Out Of The Depths Part 24

To cover the girl's blush at this blunt disclosure of sentiment, Mrs.

Blake somewhat formally introduced her husband to the puncher. He shook Blake's hand with like formality and politeness. But as their glances met, his gray eyes shone with the same cold suspicion with which he had regarded Ashton at their first meeting. Before that look the engineer's friendly eyes hardened to disks of burnished steel, and his big fist released its cordial grip of the other's small, bony hand. He gave back hostility for hostility with the readiness of a born fighter. Gowan was the first to look away.

The incident pa.s.sed so swiftly that only Knowles observed the outflash of enmity. His words indicated that he had antic.i.p.ated the puncher's att.i.tude. He addressed Blake seriously: "Kid has been with us ever since he was a youngster and has always made my interests his own.

Chuckie has been telling us what you said about putting through any project you once started."

Blake nodded. "Yes. That is why I suggested to Miss Knowles that she call off the agreement under which I came on this visit. We shall gladly pay board, and I'll merely knock around; or, if you prefer, we'll leave you and go back tomorrow morning."

"No, Daddy, no! we can't allow our guests to leave, when they've only just come!" protested Isobel.

"As for any talk about board," added her father, "you ought to know better, Mr. Blake."

"My apology!" admitted Blake. "I've been living in the East."

"That explains," agreed the cowman. "Even as far east as Denver--I've got a sister there; lives up beyond the Capitol. But I've talked with other men there from over this way. They all agree you might as well look for good cow pasture behind a sheep drive as for hospitality in a city. Sometimes you can get what you want, and all times you're sure to get a lot of attention you don't want--if you have money to spend."

"That's true. But about my going ahead here?" inquired Blake. "Say the word, and I put irrigation on the shelf throughout our visit."

Knowles shook his head thoughtfully. "No, I reckon Chuckie is right.

We'd best learn just how we stand."

"What if I work out a practical project? There's any amount of good land on your mesa. The lay of it and the alt.i.tude ought to make it ideal for fruit. If I see that the proposition is feasible, I shall be bound to put water on all of your range that I can. I am an engineer,--I cannot let good land and water go to waste."

"The land isn't going to waste," replied Knowles. "It's the best cattle range in this section, and it's being used for the purpose Nature intended. As for the water, Chuckie has figured out there isn't more than three thousand acre feet of flood waters that can be impounded off the watershed above us. That wouldn't pay for building any kind of a dam."

"And the devil himself couldn't pump the water up out of Deep Canon,"

put in Gowan.

"The devil hasn't much use for science," said Blake. "It has almost put him out of business. So he is not apt to be well up on modern engineering."

"Then you think you can do what the devil can't?" demanded Knowles.

"I can try. Unless you wish to call off the deal, I shall ride around tomorrow and look over the country. Maybe that will be sufficient to show me there is no chance for irrigation, or, on the contrary, I may have to run levels and do some figuring."

"Then perhaps you will know by tomorrow night?" exclaimed Isobel.

"Yes."

"Well, that's something," said the cowman. "I'll take you out first thing in the morning.--Lafe, show Mr. Blake the wash bench. There goes the first gong."

When, a little later, all came together again at the supper table, nothing more was said about the vexed question of irrigation. Isobel had made no changes in her table arrangements other than to have a plate laid for Mrs. Blake beside her father's and another for Blake beside her own.

The employes were too accustomed to Miss Chuckie to be embarra.s.sed by the presence of another lady, and Blake put himself on familiar terms with them by his first remarks. If his wealthy high-bred wife was surprised to find herself seated at the same table with common workmen, she betrayed no resentment over the situation. Her perfect breeding was shown in the unaffected simplicity of her manner, which was precisely the same to the roughest man present as to her hostess.

Even had there been any indications of uncongeniality, they must have been overcome by the presence of Thomas Herbert Vincent Leslie Blake.

The most unkempt, hard-bitten bachelor present gazed upon the majesty of babyhood with awed reverence and delight. The silent j.a.p interrupted his serving to fetch a queer rattle of ivory b.a.l.l.s carved out one within the other. This he cleansed with soap, peroxide and hot water, in the presence of the honorable lady mother, before presenting it to her infant with much smiling and hissing insuckings of breath.

After supper all retired at an early hour, out of regard for the weariness of Mrs. Blake.

When she reappeared, late the next morning, she learned that Knowles, Gowan and her husband had ridden off together hours before. But Isobel and Ashton seemed to have nothing else to do than to entertain the mother and child. Mrs. Blake donned one of the girl's divided skirts and took her first lesson in riding astride. There was no sidesaddle at the ranch, but there was a surefooted old cow pony too wise and spiritless for tricks, and therefore safe even for a less experienced horsewoman than was Mrs. Blake.

Knowles and Gowan and the engineer returned so late that they found all the others at the supper table. Blake's freshly sunburnt face was cheerful. Gowan's expression was as noncommittal as usual. But the cowman's forehead was furrowed with unrelieved suspense.

"Oh, Mr. Blake!" exclaimed Isobel. "Don't tell us your report is unfavorable."

"Afraid I can't say, as yet," he replied. "We've covered the ground pretty thoroughly for miles along High Mesa and Deep Canon. If the annual precipitation here is what I estimate it from what your father tells me, it would be possible to put in a drainage and reservoir system that would store four thousand acre feet. Except as an auxiliary system, however, it would cost too much to be practicable.

As for Deep Canon--" He turned to his wife. "Jenny, whatever else happens, I must get you up to see that canon. It's almost as grand and in some ways even more wonderful than the Canon of the Colorado."

"Then I must see it, by all means," responded Mrs. Blake. "I shall soon be able to ride up to it, Isobel a.s.sures me."

"Within a few days," said the girl. "But, Mr. Blake, pardon me--How about the water in the canon? You surely see no way to lift it out over the top of High Mesa?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't even guess what can be done until I have run a line of levels and found the depth of the canon. I tried to estimate it by dropping in rocks and timing them, but we couldn't see them strike bottom."

"A line of levels? Will it take you long?"

"Maybe a week; possibly more. If I had a transit as well as my level, it would save time. However, I can make out with the chain and compa.s.s I brought."

"Mr. Blake is to start running his levels in the morning," said Knowles. "Lafe, I'd like you to help him as his rodman, if you have no objections. As you've been an engineer, you can help him along faster than Kid.--You said one would do, Mr. Blake; but if you need more, take all the men you want. The sooner this thing is settled, the better it will suit me."

"The sooner the better, Daddy!" agreed Isobel, "that is, if our guests promise to not hurry away."

"We shall stay at least a month, if you wish us to," said Mrs. Blake.

"Two months would be too short!--And the sooner we are over with this uncertainty--Lafe, you'll do your utmost to help Mr. Blake, won't you?"

"Yes, indeed; anything I can," eagerly responded Ashton.

Gowan's face darkened at sight of the smile with which the girl rewarded the tenderfoot. Yet instead of sulking, he joined in the evening's entertainment of the guests with a zeal that agreeably surprised everyone. His guitar playing won genuine praise from the Blakes, though both were sophisticated and critical music lovers.

Somewhat earlier than usual he rose to go, with the excuse that he wished to consult Knowles about some business with the owner of the adjoining range. The cowman went out with him, and did not return. An hour later Ashton took reluctant leave of Isobel, and started for the bunkhouse. Half way across he was met by his employer, who stopped before him.

"Everybody turning in, Lafe?"

"Not at my suggestion, though," replied Ashton.

"Reckon not. Mr. Blake and his lady are old friends of yours, I take it."

"Mrs. Blake is," stated Ashton, with a touch of his former arrogance.

"We made mud-pies together, in a hundred thousand dollar dooryard."

"Humph!" grunted Knowles. "And her husband?"

The darkness hid Ashton's face, but his voice betrayed the sudden upwelling of his bitterness: "I never heard of him until he--until a little over three years ago. I wish to Heaven he hadn't taken part in that bridge contest!"

"How's that?" asked Knowles in a casual tone.

"Nothing--nothing!" Ashton hastened to disclaim. "You haven't been talking with Miss Chuckie about me, have you, Mr. Knowles?"