymoon in a prairie-schooner!” she exclaimed, with a weak laugh.
“Honeymoon?—So we do. I never thought of that. But many a pioneer girl has done so. . . . Lucinda, if I remember right you used to drive horses. Your Dad’s team?”
“Logan, I drove the buggy,” she rejoined, aghast at what she divined was coming.
“Same thing. You drove me home from church once. And I put my arm around you. Remember?”
“I must—since I am here.”
“You can watch me drive the oxen, and learn on the way to Mormon Lake. There I have to take to the saddle and rustle my cattle through. You’ll handle the wagon.”
“What!—Drive a yoke of oxen? Me!”
“Sure. Lucinda, you might as well start right in. You’ll be my partner. And I’ve a hunch no pioneer ever had a better one. We’ve got the wonderfullest range in Arizona. Wait till you see it! Some day we’ll run thirty thousand head of cattle there. . . . Ah, here’s the parson’s house. I darn near overrode! it. Come, Lucinda. If you don’t back out pronto it’ll be too late.”
“Logan—I’ll never—back out,” she whispered, huskily. She felt herself drawn into the presence of kindly people who made much over her, and before she could realize what was actually happening she was made the wife of Logan Huett. Then Logan, accompanied by the black-bearded blacksmith Hardy, dragged her away to see her prairie-schooner home. Lucinda recovered somewhat on the way. There would not have been any sense in rebelling even if she wanted to. Logan’s grave elation kept her from complete collapse. There was no denying his looks and actions of pride in his possession of her.
At sight of the canvas-covered wagon Lucinda shrieked with hysterical laughter, which Logan took for mirth. It looked like a collapsed circus-tent hooped over a long box on wheels. When she tiptoed to peep into the wagon a wave of strongly contrasted feeling flooded over her. The look, the smell of the jumbled wagonload brought Lucinda rudely and thrillingly to the other side of the question. That wagon reeked with an atmosphere of pioneer enterprise, of adventure, of struggle with the soil and the elements.
“How perfectly wonderful!” she cried, surrendering to that other self. “But Logan, after you pack my baggage in here—where will we sleep?”
“Doggone-it! We’ll sure be loaded, ’specially if you buy a lot more. But I’ll manage some way till we get into camp. Oh, I tell you, wife, nothing can stump me! . . . I’ll make room for you in there and I’ll sleep on the ground.”
“Haw! Haw!” roared the black-bearded giant. “Thet’s the pioneer spirit.”
“Logan, I daresay you’ll arrange it comfortably for me, at least,” said Lucinda, blushing. “I’ll run back to the store now. Will you pick me up there? You must give me plenty of time and be prepared to pack a lot more.”
“Better send it out here,” replied Logan, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
“Mrs. Huett, you’ll change your clothes before you go?” inquired the blacksmith’s comely wife. “That dress won’t do for campin’ oot on this desert. You’ll spoil it, an’ freeze in the bargain.”
“You