Judith of the Godless Valley Part 70

Judith did not smile. "I fought and fought against it. But every year I saw you growing into a bigger, finer man than Lost Chief ever had known--a lonely sort of a man, not afraid to be laughed at even when it was about a matter of religion. I hated to see you making a fool of yourself, and yet I admired you for it. You grew so straight and self-controlled, and Doug, you are so wonderful to look at! Your father never dreamed of being as handsome as you. He's just a great animal. But no one can look into your eyes and not see how you've fought to make a man of yourself. I love you, Douglas!"

They clung to each other in the firelight, heedless of the unthinkable loneliness that hemmed them in, of the ardors of the day, of the terror of to-morrow.

"Judith! Judith! I cannot let you go!" breathed Douglas.

"I must go!" Judith freed herself suddenly. "Nothing shall persuade me to go back to the commonness of marriage in Lost Chief."

"Marriage is exactly what you make it," declared Douglas. "I believe we can keep it beautiful."

"I'm afraid!" repeated Judith. "It's hard to do or be anything fine in Lost Chief. You know that. See what they did to you! Douglas, what are you going to do about their burning up your ranch?"

Judith felt his muscles stiffen. "I'm going to fix Scott and Charleton, once and for all," he replied.

"Shall you rebuild the chapel?"

"Yes--" Douglas made the affirmation then stopped, abruptly. Rebuild the chapel? And Judith not there? Put up the big fight for old Fowler, and Judith never returning to Lost Chief? Where now was all the zest for the fight? Why the chapel, why the ranch, why the big dream for the children who were to grow up properly in the Valley?

"No!" he exclaimed suddenly. "I shan't rebuild the chapel!"

"Fowler was the wrong man," Judith said. "You must realize that now. I wonder what they did with the poor old chap. I don't want any harm to come to him even if he did make you a lot of trouble."

"It doesn't matter," muttered Doug. "It's all over for me if you are going away--" his voice broke and he s.h.i.+vered violently.

Judith looked into his face with quick anxiety. His lips were blue. "You go chop some wood!" she ordered. "And when you are warmed up, you creep into the blankets with Wolf Cub and sleep for four hours. I'll keep the fire up. You are so tired, Doug, that the cold will get you if you aren't careful."

Douglas rose stiffly, and wearily began an attack on another cedar. But he had not taken a dozen strokes when he began to sink slowly to the ground. Judith, ran to him and helped him back to the blankets. Then she covered him snugly, and in a moment he was asleep.

It was midnight when she wakened Douglas. She was blue and s.h.i.+vering.

"I'm a new man, Judith. Roll in quickly!" and he picked up the faithful ax.

It was long and biting cold till dawn. Douglas was too weary, too much menaced by the cold, to think coherently; for now, conscious of the depletion of his strength, even his new-found happiness could not blur the fact that he and Judith were playing with death on Black Devil Peak.

He kept the fire going and fought the desire to sleep until, far below and to the east, the Indian Range turned black against a crimson sky.

Then he awakened Judith. They made a hasty breakfast, then started the stiff and weary horses through the drifts toward Mormon Valley.

But Tom horse, facing homeward, needed none of the rowelling that he had demanded on the way up. The cold and wind were difficult to bear, for the two young people were inexpressibly weary of brain as well as body.

By noon they made the valley. It was a slow-moving little outfit that finally limped past Nelson's corral and was greeted by a shout from the cabin door.

Elijah, his wife, and children, rushed out to meet them and led them into the big bed-living-room off the kitchen.

"Well," said Mrs. Nelson, "I knew she'd have to come back with you!"

CHAPTER XIX

HOME

Douglas was half blinded by snow-glare and wind, so it was several minutes before he observed an old man sitting eagerly erect on one of the beds. Doug started to his feet.

"Where'd you come from, Mr. Fowler!"

"From Lost Chief Peak. Get warm and rested, Doug, before you try to talk."

"I was starting out after you when I found that Judith--" began Doug.

"And then--"

"Judith," interrupted Mr. Fowler, "needed you more than I did."

"Did they hurt you?" insisted Douglas.

"No. Don't try to talk till you are rested, my boy."

"That won't take long!" croaked Douglas.

But, as a matter of fact, it was morning before he heard the preacher's story or told his own. He was warmed and fed enormously and rolled into a feather bed. And he knew nothing more until the smell of coffee and the sound of women's voices roused him.

The living-room was flooded with sunlight. The preacher was thrusting wood into the red-hot stove.

"Where's Judith?" asked Douglas.

"Helping Mrs. Nelson get breakfast. How are you?"

"Fine! Do you suppose I can shave before breakfast?"

The preacher nodded toward a washstand in the corner and Douglas began to make his toilet. Mr. Fowler made no attempt to talk during this process but stood before the fire, watching the young man with somber, wistful eyes.

It was an exceedingly well-groomed young rider who appeared at Elijah's long breakfast table a half-hour later. Judith, snow-burned, but otherwise a very fit young person, gave him an appreciative look and smile, and left him to the others while she went on with her breakfast.

They sat long at the table. The children were sent off to school. The adventure up and down Black Devil Peak was thoroughly discussed. Then Douglas turned to the preacher.

"And what did they do to you, Mr. Fowler?"

The old man smiled grimly. "That won't take long to tell. Old Johnny and I went to sleep soon after you left, and the first thing I knew I was being gagged and blindfolded by a couple of fellows in masks. They carried me out to the corral and fastened me onto a horse. I didn't put up a fight, Doug. I'm too old. One of the men then led my horse off at a gallop. What became of the other man and Johnny, I can only surmise from what Mr. Nelson has told me."

"Who were the men?" demanded Douglas.

"I don't know. Of course, I suspect Charleton Falkner and Scott Parsons.

I suppose it was Scott Parsons, though I couldn't prove it. I suppose he took me along the trail Nelson has kept open past the old Government corral to get to Scott's trail when he goes for his mail. Anyhow, he locked me into that old cabin, up in the Government corral. There was fuel and matches, so he didn't want me to freeze to death. I think he intended to come back the next day and take me somewhere else before I freed myself or some one found me. But his plan must have miscarried for he didn't come back. It was so very cold and I was so lightly clad that at first I didn't dare to start out even after I'd broken the door open. But two days of hunger made me desperate. The trail was fairly well snowed in but I headed for what I thought would be Nelson's ranch.

But in an hour or so I was all in. If Elijah hadn't found me, I'd have died of the cold up there on the mountainside."

"I was riding over to Lost Trail for news," explained Elijah.

"You were riding for G.o.d, I'd say," cried Mr. Fowler. "And if I'd been a Mormon bishop I couldn't have been made more welcome than I have been here."

"A preacher's a preacher," said Elijah. "Well, Douglas, what's next on your program?"

Douglas looked at Judith. "I've promised to take Judith up to Mountain City. She's going to get a job up there, and I am too!"