Part 113 (1/2)

”All right.”

”Why, that's good news. Then you--you won't mind my goin' off to--to do a little prospectin'?”

The sick man frowned: ”You stay right where you are. There's plenty in that jampot.”

”Yes, yes! jampot's fillin' up fine.”

”Besides,” the low voice wavered on, ”didn't we agree we'd learned the lesson o' the North?”

”The lesson o' the North?” repeated the other with filling eyes.

”Yes, sah. A man alone's a man lost. We got to stick together, Boy.”

The eyelids fell heavily.

”Yes, yes, Colonel.” He pressed the big hand. His mouth made the motion, not the sound, ”Good-bye, pardner.”

CHAPTER XXII

THE GOING HOME

”Despair lies down and grovels, grapples not With evil, casts the burden of its lot.

This Age climbs earth.

--To challenge heaven.

--Not less The lower deeps.

It laughs at Happiness.”

--George Meredith

Everybody on Bonanza knew that the Colonel had left off struggling to get out of his bed to go to work, had left off calling for his pardner.

Quite in his right senses again, he could take in Maudie's explanation that the Boy was gone to Dawson, probably to get something for the Colonel to eat. For the Doctor was a crank and wouldn't let the sick man have his beans and bacon, forbade him even such a delicacy as fresh pork, though the Buckeyes n.o.bly offered to slaughter one of their newly-acquired pigs, the first that ever rooted in Bonanza refuse, and more a terror to the pa.s.sing Indian than any bear or wolf.

”But the Boy's a long time,” the Colonel would say wistfully.

Before this quieter phase set in, Maudie had sent into Dawson for Potts, O'Flynn and Mac, that they might distract the Colonel's mind from the pardner she knew could not return. But O'Flynn, having married the girl at the Moosehorn Cafe, had excuse of ancient validity for not coming; Potts was busy breaking the faro bank, and Mac was waiting till an overdue Lower River steamer should arrive.

Nicholas of Pymeut had gone back as pilot of the Weare, but Princess Muckluck was still about, now with Skook.u.m Bill, son of the local chief, now alone, trudging up and down Bonanza like one looking for something lost. The Colonel heard her voice outside the tent and had her in.

”You goin' to marry Skook.u.m Bill, as they say?”

Muckluck only laughed, but the Indian hung about waiting the Princess's pleasure.

”When your pardner come back?” she would indiscreetly ask the Colonel.

”Why he goes to Dawson?” And every few hours she would return: ”Why he stay so long?”

At last Maudie took her outside and told her.

Muckluck gaped, sat down a minute, and rocked her body back and forth with hidden face, got up and called sharply: ”Skook.u.m!”