CHAPTER THIRTEEN

_The Man with Cat's Eyes_

Unless she kept her wits about her, Cindy told herself, this whole day might very well be lost. A little wisp of black smoke curled up from the skillet in which she was cooking bacon. Alec, standing beside her, shouted, "Hey! It's burning!"

Hastily Cindy slid a fork under the burning bacon and flipped it over. Alec said, in true big-brother style, "You've burned it and we have no food to waste."

"It's only burned a little," Cindy said.

"A little is too much. We may have to get along with what's here until Dad and Mr. Brent come back from Plains City."

Cindy said, "Now, as I told you, Alec, the cave--"

"And as I've told you at least fifteen times," Alec broke in, "there's work to be done."

"Father didn't say so," Cindy reminded her brother.

"Father doesn't have to tell me every move to make," said Alec. "Don't you know we have a farm to build up?"

"Of course I know," Cindy said. "But do we have to spend every single second building it?"

"We do until it's ready. Right now we need a corral for the mules and Sunshine. I'm going to start cutting fence posts."

"But it will take such a very little while to reach the cave."

"How long?" Alec demanded.

"Oh," Cindy said lightly, "somewhat more than fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes there, fifteen back. I can do a lot of work in half an hour."

Cindy gave Alec his biscuits and bacon and lost herself in thought. Ever since yesterday afternoon, when the two youngsters had returned to the homestead, she had been scheming to get Alec out to the cave for a game of Indians. Alec was equally determined to stay home and work. Cindy set her jaw. The faint-hearted never got what they wanted. She fired another round.

"You know, Alec, I think it's a genuine Indian cave."

"Really? Gosh now!" Alec stifled his flash of interest. "No, sis. The work comes first."

"Why, of course it does," said Cindy, who knew very well that she had finally succeeded in putting at least a small dent in his armor. Alec would not be able to stop thinking about a genuine Indian cave. "And if you're finished with breakfast, you'd better get at it."

Carrying a double-bitted axe, a maul, a buck-saw, and three iron wedges, Alec went into the oak grove. As she washed the dishes, Cindy heard him chopping. There was indeed, she told herself, work to be done, and work was a noble thing. Reverend Thomas, back in Missouri, had always said that labor was blessed in the sight of the Lord. But Cindy was sure in her own heart that the Lord might look with understanding upon those who yearned to explore caves too.

Cindy bided her time. In his own way, Alec was stubborn as any mule. His mind had to be changed in much the same manner as a mule's. Cindy thought of the five big fish still trapped in the pool.

Alec liked fish. Today, as a special treat, she had intended to catch one and cook it for him. It would still be a good idea, Cindy thought, if it were changed a bit. There came the scrape of Alec's saw as he began cutting a tree into fencepost lengths.

Cindy wandered down to the creek, and now she didn't have to worry nearly as much about being seen. Almost all the men were in Plains City awaiting a chance to record their claims. Cindy stripped to her underwear, waded across, snared another fish, and took it back to camp. Alec came in for a drink of water, and he used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face.

"Getting warm," he said.

"We mustn't mind," said Cindy. "After all, we do have a farm to build up. If you've had enough water, you'd better get right back to work."

Cindy cooked the fish and nothing else for midday dinner, and she purposely did not put any salt on it. She called Alec, who took one bite and made a face.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Fish," said Cindy, "and I'm so ashamed because I burned the bacon this morning. We do have nothing to waste, and I thought that fish cooked the way Daddy and Mr. Brent and I ate it would sort of make up for the bacon I nearly spoiled."

"That's right," Alec said, but he did not say it enthusiastically. "Uh, just happens I'm not hungry."

He ate only half his fish and threw the other half in the fire.

"If you're finished, hadn't you better get back to work?" Cindy questioned. "There's no time to waste, either."

"Uh," said Alec, "guess I'd better."

There came the thudding of Alec's maul as he drove the iron wedges into a section of tree and began to split it into fence posts. Cindy walked down the steps into their dugout, banged a pan up and down two or three times to make Alec think she was working, and lay down on her bed. She didn't know how long Alec would work, but he should be in any minute. However, he held out longer than she thought he could, and it was past midafternoon when he finally came. Hearing him, Cindy leaped up, grabbed the broom, and was sweeping furiously when he appeared. Cindy managed to look surprised.

"Alec! Why have you left your work?"

"I've been pretty selfish, sis." He also sounded pretty tired. "It isn't right to keep you here all the time. Let's go look at your cave."

"Oh, no!" Cindy protested. "There's so much to be done and only us to do it!"

"Now, Cindy, Dad wouldn't like it if I let you overwork."

"Do you really think we should go?" Cindy questioned.

"I'm sure of it," Alec said. "Come on."

Cindy allowed herself to be persuaded. She saddled Sparkle, Alec took Sunshine, and they started out. After forty-five minutes Alec said, "Thought you said the cave was fifteen minutes' ride?"

"I never did!" Cindy exclaimed. "I told you it was somewhat more than fifteen minutes!"

"We're wasting a lot of time." Alec worried.

But after another fifteen minutes he forgot about all the work that had to be done and gave himself entirely to this adventure. He liked the rough and broken land, was enchanted with the hill, and fascinated by the little trees. He shivered, and because the place was dark and mysterious he whispered instead of talking out loud.

"Where's the cave?" he asked.

"Through the trees," Cindy whispered back, "but we'll have to tie our ponies and crawl."

Cindy leading, Alec following, they crawled among the closely spaced trees toward the arroyo. Just before they came to it, they crossed a little clear space beyond which was a fringe of trees. Cindy crawled through the fringe and flattened herself on the ground. Very plainly, because the cave was a sounding board, she heard a voice she had heard before.

"I no like," said Tom LaMott. "I no like to fool weeth weetch girl."

"I tell you she's no witch girl, Tom," a second voice said. "She was just doing some simple tricks."

"I see her keel herself."

"She did not kill herself. That was another trick."

Cindy and Alec crawled just far enough forward so they could see. Sitting side by side in the cave were Tom LaMott and one of the two men Cindy had seen with him in Plains City.

"You sure she no keel herself?" Tom LaMott demanded.

"Look, you--"

"No say 'look, you' at me!" LaMott growled.

"I didn't mean it, Tom. I'm sorry. Now, we heard Simpson say he was going to record in the afternoon and bring his wife up the next day. We both know that he won't be able to record before ten days or two weeks, and he sent the kids back. Why, it's like stealing milk from a baby!"

"You sure she no weetch girl?"

"I'm sure. Now, we've sent Bum to grab her and bring her here, and Bum may have her by this time. You and Bum keep her here. Tomorrow I'll ride into Plains City and manage to let Simpson and Brent know that, unless they turn their claims over to us, they'll never see the girl again. It's as simple as that."

"Why no get boy, too?"

"We don't need 'em both, and I'm sure Bum will know how to handle that kid if he gets fresh."

"S'pose Bum bring wrong girl?"

"He won't. He had a good enough look at her in Plains City so he'll know her again."

Cindy and Alec slipped back to their tethered ponies. Alec was pale and shaken.

"Gosh, sis!" he breathed. "Am I ever glad we left! They intend to kidnap you!"

"We must let Dad and Mr. Brent know right away!" Cindy whispered. "Let's ride past the claim just to make sure everything's all right before we go into Plains City."

"Suppose we meet this 'Bum'?" Alec objected.

"We'll run away from him. He won't have any horse able to catch Sparkle and Sunshine."

The sun went down and the moon rose, big, round, and shiny. The children rode in the moonlight, keeping their ponies at a walk or trot. When and if they met Bum, they'd have to ride fast enough.

When they reached the homestead, the mules, Pete's pony, and Pete's big horses raised their heads to look. But so did two other mules and two ponies that hadn't been there before. There was a second wagon and the house's window was aglow.

Cindy and Alec looked questioningly at each other. Then, leaving their ponies rein-haltered, they bounded down the steps into the house.

"Mother!"