Books: Polly of Pebbly Pit
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Lillian Elizabeth Roy >> Polly of Pebbly Pit
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"Ha! I thought so!" said Polly, with satisfaction.
Noddy was left to watch from a comfortable vantage point, while her
mistress ran up to the large panther which was stretched out at the
foot of the tree. He had tried to climb it in order to escape the
grizzly's claws.
"Isn't he a massive beast!" cried Anne, watching from her horse some
distance away.
"You girls come back! He may not be dead!" shrieked Barbara, the moment
she saw the animal.
"Say, Bob, if he wasn't dead, he'd have had me down long before you
came along to warn us!" laughed Eleanor.
"Polly, he's a beauty, even if he is such a terror, isn't he?" said
Eleanor, admiring the satiny coat and beautiful form of the large
mountain-lion, so majestic in death.
"I never saw a larger one! He must be at least nine feet long from nose
to tip of tail!" said Polly, lifting the tail with her foot, then
letting it drop again.
She stooped over looking closely at the wounds made by the grizzly,
then she suddenly cried out, "Oh! I thought that shot hit him! It must
have been that first shot from the rifle that sent him back from the
cliff. Then, the bear tracked him and had the fight back here in the
forest. That is when we heard the sounds diminishing.
"Well, old fellow, I'm sorry it had to be so! But you decreed it! It
was you or one of us, and I preferred to have had it you! Old Grizzly
wouldn't be so cattish about sneaking up and laying low for us until
the fire died down, or till one of us happened to step out of the
circle of light! He would have made a big noise from the beginning and
pounced down upon us willy-nilly. And now he has given you yours!"
As Polly spoke, she stood looking regretfully at the creature, as if
she wished the world was ordered otherwise than all the killing and
taking, one from another, in the vain belief of living!
"Polly, how much do you think he weighs?" asked Eleanor eagerly.
"Too much to drag home--if that is why you asked!" laughed Polly,
looking up at Eleanor, with a wise shake of the head.
"To tell the truth, that is exactly what I planned to do until I saw
how big he was!" laughed Eleanor.
"He must weigh at least two hundred pounds, Nolla," said Anne, who had
come nearer during the examination.
"Yes, nearer two hundred and fifty pounds, I reckon," said Polly.
"I wanted to ship him to Chicago and show all of my society friends
what _we_ killed during my mountain visit!" explained Eleanor.
"Your motive killed the project before you saw him," said Anne, wagging
her head at Eleanor as a rebuke.
Eleanor laughed merrily. "Well, I intend having a regular exhibit when
I get back! All kinds of wild things will be shown my friends. I
propose having Polly and Noddy sitting upon a pedestal in the drawing-
room as a sample of the wildest things on the Rockies!" laughed
Eleanor, giving Polly an affectionate glance.
"Oh, Nolla, don't talk so foolishly! As if Polly would come to Chicago!
What would she do with herself while we had to entertain?" said
Barbara, pettishly, but no one hearkened.
"Maybe we can blaze a trail from here to the nearest ranch on our way
home, and send some one from there to come and cart the brute home for
us. I'd pay him well!" said Eleanor, not willing to forego the pleasure
of showing the lion at home.
"Oh, but then, you will make these ranchers curious. Once this far,
they will look about the place where we spent the night, and that will
lead them to discover the mine!" said Polly.
"I forgot that! Of course it would be foolish to give any one the
slightest clew to our ever being here, and of what we did while here! I
see I shall have to say good-by to the lion I hoped to be lionized
for!" said Eleanor, laughingly.
"With a gold mine as rich as yours, you'll be lionized without the
lion!" laughed Anne.
"By the way, did you bring your nugget, Polly?" asked Eleanor.
"Reckon I did!"
"Then before we leave, don't you think we ought to make some sort of a
plan, or mark the spot so we can find it again? We don't want to make
the same mistake old Montresor did, you know!" said Eleanor, anxiously.
"I have a plan all made. I did it while sitting by the fire this
morning, before you girls were awake," said Polly, taking off her hat
and removing a folded paper.
The girls were surprised at the accuracy of the sketch, and Anne said,
"Any one can find it from these directions!"
"Thank you, but you see, it would be hazardous to risk any one else
coming here. The importance of keeping the whole adventure a profound
secret until we have duly filed papers and can claim right of ownership
to the claim, can be seen now. I hardly think it wise to speak of the
crevice or danger of a land-slide until after we get some inside
information about taking hold of the mine," said Polly, seriously.
An hour more was used by Polly in staking a legal claim and marking the
corners with heaps of stone. She also left a very deep blaze in each of
the four trees that cornered the large square area she thought would
cover the cavern.
Noddy soon found the Top Notch Trail when they were again on the way
homeward. By riding steadily all morning, they reached the spot where
the rattle-snake was waiting for transportation. Anne and the others
had experienced so many greater shocks since the killing of the reptile
that they felt no qualms about carrying the snake now.
When the four riders finally turned in on the Pebbly Pit Trail, it was
past four o'clock. They had been going steadily since morning, without
food or rest, excepting the hour they had to stop at the falls to give
the animals grass and water, and the girls were the sorriest-looking
lot as they dragged up the road to the house and stopped at the porch.
CHAPTER XVI
A YOUNG STRANGER IN OAK CREEK
"Glory be! You-all war givin' Mis' Brewster fits wid no sign of hide
nor hair sence yistermorn!" cried Sary, rushing out of the kitchen
door, the moment she heard the horses' hoof-beats.
Mrs. Brewster heard Sary and also ran out, crying, "Oh, my dear
children! We've had such a day! Sam just went to the barn to hook up
and start the ranchers on a hunt! A trapper rode in this morning and
spoke of the awful blizzard that hit Top Notch Trail. Of course, we
knew you couldn't find _that_ or we'd have been still more worried!"
The girls looked at each other and laughed aloud. Mrs. Brewster
shrewdly guessed the truth.
"_Did_ you find it? And where under the sun did you hide during that
awful storm?" cried she, anxiously.
Sary paid no attention to a recital of trails and storms, however, for
it was half past four and Jeb would have to take care of the five
mounts before he could hope to come in for supper, and spend a quiet
evening with her. So, to prevent any delay, she turned to Polly.
"You-all 'pear to be tuckered out! Jest flop inter the cheers an' rest
whiles Ah carry the hosses to th' barn. Ah'll tell Mr. Brewster like-
ez-how you-all come home, an' spared him a trip!"
Mrs. Brewster objected to the offer for she wanted Sary to finish the
preparations for supper and give her time to talk with the girls. Sary,
however, paid no attention to her mistress's objections but gathered
all the reins together and led the animals to the barn.
Shortly after the girls had gone indoors to drink some hot milk--for
Mrs. Brewster said hot milk would take most of the fatigue out of their
bodies--Sam Brewster ran down the path from the barn, and burst into
the living-room.
"Well, say! Ah shore am glad to see you-all back home! Ah just was
preparing to wire some detectives to be on the lookout in the Zoo for
any lions or bears lately come in who looked unusually well-fed!"
Every one was so delighted at the reunion that Mr. Brewster's
foolishness made them laugh merrily. He hugged Polly until she cried
for breath, then he shook hands over and over again with Anne and the
girls, Mrs. Brewster, remonstrating meantime, that she wanted to hear
of their adventures!
The girls were so eager to tell about the cavern of gold that they
refused to wash and dress, or remove any stains of the climb, until
after the whole story was told.
Mr. and Mrs. Brewster thought it was the tale of the trip and the
trials throughout the blizzard, and they cared little for what had
passed as long as all were safe and happy again. But Polly blurted out
the truth to make them listen.
"I found Montresor's gold mine, Paw!"
It hit the mark! In the shock the news made upon the Brewsters, no one
noticed Polly's slip on the old pet title. After a long tense period of
silence, however, Sam Brewster said: "Daughter, it can't be true!"
"'Tis, though, Mr. Brewster! Polly and I crawled through the tunnel
until we came out into that marvelous cavern of gold," and Eleanor
sighed audibly as she thought of that sight.
"What cavern! You-all must be clean locoed with the blizzard and the
long ride!" cried Mr. Brewster, testily.
The girls laughed appreciatively, for they understood just how those
who remained at home would feel at such news!
So Polly sat upon her father's knee and told him the story of the mine,
from the time Choko fell over the cliff until they left the panther at
the foot of the tree.
"And here's the plan and claim, and there's the gold!"
Polly drew the nuggets from her dress and took the papers from her
sombrero, and placed them in her father's hands.
Mrs. Brewster dropped upon her knees to the floor to look at the map
and the ore, while her husband was examining the large nugget. The four
girls had no idea how anxious they were about this ore until they saw
Mr. Brewster carefully looking it over with the eye of an expert miner.
His first words were a decided shock.
"Ah wouldn't set much store about this mine, girls! You-all don't see
what Ah see in this discovery. It's gold--yes, it looks to me like red-
gold of good quality, and if it is as you say--a cavern exposed so any
one can value it off-hand, so much the better! But, the end of Top
Notch Trail, where you doubtless spent the night, is a far haul from
Oak Creek, and the chasm in front, and the mountain on top, are
drawbacks to mining. However, we will ride into Oak Creek in the
morning and file this claim of yours and see if it comes anywhere near
to being the one old Montresor left, Polly. It would give me the
keenest joy to be able to say something to a few of the mean old
rascals about Oak Creek, who called me a fool for paying the funeral
costs and filing the claim of that kind old man, Montresor!"
"But, Dad--father! If this mine happens to cross the claim staked by
Mr. Montresor, will it interfere with our filing a new claim?" asked
Polly, anxiously.
"It depends on how much ground you covered with your corners!" replied
her father.
"You can depend upon it, I covered all I could think might come within
a mile of gold!" laughed Polly.
"Well, girls, listen to some good advice on this! Not a word to be said
about this cave--not even among yourselves until the claim is filed and
investigated! You see, the walls have ears when any one speaks of gold!
Then, having attended to the legal aspects of the mine, we will all
ride over to remain a few days, as visitors to Old Mr. Grizzly! When we
get back we ought to have some information worth while!"
"And what about sending for John's friend to come and go with us? If he
knew enough to tell you about the lava, he will surely be able to judge
about the gold!" ventured Polly, eagerly.
"I think that is a splendid idea, Sam! When we go in to Oak Creek to-
morrow, let us send John a day-letter explaining about this cavern,"
added Mrs. Brewster.
"Hain't you-all comin' to supper? Har hev Ah ben and wukked all day
hopin' fer a night off to-night!" said Sary, suddenly appearing at the
doorway between the living-room and the kitchen.
Every one started for she had not made a sound before speaking, so no
one knew how much she had over-heard. Mrs. Brewster quickly replied,
however.
"Why, Sary! I didn't know you wished to go out! I could have attended
to supper myself, had you asked me!"
"Ah hain't planned to go out--Ah said a 'night off,' Mis' Brewster,"
said Sary, hardly deigning to wait for an answer, but looking at the
girls with an impatient frown.
"Mother, we really must wash before supper!" said Polly.
Sary tossed her head. Mrs. Brewster knew what that meant, so she urged
the girls to forego any lengthy toilets and merely wash away the worst
signs of travel.
Sary was pacified when Eleanor came out of the room and handed her a
large paper bundle.
"Sary, I have a little present for you because we made so much trouble
to-night."
"Oh, Miss Nolla, Ah'm much obleeged t' you-all. Ah don' mind trouble,
onny yoh see Ah expec' comp'ny to-night."
It took Sary but an instant to open the package and when she beheld a
ruffled organdy dress discarded by Barbara the previous season and
accidentally packed in the trunk with other clothes, she rolled her
eyes heavenward.
"Miss Nolla! Is this fine gown'd fer me?"
Eleanor stifled a laugh but Sary made as if she would clasp the girl in
her powerful arms, so discretion was needed. Eleanor backed behind the
kitchen chair.
"Miss Nolla, Ah wonder ef a widder of seven months' standin' mought
wear little yaller rose-buds on a dress, like-ez-how this is?"
"Certainly, Sary," came from Mrs. Brewster, who now joined the two.
"It's not the color or quantity of clothes as much as the sincerity of
one's mourning."
Quite unintentionally, Mrs. Brewster touched upon a tender spot. In
fact, so tender was it, that Sary blamed Bill for having died so
recently instead of two years back. She might have now been ending her
second year of mourning!
Eleanor being trained to the wiles of polite society, saw and
understood Sary's flash of resentment, so she turned to Mrs. Brewster
with the remark:
"I've heard said, that the highest regard a widow can pay her departed,
is, to take a second husband. It speaks well for her happiness with the
first one, you see."
Mrs. Brewster stared at Eleanor but Sary smirked and quickly replied:
"You-all is right, Miss Nolla! A widder what hez ben _so_ happy that
she gits lonesome whiles thinkin' of her departed, hez a right t' find
a second husban'."
Mrs. Brewster choked a laugh as she saw the sublime look in the help's"
eyes, and hurried out. Eleanor then suggested:
"Now you run away and beautify yourself, Sary, and I will wash the
dishes to-night."
Sary needed no second invitation and in another moment she had
disappeared to her "boudoir" back of the buttery.
Eleanor was as good as her word, for she was soon busy with dish-water
and mop, rattling the china, and banging pans about as if noise and
bustle were sure signs of hard work and energy. Polly laughed as she
cleared away the remains of the meal and then caught up a towel to dry
the dishes. As they worked the two girls talked.
"Poll, now that you have this gold mine, what will you do with all the
wealth that is yours?" asked Eleanor.
Polly held a decorated plate in front of her face to hide her smile,
and pretended to be looking for grease on its surface. When she had
straightened her face again, she said: "Oh, I'm going away to school,
first of all. I'm not so sure that I want to stay in Denver, now that
you have told me all about Chicago. I'll write for catalogues of
schools there; and then I can see John quite often during the school
year."
"Just what I would have suggested, Poll! Then you can live at home with
me. Dad and you and I will have the best times!"
To accentuate her approval of Polly's premature plans, Eleanor swished
the dish-mop wildly up and down in the soapy water, but the suds flew
up lightly, as soapsuds will, and a bubble burst in Polly's eye.
"Oo-h! Stop throwing dish water in my face, Nolla!" cried Polly, with
eyes screwed shut and one free hand trying to rub the smarting lye from
her eye.
"I never did, Polly! It must have splashed accidentally when I was
washing the pan."
"You have done nothing since you began the dishes, but rattle and swash
that mop about in the pan as if you were mining the ore from the cave,"
complained Polly, as she managed to open her eyes again.
"I suppose it is because we are so excited over the find, and all it
means for you, Polly," explained Eleanor, contritely.
"It doesn't mean much more, now, than before. The thing I am most happy
over, is that Old Man Montresor will be vindicated, and people will
stop jeering at me, and at what they called his locoed ideas."
The conversation was interrupted at this moment by the appearance of
Sary. She first poked her head from the partly opened door of her room
and then said: "Is any one about to see me?"
Polly turned to make sure that they were alone in the kitchen, and
Eleanor replied: "No, what is it, Sary?"
Then the maid stepped forth and such a vision! She had curled her red
hair on a pair of old-fashioned tongs. The curling irons were but a
quarter of an inch in diameter and they were heated by thrusting them
into the living embers of the kitchen fire. When Sary drew the comb
through her scanty tresses they took on the appearance of carrot-
colored cotton threads which had just been ripped out of an old
garment--so crinkly and frizzed were the strands of hair. The flowered
organdy dress that Eleanor had given Sary to wear for the great
occasion of receiving a caller, was much too small for the buxom widow,
and she was in great distress about it. This brought her out to ask
advice of the girls.
"Why bother to wear the dress, Sary, until you have had time to alter
it for yourself?" asked Polly.
"Why, Polly! Ah has to keep up my looks now that comp'ny is lookin' my
way again. Ef you-all hadn't such fine city gals at home, what wears
th' latest fashions so that Jeb can't help but see what's what, Ah
woulden' have to worry so much about looks. But a woman has to keep up
when other women set the pace, 'specially ef she is a widow, like-as-
how Ah am now."
Eleanor laughed appreciatively and said: "Sary is just like Bob, when
it comes to that! It is the eternal feminine, Poll, that drives both
Bob and Sary to the verge of tears, because they cannot catch their
beaux with their good looks."
Sary smirked self-consciously at Eleanor's words, for she thought she
was being coupled with Barbara and her attractions. Sary felt quite
sure that she was good-looking and winsome, but she had to hear
Eleanor's words to make her believe she was fascinating.
"If I was Sary, I'd wear a nice clean blouse and a linen skirt. It
would be far more comfortable than that awfully tight gown," remarked
Polly.
But the help scorned such simplicity and turned to Eleanor for further
advice about her appearance. The latter, wise in her years, turned her
head on one side and appeared to be debating.
"Seems to me, Sary, that putting on that organdy just as it is, without
fixing it over a bit, may make Jeb suspicious of its not being made for
you. He may even go so far as to wonder if Bob handed it down to you.
Now you do not want him to dream that you did not have it made to order
for yourself, so why not take it off until you can remodel it to fit
yourself, like new?"
Sary pondered this suggestion for a few moments, and then said: "Ah
ain't got no fancy dress to wear, onny this, Miss Nolla. Ef Ah puts on
my black alpaky, he'll remember 'bout Bill, and sech memories allus
dampen a man's plans to pop th' question."
Both girls had to laugh outright at the unexpected confession; but Sary
was in a serious frame of mind and paid no attention to their
merriment. She resumed her interrupted explanation.
"It's jest this way, in Oak Crick country, you-all see! Single men
ain't growin' on every bush, and a widder has a hard time of it,
anyway, when most ranchers' dawters are waitin' to snap up a likely
catch. Jeb's a catch, Ah says. He ain't a gallavantin' dude, ner he
ain't spendin' all his wages on gamblin' at Red Mike's saloon. Ah've
learned like-as-how being right on th' spot when a man's willin' to be
cotched, is more'n half the fight to hook him. Ah kin afford to snap
mah fingers at all them ranch gals about Oak Crick, tryin' their bestes
to make Jeb wink his eye at 'em, jus' because Ah _am_ whar Ah am
keepin' tabs on him, all his time."
When the laughter caused by these words had subsided, somewhat, the two
girls replied: Polly to advise and Eleanor to make a giggling
explanation.
Eleanor said: "You make a wonderfully accurate time-clock on Jeb's
comings and goings, Sary."
And Polly advised: "You run back to your room, Sary, and put on a
sensible dress to keep Jeb from wondering how much of his earnings it
would take to dress you in fine clothes like that organdy gown cost."
"Thar's somethin' in that, too, Polly! Ah reckon you're right, so Ah'll
throw on that striped shirt-waist your Maw gave me, and the duck skirt
with the tucks in it."
Sary vanished as quickly as she had appeared, and the two girls stood
laughing as they saw the bed-room door close. Then they dried the dish-
pan, hung up the towels and mop, and turned to go back to the living-
room where Sam Brewster and his wife were planning for the ride to Oak
Creek on the next day, and the trip up to the cave, on the day
following that.
But the girls had not reached the living-room door before a "hist"
halted them. They turned in the direction of the sound and saw Jeb's
small head at the kitchen door. When he saw that he had gained their
attention, he beckoned furtively with a horny index finger.
Both girls tip-toed over to hear what news he had to impart, for his
behavior denoted some dread secret.
"Is Sary Dodd hangin' 'round?" he whispered, anxiously.
"She's in her room getting ready for company," was Eleanor's amused
reply.
"Wall, you-all kin do me a big favor ef you-all explain like-as-how Ah
was too sick to come in, to-night. She tol' me Ah jus' had to call on
her, to-night, but Ah ain't got courage. Ah kin see jus' whar all this
callin' and sittin' alone of evenin's, is goin' to land me. Sary Dodd's
got a powerful way for a woman, and Ah ain't no marryin' man--am Ah,
Polly?"
Jeb's plaintive tone and his beseeching eyes convulsed Eleanor with the
desire to laugh, but Polly saw how serious he was, in his fear of being
caught by a woman's wiles, and she replied:
"No, Jeb; you are not a marrying man, I can say that much. And Sary
ought to know better than to lure you on with all her past experiences
of mankind."
Polly's earnest explanation made Eleanor lose control of herself and
she sat down in a kitchen chair and laughed so heartily that Sary
hurried forth. Jeb instantly ducked and tried to lose himself in the
dense darkness of the out-of-doors, but Sary was too quick for him.
She darted to the door, called him with an imperative voice, and
brought the recreant back to his duty of calling. Then she turned to
the two girls, and said calmly, but with meaning:
"Ah'se much obliged fer th' dish-washin'. Ah'll see that the kitchen is
set to rights fer the evenin'."
With this dismissal, Polly and Eleanor had to go, and laughing still,
they went through the living-room door to join the others who sat about
the round table figuring and planning.
Sary very quietly closed the door between the two rooms, and Eleanor
whispered to Polly: "Poor Jeb! We had to leave him to his fate, after
all."
By six o'clock the next morning, the riders were on the way to Oak
Creek. Polly and Eleanor rode side by side and discussed a good name
for the claim. After suggesting and rejecting many fine sounding names,
Polly finally chuckled gleefully.
"You've thought of one!" declared Eleanor.
"Yes, just the thing! Won't 'Choko's Find' suit it?"
"Great! And it was little Choko that found it, too. If he hadn't fallen
over the cliff we never would have discovered the cave and the rest of
it."
"We'll call it that--'Choko's Find!' Say, everybody! Listen to this:
The mine is going to be called 'Choko's Find'--do you like it?" called
Polly to the other riders.
"Very appropriate," was the answer, so "Choko's Find" was its name.
Reaching Oak Creek, the party rode to Mr. Simm's office and Mr.
Brewster told the story in detail. The attorney was completely silenced
at the strangeness of the adventure but demanded proof in seeing the
ore before he would credit the tale.
"Well, Ah declare! If this isn't the derndest thing Ah ever heard of in
my life!" exclaimed Mr. Simms as he examined the nuggets.
"Simms, do you remember Montresor's nuggets and legacy?" asked Mr.
Brewster.
The lawyer looked quickly up at his questioner and a look of
understanding crept into his eyes. "Sam, Ah reckon it is the same!"
"The ledge, the canyon, the trails _and_ the river!" added Mr.
Brewster, convincingly.
"You-all just wait here till Ah get my papers from the Bank vault!"
excitedly cried the lawyer, snatching his cap and running out of the
office.
"Simms keeps his valuable papers in the masoned safe at the bank, you
know. If the town burns down during a miners' celebration some night,
his papers will be safe, anyway," explained Mr. Brewster.
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