They were still in the midst of the yellow featureless plain, butthe weary horses had slowed down to a walk, the heavy sand retardingprogress. It was a gloomy, depressing scene in the spectral gray light,a wide circle of intense loneliness, unbroken by either dwarfed shrubor bunch of grass, a barren expanse stretching to the sky. Vague cloudshadows seemed to flit across the level surface, assuming fantasticshapes, but all of the same dull coloring, imperfect and unfinished.Nothing seemed tangible or real, but rather some grotesque picture ofdelirium, ever merging into another yet more hideous. The very silenceof those surrounding wastes seemed burdensome, adding immeasurably tothe horror. They were but specks crawling underneath the sky--the onlyliving, moving objects in all that immense circle of desolation anddeath.
Keith turned in the saddle, looking back past Neb--who swayed in hisseat, with head lolling on his breast as though asleep, his horseplodding after the others--along the slight trail they had made acrossthe desert. So far as eye could reach nothing moved, nothing apparentlyexisted. Fronting again to the north he looked upon the same grimbarrenness, only that far off, against the lighter background of distantsky, there was visible a faint blur, a bluish haze, which he believed tobe the distant sand dunes bordering the Arkansas. The intense drearinessof it all left a feeling of depression. His eyes turned and regarded thegirl riding silently beside him. The same look of depression was visibleupon her face, and she was gazing off into the dull distance withlack-lustre eyes, her slender form leaning forward, her hands claspedacross the pommel. The long weariness of the night had left traces onher young face, robbing it of some of its freshness, yet Keith found itmore attractive in the growing daylight than amid the lamp shadowsof the evening before. He had not previously realized the peculiarclearness of her complexion, the rose tint showing through the oliveskin, or the soft and silky fineness of her hair, which, disarranged,was strangely becoming under the broad brim of the hat she wore,drawn low until it shadowed her eyes. It was not a face to be easilyassociated with frontier concert halls, or any surrender to evil; thechin round and firm, the lips full, yet sufficiently compressed; thewhole expression that of pure and dignified womanhood. She puzzled him,and he scarcely knew what to believe, or exactly how to act toward her.
"Our friends back yonder should be turning out from the corral by now,"he said finally, anxious to break the silence, for she had not spokensince he ended his tale. "It will not be long until they discoverHawley's predicament, and perhaps the welkin already rings withprofanity. That may even account for the blue haze out yonder."
She turned her eyes toward him, and the slightest trace of a smileappeared from out the depths of their weariness.
"If they would only remain satisfied with that. Will they follow us, doyou think? And are we far enough away by this time to be safe?"
"It is hardly likely they will let us escape without a chase," heanswered slowly. "We possess too much information now that we havetheir rendezvous located, and 'Black Bart' will have a private grudge torevenge. I wonder if he suspects who attacked him! But don't worry, MissHope; we have miles the start, and the wind has been strong enough tocover our trail. Do you see that dark irregularity ahead?"
"Yes; is it a cloud?"
"No; the Arkansas sand dunes. I am going to try to keep the horsesmoving until we arrive there. Then we will halt and eat whatever Neb haspacked behind him, and rest for an hour or two. You look very tired,but I hope you can keep up for that distance. We shall be safely out ofsight then."
"Indeed, I am tired; the strain of waiting alone in that cabin, andall that happened last night, have tried me severely. But--but I can gothrough."
Her voice proved her weakness, although it was determined enough, andKeith, yielding to sudden impulse, put out his hand, and permitted it torest upon hers, clasped across the pommel. Her eyes drooped, but therewas no change of posture.
"Your nerve is all right," he said, admiringly, "you have shown yourselfa brave girl."
"I could not be a coward, and be my father's daughter," she replied,with an odd accent of pride in her choking voice, "but I have beenafraid, and--and I am still."
"Of what? Surely, not that those fellows will ever catch up with us?"
"No, I hardly know what, only there is a dread I cannot seem to shakeoff, as if some evil impended, the coming of which I can feel, but notsee. Have you ever experienced any such premonition?"
He laughed, withdrawing his hand.
"I think not. I am far too prosaic a mortal to allow dreams to worryme. So far I have discovered sufficient trouble in real life to keep mybrain active. Even now I cannot forget how hungry I am."
She did not answer, comprehending how useless it would be to explain,and a little ashamed of her own ill-defined fears, and thus they rodeon in silence. He did not notice that she glanced aside at him shyly,marking the outline of his clear-cut features, silhouetted against thefar-off sky. It was a manly face, strong, alive, full of character, thewell-shaped head firmly poised, the broad shoulders squared in spite ofthe long night of weary exertion. The depths of her eyes brightened withappreciation.
"I believe your story, Mr. Keith," she said at last softly.
"My story?" questioningly, and turning instantly toward her.
"Yes; all that you have told me about what happened."
"Oh; I had almost forgotten having told it, but I never felt any doubtbut what you would believe. I don't think I could lie to you."
It was no compliment, but spoken with such evident honesty that her eyesmet his with frankness.
"There could be no necessity; only I wanted you to know that I trustyou, and am grateful."
She extended her hand this time, and he took it within his own, holdingit firmly, yet without knowing what to answer. There was strong impulsewithin him to question her, to learn then and there her own life story.Yet, somehow, the reticence of the girl restrained him; he could notdeliberately probe beneath the veil she kept lowered between them.Until she chose to lift it herself voluntarily, he possessed no rightto intrude. The gentlemanly instincts of younger years held him silent,realizing clearly that whatever secret might dominate her life, it washers to conceal just so long as she pleased. Out of this swift struggleof repression he managed to say:
"I appreciate your confidence, and mean to prove worthy. Perhaps someday I can bring you the proofs."
"I need none other than your own word."
"Oh, but possibly you are too easily convinced; you believed in Hawley."
She looked at him searchingly, her eyes glowing, her cheeks flushed.
"Yes," she said slowly, convincingly. "I know I did; I--I was so anxiousto be helped, but--but this is different."
It was noon, the sun pitiless and hot above them, before they straggledwithin the partial shelter of the sand dunes, and sank wearily down totheir meagre lunch. Their supply of water was limited, and the exhaustedponies must wait until they reached the river to quench their thirst.Yet this was not very far off now, and Keith had seen enough of theirsurroundings to locate the position of the ford. Slow as they mustproceed, three hours more would surely bring them to the bank of thestream. They discussed their plans briefly as the three sat together onthe warm sand, revived both by the food and the brief rest. There wasnot a great deal to be determined, only where the girl should be left,and how the two men had better proceed to escape observation.
Fort Larned was the nearest and safest place for their charge, noneof the party expressing any desire to adventure themselves within theimmediate neighborhood of Carson City. What her future plans might bewere not revealed, and Keith forebore any direct questioning. Hisduty plainly ended with placing her in a safe environment, and he feltconvinced that Mrs. Murphy, of the Occidental Hotel, would furnish room,and, if necessary, companionship. The sole problem remaining--after shehad rather listlessly agreed to such an arrangement--was to so plan thedetails as to permit the negro and himself to slip through the smalltown clustered about the post without attracting undue attent
ion. Nodoubt, the story of their escape had already reached there, embellishedby telling, and serious trouble might result from discovery. Keith wassurprised at the slight interest she exhibited in these arrangements,merely signifying her acquiescence by a word, but he charged it tophysical weariness, and the reaction from her night of peril; yet hetook pains to explain fully his plan, and to gain her consent.
This finally settled, they mounted again and rode on through the lanestraversing the sand dunes, keeping headed as straight as possible towardthe river. The ford sought was some miles down stream, but with thehorses' thirst mitigated, they made excellent progress, and arrived atthe spot early in the evening. Not in all the day had they encountereda living object, or seen a moving thing amid the surrounding desolation.Now, looking across to the north, a few gleaming lights told of FortLarned perched upon the opposite bluffs.
Chapter XIV. The Landlady of the Occidentals
Keith of the Border: A Tale of the Plains Page 13
