by Max Brand
CHAPTER XXIII
THE FEAR OF THE LIVING
But he only stared gravely up to her with such a sorrow that her heartwent cold.
"Nothing--but I've remembered."
"What?"
"It's the cross. It brings luck and bad fortune together. Mary, I'llthrow it away, now--and then--no, it makes no difference. We are donefor."
"Pierre!"
"Don't you see, Mary, or are you still blind as I was ever since I sawyou tonight? It's all in that name--Pierre."
"There nothing in it, Pierre, that I don't love."
He rose, and she with him. His head was bowed as if with the weight ofthe doom which he foresaw.
"You have heard of the wild men of the mountains, and the long-riders?"
He knew that she nodded, though she could not speak.
"I am Red Pierre."
"_You_!"
"Yes."
Yet he had the courage to raise his head and watch her shrink withhorror. It was only an instant. Then she was beside him again, andone arm around him, while she turned her head and glanced fearfullyback at the lighted schoolhouse. The faint music mocked them.
"And you dared to come to the dance? We must go. Look, there arehorses! We'll ride off into the mountains, and they'll never findus--we'll----"
"Hush! One day's riding would kill you--riding as I ride."
"I'm strong---very strong, and the love of you, Pierre, will give memore strength. But quickly, for if they knew you, every man in thatplace would come armed and ready to kill. I know, for I've heard themtalk. Tell me, are one-half of all the terrible things they say----"
"They are true, I guess."
"I won't think of them. Whatever you've done, it was not you, but somedevil that forced you on. Pierre, I love you more than ever. Will yougo East with me, and home? We will lose ourselves in New York. Themillions of the crowd will hide us."
"Mary, there are some men from whom even the night can't hide me. Ifthey were blind their hate would give them eyes to find me."
"Pierre, you are not turning away from me--Pierre!"
"God help me."
"He will. There's some ghost of a chance for us. Will you take thatchance and come with me?"
He thought of many things, but what he answered was: "I will."
"Then let's go at once. The railroad----"
"Not that way. No one in that house suspects me now. We'll go backand put on our masks again, and--hush, what's there?"
"Nothing."
"There is--a man's step."
And she, seeing the look on his face, covered her eyes in namelesshorror. When she looked up a great form was looming through the dark,and then the voice of Wilbur came, hard and cold.
"I've looked everywhere for you. Miss Brown, they are anxious aboutyou in the schoolhouse. Will you go back?"
"No--I----"
But Pierre commanded: "Go back."
So she turned, and he ordered again: "I think our friend has somethingto say to me. You can find your way easily. To-morrow----"
"To-morrow, Pierre?"
"Yes."
"I shall be waiting."
With what a voice she said it! And then she was gone.
He turned quietly to big Dick Wilbur, on whose contorted face themoonlight fell.
"Say it, Dick, and have it out in cursing me, if that 'll help."
The big man stood with his hands gripped hard behind him, fighting forself-control.
"Pierre, I've cared for you more than I've cared for any other man.I've thought of you like a kid brother. Now tell me that you haven'tdone this thing, and I'll believe you rather than my senses. Tell meyou haven't come like a thief in the night and stolen the girl I loveaway from me; tell me----"
"If you keep on like that, you'll end by jumping at my throat. Holdyourself, Dick."
"I will if you'll tell me that you haven't----"
"I love her, Dick."
"Damn you! And she?"
"She'll forget me; God knows I hope she'll forget me."
"I brought two guns with me. Here they are."
He held out the weapons.
"Take your choice."
"Does it have to be this way?"
"If you'd rather have me shoot you down in cold blood?"
"I suppose this is as good a way as any."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Give me a gun."
"Here. This is ten paces. Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Pierre. God forgive you for what you've done. She liked me, I know.If it weren't for you, I would have won her and a chance for real lifeagain--but now--damn you!"
"I'll count to ten, slowly and evenly. When I reach ten we fire?"
"Yes."
"I'll trust you not to beat the count, Dick."
"And I you. Start."
He counted quietly, evenly: "One, two, three, four, five six, seven,eight, nine--ten."
The gun jerked up in the hand of Wilbur, but he stayed the movementwith his finger pressing still upon the trigger. The hand of Pierrehad not moved.
He cried: "By God, Pierre, what do you mean?"
There was no answer. He strode across the intervening space droppedhis gun, and caught the other by the shoulders. Out of the nervelessfingers of Pierre the revolver slipped and crushed a dead twig on theground, and a pair of lifeless eyes stared up to Dick Wilbur.
"In the name of God, Pierre, what has happened to you?"
"Dick, why didn't you fire?"
"Fire? Murder you?"
"You shoot straight--I know--it would have been over quickly."
"What is it, boy? You look dead--there's no color in your face, nolight in your eyes, even your voice is dead. I know it isn't fear.What is it?"
"You're wrong. It's fear."
"Fear and Red Pierre. The two don't mate."
"Fear of living, Dick."
"So that's it? God help you. Pierre, forgive me. I should have knownthat you had met her before, but I was mad, and didn't know what I wasdoing, couldn't think."
"It's over and forgotten. I have to go back and get Jack. Will youride home with us?"
"Jack? She's not in the hall. She left shortly after you went, andshe means some deviltry. There's a jealous fiend in that girl. Iwatched her eyes when they followed you and Mary from the hall."
"Then we'll ride back alone."
"Not I. Carry the word to Jim that I'm through with the game. I'mgoing to wash some of the grime off my conscience and try to makemyself fit to speak to this girl again."
"It's the cross," said Pierre.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. The bad luck has come to poor old Jim at last, because hesaved me out of the snow. Patterson has gone, and now you, and perhapsJack--well, this is good-by, Dick?"
"Yes."
Their hands met, a long, strong grip.
"You forgive me, Dick?"
"With all my heart, old fellow."
"I'll try to wish you luck. Stay close to her. Live clean for hersake and worship her like a saint. Perhaps you'll win her."
"I'll do what one man can."
"But if you succeed, ride out of the mountain-desert with her--neverlet me hear of it."
"I don't understand. Will you tell me what's between you, Pierre?You've some sort of claim on her. What is it?"
"I've said good-by. Only one thing more. Never mention my name toher."
So he turned and walked out into the moonlight in the immaculatedress-suit and big Wilbur stared after him until he disappeared beyondthe shoulder of a hill.
