Jupiter Lights Part 42

"Can you shoot?" Hollis went on.--"Fire a pistol?"

She blanched.

"There, now, never mind. 'Twas only a chance question."

"No, tell me. I can shoot perfectly well; as well as a man."

"Then I'll give you my pistol. You'll have no occasion to use it, not the least in the world; but still you'll be armed."

"Put it on the table. I can get it if necessary."

"Well, I'll go outside. I'm to stroll about where I can see the cook; that's my cue; and you can stay near the door, where you can see me; that's yours. And the judge, he has the back window, one of the guns is there. All right? Bon-sor, then." He went out.

Eve sat down by the door. The judge kept up a conversation with Cicely, and anxiously played quiet games with little Jack, until both fell asleep; Cicely fell asleep very easily now, like a child. Mrs. Mile lifted her in her strong arms and laid her on the bed, while Porley took Jack; poor Porley was terribly frightened, but rather more afraid of Mrs. Mile, on the whole, than of the savages.

By-and-by a red light flashed through the trees outside; the Indians had kindled a fire.

Twenty minutes later Hollis paused at the door. "Paul's coming, I guess; I hear paddles."

"Of course you'll go down and meet him?" said Eve.

"No, I can't leave the beat."

"I can take your place for that short time."

"Don't you show your head outside--don't you!" said Hollis, quickly.

Eve looked at him. "I shall go down to the beach myself, if you don't."

Her eyes were inflexible.

All Hollis's determination left him. "The judge can take this beat, then; you can guard his window," he said, in a lifeless tone. He went down to the beach.

All of them--the judge, Mrs. Mile, and Porley, as well as Eve--could hear the paddles now; the night, save for the occasional shouts, was very still. Eve stood at the window. "Will the Indians hear him, and go down?"

But they did not hear him. In another five minutes Paul had joined them.

Hollis, who was with him, gave a hurried explanation. "We're all right, now that you are here," he concluded; "we are more than a match for the drunken scamps if they should come prowling up this way. When the whiskey's out of 'em to-morrow, we can reduce 'em to reason."

"Why wait till to-morrow?" said Paul.

"No use getting into a fight unnecessarily."

"I don't propose to fight," Paul answered.

"They're eleven, Tennant," said the judge; "you wouldn't have time to shoot them all down."

"I'm not going to shoot," Paul responded. He went towards the door.

"Don't go," pleaded Eve, interposing.

He went straight on, as though he had not heard her.

"I can't move him," she thought, triumphantly. "I can no more move him than I could move a mountain!"

Paul was gone. Hollis followed him to the door. "We two must stay here and protect the women, you know," said the judge, warningly.

"Why, certainly," said Hollis; "of course,--the ladies." He came back.

Suddenly Eve hurried out.

Paul reached the Indian quarters, and walked up to the fire. He gave a look round the circle.

The newly arrived man, the one whom Hollis had called dangerous, sprang to his feet.

Paul took him by the throat and shook the breath out of him.

When Hollis came hurrying up, the thing was done; the other Indians, abject and terrified, were helping to bind the interloper.

"The cook can watch them now," said Paul. "I suppose there's no supper, with all this row?"

Hollis gave a grim laugh. "At a pinch--like this, I don't mind cooking one."

Paul turned. And then he saw Eve behind him.

Hollis had gone to the kitchen; he did not wish to see them meet.

"You did absurdly wrong to come, Eve," said Paul, going to her. "What possible good was it? And if there had been real danger, you would have been in the way."

"You are trembling; are you so frightened, then?" he went on, his voice growing softer.

"I am not frightened now."

They went towards the lodge.

"It's a desolate life you've arranged for me, Eve," he said, going back to his subject, the Indians already forgotten. "I'm not to say anything to you; I'm to have nothing; and so we're to go on apparently forever.

What is it you are planning for? I am sure I don't know. I know you care for me, and I don't believe that you'll find anything sweeter than the love I could give you,--if you would let me."

"There is nothing sweeter," Eve answered.

"Have you given up keeping me off?" He drew her towards him. She did not resist.

In her heart rose the cry, "For one day, for one hour, let me have it, have it all! Then--"

XXVII.