“She’s sick herself, this last day or so, Alfy. We mustn’t count on her nor on Dr. Jones. But there’s Mr. Robson, Captain Lem, Anita, Wun Sing—and lots of ranchmen left. Oh! we’ll be all right!” said Dorothy. “But the Captain has walked off with ‘Netty’—forgotten all about her, I guess.”
“Well, I must go to poor Milly. She never can keep her head when anything happens suddenly, like this. She has complained, incessantly, that she could hardly breathe up here and I’m glad she has the chance to go now. But I can fancy my dear mother’s face, when Milly walks into the Towers without me!” said Helena, hurrying away.
A half-hour of activity followed, the girls taking Lady Gray’s simple packing out of her hands, although that much-travelled prima donna was never disturbed by sudden changes from place to place. Indeed, she was happy over this coming trip, under her husband’s escort, and to meet her dearly loved Aunt Rachel.
Jedediah had his master’s suit-case ready in even shorter time and it was only Miss Milliken who delayed matters by her fussiness.
However, the buckboard came around, Silent Pete holding the reins over the four-in-hand, and Captain Lem rather jealously regarding him; until his eye fell upon his “awkward squad” and he remembered the greater responsibility placed upon himself. Then he was reconciled to see another man drive his horses, reflecting:
“Well, I needn’t grumble, I’m the one Boss trusted most. Seven youngsters in hand and one in the bush—land knows where!—is a bigger job ’n just drivin’ a four-footed team. I ain’t no call to feel lonesome but just to feel sot up. Funny, ain’t it, Lem! You a regular, dyed-in-the-wool old bach to find yourself suddenly playin’ daddy to seven strappin’ boys an’ gals! Seven an’ there’d ought to be eight. Ought to be—must be—that’s what it spells to Captain Lemuel Hunt. For if—if—as I reasonably suspicion—that there Jim Barlow, poor writer, has fell into the hands of a passel of Injuns, his cake’s dough, lessen I can rake it out their oven into mine.”
The departure of the buckboard, with solemn Silent Pete in charge, had a depressing effect upon the group left watching it. Everything would go on just as usual, of course. Why should there be any difference? But—how lonesome it was! How they would miss Lady Gray’s sweet voice and presence, and the “Boss’s” jokes and laughter!
The thought was too much for tender-hearted Alfy, and after a spluttering, and sniffling to stem her own grief, she burst into an audible boo-hoo, that promptly started Molly’s tears, though she shed them silently. All, indeed, were very sober and Leslie’s face was pale. He hadn’t realized till now how necessary his mother had become to his happiness, and he felt sorely inclined to follow the example of the weeping girls though rather indignant against them. It wasn’t their Lady Gray who had left, nor their beloved Dad. He exclaimed, testily:
“Girls, quit that! I’m your host now and I say—no crying! What I propose is—do something. Let’s ride to Bald Eagle Peak—or Rock. You’ll need clear eyes to follow that trail, but there’ll be just time enough to do it before bedtime. Hurray for ‘Boots and Saddles!’”
Captain Lem answered quickly: