by Zane Grey
Chapter II.
Joe and Jim were singularly alike. They were nearly the same size,very tall, but so heavily built as to appear of medium height, whiletheir grey eyes and, indeed, every feature of their clean-cut facescorresponded so exactly as to proclaim them brothers.
"Already up to your old tricks?" asked Jim, with his hand on Joe'sshoulder, as they both watched Nell's flight.
"I'm really fond of her, Jim, and didn't mean to hurt her feelings.But tell me about yourself; what made you come West?"
"To teach the Indians, and I was, no doubt, strongly influenced byyour being here."
"You're going to do as you ever have--make some sacrifice. You arealways devoting yourself; if not to me, to some other. Now it's yourlife you're giving up. To try to convert the redskins and influenceme for good is in both cases impossible. How often have I said therewasn't any good in me! My desire is to kill Indians, not preach tothem, Jim. I'm glad to see you; but I wish you hadn't come. Thiswild frontier is no place for a preacher."
"I think it is," said Jim, quietly.
"What of Rose--the girl you were to marry?"
Joe glanced quickly at his brother. Jim's face paled slightly as heturned away.
"I'll speak once more of her, and then, never again," he answered."You knew Rose better than I did. Once you tried to tell me she wastoo fond of admiration, and I rebuked you; but now I see that yourwider experience of women had taught you things I could not thenunderstand. She was untrue. When you left Williamsburg, apparentlybecause you had gambled with Jewett and afterward fought him, I wasnot misled. You made the game of cards a pretense; you sought itsimply as an opportunity to wreak your vengeance on him for hisvillainy toward me. Well, it's all over now. Though you cruelly beatand left him disfigured for life, he will live, and you are savedfrom murder, thank God! When I learned of your departure I yearnedto follow. Then I met a preacher who spoke of having intended to goWest with a Mr. Wells, of the Moravian Mission. I immediately said Iwould go in his place, and here I am. I'm fortunate in that I havefound both him and you."
"I'm sorry I didn't kill Jewett; I certainly meant to. Anyway,there's some comfort in knowing I left my mark on him. He was asneaking, cold-blooded fellow, with his white hair and pale face,and always fawning round the girls. I hated him, and gave it to himgood." Joe spoke musingly and complacently as though it was atrivial thing to compass the killing of a man.
"Well, Jim, you're here now, and there's no help for it. We'll goalong with this Moravian preacher and his nieces. If you haven't anygreat regrets for the past, why, all may be well yet. I can see thatthe border is the place for me. But now, Jim, for once in your lifetake a word of advice from me. We're out on the frontier, whereevery man looks after himself. Your being a minister won't protectyou here where every man wears a knife and a tomahawk, and wheremost of them are desperadoes. Cut out that soft voice and most ofyour gentle ways, and be a little more like your brother. Be as kindas you like, and preach all you want to; but when some of thesebuckskin-legged frontiermen try to walk all over you, as they will,take your own part in a way you have never taken it before. I had mylesson the first few days out with that wagon-train. It was a caseof four fights; but I'm all right now."
"Joe, I won't run, if that's what you mean," answered Jim, with alaugh. "Yes, I understand that a new life begins here, and I amcontent. If I can find my work in it, and remain with you, I shallbe happy."
"Ah! old Mose! I'm glad to see you," Joe cried to the big dog whocame nosing round him. "You've brought this old fellow; did youbring the horses?"
"Look behind the wagon."
With the dog bounding before him, Joe did as he was directed, andthere found two horses tethered side by side. Little wonder that hiseyes gleamed with delight. One was jet-black; the other iron-grayand in every line the clean-limbed animals showed the thoroughbred.The black threw up his slim head and whinnied, with affectionclearly shining in his soft, dark eyes as he recognized his master.
"Lance, old fellow, how did I ever leave you!" murmured Joe, as hethrew his arm over the arched neck. Mose stood by looking up, andwagging his tail in token of happiness at the reunion of the threeold friends. There were tears in Joe's eyes when, with a lastaffectionate caress, he turned away from his pet.
"Come, Jim, I'll take you to Mr. Wells."
They stated across the little square, while Mose went back under thewagon; but at a word from Joe he bounded after them, trottingcontentedly at their heels. Half way to the cabins a big, raw-bonedteamster, singing in a drunken voice, came staggering toward them.Evidently he had just left the group of people who had gathered nearthe Indians.
"I didn't expect to see drunkenness out here," said Jim, in a lowtone.
"There's lots of it. I saw that fellow yesterday when he couldn'twalk. Wentz told me he was a bad customer."
The teamster, his red face bathed in perspiration, and his sleevesrolled up, showing brown, knotty arms, lurched toward them. As theymet he aimed a kick at the dog; but Mose leaped nimbly aside,avoiding the heavy boot. He did not growl, nor show his teeth; butthe great white head sank forward a little, and the lithe bodycrouched for a spring.
"Don't touch that dog; he'll tear your leg off!" Joe cried sharply.
"Say, pard, cum an' hev' a drink," replied the teamster, with afriendly leer.
"I don't drink," answered Joe, curtly, and moved on.
The teamster growled something of which only the word "parson" wasintelligible to the brothers. Joe stopped and looked back. His grayeyes seemed to contract; they did not flash, but shaded and losttheir warmth. Jim saw the change, and, knowing what it signified,took Joe's arm as he gently urged him away. The teamster's shrillvoice could be heard until they entered the fur-trader's cabin.
An old man with long, white hair flowing from beneath hiswide-brimmed hat, sat near the door holding one of Mrs. Wentz'schildren on his knee. His face was deep-lined and serious; butkindness shone from his mild blue eyes.
"Mr. Wells, this is my brother James. He is a preacher, and has comein place of the man you expected from Williamsburg."
The old minister arose, and extended his hand, gazing earnestly atthe new-comer meanwhile. Evidently he approved of what he saw in hisquick scrutiny of the other's face, for his lips were wreathed witha smile of welcome.
"Mr. Downs, I am glad to meet you, and to know you will go with me.I thank God I shall take into the wilderness one who is young enoughto carry on the work when my days are done."
"I will make it my duty to help you in whatsoever way lies in mypower," answered Jim, earnestly.
"We have a great work before us. I have heard many scoffers whoclaim that it is worse than folly to try to teach these fiercesavages Christianity; but I know it can be done, and my heart is inthe work. I have no fear; yet I would not conceal from you, youngman, that the danger of going among these hostile Indians must begreat."
"I will not hesitate because of that. My sympathy is with theredman. I have had an opportunity of studying Indian nature andbelieve the race inherently noble. He has been driven to make war,and I want to help him into other paths."
Joe left the two ministers talking earnestly and turned toward Mrs.Wentz. The fur-trader's wife was glowing with pleasure. She held inher hand several rude trinkets, and was explaining to her listener,a young woman, that the toys were for the children, having beenbrought all the way from Williamsburg.
"Kate, where's Nell?" Joe asked of the girl.
"She went on an errand for Mrs. Wentz."
Kate Wells was the opposite of her sister. Her motions were slow,easy and consistent with her large, full, form. Her brown eyes andhair contrasted sharply with Nell's. The greatest difference in thesisters lay in that Nell's face was sparkling and full of the fireof her eager young life, while Kate's was calm, like the unruffledsurface of a deep lake.
"That's Jim, my brother. We're going with you," said Joe.
"Are you? I'm glad," answered the girl, looking at the handsomeearnest face of t
he young minister.
"Your brother's like you for all the world," whispered Mrs. Wentz.
"He does look like you," said Kate, with her slow smile.
"Which means you think, or hope, that that is all," retorted Joelaughingly. "Well, Kate, there the resemblance ends, thank God forJim!"
He spoke in a sad, bitter tone which caused both women to look athim wonderingly. Joe had to them ever been full of surprises; neveruntil then had they seen evidences of sadness in his face. Amoment's silence ensued. Mrs. Wentz gazed lovingly at the childrenwho were playing with the trinkets; while Kate mused over the youngman's remark, and began studying his, half-averted face. She feltwarmly drawn to him by the strange expression in the glance he hadgiven his brother. The tenderness in his eyes did not harmonize withmuch of this wild and reckless boy's behavior. To Kate he had alwaysseemed so bold, so cold, so different from other men, and yet herewas proof that Master Joe loved his brother.
The murmured conversation of the two ministers was interrupted by alow cry from outside the cabin. A loud, coarse laugh followed, andthen a husky voice:
"Hol' on, my purty lass."'
Joe took two long strides, and was on the door-step. He saw Nellstruggling violently in the grasp of the half-drunken teamster.
"I'll jes' hev' to kiss this lassie fer luck," he said in a tone ofgood humor.
At the same instant Joe saw three loungers laughing, and a fourth,the grizzled frontiersman, starting forward with a yell.
"Let me go!" cried Nell.
Just when the teamster had pulled her close to him, and was bendinghis red, moist face to hers, two brown, sinewy hands grasped hisneck with an angry clutch. Deprived thus of breath, his mouthopened, his tongue protruded; his eyes seemed starting from theirsockets, and his arms beat the air. Then he was lifted and flungwith a crash against the cabin wall. Falling, he lay in a heap onthe grass, while the blood flowed from a cut on his temple.
"What's this?" cried a man, authoritatively. He had come swiftly up,and arrived at the scene where stood the grizzled frontiersman.
"It was purty handy, Wentz. I couldn't hev' did better myself, and Iwas comin' for that purpose," said the frontiersman. "Leffler wastryin' to kiss the lass. He's been drunk fer two days. That littlegirl's sweetheart kin handle himself some, now you take my word onit."
"I'll agree Leff's bad when he's drinkin'," answered the fur-trader,and to Joe he added, "He's liable to look you up when he comesaround."
"Tell him if I am here when he gets sober, I'll kill him," Joe criedin a sharp voice. His gaze rested once more on the fallen teamster,and again an odd contraction of his eyes was noticeable. The glancewas cutting, as if with the flash of cold gray steel. "Nell, I'msorry I wasn't round sooner," he said, apologetically, as if it wasowing to his neglect the affair had happened.
As they entered the cabin Nell stole a glance at him. This was thethird time he had injured a man because of her. She had on severaloccasions seen that cold, steely glare in his eyes, and it hadalways frightened her. It was gone, however, before they were insidethe building. He said something which she did not hear distinctly,and his calm voice allayed her excitement. She had been angry withhim; but now she realized that her resentment had disappeared. Hehad spoken so kindly after the outburst. Had he not shown that heconsidered himself her protector and lover? A strange emotion, sweetand subtle as the taste of wine, thrilled her, while a sense of fearbecause of his strength was mingled with her pride in it. Any othergirl would have been only too glad to have such a champion; shewould, too, hereafter, for he was a man of whom to be proud.
"Look here, Nell, you haven't spoken to me," Joe cried suddenly,seeming to understand that she had not even heard what he said, soengrossed had she been with her reflections. "Are you mad with meyet?" he continued. "Why, Nell, I'm in--I love you!"
Evidently Joe thought such fact a sufficient reason for any act onhis part. His tender tone conquered Nell, and she turned to him withflushed cheeks and glad eyes.
"I wasn't angry at all," she whispered, and then, eluding the arm heextended, she ran into the other room.
