CHAPTER XL
SIGNS AND OMENS
The reason of the temporary residence of Angus and his wife at hercottage lay principally in her whim. Angus laughed at it, but yielded,and found it rather pleasant to be alone with his wife. From force ofhabit he found a number of jobs which needed doing, things which shouldbe put in order before the winter; but Faith insisted that it was to bea holiday. And so by day they rode leisurely along the base of thehills, rested at noon beside clear springs, ate with healthy appetites,and in the evenings returned to the cottage. Then there would be thecheery open fire against the chill of the fall night, and by itsflickering light the banjo would talk and whimper, and chuckle, untilFaith, laying it aside, would snuggle against her husband, watching thered heart of the fire, giving free rein to fancy.
So, she thought and said, men and women had sat in the dim, forgottennights of the world, when the Red Flower first bloomed on the rudehearts of cave and forest and beside the lone beaches of dead seas.Angus laughed at her fancies, but in his own heart the spell of gut andstring and fire stirred something, too; and when the winds soughedaround the cottage and strained through the tree-tops he found himselflistening subconsciously for he knew not what.
"You are a dreamer, too," Faith accused him.
"I will be in about ten minutes."
"You might as well 'fess up. I wonder if you and I ever sat before afire in a cave, together?"
"I don't remember it, myself."
"Oh, you may laugh, but it seems real to me--to-night. The wind in thetrees is like the hiss and roar of squall-swept seas. I can hear otherthings, too--the soft padding of feet, and heavy, grunting, snufflingbreaths. That is the tiger or the great cave bear. But they can't getin, because you have rolled the stone against the mouth of our cave."
"Suppose I forgot it?"
"Then to pay for your carelessness, you would have to fight old SabreTooth. You would fight to the death for me, wouldn't you?"
"And for myself."
"Be gallant, please."
"Cave men weren't gallant. They walloped ladies with clubs and abductedthem."
"Happy thought. You have abducted me. No, not that, either, because Iwas never anybody's but yours. But there is a very great warrior who istrying to take me from you."
"The old warrior sure has some nerve. What am I doing about that time?"
"You fight," she told him, her eyes on the heart of the fire, "while Istand by praying to the unknown God that you may kill him. And you dokill him. And then you set your foot on his body and shake your war clubon high and shout a great wild song to the stars. Oh, I can see you now!There is blood on your face, and the club is dripping with it, and I canhear the fierce song!"
"I'll bet the singing is fierce, too," Angus commented. But to hissurprise she was trembling in his arms, every nerve aquiver. "What thedickens! Old girl, you're shaking! There now, that's plenty of thatnonsense. It isn't good for sleeping."
For a moment she clung to him. "I'm awfully silly. But somehow itseemed real--to-night. I wonder if it ever did happen?"
"Of course not."
"Well, it's funny. I was just making it up. And then suddenly I feltthat instead of making it up I was _recollecting_."
As she paused, Angus' ear caught a faint sound from without. To him itresembled the faint creak of a board beneath a stealthy footstep. For aninstant his body tensed.
"What's the matter?" Faith asked. "Have you nerves, too?"
"Not that I know of. Turn in now and get a good rest, and don't dream ofthings."
But when she had gone to her room he yawned, stretched himself, woundthe clock and passed into the hall leading to the kitchen. There hunghis belt with holster and gun. He took the gun, went swiftly through thekitchen and outside. He circled the house, but neither saw nor heardanything, and so he went in again. But when he turned in, havingextinguished the light, he laid the gun on the floor beside the bed, andin the morning smuggled it out without Faith's knowledge. Before she hadrisen he examined the ground around the house, but found no footprintsother than their own. And so he came to the conclusion that whatever hehad heard had not been a footstep.
He pottered around all morning, and in the afternoon decided to ride into town and see Judge Riley. The latter might have some news.
"Well, I won't go," Faith decided. "I have bread to bake, and it's toofar, anyway. I'll have supper ready when you get back."
But when Angus reached the judge's office it was closed. In the postoffice he found a note from him, consisting of four words: "Want to seeyou," and upon inquiry he learned that the lawyer had driven out withDr. Wilkes to see a rancher named McLatchie who being taken suddenly illhad sent for legal as well as medical assistance. Angus decided to wait.As he strolled down the street he met Rennie emerging from Dr. Wilkes'office.
"Hello," he said. "What's the matter with _you_?"
"Nothing with me," Rennie returned. "I was just doin' an errand. Butthey tell me the doc's out."
"What is it?" Angus asked, for Rennie's face was troubled.
"You ain't heard? Well, Mary, that granddaughter of old Paul Sam, hasbeen missin' some days, and to-day they find her--drowned."
"Good Lord!" Angus exclaimed. "How did it happen?" Rennie's facedarkened.
"I dunno. They say she drowned herself. They say some white man is mixedup in it. She was a notch or two above the ordinary klootch, and so--oh,well, it's just the same old rotten mess!"
"Poor girl!" Angus said after a moment of silence. "This will be hard onold Paul Sam. Do the Indians know this white man?"
"I dunno. I heard--mind you I dunno what there is in it--that BlakeFrench is the man. He's dirty enough. But I dunno's the Injuns know it.I seen old Paul Sam. He wasn't talkin'. Just sittin' starin' straightahead. And the klootch lyin' on her bed alongside him where they'd puther down. Ugh! Some of 'em wanted to send the doc out. He makes reportsof deaths and such to the government, and then he's coroner. So Icome."
The event touched Angus deeply. He had known the dead girl all his life.She was, as Rennie said, a notch or two above the ordinary klootch. PaulSam, too, was a good Indian, a friend of his and of his father's, so faras the white man who knows the Indian admits him to friendship. It wouldbe a heavy blow for the old man. But unless some of the young bucks tookthe law into their own hands it was unlikely that the man responsiblefor the tragedy--Blake French or another--would suffer at all.
It was long after dark when the judge drove in, and Angus waiting at thelivery stable, greeted him.
"How's McLatchie?" he asked. The judge, with emphasis, consignedMcLatchie to torment.
"A bellyache!" he exclaimed, "and he thought he was going to die. Iwanted Wilkes to cut him open, just as a lesson. And will you believeme, the damned Scotch--I beg your pardon, Angus, I mean the damnedlowlander--when the fear of God produced by the fear of death left hisrotten heart with the pain from his equally rotten stomach, refused tomake his will. I made him do it, though--and pay for it. Well, you gotmy note. Come up to the office, where we can talk."
But when he had lit a couple of lamps which illuminated his office andturned to his desk he stopped short.
"Somebody's been in here," he said. "Things are not as I left them." Hedrew out the drawers of his desk. "Aha!" he exclaimed, for the papersthey held had evidently been taken out and jammed back in disorder. "Nowwhat misguided idiot thought a law office worth robbing? I wonder,now--By the Lord! but I believe that's it!"
"What?"
"Why somebody's been after _your_ documents," the judge replied. "O-ho,Braden, me buck! You must think I'm a fool!"
"You mean you think Braden was trying to get back the original deeds?"
"And something else. It's a poor tribute he pays to my intelligence,thinking I'd leave such papers lying at the mercy of a flimsy door lock.People think I am careless, old-fashioned, because they can't see a safein my office. Well, anybody can blow a safe--if the safe can be found. Ihad one blown once, and it was nearly the ruin of
me. But look here!" Asection of wainscoting swung out under his hand, revealing the face of asteel safe. "No local man had anything to do with installing this," thejudge said; "and back of it is a false wall to my inner room." He spunthe combination and threw the door open. Taking out a thick envelope hedrew from it a single sheet of paper which he handed to Angus.
Angus read in amazement. It was a brief statement signed by Bradenacknowledging forgery by French and himself, and an acknowledgment ofthe authenticity of the original deeds.
"How on earth did you get this?" he asked.
The judge told him.
"Well, that was mighty clever of you," Angus said in admiration. "I'dnever have thought of that."
"Braden didn't either," the judge said drily. "And what's more he neverthought that my statement about the watermark might be worth verifying."
"Do you mean you bluffed him?" Angus exclaimed.
"It was the only way," the judge nodded. "His story, stuck to throughthick and thin, would have prevailed because we had no evidence tocontradict it. But being guilty, it never occurred to him to demand aninspection of the papers. It may have occurred to him now. He may havesearched my office in my absence, hoping to get back his confession aswell as the deeds. But most of us realize our mistakes too late."
"Judge" Angus said solemnly, "you are a wonder."
"When I was your age I would have agreed with that," the judge grinned."But I am merely an old dog with some experience of foxes. This settlesBraden's hash. He will leave town--and possibly leave some creditors."
"I thought he had plenty of money."
"He has lost a good deal lately in speculation--lost it or tied it up. Iimagine he will get together what cash he can and leave. His debts arenone of my business. I will now have these deeds registered, and youwill have no more trouble about title."
"When you send me your bill, put in the watermark."
"My bill will have a sufficiently high watermark to suit you," the judgechuckled. "And now, young man, I'm too old to be modest. Naturally youwill incorporate, sooner or later, to work this property to advantage. Iwant to incorporate you, and I want such of the company's legal work asI am competent to handle."
"That's all of it."
"I meant that," the judge admitted. "And if I were permitted to buy ablock of stock on as good terms as anybody I would take it."
"That goes, of course," Angus agreed, "and it doesn't by any meanscancel our obligation to you. And now I must be drifting. My wife isalone, and I was to have been back by supper."
"You'll have a dark ride."
"My horse has good feet. Good night, judge, and thank you again."
The wind struck Angus hard as he left the office. It was blowing greatguns, and as the judge had said, it was very dark. When he left thelights behind it was better as his eyes became accustomed to thedarkness. But ragged clouds hung low, and the mountains usually visibleagainst even the sky of night could not be seen. The wind was roaringthrough the tops of the firs with a sound of running waves. But the roadwas good, and when Chief of his own notion struck into a long,trail-devouring lope, he did not check him.
He was suddenly anxious to get back to Faith. He wished to tell her thegood news, but that did not account for the uneasy feeling thatpossessed him, tugging at his ordinarily steady nerves. There seemed tobe no reason for it; yet it persisted and even increased. He realizedwith disgust that he was nervous. Something seemed to impend. The roarof the wind was sinister, minatory. The darkness seemed to hover abovelike a bird of prey, ready to strike. He swore angrily at himself forsuch fancies.
"I've got the nerves of a squirrel to-night," he muttered. "I'll beseeing things next. Go on, Chief, old boy! Leak out of here!"
With the touch of his feel the big chestnut settled to the business ofcovering ground. The wind increased, and with it came rain, huge dropsdriving like buckshot, stinging as they hit. Somewhere off the road atree snapped and crashed down.
"Timber!" Angus shouted to the darkness, for the storm and the pace weregetting into his blood, and with their entry his nervousness wasreplaced by a feeling of exhilaration. Then the chestnut rose in a cleansailing jump, and Angus realized that he had cleared a fallen tree. Buthe did not slacken speed.
They were off the main road now, on the less used trail, and the ranchwas little over a mile distant. Angus could picture Faith waiting,wondering what had detained him, perhaps a little anxious because of thestorm. She would laugh when he told her that he had suffered fromnerves. She--
Chief snorted, leaped, and something caught Angus across the chest. Fora moment it yielded, tautened and snapped back, tearing his tight griploose. At the pace he was riding it plucked him from the saddle as ahawk lifts a chick from the brood, flinging him backward to the earth.He struck it heavily on his shoulders and the back of his head. He had adim impression of somebody or something leaping on him, of a blow, andthen darkness shut down absolutely.