"Who put such an idea into your head that you"d taken him by storm, that----"
"Never mind. It is in my head, and it"s true. I know it. Soldier, I"m glad, oh, _so_ glad, that you"re here! Will you help me?"
"You know I will," Max said, his heart bursting. If he had needed payment for what he had done, he had it in full measure. She was glad he was with her!
"Well, I"ve told you that I"m ill. It"s my head--it aches horribly. I hardly know what I"m doing or saying. I _can"t_ be--in that tent to-night!"
"You shall have mine," Max a.s.sured her quickly. "It"s a good little tent, got for the French doctor Stanton was telling us about, who decided at the last minute not to come."
"Oh, thank you a thousand times. But you?"
"I shall rig up something splendid. They"ve got more tents than they know what to do with. Several men fell out after Stanton had bought his supplies."
"You _are_ good. Could I go to your tent now?"
"Of course. I"ll take you there, and fetch your luggage myself. But you"re sure you won"t go back while there"s time?"
"Sure."
"If you"re ill you can"t ride on with the caravan."
"I shall be better to-morrow. G.o.d will help me, and you will help me, too. I shall be able to go on for a while. Maybe it need not be for long. People die in the desert. I"ve always thought it a beautiful death. When you promise to marry a person it"s for better or worse. And I"ve never said I was not _happy_, Soldier! Only a little homesick and tired."
"Come with me to my tent," Max said, realizing that all his persuasions would be in vain. "Come quietly now, and I"ll explain to--to Stanton."
"He knows I feel ill," she answered. "I told him. He will understand."
CHAPTER XXVII
THE ONLY FRIEND
When Stanton returned to his tent and found it empty he went out quickly again and called for St. George.
This was one of the few possibilities of which Max had not thought. He had imagined Stanton remaining sullenly in his tent as if nothing had happened, or searching for Sanda and ordering, perhaps even forcing, her to go back with him. In that eventuality, and that only, Max intended to interfere. One side of his nature, the violent and uncontrolled side, which every real man has in him, wanted to "smash" Stanton; yearned for an excuse perhaps even to kill him and rid Sanda forever of a brute, no matter what the consequences to himself. But the side of him where common sense had taken refuge wished to keep neutral for Sanda"s sake, in order to watch over her and protect her through everything. When he heard Stanton"s call he was not far from the tent he had lent Sanda.
She, and everything of hers which she could need for the night, was already there, but she had not lighted the candle he had given her. The little khaki-coloured tent was an inconspicuous object in sand of the same colour. Making an excuse of settling a dispute between two camels which disturbed the peace, Max had kept near the tent, and intended, un.o.btrusively, to play sentinel all night.
He answered the "Chief"s" call on the instant, braced for any emergency.
"St. George, do you know where my wife is?" Stanton asked.
"She told me she felt ill, and that you wouldn"t object to my lending her my tent," answered Max promptly.
"I felt sure she"d go to _you_," said Stanton, without the signs of anger Max expected. Then still greater was the younger man"s surprise when the elder laughed. It was a slightly embarra.s.sed laugh, but not ill-natured. "What else did she tell you?" Stanton wanted to know.
"She _told_ me--nothing else." To save his life, Max could not resist that telltale emphasis which flung a challenge.
Stanton laughed again and thrust his hands deep into his pockets.
"I see you"ve drawn your own conclusions. Fact is, St. George, I"m in a deuce of a d.a.m.ned sc.r.a.pe, and the only bit of luck is having a sensible chap of my own colour, a friend of both sides, a gentleman and a soldier like you, to talk it out with. You"d like to help, wouldn"t you, for the father"s sake if not the daughter"s?"
"Yes," said Max, after a hair"s breadth of hesitation. He was so taken aback by Stanton"s att.i.tude that he feared the other man might be drawing him out in some subtle way detrimental to Sanda.
"I was sure you would. Well! I"m going to tell you the facts.
"You"re a man of the world, I expect, or you wouldn"t have found your way into the Legion. Before I had any idea of marriage I thought of carrying along a--companion, only an Arab dancing-girl, but I"d take my oath there hasn"t been a more fascinating creature since Cleopatra. A gorgeous woman! No man on earth--not if he were an emperor or king--but would lose his head over her, if she tried to make him. No treachery to Sanda in the plan. The child didn"t enter into my calculations then. It struck me, after I"d asked you to see to my tent, you might spot something--from that mirror."
"I did," Max admitted.
"Oh, well, anyhow, to make a long story short, the girl flew into one of those black rages of the petted dancer men have made a d.a.m.ned fuss over, and she disappeared. Lucky for Sanda! If Ahmara"d been with me I"d have had to see Mademoiselle wend her way to Touggourt with you. But as it was, in all good faith, I let myself go--one of my impulses that carry me along. I attribute most of my success in life to impulses; inspirations I call them. I honestly thought this was one, and that it would make for my happiness. But by jove, St. George, when I took Sanda into my tent an hour ago if there wasn"t Ahmara waiting for me!"
He stopped an instant, as if expecting Max to speak, but when only dull silence answered he hurried on.
"She hadn"t got the news of my marriage. She wanted to give me a pleasant surprise by forgiving me, and coming out here secretly, ahead of the caravan, to hide in my tent. Her arms were round my neck before I knew what was up--and the smell of "_ambre_" that"s always in that long hair of hers--G.o.d, what hair!--was in my nose. Unfortunately Sanda had been picking up Arabic; so she understood some things Ahmara blurted out before I could stop her. She got on to the fact that there"d been a row--a sort of lover"s quarrel--and if it hadn"t been for a misunderstanding, Ahmara would have started out with me in her place--_practically_ in her place. No need to tell you more except that Sanda and I had a few words, after she"d refused to see the situation in the right light. I was sure she"d appeal to you. I am glad you thought of offering her your tent. I shall leave her to stew in her own juice to-night, and come slowly to her senses. She"s too fond of me not to do that before long."
"When you"ve sent that woman away to-morrow----" Max began. But Stanton cut him short.
"I shan"t send her away to-morrow."
"What? You----"
"Sanda had the childish impudence to tell me to-night that nothing could ever make any difference between us after what had pa.s.sed. Perhaps it was partly my fault, for I lost my head for a minute when she accused me of tricking her into marrying me, or words to that effect. I"m afraid I said she had forced _me_ into it--thrown herself at me--taken me unawares--something of that sort. In a way it"s true. Heart caught in the rebound! But I wouldn"t have been cad enough to throw it up to her if she hadn"t said things so silly that a saint would have been wild.
The girl vows she won"t live with me as my wife. Well, I shall hold Ahmara as a threat over her head till she sees the error of her ways.
It"s the one thing to do, as I look at it. Besides, if I try to pack Ahmara back to Touggourt she"ll screech like a hen with her head cut off. I won"t be made a laughing stock before my men, at the start, before I"ve shown them what sort of a leader they"ve got. Ahmara comes from the south. If Sanda decides to behave herself I"ll drop the dancer at her own place, _en route_. Meanwhile, I"ll have time for bargaining over her with my wife, and Ahmara can travel with the other women.
Several men with their wives have agreed to go only part of the way and get new fellows to join when they leave. That"s the only way to shed Ahmara without trouble, as she"s landed herself on me. And that"s the way I"ll take--as I said, if Sanda behaves herself."
"And if--not? I suppose you"ll send--Mrs. Stanton back?"
"d.a.m.nation, I can"t do that, St. George, and you know it. It would mean a duel with her father, and all the world would be down on me just at the time I"m bidding highest for its applause. If Sanda travels with me, whether she lives with me or not, she"ll keep her mouth shut. She"s that kind of girl. Don"t you, as her friend--or anyhow, her father"s friend--know her well enough to understand that?"
"I may think I"d know what _she"d_ do," Max flung back at the other.
"But G.o.d knows what _I"d_ do if you insulted Mademoiselle DeLisle--Mrs.
Stanton, I mean--by keeping that woman in the caravan. I believe I"d kill you!"
Stanton stared. "Good Lord!" he exclaimed, in a change of mood, looking suddenly like a great helpless schoolboy arraigned, "I thought I was talking to a friend. I was asking your advice, and you turn on me like a tiger. See here, St. George, if you"re going to bite the hand I offer, _you"d_ better be the one to go."
Max was staggered. He had made a false move. He could not go. Now, more than ever, a thousand times more, Sanda needed a friend, and he was the only one within reach. Perhaps he could not always help, but he could at least keep near. Only these unexpected confidences from Stanton could have made him so lose grip upon himself; and it must not happen again.
"I"ve just given you my advice," Max reminded the other more quietly.
"I can"t take it."
"Then don"t. We"ll leave it at that."
"I ask no better. Do you want to go or stay?"