became his conviction that he had allowed these things to go on not because he was dishonest in the least; but that he had been brought in deadly fear of the woman who had become his wife.
Adrian was more bent than ever on changing all these things. He hoped that there would appear a way whereby he might buy the woman off; but if she refused to treat with him on these terms, then Uncle Fred too would also have to shake the dust of Bar-S Ranch off his boots, because the last bunch of cattle had been rustled from that place, Adrian felt sure.
“Later we’ll talk these matters all over, Uncle,” he went on to say; “and I’m hoping to see a way where everything can be arranged to bring back the old times again. Take courage, and perhaps everything will be well.”
The little man who had been such an aggressive character in his day, heaved a tremendous sigh.
“Oh! happy days they were; and do you know, Adrian, sometimes it seems to me a million years must have dragged by since then, I have suffered such torments, such shame. I was the greatest fool that ever walked on two legs. But she caught me by a smart trick, and almost before I knew it I was promising to love and cherish her for life, before a preacher. But oh! what a time I’ve had! It would have been bad enough with her vixenish temper; but when I learned that she was a sister to that
rustler, Hatch Walker, it nearly finished me. Things have gone from bad to worse. She’s nearly killed me several times; and as I was just telling you, when I learned that a third bunch of cattle had disappeared last night; and she refused to let me go out in search of them with some of the boys, saying it was useless, I just made up my mind it was going to be three times and out for me. Then you came, and now the sky begins to lighten. Perhaps things will take a change. Perhaps even I may feel more like my old self again, and find it in me to defy her. Thank you over and over, my boy, for what you have said. Oh! I only hope you don’t fall under her influence the same way I did.”
“Don’t fear for me, Uncle Fred,” said the boy, in the same low tone the other had been using; “but we’ll soon see how things are going to turn out, for there she comes this way right now!”
“Oh! is that so?” said the manager of the ranch, with a sudden vibration in his voice; then, realizing that he had just been saying how brave he felt again, he seemed to pull himself together, drew his small but soldierly figure up straight in a sort of Napoleon-like attitude, Adrian thought, and with a white yet determined face awaited the breaking of the storm.
There were others among the cow-punchers who shrank back, rather appalled by the angry look on the strong features of the large woman who advanced
straight toward the spot where her husband and the three boys stood. Donald found his attention attracted toward the corner of the near-by bunk house, and around which the man they had picked up on the trail was staring. And Donald must have concluded that Mr. Thomas was pretty much of a craven, despite all those stories he had told in connection with his past adventures “further south;” for there was certainly a look of extreme fear written large upon his wrinkled face right then and there, as though he might have known himself what it was to be domineered over by a husky female, and the sight of Mrs. Fred’s flushed face and sparkling eyes brought up very unpleasant memories in the old chap’s mind.