Friar Tuck

by Robert Alexander Wason

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  HAND TO HAND

  At first it was black as pitch; but I crawled as fast as I could inthe hope of catchin' up with the Friar. It is instinct with most mento follow the right wall when goin' through a strange place in thedark, though I never could see why. A man carries his weapon in theright hand and naturally ought to be as free with it as possible.Still, most men do it, so I follered the right wall, hopin' each timeI put out my hand it would touch the Friar.

  After a time, I saw a faint glimmer o' light to the left, and Istopped and pointed it out to The. We came to the conclusion that theyhad a candle lighted in the offset where we had come upon the body,and we discussed whether they were likely to be in there, or had goneon farther back and left the light to see any one who tried to crawlafter 'em. I held out 'at they wouldn't expect any one to crawl after'em; but The said 'at Ty would be likely to go into just such a placehimself, and so would expect others to do the same. Ty certainly hadthe way of impressin' his own men.

  When we got a little closer, I lay flat and scanned along the floor,tryin' to make out the Friar between me and the light; but I couldn'tsee him, and we went on again. I hope I may never have to do any moresuch work as this. Creepin' along in the dark eats up a feller's nervelike a forest fire.

  When we got so close 'at I could see my hands by the light, I sent Theacross to the other side, remindin' him to knock his teeth should hechance upon the Friar, or in case we come together again, ourselves.

  Then I lay flat with my hat down low, and nudged myself along with myelbows and toes. I couldn't even make out The across the tunnel, whichwas only about twelve feet wide, and just for the fraction of a secondit came across me that he had formerly been a Cross-brander, himself;but this thought didn't live long enough to draw its second breath.

  Finally I reached the spot where the light threw a splash on the wallsand floor, and I made my gun ready and stuck out my neck in what wasthe most breathless silence I ever tried to listen to. Across thesplash o' light in front of me, all was a solid wall o' darkness; andI'd have paid over quite a sum to know what eyes were lookin' out ofit.

  Farther and farther I pushed myself into the light without seein' athing; until finally I saw the candle, itself, and beside it--theFriar.

  I wriggled across the tunnel just as The crept into the room from hisside, and we felt a little better to be in the light, together again.The body still lay again' the wall, and The looked at the face; but hedidn't know it. The Friar hadn't seen or heard anything, either; andwe were up a tree to the top branches. We talked it all over, tryin'to imagine what we would do under the same circumstances, and finallydecided they had gone on down the tunnel, leavin' a man on guard justbelow the light, and that the man had gone to sleep.

  "Well," sez I after we had discussed things around in a circle for awhile, "here we are holed up again, as cozy as a cavey o' rats withtraps set at all the openin's and en-thusiastic terrier dogs diggin'down from above. If it's not bein' too inquisitive, Friar, what plandid you have in comin' down here?"

  "I wanted to be close to her," sez Friar Tuck. "I kept thinkin' o' howlonely it must be for her through the dark, and I hoped the' might besome chance o' helpin' her to escape. I did not have any definiteplan--only faith and hope."

  "Like the shark which swallered the parasol," sez I, for I wasconsid'able put out; "he had faith in his digestion and hoped theparasol was some new sort o' health-food. But to get down tofacts--Have you any weapon with you, and are you willin' to fight?"

  "I have no weapon," sez the Friar; "but I am willin' to do whateverseems best. I am trusting in the same power which upheld Gideon, and Iask to see no farther than he saw."

  This was the Friar all right, so I merely swallowed a couple o' timesand didn't say anything. Whether he lived or died was the same to theFriar, as whether he lived in Idaho or Montana would be to anotherman; so I saved myself a certain amount of irritation by just thinkin'quietly as to what was best for us to try. Fact was, I didn't take, asmuch stock in Gideon just then as I did in Ty Jones.

  "I'll tell you what I think is best," I sez after a bit; "for me tocrawl down the hall in the hope that the watcher really has gone tosleep; while you two stand ready in this offset. If they chase me,I'll run up the tunnel, and you spring out and take 'em at adisadvantage as they go by."

  O' course they both wanted to do the crawlin', but it was my plan, soI stuck out for it, and started. I was really glad to be out o' thelight again, and I crawled as gentle as though crossin' a bridge ofeggs. Before long my fingers struck a boot, and I felt of itex-treme-lee careful. If ever I go blind, my experience durin' thosedays will help consid'able in transferrin' my eyesight to my fingers.

  The feller had toppled over again' the right wall, and I crept upalongside, holdin' my gun by the barrel, and ready to swat his head assoon as I had located it; but the' was no use--the man had alreadydied. He had been shot twice, but they thought he could last a whileon guard, and this was why we had been able to cross the lightedplace.

  Just beyond this, I came upon another offset, on the opposite sidefrom where the candle was. We hadn't noticed it that mornin' 'cause wehad gone out along the other wall. I heard some heavy breathin' inhere; but I also heard some one tossin' about an' mutterin', and Ihardly dared risk an examination. I looked back at the splash oflight, and it seemed mighty cheery and sociable, compared with thedarkness and company I was in.

  It's astonishin' the way pictures fly across a feller's mind at such atime: I saw the boy down at the foot of the stairs, I saw him as hemust have been, a few years before some quick, rash deed of his haddrawn a veil across the laughter in his eyes; I saw the feller in theoffset, and wondered how much it had taken to turn the expression ofhis face into that beastlike hunger for revenge, and then dozens ofschemes and plans for capturin' Ty began to flash upon me; but eachtime, the presence of the woman spoiled everything. They had used herfor a shield once, they would do it again, and I couldn't see a way toget around her.

  We knew 'at Ty had vowed he would never be taken alive; and I couldn'tsee what we would do with him even if we did take him alive; but Icould see that he would take pleasure in draggin' as big a bunch intothe next world with him as possible, and yet every scheme 'at came tome was blocked by the presence of the woman. Finally I crept a littleway into the offset. My hand touched a piece of cloth, I felt over itwith nothin' except the ridges on my fingers touchin'; but just when Imade sure it was the Chink, he moved and sat up. I stopped breathin';but after a minute, he sighed and settled back.

  I waited a little longer and then crawled back and told what I haddiscovered. "If the' was only some way we could throw a light intothat offset," sez I, "I think we could fix 'em."

  We studied over this for some time before the Friar thought up a waywhich seemed worth tryin'. I said I'd go back and stay at the far sideo' the openin', and when they brought the rope back, to come right onwith it along the left wall, and I'd knock my teeth together to showit was me--provided I was still there and able. So the Friar pulledoff his boots, and The kept watch in the offset while the Friar ranback. I thought it must be several days since we'd come in, but helooked at his watch before startin', and it was only two o'clock.

  From where I was, I could make out the shape o' the feller they hadput on watch, and knew I could keep cases on all within the littlerock room. After an age, I saw two forms creep like ghosts out of thedark beyond the candle, and ooze into the offset without makin' asound. Then in a moment, Promotheus came stealin' along the wall withthe end of the rope. I made my signal to him, and he went on down thetunnel, slowly pullin' the rope after him.

  I was mighty curious to see how they had fixed the lantern, which theywere to light with the candle in the offset, and it made me feel a lotbetter when it came out of the recess. Horace had done the fixin', Iafterward found out, and it had nearly broke his heart not to come inwith it; but he realized that it was necessary to have an outer guard,so he had stayed with the two Simp
son boys. He had put the lanterninto a box after nailin' a couple o' short pieces of rope on thebottom for runners; and now it came slidin' along without makin' asound. He had sawed a piece out of the side, so that all the lightcame up again' the ceilin', and onto the side where the openin' was.

  Slowly it came along, and I stood in the shadow watchin' it. Finallyit fell on the face of the man lyin' near the openin', and I saw hewas one of those who had been at Skelty's that night--for all I know,it was his hand I had seen raisin' the window to my room. Next, itlighted up the openin', itself; and then The stopped pullin' and creptup opposite me. We heard 'em sighin' and groanin', in the recess, andfinally the woman's voice gave a weary moan as she came awake.

  In a second, Ty's voice was heard, askin' what was the matter; and weall braced up our nerves. A weak, delirious voice started to babble,but it was broken by a shot, and a bullet ripped through the box, butwithout puttin' out the light. I started across the hall; but The hadalready seen it, and had taken the rope and ran down the tunnel withit. He turned the box, so 'at just the left edge o' the light touchedthe openin', and then came across to my side. We weren't in a blackshadow now; but still, with the light in their faces, it would havebeen hard to see us.

  A hand reached out of the openin', and fired in our direction, Idropped to my knee and aimed at the hand, but neither shot counted;and for the next few minutes, all we heard was that weak voice,babblin' indistinctly. It hadn't worked out as I thought it would. Ifigured that they'd be surprised when the light shone in their faces,and would rush out and give us a chance. Now that it was too late, Ithought up half a dozen better schemes.

  Even while I was thinkin' up a perfect one, I saw a form come out fromthe recess, and threw my gun up--but I didn't snap the hammer. It wasthe woman, and behind her I could make out the shaved head o' theChinaman.

  We all stayed silent for some time, an' then Ty's voice said: "Well,what kind of a settlement do you fellers want?"

  He spoke as self-composed as though puttin' through a beef-dicker, andno reply was made for several seconds. Then, as no one else spoke, Isez: "All we want is just the woman and what's left o' your outfit,Ty."

  "Who's that speakin'?" sez Ty.

  "He's generally called Happy Hawkins, Ty," sez I.

  "Who's in charge o' your gang?" sez he.

  "Dinky Bradford," sez I after thinkin' a moment; "but I'm delegated tospeak for him."

  "Tell ya what I'll do," sez Ty; "I'll trade ya the woman for DinkyBradford an' the Singin' Parson. Send those two in to me, and I'llsend her out to you."

  This was the foolest proposition ever I heard of. The woman wouldn't'a' been any use to us without the Friar. "Dinky Bradford is guardin'the mouth o' the tunnel," sez I; "but he wouldn't stand for any suchnonsense, nohow."

  "Is the preacher here?" asked Ty.

  "Yes, I am here," sez the Friar, steppin' out from the offset andcomin' toward us. Olaf, who was with him, caught his arm and kept himfrom exposin' himself.

  "Damn you," sez Ty, slow an' deliberate. "I hate you worse 'n any manin this territory. You're at the bottom of all this kick-up. You'rethe one which has turned my own men again' me; and all I ask is achance to settle it out with you."

  "You're mistaken if you think that I advised this method," began theFriar; but Ty broke in, and said: "Never mind any o' thatpreacher-talk. I know what's what, and I'm all prepared to have youhide behind your religion, after havin' started all the trouble. I'lloffer you a plan which any man would accept--but I don't class you asa man. The fair way to settle this would be for the men who are withus to empty their guns an' lay 'em on the floor, then you and me stripto the waist an' fight it out with knives. They haven't anything atstake; but I suppose you'll be true to your callin', and make themtake all the risk."

  "I want to be true to my callin'," sez the Friar; "and fightin' withknives isn't part o' my callin'."

  Ty laughed as mean as a man ever did laugh; and both Olaf and Ioffered to take the Friar's place; but Ty said he didn't have anythingspecial again' us any more 'n he'd have again' the Friar's ridin'hoss; and then he offered to fight the Friar and Dinky Bradford at thesame time.

  He kept on roastin' the Friar till I bet I was blushin'; but the Friarjust stood out straight in the gloom o' the tunnel and shook his headno. Then the woman took a half step forward, an' the Chink jerked herback, twistin' her wrist and makin' her give a smothered scream.

  I had moved the box around to give us a little more light; and whenshe screamed, I saw the blood rush up the Friar's pale face to hiseyes, where it burst into flame. Livin' fire it was, and in a flash ithad burned away his religion, his scruples again' violence, the wholeouter shell o' civilization, and left him just a male human with hiswoman in the power of another. "Strip," he said, and his words rolleddown the tunnel like a growl of a grizzly. "Strip, and fight for yourlife, for I intend to destroy you."

  I can still hear the laugh Ty gave when the Friar said this. "Destroyme?" he said. "Destroy me? That's a good one! Now, do your men agreeto let us go free if I win?"

  "I do," sez The.

  "I do," said I, after I'd taken another look at the Friar, who wasalready unbuttonin' his shirt.

  "I do--if you fight fair," said Olaf slowly.

  "Then one of ya hold the lantern while we empty the guns," said Ty.

  I didn't like this part of it; but couldn't see any way out; so whileThe held the lantern, one on each side emptied a gun and tossed it tothe center of the tunnel. We emptied all of ours, and they emptied allof theirs, and then while Ty was takin' off his shirt, I went up tothe Friar. When I saw the taut muscles ripplin' beneath his whiteskin, I felt comforted; but when I saw him holdin' his knife pointdown, the way they do in the picture-books, I got worried again.

  "Take your knife the other way, Friar," I whispered; "and strike upunder the floatin' ribs on his left side. That's the way to hisheart."

  "I know how to fight with a knife," he snapped; so I didn't say anymore. Horace had become a gun-fighter, here was the Friar claimin' toknow the knife game, and if the woman had stepped out and challengedthe winner to a fight with stones, why, I was so meek I wouldn't 'a'got het up over it.

  Then Ty Jones came out of the other offset, stripped to the waist alsoand holdin' his knife in his left hand. The woman had gone into theniche on our side, me an' Olaf leaned again' our wall, Pepper Kendaland the Chink leaned again' the wall opposite us, The held up thelantern, and for a full minute the only sound was the woundedCross-brander, babblin' out his delirium back in the cave-room.

  Ty was a shade beefier 'n the Friar; but his skin was dull, and themuscles didn't cut off into the tendons so sharp, nor they didn't seemquite so springy or well oiled; but there was half a dozen knife scarson his chest, and he had come up our way from Mexico.

  They walked toward each other, Ty's eagle eyes an' wolf-grin tryin' tobeat down the grim set to the Friar's face. They both crouched overan' circled about each other like a pair o' big cats. Ty made a fewlunges, but the Friar parried 'em as simple as though it was a game,and purty soon Ty was forced to slip his knife to his right hand withthe blade pointin' up for a rip. When he did this, the Friar smiled,turned his own knife the same way; and I recalled the Friar havin'told me about learnin' knife tricks from an I-talian he had helpedback East.

  I don't like knife fightin', and I don't approve of it; but I will say'at this fight was the cleanest, quickest thing I ever saw. The Friarwas the best man, but Ty was the best posted; and time and again theFriar saved himself by foot work. The follered 'em close with hislantern, while Olaf and I kept a half watch on the two opposite us.

  They kept movin' faster and faster and the' was a continuous spattin'as they parried with their left hands. Finally the Friar grabbed Ty bythe wrist, Ty grabbed the Friar's wrist at the same time, lowered hishead, and butted the Friar in the pit o' the stomach. It looked bad;but the Friar had raised his knee and caught Ty on the chin; so theystaggered apart and breathed deep for a minute, before beginnin'again.r />
  The grin had left Ty's face, and it had settled into black hate. Whenthey began again, the Friar seized Ty's wrist every chance he got,twistin' it, bendin' the arm, and tryin' to thrust with his knife; butTy was tough and wiry, and managed to twist out every time. At lastthe Friar caught Ty's right wrist, dropped his own knife, ran his headunder Ty's right arm, caught the slack of his right pant leg, gave aheave and threw him over his head. It was a clean throw and the Friarstooped, picked up his knife and started for Ty before he had time toget to his feet. Ty rolled to his feet and dodged away as though torun, whirled, took the blade of his knife between thumb andforefinger, and spun it through the air. It struck the Friar'scollarbone, cut a gash through his shoulder, and twanged again' thewall o' the tunnel.

  The two men eyed each other for a moment, the calm of victory in theFriar's eyes, the red of baffled hate in Ty's. They were about eightfeet apart. "Will you give up?" asked the Friar.

  "No," sez Ty. He doubled up his fists as though to spring, thenwhirled and stepped into the offset behind him. In a moment, he cameout with a gun in his hand.

  As soon as he had said no, Pepper Kendal an' the Chink had made a divefor the offset, and Olaf and I had made a dive for them. I got Pepperwho was old and stiff, and I managed to hit him in the center o' theforehead just as Ty came out with his gun. Olaf was havin' troublewith the Chink, and I picked up a gun and tapped Pepper on the headwith it, and then turned to knock the Chink. Just as I turned, I sawthe woman walkin' slowly down the tunnel behind the Friar, and I sawTy bend his gun on him. Even then he had to pause a moment to enjoyhis deviltry, and I still see that picture in my dreams--the Friarstandin' silent and proud, with his head thrown back and his leveleyes full on Ty, while back of him stood the woman as unconcerned as asnow-bird. About six feet beyond 'em stood Promotheus holdin' thelight above his head, while his face seemed frozen with horror.

  For an instant they stood like stone images. Then The lunged forwardand caught Ty's arm, the lantern went out, I heard one clear report,and one muffled one, and then I started for 'em. I bumped into a heavyform, two naked arms went around me in a bear-grip, and we rolled tothe floor. The candle in our offset had burned out; but I knew it wasthe Friar, 'cause his was the only smooth face among us. "This isHappy," I muttered, and we rose to our feet.

  A struggle was goin' on beyond us, and I thought it was Olaf and theChink; so I lit a match, knowin' that Ty would 'a' had plenty o' timeto get away already. As the match burned up, I saw the Chink lyin'stretched out, and Olaf and Ty locked together. Olaf had his legwrapped around Ty's, and was bendin' his back. Ty's eyes were stickin'out white an' gruesome, and he was gurglin' in the throat. Suddenly,somethin' cracked and they both fell to the floor o' the tunnel justas the match went out.

  I heard hard breathin', and then Olaf's harsh voice came out o' thedarkness. "Well," he said, "I guess that squares things."

  "What's happened, what's happened?" asked a panting voice, and then Iknew 'at Horace hadn't been able to stand it any longer, and had comein, game wing and all.

  "We've settled up with Ty Jones--that's what's happened," said Olaf;and as we stood there in the gloom, the drip o' the dawn came rollin'cold and gray down the slant o' the tunnel; and I shuddered and turnedaway to find somethin' for my hands to do.