Part 37 (2/2)
”Is Mr. Beeson hurt? Badly? Where is he? Let me help.”
She knelt beside me, her hand grasped mine, she gazed wide-eyed and imploring.
”No, he's all right, ma'am.”
”I'm all right, I a.s.sure you,” I mumbled thickly, and helpless as a babe to the clinging of her cold fingers.
”How's the other man?” they abruptly asked.
”I don't know. He was carried away. But I think he's dead. I hope so--oh, I hope so. The coward, the beast!”
”There, there,” they quieted. ”That's all over with. What he got is his own business now. He hankered for it and was bound to have it. You'd best stay right hyar a spell. It's the place for you at present.”
They grouped apart, on the edge of the flickering fire circle. The dusk had heightened apace (for nightfall this really was), the glow and flicker barely touched their blackly outlined forms, the murmur of their voices sounded ominous. In the circle we two sat, her hand upon mine, thrilling me comfortably yet abas.h.i.+ng me. She surveyed me unwinkingly and grave--a triumph s.h.i.+ning from her eyes albeit there were seamy shadows etched into her white face. It was as though she were welcoming me through the outposts of h.e.l.l.
”You killed him. I knew you would--I knew you'd have to.”
”I knew it, too,” I miserably faltered. ”But I didn't want to--I shot without thinking. I might have waited.”
”Waited! How could you wait? 'Twas either you or he.”
”Then I wish it had been I,” I attempted.
”What nonsense,” she flashed. ”We all know you did your best to avoid it.
But tell me: Do you think I dragged you into it? Do you hate me for it?”
”No. It happened when you were there. That's all. I'm sorry; only sorry.
What's to be done next?”
”That will be decided, of course,” she said. ”You will be protected, if necessary. You acted in self-defense. They all will swear to that and back you up.”
”But you?” I asked, arousing from this unmanly despair which played me for a weakling. ”You must be protected also. You can't go to that other camp, can you?”
She laughed and withdrew her hand; laughed hardly, even scornfully.
”I? Above all things, don't concern yourself about me, please. I shall take care of myself. He is out of the way. You have freed me of that much, Mr. Beeson, whether intentionally or not. And you shall be free, yourself, to act as your friends advise. You must leave me out of your plans altogether. Yes, I know; you killed him. Why not? But he wasn't a man; he was a wild animal. And you'll find there are matters more serious than killing even a man, in this country.”
”You! You!” I insisted. ”You shall be looked out for. We are partners in this. He used your name; he made that an excuse. We shall have to make some new arrangements for you--put you on the stage as soon as we can. And meanwhile----”
”There is no partners.h.i.+p, and I shall require no looking after, sir,” she interrupted. ”If you are sorry that you killed him, I am not; but you are entirely free.”
The group at the edge of the fire circle dissolved. Jenks came and seated himself upon his hams, beside us.
”Wall, how you feelin' now?” he questioned of me.
”I'm myself again,” said I.
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