Judith of Blue Lake Ranch | Page 6

had been hoarse.
"I guess," said Lee quietly, "that I'll stick around until you two get through quarrelling. I might come in handy somehow."
"Damn you," shouted Trevors, "get out!"
"Cut out the swear-words, Trevors," said Lee with quiet sternness. "There's a lady here."
"Lady!" scoffed Trevors. He laughed contemptuously. "Where's your lady? That?" and he levelled a scornful finger at the girl. "A ranting tough of a female who brings a breath of the stables with her and scolds like a fishwife. . . ."
"Shut up!" said Lee, crossing the room with quick strides, his face thrust forward a little.
"You shut up!" It was Judith's voice as Judith's hand fell upon Bud Lee's shoulder, pushing him aside. "If I couldn't take care of myself do you think I'd be fool enough to take over a job like running the Blue Lake? Now--" and with blazing eyes she confronted Trevors--"if you've got any more nice little things to say, suppose you say them to me!"
Trevors's temper had had ample provocation and now stood naked and hot in his hard eyes. In a blind instant he laid his tongue to a word which would have sent Bud Lee at his throat. But Judith stood between them and, like an echo to the word, came the resounding slap as Judith's open palm smote Trevors's cheek.
"You wildcat!" he cried. And his two big hands flew out, seeking her shoulders.
"Stand back!" called Judith. "Just because you are bigger than I am, don't make any mistake! Stand back, I tell you!"
Bud Lee marvelled at the swiftness with which her hand had gone into her blouse and out again, a small-caliber revolver in the steady fingers now. He had never known a man--himself possibly excepted--quicker at the draw.
But Bayne Trevors, from whose make-up cowardice had been omitted, laughed sneeringly at her and did not stand back. His two hands out before him, his face crimson, he came on.
"Fool!" cried the girl. "Fool!"
Still he came on. Lee gathered himself to spring.
Judith fired. Once, and Trevors's right arm fell to his side. A second time, and Trevors's left arm hung limp like the other. The crimson was gone from his face now. It was dead white. Little beads of sweat began to form on his brow.
Lee turned astonished eyes to Judith.
"Now you know who's running this outfit, don't you?" she said coolly. "Lee, have a team hitched up to carry Trevors wherever he wants to go. He's not hurt much; I just winged him. And then tell the cook about my breakfast."
But Lee stood and looked at her. He had no remark to offer. Then he turned to go upon her bidding. As he went down to the bunk-house he said softly under his breath: "Well, I'm damned. I most certainly am!"

III
AND RIDES AN OUTLAW
Wrinkled, grizzled old half-breed Jos��, his hands trembling with eagerness, stood in the smaller rose-garden culling the perfect buds, a joyous tear running its zigzag way down each cheek.
"La se?orita ees come home!" he announced triumphantly as Lee drew near on his way to the bunk-house. "Jes��s Maria! Een my heart it is like the singing of leetle birdies. Mira, se?or. My flowers bloomin' the brighter, already--no?"
Bud Lee paused. "So you know Miss Sanford then?" he asked.
Jos�� threw out his hands and opened his night-black eyes to their most enormous extent. "Do I know God?" he demanded.
"Well," smiled Bud, "as to that. . . ."
"But, se?or," cried the devout Jos��, "like on holy days I feel that Dios comes to sit down in the corner of my heart, so without seeing la se?orita I know she ees come home! She ees in the air like the light of sun, like the sweetness of my roses!"
"You've known her a long time, Joe?"
"Seence she ees born!" and Jos��, unashamed, wiped away a tear upon the back of a leathery hand. "Se?or Sanford and me, se?or, we teach her when she ees so leetle!" Jos��'s shaking hand was lowered until it marked the stature of a twelve-inch pigmy. In all things must the old fellow gain his emphasis by exaggeration which more often than not took the form of plain lying. "Never at all unteel one year ago does she leave us and the rancho. We, us two who love her, se?or, learn her to walk and to ride and to shoot and to talk. You shall hear her say, 'Buenos dias, Jos��, mi amigo!' You shall see her kees the cheek of old Jos��."
Again his leathery hand was put in requisition, this time to wipe clean the cheek to be honored. "And one theeng I tell you, se?or," he added confidentially. "Her papa was a wild devil before her. Her mama ees grow up on the ranch; and when she marry el se?or Sanford was like a wild boy. And