CHAPTER XX
THE GAME OF FOILS
The grave-faced, yet good-natured giant pressed his way through thetangled mass of obstructing bushes, and unceremoniously proceeded toproclaim peace. His methods were characteristic of one slow of speech,yet swift of action. With one great hand gripping the Swede, hesuddenly swung that startled individual at full length backward intothe still smouldering embers of the fire, holding the gasping Mike downto earth with foot planted heavily upon his chest. It was over in aninstant, Swanson sputtering unintelligible oaths while beating sparksfrom his overalls, the Irishman profanely conscious of the damagewrought to his eye, and the overwhelming odds against him. SenoritaMercedes clapped her little hands in delight at the spectacle, hersteps light as those of the dance, the girlish joy in her eyes frankand unreserved.
"Ah, de Senor Brown--_bueno_! Dey vas just children to you even vendey fight, hey? It vas good to see such tings doin', just like deplay."
She circled swiftly up toward him, a happy bird of gay, flutteringplumage, pressing her fingers almost caressingly along the swellingmuscle of his arm, and gazing with earnest admiration up into his face.Beneath the witching spell of her eyes the man's cheeks reddened. Hetook the way of savagery out of unexpected embarrassment.
"Th-that 's enough, now, Swanson," he commanded, the stutter largelyvanishing before the requirement of deeds. "Th-this is no c-continuousvaudeville, an' ther curtain's rung d-down on yer act. Mike, yer ol'varmint, if yer do any more swearin' while ther lady's yere I 'll knockther words back down yer throat. Yer know me, so shut up. Th-thar'llbe fightin' in p-plenty fer both o' yer presently, the way things look.Now, vamoose, the two o' yer, an' be quiet about it. Mike, y-yerbetter do something fer yer eyes if yer wanter see well 'nough ter takea pot-shot at Farnham's gang."
The two discomfited combatants slouched off unwillingly enough, but theslender white fingers of the Mexican remained clasping the speaker'sarm, her upturned face filled with undisguised enthusiasm. Brown,after pretending to watch the fighters disappear, glanced uneasily downinto her wondrous dark eyes, shuffling his feet awkwardly, hisappearance that of a bashful boy. Mercedes laughed out of the depthsof a heart apparently untroubled.
"My, but eet vas so ver' big, senor. See! I cannot make de fingers togo round--no, no. I nevah see such arm--nevah. But you no care? Youvas dat great big all over, hey? _Sapristi_! who de woman help likesuch a big Americano?"
"B-but that ain't it, M-M-M-Mercedes," blurted out the perturbed giant,in desperation. "I-I want yer t-t-ter love me."
"_No comprende, senor_."
"O-oh, yes yer do. L-Lord! didn't I t-tell it all ter yer s-s-straight'nough last n-night? Maybe I ain't m-much on ther t-talk, but Ir-reckon I sh-sh-shot that all right. C-can't yer make over th-thatlike inter l-love somehow?"
She released her clasp upon his arm, her eyes drooping behind theirlong lashes, the merry laughter fading from her lips.
"Dat vas not von bit nice of you, senor. Vy you ever keep bodder meso, ven I good to you? No, I tol' you not ask me dat so quick soonagain. Did I not do dis? I tol' you den I know not; I meet you onlyde twice--how I lofe ven I meet you only de twice?"
"You 've m-m-met me as often a-as I h-h-have you," he interrupted, "an'I kn-know I l-love you all right."
"Oh, dat vas diff'rent, ver' different," and she tripped back from him,with a coquettish toss of the black head. "Vy not? of course. I vasMercedes--_si_; vas dat not enough? All de _caballeros_ say dat to me;dey say me ver' pretty girl. You tink dat too, senor?"
The perplexed Brown, fully conscious that his great strength wasuseless here, looked an answer, although his lips merely sputtered invain attempt at speech.
"So; I read dat in de eyes. Den of course you lofe me. It vas denature. But vis me it vas not so easy; no, not near so easy. I tinkmaybe you ver' nice man," she tipped it off upon her finger ends halfplayfully, constantly flashing her eyes up into his puzzled face. "Itink you ver' good man; I tink you ver' strong man; I tink maybe you bever' nice to Mercedes. 'T is for all dose tings dat I like you, senor,like you ver' mooch; but lofe, dat means more as like, an' I know notfor sure. Maybe so, maybe not so; how I tell yet for true? I tink debest ting be I not say eet, but just tink 'bout eet; just keep eet inmine own heart till some odder time ven I sure know. Vas eet not so?"
Brown set his teeth half savagely, the little witch tantalizing himwith the swiftness of her speech, the coy archness of her manner. Tohis slower mentality she was like a humming-bird darting about fromflower to flower, yet ever evading him.
"M-maybe yer think I ain't in e-e-earnest?" he persisted, doggedly."M-maybe yer imagine I d-did n't m-m-mean what I s-said when I askedyer ter m-marry me?"
She glanced up quickly into his serious eyes, half shrinking away as ifshe suddenly comprehended the dumb, patient strength of the man, hisrugged, changeless resolution. There was a bit of falter in the quickresponse, yet this was lost to him.
"No, senor, I no make fun. I no dat kind. I do de right, dat all; Ido de right for both of us. I no vant to do de wrong. You_comprende_, senor? Maybe you soon grow ver' tire Mercedes, she marryyou?"
The infatuated miner shook his head emphatically, and flung out onehand toward her.
"No! Oh, you tink so now; you tink so ver' mooch now, but eet betterve vait an' see. I know de men an' de vay dey forget after vile.Maybe I not such good voman like you tink me; maybe I cross, scold, getqvick mad; maybe I no like live widout de stage, de lights, de dance,an' de fun, hey? Vat you do den? You be ver' sorry you marry. I nolike dat, no, no. I want de man to lofe me always--nevah to vish henot marry me. You not know me yet; I not know you. Maybe ve vait, veknow."
He caught her gesticulating hands, prisoning them strongly within bothhis own, but she shook forward her loosened hair until it fellpartially across her face, hiding it thus from his eager eyes bent inpassion upon her.
"B-but tell me y-you love me! T-tell me th-th-that, an' I 'll let theo-other go!"
"You vould make me to say de untrue, senor?"
"Of course not. I w-want ter kn-kn-know. Only if you d-do n't, I 'ma-goin' t-ter git out o' yere."
She remained silent, motionless, her telltale face shadowed, only thequick rise and fall of the bosom evidencing emotion. The man looked ather helplessly, his mouth setting firm, his eyes becoming filled withsudden doubt.
"W-well, Mercedes," he stuttered, unable to restrain himself, "wh-whatis it?"
She lifted her lowered head ever so slightly, so that he saw herprofile, the flush on the cheek turned toward him.
"Maybe eet better you stay, senor. Anyhow, I no vant you go just now."
For once he proved the more swift of the two, clasping her instantlywithin his arms, drawing her slender form close against him with astrength he failed to realize in that sudden excess of passion.Holding her thus in helpless subjection he flung aside the obstructingveil of hair, and covered the flushed cheeks with kisses. The nextmoment, breathless, but not with indignation, the girl had pushed hisburning face aside, although she still lay quivering within theremorseless clasp of his arms.
"I no said all dat, senor; I no said all dat. You so ver' strong, youhurt Mercedes. Please, senor--eet vas not dat I meant eet should bedis vay--no, no. I no said I lofe you; I just say stay till maybe Iknow vich--please, senor."
"N-not till yer k-kiss me yourself," and Brown, intensely conscious oftriumph, held back the mass of black hair, his eager eyes devouring thefair face pressing his shoulder. "O-one kiss w-with ther l-l-lips, an'I 'll let yer g-go."
"No, no, senor."
"Th-then I h-hold yer here till some one comes."
"Eet vas not lofe; eet vas just to get avay."
"I-I-I take ch-chances on that, l-little girl."
Their lips met and clung; all unconsciously the free arm of the girlstole upward, clasping the man's broad shoulder. For that one instantshe forgot all excepting the new joy of that embrace, the crowningfaith t
hat this man loved her as no other ever had--truly, nobly, andforever. Her face was aglow as she drew reluctantly back from him, hereyes upon his, her cheeks flushed, her lips trembling. Yet with theparting came as swiftly back the resolution which made her strong.
"Eh, senor; eet shame me, but you promise--please, senor!"
Like a flash, in some mysterious manner, she had slipped free, evadedhis effort to grasp her dress, and, with quick, whirling motion, wasalready half-way across the open space, daring to mock him even whileflinging back her long hair, the sunlight full upon her. Never couldshe appear more delicately attractive, more coquettishly charming.
"Ah, see--you tink me de prisoner. Eet vas not all de strength, senor,not all. You no can catch me again till I lofe you; not de once till Ilofe you, senor."
He started toward her blindly, taunted by these unexpected words ofrenunciation. But she danced away, ever managing to keep well beyondreach, until she disappeared within the narrow path leading to thecabin. He could see her through the vista of branches, pausing to lookback and watch if he followed.
"B-but you do," he called out, "I-I know you d-do. Won't yer justs-s-say it for me onct?"
"Say dat I marry you?"
"Y-yes, for it means ther same. Anyhow, s-say yer love me."
She laughed, shaking her head so hard the black hair became a whirlingcloud about her.
"No, no! eet not de same, senor. Maybe I lofe you, maybe not yet. Datees vat you must fin' out. But marry? Dat no show I lofe you. Oh, demen! to tink eet vas de only vay to prove lofe to marry. No, no! maybeI show you some day eef I lofe you; si, some day I show you ven I knowtrue. But dat not mean I marry you. Dat mean more as dat--you see._Adios_, senor."
And he stood alone, staring at the blank door, strangely happy,although not content.