第40章

MeanwhiletheSageWoodandPineBarrenstagecoach，profoundlyoblivious——afterthemannerofallhumaninvention——ofeverythingbutitsregularfunction，toileddustilyoutofthehigherplainandbeganthegratefuldescentofawoodedcanyon，whichwas，infact，theculminatingpointofthedepression，justdescribed，alongwhichtheshadowyprocessionwasslowlyadvancing，hardlyamileintherearandflankofthevehicle。MissJuliaCantire，whohadfacedthedustvolleysoftheplainunflinchingly，asbecameasoldier’sdaughter，herestooduprightandshookherself——herprettyheadandfigureemerginglikeagoddessfromtheenvelopingsilvercloud。AtleastMr。Boyle，relegatedtothebackseat，thoughtso——althoughherconversationandattentionshadbeenchieflydirectedtothedriverandmailagent。Once，whenhehadlight-heartedlyaddressedaremarktoher，ithadbeenreceivedwithadistinctbutunpromisingpolitenessthathadmadehimdesistfromfurtherattempts，yetwithoutabatementofhischeerfulness，orresentmentoftheevidentamusementhistwomalecompanionsgotoutofhis“snub。“Indeed，itistobefearedthatMissJuliahadcertainprejudicesofposition，andmayhavethoughtthata“drummer“——orcommercialtraveler——wasnomorefittingcompanyforthedaughterofamajorthananordinarypeddler。ButitwasmoreprobablethatMr。Boyle’sreputationasahumorist——atelleroffunnystoriesandabooncompanionofmen——wasinconsistentwiththefeminineidealofhighandexaltedmanhood。Themanwho“setsthetableinaroar“isapttobesecretlydetestedbythesex，tosaynothingoftheotherobviousreasonswhyJulietsdonotlikeMercutios！ ForsomesuchcauseasthisDickBoylewasobligedtoamusehimselfsilently，aloneonthebackseat，withthoseliberalpowersofobservationwhichnaturehadgivenhim。Onenteringthecanyonhehadnoticedthedeviousroutethecoachhadtakentoreachit，andhadalreadyinventedanimprovedroutewhichshouldenterthedepressionatthepointwheretheIndianshadalready(unknowntohim)plungedintoit，andhadconceivedaroadthroughthetangledbrushthatwouldshortenthedistancebysomemiles。Hehadfigureditout，andbelievedthatit“wouldpay。“Butbythistimetheywerebeginningthesomewhatsteepanddifficultascentofthecanyonontheotherside。Thevehiclehadnotcrawledmanyyardsbeforeitstopped。DickBoyleglancedaround。MissCantirewasgettingdown。Shehadexpressedawishtowalktherestoftheascent，andthecoachwastowaitforheratthetop。Fosterhadeffusivelybeggedhertotakeherowntime——“therewasnohurry！“ Boyleglancedalittlelonginglyafterhergracefulfigure，releasedfromhercrampedpositiononthebox，asitflittedyouthfullyinandoutofthewaysidetrees；hewouldliketohavejoinedherinthewoodlandramble，butevenhisgoodnaturewasnotproofagainstherindifference。Ataturnintheroadtheylostsightofher，and，asthedriverandmailagentweredeepinadiscussionabouttheindistincttrack，Boylelapsedintohissilentstudyofthecountry。Suddenlyheutteredaslightexclamation，andquietlyslippedfromthebackofthetoilingcoachtotheground。Theactionwas，however，quicklynotedbythedriver，whopromptlyputhisfootonthebrakeandpulledup。“Wot’supnow？“ hegrowled。 Boyledidnotreply，butranbackafewstepsandbegansearchingeagerlyontheground。 “Lostsuthin？“askedFoster。 “Foundsomething，“saidBoyle，pickingupasmallobject。“Lookatthat！D——difitisn’tthecardIgavethatIndianfourhoursagoatthestation！“Heheldupthecard。 “Lookyer，sonny，“retortedFostergravely，“efyerwantin’togetoutandhangroundMissCantire，whydon’tyersaysoatoncet？ Thatstorywon’twash！“ “Fact！“continuedBoyleeagerly。“It’sthesamecardIstuckinhishat——there’sthegreasymarkinthecorner。Howthedevildidit——howdidHEgethere？“ “Betteraxhim，“saidFostergrimly，“efhe’sanywhereround。“ “ButIsay，Foster，Idon’tlikethelookofthisatall！MissCantireisalone，and“—— ButaburstoflaughterfromFosterandthemailagentinterruptedhim。“That’sso，“saidFoster。“That’syourbestholt！Keepitup！Youjesttellherthat！Saythar’sanotherInjinskeeron； thatthattharbloodthirstyole’FleasinHisBlanket’isonthewarpath，andyou’regoin’toshedthelastdropo’yourblooddefendin’her！That’llfetchher，andsheain’tbintreatin’youwell！G’lang！“ ThehorsesstartedforwardunderFoster’swhip，leavingBoylestandingthere，halfinclinedtojoininthelaughagainsthimself，andyetimpelledbysomestrangeinstincttotakeamoreseriousviewofhisdiscovery。TherewasnodoubtitwasthesamecardhehadgiventotheIndian。True，thatIndianmighthavegivenittoanother——yetbywhatagencyhaditbeenbroughttherefasterthanthecoachtraveledonthesameroad，andyetinvisiblytothem？ ForaninstantthehumorousideaofliterallyacceptingFoster’schallenge，andcommunicatinghisdiscoverytoMissCantire，occurredtohim；hecouldhavemadeafunnystoryoutofit，andcouldhaveamusedanyothergirlwithit，buthewouldnotforcehimselfuponher，andagaindoubtedifthediscoverywereamatterofamusement。Ifitwerereallyserious，whyshouldhealarmher？ Heresolved，however，toremainontheroad，andwithinconvenientdistanceofher，untilshereturnedtothecoach；shecouldnotbefaraway。Withthispurposehewalkedslowlyon，haltingoccasionallytolookbehind。 Meantimethecoachcontinueditsdifficultascent，adifficultymadegreaterbythesingularnervousnessofthehorses，thatonlywithgreattroubleandsomeobjurgationfromthedrivercouldbepreventedfromshyingfromtheregulartrack。 “Now，wot’sgoneo’themcritters？“saidtheirateFoster，strainingatthereinsuntilheseemedtolifttheleaderbackintothetrackagain。 “Looksaseftheysmeltsuthin——b’arorInjinponies，“suggestedthemailagent。 “Injinponies？“repeatedFosterscornfully。 “Fac’！Injinponiessetahosscrazy——jestaswildhosseswould！“ “Whar’syerInjinponies？“demandedFosterincredulously。 “Dunno，“saidthemailagentsimply。 Butherethehorsesagainswervedsomadlyfromsomepointofthethicketbesidethemthatthecoachcompletelyleftthetrackontheright。Luckilyitwasadisusedtrailandthegroundfairlygood，andFostergavethemtheirheads，satisfiedofhisabilitytoregaintheregularroadwhennecessary。Ittooksomemomentsforhimtorecovercompletecontrolofthefrightenedanimals，andthentheirnervousnesshavingabatedwiththeirdistancefromthethicket，andthetrailbeinglesssteepthoughmorewindingthantheregularroad，heconcludedtokeepituntilhegottothesummit，whenhewouldregainthehighwayoncemoreandawaithispassengers。Havingdonethis，thetwomenstooduponthebox，andwithananxietytheytriedtoconcealfromeachotherlookeddownthecanyonforthelaggingpedestrians。 “IhopeMissCantirehasn’tbeenstampededfromthetrackbyanyskeerlikethat，“saidthemailagentdubiously。 “Notshe！She’sgottoomuchgritandsabeforthat，unlessthatdrummerhezcaughtupwithherandunloadedhisyarnaboutthatkyard。“ Theywerethelastwordsthemenspoke。Fortworifleshotscrackedfromthethicketbesidetheroad；twoshotsaimedwithsuchdeliberatenessandprecisionthatthetwomen，mortallystricken，collapsedwheretheystood，hangingforabriefmomentoverthedashboardbeforetheyrolledoveronthehorses’backs。Nordidtheyremaintherelong，forthenextmomenttheywereseizedbyhalfadozenshadowyfiguresandwiththehorsesandtheircuttracesdraggedintothethicket。Ahalfdozenandthenadozenothershadowsflittedandswarmedover，in，andthroughthecoach，reinforcedbystillmore，untilthewholevehicleseemedtobepossessed，covered，andhiddenbythem，swayingandmovingwiththeirweight，likehelplesscarrionbeneathapackofravenouswolves。Yetevenwhilethisseethingcongregationwasatitsgreatest，atsomeunknownsignalitassuddenlydispersed，vanished，anddisappeared，leavingthecoachempty——vacantandvoidofallthathadgivenitlife，weight，animation，andpurpose——amereskeletonontheroadside。Theafternoonwindblewthroughitsopendoorsandravagedrackandboxasifithadbeenthewreckofweeksinsteadofminutes，andthelevelraysofthesettingsunflashedandblazedintoitswindowsasthoughfirehadbeenaddedtotheruin。Buteventhispresentlyfaded，leavingtheabandonedcoacharigid，lifelessspectreonthetwilightplain。 Anhourlatertherewasthesoundofhurryinghoofsandjinglingaccoutrements，andoutoftheplainsweptasquadofcavalrymenbearingdownuponthedesertedvehicle。Forafewmomentsthey，too，seemedtosurroundandpossessit，evenastheothershadowshaddone，penetratingthewoodsandthicketbesideit。Andthenassuddenlyatsomesignaltheysweptforwardfuriouslyinthetrackofthedestroyingshadows。 MissCantiretookfulladvantageofthesuggestion“nottohurry“ inherwalk，withcertainfeminineideasofitslatitude。Shegatheredafewwildflowersandsomeberriesintheunderwood，inspectedsomebirds’nestswithahealthyyouthfulcuriosity，andeventooktheopportunityofarrangingsomemoisttendrilsofhersilkyhairwithsomethingshetookfromthesmallreticulethathungcoquettishlyfromhergirdle。Itwas，indeed，sometwentyminutesbeforesheemergedintotheroadagain；thevehiclehadevidentlydisappearedinaturnofthelong，windingascent，butjustaheadofherwasthatdreadfulman，the“Chicagodrummer。“ Shewasnotvain，butshemadenodoubtthathewaswaitingthereforher。Therewasnoavoidinghim，buthiscompanionshipcouldbemadeabriefone。Shebegantowalkwithostentatiousswiftness。 Boyle，whoseconcernforhersafetywassecretlyrelievedatthis，begantowalkforwardbrisklytoowithoutlookingaround。MissCantirewasnotpreparedforthis；itlookedsoridiculouslyasifshewerechasinghim！Shehesitatedslightly，butnowasshewasnearlyabreastofhimshewasobligedtokeepon。 “Ithinkyoudowelltohurry，MissCantire，“hesaidasshepassed。“I’velostsightofthecoachforsometime，andIdaresaythey’realreadywaitingforusatthesummit。“ MissCantiredidnotlikethisanybetter。Togoonbesidethisdreadfulman，scramblingbreathlesslyafterthestage——foralltheworldlikeanabsorbedandsentimentallybelatedpairofpicnickers——wasreallyTOOmuch。“PerhapsifYOUranonandtoldthemIwascomingasfastasIcould，“shesuggestedtentatively。 “ItwouldbeasmuchasmylifeisworthtoappearbeforeFosterwithoutyou，“hesaidlaughingly。“You’veonlygottohurryonalittlefaster。“ Buttheyoungladyresentedthisbeingdrivenbya“drummer。“Shebegantolag，depressingherprettybrowsominously。