Had she confessed everything, then, in the hysteria?
Had she confirmed what Lew Hervey said? Yes,
for the voice of Red Jim was unquestioning, cherishing
as men will the thing which they love and own.
“You’re better now?” he asked at
length.
“Yes,” she answered, “I’m
weak—and ashamed—and—what
have I said to you?”
“Something that’s made me happier than
a king. And I’ll make it a thing you’ll
never have to regret, so help me God!”
He raised her to her feet.
“Now you have to go home—at once.”
“And you?”
“Hervey will come hunting me again tomorrow,
and he’ll have his men with him. He doesn’t
know I’ve forgotten him. He thinks it’s
his life or mine, and he’ll try to run me down.”
“The sheriff—” she cried fiercely.
“That’s where I’m going. To
Glosterville to hide like a coward where the sheriff
can look out for me. I can’t take chances
now. I don’t belong to myself. When
your father comes back and takes charge of the ranch,
and Hervey, I’ll come when you send for me.
I’ll get my things together to-night, ride down
the valley so they can’t trap me again here,
camp out for an hour or so in the morning, and then
cut out across the Eagles. But you’re strong
enough to ride home?”
She nodded, and they walked side by side out across
the clearing and down towards the place where she
had left the bay. And it seemed to Marianne,
leaning a little on the arm of Red Jim, that she had
shifted the whole burden of her worries onto the shoulders
of her lover. Her troubles disappeared.
The very sound of his voice assured her of happiness
forever.
They found the bay. The tough little mustang
was already much recuperated, and Perris swept Marianne
into the saddle. She leaned to kiss him.
In the dark her lips touched the bandage around his
head.
“It’s where Hervey struck you down!”
she exclaimed. “Jim, you can’t ride
across the mountains so terribly hurt—”
“It’s only a scratch,” he assured
her. “I met Alcatraz to-day, and he won
again! But the third time—”
Marianne shivered.
“Don’t speak of him! He haunts me,
Jim. The very mention of him takes all the happiness
out of me. I feel—almost as if there
were a bad fate in him. But you promise, that
you won’t stay to take one final chance?
You won’t linger in the Valley to hunt Alcatraz
again? You’ll ride straight across the
mountains when the morning comes?”
“I promise,” answered Perris.
But afterwards, as he watched her drift away through
the darkness calling back to him from time to time
until her voice dwindled to a bird-note and then faded
away, Red Jim prayed in his heart of hearts that he
would not chance upon sight of the stallion in the
morning, for if he did, he knew that the first solemn
promise of his life would be broken.
