Hope Hathaway: A Story of Western Ranch Life Read online

  CHAPTER II

  Upon the slope of a great grass-covered hill, among other hills, largerand grass-covered also, stood a small log school-house. A hundred yardsaway, between this isolated building and the dingy road stretchedthrough the mountain valley, grew a scrubby clump of choke-cherry brush.Some boys crouched low upon the ground behind these bushes, screenedfrom sight of possible passers-by, and three pairs of eyes lookedthrough the budding branches, intently scanning the road at the crest ofhill to the left. Finally a dark speck appeared upon its gray surface.The youngest boy shivered, a tightening of expression came over theleader's face. He drew his shotgun closer to him, resting it upon hisknees. Suddenly he laughed unpleasantly and kicked the child who hadshivered.

  "You ninny, quit your shakin'! Can't you tell a steer from a man? You'llmake a nice feller when you grow up, 'fraid of your own shadow! You'dbetter git into the school-house an' hide under a bench, if you're goin'to be scared out of your skin. Baby! Umph, a _steer_, too! That blameblack one that won't stay with the bunch!" The big boy brought hisawkward length down upon the ground, continuing in a lower tone: "I'd adarn sight ruther be on my horse drivin' him back on the range thanwaitin' here for any fool school-teacher! But we've got this job onhand. No schoolin' for me--I'm too old. It'll do for babies that shiverat a steer, but I've got other business, an' so's Dan. I'm thinkin' ifthe old man wants school up here he'll have to teach it himself! Whatdoes he think we'd go to the trouble of running away from the Missionfor if we wanted to go to school? Umph, he must think we're plumblocoed!"

  "If father catches us in this he'll lick us to death," interposed theyoungest boy.

  "Not much, he won't. He'll have to ride a faster horse than mine orDan's if he catches us! We'll ride over to the Indian camp, an' you canstay here an' take the lickin'! He'll be glad enough to see us come backin a month or two, I'll bet! And he's goin' to find out right now thatit ain't no use to bring any doggoned teacher up here to teach thisoutfit. Ain't that so, Dan? We know enough of learnin'. I bet this newfellow won't stay long enough to catch his breath!"

  A boy, who in looks and size was the exact counterpart of the speaker,asked in a sweet, soft-toned voice: "What if the old man takes a notionto come along to the school-house with him--what'll we do then, Dave?"

  "Do! why, what do you suppose we'll do?" answered his twin, settlingdown closer to the ground. "Why, we'll hide these here guns an' walk upto the school-house like little sheep, and _then_ lay low and watch ourchance when the old man _ain't_ around. I ain't figurin' on any lickin'to-day, you can bet your boots on that, but I'll take a darn good onebefore any more schoolin'! We've got the medicine to fixschool-teachers for him this year, I reckon!" And patting his gun, thebreed boy gave a satisfied grunt and settled down nearer to the ground.

  "You bet we have," softly assented his twin. "But what if the fellowdon't scare at them blank cartridges?"

  "Then we'll try duck-shot on him," answered the first readily. "What'dyou think--we're a lot of babies? I reckon we've got fight in us! You'vegot to stick to us, Ned, even if you ain't as old as Dan and me. Ain'tthat so, Dan?"

  "Yes, unless he wants to get whaled half to death," sweetly answered thesoft-voiced twin.

  "I'm no coward," exclaimed the sturdy little fellow. "If you boys _dare_lick me I'll shoot the two of you!" His small black eyes flashedominously. For an instant he glared at the older boys, all the savageryin his young soul expressed in his countenance. The soft-voiced twingave a short laugh. Something like admiration shone in his eyes for theyoung lad, but he retorted sweetly: "You shivered! Don't you go an' doit again!" At that instant his sharp eyes sighted an object justappearing at the top of the hill. He punched the leader vigorously: "Nowdown on your knees, he's comin' sure this time!"

  "And he's alone," said the bold leader joyfully. "We won't have notrouble with him. He rides like a tenderfoot, all right. Wait till hegets down by that rock there, then let him have it, one after theother--first me, then Dan, then you, Ned. I'll bet my horse an' saddlethat he'll go back quicker'n he's comin'!"

  "What if that ain't the feller we want?" gently asked Dan.

  "We'll wait till he turns in here, an' then we'll know. They ain'tnobody else goin' to come along this way just now. Lord, don't he rideslow, though! Now I'll shoot first, don't forget."

  "His saddle blanket's flying on this side, and he's got a red shirt on,"said the other twin. "He's lookin' over this way. Yes, he's comin' hereall right. Let him have it, Dave, before he gits any closer!"

  As he spoke, the approaching rider left the main road and turned up thedimly marked trail toward the school-house. The forward twin waited aninstant, then, aiming his shotgun carelessly toward the stranger, fired.At the signal a volley rang out from behind the bushes. As quickly thehorse took fright, stopped stock still, then wheeled, and bolted withutmost speed directly toward the patch of brush, passing so near thatthe boys drew in their legs and crawled snake-like under the protectionof the branches.

  "Good Lord," gasped the leader, as the horse raced past, on up thegrassy slope of a hill, "it's a girl!"

  Two minutes later the bushes were quickly parted over three veryuncomfortable boys, and a red shirt-waisted girl looked sternly in atthem.

  "You boys come out of there this minute! Who did you take me for thatyou were trying to frighten me to death? Or is that the way you treatladies up here in the mountains? Come out immediately and explainyourselves!"

  The soft-voiced twin crept out first, and before scrambling to his feetbegan apologizing: "We didn't know it was _you_. We thought it was aman. Don't hurt us! We wouldn't a done it for nothin' if we'd thought itwas you. We were layin' for a school-teacher that father got to teachthis school, an' we took you for him." Then more hopefully as heregained his feet: "But our guns wasn't loaded with nothing but blankcartridges. We was just goin' to frighten him away so that we wouldn'thave no school this summer. It's too fine weather to be in school,anyway." He looked up into the girl's uncompromising face. "But now Ireckon our hides are cooked, for you'll tell your father." This lastquestioningly.

  "And you wouldn't like my father to know about this--or _your_ fathereither, I suppose?"

  "We'd do most anything if you wouldn't tell on us, Miss Hathaway!"

  "Do I look like a girl that would tell things?" she flashed back. "Iusually fight my own battles; if necessary, I can use _this_." A quickmovement and she placed before their faces a reliable lookingsix-shooter.

  "We know all about that! You ain't a-goin' to hurt us, are you?"exclaimed Dave.

  "You know all about _that_, do you? Well, that's good. Now tell me yournames."

  "We're the Harris kids," answered Dave quickly.

  "I know you're the Harris kids, but I want your first names. _Yours_,"she commanded, looking at the soft-voiced twin and absently fingeringthe weapon.

  "Mine's Dan. _He's_ Dave, an' that one's Ned," answered the boy in onesoft, quick breath; then added: "We know all about how you can shoot.You're a dead one!" His face took on a certain shrewd look and hecontinued divertingly: "I'll throw up my cap an' you shoot at it. I'dlike to have the hole in it."

  Miss Hathaway seemed suddenly amused.

  "You are a very bright boy! And your name is Dan--Daniel. You want asouvenir? Well, all right, but not just now. I've got other business. Icame to teach your school." She hesitated, looking keenly at theirastonished faces. "Yes, your father has engaged me--hired me, so I thinkwe'd better go inside and begin work, don't you? We'll overlook thisshooting affair. I don't know as I blame you very much for not wanting aman teacher, but of course the shooting was very wrong, and youshouldn't have tried to frighten anyone; but we'll forget all about it.But you are not going to have a man teacher, and I am different. I amgoing to live at your house, too, so of course we'll be goodfriends--ride together, hunt, and have great times, _after school_.During school we _work_, remember that! Now one of you boys please stakeout my horse for me and then we will go inside and start school. Youboys must help me g
et things to working."

  Before she had finished speaking the soft-voiced twin caught her horse,which was grazing near. Dave, more clumsily built, followed him, whilethe girl took the small boy by the hand and started toward theschool-house. At the door she turned in time to see the twins strugglingat her horse's head. They were about ready to come to blows.

  "I'll take care of that horse myself," said Dave gruffly, attempting toforce the other boy's hand from the bridle.

  "Don't fight, boys, or _I_ will take care of the horse," called the newschool-teacher severely; thereupon the soft-voiced twin released hishold and walked demurely up to the school-house.

  "Anyway," he explained as he went inside, "Dave's the youngest, and so Ilet him have the horse."

  "I never was so frightened in my life," thought the girl, as shearranged the small school for the day. "But the only way to manage theselittle devils is to bluff them."