Cavanagh, Forest Ranger: A Romance of the Mountain West

As it grew dark she lighted a lamp and placed it outside the window in order that its light might catch the ranger’s eye, and this indeed it did, for almost instantly a pistol-shot echoed from the hillside, far above, signalling his approach.

“There he is!” she exclaimed, in swift rebound to ecstasy. “Hear him shout?”

His voice could indeed be heard, though faintly, and so they waited while the darkness deepened and the voice of the stream rose like an exhalation, increasing in violence as the night fell.

At last they could hear the sound of his horse’s feet upon the rocks, and with girlish impulse Lee raised a musical cry – an invitation as well as a joyous signal.

To this the ranger made vocal answer, and they could soon see him moving athwart the hillsides, zigzagging in the trailer’s fashion, dropping down with incredible swiftness. He was alone, and leading his horse, but his celerity of movement and the tones of his voice denoted confidence and health.

The doctor laughed as he said: “I don’t think a very sick man could come down a mountain like that.”

“Oh, he isn’t sick yet,” said Redfield. “What we are afraid of is a possible development.”

The ranger, as he came rushing down the final slope, found his knees weakened as much by excitement as by weariness. To hear Lee’s clear voice down there, to know that she was waiting for him, was to feel himself the luckiest of men. Escaping contagion and being on his way to a larger position were as nothing compared to the lure of that girlish halloo. He saw the lamp shine afar, but he could not distinguish the girl’s form till he emerged from the clump of pine-trees which hid the bottom of the trail. Then they all shouted together, and Redfield, turning to Lee, warningly said:

“Now, my dear girl, you and I must not interfere with the doctor. We will start back to the house at once.”

“Not yet – not till we’ve seen him and talked with him,” she pleaded.

“I don’t think there’s a particle of danger,” said the doctor, “but perhaps you’d better not wait.”

Cavanagh came up with shining eyes and heavy breath. “I made it – but oh, I’m tired! I never was tired like this before in my life.” He looked at her as he spoke. “But I’m feeling fine.”

“This is Doctor French, Ross.”

“How are you doctor? I’m not shaking hands these days.”

“Well see about that,” replied the physician.

“I met the sheriff on the way, Mr. Supervisor, and I gave him the story Dunn told me, and I made a request that the reward for the information be paid to Dunn’s widow.”

“I’ll see to that,” responded Redfield. “And now we’ll leave you to the tender mercies of the doctor.”

“I made some coffee for you, and you’ll find some supper under a napkin on the table,” explained Lee.

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry it isn’t better. It’s only cold chicken and sandwiches – ”

“Only cold chicken!” he laughed. “My chief anxiety is lest it should not prove a whole chicken. I’m hungry as a coyote!”

“Well, now, good-night,” said Redfield. “Doctor, you’ll report as you go by?”

“Yes; expect me in half an hour or so.”

And so Lee walked away with Redfield, almost entirely relieved of her care. “He can’t be ill, can he?” she asked.

“I don’t see how he can. His life has made him as clean and strong as an oak-tree on a windy slope. He is all right, and very happy. Your being there to meet him was very sweet to him, I could see that. If it should turn out that you should be the one to keep him here and in the Forest Service I shall be very grateful to you.”

She did not reply to this, but walked along in silence by his side, feeling very small, very humble, but very content.

Lize was on the veranda. “Did he get through?”

“He’s all right so far,” returned Redfield, cheerily. “We left the doctor about to fly at him. We’ll have a report soon.”

They had hardly finished telling of how the ranger had descended the hill when the doctor arrived. “He hasn’t a trace of it,” was his report. “All he needs is sleep. I cut him off from his entire over-the-range outfit, and there’s no reason why he should not come down to breakfast with you in the morning.”

Mrs. Redfield thanked the doctor as fervently as if he had conferred a personal favor upon her, and the girl echoed her grateful words.

“Oh, that’s all right,” the doctor replied, in true Western fashion; “I’ll do as much more for you any time.” And he rode away, leaving at least one person too happy to sleep.

The same person was on the veranda next morning when Cavanagh, dressed in the Supervisor’s best suit of gray cassimere, came striding across the lawn – too impatient of the winding drive to follow it. As he came, his face glowing with recovered health, Lee thought him the god of the morning, and went to meet him unashamed, and he took her to his arms and kissed her quite as he had promised himself to do.

“Now I know that I am delivered!” he exclaimed, and together they entered upon the building of a home in the New West.

THE END