Chapter XVI. Gold

by Zane Grey

　　As Lassiter had reported to Jane, Venters "went through" safely,and after a toilsome journey reached the peaceful shelter ofSurprise Valley. When finally he lay wearily down under thesilver spruces, resting from the strain of dragging packs andburros up the slope and through the entrance to Surprise Valley,he had leisure to think, and a great deal of the time went inregretting that he had not been frank with his loyal friend, JaneWithersteen.

　　But, he kept continually recalling, when he had stood once moreface to face with her and had been shocked at the change in herand had heard the details of her adversity, he had not had theheart to tell her of the closer interest which had entered hislife. He had not lied; yet he had kept silence.

　　Bess was in transports over the stores of supplies and the outfithe had packed from Cottonwoods. He had certainly brought ahundred times more than he had gone for; enough, surely, foryears, perhaps to make permanent home in the valley. He saw noreason why he need ever leave there again.

　　After a day of rest he recovered his strength and shared Bess'spleasure in rummaging over the endless packs, and began to planfor the future. And in this planning, his trip to Cottonwoods,with its revived hate of Tull and consequent unleashing of fiercepassions, soon faded out of mind. By slower degrees hisfriendship for Jane Withersteen and his contrition drifted fromthe active preoccupation of his present thought to a place inmemory, with more and more infrequent recalls.

　　And as far as the state of his mind was concerned, upon thesecond day after his return, the valley, with its golden hues andpurple shades, the speaking west wind and the cool, silent night,and Bess's watching eyes with their wonderful light, so wroughtupon Venters that he might never have left them at all.

　　That very afternoon he set to work. Only one thing hindered himupon beginning, though it in no wise checked his delight, andthat in the multiplicity of tasks planned to make a paradise outof the valley he could not choose the one with which to begin. Hehad to grow into the habit of passing from one dreamy pleasure toanother, like a bee going from flower to flower in the valley,and he found this wandering habit likely to extend to his labors.Nevertheless, he made a start.

　　At the outset he discovered Bess to be both a considerable helpin some ways and a very great hindrance in others. Her excitementand joy were spurs, inspirations; but she was utterlyimpracticable in her ideas, and she flitted from one plan toanother with bewildering vacillation. Moreover, he fancied thatshe grew more eager, youthful, and sweet; and he marked that itwas far easier to watch her and listen to her than it was towork. Therefore he gave her tasks that necessitated her goingoften to the cave where he had stored his packs.

　　Upon the last of these trips, when he was some distance down theterrace and out of sight of camp, he heard a scream, and then thesharp barking of the dogs.

　　For an instant he straightened up, amazed. Danger for her hadbeen absolutely out of his mind. She had seen a rattlesnake--or awildcat. Still she would not have been likely to scream at sightof either; and the barking of the dogs was ominous. Dropping hiswork, he dashed back along the terrace. Upon breaking through aclump of aspens he saw the dark form of a man in the camp. Cold,then hot, Venters burst into frenzied speed to reach his guns. Hewas cursing himself for a thoughtless fool when the man's tallform became familiar and he recognized Lassiter. Then thereversal of emotions changed his run to a walk; he tried to callout, but his voice refused to carry; when he reached camp therewas Lassiter staring at the white-faced girl. By that time Ringand Whitie had recognized him.

　　"Hello, Venters! I'm makin' you a visit," said Lassiter, slowly."An' I'm some surprised to see you've a--a young feller forcompany."

　　One glance had sufficed for the keen rider to read Bess's realsex, and for once his cool calm had deserted him. He stared tillthe white of Bess's cheeks flared into crimson. That, if it wereneeded, was the concluding evidence of her femininity, for itwent fittingly with her sun-tinted hair and darkened, dilatedeyes, the sweetness of her mouth, and the striking symmetry ofher slender shape.

　　"Heavens! Lassiter!" panted Venters, when he caught his breath."What relief--it's only you! How--in the name of all that'swonderful--did you ever get here?"

　　"I trailed you. We--I wanted to know where you was, if you had asafe place. So I trailed you."

　　"Trailed me," cried Venters, bluntly.

　　"I reckon. It was some of a job after I got to them smooth rocks.I was all day trackin' you up to them little cut steps in therock. The rest was easy."

　　"Where's your hoss? I hope you hid him."

　　"I tied him in them queer cedars down on the slope. He can't beseen from the valley."

　　"That's good. Well, well! I'm completely dumfounded. It was myidea that no man could track me in here."

　　"I reckon. But if there's a tracker in these uplands as good asme he can find you."

　　"That's bad. That'll worry me. But, Lassiter, now you're here I'mglad to see you. And--and my companion here is not a youngfellow!...Bess, this is a friend of mine. He saved my life once."

　　The embarrassment of the moment did not extend to Lassiter.Almost at once his manner, as he shook hands with Bess, relievedVenters and put the girl at ease. After Venters's words and onequick look at Lassiter, her agitation stilled, and, though shewas shy, if she were conscious of anything out of the ordinary inthe situation, certainly she did not show it.

　　"I reckon I'll only stay a little while," Lassiter was saying."An' if you don't mind troublin', I'm hungry. I fetched somebiscuits along, but they're gone. Venters, this place is sure thewonderfullest ever seen. Them cut steps on the slope! That outletinto the gorge! An' it's like climbin' up through hell intoheaven to climb through that gorge into this valley! There's aqueer-lookin' rock at the top of the passage. I didn't have timeto stop. I'm wonderin' how you ever found this place. It's sureinterestin'."

　　During the preparation and eating of dinner Lassiter listenedmostly, as was his wont, and occasionally he spoke in his quaintand dry way. Venters noted, however, that the rider showed anincreasing interest in Bess. He asked her no questions, and onlydirected his attention to her while she was occupied and had noopportunity to observe his scrutiny. It seemed to Venters thatLassiter grew more and more absorbed in his study of Bess, andthat he lost his coolness in some strange, softening sympathy.Then, quite abruptly, he arose and announced the necessity forhis early departure. He said good-by to Bess in a voice gentleand somewhat broken, and turned hurriedly away. Ventersaccompanied him, and they had traversed the terrace, climbed theweathered slope, and passed under the stone bridge before eitherspoke again.

　　Then Lassiter put a great hand on Venters's shoulder and wheeledhim to meet a smoldering fire of gray eyes.

　　"Lassiter, I couldn't tell Jane! I couldn't," burst out Venters,reading his friend's mind. "I tried. But I couldn't. She wouldn'tunderstand, and she has troubles enough. And I love the girl!"

　　"Venters, I reckon this beats me. I've seen some queer things inmy time, too. This girl--who is she?"

　　"I don't know."

　　"Don't know! What is she, then?"

　　"I don't know that, either. Oh, it's the strangest story you everheard. I must tell you. But you'll never believe."

　　"Venters, women were always puzzles to me. But for all that, ifthis girl ain't a child, an' as innocent, I'm no fit person tothink of virtue an' goodness in anybody. Are you goin' to besquare with her?"

　　"I am--so help me God!"

　　"I reckoned so. Mebbe my temper oughtn't led me to make sure.But, man, she's a woman in all but years. She's sweeter 'n thesage."

　　"Lassiter, I know, I know. And the hell of it is that in spite ofher innocence and charm she's--she's not what she seems!"

　　"I wouldn't want to--of course, I couldn't call you a liar,Venters," said the older man.

　　"What's more, she was Oldring's Masked Rider!"

　　Venters expected to floor his friend with that statement, but hewas not in any way prepared for the shock his words gave. For aninstant he was astounded to see Lassiter stunned; then his ownpassionate eagerness to unbosom himself, to tell the wonderfulstory, precluded any other thought.

　　"Son, tell me all about this," presently said Lassiter as heseated himself on a stone and wiped his moist brow.

　　Thereupon Venters began his narrative at the point where he hadshot the rustler and Oldring's Masked Rider, and he rushedthrough it, telling all, not holding back even Bess's unreservedavowal of her love or his deepest emotions.

　　"That's the story," he said, concluding. "I love her, though I'venever told her. If I did tell her I'd be ready to marry her, andthat seems impossible in this country. I'd be afraid to risktaking her anywhere. So I intend to do the best I can for herhere."

　　"The longer I live the stranger life is," mused Lassiter, withdowncast eyes. "I'm reminded of somethin' you once said to Janeabout hands in her game of life. There's that unseen hand ofpower, an' Tull's black hand, an' my red one, an' yourindifferent one, an' the girl's little brown, helpless one. An',Venters there's another one that's all-wise an' all-wonderful.That's the hand guidin' Jane Withersteen's game of life!...Yourstory's one to daze a far clearer head than mine. I can't offerno advice, even if you asked for it. Mebbe I can help you.Anyway, I'll hold Oldrin' up when he comes to the village an'find out about this girl. I knew the rustler years ago. He'llremember me."

　　"Lassiter, if I ever meet Oldring I'll kill him!" cried Venters,with sudden intensity.

　　"I reckon that'd be perfectly natural," replied the rider.

　　"Make him think Bess is dead--as she is to him and that oldlife."

　　"Sure, sure, son. Cool down now. If you're goin' to begin pullin'guns on Tull an' Oldin' you want to be cool. I reckon, though,you'd better keep hid here. Well, I must be leavin'."

　　"One thing, Lassiter. You'll not tell Jane about Bess? Pleasedon't!"

　　"I reckon not. But I wouldn't be afraid to bet that after she'dgot over anger at your secrecy--Venters, she'd be furious once inher life!--she'd think more of you. I don't mind sayin' formyself that I think you're a good deal of a man."

　　In the further ascent Venters halted several times with theintention of saying good-by, yet he changed his mind and kept onclimbing till they reached Balancing Rock. Lassiter examined thehuge rock, listened to Venters's idea of its position andsuggestion, and curiously placed a strong hand upon it.

　　"Hold on!" cried Venters. "I heaved at it once and have nevergotten over my scare."

　　"Well, you do seem uncommon nervous," replied Lassiter, muchamused. "Now, as for me, why I always had the funniest notion toroll stones! When I was a kid I did it, an' the bigger I got thebigger stones I'd roll. Ain't that funny? Honest--even now Ioften get off my hoss just to tumble a big stone over aprecipice, en' watch it drop, en' listen to it bang an' boom.I've started some slides in my time, an' don't you forget it. Inever seen a rock I wanted to roll as bad as this one! Wouldn'tthere jest be roarin', crashin' hell down that trail?"

　　"You'd close the outlet forever!" exclaimed Venters. "Well,good-by, Lassiter. Keep my secret and don't forget me. And bemighty careful how you get out of the valley below. The rustlers'canyon isn't more than three miles up the Pass. Now you'vetracked me here, I'll never feel safe again."

　　In his descent to the valley, Venters's emotion, roused tostirring pitch by the recital of his love story, quietedgradually, and in its place came a sober, thoughtful mood. All atonce he saw that he was serious, because he would never moreregain his sense of security while in the valley. What Lassitercould do another skilful tracker might duplicate. Among the manyriders with whom Venters had ridden he recalled no one who couldhave taken his trail at Cottonwoods and have followed it to theedge of the bare slope in the pass, let alone up that glisteningsmooth stone. Lassiter, however, was not an ordinary rider.Instead of hunting cattle tracks he had likely spent a goodlyportion of his life tracking men. It was not improbable thatamong Oldring's rustlers there was one who shared Lassiter's giftfor trailing. And the more Venters dwelt on this possibility themore perturbed he grew.

　　Lassiter's visit, moreover, had a disquieting effect upon Bess,and Venters fancied that she entertained the same thought as tofuture seclusion. The breaking of their solitude, though by awell-meaning friend, had not only dispelled all its dream andmuch of its charm, but had instilled a canker of fear. Both hadseen the footprint in the sand.

　　Venters did no more work that day. Sunset and twilight gave wayto night, and the canyon bird whistled its melancholy notes, andthe wind sang softly in the cliffs, and the camp-fire blazed andburned down to red embers. To Venters a subtle difference wasapparent in all of these, or else the shadowy change had been inhim. He hoped that on the morrow this slight depression wouldhave passed away.

　　In that measure, however, he was doomed to disappointment.Furthermore, Bess reverted to a wistful sadness that he had notobserved in her since her recovery. His attempt to cheer her outof it resulted in dismal failure, and consequently in a darkeningof his own mood. Hard work relieved him; still, when the day hadpassed, his unrest returned. Then he set to deliberate thinking,and there came to him the startling conviction that he must leaveSurprise Valley and take Bess with him. As a rider he had takenmany chances, and as an adventurer in Deception Pass he hadunhesitatingly risked his life, but now he would run nopreventable hazard of Bess's safety and happiness, and he was tookeen not to see that hazard. It gave him a pang to think ofleaving the beautiful valley just when he had the means toestablish a permanent and delightful home there. One flashingthought tore in hot temptation through his mind--why not climb upinto the gorge, roll Balancing Rock down the trail, and closeforever the outlet to Deception Pass? "That was the beast inme--showing his teeth!" muttered Venters, scornfully. "I'll justkill him good and quick! I'll be fair to this girl, if it's thelast thing I do on earth!"

　　Another day went by, in which he worked less and pondered moreand all the time covertly watched Bess. Her wistfulness haddeepened into downright unhappiness, and that made his task totell her all the harder. He kept the secret another day, hopingby some chance she might grow less moody, and to his exceedinganxiety she fell into far deeper gloom. Out of his own secret andthe torment of it he divined that she, too, had a secret and thekeeping of it was torturing her. As yet he had no plan thoughtout in regard to how or when to leave the valley, but he decidedto tell her the necessity of it and to persuade her to go.Furthermore, he hoped his speaking out would induce her tounburden her own mind.

　　"Bess, what's wrong with you?" he asked.

　　"Nothing," she answered, with averted face.

　　Venters took hold of her gently, though masterfully, forced herto meet his eyes.

　　"You can't look at me and lie," he said. "Now--what's wrong withyou? You're keeping something from me. Well, I've got a secret,too, and I intend to tell it presently."

　　"Oh--I have a secret. I was crazy to tell you when you came back.That's why I was so silly about everything. I kept holding mysecret back--gloating over it. But when Lassiter came I got anidea--that changed my mind. Then I hated to tell you."

　　"Are you going to now?"

　　"Yes--yes. I was coming to it. I tried yesterday, but you were socold. I was afraid. I couldn't keep it much longer."

　　"Very well, most mysterious lady, tell your wonderful secret."

　　"You needn't laugh," she retorted, with a first glimpse ofreviving spirit. "I can take the laugh out of you in one second."

　　"It's a go."

　　She ran through the spruces to the cave, and returned carryingsomething which was manifestly heavy. Upon nearer view he sawthat whatever she held with such evident importance had beenbound up in a black scarf he well remembered. That alone wassufficient to make him tingle with curiosity.

　　"Have you any idea what I did in your absence?" she asked.

　　"I imagine you lounged about, waiting and watching for me," hereplied, smiling. "I've my share of conceit, you know."

　　"You're wrong. I worked. Look at my hands." She dropped on herknees close to where he sat, and, carefully depositing the blackbundle, she held out her hands. The palms and inside of herfingers were white, puckered, and worn.

　　"Why, Bess, you've been fooling in the water," he said.

　　"Fooling? Look here!" With deft fingers she spread open the blackscarf, and the bright sun shone upon a dull, glittering heap ofgold.

　　"Gold!" he ejaculated.

　　"Yes, gold! See, pounds of gold! I found it--washed it out of thestream--picked it out grain by grain, nugget by nugget!"

　　"Gold!" he cried.

　　"Yes. Now--now laugh at my secret!"

　　For a long minute Venters gazed. Then he stretched forth a handto feel if the gold was real.

　　"Gold!" he almost shouted. "Bess, there are hundreds--thousandsof dollars' worth here!"

　　He leaned over to her, and put his hand, strong and clenchingnow, on hers.

　　"Is there more where this came from?" he whispered.

　　"Plenty of it, all the way up the stream to the cliff. You knowI've often washed for gold. Then I've heard the men talk. I thinkthere's no great quantity of gold here, but enough for--for afortune for you."

　　"That--was--your--secret! "

　　"Yes. I hate gold. For it makes men mad. I've seen them drunkwith joy and dance and fling themselves around. I've seen themcurse and rave. I've seen them fight like dogs and roll in thedust. I've seen them kill each other for gold."

　　"Is that why you hated to tell me?"

　　"Not--not altogether." Bess lowered her head. "It was because Iknew you'd never stay here long after you found gold."

　　"You were afraid I'd leave you?"

　　"Yes.

　　"Listen!...You great, simple child! Listen...You sweet,wonderful, wild, blue-eyed girl! I was tortured by my secret. Itwas that I knew we--we must leave the valley. We can't stay heremuch longer. I couldn't think how we'd get away--out of thecountry--or how we'd live, if we ever got out. I'm a beggar.That's why I kept my secret. I'm poor. It takes money to make waybeyond Sterling. We couldn't ride horses or burros or walkforever. So while I knew we must go, I was distracted over how togo and what to do. Now! We've gold! Once beyond Sterling, well besafe from rustlers. We've no others to fear.

　　"Oh! Listen! Bess!" Venters now heard his voice ringing high andsweet, and he felt Bess's cold hands in his crushing grasp as sheleaned toward him pale, breathless. "This is how much I'd leaveyou! You made me live again! I'll take you away--far away fromthis wild country. You'll begin a new life. You'll be happy. Youshall see cities, ships, people. You shall have anything yourheart craves. All the shame and sorrow of your life shall beforgotten--as if they had never been. This is how much I'd leaveyou here alone--you sad-eyed girl. I love you! Didn't you knowit? How could you fail to know it? I love you! I'm free! I'm aman--a man you've made--no more a beggar!...Kiss me! This is howmuch I'd leave you here alone--you beautiful, strange, unhappygirl. But I'll make you happy. What--what do I care for--yourpast! I love you! I'll take you home to Illinois--to my mother.Then I'll take you to far places. I'll make up all you've lost.Oh, I know you love me--knew it before you told me. And itchanged my life. And you'll go with me, not as my companion asyou are here, nor my sister, but, Bess, darling!...As my wife!"