Keith had crossed at this point so frequently with cattle that, oncehaving his bearings, the blackness of the night made very littledifference. Nevertheless, in fear lest her pony might stumble over someirregularity, he gave his own rein to Neb, and went forward on foot,grasping firmly the tired animal's bit. It was a long stretch of sandand water extending from bank to bank, but the latter was shallow, theonly danger being that of straying off from the more solid bottom intoquicksand. With a towering cottonwood as guide, oddly misshapen andstanding out gauntly against the slightly lighter sky, the plainsman ledon unhesitatingly, until they began to climb the rather sharp uplift ofthe north bank. Here there was a plain trail, pounded into smoothness bythe hoofs of cavalry horses ridden down to water, and at the summit theyemerged within fifty yards of the stables.
The few lights visible, some stationary, with others dancing aboutlike will-o'-the-wisps, revealed imperfectly the contour of variousbuildings, but Keith turned sharply to the right, anxious to slip pastwithout being challenged by a sentry. Beyond the brow of the bluff otherlights now became visible, flickering here and there, marking where astraggling town had sprung up under the protection of the post--a towngarish enough in the daylight, composed mostly of shacks and tents,but now with its deficiencies mercifully concealed by the envelopingdarkness. The trail, easily followed, led directly along its singlestreet, but Keith circled the outskirts through a wilderness of tin-cansand heaps of other debris, until he halted his charges beside theblack shadow of the only two-story edifice in the place. This was theOccidental, the hospitality of which he had frequently tested.
A light streamed from out the front windows, but, uncertain who might beharbored within, Keith tapped gently at the back door. It was not openedimmediately, and when it was finally shoved aside the merest crack, noglow of light revealed the darkened interior. The voice which spoke,however, was amply sufficient to identify its owner.
"Is that ye agin, Murphy, a playin' av yer dirthy thricks?"
"No, Mrs. Murphy," he hastened to explain, "this is Keith--Jack Keith,of the 'Bar X.'"
"The Lord deliver us!" was the instant exclamation, the door openingwide. "They do be afther tellin' me to-night av the throuble ye was inover at Carson, an' Oi t'ought maybe ye moight turn up this way. It wasa nate thrick ye played on the loikes av 'em, Jack, but this is a dompoor place fer ye ter hide in. Bedad, there's a half-dozen in the parlynow talkin' about it, wid a couple av officers from the fort. Is thenager wid ye?"
"Yes, but we have no intention of hiding here. I'd rather take my chancein the open. The fact is, Kate, we started off for the 'Bar X.'"
"Av course, ye did; Oi was shure av it."
"But down on the Salt Fork we ran across a young girl whom Black Barthad inveigled down that way on a lie. We had a bit of a fight, and gother away from him. This is what brought us back here--to put the girlwhere she will be safe out of his clutches."
The door was wide open now, and Mrs. Murphy outside, her interest atfever heat.
"Ye had a foight wid Black Bart! Oh, ye divil! An' ye licked the dirthyspalpane, an' got away wid his gyurl! Glory be! And would Oi take her?Well, Oi would. Niver doubt that, me bye. She may be the quane av Shaba,an' she may be a Digger Injun Squaw, but the loikes av him had bettherkape away from Kate Murphy. It's glad Oi am ter do it! Bring her in. Oidon't want ter hear no more."
"Just a word, Kate; I don't know whether she has any money or not, but I'll pay her bill, as soon as it is safe for me to come back."
"Oh, the divil take her bill. She'll have the best in the house,annyhow, an' Oi'm only hopin' that fellow will turn up huntin' her. Oi'dloike ter take one slap at the spalpane."
Fully convinced as to Mrs. Murphy's good-will, Keith slipped backinto the darkness, and returned with the girl. Introductions weresuperfluous, as the mistress of the Occidental cared little regardingceremony.
"An' is this you, my dear?" she burst out, endeavoring to curb her voiceto secretive softness. "Shure, Jack Keith has told me all about it, an'it's safe it is yer goin' ter be here. Come on in; Oi'll give ye numberforty-two, thet's next behint me own room, an' we'll go up the backsthairs. Hilp the young loidy, Jack, fer shure ye know the way."
She disappeared, evidently with some hospitable purpose in view, andKeith, clasping the girl's hand, undertook the delicate task of safelyescorting her through the dark kitchen, and up the dimly rememberedstairs. Only a word or two passed between them, but as they neared thesecond story a light suddenly streamed out through the opened door of aroom at their left. Mrs. Murphy greeted them at the landing, and for thefirst time saw the girl's weary white face, her eyes filled with appeal,and the warm Irish heart responded instantly.
"Ye poor little lamb; it's the bid ye want, an' a dhrap o' whiskey. JackKeith, why didn't ye till me she was done up wid the hard ride? Here,honey, sit down in the rocker till Oi get ye a wee dhrink. It'll bringthe roses back to the cheeks av ye." She was gone, bustling down thedark stairs, and the two were alone in the room, the girl looking upinto his face, her head resting against the cushioned back of the chair.He thought he saw a glimmer of tears in the depths of her lash-shadedeyes, and her round white throat seemed to choke.
"You will be perfectly secure here," he said, soothingly, "and canremain as long as you please. Mrs. Murphy will guard you as though youwere her own daughter. She is a bit rough, maybe, but a big-heartedwoman, and despises Hawley. She nursed me once through a touch oftyphoid--yes, by Jove," glancing about in sudden recognition, "and inthis very room, too."
The girl's glance wandered over the plain, neat furnishings, and therather pathetic attempts at decoration, yet with apparently no thoughtfor them.
"You--you have not told me where you were going."
He laughed, a little uneasily, as though he preferred to make light ofthe whole matter.
"Really, I have hardly decided, the world is so wide, and I had noreason to suppose you interested."
"But I am interested," resenting his tone of assumed indifference. "Iwould not want to feel that our acquaintance was to wholly end now."
"Do you really mean that?"
"Why should I not? You have been a real friend to me; I shall rememberyou always with a gratitude beyond words. I want you to know this, andthat--that I shall ever wish to retain that friendship."
Keith struggled with himself, doubtful of what he had best say, swayedby unfamiliar emotions.
"You may be sure I shall never forget," he blurted forth, desperately,"and, if you really wish it, I'll certainly see you again."
"I do," earnestly.
"Then, I'll surely find a way. I don't know now which direction we willride, but I'm not going very far until I clear up that murder out yonderon the trail; that is my particular job just now."
Before she could answer, Mrs. Murphy reentered, and forced her to drinkthe concoction prepared, the girl accepting with smiling protest. Thelandlady, empty glass in hand, swept her eyes about the room.
"Bedad, but the place looks betther than iver Oi'd belaved, wid thegyurl Oi've got tindin' to it. She's that lazy she goes ter slapeswapin' the flure. Jack, would ye moind hilpin' me move the bid; shure,it's rale mahogany, an' so heavy it breaks me back intoirely to push it'round."
He took hold willingly enough, and the two together ran the heavycontrivance across the room to the position selected. Once a leg caughtin the rag carpet, and Keith lifted it out, bending low to get a firmergrip. Then he held out his hand to the girl.
"It is not going to be good-bye then, Miss Hope; I'll find you."
She smiled up into his eyes, much of the weariness gone from her face.
"I am going to believe that," she answered, gladly, "because I want to."
Mrs. Murphy lingered until his steps sounded on the stairs, as he slowlyfelt his way down through the darkness.
"He do be a moighty foine bye, Jack Keith," she said, apparentlyaddressing the side wall. "Oi wish Oi'd a knowed him whin Oi was agyurl; shure, it's not Murphy me noime'd be now, Oi
'm t'inkin'."
Left alone, the girl bowed her head on her hands, a hot tear stealingdown through her fingers. As she glanced up again, something thatglittered on the floor beside the bed caught her eyes. She stopped andpicked it up, holding the trinket to the light, staring at it as thoughfascinated. It was the locket Keith had taken from the neck of the deadman at Cimmaron Crossing. Her nerveless fingers pressed the spring, andthe painted face within looked up into her own, and still clasping itwithin her hand, she sank upon her knees, burying her face on the bed.
"Where did he get that?" her lips kept repeating. "Where did he ever getthat?"
Chapter XV. Again Christie Maclaire
Keith of the Border: A Tale of the Plains Page 14
