Gordon Keith eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 667 pages of information about Gordon Keith.

Gordon Keith eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 667 pages of information about Gordon Keith.

“You had better go inside.  It’s going to be a bad night.”

A slight change came over her face, and she hesitated.  But when he insisted, she said quietly, “Very well.”

As the passengers were about to take their seats in the coach, a young man enveloped in a heavy ulster came hurriedly out of the hotel, followed by a servant with several bags in his hands, and pushed hastily into the group, who were preparing to enter the coach in a more leisurely fashion.  His hat partly concealed his face, but something about him called up memories to Keith that were not wholly pleasant.  When he reached the coach door Jake Dennison and another man were just on the point of helping in one of the women.  The young man squeezed in between them.

“I beg your pardon,” he said.

The two men stood aside at the polite tone, and the other stepped into the stage and took the back seat, where he proceeded to make himself comfortable in a corner.  This, perhaps, might have passed but for the presence of the women.  Woman at this mountain Eden was at a premium, as she was in the first.

Jake Dennison and his friend both asserted promptly that there was no trouble about three of the ladies getting back seats, and Jake, putting his head in at the door, said briefly: 

“Young man, there are several ladies out here.  You will have to give up that seat.”

As there was no response to this, he put his head in again.

“Didn’t you hear?  I say there are some ladies out here.  You will have to take another seat.”

To this the occupant of the stage replied that he had paid for his seat; but there were plenty of other seats that they could have.  This was repeated on the outside, and thereupon one of the women said she supposed they would have to take one of the other seats.

Women do not know the power of surrender.  This surrender had no sooner been made than every man outside was her champion.

“You will ride on that back seat to Gumbolt to-night, or I’ll ride in Jim Digger’s hearse.  I am layin’ for him anyhow.”  The voice was Jake Dennison’s.

“And I’ll ride with him.  Stand aside, Jake, and let me git in there.  I’ll yank him out,” said his friend.

But Jake was not prepared to yield to any one the honor of “yanking.”  Jake had just been down to Squire Rawson’s, and this young man was none other than Mr. Ferdy Wickersham.  He had been there, too.

Jake had left with vengeance in his heart, and this was his opportunity.  He was just entering the stage head foremost, when the occupant of the coveted seat decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and announced that he would give up the seat, thereby saving Keith the necessity of intervening, which he was about to do.

The ejected tenant was so disgruntled that he got out of the stage, and, without taking any further notice of the occupants, called up to know if there was a seat outside.

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Project Gutenberg
Gordon Keith from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.