CHAPTER X
Lewis traveled toward the ancient town of Oeiras. He had cast about inhis mind for some means of livelihood and had decided to become agoatskin-buyer. He was hoping to come to an arrangement with somemerchant in Oeiras.
One morning as he jogged along, his eyes on the ground, his thoughts faraway, he heard the patter of many hoofs on the hard clay trail. Apack-train was coming toward him. At its head rode a guide. The guidestopped upon meeting Lewis, and immediately every mule behind himstopped, too.
"The blessing of God be upon you, friend!" he drawled. "Whence do youcome and whither do you go?"
"God's blessing be praised," answered Lewis. "I come from the hills. Igo to Oeiras."
"To Oeiras? We come thence. It is a long road, Oeiras."
"I go to seek a merchant who will start me as a goat-skin-buyer. Do youknow of any such?"
"A goatskin-buyer? Friend, for almost every goat there is agoatskin-buyer. My brother is one, my father-in-law another. I myselfshall become one after this trip is over. You would do well to choosesome other occupation."
Lewis did not smile at the man's guile, though it had not escaped him.He was gazing open-mouthed at a horseman who was forcing his way pastthe laden mules. From some distance the horseman yelled in English:
"What the devil's the matter now? Ye gods and little fishes! what areyou stopping for now?"
The guide shrugged his shoulders and tapped his head.
"Mad," he said; "an idiot. Imagine! He thinks those are words!"
The horseman drew up beside them, wrath in his face.
"Sir," said Lewis, "your guide stopped to greet me. It is the custom ofthe country."
Lewis and Natalie spoke English with the precision of the adults fromwhom they had learned it. They had never heard the argot of Americanchildhood, but from mammy and from the tongue of their adopted land theyhad acquired a soft slurring of speech which gave a certain quaintnessto their diction.
It was the turn of the stranger to stare open-mouthed. Lewis wore theuniform of the local cow-boy: a thick, wide-brimmed leather hat,fastened under the chin with a thong; a loose deerskin jumper anddeerskin breeches that fitted tightly to the leg and ended in a longflap over the instep. On his feet were sandals and grotesque,handwrought spurs. His red bundle was tied to the cantle of his saddle.At hearing precise English from such a source, the stranger felt anastonishment almost equal to Balaam's surprise on hearing his ass speak.
No less was Lewis's wonder at the stranger's raiment. A pith helmet,Norfolk jacket, moleskin riding-breeches, leather puttees, and stout,pigskin footwear--these were strange apparel.
The stranger was not old. One would have placed him at forty-five. As amatter of fact, he was only forty. He was the first to recover poise. Hepeered keenly into Lewis's face.
"May I ask your name?"
"My name is Lewis Leighton. And yours?"
The stranger waved his hand impatiently.
"Where are you going?"
"I am on my way to Oeiras to seek employment," said Lewis.
"To seek employment, eh?" said the stranger, thoughtfully. "Will youtell this misbegotten guide that I wish to return to the water we passeda little while ago? I should like to talk to you, if you don't mind."
Lewis translated the order.
"So they are words, after all," said the guide. He shook his head fromside to side, as one who suspects witchcraft.
When the pack-train was headed back on the road it had come, Lewisturned to the guide.
"Whither was your master bound?" he asked.
"Him?" said the guide, with a shrug of his shoulder. "Who knows? Nosooner does he reach one town than he is off for another. It is hislife, the madman, to bore a hole through this world of Christ. Just nowwe were headed for the ranch of Dom Francisco. After that, who knows?But he pays, friend. Gold oozes from him like matter from a sore."
They came to a spring. The stranger ordered up the fly of a tent. Fromhis baggage he took two wonderful folding-chairs and a folding-table,opened them, and placed them under the fly. "Sit down," he said toLewis.
The stranger took off his helmet and tossed it on the ground. Lewispulled off his hat hurriedly and laid it aside. The stranger looked athim long and earnestly.
"Are you hungry?"
Lewis shrugged his shoulders.
"One can always eat," he said.
"Good," said the stranger. "Please tell these loafers to off-load themules and set camp. And call that one here--the black fellow with anecklace of chickens."
Lewis did as he was bidden. The man with the chickens stood before thestranger and grinned.
The stranger raised his eyes on high.
"Ah, God," he said, "I give Thee thanks that at last I can talk to thislow-browed, brutal son of a degenerate race of cooks." He turned toLewis. "Tell him," he continued--"tell him that I never want to seeanything boiled again unless it's his live carcass boiling in oil. Tellhim that I hate the smell, the sight, and the sound of garlic. Tell himthat jerked beef is a fitting sustenance for maggots, but not forhungering man. Tell him there is a place in the culinary art for redpeppers, but not by the handful. Tell him, may he burn hereafter as Ihave burned within and lap up with joy the tears that I have shed inpain. Tell him--tell him that."
For the first time in the presence of the stranger Lewis smiled. Hissmile was rare and, as is often the case with a rare smile, it heldaccumulated charm.
"Sir," he said, "let me cook a meal for you."
While Lewis cooked, the stranger laid the table for two. In less than anhour the meal was ready. A young fowl, spitchcocked, nestled in a snowybed of rice, each grain of which was a world unto itself. The fowl wasbasted with the sovereign gravy of the South; thick, but beaten smooth,dusted with pepper and salt, breathing an essence of pork. Beside theladen platter was a plate of crisp bread--bread that had been soakedinto freshness in a wet cloth and then toasted lightly. Beside the breadlay a pat of fresh butter on a saucer. It was butter from the tin, butwashed white in the cool water of the spring, and then sprinkled withsalt.
The stranger nodded approval as he started to eat.
"A simple meal, my accomplished friend," he said to Lewis, "but I knowthe mouths of the gods are watering."
When nothing was left of the food, the stranger, through Lewis, orderedthe table cleared, then he turned to his guest.
"You have already had occasion to see how useful you would be to me," hesaid. "I propose that you seek employment no further. Join me not ascook, but as interpreter, companion, friend in very present trouble. Iwill pay you a living wage."
Lewis's eyes lighted up. What wage should he demand for accompanyingthis strange man, who drew him as Lewis himself drew shy, wild creaturesto his knee? No wage. No wage but service. "I will go with you," hesaid.
"Good!" said the stranger. "Now--where shall we go?"
"Where shall we go?" repeated Lewis, puzzled.
"Yes. Where shall we go?"
"That is for you to say," said Lewis, gravely, fearing a joke.
"Not at all," said the stranger. "To me it is a matter of completeindifference. Of all the spots on the face of the earth, this is thelast; no game, no water, no scenery, no women, no food. And having seenthe last spot on earth, direction no longer interests me. What would_you_ like to see?"
Lewis felt himself inside a book of fairy-tales.
"I?" he said, smiling shyly. "I should like to see the sea again."
"Right you are!" said the stranger. "Tell the guide to start for thesea."
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