Part 39 (1/2)
”You'll come to the _pa_?”
”You're too kind. I must get back to town.”
”But you've had nothing to eat.”
”I have my lunch in my wallets.”
Amiria's face fell. ”You're very unkind,” she said.
”I'll stay all day, next time I come.”
”When will that be?”
”As soon as I can. Ah, here's my horse, under this birch tree. Well, good-bye, Amiria. Thank you for taking charge of me to-day. My word, how you can swim: like a mermaid.”
His hand touched hers for a brief moment; the next he was in the saddle.
His spur lightly touched the horse's flank, and the springy turf yielded to the iron-shod hooves; there was a waving of a disappearing hand, and the brown girl was left alone.
”You will come back,” she called through the leaves.
”I'll come back.”
Then, slowly, sadly, she walked towards the _pa_, talking to herself in Maori, listless and sorrowful.
By the time that Scarlett had reached the outskirts of Timber Town the night had begun to close in. Leaving the main road, he pa.s.sed along a by-way to a ford, where a foot-bridge spanned the river. As his horse bent its head to drink, Jack heard a woman scream upon the bridge above him. In a moment he had dismounted, and his heavy boots were resounding on the wooden planks. In the middle of the bridge he came upon a girl struggling in the grasp of a thick-set ruffian, who was dragging her towards the bank further from the town. Grappling with the brutal fellow, Jack released the girl, who ran past him in the direction of the horse.
The scoundrel cursed and kicked, but Jack, who had him by the throat, almost squeezed the life out of him, and then heaved him over the bridge into the dark and gurgling water. Returning to the girl, who was standing at the bridge-head, crying and, seemingly, deprived of power to run further, Scarlett led her to where the horse stood beside the water.
”Which way shall I take you?” he asked.
”I live at the other side of the town,” she replied. ”I was going home when that brute met me on the bridge.” Again she lost control of her powers, and Jack was obliged to support her.
When she had recovered, he swung her into the saddle and led the horse across the river.
”I was just in time,” he said. ”How do you feel now?”
”Better.”
”It's lucky I didn't kill the brute. Do you know who he is?”
”I never saw him before. But I think he's a digger: lots of them have come into the town since this discovery of gold was made. Oh, I'm _so_ frightened! Do you think he will come again?”
”It's hardly likely. I think he must have had enough trouble for one night.”
”Suppose you have drowned him----”
”There's no chance of that--the water is only deep enough to break his fall. He'll be all right.”
”I think I had better get down, if you please: it would be rather an unusual thing to ride through the town in this manner. I think I can walk.”