CHAPTER 13
From the window, her face screened by the folds of the curtain whichshe had made for it, the Willow could see what happened outside. Shewas not smiling now. She was breathing quickly, and her body was tense.Bush McTaggart paused not a dozen feet from the window and shook handswith Pierrot, her father. She heard McTaggart's coarse voice, hisboisterous greeting, and then she saw him showing Pierrot what hecarried under his arm. There came to her distinctly his explanation ofhow he had caught his captive in a rabbit snare. He unwrapped theblanket. Nepeese gave a cry of amazement. In an instant she was outbeside them. She did not look at McTaggart's red face, blazing in itsjoy and exultation.
"It is Baree!" she cried.
She took the bundle from McTaggart and turned to Pierrot.
"Tell him that Baree belongs to me," she said.
She hurried into the cabin. McTaggart looked after her, stunned andamazed. Then he looked at Pierrot. A man half blind could have seenthat Pierrot was as amazed as he.
Nepeese had not spoken to him--the factor of Lac Bain! She had notLOOKED at him! And she had taken the dog from him with as littleconcern as though he had been a wooden man. The red in his facedeepened as he stared from Pierrot to the door through which she hadgone, and which she had closed behind her.
On the floor of the cabin Nepeese dropped on her knees and finishedunwrapping the blanket. She was not afraid of Baree. She had forgottenMcTaggart. And then, as Baree rolled in a limp heap on the floor, shesaw his half-closed eyes and the dry blood on his jaws, and the lightleft her face as swiftly as the sun is shadowed by a cloud. "Baree,"she cried softly. "Baree--Baree!"
She partly lifted him in her two hands. Baree's head sagged. His bodywas numbed until he was powerless to move. His legs were withoutfeeling. He could scarcely see. But he heard her voice! It was the samevoice that had come to him that day he had felt the sting of thebullet, the voice that had pleaded with him under the rock!
The voice of the Willow thrilled Baree. It seemed to stir the sluggishblood in his veins, and he opened his eyes wider and saw again thewonderful stars that had glowed at him so softly the day of Wakayoo'sdeath. One of the Willow's long braids fell over her shoulder, and hesmelled again the sweet scent of her hair as her hand caressed him andher voice talked to him. Then she got up suddenly and left him, and hedid not move while he waited for her. In a moment she was back with abasin of water and a cloth. Gently she washed the blood from his eyesand mouth. And still Baree made no move. He scarcely breathed. ButNepeese saw the little quivers that shot through his body when her handtouched him, like electric shocks.
"He beat you with a club," she was saying, her dark eyes within a footof Baree's. "He beat you! That man-beast!"
There came an interruption. The door opened, and the man-beast stoodlooking down on them, a grin on his red face. Instantly Baree showedthat he was alive. He sprang back from under the Willow's hand with asudden snarl and faced McTaggart. The hair of his spine stood up like abrush; his fangs gleamed menacingly, and his eyes burned like livingcoals.
"There is a devil in him," said McTaggart. "He is wild--born of thewolf. You must be careful or he will take off a hand, kit sakahet." Itwas the first time he had called her that lover's name inCree--SWEETHEART! Her heart pounded. She bent her head for a momentover her clenched hands, and McTaggart--looking down on what he thoughtwas her confusion--laid his hand caressingly on her hair. From the doorPierrot had heard the word, and now he saw the caress, and he raised ahand as if to shut out the sight of a sacrilege.
"Mon Dieu!" he breathed.
In the next instant he had given a sharp cry of wonder that mingledwith a sudden yell of pain from McTaggart. Like a flash Baree haddarted across the floor and fastened his teeth in the factor's leg.They had bitten deep before McTaggart freed himself with a powerfulkick. With an oath he snatched his revolver from its holster. TheWillow was ahead of him. With a little cry she darted to Baree andcaught him in her arms. As she looked up at McTaggart, her soft, barethroat was within a few inches of Baree's naked fangs. Her eyes blazed.
"You beat him!" she cried. "He hates you--hates you--"
"Let him go!" called Pierrot in an agony of fear.
"Mon Dieu! I say let him go, or he will tear the life from you!"
"He hates you--hates you--hates you--" the Willow was repeating overand over again into McTaggart's startled face. Then suddenly she turnedto her father. "No, he will not tear the life from me," she cried."See! It is Baree. Did I not tell you that? It is Baree! Is it notproof that he defended me--"
"From me!" gasped McTaggart, his face darkening.
Pierrot advanced and laid a hand on McTaggart's arm. He was smiling.
"Let us leave them to fight it out between themselves, m'sieu," hesaid. "They are two little firebrands, and we are not safe. If she isbitten--"
He shrugged his shoulders. A great load had been lifted from themsuddenly. His voice was soft and persuasive. And now the anger had goneout of the Willow's face. A coquettish uplift of her eyes caughtMcTaggart, and she looked straight at him half smiling, as she spoke toher father:
"I will join you soon, mon pere--you and M'sieu the Factor from LacBain!"
There were undeniable little devils in her eyes, McTaggartthought--little devils laughing full at him as she spoke, setting hisbrain afire and his blood to throbbing wildly. Those eyes--full ofdancing witches! How he would take pleasure in taming them--very soonnow! He followed Pierrot outside. In his exultation he no longer feltthe smart of Baree's teeth.
"I will show you my new cariole that I have made for winter, m'sieu,"said Pierrot as the door closed behind them.
Half an hour later Nepeese came out of the cabin. She could see thatPierrot and the factor had been talking about something that had notbeen pleasant to her father. His face was strained. She caught in hiseyes the smolder of fire which he was trying to smother, as one mightsmother flames under a blanket. McTaggart's jaws were set, but his eyeslighted up with pleasure when he saw her. She knew what it was about.The factor from Lac Bain had been demanding his answer of Pierrot, andPierrot had been telling him what she had insisted upon--that he mustcome to her. And he was coming! She turned with a quick beating of theheart and hurried down a little path. She heard McTaggart's footstepsbehind her, and threw the flash of a smile over her shoulder. But herteeth were set tight. The nails of her fingers were cutting into thepalms of her hands.
Pierrot stood without moving. He watched them as they disappeared intothe edge of the forest, Nepeese still a few steps ahead of McTaggart.Out of his breast rose a sharp breath.
"Par les milles cornes du diable!" he swore softly. "Is itpossible--that she smiles from her heart at that beast? Non! It isimpossible. And yet--if it is so--"
One of his brown hands tightened convulsively about the handle of theknife in his belt, and slowly he began to follow them.
McTaggart did not hurry to overtake Nepeese. She was following thenarrow path deeper into the forest, and he was glad of that. They wouldbe alone--away from Pierrot. He was ten steps behind her, and again theWillow smiled at him over her shoulder. Her body moved sinuously andswiftly. She was keeping accurate measurement of the distance betweenthem--but McTaggart did not guess that this was why she looked backevery now and then. He was satisfied to let her go on. When she turnedfrom the narrow trail into a side path that scarcely bore the mark oftravel, his heart gave an exultant jump. If she kept on, he would verysoon have her alone--a good distance from the cabin. The blood ran hotin his face. He did not speak to her, through fear that she would stop.Ahead of them he heard the rumble of water. It was the creek runningthrough the chasm.
Nepeese was making straight for that sound. With a little laugh shestarted to run, and when she stood at the edge of the chasm, McTaggartwas fully fifty yards behind her. Twenty feet sheer down there was adeep pool between the rock walls, a pool so deep that the water was thecolor of blue ink. She turned to face the factor from Lac Bain. He hadnever looked more like a red bea
st to her. Until this moment she hadbeen unafraid. But now--in an instant--he terrified her. Before shecould speak what she had planned to say, he was at her side, and hadtaken her face between his two great hands, his coarse fingers twiningin the silken strands of her thick braids where they fell over hershoulders at the neck.
"Ka sakahet!" he cried passionately. "Pierrot said you would have ananswer for me. But I need no answer now. You are mine! Mine!"
She gave a cry. It was a gasping, broken cry. His arms were about herlike bands of iron, crushing her slender body, shutting off her breath,turning the world almost black before her eyes. She could neitherstruggle nor cry out. She felt the hot passion of his lips on her face,heard his voice--and then came a moment's freedom, and air into herstrangled lungs. Pierrot was calling! He had come to the fork in thetrail, and he was calling the Willow's name!
McTaggart's hot hand came over her mouth.
"Don't answer," she heard him say.
Strength--anger--hatred flared up in her, and fiercely she struck thehand down. Something in her wonderful eyes held McTaggart. They blazedinto his very soul.
"Bete noir!" she panted at him, freeing herself from the last touch ofhis hands. "Beast--black beast!" Her voice trembled, and her faceflamed. "See--I came to show you my pool--and tell you what you wantedto hear--and you--you--have crushed me like a beast--like a greatrock-- See! down there--it is my pool!"
She had not planned it like this. She had intended to be smiling, evenlaughing, in this moment. But McTaggart had spoiled them--her carefullymade plans! And yet, as she pointed, the factor from Lac Bain lookedfor an instant over the edge of the chasm. And then shelaughed--laughed as she gave him a sudden shove from behind.
"And that is my answer, M'sieu le Facteur from Lac Bain!" she criedtauntingly as he plunged headlong into the deep pool between the rockwalls.