CHAPTER XIII
THE SECOND SHOT
Four days later the physician gave Conrad dubious permission to returnto the round-up. "Well, I may as well say you can go," he surrendered,"since you are determined to go anyway. But don't blame me if yourwounds get worse."
Most of this time the cattleman spent at the Bancrofts', where Lucy andMiss Dent tried to make an invalid of him, and all three enjoyed thecomradeship that straightway sprang up among them. Between Lucy andCurtis there was much bantering gayety, but when alone their talk wassure to flow into serious channels. They had many long conversations,wherein each was deeply interested in everything the other said. Theyhad much music also, Miss Dent playing and the others singing duets.Lucy was very happy. She beamed and sparkled, with glowing eyes anddimpling smiles, and her manner, the whole being of her, expanded intomaturer womanliness. Between Miss Dent and Conrad there was from thefirst a mutual liking, which quickly developed into confidentialfriendship. On his last day in town, while helping Lucy water the plantsin her conservatory, he spoke to her admiringly of Miss Dent.
"I'm so glad you like my Dearie!" she responded warmly, looking up athim with a glow of pleasure. "She's the dearest, sweetest woman! And youalways feel you can depend on her. If you put your hand out you alwaysknow just where you can find Louise Dent, and you know she'll be as firmas a rock. She's been so good to me! And she's always so restful andcalm--she has so much poise. But, do you know--" she hesitated as shestopped in front of the cage that held the tanager Curtis had broughtfor her care. His physician had splinted its broken leg and bound itsinjured wing, and together they were anxiously watching its recovery."It's been eating, Mr. Conrad!" she broke off joyously. "Let's give itmore seeds and fresh water!" As they ministered to the bird's needsCurtis went on about Miss Dent.
"Yes; she seems to have a calm sort of nature, but when I look at her Ifind myself wondering if that is because she has never been moved verydeeply, or because she keeps things hidden deep down. Her eyes are setrather close together, which generally means, you know, an ability toget on the prod if necessary; and sometimes there is a look in them thatmakes you feel as if she might break out into something unexpected."
Lucy was looking up at him with the keenest interest in her face. Thesouthwestern sun had kissed her skin into rich browns and reds, and shecarried gracefully her slender girlish figure. Her head, with itscovering of short brown curls, always held alertly, gave to her aspect asavor of piquant charm. Curtis looked down into her upturned face andeager eyes with admiration in his own. Under her absorption in thesubject of their talk she felt herself thrill with sweet, vaguehappiness.
"Do you know, I've been feeling that very same thing about Dearie," shesaid in confidential tones. "She seems more restless lately, although Iknow she's perfectly happy here with us. She has just the same quiet,gentle manner, but it seems as if there might be a volcano under it--notreally, you know, but as if there might be if--if--I don't quite knowhow to say it--if things just got ready for it to be a volcano!"
"Do you think anybody would know it," asked Conrad, "even if it wasreally there?"
"I know what you mean--yes, she has wonderful self-control--I never sawanybody who could hide her feelings as she can, and always does. I'vebeen thinking lately that if Dearie were in love--" Lucy hesitated amoment while a deeper glow stained her cheek--"she's just the sort ofwoman to do anything, anything at all, for the sake of it."
"Yes; and not get excited over it, either," added Curtis.
When Lucy went to attend to some household duties, Conrad sauntered outto the veranda, where he found Miss Dent with her sewing. He happened torefer to his boyhood; and she asked some questions that led him to speakof his youthful struggles. She was interested, and wanted to know thecause of his father's financial ruin. He hesitated before replying, thematter touched so nearly the secret core of his life and thought. Few,even among his intimates, knew anything about the vengeful purpose thathad motived half his life, and he disliked ordinarily to say anythingabout the cause of his early misfortunes. But the habit of close andfriendly speech into which he and Louise had fallen, coupled perhapswith a softening of feeling toward her sex that had been going on withinhim, moved him to openness. "It won't matter," he thought. "She's such alevel-headed woman; and I've told Aleck already."
"I don't often speak about it," he said, "but I don't mind telling you,for you are such a good friend of the Bancrofts, and Aleck knows thestory. Of course, you'll understand that I don't care to have itdiscussed generally. My father's disasters all came from his gettingcaught in a specious financial scheme engineered by one Sumner L.Delafield of Boston."
An indrawn breath, sharp and sudden, made him look quickly at hiscompanion. "Have you hurt yourself?" he asked solicitously.
"Oh, I jabbed my needle under my thumb nail. Such an awkward thing todo! It gave me a little shock, that's all. Go on, please. What sort of ascheme was it?"
He told her briefly the story of his father's ruin and death, andoutlined the transactions that led to Delafield's failure. As he spokehis heart waxed hot against the man who had caused the tragedy, as italways did when he thought long upon the subject, and he went onimpulsively to tell her of his long-cherished purpose of revenge. Shelistened with drooped eyelids, and when she spoke, at his first pause,there was a slight quaver in her voice.
"You don't mean that you really intend to kill the man?"
"I do, that very thing. What's more, it's my notion that killing is toogentle for his deserts. For, of course, my case is only one out of many.And any man who would deliberately bring ruin and death into so manyhouseholds--don't you think yourself he's worse than any murderer?"
She forced herself to raise her eyes and, once she had met his gaze, herown was cool and steady. But if Curtis had not been so absorbed in theirdiscussion he might have seen that her face was paler than usual and hermanner nervous, as she replied earnestly:
"But you forget, Mr. Conrad, that the man had no intention of doingthese things, and that probably he involved himself in as much financialdisaster as he did others. I've heard of the case before; I knew somepeople once who--were concerned in it--who lost money by it--and I'vealways understood that the failure was due more to Delafield's sanguinetemperament and over-confidence in his plans than to any deliberatewrongdoing. Don't you think, Mr. Conrad, that killing is a rather severepunishment for mistakes of judgment?"
He answered with the rapid speech and quick gestures he was wont to usewhen under the stress of strong feeling. "I can't take that lenient viewof the case, Miss Dent. My conviction is that he got some money out ofthe affair, though not as much as he is generally supposed to havetaken, and ran away with it. I've studied the case pretty thoroughly,and I've trailed him along from one place to another for years. I'm hoton his tracks now; and he knows it. I've followed him into New Mexico,and I know he's somebody in this Territory, prosperous and respectable.He can't escape me much longer."
She had been thinking intently as she studied the expression of hisface. "It's not worth while to try argument or persuasion with him;opposition would only make him obstinate," was her conclusion. Hermanner was as composed as usual, and only her eyes showed a trace ofanxiety as she spoke, slowly and thoughtfully, her gaze searching hiscountenance:
"Well, if you say you are going to take revenge upon him in this savageway I suppose you will do it--if that chin of yours means anything. Youhaven't asked my opinion, but I'm going to tell you anyway that it seemsto me unwise and unjust and most unworthy of you to allow such an ideato become the obsession that this one has. But I want to know how youmanaged to keep your family together. That was a wonderful thing for aboy of fifteen to do."
"Oh, I don't deserve so much credit for it. Of course, I couldn't havedone it without help. Our guardian wanted to distribute us childrenaround among the relatives; but I wouldn't have it that way, and beggedso hard that at last he gave in. Two of my father's cousins lent moneyenough to pay off the mortgage on our ho
me, on our guardian'srepresentation that he should be able to save enough out of the wreck topay it back in time. He did so; and we children kept a roof over ourheads.
"A cousin of my mother's, a widow without children, offered to live withus and keep house. We rented part of the place and lived in closequarters in what was left. I worked like a Turk at anything andeverything that brought in a penny; and so, all together, we had enoughto eat and wear, and I was able to keep the girls and Homer in school. Iwent to night school and sat up reading anything I could get my hands onwhen I ought to have been in bed. It was hard sledding sometimes, but wepulled through. And I had good friends who saw that I was never out of ajob of some sort.
"After a while our cousin married again and left us; but by that time mysisters were old enough to take charge of the housekeeping, and we goton very well. Ten years ago they both married, and I said to Homer:'Let's sell the house and give the money to the girls; you and I canshift for ourselves, and we don't want them to go to their husbands withnothing at all.' The kid was game, and so we sold the place and dividedthe money between Helen and Jeannette. Then I put Homer in school andstruck out for myself. I've sent him to college, and he'll be graduatednext year. But he's worked right along, and helped himself a heap.There's sure good stuff in the lad.
"This Summer I'm not going to let him work; the rest of the way isclear enough now, and I want him to come down here with me, and learn torope a steer and bust a bronco and go camping, and have a good out-doorstime of it for his last college vacation."
As she listened with her eyes fixed upon his face, Miss Dent's attentionhad been half upon his story and half upon the man behind it, searchingout his character through his words. The conviction settled in her mindthat his vengeful intention was rooted deep, and that the more he talkedof it the more set would he become in his purpose.
"I like your story," she said. "It is one of those tales of human effortthat make one have more faith in human nature. But the climax you intendto put upon it is--horrible!" He noticed the slight movement ofrepulsion with which she spoke the word. "But that's your affair," shewent on. "Did I understand you--did you say--" In spite of herself-control she was stumbling over the question. She masked hermomentary confusion with an absorbed interest in getting her sewingtogether. "Did you say that Mr. Bancroft knows--that you have told himthis story?"
"Yes; I told him the outlines of it a little while ago, apropos of acheck I had from Delafield. The rascal thinks he can buy me off thatway. That shows he's buffaloed. But he'll find out I'm not that sort."
"No; I shouldn't think you were. But Lucy--does she know anything aboutit?"
He looked up in surprise. "Why, no; of course not."
Bancroft was coming through the gate, bringing Judge Banks with him; andLucy joined them a moment later. The talk turned on the coming trial ofJose Maria Melgares, the narrow escape of Pendleton from Melgares'bullet, and the death of Gaines as the result of his own foolhardyhorse-play. They spoke of Little Jack Wilder's skill with the revolver,and Conrad reminded Bancroft of their agreement to do some targetpractice together.
"Let's all go out in the back yard now," Lucy exclaimed, "and Miss Dentand I will shoot too! Wouldn't you like it, Dearie? Come on! it will besuch fun!"
While they were setting up the target Sheriff Tillinghurst came to speakto Judge Banks upon an official matter; and Lucy asked him to stay andhelp her shoot.
"You-all use my gun, Miss Lucy, and then you'll be sure to have goodluck," he replied, drawing his revolver from his pocket. It was a smallpearl-handled six-shooter, which the ladies admired, and the men jibedat for its daintiness.
"That's all right," he answered good-naturedly. "This gun don't stack upmuch beside a cannon for size, but I can pervade and pester with it aright smart heap if I want to. It's a peach of a shooter, and it don'tshow in my clothes. I never have anything on me but that, and I've neverseen the gun play yet where I got the worst of it. You-all try it, MissLucy."
Lucy took the revolver, telling him that now she would be his deputy,and, with plentiful instruction from Curtis, placed herself in positionand fired. She hit the bull's-eye and won much applause, until sheexplained that she had fired with both eyes shut and that, if she hadmade a good shot, it was because she couldn't help it with such asplendid gun as Mr. Tillinghurst's. Miss Dent took careful aim and,without lowering her arm, emptied the remaining chambers, making anexcellent score. She, too, won a round of applause, to which she repliedcalmly, "Oh, I've known how to shoot for years, and when I am inpractice I do fairly well."
"You two fellows shoot a match," said Tillinghurst to Bancroft andConrad. "The judge'll be umpire, and each fellow use his own gun atthirty paces."
Louise and Lucy stood at one side, where the Sheriff and Judge Banksjoined them, leaving Bancroft and Conrad to begin their match. Beneathher calm exterior Miss Dent's thoughts were in a tumult, and fierceresentment against the cattleman was rising in her heart. Had not Alecksuffered enough already? Why should he be hunted down like this when hewas willing to make restitution, even after all these years? Oh, cruel!to beat him down again, when he had won success and respect once more!This man was a savage in his implacable desire for revenge.
Curtis raised his revolver. With both eyes open and without pausing totake aim, he sent a bullet through the bull's-eye. "Delafield won't havemuch chance against a man who can do that!" he exclaimed in a triumphantundertone to Bancroft.
As the test of skill went on, it developed that the banker excelled ifhe took time to aim accurately, while he of Socorro Springs was thesuperior at quick shooting.
"It's my specialty in the shooting line," said Curtis. "You'd betterpractise it, Aleck. It's the thing that counts most if you get into ascrimmage."
He handed his hat, a wide-brimmed, gray felt, to Judge Banks, asking himto throw it up, adding, "I'd do it myself if my left arm wasn't in drydock." He raised his revolver as the hat left the judge's hand; therewere three quick reports, and he sprang forward and caught thedescending sombrero on the muzzle of his pistol. The three perforationsin the crown of the hat were so close together that a silver dollarcovered them.
"Bravo!" exclaimed the judge. "I don't know but two other men who can dothat. Little Jack Wilder never misses the trick, and Emerson Mead, overat Las Plumas, does it as if he were a machine and couldn't miss. If youever get a grudge against me, Mr. Conrad, I'll engage the undertaker andorder my tombstone at once!"
Bancroft turned away quickly. He swung his arm upward, fired, and foundthat his bullet had hardly nicked the outer rim of the target.
"Don't pay any attention to your gun," Curtis admonished him. "Keep botheyes open, look at the bull's-eye, and unconsciously you'll aim right atit. If you get into a gun play, where it's a choice between giving upthe ghost yourself or getting the other fellow's, you want to fastenyour eyes on his most accessible part, point your gun that way, andshoot on the wink. Between the eyes is a good place, for then you canhold him with your own. That's the way I shall fix Delafield," he added,dropping his voice.
Cold anger seized upon Bancroft as the picture of that gun muzzle closeto his own forehead came vividly into his imagination. Until now Conradhad not mentioned the subject of Delafield to him since the day of hisreturn to town, and the banker's friendly feelings had renewedthemselves with the growth of his own confidence and with his desire tocompass what he wished without violence. But Curtis had only to speak ofhis purpose in this cold-blooded manner for the banker to know that he,too, was rapidly becoming as implacable as his pursuer.
Judge Banks was talking to Miss Dent about the view and the New Mexicanclimate, and quoting Wordsworth on "the witchery of the soft blue sky."She was compelling an expression of smiling interest, while her thoughtswere with Bancroft and his danger. The desire possessed her to standnear him, to hover about him, as if her mere presence would protect himfrom peril. The friendly revolver practice between the two men made hersick at heart, and she was waiting with inward impatience for the mom
entwhen she could propose returning to the veranda.
Lucy and Sheriff Tillinghurst were laughing and talking together in arunning game of playful coquetry on her part and admiring badinage onhis. "Now, Miss Lucy," he was saying, "if you-all are going to be mydeputy, you'll have to learn to shoot with at least one eye open. Ican't have my deputy shootin' around promiscuous with both eyes shut. Itmight be used against me in the campaign."
"Oh, I'll keep both eyes open, just as Mr. Conrad says," she exclaimed,taking the Sheriff's revolver from his hand. "Just like this," she wenton gayly, pointing the pistol straight at Curtis's face as he cametoward them, saying, "Now you must have another chance, Miss Bancroft."
Tillinghurst sprang forward as he saw her level the revolver and struckit up with his hand. Her pressure on the trigger had been light, but thecontraction of her finger as the Sheriff knocked it upward dischargedthe weapon. The bullet sang through the air; and she paled and staggeredbackward, looking wildly from one to the other as she exclaimed:
"Oh, I was sure it wasn't loaded!"
"A gentleman's gun is always loaded, Miss Lucy," said the Sheriff, mildreproof in his tone.
Lucy leaned, trembling, against Miss Dent's supporting arm. "I--I wassure we shot out all the bullets," she stammered, looking wistfully atConrad. "I'll never, never touch a gun again."
"Don't feel so worried, Miss Bancroft," urged Curtis, gently. "Youweren't pressing the trigger, and I'd have ducked if you had, for I waswatching your hand. I wasn't in the least danger, and you mustn't thinkabout it again. It'll be your turn next, Miss Dent," he added jocosely."Aleck had his the other day, and sent a bullet into the wall just abovemy head."
"And you still have confidence in us, you reckless man!" Louiseexclaimed with a little effort at gayety, but with eyes on the ground.
"Perhaps he thinks he'll be in less danger if he teaches you-all how tohandle your guns," the Sheriff commented, as Miss Dent led the way backto the house.