desert gold- 第51部分

These　matters　were　unfortunate　for　Belding；　but　not　by　any　means　wholly　accountable　for　his　worry　and　unhappiness　and　brooding　hate。　He　believed　Dick　Gale　and　the　rest　of　the　party　taken　into　the　desert　by　the　Yaqui　had　been　killed　or　lost。　　Two　months　before　a　string　of　Mexican　horses；　riderless；　saddled；　starved　for　grass　and　wild　for　water；　had　come　in　to　Forlorn　River。　　They　were　a　part　of　the　horses　belonging　to　Rojas　and　his　band。　　Their　arrival　complicated　the　mystery　and　strengthened　convictions　of　the　loss　of　both　pursuers　and　pursued。　　Belding　was　wont　to　say　that　he　had　worried　himself　gray　over　the　fate　of　his　rangers。

Belding's　unhappiness　could　hardly　be　laid　to　material　loss。　　He　had　been　rich　and　was　now　poor；　but　change　of　fortune　such　as　that　could　not　have　made　him　unhappy。　　Something　more　somber　and　mysterious　and　sad　than　the　loss　of　Dick　Gale　and　their　friends　had　come　into　the　lives　of　his　wife　and　Nell。　　He　dated　the　time　of　this　change　back　to　a　certain　day　when　Mrs。　Belding　recognized　in　the　elder　Chase　an　old　schoolmate　and　a　rejected　suitor。　　It　took　time　for　slow…thinking　Belding　to　discover　anything　wrong　in　his　household；　especially　as　the　fact　of　the　Gales　lingering　there　made　Mrs。　Belding　and　Nell；　for　the　most　part；　hide　their　read　and　deeper　feelings。　　Gradually；　however；　Belding　had　forced　on　him　the　fact　of　some　secret　cause　for　grief　other　than　Gale's　loss。　He　was　sure　of　it　when　his　wife　signified　her　desire　to　make　a　visit　to　her　old　home　back　in　Peoria。　　She　did　not　give　many　reasons；　but　she　did　show　him　a　letter　that　had　found　its　way　from　old　friends。　　This　letter　contained　news　that　may　or　may　not　have　been　authentic；　but　it　was　enough；　Belding　thought；　to　interest　his　wife。　　An　old　prospector　had　returned　to　Peoria；　and　he　had　told　relatives　of　meeting　Robert　Burton　at　the　Sonoyta　Oasis　fifteen　years　before；　and　that　Burton　had　gone　into　the　desert　never　to　return。　　To　Belding　this　was　no　surprise；　for　he　had　heard　that　before　his　marriage。　　There　appeared　to　have　been　no　doubts　as　to　the　death　of　his　wife's　first　husband。　　The　singular　thing　was　that　both　Nell's　father　and　grandfather　had　been　lost　somewhere　in　the　Sonora　Desert。

Belding　did　not　oppose　his　wife's　desire　to　visit　her　old　home。　He　thought　it　would　be　a　wholesome　trip　for　her；　and　did　all　in　his　power　to　persuade　Nell　to　accompany　her。　　But　Nell　would　not　go。

It　was　after　Mrs。　Belding's　departure　that　Belding　discovered　in　Nell　a　condition　of　mind　that　amazed　and　distressed　him。　　She　had　suddenly　become　strangely　wretched；　so　that　she　could　not　conceal　it　from　even　the　Gales；　who；　of　all　people；　Belding　imagined；　were　the　ones　to　make　Nell　proud。　　She　would　tell　him　nothing。　　But　after　a　while；　when　he　had　thought　it　out；　he　dated　this　further　and　more　deplorable　change　in　Nell　back　to　a　day　on　which　he　had　met　Nell　with　Radford　Chase。　　This　indefatigable　wooer　had　not　in　the　least　abandoned　his　suit。　　Something　about　the　fellow　made　Belding　grind　his　teeth。　　But　Nell　grew　not　only　solicitously；　but　now　strangely；　entreatingly　earnest　in　her　importunities　to　Belding　not　ot　insult　or　lay　a　hand　on　Chase。　　This　had　bound　Belding　so　far；　it　had　made　him　think　and　watch。　　He　had　never　been　a　man　to　interfere　with　his　women　folk。　　They　could　do　as　they　liked；　and　usually　that　pleased　him。　　But　a　slow　surprise　gathered　and　grew　upon　him　when　he　saw　that　Nell；　apparently；　was　accepting　young　Chase's　attentions。　　At　least；　she　no　longer　hid　from　him。　　Belding　could　not　account　for　this；　because　he　was　sure　Nell　cordially　despised　the　fellow。　　And　toward　the　end　he　divined；　if　he　did　not　actually　know；　that　these　Chases　possessed　some　strange　power　over　Nell；　and　were　using　it。　That　stirred　a　hate　in　Beldinga　hate　he　had　felt　at　the　very　first　and　had　manfully　striven　against；　and　which　now　gave　him　over　to　dark　brooding　thoughts。

Midsummer　passed；　and　the　storms　came　late。　　But　when　they　arrived　they　made　up　for　tardiness。　　Belding　did　not　remember　so　terrible　a　storm　of　wind　and　rain　as　that　which　broke　the　summer's　drought。

In　a　few　days；　it　seemed；　Altar　Valley　was　a　bright　and　green　expanse；　where　dust　clouds　did　not　rise。　　Forlorn　River　ran；　a　slow；　heavy；　turgid　torrent。　　Belding　never　saw　the　river　in　flood　that　it　did　not　give　him　joy；　yet　now；　desert　man　as　he　was；　he　suffered　a　regret　when　he　thought　of　the　great　Chase　reservoir　full　and　overflowing。　　The　dull　thunder　of　the　spillway　was　not　pleasant。　　It　was　the　first　time　in　his　life　that　the　sound　of　falling　water　jarred　upon　him。

Belding　noticed　workmen　once　more　engaged　in　the　fields　bounding　his　land。　　The　Chases　had　extended　a　main　irrigation　ditch　down　to　Belding's　farm；　skipped　the　width　of　his　ground；　then　had　gone　on　down　through　Altar　Valley。　　They　had　exerted　every　influence　to　obtain　right　to　connect　these　ditches　by　digging　through　his　land；　but　Belding　had　remained　obdurate。　　He　refused　to　have　any　dealings　with　them。　　It　was　therefore　with　some　curiosity　and　suspicion　that　he　was　a　gang　of　Mexicans　once　more　at　work　upon　these　ditches。

At　daylight　next　morning　a　tremendous　blast　almost　threw　Belding　out　of　his　bed。　　It　cracked　the　adobe　walls　of　his　house　and　broke　windows　and　sent　pans　and　crockery　to　the　floor　with　a　crash。　Belding's　idea　was　that　the　store　of　dynamite　kept　by　the　Chases　for　blasting　had　blown　up。　　Hurriedly　getting　into　his　clothes；　he　went　to　Nell's　room　to　reassure　her；　and；　telling　her　to　have　a　thought　for　their　guests；　he　went　out　to　see　what　had　happened。

The　villagers　were　pretty　badly　frightened。　　Many　of　the　poorly　constructed　adobe　huts　had　crumbled　almost　into　dust。　　A　great　yellow　cloud；　like　smoke；　hung　over　the　river。　　This　appeared　to　be　at　the　upper　end　of　Belding's　plot；　and　close　to　the　river。　When　he　reached　his　fence　the　smoke　and　dust　were　so　thick　he　could　scarcely　breathe；　and　for　a　little　while　he　was　unable　to　see　what　had　happened。　　Presently　he　made　out　a　huge　hole　in　the　sand　just　abut　where　the　irrigation　ditch　had　stopped　near　his　line。　　For　some　reason　or　other；　not　clear　to　Belding；　the　Mexicans　had　set　off　an　extraordinarily　heavy　blast　at　that　point。

Belding　pondered。　　He　did　not　now　for　a　moment　consider　an　accidental　discharge　of　dynamite。　　But　why　had　this　blast　been　set　off？　　The　loose　sandy　soil　had　yielded　readily　to　shovel；　there　were　no　rocks；　as　far　as　construction　of　a　ditch　was　concerned　such　a　blast　would　have　odne　more　harm　than　good。

Slowly；　with　reluctant　feet；　Belding　walked　toward　a　green　hollow；　where　in　a　cluster　of　willows　lay　the　never…failing　spring　that　his　horses　loved　so　well；　and；　indeed；　which　he　loved　no　less。　He　was　actually　afraid　to　part　the　drooping　willows　to　enter　the　little　cool；　shady　path　that　led　to　the　spring。　　Then；　suddenly　seized　by　suspense；　he　ran　the　rest　of　the　way。

He　was　just　in　time　to　see　the　last　of　the　water。　　It　seemed　to　sink　as　in　quicksand。　　The　shape　of　the　hole　had　changed。　　The　tremendous　force　of　the　blast　in　the　adjoining　field　had　obstructed　or　diverted　the　underground　stream　of　water。

Belding's　never…failing　spring　had　been　ruined。　　What　had　made　this　little　plot　of　ground　green　and　sweet　and　fragrant　was　now　no　more。　　Belding's　first　feeling　was　for　the　pity　of　it。　　The　pale　Ajo　lilies　would　bloom　no　more　under　those　willows。　　The　willows　themselves　would　soon　wither　and　die。　　He　thought　how　many　times　in　the　middle　of　hot　summer　nights　he　had　come　down　to　the　spring　to　drink。　　Never　again！

Suddenly　he　thought　of　Blanco　Diablo。　　How　the　great　white　thoroughbred　had　loved　this　spring！　　Belding　straightened　up　and　looked　with　tear…blurred　eyes　out　over　the　waste　of　desert　to　the　west。　　Never　a　day　passed　that　he　had　not　thought　of　the　splendid　horse；　but　this　moment；　with　its　significant　memory；　was　doubly　keen；　and　there　came　a　dull　pang　in　his　breast。

〃Diablo　will　never　drink　here　again！〃　muttered　Belding。

The　loss　of　Blanco　Diablo；　though　admitted　and　mourned　by　Belding；　had　never　seemed　quite　real　until　this　moment。

The　pall　of　dust　drifting　over　him；　the　din　of　the　falling　water　up　at　the　dam；　diverted　Belding's　mind　to　the　Chases。　　All　at　once　he　was　in　the　harsh　grip　of　a　cold　certainty。　　The　blast　had　been　set　off　intentionally　to　ruin　his　spring。　　What　a　hellish　trick！　　No　Westerner；　no　Indian　or　Mexican；　no　desert　man　could　have　been　guilty　of　such　a　crime。　　To　ruin　a　beautiful；　clear；　cool；　never…failing　stream　of　water　in　the　desert！

It　was　then　that　Belding's　worry　and　indecision　and　brooding　were　as　if　they　had　never　existed。　　As　he　strode　swiftly　back　to　the　house；　his　head；　which　had　long　been　bent　thoughtfully　and　sadly；　was　held　erect。　　He　went　directly　to　his　room；　and　with　an　air　that　was　now　final　he　buckled　on　his　gun　belt。　　He　looked　the　gun　over　and　tried　the　action。　　He　squared　himself　and　walked　a　little　more　erect。　　Some　long…lost　individuality　had　returned　to　Belding。

〃Let's　see；〃　he　was　saying。　　〃I　can　get　Carter　to　send　the　horses　I've　left　back　to　Waco　to　my　brother。　　I'll　make　Nell　take　what　money　there　is　and　go　hunt　up　her　mother。　　The　Gales　are　ready　to　goto…day；　if　I　say　the　word。　　Nell　can　travel　with　them　part　way　East。　　That's　your　game；　Tom　Belding；　don't　mistake　me。〃

As　he　went　out　he　encountered　Mr。　Gale　coming　up　the　walk。　　The　long　sojourn　at　Forlorn　River；　despite　the　fact　that　it　had　been　laden　with　a　suspense　which　was　gradually　changing　to　a　sad　certainty；　had　been　of　great　benefit　to　Dick's　father。　　The　dry　air；　the　heat；　and　the　quiet　had　made　him；　if　not　entirely　a　well　man；　certainly　stronger　than　he　had　been　in　many　years。

〃Belding；　what　was　that　terrible　roar？〃　asked　Mr。　Gale。　　〃We　were　badly　frightened　until　Miss　Nell　came　to　us。　　We　feared　it　was　an　earthquake。〃

〃Well；　I'll　tell　you；　Mr。　Gale；　we've　had　some　quakes　here；　but　none　of　them　could　hold　a　candle　to　this　jar　we　just　had。〃

Then　Belding　explained　what　had　caused　the　explosion；　and　why　it　had　been　set　off　so　close　to　his　property。

〃It's　an　outrage；　sir；　an　unspeakable　outrage；〃　declared　Mr。　Gale；　hotly。　　〃Such　a　thing　would　not　be　tolerated　in　the　East。　　Mr。　Belding；　I'm　amazed　at　your　attitude　in　the　face　of　all　this　trickery。〃

〃You　seethere　was　mother　and　Nell；〃