VI
The man regarded me with an amazement that soon flamed up into anger.His under-jaw stuck out ferociously, and the veins on his neck andforehead were swollen with indignation. Before he could say anythingJasper Goodrum intervened. "This is partly my affair," he said to theshort-haired man, "and you'd better leave this countryman alone."
"You're wrong," said the man; "it is not your affair. How can it bewhen I don't know you?"
"Still," insisted Goodrum, "you'd better not bother the countryman.You'll git yourself in trouble."
"Trouble!" he snorted. "Say! that's what I'm after. He's waded into thecreek and he can't git out without wettin' his feet." Then he turned tome, his eyes full of venomous rage. "Say! what do you take me for?" Hecame closer and stuck his ugly mug near my face.
My reply was made with an exceedingly willing mind. I struck him on thejaw with my open hand and sent him reeling. He recovered his balancealmost instantly and made at me with a roar of rage and pain, but henever reached me, for Whistling Jim ran into him head down like a bull.The result was a collision that put the man out of business and knockedall the fight out of him. He lay on the floor and rolled about in anagony of pain, and the negro stood over him, apparently waiting for afitting opportunity to put in the finishing touch, but his hard headhad done the work for the time being.
Whistling Jim ran into him head down like a bull.]
I judged that the ruffian had friends among the guests, but when Iturned to keep an eye on them the room was clear. Even the landlord hadretired. The lad was standing by my side, and my impression is that hewas holding me by the sleeve of my coat. I turned to him, and I wasmore certain than ever that he was either Jane Ryder or her brother.But it was only when she spoke again that I was sure--for not even atwin brother could simulate that round and singularly mellow voice. "Iam afraid you have made matters somewhat hard for me," she said,somewhat sadly, "and heaven knows that I have had trouble enough forone night."
"Well, you will have no more trouble here, at any rate," I said.
"I'd feel easier if I were sure of that," she remarked.
"Be assured," I answered. "When I leave this house you will go with me.I propose to take you to your friends, if you have any in theneighborhood; otherwise you go with me. You shall not stay here forthat ruffian to abuse and misuse you."
"I'll go with you as far as the door if only to thank you for theunnecessary protection you have given me. There are many things thatyou do not understand."
"And many that I do," I replied as significantly as I dared. "I want nothanks, and you shall not remain in this house to-night. That issettled." She made a birdlike movement with her head and shoulders,looked me up and down, and smiled, but she saw that I was in earnest,and the smile left her face.
"Where shall I go?" she asked.
"Anywhere but here," I answered. "Anywhere away from that," I pointedto the man on the floor. He had raised himself to a sitting posture,and was rocking himself to and fro with his arms hugging his knees,apparently in great pain.
"He is not always as you see him to-night," she insisted. Then sheturned to me impulsively, "I'll go with you; I know a house where Ihave very dear friends. But I must tell my friend here good-night--thelady you spoke with." She ran into the inner room, and then I heard hergoing lightly upstairs. She came down in a moment with color in herface and with some agitation in her manner. She seized me by the sleevein a way that no man would have thought of, exclaiming, "Let us go atonce--come!" Her sudden anxiety to be off took me entirely by surprise.
"You have a horse?" I said, hearing the jingling of her spurs. But shedeclared that her horse was well enough off where he was. "Come!" shesaid; "let us be off!"
"With all my heart," I replied. I was so highly elated that I forgotfor the moment that I was dealing with a woman, and I threw my armlightly over her shoulder with a gesture of friendliness andprotection.
She threw it off and shrank from it as if it were a serpent. "What doyou mean?" she cried. Her face was red with anger, and her eyes wereblazing with scorn. "Don't dare to touch me!" For an instant I knew notwhat to do or say, and then it suddenly occurred to me that it would bewell to hide from her the fact that I knew who she was and so I made agreat pretence of anger. I seized her by the arm. "If you give meanother word of your impertinence I'll carry out my threat of half anhour ago."
All the anger died out of her eyes. "You hurt me," she said almost in awhisper. "Oh, pray pardon me; I have travelled far to-day, and I amweak and nervous. Why did you come here to-night? But for you----" shepaused and glanced up into my face, and placed her hand on mine. Andthen I would have known if I had not known before that she was no otherthan Jane Ryder, the little lady of the top-buggy. I looked in hereyes, and they fell; in her face, and it was covered with blushes; andsomehow I was happier than I had been in many a long day.
"Come!" said I with some sternness, and held out my hand to her.Instinctively she seized it and clung to it as we went out into thenight, followed by Whistling Jim.
"I have a friend who lives farther up the road," she said. "It is notfar, but perhaps it is farther than you care to come--and you have noovercoat." I was not thinking of what she was saying, but of the warmlittle hand that nestled so confidingly in mine. I knew then, orthought I knew, that this little hand so soft and white, nestling in mybig paw like a young bird under its mother's wing, had the power tomake or mar my life. But, as is ever the way with birdlike things, thehand slipped from its nest and left it empty.
She was worrying about the ruffian we had left on the floor. "Thetrouble with him," I said, "is that he is selling information to bothsides. He is an impostor. I think he is the scout they call Leroy."Whereupon she gave utterance to a laugh so merry that it sounded out ofplace in the gloomy woods. It brought Whistling Jim alongside to seewhat the trouble was. He said he thought the young master was crying.She laughed again, and then suddenly paused.
"We are very near the house," she said, "and all who live there are myfriends. I shall be perfectly safe there. You have been very kind tome--kinder than you know. We have both seen each other at our veryworst. Should we meet again, I hope we shall appear to betteradvantage."
She had entirely recovered her self-possession, but in doing so sheforgot the part she was playing, forgot that she was arrayed in thetoggery of a man, and was now altogether a woman. I do not remember allthat was said, but I tried as hard as I could to conceal from her thefact that I had discovered her sex and her identity; I had not theleast desire to humiliate her by airing my penetration. She stoodsilent for a while, as if in thought, or perhaps she was waiting for meto say farewell.
"You will do well to go in," I said. "The night is cold and damp."
"The cold and the damp are nothing to me," she replied. "I am warmenough. You were speaking a while ago of Frank Leroy. Don't forget thathe is the best friend I have in the world except my mother.Good-night!" She held out her hand, and again it nestled, white andsoft and warm, in my great paw, and stayed there a moment. The littlehand must have been frightened, for it fluttered slightly and then flewback to its mistress.
I said good-night, but it was not a very gracious farewell, I amafraid. "I knew I had something to say to you," she remarked. "In thehouse there is a young Federal officer who was wounded some time ago.He has been in a very bad way, but he is better now. While he was atthe worst of his illness he was constantly calling the names of somefriends he has among the rebels. One of them he seems to be speciallyfond of--he calls him Harry Herndon. The other he calls CarrollShannon. It may be that you know them."
"I am acquainted with Herndon," I replied. "Shannon I have never met,and I have no desire to meet him."
She was silent a moment, and then went on: "I thought that if the twowould take the trouble to call on the wounded man it would do himgood--though I am astonished that he should desire to see rebels andtraitors. I hate them all without exception, and the more I see of themthe more I hate them."
The little lady had worked herself into a grand fury against therebels, and I am sure she believed what she said for the moment. "Ishall take pleasure in informing Herndon that his friend is here," saidI. "Shannon, as I have told you, I never met."
"You are fortunate," she replied. "I met him once, and it needed only aglance to tell me what he was."
"And what was he?" I inquired.
"The matter is not worth speaking of," she said. "I have just as muchcontempt for him as you have. Good-night!" and once more the littlefluttering hand touched mine, and away she marched into the darkness.At the steps she turned and listened, but, as neither Whistling Jim norI had stirred out of our tracks, she could hear nothing. "Why don't yougo?" she called.
"I want to see you safe in the house," I said.
"You are taking a deal of responsibility on yourself," she responded."You must think me a child or a woman." With that she slipped throughthe door, which yielded to her touch, and disappeared in the house.