The Pioneers
Page 45
CHAPTER XLV
Deirdre knew that McNab would not come near Steve's while the dead bodyof Conal lay there. In the morning, she saddled the chestnut and rodeinto Wirreeford.
"It was you shot Conal and I'm going to let all the countryside knowit," she said, facing McNab in the reeking parlour of the Black Bull.
"And who do y' think will believe you?" McNab sidled up to her, his eyeskindling.
"Everybody who knows you."
"And they'll say to you: 'How do y' know?' 'What proof have you got,Deirdre?' Nobody'll want to go agen Thad McNab lest they're sure--andnobody'll want to be gettin' up and givin' evidence against McNab lestthey're sure they're comin' out on the right side of the business."
"Proof? there's proof enough!"
Deirdre's voice rang clear, though her heart was beginning to quail. Sheknew that what he said was true. She had come with the idea of usingConal's death as a weapon against McNab; but it had suddenly becomeempty and useless in her hands.
"Now look here, my dear, it's no use bein' nasty," McNab said. "You knowand I know, there's no man in the Wirree would go against me 'less hewas pretty sure of getting somebody stronger than himself to back him.Well, is he going to get anybody? That's the question."
Deirdre thought of M'Laughlin, sodden with drink, and as much McNab'screature as any other man in the Wirree.
McNab chuckled, though there was a nervous edge to his voice.
"There's Sergeant M'Laughlin, of course, he's police officer for thedistrict. You can tell him your story if you like. But he's ahard-headed man, M'Laughlin. He'll want proofs. And then don't forgetI've still the trump card up me sleeve."
Her immobility maddened him.
"See here, Deirdre," he said, shaking with rage, "I've been patient withyou till now, and I'm not a patient man. Y' may not 've liked the waysof my love-makin', but they're my ways. Either you take my terms or youleave them. And if you send any more jackanapes to me y'll find themserved as was Conal.
"Maybe y're waitin' and hopin' young Davey'll come overland," he raspedon, "to--to help you. Don't let him get in my way again, Deirdre. Don'tlet him. If he gets in my way, he'll have to get out of it."
"Or you will have to get out of his way!"
Deirdre's eyes flashed into his. She saw the mean cunning soul in them.She knew that it would be Davey who would get out, that there was nofighting McNab. Davey would die as Conal had died, of a shot in thedark, or a death-dealing stab in the back.
McNab realised that she had measured his chances against Davey Cameron,Davey's chances against him, in that moment, for all her proud look.
"There's a boat just in the Port--takin' on some cattle--brought newsfrom Melbourne," he said. "Davey's acquitted. So is the Schoolmaster.Jury didn't find there was evidence enough to convict. They'll be comingalong by the _Albatross_. She's due in a couple of days. Johnson,Cameron's man, brought word. If you don't marry me--if y're not Mrs.McNab before that boat gets in--it can take y'r father and Steve alongwith it. It goes right on to Hobart Town after calling here."
Deirdre stumbled out of the room. McNab did not follow her. He knew thatshe would not fight any more.
He watched her swing into her saddle and ride out along the flat,dun-coloured road to the hills. Mrs. Mary Ann, driving a string ofsnow-white geese along the green ledges of the wayside, called to her,but Deirdre fled on, past the cottage that the Schoolmaster and she hadlived in, past the out-croppings of gorse beginning to bud goldenly onthe edge of the plains.
And McNab chuckled softly, rubbing his hands together.