the Light Of Western Stars (1992) (34 page)

"Now just to see how it ought to be done watch Florence," said Madeline
.

The Western girl was at her best in riding-habit and with her horse
.
It was beautiful to see the ease and grace with which she accomplished the cowboys' flying mount
.
Then she led the party down the slope and across the flat to climb the mesa
.

Madeline never saw a group of her cowboys without looking them over, almost unconsciously, for her foreman, Gene Stewart
.
This afternoon, as usual, he was not present
.
However, she now had a sense-of which she was wholly conscious-that she was both disappointed and irritated
.
He had really not been attentive to her guests, and he, of all her cowboys, was the one of whom they wanted most to see something
.
Helen, particularly, had asked to have him attend the match
.
But Stewart was with the cattle
.
Madeline thought of his faithfulness, and was ashamed of her momentary lapse into that old imperious habit of desiring things irrespective of reason
.

Stewart, however, immediately slipped out of her mind as she surveyed the group of cowboys on the links
.
By actual count there were sixteen, not including Stillwell
.
And the same number of splendid horses, all shiny and clean, grazed on the rim in the care of Mexican lads
.
The cowboys were on dress-parade, looking very different in Madeline's eyes, at least, from the way cowboys usually appeared
.
But they were real and natural to her guests; and they were so picturesque that they might have been stage cowboys instead of real ones
.
Sombreros with silver buckles and horsehair bands were in evidence; and bright silk scarfs, embroidered vests, fringed and ornamented chaps, huge swinging guns, and clinking silver spurs lent a festive appearance
.

Madeline and her party were at once eagerly surrounded by the cowboys, and she found it difficult to repress a smile
.
If these cowboys were still remarkable to her, what must they be to her guests?

"Wal, you-all raced over, I seen," said Stillwell, taking Madeline's bridle
.
"Get down-get down
.
We're sure amazin' glad an' proud
.
An', Miss Majesty, I'm offerin' to beg pawdin for the way the boys are packin' guns
.
Mebbe it ain't polite
.
But it's Stewart's orders
.
"

"Stewart's orders!" echoed Madeline
.
Her friends were suddenly silent
.

"I reckon he won't take no chances on the boys bein' surprised sudden by raiders
.
An' there's raiders operatin' in from the Guadalupes
.
That's all
.
Nothin' to worry over
.
I was just explainin'
.
"

Madeline, with several of her party, expressed relief, but Helen showed excitement and then disappointment
.

"Oh, I want something to happen!" she cried
.

Sixteen pairs of keen cowboy eyes fastened intently upon her pretty, petulant face; and Madeline divined, if Helen did not, that the desired consummation was not far off
.

"So do I," said Dot Coombs
.
"It would be perfectly lovely to have a real adventure
.
"

The gaze of the sixteen cowboys shifted and sought the demure face of this other discontented girl
.
Madeline laughed, and Stillwell wore his strange, moving smile
.

"Wal, I reckon you ladies sure won't have to go home unhappy," he said
.
"Why, as boss of this heah outfit I'd feel myself disgraced forever if you didn't have your wish
.
Just wait
.
An' now, ladies, the matter on hand may not be amusin' or excitin' to you; but to this heah cowboy outfit it's powerful important
.
An' all the help you can give us will sure be thankfully received
.
Take a look across the links
.
Do you-all see them two apologies for human bein's prancin' like a couple of hobbled broncs?Wal, you're gazin' at Monty Price an' Link Stevens, who have of a sudden got too swell to associate with their old bunkies
.
They're practisin' for the toornament
.
They don't want my boys to see how they handle them crooked clubs
.
"

"Have you picked your team?" inquired Madeline
.

Stillwell mopped his red face with an immense bandana, and showed something of confusion and perplexity
.

"I've sixteen boys, an' they all want to play," he replied
.
"Pickin' the team ain't goin' to be an easy job
.
Mebbe it won't be healthy, either
.
There's Nels and Nick
.
They just stated cheerful-like that if they didn't play we won't have any game at all
.
Nick never tried before, an' Nels, all he wants is to get a crack at Monty with one of them crooked clubs
.
"

"I suggest you let all your boys drive from the tee and choose the two who drive the farthest," said Madeline
.

Stillwell's perplexed face lighted up
.

"Wal, that's a plumb good idee
.
The boys'll stand for that
.
"

Wherewith he broke up the admiring circle of cowboys round the ladies
.

"Grap a rope-I mean a club-all you cow-punchers, an' march over hyar an' take a swipe at this little white bean
.
"

The cowboys obeyed with alacrity
.
There was considerable difficulty over the choice of clubs and who should try first
.
The latter question had to be adjusted by lot
.
However, after Frankie Slade made several ineffectual attempts to hit the ball from the teeing-ground, at last to send it only a few yards, the other players were not so eager to follow
.
Stillwell had to push Booly forward, and Booly executed a most miserable shot and retired to the laughing comments of his comrades
.
The efforts of several succeeding cowboys attested to the extreme difficulty of making a good drive
.

"Wal, Nick, it's your turn," said Stillwell
.

"Bill, I ain't so all-fired particular about playin'," replied Nick
.

"Why? You was roarin' about it a little while ago
.
Afraid to show how bad you'll play?"

"Nope, jest plain consideration for my feller cow-punchers," answered Nick, with spirit
.
"I'm appreciatin' how bad they play, an' I'm not mean enough to show them up
.
"

"Wal, you've got to show me," said Stillwell
.
"I know you never seen a gol-lof stick in your life
.
What's more, I'll bet you can't hit that little ball square-not in a dozen cracks at it
.
"

"Bill, I'm also too much of a gent to take your money
.
But you know I'm from Missouri
.
Gimme a club
.
"

Nick's angry confidence seemed to evaporate as one after another he took up and handled the clubs
.
It was plain that he had never before wielded one
.
But, also, it was plain that he was not the kind of a man to give in
.
Finally he selected a driver, looked doubtfully at the small knob, and then stepped into position on the teeing-ground
.

Nick Steele stood six feet four inches in height
.
He had the rider's wiry slenderness, yet he was broad of shoulder
.
His arms were long
.
Manifestly he was an exceedingly powerful man
.
He swing the driver aloft and whirled it down with a tremendous swing
.
Crack!The white ball disappeared, and from where it had been rose a tiny cloud of dust
.

Madeline's quick sight caught the ball as it lined somewhat to the right
.
It was shooting low and level with the speed of a bullet
.
It went up and up in swift, beautiful flight, then lost its speed and began to sail, to curve, to drop; and it fell out of sight beyond the rim of the mesa
.
Madeline had never seen a drive that approached this one
.
It was magnificent, beyond belief except for actual evidence of her own eyes
.

The yelling of the cowboys probably brought Nick Steele out of the astounding spell with which he beheld his shot
.
Then Nick, suddenly alive to the situation, recovered from his trance and, resting nonchalantly upon his club, he surveyed Stillwell and the boys
.
After their first surprised outburst they were dumb
.

You-all seen thet?"Nick grandly waved his hand
.
"Thaught I was joshin', didn't you?Why, I used to go to St
.
Louis an' Kansas City to play this here game
.
There was some talk of the golf clubs takin' me down East to play the champions
.
But I never cared fer the game
.
Too easy fer me! Them fellers back in Missouri were a lot of cheap dubs, anyhow, always kickin' because whenever I hit a ball hard I always lost it
.
Why, I hed to hit sort of left-handed to let 'em stay in my class
.
Now you-all can go ahead an' play Monty an' Link
.
I could beat 'em both, playin' with one hand, if I wanted to
.
But I ain't interested
.
I jest hit thet ball off the mesa to show you
.
I sure wouldn't be seen playin' on your team
.
"

With that Nick sauntered away toward the horses
.
tillwell appeared crushed
.
And not a scornful word was hurled after Nick, which fact proved the nature of his victory
.
Then Nels strode into the limelight
.
As far as it was possible for this iron-faced cowboy to be so, he was bland and suave
.
He remarked to Stillwell and the other cowboys that sometimes it was painful for them to judge of the gifts of superior cowboys such as belonged to Nick and himself
.
He picked up the club Nick had used and called for a new ball
.
Stillwell carefully built up a little mound of sand and, placing the ball upon it, squared away to watch
.
He looked grim and expectant
.

Nels was not so large a man as Nick, and did not look so formidable as he waved his club at the gaping cowboys
.
Still he was lithe, tough, strong
.
Briskly, with a debonair manner, he stepped up and then delivered a mighty swing at the ball
.
He missed
.
The power and momentum of his swing flung him off his feet, and he actually turned upside down and spun round on his head
.
The cowboys howled
.
Stillwell's stentorian laugh rolled across the mesa
.
Madeline and her guests found it impossible to restrain their mirth
.
And when Nels got up he cast a reproachful glance at Madeline
.
His feelings were hurt
.

His second attempt, not by any means so violent, resulted in as clean a miss as the first, and brought jeers from the cowboys
.
Nels's red face flamed redder
.
Angrily he swung again
.
The mound of sand spread over the teeing-ground and the exasperating little ball rolled a few inches
.
This time he had to build up the sand mound and replace the ball himself
.
Stillwell stood scornfully by, and the boys addressed remarks to Nels
.

"Take off them blinders," said one
.

"Nels, your eyes are shore bad," said another
.