\"Oh,bosh,itisn’tcomingtothat;butIwishhewereinbettershape。Heisbrokenupbadlywithoutthisholeinhim。\"
HewouldnotleavetillIhadpromisedtotakehimupthenextday,thoughIwasdoubtfulenoughofhisreception。ButnextdayTheDukecamedown,hisblackbronco,Jingo,wetwithhardriding。
\"Bettercomeup,Connor,\"hesaid,gravely,\"andbringyourbromidesalong。HehashadabadnightandmorningandfellasleeponlybeforeIcameaway。Iexpecthe’llwakeindelirium。It’sthewhiskymorethanthebullet。Snakes,youknow。\"
Intenminuteswethreewereonthetrail,forMoore,thoughnotinvited,quietlyannouncedhisintentiontogowithus。
\"Oh,allright,\"saidTheDuke,indifferently,\"heprobablywon’trecognizeyouanyway。\"
WerodehardforhalfanhourtillwecamewithinsightofBruce’sshack,whichwassetbackintoalittlepoplarbluff。
\"Holdup!\"saidTheDuke。\"Wasthatashot?\"Westoodlistening。
Arifle-shotrangout,andwerodehard。AgainTheDukehaltedus,andtherecamefromtheshackthesoundofsinging。ItwasanoldScotchtune。
\"Thetwenty-thirdPsalm,\"saidMoore,inalowvoice。
Werodeintothebluff,tiedupourhorsesandcrepttothebackoftheshack。Lookingthroughacrackbetweenthelogs,Isawagruesomething。BrucewassittingupinbedwithaWinchesterrifleacrosshiskneesandabeltofcartridgeshangingoverthepost。Hisbandagesweretornoff,thebloodfromhiswoundwassmearedoverhisbarearmsandhispale,ghastlyface;hiseyeswerewildwithmadterror,andhewasshoutingatthetopofhisvoicethewords:
\"TheLord’smyshepherd,I’llnotwant,HemakesmedowntolieInpasturesgreen,HeleadethmeThequietwatersby。\"
Nowandthenhewouldstoptosayinanawesomewhisper,\"Comeouthere,youlittledevils!\"andbangwouldgohisrifleatthestovepipe,whichwasriddledwithholes。ThenoncemoreinaloudvoicehewouldhurrytobeginthePsalm,\"TheLord’smyShepherd。\"
Nothingthatmymemorybringstomemakesmechilllikethatpicture——thelowlogshack,nowincheerlessdisorder;theghastlyobjectuponthebedinthecorner,withblood-smearedfaceandarmsandmadterrorintheeyes;theawfulcursingsandmoreawfulpsalm-singing,punctuatedbythequickreportofthedeadlyrifle。
Forsomemomentswestoodgazingatoneanother;thenTheDukesaid,inalow,fiercetone,moretohimselfthantous:
\"Thisisthelast。There’llbenomoreofthiscursedfollyamongtheboys。\"
AndIthoughtitawisethinginThePilotthatheanswerednotaword。
CHAPTERVIII
THEPILOT’SGRIP
Thesituationwasoneofextremedanger——amadmanwithaWinchesterrifle。Somethingmustbedoneandquickly。Butwhat?Itwouldbedeathtoanyoneappearingatthedoor。
\"I’llspeak;youkeepyoureyesonhim,\"saidTheDuke。
\"Hello,Bruce!What’stherow?\"shoutedTheDuke。
Instantlythesingingstopped。Alookofcunningdelightcameoverhisfaceas,withoutaword,hegothisriflereadypointedatthedoor。
\"Comein!\"heyelled,afterwaitingforsomemoments。\"Comein!
You’rethebiggestofallthedevils。Comeon,I’llsendyoudownwhereyoubelong。Come,what’skeepingyou?\"
Overtherifle-barrelhiseyesgleamedwithfrenzieddelight。Weconsultedastoaplan。
\"Idon’trelishabulletmuch,\"Isaid。
\"Therearepleasanterthings,\"respondedTheDuke,\"andheisafairlygoodshot。\"
Meantimethesinginghadstartedagain,and,lookingthroughthechink,IsawthatBrucehadgothiseyeonthestovepipeagain。
WhileIwaslookingThePilotslippedawayfromustowardthedoor。
\"Comeback!\"saidtheDuke,\"don’tbeafool!Comeback,he’llshootyoudead!\"
Moorepaidnoheedtohim,butstoodwaitingatthedoor。InafewmomentsBruceblazedawayagainatthestovepipe。ImmediatelythePilotburstin,callingouteagerly:
\"Didyougethim?\"
\"No!\"saidBruce,disappointedly,\"hedodgedlikethedevil,asofcourseheought,youknow。\"
\"I’llgethim,\"saidMoore。\"Smokehimout,\"proceedingtoopenthestovedoor。
\"Stop!\"screamedBruce,\"don’topenthatdoor!It’sfull,Itellyou。\"Moorepaused。\"Besides,\"wentonBruce,\"smokewon’ttouch’em。\"
\"Oh,that’sallright,\"saidMoore,coollyandwithadmirablequickness,\"woodsmoke,youknow——theycan’tstandthat。\"
ThiswasapparentlyanewideaindemonologyforBruce,forhesankback,whileMoorelightedthefireandputonthetea-kettle。Helookedroundforthetea-caddy。
\"Upthere,\"saidBruce,forgettingforthemomenthisdevils,andpointingtoaquaint,old-fashionedtea-caddyupontheshelf。
Mooretookitdown,turneditinhishandsandlookedatBruce。
\"Oldcountry,eh?\"
\"Mymother’s,\"saidBruce,soberly。
\"Icouldhaveswornitwasmyaunt’sinBalleymena,\"saidMoore。
\"Myauntlivedinalittlestonecottagewithrosesalloverthefrontofit。\"Andonhewentintoanenthusiasticdescriptionofhisearlyhome。Hisvoicewasfullofmusic,softandsoothing,andpoorBrucesankbackandlistened,theglitterfadingfromhiseyes。
TheDukeandIlookedateachother。
\"Nottoobad,eh?\"saidTheDuke,afterafewmoments’silence。
\"Let’sputupthehorses,\"Isuggested。\"Theywon’twantusforhalfanhour。\"
Whenwecamein,theroomhadbeensetinorder,thetea-kettlewassinging,thebedclothesstraightenedout,andMoorehadjustfinishedwashingthebloodstainsfromBruce’sarmsandneck。
\"Justintime,\"hesaid。\"Ididn’tliketotacklethese,\"pointingtothebandages。
AllnightlongMooresoothedandtendedthesickman,nowsingingsoftlytohim,andagainbeguilinghimwithtalesthatmeantnothing,butthathadastrangepowertoquietthenervousrestlessness,duepartlytothepainofthewoundedarmandpartlytothenerve-wreckingfromhismonthsofdissipation。TheDukeseemeduncomfortableenough。HespoketoBruceonceortwice,buttheonlyanswerwasagroanorcursewithanincreaseofrestlessness。
\"He’llhaveaclosesqueak,\"saidTheDuke。Thecarelessnessofthetonewasalittleoverdone,butThePilotwasstirredupbyit。
\"Hehasnotbeenfortunateinhisfriends,\"hesaid,lookingstraightintohiseyes。
\"Amanoughttoknowhimselfwhenthepaceistooswift,\"saidTheDuke,alittlemorequicklythanwashiswont。
\"Youmighthavedoneanythingwithhim。Whydidn’tyouhelphim?\"
Moore’stonesweresternandverysteady,andhenevermovedhiseyesfromtheotherman’sface,buttheonlyreplyhegotwasashrugoftheshoulders。
WhenthegrayofthemorningwascominginatthewindowTheDukeroseup,gavehimself,alittleshake,andsaid:
\"Iamnotofanyservicehere。Ishallcomebackintheevening。\"
Hewentandstoodforafewmomentslookingdownuponthehot,feveredface;then,turningtome,heasked:
\"Whatdoyouthink?\"
\"Can’tsay!Thebromideisholdinghimdownjustnow。Hisbloodisbadforthatwound。\"
\"CanIgetanything?\"Iknewhimwellenoughtorecognizetheanxietyunderhisindifferentmanner。
\"TheFortdoctoroughttobegot。\"
Henoddedandwentout。
\"Havebreakfast?\"calledoutMoorefromthedoor。
\"IshallgetsomeattheFort,thanks。Theywon’ttakeanyhurtfrommethere,\"hesaid,smilinghiscynicalsmile。
Mooreopenedhiseyesinsurprise。
\"What’sthatfor?\"heaskedme。
\"Well,heisrathercutup,andyouratherrubbeditintohim,youknow,\"Isaid,forIthoughtMoorealittlehard。
\"DidIsayanythinguntrue?\"
\"Well,notuntrue,perhaps;buttruthislikemedicine——notalwaysgoodtotake。\"AtwhichMoorewassilenttillhispatientneededhimagain。
Itwasawearyday。Theintensepainfromthewound,andthehighfeverfromthepoisoninhisbloodkeptthepoorfellowindeliriumtillevening,whenTheDukerodeupwiththeFortdoctor。Jingoappearedasnearlyplayedoutasahorseofhisspiriteverallowedhimselftobecome。
\"Seventymiles,\"saidTheDuke,swinginghimselfoffthesaddle。
\"Thedoctorwastenmilesout。Howishe?\"
Ishookmyhead,andheledawayhishorsetogivehimarubandafeed。
Meantimethedoctor,whowasofthearmyandhadseenservice,wasexamininghispatient。Hegrewmoreandmorepuzzledashenotedthevarioussymptoms。Finallyhebrokeout:
\"Whathaveyoubeendoingtohim?Whyisheinthiscondition?
Thisfleabitedoesn’taccountforall,\"pointingtothewound。
Westoodlikechildrenreproved。ThenTheDukesaid,hesitatingly:
\"Ifear,doctor,thelifehasbeenalittletoohardforhim。Hehadaseverenervousattack——seeingthings,youknow。\"
\"Yes,Iknow,\"stormedtheolddoctor。\"Iknowyouwellenough,withyourheadofcast-ironandnonervestospeakof。Iknowthecrowdandhowyouleadthem。Infernalfools!You’llgetyourturnsomeday。I’vewarnedyoubefore。\"
TheDukewasstandingupbeforethedoctorduringthisstorm,smilingslightly。Allatoncethesmilefadedoutandhepointedtothebed。Brucewassittingupquietandsteady。HestretchedouthishandtoTheDuke。
\"Don’tmindtheoldfool,\"hesaid,holdingTheDuke’shandandlookingupathimasfondlyasifhewereagirl。\"It’smyownfuneral——funeral?\"hepaused——\"Perhapsitmaybe——whoknows?——feelqueerenough——butremember,Duke——it’smyownfault——don’tlistentothoseballyfools,\"lookingtowardsMooreandthedoctor。\"Myownfault\"——hisvoicedieddown——\"myownfault。\"
TheDukebentoverhimandlaidhimbackonthepillow,saying,\"Thanks,oldchap,you’regoodstuff。I’llnotforget。Justkeepquietandyou’llbeallright。\"Hepassedhiscool,firmhandoverthehotbrowofthemanlookingupathimwithloveinhiseyes,andinafewmomentsBrucefellasleep。ThenTheDukeliftedhimselfup,andfacingthedoctor,saidinhiscoolesttone:
\"Yourwordsaremoretruethanopportune,doctor。Yourpatientwillneedallyourattention。Asformymorals,Mr。Moorekindlyentrustshimselfwiththecareofthem。\"ThiswithabowtowardThePilot。
\"Iwishhimjoyofhischarge,\"snortedthedoctor,turningagaintothebed,whereBrucehadalreadypassedintodelirium。
Thememoryofthatvigilwaslikeahorriblenightmareformonths。
Moorelayonthefloorandslept。TheDukerodeoffsomewhither。
TheolddoctorandIkeptwatch。AllnightpoorBruceravedinthewildestdelirium,singing,nowpsalms,nowsongs,swearingatthecattleorhispokerpartners,andnowandthen,inquietermoments,hewasbackinhisoldhome,aboy,withaboy’sfriendsandsports。Nothingcouldcheckthefever。Itbaffledthedoctor,whooften,duringthenight,declaredthattherewas\"nosenseinawoundlikethatworkingupsuchafever,\"addingcursesuponthefollyofTheDukeandhisCompany。
\"Youdon’tthinkhewillnotgetbetter,doctor?\"Iasked,inanswertooneofhisoutbreaks。
\"Heoughttogetoverthis,\"heanswered,impatiently,\"butI
believe,\"headded,deliberately,\"he’llhavetogo。\"
Everythingstoodstillforamoment。Itseemedimpossible。Twodaysagofulloflife,nowonthewayout。Therecrowdedinuponmethoughtsofhishome;hismother,whoselettersheusedtoshowmefullofanxiouslove;hiswildlifehere,withallitsgenerousimpulses,itsmistakes,itsfolly。
\"Howlongwillhelast?\"Iasked,andmylipsweredryandnumb。
\"Perhapstwenty-fourhours,perhapslonger。Hecan’tthrowoffthepoison。\"
Theolddoctorprovedatrueprophet。Afteranotherdayofagonizeddeliriumhesankintoastuporwhichlastedthroughthenight。
Thenthechangecame。Asthelightbegantogrowattheeasternrimoftheprairieandupthefarmountainsinthewest,Bruceopenedhiseyesandlookedaboutuponus。Thedoctorhadgone;TheDukehadnotcomeback;MooreandIwerealone。Hegazedatussteadilyforsomemoments;readourfaces;alookofwondercameintohiseyes。
\"Isitcoming?\"heaskedinafaint,awedvoice。\"DoyoureallythinkImustgo?\"
Theeagerappealinhisvoiceandthewistfullonginginthewide-
open,startledeyesweretoomuchforMoore。HebackedbehindmeandIcouldhearhimweepinglikeababy。Bruceheardhim,too。
\"IsthatThePilot?\"heasked。InstantlyMoorepulledhimselfup,wipedhiseyesandcameroundtotheothersideofthebedandlookeddown,smiling。
\"DoYOUsayIamdying?\"Thevoicewasstrainedinitsearnestness。
IfeltathrillofadmirationgothroughmeasthePilotansweredinasweet,clearvoice:\"Theysayso,Bruce。Butyouarenotafraid?\"
Brucekepthiseyesonhisfaceandansweredwithgravehesitation:
\"No——not——afraid——butI’dliketolivealittlelonger。I’vemadesuchamessofit,I’dliketotryagain。\"Thenhepaused,andhislipsquiveredalittle。\"There’smymother,youknow,\"headded,apologetically,\"andJim。\"Jimwashisyoungerbrotherandswornchum。
\"Yes,Iknow,Bruce,butitwon’tbeverylongforthem,too,andit’sagoodplace。\"
\"Yes,Ibelieveitall——alwaysdid——talkedrot——you’llforgivemethat?\"
\"Don’t;don’t,\"saidMoorequickly,withsharppaininhisvoice,andBrucesmiledalittleandclosedhiseyes,saying:\"I’mtired。\"
Butheimmediatelyopenedthemagainandlookedup。
\"Whatisit?\"askedMoore,smilingdownintohiseyes。
\"TheDuke,\"thepoorlipswhispered。
\"Heiscoming,\"saidMoore,confidently,thoughhowheknewIcouldnottell。Butevenashespoke,lookingoutofthewindow,IsawJingocomeswingingroundthebluff。Bruceheardthebeatofhishoofs,smiled,openedhiseyesandwaited。TheleapofjoyinhiseyesasTheDukecamein,clean,coolandfreshasthemorning,wenttomyheart。
Neithermansaidaword,butBrucetookholdofTheDuke’shandinbothofhis。Hewasfastgrowingweaker。Igavehimbrandy,andherecoveredalittlestrength。
\"Iamdying,Duke,\"hesaid,quietly。\"Promiseyouwon’tblameyourself。\"
\"Ican’t,oldman,\"saidTheDuke,withashudder。\"WouldtoheavenIcould。\"
\"Youweretoostrongforme,andyoudidn’tthink,didyou?\"andtheweakvoicehadacaressinit。
\"No,no!Godknows,\"saidTheDuke,hurriedly。
Therewasalongsilence,andagainBruceopenedhiseyesandwhispered:
\"ThePilot。\"
Moorecametohim。
\"Read’TheProdigal,’\"hesaidfaintly,andinMoore’sclear,sweetvoicethemusicofthatmatchlessstoryfelluponourears。
AgainBruce’seyessummonedme。Ibentoverhim。
\"Myletter,\"hesaid,faintly,\"inmycoat——\"
Ibroughttohimthelastletterfromhismother。Heheldtheenvelopebeforehiseyes,thenhandedittome,whispering:
\"Read。\"
Iopenedtheletterandlookedatthewords,\"MydarlingDavie。\"
MytonguestuckandnotasoundcouldImake。Mooreputouthishandandtookitfromme。TheDukerosetogoout,callingmewithhiseyes,butBrucemotionedhimtostay,andhesatdownandbowedhishead,whileMoorereadtheletter。
Histoneswereclearandsteadytillhecametothelastwords,whenhisvoicebrokeandendedinasob:
\"Andoh,Davie,laddie,ifeveryourheartturnshomeagain,rememberthedoorisayeopen,andit’sjoyyou’llbringwithyoutousall。\"
Brucelayquitestill,and,fromhisclosedeyes,bigtearsrandownhischeeks。Itwashislastfarewelltoherwhoselovehadbeentohimtheanchortoallthingspurehereandtoheavenbeyond。
HetooktheletterfromMoore’shand,putitwithdifficultytohislips,andthen,touchingtheopenBible,hesaid,betweenhisbreaths:
\"It’s——verylike——there’sreally——nofear,isthere?\"
\"No,no!\"saidMoore,withcheerful,confidentvoice,thoughhis,tearswereflowing。\"Nofearofyourwelcome。\"
Hiseyesmetmine。Ibentoverhim。\"Tellher——\"andhisvoicefadedaway。
\"WhatshallItellher?\"Iasked,tryingtorecallhim。Butthemessagewasnevergiven。HemovedonehandslowlytowardTheDuketillittouchedhishead。TheDukeliftedhisfaceandlookeddownathim,andthenhedidabeautifulthingforwhichIforgavehimmuch。Hestoopedoverandkissedthelipsgrownsowhite,andthenthebrow。Thelightcamebackintotheeyesofthedyingman,hesmiledoncemore,andsmilinglyfacedtowardtheGreatBeyond。Andthemorningair,freshfromthesun-tippedmountainsandsweetwiththescentoftheJuneroses,cameblowingsoftandcoolthroughtheopenwindowuponthedead,smilingface。Anditseemedfittingso。
ItcamefromthelandoftheMorning。
AgainTheDukedidabeautifulthing;for,reachingacrosshisdeadfriend,heofferedhishandtoThePilot。\"Mr。Moore,\"hesaid,withfinecourtesy,\"youareabravemanandagoodman;Iaskyourforgivenessformuchrudeness。\"
ButMooreonlyshookhisheadwhilehetooktheoutstretchedhand,andsaid,brokenly:
\"Don’t!Ican’tstandit。\"
\"TheCompanyoftheNobleSevenwillmeetnomore,\"saidTheDuke,withafaintsmile。
Theydidmeet,however;butwhentheydid,ThePilotwasinthechair,anditwasnotforpoker。
ThePilothad\"gothisgrip,\"asBillsaid。
CHAPTERIX
GWEN
ItwasnotmanydaysaftermyarrivalintheFoothillcountrythatIbegantohearofGwen。Theyallhadstoriesofher。Thedetailswerenotmany,buttheimpressionwasvivid。ShelivedremotefromthatcentreofcivilizationknownasSwanCreekinthepostalguide,butlocallyasOldLatour’s,farupamongthehillsneartheDevil’sLake,andfromherfather’sranchsheneverventured。Butsomeofthemenhadhadglimpsesofherandhadcometodefiniteopinionsregardingher。
\"Whatisshelike?\"IaskedBilloneday,tryingtopinhimdowntosomethinglikeadescriptiveaccountofher。
\"Like!She’saterrer,\"hesaid,withslowemphasis,\"aholyterrer。\"
\"Butwhatisshelike?Whatdoesshelooklike?\"Iaskedimpatiently。
\"Looklike?\"Heconsideredamoment,lookedslowlyroundasifsearchingforasimile,thenanswered:\"Idunno。\"
\"Don’tknow?Whatdoyoumean?Haven’tyouseenher?\"
\"Yeh!Butsheain’tlikenothin’。\"
Billwasquitedecideduponthispoint。
Itriedagain。
\"Well,whatsortofhairhasshegot?She’sgothair,Isuppose?\"
\"Hayer!Well,afew!\"saidBill,withsomechoicecombinationsofprofanityinrepudiationofmysuggestion。\"Yardsofit!Red!\"
\"Gitout!\"contradictedHi。\"Red!Tain’tnomoreredthanmine!\"
BillregardedHi’shaircritically。
\"Whatcolordoyouputontoyouroldbrush?\"heaskedcautiously。
\"’Tain’tnodifference。’Tain’tred,anyhow。\"
\"Red!Well,notquiteexactly,\"andBillwentoffintoalow,long,chokingchuckle,ejaculatingnowandthen,\"Red!Jee-mi-nyAnn!Red!\"
\"No,Hi,\"hewenton,recoveringhimselfwiththesameabruptnessasheusedwithhisbronco,andlookingathisfriendwithafaceevenmorethanusuallysolemn,\"yourhayerain’tred,Hi;don’tletanyofyourrelativespersuadeyoutothat。’Tain’tred!\"andhethreatenedtogooffagain,butpulledhimselfupwithdangeroussuddenness。\"Itmaybeblue,cerulyumblueorevenpurple,butred——!\"Hepausedviolently,lookingathisfriendasifhefoundhimanewandinterestingobjectofstudyuponwhichhecouldnottrusthimselftospeak。Norcouldhebeinducedtoproceedwiththedescriptionhehadbegun。
ButHi,payingnoattentiontoBill’soration,tookupthesubjectwithenthusiasm。
\"Shekinride——she’sareg’larbustertoride,ain’tshe,Bill?\"
Billnodded。\"Shekinbunchcattlean’cutoutan’yankasteeruptoanycowboyontherange。\"
\"Why,howbigisshe?\"
\"Big?Why,she’sjustakid!’Tain’tthebignessofher,it’sthenerve。She’sgotthecoldestkindofnerveyoueverseen。Hain’tshe,Bill?\"AndagainBillnodded。
\"’Memberthedayshedroppedthatsteer,Bill?\"wentonHi。
\"Whatwasthat?\"Iasked,eagerforayarn。
\"Oh,nuthin’,\"saidBill。
\"Nuthin’!\"retortedHi。\"Prettybignuthin’!\"
\"Whatwasit?\"Iurged。
\"Oh,BillheredidsomefunnyworkatoldMeredith’sround-up,buthedon’tspeakofit。He’sshy,yousee,\"andHigrinned。
\"Well,thereain’tnooccasionforyourproceedin’ontothattact,\"
saidBilldisgustedly,andHiloyallyrefrained,soIhaveneveryetgottherightsofthestory。ButfromwhatIdidhearI
gatheredthatBill,attheriskofhislife,hadpulledTheDukefromunderthehoofsofamadsteer,andthatlittleGwenhad,inthecoolestpossiblemanner,\"sailedinonherbronco\"and,byputtingtwobulletsintothesteer’shead,hadsavedthembothfromgreatdanger,perhapsfromdeath,fortherestofthecattlewerecrowdingnear。OfcourseBillcouldneverbepersuadedtospeakoftheincident。Atruewesternmanwillneverhesitatetotellyouwhathecando,butofwhathehasdonehedoesnotreadilyspeak。
TheonlyotheritemthatHicontributedtothesketchofGwenwasthathertempercouldblazeiftheoccasiondemanded。
\"’MemberyoungHill,Bill?\"
Bill\"’membered。\"
\"Didn’tshecutintohimsudden?Sarvedhimright,too。\"
\"Whatdidshedo?\"
\"Cuthimacrossthefacewithherquirtingoodstyle。\"
\"Whatfor?\"
\"Knockin’aboutherIndianJoe。\"
Joewas,asIcametolearn,Ponka’ssonandGwen’smostdevotedslave。
\"Oh,sheain’tnorefrigerator。\"
\"Yes,\"assentedBill。\"She’saleetleswift。\"Then,asiffearinghehadbeenapologizingforher,headded,withtheairofonesettlingthequestion:\"Butshe’sgoodstock!Shesuitsme!\"
TheDukehelpedmetoanothersideofhercharacter。
\"Sheisaremarkablechild,\"hesaid,oneday。\"Wildandshyasacoyote,butfearless,quite;andwithaheartfullofpassions。
Meredith,theOldTimer,youknow,haskeptherupthereamongthehills。SheseesnoonebuthimselfandPonka’sBlackfeetrelations,whotreatherlikeagoddessandhelptospoilherutterly。Sheknowstheirlingoandtheirways——goesoffwiththemforaweekatatime。\"
\"What!WiththeBlackfeet?\"
\"PonkaandJoe,ofcourse,goalong;butevenwithoutthemsheisassafeasifsurroundedbytheColdstreamGuards,butshehasgiventhemupforsometimenow。\"
\"Andathome?\"Iasked。\"Hassheanyeducation?Canshereadorwrite?\"
\"Notshe。Shecanmakeherowndresses,moccasinsandleggings。
Shecancookandwash——thatis,whenshefeelsinthemood。Andsheknowsallaboutthebirdsandbeastsandflowersandthatsortofthing,but——education!Why,sheishardlycivilized!\"
\"Whatashame!\"Isaid。\"Howoldisshe?\"
\"Oh,amerechild;fourteenorfifteen,Iimagine;butawomaninmanythings。\"
\"Andwhatdoesherfathersaytoallthis?Canhecontrolher?\"
\"Control!\"saidTheDuke,inutterastonishment。\"Why,blessyoursoul,nothinginheavenorearthcouldcontrolHER。Waittillyouseeherstandwithherproudlittleheadthrownback,givingorderstoJoe,andyouwillneveragainconnecttheideaofcontrolwithGwen。Shemightbeaprincessfortheprideofher。I’veseensome,too,inmyday,butnonetotouchherforsheer,imperialpride,littleLuciferthatsheis。\"
\"Andhowdoesherfatherstandhernonsense?\"Iasked,forI
confessIwasnotmuchtakenwiththepictureTheDukehaddrawn。
\"Herfathersimplyfollowsbehindherandadores,asdoallthingsthatcomenearher,down,orup,perhaps,tohertwodogs——WolfandLoo——foreitherofwhichshewouldreadilydieifneedbe。Still,\"
headded,afterapause,\"itISashame,asyousay。Sheoughttoknowsomethingoftherefinementsofcivilization,towhich,afterall,shebelongs,andfromwhichnoneofuscanhopetoescape。\"
TheDukewassilentforafewmoments,andthenadded,withsomehesitation:\"Then,too,sheisquiteapagan;neversawaprayer-
book,youknow。\"
Andsoitcameabout,chieflythroughTheDuke’sinfluence,I
imagine,thatIwasengagedbytheOldTimertogouptohisrancheveryweekandteachhisdaughtersomethingoftheelementariesofalady’seducation。
MyintroductionwasominousofthemanythingsIwastosufferofthatsameyoungmaidenbeforeIhadfinishedmycoursewithher。
TheOldTimerhadgivencarefuldirectionsastothetrailthatwouldleadmetothecanyonwherehewastomeetme。UptheSwanwentthetrail,windingeverdownwardintodeeperandnarrowercouleesanduptohigheropensunlitslopes,tillsuddenlyitsettledintoavalleywhichbeganwithgreatwidthandnarrowedtoacanyonwhoserockysidesweredressedoutwithshrubsandtrailingvinesandwetwithtricklingrivuletsfromthenumerousspringsthatoozedandgushedfromtheblack,glisteningrocks。
ThiscanyonwasaneerieplaceofwhichghostlytalesweretoldfromtheoldBlackfeettimes。AndtothisdaynoBlackfootwilldaretopassthroughthisblack-walled,oozy,glisteningcanyonafterthemoonhaspassedthewesternlip。Butinthewarmlightofbroaddaythecanyonwasagoodenoughplace;coolandsweet,andIlingeredthrough,waitingfortheOldTimer,whofailedtoappeartilltheshadowsbegantodarkenitswesternblacksides。
OutofthemouthofthecanyonthetrailclimbedtoawidestretchofprairiethatsweptupoversofthillstotheleftanddowntothebrightgleamingwatersoftheDevil’sLakeontheright。Inthesunlightthelakelaylikeagemradiantwithmanycolors,thefarsideblackintheshadowofthecrowdingpines,theninthemiddledeep,blueandpurple,andnearer,manyshadesofemeraldthatranquitetothewhite,sandybeach。Rightinfrontstoodtheranchbuildings,uponaslightrisinggroundandsurroundedbyasturdypalisadeofuprightpointedpoles。Thiswasthecastleoftheprincess。Irodeuptotheopengate,thenturnedandstoodtolookdownuponthemarvellouslakeshiningandshimmeringwithitsmanyradiantcolors。Suddenlytherewasanawfulroar,myponyshotrounduponhishindlegsafterhisbeastlycayusemanner,depositedmesittinguponthegroundandfleddownthetrail,pursuedbytwohugedogsthatbrushedpastmeasIfell。Iwasarousedfrommyamazementbyapealoflaughter,shrillbutfullofmusic。Turning,Isawmypupil,asIguessed,standingattheheadofamostbeautifulpinto(spotted)ponywithaheavycattlequirtinherhand。Iscrambledtomyfeetandsaid,somewhatangrily,I
fear:
\"Whatareyoulaughingat?Whydon’tyoucallbackyourdogs?
Theywillchasemyponybeyondallreach。\"
Sheliftedherlittlehead,shookbackhermassesofbrown-redhair,lookedatmeasifIwerequitebeneathcontemptandsaid:
\"No,theywillkillhim。\"
\"Then,\"saidI,forIwasveryangry,\"Iwillkillthem,\"pullingattherevolverinmybelt。
\"Then,\"shesaid,andforthefirsttimeInoticedhereyesblue-
black,withgrayrims,\"Iwillkillyou,\"andshewhippedoutanugly-lookingrevolver。FromherfaceIhadnodoubtthatshewouldnothesitatetodoasshehadsaid。Ichangedmytactics,forI
wasanxiousaboutmypony,andsaid,withmybestsmile:
\"Can’tyoucallthemback?Won’ttheyobeyyou?\"
Herfacechangedinamoment。
\"Isityourpony?Doyoulovehimverymuch?\"
\"Dearly!\"Isaid,persuadingmyselfofasuddenaffectionforthecrankylittlebrute。
Shespranguponherpintoandsetoffdownthetrail。Theponywasnowcoursingupanddowntheslopes,doublinglikeahare,instinctivelyavoidingthecanyonwherehewouldbecornered。Hewasmadwithterroratthehugebrutesthatweresilentlybutwithawfulandsureswiftnessrunninghimdown。
Thegirlonthepintowhistledshrilly,andcalledtoherdogs:
\"Down,Wolf!Back,Loo!\"but,runninglow,withlong,stretchedbodies,theyheedednot,butspedon,evergainingupontheponythatnowcircledtowardthepinto。Astheydrewnearintheircircling,thegirlurgedherpintotomeetthem,looseningherlariatasshewent。Astheponynearedthepintoheslackenedhisspeed;immediatelythenearerdoggatheredherselfintwoshortjumpsandsprangforthepony’sthroat。But,evenasshesprang,thelariatwhirledroundthegirl’sheadandfellswiftandsureaboutthedog’sneck,andnextmomentshelaychokingupontheprairie。Hermatepaused,lookedback,andgaveupthechase。Butdirevengeanceovertookthem,for,likeonepossessed,thegirlfelluponthemwithherquirtandbeatthemoneaftertheothertill,inpityforthebrutes,Iinterposed。
\"TheyshalldoasIsayorIshallkillthem!Ishallkillthem!\"
shecried,ragingandstamping。
\"Bettershootthem,\"Isuggested,pullingoutmypistol。
Immediatelysheflungherselfupontheonethatmoanedandwhinedatherfeet,crying:
\"Ifyoudare!Ifyoudare!\"Thensheburstintopassionatesobbing。\"YoubadLoo!Youbad,dearoldLoo!ButyouWEREbad——
youKNOWyouwerebad!\"andsoshewentonwithherarmsaboutLoo’snecktillLoo,whiningandquiveringwithloveanddelight,threatenedtogoquitemad,andWolf,standingmajesticallynear,brokeintoshorthowlsofimpatienceforhisturnofcaressing。
Theymadeastrangegroup,thosethreewildthings,equallyfierceandpassionateinhateandinlove。
Suddenlythegirlrememberedme,andstandingupshesaid,halfashamed:
\"TheyalwaysobeyME。TheyareMINE,buttheykillanystrangethingthatcomesinthroughthegate。Theyareallowedto。\"
\"Itisapleasantwhim。\"
\"What?\"
\"Imean,isn’tthatdangeroustostrangers?\"
\"Oh,nooneevercomesalone,exceptTheDuke。Andtheykeepoffthewolves。\"
\"TheDukecomes,doeshe?\"
\"Yes!\"andhereyeslitup。\"Heismyfriend。Hecallsmehis’princess,’andheteachesmetotalkandtellsmestories——oh,wonderfulstories!\"
Ilookedinwonderatherface,sogentle,sogirlish,andtriedtothinkbacktothepictureofthegirlwhoafewmomentsbeforehadsocoollythreatenedtoshootmeandhadsofuriouslybeatenherdogs。
IkepthertalkingofTheDukeaswewalkedbacktothegate,watchingherfacethewhile。Itwasnotbeautiful;itwastoothin,andthemouthwastoolarge。Buttheteethweregood,andtheeyes,blue-blackwithgrayrims,lookedstraightatyou;trueeyesandbrave,whetherinloveorinwar。Herhairwasherglory。
Reditwas,inspiteofHi’sdenial,butofsuchmarvellous,indescribableshadethatincertainlights,assherodeovertheprairie,itstreamedbehindherlikeapurplebanner。Amostconfusingandbewilderingcolor,butquiteinkeepingwiththenatureoftheowner。
ShegaveherpintotoJoeand,standingatthedoor,welcomedmewithadignityandgraciousnessthatmademethinkthatTheDukewasnotfarwrongwhenhenamedher\"Princess。\"
Thedooropeneduponthemainorlivingroom。Itwasalong,apartment,withlowceilingandwallsofhewnlogschinkedandplasteredandallbeautifullywhitewashedandclean。Thetables,chairsandbencheswereallhome-made。Onthefloorweremagnificentskinsofwolf,bear,muskoxandmountaingoat。Thewallsweredecoratedwithheadsandhornsofdeerandmountainsheep,eagles’wingsandabeautifulbreastofaloon,whichGwenhadshotandofwhichshewasveryproud。Atoneendoftheroomahugestonefireplacestoodradiantinitssummerdecorationsoffernsandgrassesandwild-flowers。Attheotherendadooropenedintoanotherroom,smallerandrichlyfurnishedwithrelicsofformergrandeur。
Everythingwascleanandwellkept。Everynook,shelfandcornerwasdeckedwithflowersandfernsfromthecanyon。
Astrangehouseitwas,fullofcuriouscontrasts,butitfittedthisquaintchildthatwelcomedmewithsuchgraciouscourtesy。
CHAPTERX
GWEN’SFIRSTPRAYERS
Itwaswithhesitation,almostwithfear,thatIbeganwithGwen;
butevenhadIbeenabletoforeseetheendlessseriesofexasperationsthroughwhichshewasdestinedtoconductme,stillwouldIhaveundertakenmytask。Forthechild,withallherwilfulness,hertempersandherpride,mademe,asshedidallothers,herwillingslave。
Herlessonswenton,brilliantlyornotatall,accordingtohersweetwill。Shelearnedtoreadwithextraordinaryrapidity,forshewaseagertoknowmoreofthatgreatworldofwhichTheDukehadtoldhersuchthrillingtales。Writingsheabhorred。Shehadnoonetowriteto。Whyshouldshecrampherfingersoverthesecrookedlittlemarks?Butshemasteredwithhardlyastrugglethemysteriesoffigures,forshewouldhavetosellhercattle,and\"daddoesn’tknowwhentheyarecheating。\"Herideasofeducationwerepurelyutilitarian,andwhatdidnotappearimmediatelyusefulsherefusedtotriflewith。Andsoallthroughthefollowinglongwintershevexedmyrighteoussoulwithherwilfulnessandpride。
Anappealtoherfatherwasidle。Shewouldwindherlong,thinarmsabouthisneckandletherwavingredhairfloatoverhimuntiltheoldmanwasquitehelplesstoexertauthority。TheDukecoulddomostwithher。Topleasehimshewouldstrugglewithhercrookedlettersforanhouratatime,butevenhisinfluenceandauthorityhaditslimits。
\"MustI?\"shesaidoneday,inanswertoademandofhisformorefaithfulstudy;\"mustI?\"Andthrowingupherproudlittlehead,andshakingbackwithatrickshehadherstreamingredhair,shelookedstraightathimfromherblue-grayeyesandaskedthemonosyllabicquestion,\"Why?\"AndTheDukelookedbackatherwithhisslightsmileforafewmomentsandthensaidincold,eventones:
\"Ireallydon’tknowwhy,\"andturnedhisbackonher。Immediatelyshesprangathim,shookhimbythearm,and,quiveringwithpassion,cried:
\"Youarenottospeaktomelikethat,andyouarenottoturnyourbackthatway!\"
\"Whatalittleprincessitis,\"hesaidadmiringly,\"andwhatatimeshewillgiveherselfsomeday!\"Thenheadded,smilingsadly:\"WasIrude,Gwen?ThenIamsorry。\"Herragewasgone,andshelookedasifshecouldhaveheldhimbythefeet。Asitwas,tooproudtoshowherfeelings,shejustlookedathimwithsofteningeyes,andthensatdowntotheworkshehadrefused。
ThiswasaftertheadventofThePilotatSwanCreek,and,asTheDukerodehomewithmethatnight,afterlongmusinghesaidwithhesitation:\"Sheoughttohavesomereligion,poorchild;shewillgrowupaperfectlittledevil。ThePilotmightbeofserviceifyoucouldbringhimup。Womenneedthatsortofthing;itrefines,youknow。\"
\"Wouldshehavehim?\"Iasked。
\"Question,\"hereplied,doubtfully。\"Youmightsuggestit。\"
WhichIdid,introducingsomewhatclumsily,Ifear,TheDuke’sname。
\"TheDukesaysheistomakemegood!\"shecried。\"Iwon’thavehim,Ihatehimandyoutoo!\"Andforthatdayshedisdainedalllessons,andwhenTheDukenextappearedshegreetedhimwiththeexclamation,\"Iwon’thaveyouroldPilot,andIdon’twanttobegood,and——and——youthinkhe’snogoodyourself,\"atwhichtheDukeopenedhiseyes。
\"Howdoyouknow?Ineversaidso!\"
\"Youlaughedathimtodadoneday。\"
\"DidI?\"saidTheDuke,gravely。\"ThenIhastentoassure,youthatIhavechangedmymind。Heisagood,braveman。\"
\"Hefallsoffhishorse,\"shesaid,withcontempt。
\"Iratherthinkhesticksonnow,\"repliedTheDuke,repressingasmile。
\"Besides,\"shewenton,\"he’sjustakid;Billsaidso。\"
\"Well,hemightbemoreancient,\"acknowledgedTheDuke,\"butinthatheissteadilyimproving。\"
\"Anyway,\"withanairoffinality,\"heisnottocomehere。\"
Buthedidcome,andunderherownescort,onethreateningAugustevening。
\"Ifoundhiminthecreek,\"sheannounced,withdefiantshamefacedness,marchinginThePilothalfdrowned。
\"IthinkIcouldhavecrossed,\"hesaid,apologetically,\"forLouiswasgettingonhisfeetagain。\"
\"No,youwouldn’t,\"sheprotested。\"Youwouldhavebeendownintothecanyonbynow,andyououghttobethankful。\"
\"SoIam,\"hehastenedtosay,\"very!But,\"headded,unwillingtogiveuphiscontention,\"IhavecrossedtheSwanbefore。\"
\"Notwhenitwasinflood。\"
\"Yes,whenitwasinflood,higherthannow。\"
\"Notwherethebanksarerocky。\"
\"No-o!\"hehesitated。
\"There,then,youWOULDhavebeendrownedbutformylariat!\"shecried,triumphantly。
Tothishedoubtfullyassented。
Theyweremuchalike,inhightemper,inenthusiasm,invividimagination,andinsensitivefeeling。WhentheOldTimercameinGwentriumphantlyintroducedThePilotashavingbeenrescuedfromawaterygravebyherlariat,andagaintheyfoughtoutthepossibilitiesofdrowningandofescapetillGwenalmostlosthertemper,andwasappeasedonlybythemostprofuseexpressionsofgratitudeonthepartofThePilotforhertimelyassistance。TheOldTimerwasperplexed。HewasafraidtooffendGwenandyetunwillingtobecordialtoherguest。ThePilotwasquicktofeelthis,and,soonaftertea,rosetogo。Gwen’sdisappointmentshowedinherface。
\"Askhimtostay,dad,\"shesaid,inawhisper。Butthehalf-
heartedinvitationactedlikeaspur,andThePilotwasdeterminedtosetoff。
\"There’sabadstormcoming,\"shesaid;\"andbesides,\"sheadded,triumphantly\"youcan’tcrosstheSwan。\"
Thissettledit,andthemostearnestprayersoftheOldTimercouldnothaveheldhimback。
Weallwentdowntoseehimcross,Gwenleadingherpinto。TheSwanwasfaroveritsbanks,andinthemiddlerunningswiftandstrong。Louissnorted,refusedandfinallyplunged。Bravelyheswam,tilltheswift-runningwaterstruckhim,andoverhewentonhisside,throwinghisriderintothewater。ButThePilotkepthishead,and,holdingbythestirrups,paddledalongbyLouis’
side。Whentheywerehalf-wayacrossLouissawthathehadnochanceofmakingthelanding;so,likeasensiblehorse,heturnedandmadefortheshore。Here,too,thebankswerehigh,andtheponybegantogrowdiscouraged。
\"Lethimfloatdownfurther!\"shriekedGwen,inanxiousexcitement;
and,urgingherpintodownthebank,shecoaxedthestrugglingponydownthestreamtilloppositeashelfofrocklevelwiththehighwater。Thenshethrewherlariat,and,catchingLouisabouttheneckandthehornofhissaddle,sheheldtaut,till,halfdrowned,hescrambledupthebank,draggingThePilotwithhim。
\"Oh,I’msoglad!\"shesaid,almosttearfully。\"Yousee,youcouldn’tgetacross。\"
ThePilotstaggeredtohisfeet,tookasteptowardher,gaspedout:
\"Ican!\"andpitchedheadlong。Withalittlecrysheflewtohim,andturnedhimoveronhisback。Inafewmomentsherevived,satup,andlookedaboutstupidly。
\"Where’sLouis?\"hesaid,withhisfacetowardtheswollenstream。
\"Safeenough,\"sheanswered;\"butyoumustcomein,therainisjustgoingtopour。\"
ButThePilotseemedpossessed。
\"No,I’mgoingacross,\"hesaid,rising。
Gwenwasgreatlydistressed。
\"Butyourpoorhorse,\"shesaid,cleverlychangingherground;\"heisquitetiredout。\"
TheOldTimernowjoinedearnestlyinurginghimtostaytillthestormwaspast。So,withafinallookatthestream,ThePilotturnedtowardthehouse。
OfcourseIknewwhatwouldhappen。Beforetheeveningwasoverhehadcapturedthehousehold。Themomentheappearedwithdrythingsonherantotheorgan,thathadstoodfortenyearsclosedandsilent,openeditandbegantoplay。Asheplayedandsangsongaftersong,theOldTimer’seyesbegantoglistenunderhisshaggybrows。ButwhenhedroppedintotheexquisiteIrishmelody,\"OftintheStillyNight,\"theoldmandrewahardbreathandgroanedouttome:
\"Itwashermother’ssong,\"andfromthattimeThePilothadhimfast。Itwaseasytopasstotheoldhymn,\"Nearer,MyGod,toThee,\"andthenThePilotsaidsimply,\"Maywehaveprayers?\"HelookedatGwen,butshegazedblanklyathimandthenatherfather。
\"Whatdoeshesay,dad?\"
Itwaspitifultoseetheoldman’sfacegrowslowlyredunderthedeeptan,ashesaid:
\"Youmay,sir。There’sbeennonehereformanyyears,andtheworseforus。\"Heroseslowly,wentintotheinnerroomandreturnedwithaBible。
\"It’shermother’s,\"hesaid,inavoicedeepwithemotion。\"IputitinhertrunkthedayIlaidheroutyonderunderthepines。\"
ThePilot,withoutlookingathim,roseandreverentlytookthebookinbothhishandsandsaidgently:
\"Itwasasaddayforyou,butforher——\"Hepaused。\"Youdidnotgrudgeittoher?\"
\"Notnow,butthen,yes!Iwantedher,weneededher。\"TheOldTimer’stearswereflowing。
ThePilotputhishandcaressinglyupontheoldman’sshoulderasifhehadbeenhisfather,andsaidinhisclear,sweetvoice,\"Somedayyouwillgotoher。\"
UponthisscenepoorGwengazedwitheyeswideopenwithamazementandakindoffear。Shehadneverseenherfatherweepsincetheawfuldaythatshecouldneverforget,whenhehadkneltindumbagonybesidethebedonwhichhermotherlaywhiteandstill;norwouldheheedhertill,climbingup,shetriedtomakehermotherwakenandhearhercries。Thenhehadcaughtherupinhisarms,pressingherwithtearsandgreatsobstohisheart。To-nightsheseemedtofeelthatsomethingwaswrong。Shewentandstoodbyherfather,and,strokinghisgrayhairkindly,shesaid:
\"Whatishesaying,daddy?Ishemakingyoucry?\"ShelookedatThePilotdefiantly。
\"No,no,child,\"saidtheoldman,hastily,\"sithereandlisten。\"
Andwhilethestormravedoutsidewethreesatlisteningtothatancientstoryofloveineffable。And,asthewordsfelllikesweetmusicuponourears,theoldmansatwitheyesthatlookedfaraway,whilethechildlistenedwithdevouringeagerness。
\"Isitafairytale,daddy?\"sheasked,asThePilotpaused。\"Itisn’ttrue,isit?\"andhervoicehadapleadingnotehardfortheoldmantobear。
\"Yes,yes,mychild,\"saidhe,brokenly。\"Godforgiveme!\"
\"Ofcourseit’strue,\"saidThePilot,quickly。\"I’llreaditalltoyouto-morrow。It’sabeautifulstory!\"
\"No,\"shesaid,imperiously,\"to-night。Readitnow!Goon!\"shesaid,stampingherfoot,\"don’tyouhearme?\"
ThePilotgazedinsurpriseather,andthenturningtotheoldman,said:
\"ShallI?\"
TheOldTimersimplynoddedandthereadingwenton。Thosewerenotmybestdays,andthefaithofmychildhoodwasnotasithadbeen;but,asThePilotcarriedusthroughthosematchlessscenesofself-forgettingloveandservicetheraptwonderinthechild’sfaceasshelistened,theappealinhervoiceas,nowtoherfather,andnowtome,shecried:\"IsTHATtrue,too?IsitALL
true?\"madeitimpossibleformetohesitateinmyanswer。AndI
wasgladtofinditeasytogivemyfirmadherencetothetruthofallthattaleofwonder。And,asmoreandmoreitgrewuponThePilotthatthestoryhewasreading,sooldtohimandtoallhehadevermet,wasnewtooneinthatlisteninggroup,hisfacebegantoglowandhiseyestoblaze,andhesawandshowedmethingsthatnightIhadneverseenbefore,norhaveIseenthemsince。ThegreatfigureoftheGospelslived,movedbeforeoureyes。WesawHimbendtotouchtheblind,weheardHimspeakHismarvellousteaching,wefeltthethrobbingexcitementofthecrowdsthatpressedagainstHim。
SuddenlyThePilotstopped,turnedovertheleavesandbeganagain:
\"AndHeledthemoutasfarastoBethany。AndHeliftedupHishandsandblessedthem。AnditcametopassasHeblessedthemHewaspartedfromthemandacloudreceivedHimoutoftheirsight。\"
Therewassilenceforsomeminutes,thenGwensaid:
\"WheredidHego?\"
\"UpintoHeaven,\"answeredThePilot,simply。
\"That’swheremotheris,\"shesaidtoherfather,whonoddedinreply。
\"DoesHeknow?\"sheasked。Theoldmanlookeddistressed。
\"OfcourseHedoes,\"saidThePilot,\"andsheseesHimallthetime。\"
\"Oh,daddy!\"shecried,\"isn’tthatgood?\"
Buttheoldmanonlyhidhisfaceinhishandsandgroaned。
\"Yes,\"wentonThePilot,\"andHeseesus,too,andhearsusspeak,andknowsourthoughts。\"
Againthelookofwonderandfearcameintohereyes,butshesaidnoword。Theexperiencesoftheeveninghadmadetheworldnewtoher。Itcouldneverbethesametoheragain。Itgavemeaqueerfeelingtoseeher,whenwethreekneeledtopray,standhelplesslylookingon,notknowingwhattodo,thensinkbesideherfather,and,windingherarmsabouthisneck,clingtohimasthewordsofprayerwerespokenintotheearofHimwhomnomancansee,butwhowebelieveisneartoallthatcalluponHim。
ThosewereGwen’sfirst\"prayers,\"andinthemGwen’spartwassmall,forfearandwonderfilledherheart;butthedaywastocome,andalltoosoon,whensheshouldhavetopourouthersoulwithstrongcryingandtears。Thatdaycameandpassed,butthestoryofitisnottobetoldhere。
CHAPTERXI
GWEN’SCHALLENGE
Gwenwasundoubtedlywildand,asTheSkyPilotsaid,wilfulandwicked。EvenBroncoBillandHiKendalwouldsayso,without,ofcourse,abatingonejotoftheiradmirationforher。Forfourteenyearsshehadlivedchieflywithwildthings。Thecattleontherange,wildasdeer,thecoyotes,thejack-rabbitsandthetimberwolveswerehermatesandherinstructors。Fromtheseshelearnedherwildways。TherollingprairieoftheFoothillcountrywasherhome。Sheloveditandallthingsthatmoveduponitwithpassionatelove,theonlykindshewascapableof。Andallsummerlongshespentherdaysridingupanddowntherangealone,orwithherfather,orwithJoe,or,bestofall,withTheDuke,herheroandherfriend。Soshegrewupstrong,wholesomeandself-reliant,fearingnothingaliveandasuntamedasayearlingrangecolt。
Shewasnotbeautiful。Thewindsandsunhadlefthernocomplexiontospeakof,butthegloryofherredhair,gold-red,withpurplesheen,nothingcouldtarnish。Hereyes,too,deepbluewithrimsofgray,thatflashedwiththeglintofsteelorshonewithmeltinglightasofthestars,accordingtohermood——thoseIrish,warm,deepeyesofherswereworthaman’slookingat。
Ofcourse,allspoiledher。PonkaandhersonJoegrovelledinabjectestadoration,whileherfatherandallwhocamewithintouchofhersimplydidherwill。EvenTheDuke,wholovedherbetterthananythingelse,yieldedlazy,admiringhomagetohisLittlePrincess,andcertainly,whenshestoodstraightupwithherproudlittlegold-crownedheadthrownback,flashingforthwrathorissuingimperiouscommands,shelookedaprincess,allofher。
ItwasagreatdayandagooddayforherwhenshefishedTheSkyPilotoutoftheSwanandbroughthimhome,andthenightofGwen’sfirst\"prayers,\"whensheheardforthefirsttimethestoryoftheManofNazareth,wasthebestofallhernightsuptothattime。
Allthroughthewinter,underThePilot’sguidance,she,withherfather,theOldTimer,listeningnear,wentoverandoverthatstorysooldnowtomany,buteverbecomingnew,tillawholenewworldofmysteriousPowersandPresenceslayopentoherimaginationandbecamethehomeofgreatrealities。Shewasrichinimaginationand,whenThePilotreadBunyan’simmortalpoem,hermother’sold\"Pilgrim’sProgress,\"shemovedandlivedbesidetheheroofthattale,backinghimupinhisfightsandconsumedwithanxietyoverhismanyimpendingperils,tillshehadhimsafelyacrosstheriveranddeliveredintothechargeoftheshiningones。
ThePilothimself,too,wasanewandwholesomeexperience。Hewasthefirstthingshehadyetencounteredthatrefusedsubmission,andthefirsthumanbeingthathadfailedtofalldownandworship。
TherewassomethinginhimthatwouldnotALWAYSyield,and,indeed,herprideandherimperioustempershemetwithsurpriseandsometimeswithapitythatvergedtowardcontempt。Withthisshewasnotwellpleasedandnotinfrequentlyshebrokeforthuponhim。Oneoftheseoutburstsisstampeduponmymind,notonlybecauseofitsunusualviolence,butchieflybecauseoftheeventswhichfollowed。TheoriginalcauseofherragewassometriflingmisdeedoftheunfortunateJoe;butwhenIcameuponthesceneitwasThePilotwhowasoccupyingherattention。Theexpressionofsurpriseandpityonhisfaceappearedtostirherup。
\"Howdareyoulookatmelikethat?\"shecried。
\"Howveryextraordinarythatyoucan’tkeepholdofyourselfbetter!\"heanswered。
\"Ican!\"shestamped,\"andIshalldoasIlike!\"
\"Itisagreatpity,\"hesaid,withprovokingcalm,\"andbesides,itisweakandsilly。\"Hiswordswereunfortunate。
\"Weak!\"shegasped,whenherbreathcamebacktoher。\"Weak!\"
\"Yes,\"hesaid,\"veryweakandchildish。\"
Thenshecouldhavecheerfullyputhimtoaslowandcrueldeath。
Whenshehadrecoveredalittleshecriedvehemently:
\"I’mnotweak!I’mstrong!I’mstrongerthanyouare!I’mstrongas——as——aman!\"
Idonotsupposeshemeanttheinsinuation;atanyrateThePilotignoreditandwenton。
\"You’renotstrongenoughtokeepyourtemperdown。\"Andthen,asshehadnoreplyready,hewenton,\"Andreally,Gwen,itisnotright。Youmustnotgooninthisway。\"
Againhiswordswereunfortunate。
\"MUSTNOT!\"shecried,addinganinchtoherheight。\"Whosaysso?\"
\"God!\"wasthesimple,shortanswer。
Shewasgreatlytakenback,andgaveaquickglanceoverhershoulderasiftoseeHim,whowoulddaretosayMUSTNOTtoher;
but,recovering,sheansweredsullenly:
\"Idon’tcare!\"
\"Don’tcareforGod?\"ThePilot’svoicewasquietandsolemn,butsomethinginhismannerangeredher,andsheblazedforthagain。
\"Idon’tcareforanyone,andISHALLdoasIlike。\"
ThePilotlookedathersadlyforamoment,andthensaidslowly:
\"Someday,Gwen,youwillnotbeabletodoasyoulike。\"
Irememberwellthesettleddefianceinhertoneandmannerasshetookastepnearerhimandansweredinavoicetremblingwithpassion:
\"Listen!IhavealwaysdoneasIlike,andIshalldoasIliketillIdie!\"Andsherushedforthfromthehouseanddowntowardthecanyon,herrefugefromalldisturbingthings,andchieflyfromherself。
Icouldnotshakeofftheimpressionherwordsmadeuponme。
\"Prettydirect,that,\"IsaidtoThePilot,aswerodeaway。\"Thedeclarationmaybephilosophicallycorrect,butitringsuncommonlylikeachallengetotheAlmighty。Throwsdownthegauntlet,sotospeak。\"
ButThePilotonlysaid,\"Don’t!Howcanyou?\"
Withinaweekherchallengewasaccepted,andhowfiercelyandhowgallantlydidshestruggletomakeitgood!
ItwasTheDukethatbroughtmethenews,andashetoldmethestoryhisgay,carelessself-commandforoncewasgone。ForinthegloomofthecanyonwhereheovertookmeIcouldseehisfacegleamingoutghastlywhite,andevenhisironnervecouldnotkeepthetremorfromhisvoice。
\"I’vejustsentupthedoctor,\"washisanswertomygreeting。\"I
lookedforyoulastnight,couldn’tfindyou,andsorodeofftotheFort。\"
\"What’sup?\"Isaid,withfearinmyheart,fornolightthingmovedTheDuke。
\"Haven’tyouheard?It’sGwen,\"hesaid,andthenextminuteortwohegavetoJingo,whowasindulginginaseriesofunexpectedplunges。WhenJingowasbroughtdown,TheDukewasmasterofhimselfandtoldhistalewithcarefulself-control。
Gwen,onherfather’sbuckskinbronco,hadgonewithTheDuketothebigplainabovethecut-bankwhereJoewasherdingthecattle。
Thedaywashotandastormwasintheair。TheyfoundJoeridingupanddown,singingtokeepthecattlequiet,buthavingahardtimetoholdthebunchfrombreaking。WhileTheDukewasridingaroundthefarsideofthebunch,acryfromGwenarrestedhisattention。Joewasintrouble。Hishorse,ahalf-brokencayuse,hadstumbledintoabadger-holeandhadbolted,leavingJoetothemercyofthecattle。Atoncetheybegantosniffsuspiciouslyatthisphenomenon,amanonfoot,andtofollowcautiouslyonhistrack。Joekepthisheadandwalkedslowlyout,tillallatonceayoungcowbegantobawlandtopawtheground。Inanotherminuteone,andthenanotherofthecattlebegantotosstheirheadsandbunchandbellowtillthewholeherdoftwohundredwereafterJoe。
ThenJoelosthisheadandran。Immediatelythewholeherdbrokeintoathunderinggallopwithheadsandtailsaloftandhornsrattlingliketheloadingofaregimentofrifles。
\"Twomoreminutes,\"saidTheDuke,\"wouldhavedoneforJoe,forI
couldneverhavereachedhim;but,inspiteofmymostfranticwarningsandsignalings,rightintothefaceofthatmad,bellowing,thunderingmassofsteersrodethatlittlegirl。Nerve!
Ihavesomemyself,butIcouldn’thavedoneit。SheswungherhorseroundJoeandsailedoutwithhim,withtheherdbellowingatthetailofherbronco。I’veseensomecavalrythingsinmyday,butforsheercoolbraverynothingtouchesthat。\"
\"Howdiditend?Didtheyrunthemdown?\"Iasked,withterroratsucharesult。
\"No,theycrowdedhertowardthecut-bank,andshewasedgingthemoffandwasalmostpast,whentheycametoaplacewherethebankbitin,andheriron-mouthedbrutewouldn’tswerve,butwentpoundingon,brokethrough,plunged;shecouldn’tspringfreebecauseofJoe,andpitchedheadlongoverthebank,whilethecattlewentthunderingpast。IflungmyselfoffJingoandsliddownsomehowintothesand,thirtyfeetbelow。HerewasJoesafeenough,butthebroncolaywithabrokenleg,andhalfunderhimwasGwen。Shehardlyknewshewashurt,butwavedherhandtomeandcriedout,’Wasn’tthatarace?Icouldn’tswingthishard-
headedbrute。Getmeout。’Butevenasshespokethelightfadedfromhereyes,shestretchedoutherhandstome,sayingfaintly,’Oh,Duke,’andlaybackwhiteandstill。Weputabulletintothebuckskin’shead,andcarriedherhomeinourjackets,andthereshelieswithoutasoundfromherpoor,whitelips。\"
TheDukewasbadlycutup。Ihadneverseenhimshowanysignofgriefbefore,butashefinishedthestoryhestoodghastlyandshaking。Hereadmysurpriseinmyfaceandsaid:
\"Lookhere,oldchap,don’tthinkmequiteafool。Youcan’tknowwhatthatlittlegirlhasdoneformetheseyears。Hertrustinme——itisextraordinaryhowutterlyshetrustsme——somehowheldmeuptomybestandbackfromperdition。Itistheonebrightspotinmylifeinthisblessedcountry。Everyoneelsethinksmeapleasantorunpleasantkindoffiend。\"
Iprotestedratherfaintly。
\"Oh,don’tworryyourconscience,\"heanswered,withaslightreturnofhisoldsmile,\"afullerknowledgewouldonlyjustifytheopinion。\"Then,afterapause,headded:\"ButifGwengoes,Imustpullout,Icouldnotstandit。\"
Aswerodeup,thedoctorcameout。
\"Well,whatdoyouthink?\"askedTheDuke。
\"Can’tsayyet,\"repliedtheolddoctor,gruffwithlongarmypractice,\"badenough。Goodnight。\"
ButTheDuke’shandfelluponhisshoulderwithagripthatmusthavegottothebone,andinahuskyvoiceheasked:
\"Willshelive?\"
Thedoctorsquirmed,butcouldnotshakeoffthatcrushinggrip。
\"Here,youyoungtiger,letgo!WhatdoyouthinkIammadeof?\"
hecried,angrily。\"Ididn’tsupposeIwascomingtoabear’sden,orIshouldhavebroughtagun。\"
ItwasonlybythemostcompleteapologythatTheDukecouldmollifytheolddoctorsufficientlytogethisopinion。
\"No,shewillnotdie!Greatbitofstuff!Bettersheshoulddie,perhaps!Butcan’tsayyetfortwoweeks。Nowremember,\"headdedsharply,lookingintoTheDuke’swoe-strickenface,\"herspiritsmustbekeptup。Ihaveliedmostfullyandcheerfullytotheminside;youmustdothesame,\"andthedoctorstrodeaway,callingout:
\"Joe!Here,Joe!Whereishegone?Joe,Isay!ExtraordinaryselectionProvidencemakesattimes;wecouldhavesparedthatlazyhalf-breedwithpleasure!Joe!Oh,hereyouare!Whereinthunder——\"Butherethedoctorstoppedabruptly。Theagonyinthedarkfacebeforehimwastoomuchevenforthebluffdoctor。
StraightandstiffJoestoodbythehorse’sheadtillthedoctorhadmounted,thenwithagreatefforthesaid:
\"Littlemiss,shegodead?\"
\"Dead!\"calledoutthedoctor,glancingattheopenwindow。\"Why,blessyouroldcoppercarcass,no!Gwenwillshowyouyethowtoropeasteer。\"
Joetookastepnearer,andloweringhistonesaid:
\"Youspeakmetrue?Meman,Menopapoose。\"Thepiercingblackeyessearchedthedoctor’sface。Thedoctorhesitatedamoment,andthen,withanairofgreatcandor,saidcheerily:
\"That’sallright,Joe。MissGwenwillcutcirclesroundyouroldcayuseyet。Butremember,\"andthedoctorwasveryimpressive,\"youmustmakeherlaugheveryday。\"
Joefoldedhisarmsacrosshisbreastandstoodlikeastatuetillthedoctorrodeaway;thenturningtoushegruntedout:
\"Himgoodman,eh?\"
\"Goodman,\"answeredTheDuke,adding,\"butremember,Joe,whathetoldyoutodo。Mustmakeherlaugheveryday。\"
PoorJoe!Humorwasnothisforte,andhisattemptinthisdirectionintheweeksthatfollowedwouldhavebeenhumorousweretheynotsopathetic。HowIdidmypartIcannottell。Thoseweeksaretomenowlikethememoryofanuglynightmare。Theghostlyoldmanmovingoutandinofhislittledaughter’sroominuseless,dumbagony;Ponka’swoe-strickenIndianface;Joe’sextraordinaryandunusualbutloyalattemptsatfun-makinggrotesquelysad,andTheDuke’sunvaryingandinvinciblecheeriness;thesefurnishlightandshadeforthepicturemymemorybringsmeofGweninthosedays。
Forthefirsttwoweeksshewassimplyheroic。Sheboreherpainwithoutagroan,submittedtotheimprisonmentwhichwasharderthanpainwithangelicpatience。Joe,TheDukeandIcarriedoutourinstructionswithcarefulexactnesstotheletter。Sheneverdoubted,andweneverletherdoubtbutthatinafewweeksshewouldbeonthepinto’sbackagainandafterthecattle。Shemadeuspassourwordforthistillitseemedasifshemusthavereadthefalsehoodsonourbrows。
\"Toliecheerfullywithhereyesuponone’sfacecallsformorethanIpossess,\"saidTheDukeoneday。\"Thedoctorshouldsupplyustonics。Itisanarduoustask。\"
Andshebelievedusabsolutely,andmadeplansforthefall\"round-
up,\"andforhuntsandridestillone’sheartgrewsick。Astotheethicalprobleminvolved,Ideclinetoexpressanopinion,butwehadnoneedtowaitforourpunishment。Hertrustinus,hereagerandconfidentexpectationofthereturnofherhappy,free,outdoorlife;thesebroughttous,whoknewhowvaintheywere,theirownadequatepunishmentforeveryfalseassurancewegave。Andhowbrightandbraveshewasthosefirstdays!Howresolutetogetbacktotheworldofairandlightoutside!
Butshehadneedofallherbrightnessandcourageandresolutionbeforeshewasdonewithherlongfight。