Virginia still
sat as if she had never moved, her hand gripping the iron support of the
carriage top, her foot outside the box as if she was ready to spring
out. Buck Gowdy leaped out and came down to me.
"In trouble, Mr. Vandemark?" he inquired. "Can we be of any assistance?"
"I guess I can make it," I said, scraping the mud off my trousers and
boots. "Gee-up there, Liney!"
My cows settled slowly into the yoke, and standing, as they did now, on
firm ground, they deliberately snaked the wagon, hub-deep as it was, out
of the mire, and stopped at the word on the western side of
the mud-hole.
"Good work, Mr. Vandemark!" he said. "Those knowledgy folk back along
the road who said you were trading yourself out of your patrimony ought
to see you put the thing through. If you ever need work, come to my
place out in the new Earthly Eden."
"I'll have plenty of work of my own," I said; "but maybe, sometime, I
may need to earn a little money. I'll remember."
I stopped at Independence that night; and so did the Gowdy party. I was
on the road before them in the morning, but they soon passed me,
Virginia looking wishfully at me as they went by, and Buck Gowdy waving
his hand in a way that made me think he must be a little tight--and then
they drove on out of sight, and I pursued my slow way wondering why
Virginia Royall had asked me so anxiously if I knew any good people who
would take in and shelter a friendless girl--and not only take her in,
but fight for her.
Pages:
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170