The Merry Anne 33
They pushed on, indeed, rapidly for half a mile, guided by the lantern,
which Axel had relighted. Then the boy, overcome by the tobacco, had to
be left, miserably sick, in a heap by the roadside. Beveridge snatched
the lantern from his heedless fingers, thrust a bill into his pocket by
way of payment, and the party pushed on.
CHAPTER XI--THURSDAY NIGHT--VAN DEELEN'S BRIDGE
[Illustration: 0302]
THE stars were shining down on the stream that passed sluggishly under
Van Deelen's bridge, but they found no answering twinkle there. A gloomy
stream it was, winding a sort of way through the little farm, coming
from--somewhere, off in the pines; going to--somewhere, off in the
pines; brown by day, black by night; the only silent thing in the
breathing, crackling forest. It seemed to come from the north, gliding
out from under the green-black canopy with a little stumble of white
foam, as if ashamed in the light of the clearing. Then, sullen as
ever, it settled back, slipped under the bridge--where the road from
Lindquist's swung sharply down--with never a swirl, and gave itself
up to the pines and hemlocks that bent over. Behind the barn-yard it
circled westward, and paralleled the road for a few hundred yards, as if
it, too, were bound for Hewittson; but changed its mind, turned sharply
south, and was gone. Whither? The muskrats and minks perhaps could tell.
The clearing, in spite of the house and barn, was desolate; the pines
were pressing irresistibly in on every side to claim the land Dirck van
Deelen had stolen from them. The road, after crossing the bridge, lost
itself in the confused tracks between house and barn, only to reappear
on the farther side and plunge again into the forest,--a weary, yellow
road, telling of miles of stump land as well as of the fresher forest.
It was late, very late, but there was a light in the house. A woman,
in man's clothing, lay on the parlor sofa, too tired to rest. She was
white; her breath came hard; her eyes were too bright. McGlory stood
over her with a pair of scissors in his hand. He had cut off her long
hair, and now it lay curling on the floor.
"Here, you,"--he was speaking to Van Deelen,--"get a broom and take that
up. Be quick about it. What are you gawking at?"
Van Deelen, slow of movement and slower of thought, obeyed.
"Now," said McGlory to the woman, "come along!" And he took her arm.
"Oh, no, Joe! I can't go! It will kill me!"
"Cut that--get up!"
Roche, who had been eating in the next room, came in, looked at them,
and then hurried out, where the leader of the party awaited him.
"Aren't they 'most ready?"
"Yes--coming right along--if it don't kill her."
But when they heard a step and turned, only the woman appeared in the
doorway.
"Where's Joe, Estelle?"
"He--he's coming." She staggered. Roche caught her, helped her down the
steps, and with his arm about her waist led her out to the road. "He
says to go along, and he 'll catch us." She was plucky, or frightened,
for she staggered along biting her lip.
This was what McGlory had said to Van Deelen after he had got her to the
door: "Give me some paper and a pen--quick!"
They were promptly placed on the diningroom table; and he scrawled off
a few lines, folded the paper, and looked up with a scowl. The strain of
the week had not improved his __EXPRESSION__. "Give me an envelope; I want
you to mail this for me."
"I haven't got one."
"The------you haven't!"
"Honest--that's the truth. I'd have to go to Hewittson, anyway. It 'll be
quicker for you to take--"
"Oh, shut up. I'm sick o' your voice. Here, take this." He thrust the
letter into his pocket and counted out twenty-five dollars in bills.
"This is for you. And mind, nothing said. You don't know us--never seen
four men coming through here in the night. Don't remember ever having
seen four men come through. Understand?"
Van Deelen drew back a step, and nodded. "No mistake about this now. If
you say a word, the world ain't big enough to hide you." His hand
was straying toward a significant pocket. "None of your hemmings and
haw-ings--if you're in a hurry to get to heaven, just give us away.
Understand?"
Another nod,--all the farmer was capable of; and McGlory was gone with
a bound, out the door, on toward the little group at the farther side of
the clearing.
They heard his step and his loud breathing. "What's this?" He had just
made out Roche's arm across Estelle's back. "What's _this?_" He tore the
arm away, whirled Roche around, and slapped his face so hard that he----
"By------!" gasped Roche. "By------!"
They glared at each other; Estelle sobbed. "Try that again, Joe McGlory!
Just try it! Hit me again! Why, you--why, I 'll break your neck!"
"_You_ will?"
"Yes, I will. Just hit me again!"
McGlory looked him over, decided to accept the invitation, and plunged
forward. Roche, without a moment's hesitation, turned and bolted up the
road,--ran as if the fiends were on his heels. McGlory finally stopped,
laughed viciously, and hurled a curse after him.
The third man let them go; he merely took Estelle's arm and helped her
along, soothing her a little, trying to calm the outburst of hysteria
that had been threatening for twenty-four hours. McGlory waited for
them in the shadow of the woods; and a little farther on Roche fell in
behind, muttering softly, and keeping well away from McGlory.
Estelle could hardly stagger along. McGlory passed his arm through hers
and dragged her forward. Now she was silent, now she stifled a sob, now
she begged piteously to be left behind. "Let me go back to Van Deelen's,
Joe--please! I can't go on."
"I thought you was such a walker."
"Oh, but--not so far as this. Let me go back there."
"Wouldn't that be smart, now! To leave you where you could blab the
whole thing!" She tried to walk a few steps farther; then she broke
away, stumbled to the roadside, and, sinking to the ground, covered her
face with her hands.
Roche stopped short and stared at her. The other spoke up: "This won't
do, Joe. There's no use killing her. We 'll drop back in the woods and
take a rest. We 'll all be better for it."
McGlory sullenly consented. He dragged Estelle off through the
undergrowth to the clearer ground under the trees, and they all
stretched out. In five minutes Roche was the only one awake of the
three men. Without raising his head he slipped over close to Estelle and
rested his hand on her shoulder. She rolled over with a start. "S-sh!
Not so loud, Estelle."
"Oh, it's you?"
"Yes. You didn't think I'd forgot, did you, Estelle?"
"I--I don't understand."
"Don't you think it's time to quit 'em? What's the use? I guess you know
him now for what he is."
"Yes, he's mean to me. But--"
"Don't you see--we can skip out and leave 'em here, and go back near the
house and hide. He wouldn't dast come back after us. The boss wouldn't
never let him."
"Do you think we could? I'm afraid. He wouldn't stop at anything."
"You just leave it to me. I can take care o' _him:_"
"I--I'm afraid. He's so determined. And I told him I'd go with him."
"What was he a-doin' back there in the house after he sent you out?"
"I don't know."
"Not so loud--whisper. Didn't you hear him say anything?"
"He asked for a pen and paper."
"Must 'a' wrote a letter. There it is--look there--sticking out of his
pocket. Wait a minute."
"Don't you try to take it. He 'll shoot you."
"Oh, damn him! I ain't afraid of two Joe McGlorys. Lemme go." He crept
over, drew out the letter skilfully, and returned. "I don't like to
strike a match here--"
"Oh, no, no--don't!"
"Can you crawl off a little ways--behind them bushes?"
"I guess so; I 'll try." He helped her. "S-sh--careful."
Behind the bushes they felt safer. Roche lighted a match and held up the
paper. This is what they read:--
"Dear Madge: There's a little misunderstanding up this way and I can't
get back for a little while I want some money you put the bills in a
envelope to generel dilivry South Bend Indiana. Don't you try to come to
me because it ain't a very pleasent situation I 'll tell you later where
to come don't forget the money and don't you put my name on it call me
Joe Murphy. Burn this soon as you read it.
"J."
Neither saw the insolent brutality of this letter; their thoughts were
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기