第27章

And yet, for all the dignity of this rigourous simplicity, there were about Hilma small contradictory suggestions of feminine daintiness, charming beyond words.Even Annixter could not help noticing that her feet were narrow and slender, and that the little steel buckles of her low shoes were polished bright, and that her fingertips and nails were of a fine rosy pink.

He found himself wondering how it was that a girl in Hilma's position should be able to keep herself so pretty, so trim, so clean and feminine, but he reflected that her work was chiefly in the dairy, and even there of the lightest order.She was on the ranch more for the sake of being with her parents than from any necessity of employment.Vaguely he seemed to understand that, in that great new land of the West, in the open-air, healthy life of the ranches, where the conditions of earning a livelihood were of the easiest, refinement among the younger women was easily to be found--not the refinement of education, nor culture, but the natural, intuitive refinement of the woman, not as yet defiled and crushed out by the sordid, strenuous life-struggle of over-populated districts.It was the original, intended and natural delicacy of an elemental existence, close to nature, close to life, close to the great, kindly earth.

As Hilma laid the table-spread, her arms opened to their widest reach, the white cloth setting a little glisten of reflected light underneath the chin, Annixter stirred in his place uneasily.

"Oh, it's you, is it, Miss Hilma?" he remarked, for the sake of saying something."Good-morning.How do you do?""Good-morning, sir," she answered, looking up, resting for a moment on her outspread palms."I hope you are better."Her voice was low in pitch and of a velvety huskiness, seeming to come more from her chest than from her throat.

"Well, I'm some better," growled Annixter.Then suddenly he demanded, "Where's that dog?"A decrepit Irish setter sometimes made his appearance in and about the ranch house, sleeping under the bed and eating when anyone about the place thought to give him a plate of bread.

Annixter had no particular interest in the dog.For weeks at a time he ignored its existence.It was not his dog.But to-day it seemed as if he could not let the subject rest.For no reason that he could explain even to himself, he recurred to it continually.He questioned Hilma minutely all about the dog.

Who owned him? How old did she think he was? Did she imagine the dog was sick? Where had he got to? Maybe he had crawled off to die somewhere.He recurred to the subject all through the meal; apparently, he could talk of nothing else, and as she finally went away after clearing off the table, he went onto the porch and called after her:

"Say, Miss Hilma."

"Yes, sir."

"If that dog turns up again you let me know.""Very well, sir."

Annixter returned to the dining-room and sat down in the chair he had just vacated.

"To hell with the dog!" he muttered, enraged, he could not tell why.

When at length he allowed his attention to wander from Hilma Tree, he found that he had been staring fixedly at a thermometer upon the wall opposite, and this made him think that it had long been his intention to buy a fine barometer, an instrument that could be accurately depended on.But the barometer suggested the present condition of the weather and the likelihood of rain.In such case, much was to be done in the way of getting the seed ready and overhauling his ploughs and drills.He had not been away from the house in two days.It was time to be up and doing.

He determined to put in the afternoon "taking a look around," and have a late supper.He would not go to Los Muertos; he would ignore Magnus Derrick's invitation.Possibly, though, it might be well to run over and see what was up.

"If I do," he said to himself, "I'll ride the buckskin."The buckskin was a half-broken broncho that fought like a fiend under the saddle until the quirt and spur brought her to her senses.But Annixter remembered that the Trees' cottage, next the dairy-house, looked out upon the stables, and perhaps Hilma would see him while he was mounting the horse and be impressed with his courage.

"Huh!" grunted Annixter under his breath, "I should like to see that fool Delaney try to bust that bronch.That's what I'D like to see."However, as Annixter stepped from the porch of the ranch house, he was surprised to notice a grey haze over all the sky; the sunlight was gone; there was a sense of coolness in the air; the weather-vane on the barn--a fine golden trotting horse with flamboyant mane and tail--was veering in a southwest wind.

Evidently the expected rain was close at hand.

Annixter crossed over to the stables reflecting that he could ride the buckskin to the Trees' cottage and tell Hilma that he would not be home to supper.The conference at Los Muertos would be an admirable excuse for this, and upon the spot he resolved to go over to the Derrick ranch house, after all.

As he passed the Trees' cottage, he observed with satisfaction that Hilma was going to and fro in the front room.If he busted the buckskin in the yard before the stable she could not help but see.Annixter found the stableman in the back of the barn greasing the axles of the buggy, and ordered him to put the saddle on the buckskin.

"Why, I don't think she's here, sir," answered the stableman, glancing into the stalls."No, I remember now.Delaney took her out just after dinner.His other horse went lame and he wanted to go down by the Long Trestle to mend the fence.He started out, but had to come back.""Oh, Delaney got her, did he?"

"Yes, sir.He had a circus with her, but he busted her right enough.When it comes to horse, Delaney can wipe the eye of any cow-puncher in the county, I guess.""He can, can he?" observed Annixter.Then after a silence, "Well, all right, Billy; put my saddle on whatever you've got here.I'm going over to Los Muertos this afternoon.""Want to look out for the rain, Mr.Annixter," remarked Billy.

"Guess we'll have rain before night."