The Motor Maids Across the Continent Part 22

"Mr. Moore," said Miss Campbell, as she clutched his arm, "we are in a nest of robbers. Do you think we shall ever get out alive? Tell me the worst before they come back."

"Don't let them know you are frightened. These men admire courage more than anything else in the world. I will keep with you every moment. The man named Bowles owes his life to me, and even with all their lawlessness, these poor souls are not ungrateful. Don't protest about anything, and don't make any demands. Try to be perfectly calm and, above all, pretend to be pleased. I believe they'll do the best they can for you tonight. They may even show us out of the gulch, although I doubt it."

Miss Campbell lapsed into silence. She considered that Daniel Moore had a very optimistic turn of mind, considering the circ.u.mstances.

"You can't git out of the gulch to-night, Miss," said Jim Bowles, returning to the side of the car. "It's too dark, and the roads ain't good enough for night travel in that there machine. You'll have to stay here tonight, but before we admit you into our happy homes you've got to take an oath, an' if you break it it'll be the worse for you. We don't take no half measures."

"What do you want us to promise, Jim?" asked Mr. Moore.

"You've got to promise before we let you leave this place that you never will tell to n.o.body what you know about it, and that the one that shows you the trail to-morrow morning won't git pinched through you."

Jim Bowles was not satisfied until he made each occupant of the motor car say solemnly: "I promise," from Mary, with her high, sweet voice, to Daniel Moore in his deeper tones.

And now there came that crucial moment when the Motor Maids and Miss Helen Campbell were obliged to leave the protecting interior of the Comet and mingle with a band of mountain brigands.

"I can't do it, Mr. Moore. I tell you, I shall simply die of fright,"

Miss Campbell whimpered into the ear of Daniel Moore, who seemed like an old and intimate friend in this dangerous situation.

"You must," he said, giving her his arm. "Keep up and don't show you are frightened. If you trust them, they'll do their best for you, as they have promised."

Then followed Jim Bowles into the first cabin, where the woman had been waiting. She was not in sight now.

"Minnie!" called Jim, but there was no answer, and he left the house with an exclamation of annoyance.

The girls looked about them timidly. The strangeness and danger of their dilemma had made them silent. Mary clung to Elinor and Elinor pressed closely to Miss Campbell's side, while Billie and Nancy kept their hands clasped together with that intimate grasp of two friends who need no words in which to express their feelings.

There were two rooms in the cabin. The first, a bedroom, and the back room a kitchen; and they were astonishingly clean and neat, considering the wildness of their occupants. No doubt this was due to Minnie, who now appeared, dark-eyed, handsome and defiant. She stood in the doorway, looking at them, half boldly and half timidly.

Then Miss Helen Campbell made what she considered afterward the effort of her life.

She walked straight up to Minnie and held out her hand.

"How do you do, my dear?" she said. "It's very kind of you to take us into your nice little home. Shall we not be friends? I must introduce you to my four girls."

She raised her heavenly blue eyes and gazed blandly into the girl's fierce dark ones, taking Minnie's limp hand into hers. Perhaps it had been many a day since a lady had spoken kindly to Minnie and treated her as an equal. At any rate, she melted completely.

"I'm glad you come," she said, smiling broadly and showing two rows of even white teeth. "It's awful lonely here sometimes when Jim's away."

She looked across at Jim tenderly, and they all of them understood at once what it was that kept Minnie on this lonely mountain side.

It was not long before they were comfortably installed in Jim's cabin.

On the little stove in the back room bacon was sending out a pleasing aroma. Nancy was engaged in making an omelette. Elinor had charge of the tea, while Mary and Billie brought from the store of provisions in the Comet the best that it afforded in the way of jam, cheese and mixed pickles.

Minnie helped them when she could, but she was very shy and afraid of being in the way. Daniel Moore and Miss Campbell sat near the stove talking in low voices. Miss Campbell had related to him the story of their chance meeting with Evelyn Stone. Occasionally Jim Bowles came and stood in the doorway. There was an expression in his eyes half wistful and half amused as he regarded these unusual activities in his home.

"Invite Jim and Minnie to supper," whispered Daniel Moore, "if you want to bind them to you with hoops of steel."

It was never very difficult for the little lady to be charming, and having won over Minnie she had somewhat overcome her fears.

"Mr. Bowles," she said with a graciousness that fairly captivated the brigand, "we cannot take possession of your house unless you promise to join us at supper. Will you sit here by me, and Minnie, you would rather sit with the girls, that is quite plain? Come, Mr. Moore."

There was not room for all the party at the table, however, and Minnie ate her supper with Billie and Nancy on a bench by the stove.

With a sheepish smile on his face Jim Bowles sat down obediently at the table and for the first time in his life engaged in an agreeable conversation on terms of equality with a real lady.

"If everybody was as nice as you, ma'am," he said, "I think I would be willing to-to-well, give all this up. It's excitin' but it's dangerous, and it ain't respectable."

"Mr. Bowles," said Miss Helen, "I believe you are an honest man at heart. No man could have such a devoted wife and not have some good in him. The moment you decide to give up this-this wild life and are looking for honest employment, I shall be glad to help you. There is my card. I have only one thing to ask in return: that you see us safely through the mountains to-morrow."

"Granted!" cried Jim, taking the card she offered.

Minnie, who had left the bench and was standing near Miss Campbell's chair, with a rapt expression on her face, cried out fiercely:

"If you only would, Jim! If you only would!"

Suddenly Jim stood up and stretched out his hand for silence.

"Listen!" he whispered.

In the distance came the sound of horses' hoofs ringing out on the hard mountain road.

The door opened and one of the desperadoes thrust in his head.

"Beat it, Jim! Git to the cave! They're comin'."

"Ladies, remember your promise!" cried Jim, and with one bound he was out of the house and gone.

And then, as if this were not enough to shatter their nervous system into little bits, Minnie flung herself on the floor in front of Miss Campbell in a perfect pa.s.sion of tears.

"You won't give him up!" she cried, beating her hands together in misery. "You ain't goin' fer to give him up?"

Miss Campbell looked at Daniel Moore, but he refused to advise even by a glance.

Billie kneeled down beside Minnie and put her arm around the poor girl's neck, while she looked appealingly at her cousin.

"My poor child," said Miss Campbell, after a very perceptible pause, "we won't tell on your husband. He is certainly a very lawless character, but maybe he'll reform if he has a chance."

"Thank you! Thank you!" cried Minnie, kissing Miss Campbell's small hand with all the fervor of her warm nature.

"Now, Minnie, go about your work as if nothing had happened. The girls will help you, and leave the rest to me. Well," she observed in a low voice to Daniel Moore, who was standing by the window, looking anxiously out, "if any one had told me this morning that this evening I should be protecting a train robber from the law, I should never have believed them in the world. But things seem to happen out in the West that never could happen in the East."

At that moment fully half a dozen hors.e.m.e.n dashed up to the door.

"Go and sit down," whispered Daniel Moore. "I think we might protect this poor girl if we can, wrong as it would seem to the law."

The door was flung open and several pistols were pointed into the room.

"Don't move! Keep still, everybody, or you know where you're at!"