Polly and Eleanor Part 7

"What's he talking about, Dad?" whispered John, anxiously, as he watched the officer take notes.

Then in as few words as possible, the boys were told all about the land-slide on Grizzly that had, most likely, buried Choko's Find under tons and tons of debris--maybe, hid it completely again for all time.

They sat in Simms' office talking over the plans for the morrow when a large party was to go up Top Notch. As they sat arranging who would be the best men to take, John interrupted the conversation:

"Isn't that Jeb riding along the road with two led horses?"

"Sure enough! Your mother must have remembered I had but one mount, and so Jeb was hurried here with extra horses for you," replied Mr.

Brewster, running to the door and hailing his man.

On the way to Pebbly Pit, Tom rode alongside Mr. Brewster while John rode beside Jeb. The two latter riders had much to say to each other, for John had been Jeb's particular charge when the hired man first went to work at Pebbly Pit. Now John was a head taller than his erstwhile guardian, even if he was much the younger.

Jeb acted very morose and absentminded; instead of giving sensible replies to John's questions about the avalanche, he would mutter and say inconsequent things. Finally John said:

"Well, it must have been a narrow escape, anyway."

"That's just it, John. Ef Ah don't run away from Pebbly Pit she'll git me!" returned Jeb, greatly troubled.

"I'm talking about that land-slide--what do _you_ mean?" laughed John, beginning to understand that Jeb was worried over something other than the Grizzly experience.

"Wh--y--Ah'm meanin' that widder! It's leap-year, you know."

John had never heard about Sary, so he was unprepared to offer any advice, but he thought best to agree in everything with Jeb, concerning this particular one, and all "widders" in general.

"Ye-es--siree! That Sary kin ketch any man she starts out to trap. Ef she laid eyes on enny of them farm-hands at Pebbly Pit, like-as-how she has on _me_, they'd roll right over and eat from her han's. But, you see, John, Ah ain't a marryin' man, so Ah wants to escape."

"Jeb, I have a plan! Suppose we get Tom to flirt with Sary and then let her understand she is fickle, so that you won't consider her for a mate," whispered John, thinking of the fun he could have by playing this joke on his friend.

Jeb gave John a scornful look that meant volumes. "D'ye think Sary would fall fer it? Ah tells you-all she ain't no fule. She kin see straight, an' she knows Tom Latimer ain't in her cla.s.s."

Thus trying to plan for Jeb's peace and happiness, the two found they had reached the Rainbow Cliffs. Tom and Mr. Brewster were looking over the beautiful shining walls, and Tom sighed:

"You wouldn't have to waste one regret on Polly's loss of the gold mine, if you would but consent to let us sell a bit of these walls."

"_Ah'm_ not worryin' over her loss of gold, Tom; it's glad Ah am that it turned out so. Now she won't coax to go away to some big school where Ah can't see her for six months."

Tom Latimer turned about in the saddle and sent Sam Brewster a keen look and thought: "_So that_ is why he won't consent to these stones being mined and sold!"

Then the four men rode up the wide trail that ran from the Cliffs to the house where they found a group of girls and women eagerly awaiting them.

Polly ran down the road and caught hold of her brother's stirrup in her impatience to welcome him. John laughed and jumped from his horse, then gave his sister the kiss and hug she expected.

Anne Stewart stood on the porch watching this little by-play, and when the brother and sister slowly walked along, arm linked in arm, she smiled and sighed, then turned to greet Tom Latimer. But she did not see Mrs. Brewster's watchful eye quickly turn away from her when _she_ turned from watching John.

As Tom Latimer was known to the Maynard girls and Anne, having met them at the College Prom the past year, he was warmly welcomed by them as well as by the Brewsters. Barbara felt an especial interest in him, as he was "one of her set" in society, and he had been invited to her home when her brother entertained a few of his college friends.

Polly now brought her brother up and introduced him to Eleanor and Barbara, but Anne was not there.

"Wh-y--where did Anne go? She was here this minute?" cried Polly, looking around in amazement.

Mrs. Brewster had seen Anne steal away and she understood the reason.

Now she quickly diverted attention by saying: "Of course you boys have heard about the awful land-slide?"

As it was so recent an event, it instantly absorbed all. Then Mr.

Brewster told about the plans to ride up the Trail on the morrow and ascertain just how much damage had been done. John seemed to be as excited a talker as any one, but his mother saw him send many a searching glance around for some one he had not found.

She managed to reach his side without attracting the attention of the others, and slyly whispered: "Anne Stewart went out towards the Cliffs a moment ago. I saw her leave by the back pathway."

Then while every one was trying to make out the cloud-draped peak of Grizzly Slide, having had their attention directed to it by an exclamation from Mrs. Brewster, John backed away and ran behind the kitchen to the path that led to the Cliffs and Anne.

Jeb found it necessary to fill the wood-box in the kitchen, and it was just after John had pa.s.sed there that he stumbled up the stone walk.

Sary stood in the doorway grinning sympathetically as she watched John dash away after Anne Stewart, when Jeb said:

"Lem'me get by wid this load of wood."

She smirked and said: "Ah, Jeb! Thar's nuthin' in the wurruld like young love, ain't it?"

Now Sary's would-be bewitching leer and her dangerous proximity to him, frightened Jeb worse than any Rocky Mountain avalanche ever, so that he forgot he held an armful of wood. He suddenly went lax in the muscles, dropped the wood, and turned to flee to his hay-loft where no Sary dared follow without a chaperone.

One stick of the wood fell upon Sary's toe, and not having "feet of bra.s.s or clay," she uttered a yelp of pain. Jeb never stopped to inquire what had caused that cry--whether of baffled love or shooting pains in a toe.

Sary limped over to a wooden chair and sitting there with her foot held tenderly in both hands, she rocked back and forth, threatening, in an undertone, all males but Jeb in particular.

"You-all jes' wait! Don't think Sary Dodd's a fule--cuz she hain't!

Ah'll git you yit, so run away an' make-out like-es-how you are free and not lookin' to any female in pertickler!"

Having thus unburdened her soul of its wrath against Jeb, the cook limped over to the stove to hang the kettle over the fire.

Supper was late that night, but no one noticed it. Sary had perfected a scheme she was going to try on Jeb, some day, soon, so she was all smiles and patience when the family gathered about the table.

"I see you set the table in the living-room, mother," remarked John, approvingly.

"Oh, we have wrought many changes this summer, John, but the best of all is the one whereby we eat out-of-doors when it is good weather. To-night we will eat here as it is too dark under the old oak," explained Mrs.

Brewster, smiling.

Plans were now discussed for the trip to Top Notch the following morning, and it was decided that Jeb should go for Mike early, and secure his services as before.

"If such a crowd of men are going, I don't see why the owners of the mine can't go, too. We are as safe there, as here," grumbled Polly.

"Because we are going to make a three days' trip of this, Poll, and women-folk would not feel comfortable with such a lot of mixed men,"

explained John, pulling his sister's hair, lovingly.

"Well, Polly and I are as good riders as any one of you, and seeing it is _our_ mine, we ought to have _some_thing to say about it," added Eleanor, poutingly.

"I suppose you-all have forgotten that we invited that nice young stranger and his friend, Jim Latimer, over to spend this Sunday with us," now ventured Mrs. Brewster.

"Oh, that's so! The boy Kenneth who looks like Montresor!" Anne now added, understanding Mrs. Brewster's idea and abetting it.

"Kenneth Evans! Is it _this_ Sunday he is coming?" asked Eleanor eagerly.