CHAPTER XXV--JOHN SWIFTWING'S FAREWELL
"White Dove, we are alone in the mountains, where neither friend nor foecan reach us. Here we will stay. Soon the sun will seek his bed to rest,and the night will smile down upon us from its starry eyes, while itbreathes a soft breath to smooth the ruffled feathers of the White Dove.You must have no fear of day or night, for I am with you, and I willguard you as the she-bear guards its cubs."
Inza Burrage, her face tear-wet, her hair tumbled and tangled, herclothing torn in two or three places, turned her gaze reproachingly uponJohn Swiftwing.
"It is not the day or the night that I fear," she said, slowly, with adignity that was womanly. "I do not fear the dangers of the mountains.Wild beasts have no terrors for me now. And still my heart is frozenwithin me, and all my body is like ice."
They were standing on a small plateau, where they could look away acrossa plain that lay below them. The sun was in the western sky. Behind themthe sweat-stained horse that had brought them thither was feeding.
"Why should your heart be frozen and your body like ice?" asked theIndian, gently, his voice soft and musical, and a light of tendernessgleaming in his eyes.
"Because, John Swiftwing--because I fear you!"
"The White Dove should not fear me, for I will guard and protect herwith my life. I will face any peril in defense of her."
He took a step toward her, but she drew back, flinging out her hand.
"Stop!" she gasped. "Please--please don't touch me! I want to talk toyou--I wish to beg you to be merciful and take me back to those fromwhom you carried me away!"
He folded his arms and looked at her in silence. It was an unconsciouspose, and never had he looked handsomer than at that moment. After alittle silence he spoke:
"Why should I take you back?" he asked. "I love you, and I want you formy mate. You shall be my mate. You shall be my wife, White Dove. We willlive together in some beautiful valley, far away from all theworld--live in a little nest that I will find for you. The sunny dayswill glide by like a soft-floating stream, and every starry night shallbe a dream of happiness."
"No! no! no!" she cried, with her hands outflung. "That could not be!"
"Why not?"
"Because--oh, because!"
"White Dove, don't you love me?"
"No! no! no!"
"Then your eyes have deceived me, for I fancied I saw love deep down inthem. It must have been the reflection of the love that was in my heart.But still I know there was encouragement in them. They spoke likewords."
"And this is my punishment!" sobbed the poor girl. "Oh, Mr. Swiftwing,it was not love--it was admiration! I thought you so brave and so noble!I did not dream you could do such a wicked thing as you have done! Noone could have made me believe it was in your heart. I would havedefended you against the tongues of all accusers. But now--how my idolis shattered!"
He shrank beneath her words, as if they were blows from a whip. For amoment he cowered, and then he lifted his head with an angry, defianttoss.
"They told you," he said--"they told you the red streak was in me! Theywere right! I heard them say it! They told you that my heart was theheart of an Indian, even though I wore white man's clothes and readwhite man's books. They were right! They told you all the education Imight receive would not change my nature. They were right! God made thewhite man, and He made the Indian. He did not make them alike, and whatGod has made man cannot change. The white man took me to give me aneducation. Bah! What is an education to me? What would it mean if I hadthe finest education that the white man could give me? I would stillremain an Indian, and, with all my education, I would turn back to mypeople, live as they live and die as they die--no better. I have thoughtit all out. I have thought it is no use to try to be anything but anIndian. The fight is ended! I am an Indian again!"
Inza's heart was full of despair.
"I will not believe you are as bad as you think!" she cried. "I sawsomething noble in your face, and I think it came from your heart. See,Swiftwing--on my knees I beg you to take me back to my friends! I knowyou will not refuse me! Take me back to them, and always will I rememberyou with gratitude. Always will I think of you as noble and true whenthe great test came!"
Thus she entreated him, and the pleading of her face and eyes was morethan her words. He stirred uneasily.
"You do not love me?"
"No! no!"
"You love Frank Merriwell?"
"Yes! I think more of him than any one else."
"I would be a fool to give you up to him now. I would be a fool to takeyou back to him when I have you safe. If I did that, I would not be anIndian. I love you."
She continued to entreat him to take her back, and her words werewonderfully eloquent. He stood like an image of stone, his brow dark,his arms folded, looking down at her. She grew weak with fear, for shecould see nothing of relenting in his face. Tears rained down her cheeksand she wrung her hands. He turned away.
"Give me time to think," he said.
For a long time he stood there, looking down upon the plain, moveless asa thing inanimate. She prayed that his heart might be softened.
At last he turned and held out one hand.
"White Dove," he said, and his voice was as sweet and gentle as themurmur of a brook, "come to me."
Somehow she did not fear him then. She arose and went, to him,permitting him to take her hand.
"Look," he said, pointing toward a black speck upon the plain, "there isFrank Merriwell! He is coming for you! He is on my trail, but I couldtake you where he could never find us. Instead of that, White Dove, I amgoing to take you down there to meet him!"
She gave a scream of joy.
"Oh, you dear, good fellow!" she cried, once more like a girl. "I couldhug you for that!"
"Don't do it!" warned John Swiftwing, hoarsely. "I might change mymind!"
She waved her handkerchief, and the black speck on the plain flutteredsomething white. The black speck was moving, and dust arose in a tinycloud behind it.
"He has seen us," said the Indian. "Come on; we will go down."
He led her to the horse and lifted her upon the animal's back. Then heled the horse down the mountain to meet the trailer.
The sun was low when they met. Frank Merriwell had a rifle in his hands,and it was aimed straight at the Indian's heart.
"Up with your hands, Swiftwing!" he ordered, sternly. "Don't tryanything crooked, for a hundred armed men are coming behind me, and theyhave sworn to hunt you down like a dog."
The redskin smiled scornfully.
"If they were a thousand it would make no difference," he said. "Theycould not find me. I will not put up my hands, Merriwell, so shoot ifyou wish!"
"Don't shoot, Frank!" screamed Inza. "He saw you coming, and he broughtme to meet you!"
"Brought you to meet me?" repeated Frank, doubtingly. "Why should he dothat?"
"He is going to give me up--going to let me go back with you."
"Is that right, Swiftwing?"
The Indian bowed.
"The White Dove speaks straight," he said, quietly.
"But--but I do not understand! They said the only way to save her was tokill you--that you were like all Indians, and----"
Swiftwing seemed to cringe a bit, and the black look on his facedeepened.
"They were wrong," he said. "To-day I am not an Indian--I am a fool!Tell them I was a fool, and I brought the White Dove to meet you! Do youknow what I have done, Merriwell? I will tell you. By giving the WhiteDove up after taking her away as I did, I shall win the contempt of mypeople. They will look on me as a coward! They will spit on me withscorn! They will say I have the heart of a chicken! With them I shall bean outcast and a thing of contempt. Is it nothing? I have done this foryou--and for the White Dove. I thought she loved me; she says she doesnot. Take her--take her away. Never shall I look on her again! Farewell,Merriwell!"
"Your hand, John Swiftwing!" cried Frank. "Your heart is all right,after all! Old fellow, I'll see
you this fall, when we play Carlisleagain!"
With a sad smile, the Indian youth shook his head.
"I shall not be there," he said.
"No? Why, how is that? I do not understand!"
"I shall not go back to the white man's school."
"You won't? What is the meaning of that? Why won't you go back?"
"Because it is useless. They are right when they say the Indian cannever become like the white man. I shall try no more."
"But--but you are different! Think what you have done this day! By Jove!you have shown yourself all right! Think what a hero you would be atschool if they knew the story! You are the lion of the football teamanyhow. They can't get along without you."
"They must, for they will have me no more. You say I am different fromthe Indians. Perhaps I am to-day; but to-morrow and ever after that Ishall be an Indian in everything! I shall forget that I was at the whiteman's school. I shall forget that I can read and write and make thewhite man's figures. I shall go back to be the same as I was before Ilearned such things, and my people will despise me, for they will say Iam neither a white man nor an Indian."
Frank used all his eloquence to influence the Indian to change his mind,but it was useless. Then Inza tried, but with no better success.
"Farewell," said John again. "Take the horse to the Pueblo. It is ownedthere. Farewell forever!"
Inza's eyes were full of tears.
"It's too bad!" she sobbed. "I am so sorry!"
John Swiftwing said not another word, but, turning his face toward themountains, walked swiftly away. Not once did he turn about and lookback.
Frank and Inza rode to meet the white men, who were seen in thedistance, coming madly along the trail. When they had traveled for atime they turned to look for John Swiftwing.
He was near the foot of the mountains, and, as they looked, he wasswallowed from view by the deep shadows at the base of the Taos Range.
"Oh, Frank, it was noble of him, after all," said Inza, half tearfully."But--but I hope we don't meet again."
"It is not likely," returned Frank.
"And, Frank----"
"Well?"
"Can you forgive me?"
"Willingly," he cried, and gave her a gentle hug that meant a greatdeal.
When they reached the other horsemen Frank sprang a surprise on them.
"It was only a bit of fun," he said. "But Swiftwing thought best not tocome back for fear there would be trouble."
But in secret he told his companions the truth, and it was decided toleave the Pueblo of Taos early the next morning.
"Sure, an' it was great sport, that contist," said Barney.
"We'll never see anything galf as hood--no, half as good," came fromHarry.
"Don't be too sure of that," put in Diamond. "We are not home yet by ajugful. Lots may happen before we get there."