Part 30 (1/2)
Bill, sitting against the cabin wall, tried to hts and impressions and memories that flooded in one wave to his ly sharpened his other senses: and there was a quality of the half-breed's voice that was distinctly familiar He had assumed at once that the two breeds were Joe and Pete whom he had encountered when he first found Harold Why, then, had the latter nition? Why should he repeat a manifest lie,--that they had been over toward Bald Peak and were traveling toward the Yuga, and that they thought the cabin was unoccupied? He reiven these particular Indians definite orders to stay away from the district Outwardly he was cool and at ease, his face irave; in his inner self he was deeply perturbed and suspicious
Of course, there was a possibility that he was mistaken in the voice
He resolved to know the truth
”It's Joe and Pete, isn't it?” he asked abruptly in the silence
There was no reply at first Virginia did not glance around in ti from Harold to the Indians; yet she had an inner sense of drama and suspense
She had never heard quite this tone in Bill's voice before It was hard, unco ”I say,” he repeated slowly, ”are you Pete and Joe, or aren't you?”
”Pete--Joe?” Joe answered at last, in a bewildered tune Harold hiiven a better simulation of amazement ”Don't know 'em I'm Wolfpaw Black--he's Ji,--typical breed names, the latter with a touch of French But Harold's admiration for the resourcefulness of his confederate really was not justified Joe hadn't originated the two names He had spoken the first two that had come to his mind,--the names of a pair of worthy breeds fro uneasiness, Bill was satisfied It would be easy to mistake the voice He had heard it only a few tiinia went on with her supper preparations, and at last the three of them drew chairs around their crude little table The two breeds took their lunch fro beside the stove
The night had fallen now, i like aerial searchlights in the sky The five of thehts Bill heard his watch ticking loudly in his pocket
All at once Joe grunted in the stillness, and all except Bill whirled to look at hi the blankets Then, a greedy light in his eyes, he put two dark bottles upon the table
Bill, unseeing, did not understand His finer senses, however, told hied with suspense Virginia was frankly alarmed
In her past life she had had inti drink
While it was true that she had never partaken of it beyond an occasional cocktail before dinner, it was coh in the circle in which she hadthe men of her acquaintance drink whisky-and-sodas, and h to harden their eyes and injure their coarded it tolerantly, thinking that much of the hue and cry that had been raised about it was sheer sentienii dwelt in the dark waters that could change men into brutes: such mild exhilaration as she had received from an unusually potent cocktail had only see
But she was not tolerant now She was suddenly deeply afraid She looked at Bill, forgetting for the mo and that in his helplessness she could not depend upon hi that he would refuse this offering at a word And her fear increased when she saw the craving on his face
Harold had gone a long tiht of the dark bottles woke his old passion for it in a flash His blood leaped, a strange and dreadful eagerness transcended hiht in his eyes, the drawing of his features
”Have a drink?” Joe invited
Bill started then, but he made no response Harold moved toward the table
”You're a real life-saver, Wolfpaw,” he replied genially ”It's a cold night, and I don't care if I do Virginia, pass down the cups”
Of course there were not enough cups to go around There were three of tin, however, counting one that Bill made from an empty can ”You'll drink?” Joe asked Bill
The woodsainst the law of this province to give or receive liquor froht”
Pete turned with a scowl His thought had already flashed to the white blade at his belt ”You're daan
But Joe shook his head, restraining him The hour to strike had not yet coender fresh courage frolance about the room and locate the weapon of which Harold had spoken,--the deadly ainst the wall back of the stove