Part 18 (1/2)

”Ah, cut out the preliminaries!” growled Joe.

Jack was direct enough when he got ready to be. ”Are you married?” he asked Bela point-blank.

Bela was a stranger to the tremors and blushes imposed upon civilized women at such a crisis. ”No,” she said with her inscrutable face.

”Do you want to be?”

She shrugged with fine carelessness. ”I suppose I got get 'osban' some tam.”

”Well, take your pick of the four of us,” said Jack. ”I ain't sayin'

we're prize specimens, mind you. But you'll hardly do better at that up here. Anyhow, look us over.”

She proceeded to do so. Under her glance each man bore himself according to his nature. Her eyes showed no change as they moved along the line. None of them could tell what thoughts lay behind that direct, calm glance. Having inspected each one, her eyes returned to Jack as if inviting him to speak further.

”Husky speaks first, according to arrangement,” said Jack, waving his hand.

Husky's speech was moist, incoherent, and plaintive.

”They fixed this up when I was asleep,” he stuttered. ”Sprung it on me unawares. Me just out of a sick-bed, not shaved nor slicked up nor nothin'. 'Tain't fair! I ain't had no chance to think of anything to say. Made me speak first, too. How do I know what they're goin' to say after me? Tain't fair! I'm as good as any man here when I got my strength. Don't you listen to anything they say. Take it from me, I'm your friend. You know me. I'm a loving man. A woman can do anything with me if she handles me right. I won you from them fair, and now they want to go back on it. That shows you what they are. Don't you listen to them. You and me, we had our sc.r.a.p, and now it's all right, ain't it? Look at what I suffered for you!”

There was a lot more of this. The other men became impatient. Finally Jack stepped forward.

”Time!” he said. ”You're beginning all over. It's my turn now.”

Husky subsided.

”Now I speak for myself,” said Jack. It was the voice of what men call a good sport--cheerful, determined, weary, not unduly confident. ”I am the oldest man here, but not an old man yet by a long shot. I am boss of this outfit. I got it up.”

Joe angrily interrupted him. ”Hold on there! You ain't proved the best man yet.”

”Shut your head!” growled Shand. ”Your turn is coming.”

”Forty per cent of this outfit belongs to me,” Jack went on. ”That is, I got twice as much property as any man here. I can make a good home for you. A girl has got to think of that. But that ain't all of it, neither. You got to take me with it, ain't yeh? Well, I'm old enough to realize how lucky I'd be if I got you. I'd treat you good.

Wherever you come from, you're a wonderful woman. You taught us a lesson. I'm man enough to own it. I say I take off my hat to you. Will you have me?”

Bela's face never changed. She turned to Shand.

”What you got say?” she asked.

Shand's dead white face made a striking contrast with his raven hair.

His heavy head was thrust forward, his big hands clenched. He spoke in an oddly, curt, dry voice, which, however did not hide the feeling that made his breast tight.

”I am no talker,” he said. ”I'm at a disadvantage. But I got to do the best I can. I want you as much as him, though I can't tell you so good. I'm five years younger. That's something. I'm the strongest man here. That's something, too, in a land where you get right down to tacks. But that ain't what I want to say. If you come to me, you'll be the biggest thing in my life. I ain't had much. I'll work for you as long as I draw breath. All that a man can do for a woman I will do for you!”

The three others scowled at Shand, astonished and a little dismayed that the dumb one should prove so eloquent.

Young Joe plunged into the silence. A particular confidence animated him. With his curly hair, his smooth face, and his herculean young body, he had a kind of reason for it.

He showed off his charms before her as naively as a c.o.c.k-grouse. But somehow the fire of his eyes and voice was a lighter, flas.h.i.+er blaze than that of the men who had last spoken.

”Sure, they'd be lucky to get you!” he said. ”Any of them. Jack is twenty years older than you. Shand and Husky fifteen, anyhow. I guess you want a young husband, don't you? How about me? I'm twenty-four.