Part 29 (1/2)

Rina, disdaining a saddle, scrambled on his back, and rode off. Garth waited, not without anxiety, to see what direction she would take. She presently reappeared, mounting the rise to the shack. Pausing briefly at the door, apparently to speak within, she continued her way up the slope behind; and, gaining the prairie, disappeared over the brow.

Garth instantly put himself in motion. He had his compunctions in thus moving against Rina while she was absent on an errand for Natalie; but he consoled himself with the thought that Rina, with all she could do, had still a heavy score to pay off. He told Natalie what he was about to do; and at her earnest pleading carried her out of the tent, and propped her partly upright at the edge of the lake where she would be able to see him. Then, looking to his gun, he set off a second time for the shack.

From the circ.u.mstance of Rina's pausing at the door, he was well a.s.sured that Mabyn was within. He had marked that the door stood open. On his way, he paused to examine the ancient dugout lying at the mouth of the watercourse; and found it in a sufficiently seaworthy condition to answer his purpose. A paddle lay in the bottom.

Garth ascended the gra.s.sy slope swiftly and noiselessly; and making a detour around the window, presented himself suddenly at the door. Mabyn was revealed to him sprawling on his blankets in the corner, plucking at his face, and scowling at the rafters, he, too, no doubt, plotting and scheming. When the armed shadow fell across the floor of his shack, he started to his elbow; his eyes widened, his flesh blanched and a visible trembling seized his limbs.

”What do you want?” he contrived to stammer.

Strong disgust seized Garth again; so despicable an adversary shamed his own manhood. He s.h.i.+fted his gun significantly.

”Get up!” he said.

Mabyn dragged himself to his hands and knees. It was some moments before he could control himself sufficiently to stand upright.

”What are you going to do with me?” he kept muttering.

Garth stepped backward. ”Come outside!” he commanded.

Mabyn obeyed, making a circuit of the walls for support. His eyes were always riveted on the gun; and however slightly it was moved, he experienced a fresh spasm of fear.

”Face about!” ordered Garth; ”and walk to the mouth of the creek!”

Mabyn became even paler. His skin was like white paper on which ashes have been rubbed, leaving streaks and patches of gray. ”Would you shoot me in the back?” he said shrilly. ”An unarmed man! I will not turn my back!”

”Then walk backward!” said Garth, with his laconic start of laughter.

Mabyn went like a crab down the rise, with his head over his shoulder, a ludicrous and deplorable figure. He was unable to drag his eyes from the gun, consequently he stumbled and lurched over every obstacle. Once he fell flat; and a sharp scream of fright was forced from him. Garth sickened at the sight, while he laughed. He had to give him a minute in which to recover himself.

Mabyn, scarcely coherent, ceaselessly begged for mercy. ”Do not kill me!” he whimpered. ”I _can't_ die! Oh, G.o.d! Not like this! I never had a chance! You kill Natalie if you kill me--the breed will fix her!--and my mother! You'll have three murders on your soul! I _can't_ die yet!”

”Get up!” commanded Garth.

Reaching the edge of the water, he ordered him into the dugout.

Mabyn fell on his knees on the stones. ”Not in the water! Not in the water!” he shrilled. ”Kill me here!”

”No one is going to kill you,” said Garth with scornful patience. ”Do what you're told, and you'll not be hurt!”

Mabyn darted a furtive look of hope and suspicion in Garth's face. He got up.

”What are you going to do with me?” he muttered.

”Put you on the island,” said Garth coolly.

”I'll starve,” he whined.

”Food will be brought you regularly, as long as you obey orders,” said Garth.

Mabyn, his extreme terror subsiding, showed an inclination to temporize.

”Let me get a few things,” he begged. His eyes wandered to the hill over which Rina had disappeared.