第43章

Boylewasneitherahard-heartednoranundulysensitiveman。Hisvocationhadbroughthimperilenoughbylandandwater；hehadoftenrenderedvaluableassistancetoothers，hissympathyneverconfusinghisdirectnessandcommonsense。Hewassorryforthesetwomen，andwouldhavefoughttosavethem。Buthehadnoimaginativeideasofdeath。Andhiskeenperceptionofthetruthwasconsequentlysensitivelyaliveonlytothatgrotesquenessofaspectwhichtoooftenthehaplessvictimsofviolenceareapttoassume。Hesawnoagonyinthevacanteyesofthetwomenlyingontheirbacksinapparentlythecomplacentabandonmentofdrunkenness，whichwasfurthersimulatedbytheirtumbledanddisorderedhairmattedbycoagulatedblood，which，however，hadlostitssanguinecolor。Hethoughtonlyoftheunsuspectinggirlsittinginthelonelycoach，andhurriedlydraggedthemfurtherintothebushes。Indoingthishediscoveredaloadedrevolverandaflaskofspiritswhichhadbeenlyingunderthem，andpromptlysecuredthem。Afewpacesawaylaythecovetedtrunksofarmsandammunition，theirlidswrenchedoffandtheircontentsgone。Henoticedwithagrimsmilethathisowntrunksofsampleshadsharedalikefate，butwasdelightedtofindthatwhilethebrightertrifleshadattractedtheIndians’childishcupiditytheyhadoverlookedaheavyblackmerinoshawlofacheapbutserviceablequality。ItwouldhelptoprotectMissCantirefromtheeveningwind，whichwasalreadyrisingoverthechillandstarkplain。Italsooccurredtohimthatshewouldneedwaterafterherparchedjourney，andheresolvedtolookforaspring，beingrewardedatlastbyatricklingrillneartheambushcamp。Buthehadnoutensilexceptthespiritflask，whichhefinallyemptiedofitscontentsandreplacedwiththepurewater——aheroicsacrificetoatravelerwhoknewthecomfortofastimulant。Heretracedhissteps，andwasjustemergingfromthethicketwhenhisquickeyecaughtsightofamovingshadowbeforehimclosetotheground，whichsetthehotbloodcoursingthroughhisveins。 ItwasthefigureofanIndiancrawlingonhishandsandkneestowardsthecoach，scarcelyfortyyardsaway。ForthefirsttimethatafternoonBoyle’scalmgood-humorwasoversweptbyablindandfuriousrage。Yeteventhenhewassaneenoughtorememberthatapistolshotwouldalarmthegirl，andtokeepthatweaponasalastresource。Foraninstanthecreptforwardassilentlyandstealthilyasthesavage，andthen，withasuddenbound，leapeduponhim，drivinghisheadandshouldersdownagainsttherocksbeforehecouldutteracry，andsendingthescalpingknifehewascarryingbetweenhisteethflyingwiththeshockfromhisbatteredjaw。Boyleseizedit——hiskneestillintheman’sback——buttheprostratebodynevermovedbeyondaslightcontractionofthelowerlimbs。TheshockhadbrokentheIndian’sneck。Heturnedtheinertmanonhisback——theheadhunglooselyontheside。ButinthatbriefinstantBoylehadrecognizedthe“friendly“Indianofthestationtowhomhehadgiventhecard。 Herosedizzilytohisfeet。Thewholeactionhadpassedinafewsecondsoftime，andhadnotevenbeennoticedbythesoleoccupantofthecoach。Hemechanicallycockedhisrevolver，butthemanbeneathhimnevermovedagain。Neitherwasthereanysignofflightorreinforcementfromthethicketaroundhim。Againthewholetruthflasheduponhim。Thisspyandtraitorhadbeenleftbehindbythemarauderstoreturntothestationandavertsuspicion；hehadbeenlurkingaround，butbeingwithoutfirearms，hadnotdaredtoattackthepairtogether。 ItwasamomentortwobeforeBoyleregainedhisusualelasticgood-humor。Thenhecoollyreturnedtothespring，“washedhimselfoftheIndian，“ashegrimlyexpressedittohimself，brushedhisclothes，pickeduptheshawlandflask，andreturnedtothecoach。 Itwasgettingdarknow，buttheglowofthewesternskyshoneunimpededthroughthewindows，andthesilencegavehimagreatfear。Hewasrelieved，however，onopeningthedoor，tofindMissCantiresittingstifflyinacorner。“IamsorryIwassolong，“ hesaid，apologeticallytoherattitude，“but“—— “Isupposeyoutookyourowntime，“sheinterruptedinavoiceofinjuredtolerance。“Idon’tblameyou；anything’sbetterthanbeingcoopedupinthistiresomestageforgoodnessknowshowlong！“ “Iwashuntingforwater，“hesaidhumbly，“andhavebroughtyousome。“Hehandedhertheflask。 “AndIseeyouhavehadawash，“shesaidalittleenviously。“Howspickandspanyoulook！Butwhat’sthematterwithyournecktie？“ Heputhishandtohisneckhurriedly。Hisnecktiewasloose，andhadtwistedtoonesideinthestruggle。Hecoloredquiteasmuchfromthesensitivenessofastudiouslyneatmanasfromthefearofdiscovery。“Andwhat’sthat？“sheadded，pointingtotheshawl。 “OneofmysamplesthatIsupposewasturnedoutofthecoachandforgotteninthetransfer，“hesaidglibly。“Ithoughtitmightkeepyouwarm。“ Shelookedatitdubiouslyandlaiditgingerlyaside。“Youdon’tmeantosayyougoaboutwithsuchthingsOPENLY？“shesaidquerulously。 “Yes；onemustn’tloseachanceoftrade，youknow，“heresumedwithasmile。 “Andyouhaven’tfoundthisjourneyveryprofitable，“shesaiddryly。“Youcertainlyaredevotedtoyourbusiness！“Afterapause，discontentedly:“It’squitenightalready——wecan’tsithereinthedark。“ “Wecantakeoneofthecoachlampsinside；they’restillthere。 I’vebeenthinkingthematterover，andIreckonifweleaveonelightedoutsidethecoachitmayguideyourfriendsback。“HeHAD consideredit，andbelievedthattheaudacityoftheact，coupledwiththeknowledgetheIndiansmusthaveofthepresenceofthesoldiersinthevicinity，woulddeterratherthaninvitetheirapproach。 Shebrightenedconsiderablywiththecoachlampwhichhelitandbroughtinside。Byitslightshewatchedhimcuriously。Hisfacewasslightlyflushedandhiseyesverybrightandkeenlooking。 Mankilling，exceptwitholdprofessionalhands，hasthedisadvantageofaffectingthecirculation。 ButMissCantirehadnoticedthattheflasksmeltofwhiskey。Thepoormanhadprobablyfortifiedhimselffromthefatiguesoftheday。 “Isupposeyouaregettingboredbythisdelay，“shesaidtentatively。 “Notatall，“hereplied。“Wouldyouliketoplaycards？I’vegotapackinmypocket。Wecanusethemiddleseatasatable，andhangthelanternbythewindowstrap。“ Sheassentedlanguidlyfromthebackseat；hewasonthefrontseat，withthemiddleseatforatablebetweenthem。FirstMr。 Boyleshowedhersometrickswiththecardsandkindledhermomentaryandflashinginterestinamysteriouslyevokedbutevanescentknave。Thentheyplayedeuchre，atwhichMissCantirecheatedadorably，andMr。Boylelostgameaftergameshamelessly。 ThenonceortwiceMissCantirewasfaintoputhercardstohermouthtoconcealanapologeticyawn，andherblue-veinedeyelidsgrewheavy。WhereuponMr。Boylesuggestedthatsheshouldmakeherselfcomfortableinthecornerofthecoachwithasmanycushionsasshelikedandthedespisedshawl，whilehetookthenightairinaprowlaroundthecoachandalookoutforthereturningparty。Doingso，hewasdelighted，afteraturnortwo，tofindherasleep，andsoreturnedcontentedlytohissentryround。 Hewassomedistancefromthecoachwhenalowmoaningsoundinthethicketpresentlyincreaseduntilitroseandfellinaprolongedhowlthatwasrepeatedfromthedarkenedplainsbeyond。Herecognizedthevoiceofwolves；heinstinctivelyfeltthesickeningcauseofit。Theyhadscentedthedeadbodies，andhenowregrettedthathehadlefthisownvictimsonearthecoach。Hewashasteningthitherwhenacry，thistimehumanandmoreterrifying，camefromthecoach。HeturnedtowardsitasitsdoorflewopenandMissCantirecamerushingtowardhim。Herfacewascolorless，hereyeswildwithfear，andhertall，slimfiguretrembledconvulsivelyasshefranticallycaughtatthelapelsofhiscoat，asiftohideherselfwithinitsfolds，andgaspedbreathlessly，—— “Whatisit？Oh！Mr。Boyle，saveme！“ “Theyarewolves，“hesaidhurriedly。“Butthereisnodanger； theywouldneverattackyou；youweresafewhereyouwere；letmeleadyouback。“ Butsheremainedrootedtothespot，stillclingingdesperatelytohiscoat。“No，no！“shesaid，“Idarenot！Iheardthatawfulcryinmysleep。Ilookedoutandsawit——adreadfulcreaturewithyelloweyesandtongue，andasickeningbreathasitpassedbetweenthewheelsjustbelowme。Ah！What’sthat？“andsheagainlapsedinnervousterroragainsthim。 Boylepassedhisarmaroundherpromptly，firmly，masterfully。Sheseemedtofeeltheimpliedprotection，andyieldedtoitgratefully，withthefurtherbreakdownofasob。“Thereisnodanger，“herepeatedcheerfully。“Wolvesarenotgoodtolookat，Iknow，buttheywouldn’thaveattackedyou。Thebeastonlyscentssomecarrionontheplain，andyouprobablyfrightenedhimmorethanhedidyou。Leanonme，“hecontinuedashersteptottered； “youwillbebetterinthecoach。“ “Andyouwon’tleavemealoneagain？“shesaidinhesitatingterror。 “No！“ Hesupportedhertothecoachgravely，gently——hermasterandstillmorehisownforallthatherbeautifulloosenedhairwasagainsthischeekandshoulder，itsperfumeinhisnostrils，andthecontourofherlitheandperfectfigureagainsthisown。Hehelpedherbackintothecoach，withtheaidofthecushionsandshawlarrangedarecliningcouchforheronthebackseat，andthenresumedhisoldplacepatiently。Bydegreesthecolorcamebacktoherface——asmuchofitaswasnothiddenbyherhandkerchief。 Thenatremulousvoicebehinditbeganahalf-smotheredapology。 “IamSOashamed，Mr。Boyle——Ireallycouldnothelpit！Butitwassosudden——andsohorrible——Ishouldn’thavebeenafraidofithaditbeenreallyanIndianwithascalpingknife——insteadofthatbeast！Idon’tknowwhyIdidit——butIwasalone——andseemedtobedead——andyouweredeadtooandtheywerecomingtoeatme！ Theydo，youknow——yousaidsojustnow！PerhapsIwasdreaming。 Idon’tknowwhatyoumustthinkofme——IhadnoideaIwassuchacoward！“ ButBoyleprotestedindignantly。HewassureifHEhadbeenasleepandhadnotknownwhatwolveswerebefore，hewouldhavebeenequallyfrightened。Shemusttrytogotosleepagain——hewassureshecould——andhewouldnotstirfromthecoachuntilshewaked，orherfriendscame。