第20章

"Her father simply follows behind her and adores, as do all things that come near her, down, or up, perhaps, to her two dogs--Wolf and Loo--for either of which she would readily die if need be.Still,"he added, after a pause, "it IS a shame, as you say.She ought to know something of the refinements of civilization, to which, after all, she belongs, and from which none of us can hope to escape."The Duke was silent for a few moments, and then added, with some hesitation: "Then, too, she is quite a pagan; never saw a prayer-book, you know."

And so it came about, chiefly through The Duke's influence, Iimagine, that I was engaged by the Old Timer to go up to his ranch every week and teach his daughter something of the elementaries of a lady's education.

My introduction was ominous of the many things I was to suffer of that same young maiden before I had finished my course with her.

The Old Timer had given careful directions as to the trail that would lead me to the canyon where he was to meet me.Up the Swan went the trail, winding ever downward into deeper and narrower coulees and up to higher open sunlit slopes, till suddenly it settled into a valley which began with great width and narrowed to a canyon whose rocky sides were dressed out with shrubs and trailing vines and wet with trickling rivulets from the numerous springs that oozed and gushed from the black, glistening rocks.

This canyon was an eerie place of which ghostly tales were told from the old Blackfeet times.And to this day no Blackfoot will dare to pass through this black-walled, oozy, glistening canyon after the moon has passed the western lip.But in the warm light of broad day the canyon was a good enough place; cool and sweet, and I lingered through, waiting for the Old Timer, who failed to appear till the shadows began to darken its western black sides.

Out of the mouth of the canyon the trail climbed to a wide stretch of prairie that swept up over soft hills to the left and down to the bright gleaming waters of the Devil's Lake on the right.In the sunlight the lake lay like a gem radiant with many colors, the far side black in the shadow of the crowding pines, then in the middle deep, blue and purple, and nearer, many shades of emerald that ran quite to the white, sandy beach.Right in front stood the ranch buildings, upon a slight rising ground and surrounded by a sturdy palisade of upright pointed poles.This was the castle of the princess.I rode up to the open gate, then turned and stood to look down upon the marvellous lake shining and shimmering with its many radiant colors.Suddenly there was an awful roar, my pony shot round upon his hind legs after his beastly cayuse manner, deposited me sitting upon the ground and fled down the trail, pursued by two huge dogs that brushed past me as I fell.I was aroused from my amazement by a peal of laughter, shrill but full of music.Turning, I saw my pupil, as I guessed, standing at the head of a most beautiful pinto (spotted) pony with a heavy cattle quirt in her hand.I scrambled to my feet and said, somewhat angrily, Ifear:

"What are you laughing at? Why don't you call back your dogs?

They will chase my pony beyond all reach."She lifted her little head, shook back her masses of brown-red hair, looked at me as if I were quite beneath contempt and said:

"No, they will kill him."

"Then," said I, for I was very angry, "I will kill them," pulling at the revolver in my belt.

"Then," she said, and for the first time I noticed her eyes blue-black, with gray rims, "I will kill you," and she whipped out an ugly-looking revolver.From her face I had no doubt that she would not hesitate to do as she had said.I changed my tactics, for Iwas anxious about my pony, and said, with my best smile:

"Can't you call them back? Won't they obey you?"Her face changed in a moment.

"Is it your pony? Do you love him very much?""Dearly!" I said, persuading myself of a sudden affection for the cranky little brute.