Part 25 (1/2)
”Now you know,” says Curly, ”why we robbers played a hand in yo' game.”
”I understand. Say, Curly, I take back all I said about it being bad--this robbery-under-arms. It's the only thing to do.”
”Don't you get dreaming,” says Curly, ”we-all ain't blind; our eyes is open a whole lot wide to truth, and we make no bluff that robbery and murder is forms of holiness.”
”It's all right for me. I'm a man, and I'm not a coward, either. But, Curly, you're not fit for a game like this. I'm going to take you away--where you'll be safe.”
”And whar to?”
Jim looked at the desert steaming after the rain, hot as flame, reaching away all round for ever and ever. He looked at Curly's wound all swollen up, her face which had gone gaunt with pain and weakness. They were afoot, they were hunted, they had no place to hide.
”Whar do you propose to take me?” says Curly.
”I don't know,” says Jim; ”perhaps your people aren't so bad after all--anyway, they tried to keep you clean.”
”And what's the use of that? D'ye think I want to be alone in the hull world--clean with no folks, no home? Why should I want to be different from my father, and all my tribe? Would I want to be safe while they're in danger? Would I want to play coward while they fight? Shucks! Father turned me out to gra.s.s onced at the Catholic Mission, and them priests was sh.o.r.ely booked right through to heaven. What's the use of my being thar, while the rest of my tribe is in h.e.l.l? I dreamt last night I was in h.e.l.l, carrying water to feed it to my wolves; I couldn't get a drop for myself--never a drop.”
”Curly, I've got to save you--I must--I shall!”
She laughed at him. ”You! Do you remember me at Holy Crawss when I punched cows for Chalkeye? I might ha' been thar still but for you.”
”What on earth do you mean?”
”Jim, I met up with yo' mother, and I didn't want to be bad any more when I seen her.”
”She thought the world of you.”
The poor child broke out laughing, ”Oh, shucks!” Then her face went bitter. ”She said she loved me, eh?”
”She said I was a beastly little cad compared with you. When I got home from college she held you up for a holy example, and rubbed my nose in it. She was right--but how I cursed you!”
Curly laughed faint and lay back moaning, for the sun had come hot from the clouds, and she was burning with pain. ”So yo' mother claimed she loved me. Well, I know better!”
”Why didn't you stay with her, Curly?”
”I seen her face when she waited for you to come home--you, Jim, and she looked sure hungry. What was I to her, when she seen her own son a-coming? I waited to see you, Jim; I jest had to see you 'cause you was pizen to me. Then I went away 'cause I'd have killed you if I'd seen you any mo'.”
”Where did you go?”
”Whar I belong, back to the wolf pack. What had I to do with a home, and a mother, with shelter, and livin' safe, and bein' loved? I'm only a wolf with a bounty on my hide, to be hunted down and shot.”
”And you--a girl!”
”No, a mistake!”
Jim pawed out, and grabbed her small brown hand. ”You came back,” he whispered.
”I came back to see if that Ryan was goin' to wipe you out, you and yo'
people. I came to see you die.”