41
There was one complication which Nelly Lebrun might have foreseen afterher pretended change of heart and her simulated confession to Joe Rixthat she still loved the lionlike Lord Nick. But strangely enough shedid not think of this phase: and even when her father the next morningapproached her in the hall and tapping her arm whispered: "Good girl!Nick has just heard and he's hunting for you now!" Even then the fullmeaning did not come home to her. It was not until she saw the greatform of Lord Nick stalking swiftly down the hall that she knew. He camewith a glory in his face which the last day had graven with unfamiliarlines; and when he saw her he threw up his hand so that it almostbrushed the ceiling, and cried out.
What could she do? Try to push him away; to explain?
There was nothing to be done. She had to submit when he swept her intohis arms.
"Rix has told me. Rix has told me. Ah, Nell, you little fox!"
"Told you what, Nick?"
Was he, too, a party to the murderous plan?
But he allowed himself to be pushed away.
"I've gone through something in the last few days. Why did you do it,girl?"
She saw suddenly that she must continue to play her part.
"Some day I'll tell you why it was that I gave you up so easily, Nell.You thought I was afraid of Donnegan?" He ground his teeth and turnedpale at the thought. "But that wasn't it. Some day I can tell you. Butafter this, the first man who comes between us--Donnegan or anyother--I'll turn him into powder--under my heel!"
He ground it into the floor as he spoke. She decided that she would seehow much he knew.
"It will never be Donnegan, at least," she said. "He's done for today.And I'm almost sorry for him in spite of all that he's done."
He became suddenly grave.
"What are you saying, Nell?"
"Why, Joe told you, didn't he? They've drawn Donnegan out of town, andnow they're lying in wait for him. Yes, they must have him, by thistime. It's ten o'clock!"
A strangely tense exclamation broke from Lord Nick. "They've gone forDonnegan?"
"Yes. Are you angry?"
The big man staggered; one would have said that he had been stunned witha blow.
"Garry!" he whispered.
"What are you saying?"
"Nell," he muttered hoarsely, "did you know about it?"
"But I did it for you, Nick. I knew you hated--"
"No, no! Don't say it!" He added bitterly, after a moment. "This is formy sins."
And then, to her: "But you knew about it and didn't warn him? You hatedhim all the time you were laughing with him and smiling at him? Oh,Nell! What a merciless witch of a woman you are! For the rest ofthem--I'll wait till they come back!"
"What are you going to do, Nick?"
"I told them I'd pay the man who killed Donnegan--with lead. Did thefools think I didn't mean it?"
Truly, no matter what shadow had passed over the big man, he was thelion again, and Nell shrank from him.
"We'll wait for them," he said. "We'll wait for them here."
And they sat down together in the room. She attempted to speak once in ashaken voice, but he silenced her with a gesture, and after that she satand watched in quiet the singular play of varying expressions across hisface. Grief, rage, tenderness, murderous hate--they followed like apuppet play.
What was Donnegan to him? And then there was a tremor of fear. Would thethree suspect when they reached the shack by the ford and no Donnegancame to them? The moments stole on. Then the soft beat of a gallopinghorse in the sand. The horse stopped. Presently they saw Joe Rix andHarry Masters pass in front of the window. And they looked as though acyclone had caught them up, juggled them a dizzy distance in the air,and then flung them down carelessly upon bruising rocks. Their hats weregone; and the clothes of burly Harry Masters were literally torn fromhis back. Joe Rix was evidently far more terribly hurt, for he leaned onthe arm of Masters and they came on together, staggering.
"They've done the business!" exclaimed Lord Nick. "And now, curse them,I'll do theirs!"
But the girl could not speak. A black haze crossed before her eyes. HadDonnegan gone out madly to fight the three men in spite of her warning?
The door opened. They stood in the doorway, and if they had seemed ahorrible sight passing the window, they were a deadly picture at closerange. And opposite them stood Lord Nick; in spite of their wounds therewas murder in his face and his revolver was out.
"You've met him? You've met Donnegan?" he asked angrily.
Masters literally carried Joe Rix to a chair and placed him in it. Hehad been shot through both shoulders, and though tight bandages hadstanched the wound he was still in agony. Then Masters raised his head.
"We've met him," he said.
"What happened?"
But Masters, in spite of the naked gun in the hand of Lord Nick, waslooking straight at Nelly Lebrun.
"We fought him."
"Then say your prayers, Masters."
"Say prayers for the Pedlar, you fool," said Masters bitterly. "He'sdead, and Donnegan's still living!"
There was a faint cry from Nelly Lebrun. She sank into her chair again.
"We've been double-crossed," said Masters, still looking at the girl. "Iwas going down the gulch the way we planned. I come to the narrow placewhere the cliffs almost touch, and right off the wall above me drops awildcat. I thought it was a cat at first. And then I found it wasDonnegan.
"The way he hit me from above knocked me off the horse. Then we hit theground. I started for my gun; he got it out of my hand; I pulled myknife. He got that away, too. His fingers work with steel springs andact like a cat's claws. Then we fought barehanded. He didn't say a word.But kept snarling in his throat. Always like a cat. And his face wasdevilish. Made me sick inside. Pretty soon he dived under my arms. Gotme up in the air. I came down on my head.
"Of course I went out cold. When I came to there was still a mist infront of my eyes and this lump on the back of my head. He'd figured thatmy head was cracked and that I was dead. That's the only reason he leftme. Later I climbed on my hoss and fed him the spur.
"But I was too late. I took the straight cut for the ford, and when Igot there I found that Donnegan had been there before me. Joe Rix waslyin' on the floor. When he got to the shack Donnegan was waitin' forhim. They went for their guns and Donnegan beat him to it. The hounddidn't shoot to kill. He plugged him through both shoulders, and lefthim lyin' helpless. But I got a couple of bandages on him and saved him.
"Then we cut back for home and crossed the marsh. And there we found thePedlar.
"Too late to help him. Maybe Donnegan knew that the Pedlar was somethingof a flash with a gun himself, and he didn't take any chances. He'd methim face to face the same way he met Joe Rix and killed him. Shot himclean between the eyes. Think of shooting for the head with a snap shot!That's what he done and Joe didn't have time to think twice after thatslug hit him. His gun wasn't even fired, he was beat so bad on the draw.
"So Joe and me come back home. And we come full of questions!"
"Let me tell you something," muttered Lord Nick, putting up the weaponwhich he had kept exposed during all of the recital. "You've got whatwas coming to you. If Donnegan hadn't cleaned up on you, you'd have hadto talk turkey with me. Understand?"
"Wait a minute," protested Harry Masters.
And Joe Rix, almost too far gone for speech, set his teeth over a groanand cast a look of hatred at the girl.
"Wait a minute, chief. There's one thing we all got to get straight.Somebody had tipped off Donnegan about our whole plan. Was it the Pedlaror Rix or me? I guess good sense'll tell a man that it wasn't none ofus, eh? Then who was it? The only other person that knew about theplan--Nell--Nell, the crooked witch--and it's her that murdered thePedlar--curse her!"
He thrust out his bulky arm as he spoke.
"Her that lied her way into our confidence with a lot of talk about you,Nick. Then what did she do? She goes runnin' to the gent that she saidsh
e hated. Don't you see her play? She makes fools of us--she makes afool out of you!"
She dared not meet the glance of Lord Nick. Even now she might haveacted out her part and filled in with lies, but she was totallyunnerved.
"Get Rix to bed," was all he said, and he did not even glance at NellyLebrun.
Masters glowered at him, and then silently obeyed, lifting Joe as ahelpless bulk, for the fat man was nearly fainting with pain. Not untilthey had gone and he had closed the door after them and upon the murmursof the servants in the hall did Lord Nick turn to Nelly.
"Is it true?" he asked shortly.
Between relief and terror her mind was whirling.
"Is what true?"
"You haven't even sense enough to lie, Nell, eh? It's all true, then?And last night, after you'd wormed it out of Joe, you went to Donnegan?"
She could only stare miserably at him.
"And that was why you pushed me away when I kissed you a little whileago?"
Once more she was dumb. But she was beginning to be afraid. Not forherself, but for Donnegan.
"Nell, I told you I'd never let another man come between us again. Imeant it. I know you're treacherous now; but that doesn't keep me fromwanting you. It's Donnegan again--Donnegan still? Nell, you've killedhim. As sure as if your own finger pulled the trigger when I shoot him.He's a dead one, and you've done it!"
If words would only come! But her throat was stiff and cold and aching.She could not speak.
"You've done more than kill him," said Lord Nick. "You've put a curse onme as well. And afterward I'm going to even up with you. You hear me?Nell, when I shoot Donnegan I'm doing a thing worse than if he was agirl--or a baby. You can't understand that; I don't want you to know.But some time when you're happy again and you're through grieving forDonnegan, I'll tell you the truth and make your heart black for the restof your life."
Still words would not come. She strove to cling to him and stop him, buthe cast her away with a single gesture and strode out the door.