CHAPTER VII
It was quite dark when Mr. Jack Brace stopped before Father Wynn's opendoor. The windows were also invitingly open to the wayfarer, as werethe pastoral counsels of Father Wynn, delivered to some favored guestwithin, in a tone of voice loud enough for a pulpit. Jack Brace paused.The visitor was the convalescent sheriff, Jim Dunn, who had publiclycommemorated his recovery by making his first call upon the fatherof his inamorata. The Reverend Mr. Wynn had been expatiating upon theunremitting heat of a possible precursor of forest fires, and exhibitingsome catholic knowledge of the designs of a Deity in that regard, andwhat should be the policy of the Legislature, when Mr. Brace concludedto enter. Mr. Wynn and the wounded man, who occupied an arm-chair bythe window, were the only occupants of the room. But in spite of theformer's ostentatious greeting, Brace could see that his visit wasinopportune and unwelcome. The sheriff nodded a quick, impatientrecognition, which, had it not been accompanied by an anathema on theheat, might have been taken as a personal insult. Neither spoke ofMiss Nellie, although it was patent to Brace that they were momentarilyexpecting her. All of which went far to strengthen a certain waveringpurpose in his mind.
"Ah, ha! strong language, Mr. Dunn," said Father Wynn, referring to thesheriff's adjuration, "but 'out of the fullness of the heart the mouthspeaketh.' Job, sir, cursed, we are told, and even expressed himself invigorous Hebrew regarding his birthday. Ha, ha! I'm not opposed to that.When I have often wrestled with the spirit I confess I have sometimessaid, 'D--n you.' Yes, sir, 'D--n you.'"
There was something so unutterably vile in the reverend gentleman'sutterance and emphasis of this oath that the two men, albeit both easyand facile blasphemers, felt shocked; as the purest of actresses is aptto overdo the rakishness of a gay Lothario, Father Wynn's immaculateconception of an imprecation was something terrible. But he added, "Thelaw ought to interfere with the reckless use of camp-fires in the woodsin such weather by packers and prospectors."
"It isn't so much the work of white men," broke in Brace, "as it isof Greasers, Chinamen, and Diggers, especially Diggers. There's thatblasted Low, ranges the whole Carquinez Woods as if they were his. Ireckon he ain't particular just where he throws his matches."
"But he's not a Digger; he's a Cherokee, and only a half-breed at that,"interpolated Wynn. "Unless," he added, with the artful suggestion of thebetrayed trust of a too credulous Christian, "he deceived me in this asin other things."
In what other things Low had deceived him he did not say; but, to theastonishment of both men, Dunn growled a dissent to Brace's proposition.Either from some secret irritation with that possible rival, orimpatience at the prolonged absence of Nellie, he had "had enough ofthat sort of hog-wash ladled out to him for genuine liquor." As to theCarquinez Woods, he [Dunn] "didn't know why Low hadn't as much rightthere as if he'd grabbed it under a preemption law and didn't livethere." With this hint at certain speculations of Father Wynn in publiclands for a homestead, he added that "If they [Brace and Wynn] couldbring him along any older American settler than an Indian, theymight rake down his [Dunn's] pile." Unprepared for this turn in theconversation, Wynn hastened to explain that he did not refer to the pureaborigine, whose gradual extinction no one regretted more than himself,but to the mongrel, who inherited only the vices of civilization. "Thereshould be a law, sir, against the mingling of races. There are men, sir,who violate the laws of the Most High by living with Indian women--squawmen, sir, as they are called."
Dunn rose with a face livid with weakness and passion. "Who dares saythat? They are a d--d sight better than sneaking Northern Abolitionists,who married their daughters to buck niggers like--" But a spasm of painwithheld this Parthian shot at the politics of his two companions, andhe sank back helplessly in his chair.
An awkward silence ensued. The three men looked at each other inembarrassment and confusion. Dunn felt that he had given way to agratuitous passion; Wynn had a vague presentiment that he had saidsomething that imperiled his daughter's prospects; and Brace was dividedbetween an angry retort and the secret purpose already alluded to.
"It's all the blasted heat," said Dunn, with a forced smile, pushingaway the whisky which Wynn had ostentatiously placed before him.
"Of course," said Wynn hastily; "only it's a pity Nellie ain't here togive you her smelling-salts. She ought to be back now," he added, nolonger mindful of Brace's presence; "the coach is over-due now, though Ireckon the heat made Yuba Bill take it easy at the up grade."
"If you mean the coach from Indian Spring," said Brace quietly, "it's inalready; but Miss Nellie didn't come on it."
"May be she got out at the Crossing," said Wynn cheerfully; "shesometimes does."
"She didn't take the coach at Indian Spring," returned Brace, "becauseI saw it leave, and passed it on Buckskin ten minutes ago, coming up thehills."
"She's stopped over at Burnham's," said Wynn reflectively. Then, inresponse to the significant silence of his guests, he added, in a toneof chagrin which his forced heartiness could not disguise, "Well, boys,it's a disappointment all round; but we must take the lesson as itcomes. I'll go over to the coach office and see if she's sent any word.Make yourselves at home until I return."
When the door had closed behind him, Brace arose and took his hat asif to go. With his hand on the lock, he turned to his rival, who, halfhidden in the gathering darkness, still seemed unable to comprehend hisill-luck.
"If you're waiting for that bald-headed fraud to come back with thetruth about his daughter," said Brace coolly, "you'd better send foryour things and take up your lodgings here."
"What do you mean?" said Dunn sternly.
"I mean that she's not at the Burnhams'; I mean that he either does ordoes not know WHERE she is, and that in either case he is not likely togive you information. But I can."
"You can?"
"Yes."
"Then, where is she?"
"In the Carquinez Woods, in the arms of the man you were justdefending--Low, the half-breed."
The room had become so dark that from the road nothing could bedistinguished. Only the momentary sound of struggling feet was heard.
"Sit down," said Brace's voice, "and don't be a fool. You're too weak,and it ain't a fair fight. Let go your hold. I'm not lying--I wish toGod I was!"
There was silence, and Brace resumed, "We've been rivals, I know. May beI thought my chance as good as yours. If what I say ain't truth, we'llstand as we stood before; and if you're on the shoot, I'm your man whenyou like, where you like, or on sight if you choose. But I can't bear tosee another man played upon as I've been played upon--given dead away asI've been. It ain't on the square.
"There," he continued, after a pause, "that's right, now steady. Listen.A week ago that girl went down just like this to Indian Spring. Itwas given out, like this, that she went to the Burnhams'. I don't mindsaying, Dunn, that I went down myself, all on the square, thinking Imight get a show to talk to her, just as YOU might have done, you know,if you had my chance. I didn't come across her anywhere. But two menthat I met thought they recognized her in a disguise going into thewoods. Not suspecting anything, I went after her; saw her at a distancein the middle of the woods in another dress that I can swear to, and wasjust coming up to her when she vanished--went like a squirrel up a tree,or down like a gopher in the ground, but vanished."
"Is that all?" said Dunn's voice. "And just because you were a d--dfool, or had taken a little too much whisky, you thought--"
"Steady. That's just what I said to myself," interrupted Brace coolly,"particularly when I saw her that same afternoon in another dress,saying 'Good-by' to the Burnhams, as fresh as a rose and as cold asthose snow-peaks. Only one thing--she had a ring on her finger she neverwore before, and didn't expect me to see."
"What if she did? She might have bought it. I reckon she hasn't toconsult you," broke in Dunn's voice sternly.
"She didn't buy it," continued Brace quietly. "Low gave that Jew tradera bearskin in exchange for it, and presented it to her. I fou
nd thatout two days afterwards. I found out that out of the whole afternoon shespent less than an hour with the Burnhams. I found out that she boughta duster like the disguise the two men saw her in. I found the yellowdress she wore that day hanging up in Low's cabin--the place where I sawher go--THE RENDEZVOUS WHERE SHE MEETS HIM. Oh, you're listenin', areyou? Stop! SIT DOWN!
"I discovered it by accident," continued the voice of Brace when all wasagain quiet; "it was hidden as only a squirrel or an Injin can hide whenthey improve upon nature. When I was satisfied that the girl had beenin the woods, I was determined to find out where she vanished, and wentthere again. Prospecting around, I picked up at the foot of one of thebiggest trees this yer old memorandum-book, with grasses and herbs stuckin it. I remembered that I'd heard old Wynn say that Low, like the d--dDigger that he was, collected these herbs; only he pretended it was forscience. I reckoned the book was his and that he mightn't be far away. Ilay low and waited. Bimeby I saw a lizard running down the root. When hegot sight of me he stopped."
"D--n the lizard! What's that got to do with where she is now?"
"Everything. That lizard had a piece of sugar in his mouth. Where did itcome from? I made him drop it, and calculated he'd go back for more. Hedid. He scooted up that tree and slipped in under some hanging strips ofbark. I shoved 'em aside, and found an opening to the hollow where theydo their housekeeping."
"But you didn't see her there--and how do you know she is there now?"
"I determined to make it sure. When she left to-day, I started an hourahead of her, and hid myself at the edge of the woods. An hour after thecoach arrived at Indian Spring, she came there in a brown duster and wasjoined by him. I'd have followed them, but the d--d hound has the earsof a squirrel, and though I was five hundred yards from him he was onhis guard."
"Guard be blessed! Wasn't you armed? Why didn't you go for him?" saidDunn, furiously.
"I reckoned I'd leave that for you," said Brace coolly. "If he'd killedme, and if he'd even covered me with his rifle, he'd been sure to letdaylight through me at double the distance. I shouldn't have been anybetter off, nor you either. If I'd killed HIM, it would have been yourduty as sheriff to put me in jail; and I reckon it wouldn't have brokenyour heart, Jim Dunn, to have got rid of TWO rivals instead of one.Hullo! Where are you going?"
"Going?" said Dunn hoarsely. "Going to the Carquinez Woods, by God! tokill him before her. I'LL risk it, if you daren't. Let me succeed, andyou can hang ME and take the girl yourself."
"Sit down, sit down. Don't be a fool, Jim Dunn! You wouldn't keep thesaddle a hundred yards. Did I say I wouldn't help you? No. If you'rewilling, we'll run the risk together, but it must be in my way. Hear me.I'll drive you down there in a buggy before daylight, and we'll surprisethem in the cabin or as they leave the wood. But you must come as ifto arrest him for some offense--say, as an escaped Digger from theReservation, a dangerous tramp, a destroyer of public property in theforests, a suspected road agent, or anything to give you the rightto hunt him. The exposure of him and Nellie, don't you see, must beaccidental. If he resists, kill him on the spot, and nobody'll blameyou; if he goes peaceably with you, and you once get him in Excelsiorjail, when the story gets out that he's taken the belle of Excelsior forhis squaw, if you'd the angels for your posse you couldn't keep the boysfrom hanging him to the first tree. What's that?"
He walked to the window, and looked out cautiously.
"If it was the old man coming back and listening," he said, after apause, "it can't he helped. He'll hear it soon enough, if he don'tsuspect something already."
"Look yer, Brace," broke in Dunn hoarsely. "D--d if I understand you oryou me. That dog Low has got to answer to ME, not to the LAW! I'll takemy risk of killing him, on sight and on the square. I don't reckon tohandicap myself with a warrant, and I am not going to draw him out witha lie. You hear me? That's me all the time!"
"Then you calkilate to go down thar," said Brace contemptuously, "yellout for him and Nellie, and let him line you on a rest from the firsttree as if you were a grizzly."
There was a pause. "What's that you were saying just now about abearskin he sold?" asked Dunn slowly, as if reflecting.
"He exchanged a bearskin," replied Brace, "with a single hole right overthe heart. He's a dead shot, I tell you."
"D--n his shooting," said Dunn. "I'm not thinking of that. How long agodid he bring in that bearskin?"
"About two weeks, I reckon. Why?"
"Nothing! Look yer, Brace, you mean well--thar's my hand. I'll go downwith you there, but not as the sheriff. I'm going there as Jim Dunn, andyou can come along as a white man, to see things fixed on the square.Come!"
Brace hesitated. "You'll think better of my plan before you get there;but I've said I'd stand by you, and I will. Come, then. There's no timeto lose."
They passed out into the darkness together.
"What are you waiting for?" said Dunn impatiently, as Brace, who wassupporting him by the arm, suddenly halted at the corner of the house.
"Some one was listening--did you not see him? Was it the old man?" askedBrace hurriedly.
"Blast the old man! It was only one of them Mexican packers chock-fullof whisky, and trying to hold up the house. What are you thinking of? Weshall be late."
In spite of his weakness, the wounded man hurriedly urged Brace forward,until they reached the latter's lodgings. To his surprise, the horseand buggy were already before the door.
"Then you reckoned to go, any way?" said Dunn, with a searching look athis companion.
"I calkilated SOMEBODY would go," returned Brace, evasively, patting theimpatient Buckskin; "but come in and take a drink before we leave."
Dunn started out of a momentary abstraction, put his hand on his hip,and mechanically entered the house. They had scarcely raised the glassesto their lips when a sudden rattle of wheels was heard in the street.Brace set down his glass and ran to the window.
"It's the mare bolted," he said, with an oath. "We've kept her too longstanding. Follow me," and he dashed down the staircase into the street.Dunn followed with difficulty; when he reached the door he was alreadyconfronted by his breathless companion. "She's gone off on a run, andI'll swear there was a man in the buggy!" He stopped and examined thehalter-strap, still fastened to the fence. "Cut! by God!"
Dunn turned pale with passion. "Who's got another horse and buggy?" hedemanded.
"The new blacksmith in Main Street; but we won't get it by borrowing,"said Brace.
"How then?" asked Dunn savagely.
"Seize it, as the sheriff of Yuba and his deputy, pursuing a confederateof the Injin Low--THE HORSE THIEF!"