Free Zane Grey by The Last Trail

better tell ye."
    "Well, well," said Colonel Zane reflectively. He recalled Sheppard's
talk about an Englishman. "Alex, you did well to tell me. Was the man
drunk when he said he came west after a woman?"
    "Sure he was," replied Alex. "But not when he spoke the name. Ye see I
got suspicious, an' asked about him. It's this way: Jake Wentz, the
trader, told me the fellow asked for the Sheppards when he got off the
wagon-train. When I first seen him he was drunk, and I heard Jeff Lynn
say as how the border was a bad place to come after a woman. That's
what made me prick up my ears. Then the Englishman said: 'It is, eh?
By God! I'd go to hell after a woman I wanted.' An' Colonel, he
looked it, too."
    Colonel Zane remained thoughtful while Alex made up a bundle and
forced the haft of an ax under the string; but as the young man
started away the colonel suddenly remembered his errand down to
the wharf.
    "Alex, come back here," he said, and wondered if the lad had good
stuff in him. The boatman's face was plain, but not evil, and a close
scrutiny of it rather prepossessed the colonel.
    "Alex, I've some bad news for you," and then bluntly, with his keen
gaze fastened on the young man's face, he told of old Lane's murder,
of Mabel's abduction, and of her rescue by Wetzel.
    Alex began to curse and swear vengeance.
    "Stow all that," said the colonel sharply. "Wetzel followed four
Indians who had Mabel and some stolen horses. The redskins quarreled
over the girl, and two took the horses, leaving Mabel to the others.
Wetzel went after these last, tomahawked them, and brought Mabel home.
She was in a bad way, but is now getting over the shock."
    "Say, what'd we do here without Wetzel?" Alex said huskily, unmindful
of the tears that streamed from his eyes and ran over his brown
cheeks. "Poor old Jake! Poor Mabel! Damn me! it's my fault. If I'd 'a
done right an' married her as I should, as I wanted to, she wouldn't
have had to suffer. But I'll marry her yet, if she'll have me. It was
only because I had no farm, no stock, an' only that little cabin as is
full now, that I waited."
    "Alex, you know me," said Colonel Zane in kindly tones. "Look there,
down the clearing half a mile. See that green strip of land along the
river, with the big chestnut in the middle and a cabin beyond. There's
as fine farming land as can be found on the border, eighty acres, well
watered. The day you marry Mabel that farm is yours."
    Alex grew red, stammered, and vainly tried to express his gratitude.
    "Come along, the sooner you tell Mabel the better," said the colonel
with glowing face. He was a good matchmaker. He derived more pleasure
from a little charity bestowed upon a deserving person, than from a
season's crops.
    When they arrived at the Sheppard house the girls were still on the
porch. Mabel rose when she saw Alex, standing white and still. He,
poor fellow, was embarrassed by the others, who regarded him with
steady eyes.
    Colonel Zane pushed Alex up on the porch, and said in a low voice:
"Mabel, I've just arranged something you're to give Alex. It's a nice
little farm, and it'll be a wedding present."
    Mabel looked in a bewildered manner from Colonel Zane's happy face to
the girls, and then at the red, joyous features of her lover. Only
then did she understand, and uttering a strange little cry, put her
trembling hands to her bosom as she swayed to and fro.
    But she did not fall, for Alex, quick at the last, leaped forward and
caught her in his arms.
*
    That evening Helen denied herself to Mr. Brandt and several other
callers. She sat on the porch with her father while he smoked
his pipe.
    "Where's Will?" she asked.
    "Gone after snipe, so he said," replied her father.
    "Snipe? How funny! Imagine Will hunting! He's surely catching the wild
fever Colonel Zane told us about."
    "He surely is."
    Then came a time of silence. Mr. Sheppard, accustomed to Helen's
gladsome spirit and propensity to gay chatter, noted how quiet she
was, and wondered.
    "Why are you so