Colorado Jim Part 23

He heard a bell ring twice, and then to his horror the boat changed her course. It was barely two hundred yards away, and bore straight down on him. He dived and swam for his life to avoid direct impact.... At that moment a man saw him and yelled out something to the Captain. The latter peered over the side, but saw nothing.

"You're drunk!" he retorted.

"Tell you I seen a man right under her nose. Better stop the boat."

The Captain shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess I'll keep straight on," he replied. "What's it got to do with me, anyway? He ain't a pa.s.senger----"

He stopped and gasped as an enormous, saturated spectre climbed over the side. A crowd of men playing cards nearby stopped their game and stared.

"Who in h.e.l.l are you?" asked the Captain.

Jim shook the wet from his hair and pushed forward without a word. His keen eyes ranged all over the packed decks. Then he grunted as he caught sight of a familiar figure in the stern of the boat. It was Angela, white of face, and amazed at the appearance of this totally unexpected apparition. The crowd, struck dumb with wonderment, made way for him. He strode up to Angela and stopped within a foot of her, gazing fixedly into her eyes.

"You!"

"Yep--it's me all right. Are you ready?"

"Ready----!"

"Can't wait too long. It's a tidy swim, and the river gits wider every mile."

She recoiled from him in horror. For the past hour she had been dreaming of the comforts and joys of civilization. Once in the river, escape had seemed certain--and here was her pugnacious jailer with determination written all over his set features.

"I'm waiting," he said calmly.

"Are you mad?" she retorted. "I'm finished with that terrible life. This time you have come too late. Unless you go ash.o.r.e now there will not be another chance."

"Then we'll go right now."

"We!"

"Yep--you and me."

He moved towards her and caught her firmly by the arm. A group of men, interested spectators of the drama, thought it was time to interfere. One of them, a grizzled man of fifty, touched Jim on the arm.

"What's all this, stranger?"

"Don't b.u.t.t in," growled Jim.

His interrogator disregarded him, and turned to Angela.

"Who is this broiler, missie?"

"He is--he is----. He wants to take me back there, to a place I hate! Oh, please bring the Captain!"

The captain was already pus.h.i.+ng his way through the crowd, annoyed at this unconventional method of boarding his s.h.i.+p. He put both hands in his pockets, stuck out his little bearded chin, and glared at Jim.

"What the blazes do you mean by boarding my s.h.i.+p? Where's your ticket, eh?

And leave that lady alone--she's a pa.s.senger of mine."

Some of his indignation vanished when the fierce gray eyes of Jim fixed him in an unflinching stare. He saw trouble looming in the offing. Jim turned his eyes to Angela.

"We'll be mus.h.i.+ng," he said briefly.

Linking her arm in his, he began to push through the crowd. The grizzled man said something to his comrade, and they spread out and formed a human barrier to his further progress.

"Don't b.u.t.t in, boys--'tain't healthy," warned Jim.

"Git him!" whispered the grizzled man, "and yank him back in the river!"

Jim's hand flew to his belt and the big revolver was jerked out in a trice. He pushed it into the stomach of the foremost man, and caused that worthy to s.h.i.+ver with terror. The latter backed away, whilst his friends hunted for firearms.

"Stand aside!" roared Jim.

The lane widened, but at the end of it were two men handling revolvers, with a dangerous glint in their eyes.

"So yore after stoppin' a man eloping with his own wife, eh?"

"Wife----?"

"Thet's so."

The crowd stared. This put a new complexion on matters. The Captain looked at Angela.

"Say, is that husky your 'old man'?"

Angela flushed with embarra.s.sment.

"I hate him, and I won't go with him!" she cried hotly.

The Captain spread out his hands.

"Why in h.e.l.l didn't you say so afore?" he asked Jim.

"Is it any of your darned business?"

"I guess it's your funeral, all right," chuckled the grizzled man.

"Better come on as far as Eagle. I'll put you off there," said the Captain. "Can't stop just here."

Jim shook his head and moved towards the rail.

"I'm sure in a hurry," he said. "We ain't scared of a drop of water, are we Angy?"

Angela bestowed upon him a look of mingled contempt and terror. The high wooded bank seemed miles away, and the river ran like a millrace.