It was no compliment, but spoken with such evident honesty that her eyes met his with frankness.
"There could be no necessity; only I wanted you to know that I trust you, and am grateful."
She extended her hand this time, and he took it within his own, holding it firmly, yet without knowing what to answer. There was strong impulse within him to question her, to learn then and there her own life story.
Yet, somehow, the reticence of the girl restrained him; he could not deliberately probe beneath the veil she kept lowered between them.
Until she chose to lift it herself voluntarily, he possessed no right to intrude. The gentlemanly instincts of younger years held him silent, realizing clearly that whatever secret might dominate her life, it was hers to conceal just so long as she pleased. Out of this swift struggle of repression he managed to say:
"I appreciate your confidence, and mean to prove worthy. Perhaps some day I can bring you the proofs."
"I need none other than your own word."
"Oh, but possibly you are too easily convinced; you believed in Hawley."
She looked at him searchingly, her eyes glowing, her cheeks flushed.
"Yes," she said slowly, convincingly. "I know I did; I--I was so anxious to be helped, but--but this is different."
It was noon, the sun pitiless and hot above them, before they straggled within the partial shelter of the sand dunes, and sank wearily down to their meagre lunch. Their supply of water was limited, and the exhausted ponies must wait until they reached the river to quench their thirst.
Yet this was not very far off now, and Keith had seen enough of their surroundings to locate the position of the ford. Slow as they must proceed, three hours more would surely bring them to the bank of the stream. They discussed their plans briefly as the three sat together on the warm sand, revived both by the food and the brief rest. There was not a great deal to be determined, only where the girl should be left, and how the two men had better proceed to escape observation.
Fort Larned was the nearest and safest place for their charge, none of the party expressing any desire to adventure themselves within the immediate neighborhood of Carson City. What her future plans might be were not revealed, and Keith forebore any direct questioning. His duty plainly ended with placing her in a safe environment, and he felt convinced that Mrs. Murphy, of the Occidental Hotel, would furnish room, and, if necessary, companionship. The sole problem remaining--after she had rather listlessly agreed to such an arrangement--was to so plan the details as to permit the negro and himself to slip through the small town cl.u.s.tered about the post without attracting undue attention. No doubt, the story of their escape had already reached there, embellished by telling, and serious trouble might result from discovery. Keith was surprised at the slight interest she exhibited in these arrangements, merely signifying her acquiescence by a word, but he charged it to physical weariness, and the reaction from her night of peril; yet he took pains to explain fully his plan, and to gain her consent.
This finally settled, they mounted again and rode on through the lanes traversing the sand dunes, keeping headed as straight as possible toward the river. The ford sought was some miles down stream, but with the horses" thirst mitigated, they made excellent progress, and arrived at the spot early in the evening. Not in all the day had they encountered a living object, or seen a moving thing amid the surrounding desolation.
Now, looking across to the north, a few gleaming lights told of Fort Larned perched upon the opposite bluffs.
Chapter XIV. The Landlady of the Occidentals
Keith had crossed at this point so frequently with cattle that, once having his bearings, the blackness of the night made very little difference. Nevertheless, in fear lest her pony might stumble over some irregularity, he gave his own rein to Neb, and went forward on foot, grasping firmly the tired animal"s bit. It was a long stretch of sand and water extending from bank to bank, but the latter was shallow, the only danger being that of straying off from the more solid bottom into quicksand. With a towering cottonwood as guide, oddly misshapen and standing out gauntly against the slightly lighter sky, the plainsman led on unhesitatingly, until they began to climb the rather sharp uplift of the north bank. Here there was a plain trail, pounded into smoothness by the hoofs of cavalry horses ridden down to water, and at the summit they emerged within fifty yards of the stables.
The few lights visible, some stationary, with others dancing about like will-o"-the-wisps, revealed imperfectly the contour of various buildings, but Keith turned sharply to the right, anxious to slip past without being challenged by a sentry. Beyond the brow of the bluff other lights now became visible, flickering here and there, marking where a straggling town had sprung up under the protection of the post--a town garish enough in the daylight, composed mostly of shacks and tents, but now with its deficiencies mercifully concealed by the enveloping darkness. The trail, easily followed, led directly along its single street, but Keith circled the outskirts through a wilderness of tin-cans and heaps of other debris, until he halted his charges beside the black shadow of the only two-story edifice in the place. This was the Occidental, the hospitality of which he had frequently tested.
A light streamed from out the front windows, but, uncertain who might be harbored within, Keith tapped gently at the back door. It was not opened immediately, and when it was finally shoved aside the merest crack, no glow of light revealed the darkened interior. The voice which spoke, however, was amply sufficient to identify its owner.
"Is that ye agin, Murphy, a playin" av yer dirthy thricks?"
"No, Mrs. Murphy," he hastened to explain, "this is Keith--Jack Keith, of the "Bar X.""
"The Lord deliver us!" was the instant exclamation, the door opening wide. "They do be afther tellin" me to-night av the throuble ye was in over at Carson, an" Oi t"ought maybe ye moight turn up this way. It was a nate thrick ye played on the loikes av "em, Jack, but this is a dom poor place fer ye ter hide in. Bedad, there"s a half-dozen in the parly now talkin" about it, wid a couple av officers from the fort. Is the nager wid ye?"
"Yes, but we have no intention of hiding here. I"d rather take my chance in the open. The fact is, Kate, we started off for the "Bar X.""
"Av course, ye did; Oi was shure av it."
"But down on the Salt Fork we ran across a young girl whom Black Bart had inveigled down that way on a lie. We had a bit of a fight, and got her away from him. This is what brought us back here--to put the girl where she will be safe out of his clutches."
The door was wide open now, and Mrs. Murphy outside, her interest at fever heat.
"Ye had a foight wid Black Bart! Oh, ye divil! An" ye licked the dirthy spalpane, an" got away wid his gyurl! Glory be! And would Oi take her?
Well, Oi would. Niver doubt that, me bye. She may be the quane av Shaba, an" she may be a Digger Injun Squaw, but the loikes av him had betther kape away from Kate Murphy. It"s glad Oi am ter do it! Bring her in. Oi don"t want ter hear no more."
"Just a word, Kate; I don"t know whether she has any money or not, but I "ll pay her bill, as soon as it is safe for me to come back."
"Oh, the divil take her bill. She"ll have the best in the house, annyhow, an" Oi"m only hopin" that fellow will turn up huntin" her. Oi"d loike ter take one slap at the spalpane."
Fully convinced as to Mrs. Murphy"s good-will, Keith slipped back into the darkness, and returned with the girl. Introductions were superfluous, as the mistress of the Occidental cared little regarding ceremony.
"An" is this you, my dear?" she burst out, endeavoring to curb her voice to secretive softness. "Shure, Jack Keith has told me all about it, an"
it"s safe it is yer goin" ter be here. Come on in; Oi"ll give ye number forty-two, thet"s next behint me own room, an" we"ll go up the back sthairs. Hilp the young loidy, Jack, fer shure ye know the way."
She disappeared, evidently with some hospitable purpose in view, and Keith, clasping the girl"s hand, undertook the delicate task of safely escorting her through the dark kitchen, and up the dimly remembered stairs. Only a word or two pa.s.sed between them, but as they neared the second story a light suddenly streamed out through the opened door of a room at their left. Mrs. Murphy greeted them at the landing, and for the first time saw the girl"s weary white face, her eyes filled with appeal, and the warm Irish heart responded instantly.
"Ye poor little lamb; it"s the bid ye want, an" a dhrap o" whiskey. Jack Keith, why didn"t ye till me she was done up wid the hard ride? Here, honey, sit down in the rocker till Oi get ye a wee dhrink. It"ll bring the roses back to the cheeks av ye." She was gone, bustling down the dark stairs, and the two were alone in the room, the girl looking up into his face, her head resting against the cushioned back of the chair.
He thought he saw a glimmer of tears in the depths of her lash-shaded eyes, and her round white throat seemed to choke.
"You will be perfectly secure here," he said, soothingly, "and can remain as long as you please. Mrs. Murphy will guard you as though you were her own daughter. She is a bit rough, maybe, but a big-hearted woman, and despises Hawley. She nursed me once through a touch of typhoid--yes, by Jove," glancing about in sudden recognition, "and in this very room, too."
The girl"s glance wandered over the plain, neat furnishings, and the rather pathetic attempts at decoration, yet with apparently no thought for them.
"You--you have not told me where you were going."
He laughed, a little uneasily, as though he preferred to make light of the whole matter.
"Really, I have hardly decided, the world is so wide, and I had no reason to suppose you interested."
"But I am interested," resenting his tone of a.s.sumed indifference. "I would not want to feel that our acquaintance was to wholly end now."
"Do you really mean that?"
"Why should I not? You have been a real friend to me; I shall remember you always with a grat.i.tude beyond words. I want you to know this, and that--that I shall ever wish to retain that friendship."
Keith struggled with himself, doubtful of what he had best say, swayed by unfamiliar emotions.
"You may be sure I shall never forget," he blurted forth, desperately, "and, if you really wish it, I"ll certainly see you again."
"I do," earnestly.
"Then, I"ll surely find a way. I don"t know now which direction we will ride, but I"m not going very far until I clear up that murder out yonder on the trail; that is my particular job just now."
Before she could answer, Mrs. Murphy reentered, and forced her to drink the concoction prepared, the girl accepting with smiling protest. The landlady, empty gla.s.s in hand, swept her eyes about the room.
"Bedad, but the place looks betther than iver Oi"d belaved, wid the gyurl Oi"ve got tindin" to it. She"s that lazy she goes ter slape swapin" the flure. Jack, would ye moind hilpin" me move the bid; shure, it"s rale mahogany, an" so heavy it breaks me back intoirely to push it "round."
He took hold willingly enough, and the two together ran the heavy contrivance across the room to the position selected. Once a leg caught in the rag carpet, and Keith lifted it out, bending low to get a firmer grip. Then he held out his hand to the girl.