CHAPTER XV
The sun-flooded hillside showed plainly the path of the avalanche;blank, featureless it lay, without sheltering tree or rock to diversifyits bald monotony. But it was bare no longer, for the brown earth wascovering her nakedness with a delicate mist of green. Beyond the sweepof the avalanche the maples were swinging their tassels, and theswelling buds of the oaks and aspens showed that they were almost readyto burst into leaf; the air was full of bird calls and fluttering wings,and the breeze, although chill, seemed ineffably soft in comparison withits recent rigorous blasts.
Pearl and Seagreave had gone but a short distance from the cabin whensuddenly Pearl shielded her eyes with her hand. "Look," she criedexcitedly, and pointed to two men who were standing down by the bridgeevidently awaiting them, "I can't quite see from here, but it is, itmust be, Bob and Pop."
She almost flew down the hill after that, and Seagreave, his facesuddenly set in lines of determination, kept pace with her. He hadnoticed, even if she had not, that those two motionless figures at thebridge had not advanced one step to meet her, but were maintaining anattitude portentously watchful, it seemed to him, and boding ill for thewarmth and spontaneity of the welcome she so evidently expected.
But Pearl appeared to see nothing of this, and as she drew near the twowho awaited her, she would have flown like a bird into her father'sarms. But before she could throw her arms about him he caught her wristsand pushed her back a step or two anything but gently.
"Why weren't you down at the bridge last night?" he asked sternly. Theold man had changed since the avalanche. There were anxious deep hollowsabout his eyes which were at once brighter and more sunken than ever.His parchment skin looked livid and lifeless and his mouth had tighteneduntil it was drawn in and pinched.
"Why weren't you down at the gully waiting for us?" he asked again. "Thebridge was across at midnight. The boys have been working night and dayto get you out, and this is the way you act, hiding up there in thatcabin like you'd as lief stay there as not."
"Yes, Pearl, why weren't you down to meet us?" Bob Flick spoke for thefirst time, his slow, soft voice was placating and yet it was evidentthat his sympathies were with Gallito. "The boys had the place all litup with torches while they worked, and your Pop and I waited half thenight for you down here. Why didn't you come?" Neither of the men had sofar even glanced at Seagreave, but ignored him as thoroughly as if hewere not there.
Pearl looked at Flick a moment in frowning incomprehension. Petted,spoiled child that she was, she could not bear to be scolded where shehad expected a rapturous welcome. From Flick to her father she glanced,and then back again. "What's the matter with you two?" she cried. "Areyou mad just because I didn't come chasing down the hill in the dead ofnight? How did I know that the boys were going to get the bridge acrossat midnight?"
"Because, if you'd been the sort of girl you ought to be, you wouldn'thave stayed a minute longer in that cabin than you could have helped.You'd have stood down by the gully all night long just to show the folksin the camp that you wouldn't stay in that cabin after there was anychance at all for you to get away," Gallito answered her before BobFlick got a chance. "What made you stay up there? You and him, too," hepointed one, long, gnarled forefinger at Seagreave, "have got to answerme that question. And there's another one, too, and you'll answer it."
Again Pearl stared at him, and again she turned her puzzled eyes on BobFlick. Then, as the meaning of their attitude flashed over her, she fellback a pace or two, her face grown white. "Dios!" she murmured, withstiff lips, a sob rising in her throat.
Then she tossed high her head in hot resentment. Her mouth was set in athin scarlet line of obstinacy, her eyes burned, but their expressionwas unreadable. With a slow movement of her body, expressing infinitescorn, she swung away from her father and her lover and, with her eyesupon the far, blue ranges, superbly ignored them.
Bob Flick shot a warning glance at Gallito, who was about to speak, andtook a hasty step forward. "Look here, Pearl," he said conciliatingly,"don't mind your Pop. The strain on him's been awful. It's been hard onall of us. You sure gave us some terrible days, not knowing whether youwere alive or dead, but we all kind of figured from the direction thatthe snow-slide took that it missed the cabin, and we wouldn't believeanything else but that you were as much alive as ever and as anxious tosee us as we were to see you. And, Pearl, listen," striving to diverther gaze from those dim, blue ranges, "we ain't been idle. There's somegreat news for you. You tell her, Gallito."
"Yes," the Spaniard's tone softened a little and he lifted his head witha touch of pride, "it sure is great news. I been in correspondence withSweeney and he opened up the matter of a contract again. I beendickering with him just the same as if we knew that you were safe andalive. I wouldn't let myself think anything else; and the result,Pearl," he paused, his eyes scanning her face, "the result is that he'sjust doubled his offer of last year and will play you over a circuittwice as big, the cities only. How does that strike you?"
But there was no answering enthusiasm on Pearl's face, not even a gleamof interest. Gallito and Flick looked at each other in dismay. Herindifference was genuine, they saw that clearly. There was no affecteddisdain in her manner of receiving the news. It was simply a matterwhich did not touch her at all.
Seeing this, a slow, burning flush crept up into her father's face, hisjaws worked. "Pearl, did you hear?" he demanded, "because if you didn't,you'd better pay attention, and pay attention quick. I've accepted foryou, given my word to Sweeney that if you were alive you'd take thisoffer. And now you and me are going to leave Colina within a few hours,and you're going to leave for good. Understand?"
She smiled in slow, indifferent scorn and answered nothing, and herattitude maddened Gallito. "What do you mean by acting this way?" hecried. "Let's get down to it. Why weren't you down at the gully lastnight? Wouldn't he let you?" Again he pointed an accusing finger atSeagreave, who stood a little apart watching the scene with folded arms."Pearl, you answer me, for I'm going to ask you that question straightout now. Ain't you just as good as when you came?"
But Pearl's seven or seventeen devils were in full possession of hernow, and one of them, the demon of silence, stood her in good stead, forshe knew intuitively that this attitude of non-explanation would provefar more irritating to her inquisitors than the vials of her wrathpoured freely upon them.
But Gallito was in a white fury by this time. "By God!" he cried again,"you will answer me. You will tell me, and tell me now."
"I'll be hanged first," she flashed the words at him as a snake dartsits fangs.
"And I'll be hanged if you'll ask her such questions before me," criedSeagreave, speaking for the first time.
Her father looked at him with a slow and bitter smile, then he gave alittle nod of acrid comprehension. "You keep out of this, HarrySeagreave," he said, in a low, cold, deadly voice. "This is between thegirl and me. Pearl, you come with me--now. We leave Colina, as I toldyou, within a few hours. You come now." He took a step or two down thehill as if expecting that she would follow him.
A wailing wind blew down from the peaks. The mocking bark of a coyotesounded near at hand in those wild solitudes, a bird flew from one treeto another, and the sound of a breaking twig was like a pistol shot.
Moments passed and still Pearl had not obeyed her father's command. Itwas not repeated, which was characteristic of Gallito. He merely waiteduntil at last she lifted her eyes and unwaveringly met his. "I'm notgoing," she said clearly.
Harry made a quick, impetuous step toward her, but before he could reachher, her father had caught her by the wrist again and swept her aside.
"Look here, Gallito," cried Seagreave, "since she won't explain, you'vegot to listen to me. I--"
"I've told you to keep out of this, Seagreave," interrupted Gallito, inhis harsh, grating voice. "I'll deal with you later."
But at the sound of Seagreave's voice the color had come back to Pearl'scheek, the light to her eyes. Hands on hips, she s
wung her skirts andsurveyed Bob Flick and her father with a scornful, slanting gaze. "Ididn't know that there was anybody in the world that would dare ask mesuch questions, even you, Pop. And making arrangements with Sweeneywithout waiting to consult me! And ordering me to leave Colina on twoor three hours' notice! Dios!" She spread her hands out on either sideof her as if pushing away an impossible thing. "I can hardly believe it.I didn't answer you, Pop, nor you, Bob, because I was trying hard totake things in. But now," she turned to Seagreave, her head liftedhigher yet in the glory of joy and pride, "I'm not going to leaveColina--yet, and I'm not going to sign up with Sweeney; am I, Harry?"
Seagreave passed her father and was beside her in two strides. "You'regoing to do as you please," he said.
She leaned toward him, smiling, her fugitively sweet, tantalizing smile;and, oblivious of the others, Seagreave caught her to him as if he wouldhold her against the world.
And, seeing this, Bob Flick turned and walked down the hill with never abackward glance.
Not so Gallito; his eyes had darkened, those fierce hawk's eyes; hisface was livid. "Pearl," his voice grated in his throat, "you can't makea fool of both me and yourself like this. You are a fool of a woman likeall the rest, and because I have the bad luck to be your father I mustsave you from your own madness. You've got your big chance, the chanceyou've been waiting for, and you're not going to throw it away now, justbecause you been staying up in that cabin alone with him until you'velost your wits about him." He indicated Seagreave with a contemptuousjerk of the thumb.
"Seagreave," in cold fury, "you're a damned thief to take advantage ofher this way. Now, Pearl, you come on."
He seized her by the wrist and would have drawn her roughly from Harry'sencircling arm. She resisted, and Harry, in the strength of hisindignation, unloosed the old man's grasp and drew her hastily away. Butthe touch of his hands had roused in Gallito fresh rage, and with almostunbelievable quickness he lifted his heavy, gnarled stick and swung itabove Seagreave's head. Harry leaped back, near, perilously near, theedge of the ravine. The soft, moist earth crumbled beneath his feet; fora second he tottered on the edge, and then went down like a shot.
Pearl stood arrested in that first, quick rush of hers, frozen, gazingin wild unbelief at the spot where Harry had disappeared. As forGallito, he also gazed almost uncomprehendingly, until the expression ofsurprise on his livid face gave way to a saturnine and vindictivesatisfaction.
"He did it himself," he muttered, "the fool! I never touched him." Then,shrugging his shoulders and spreading out his hands as if well contentto leave the matter to fate, he turned and began to walk down the hill,still muttering as he went.
This roused Pearl from her momentary trance. "Father," she cried wildly,"you must help me. You tried to hurt him and now you've got to help me.We must get him. Father, father," she babbled, running after him, "youmust stay, you must help me, you must. You can't go and leave him. Oh,stay, stay, and I'll do anything, anything in the world. I'll sign thecontract. I'll do anything."
But Gallito went on as if he did not hear her. His own belief was thatHarry was done for. There was not one chance in a thousand that he wasalive, one chance in a million, considering the depth of the ravine.Well, better so. His conscience was clear. He had not struck him, buthad merely lifted his stick in self-defense after Seagreave had laidhands on him. As for Pearl, she would eventually turn to him and agreeto his wishes, there was nothing else for her to do. In the meantime, byleaving her to herself, he avoided the unpleasant sound and sight of hergrief and reproaches. Therefore, in spite of her passionate pleading, hewent on.
And Pearl, finally realizing that she could hope nothing from him,turned and ran back to the ravine. There she threw herself flat on theground and, groaning and sobbing, drew herself to the edge of the cliffand gazed down into those depths of purple shadow. Much of the snowstill lingered, and for a moment in the white, dazzling glare of thesunlight on the steep walls, she could see nothing. Then, as her eyebecame accustomed to those flashing refractions of light, she gave aloud, sobbing cry, her whole body became strangely limp and inert. Forone dreadful moment she feared that she was going to faint. Then shedrew on all the strength of her will and was herself again, ready inthat moment of poignant relief to dare anything, do anything to savehim.
For quite plainly she saw Harry. Instead of whirling down into thoseimpenetrable depths and being buried in the mass of snow at the bottom,he had been caught almost miraculously on the out-curving trunks of twoor three young pine trees growing close together and springing from anarrow out-cropping ledge of rock. It was not so very far down, at mostnot more than thirty feet. "Harry," she cried, "Harry," sending hervoice ringing down the chasm; but he did not even stir at the sound,only the narrow walls gave back the echoes. The silence struck the chillof a new terror to her heart, and she sprang to her feet, gazing wildlyabout her in every direction.
"I must have help. I must have help," she muttered. But, oh, it wouldtake so long to get men from the camp, and all the time she would begone he would be lying there silent and motionless, perhaps--no, sheshuddered, she would not even think the word.
Once more she sent her seeking, despairing gaze over the hillside, andthen uttered a sharp, muffled exclamation, for, rising above the jaggedwalls of the ravine, and not many feet away, climbing, agilely andrapidly, she saw a man. A moment more and she bent forward in a statehalf of relief and half of superstitious terror, muttering a prayer,almost believing that it was a vision; and then, with a relief beyondall speech, she saw that it was Jose. She could not be mistaken.
He had pulled himself over the cliff by this time and had cautiouslyrisen to his feet. Up and down the hill and in every direction he senthis sweeping, careful gaze, his far-sighted eyes taking in every detailof the landscape. Then he came toward Pearl, over the bare, brownearth, running low.
"Oh, Jose, Jose," she cried, almost hysterical in her relief, "Harry isdown there," pointing to the cliff, "hurt, and you must help me get himup, you must."
"Carramba! So that was the noise and screaming I heard in my rock cellyonder, just as I was about to creep out and take a little air. I wouldnot have dared to come so far if I had not seen you here alone." Hethrew himself on the ground and looked over the cliff. "Saints anddevils! It is true. Poor Harry! But you and I cannot get him up alone."
"But we can, we must," she cried imperatively. "Go to his cabin quicklyand bring some ropes. There is plenty of strong rope there. You can runmore quickly than I. Go."
"But the risk." Jose shook his head dubiously. "I shall be in full sightall the way."
"What of it?" she cried frantically. "The moments pass and we are doingnothing. No one will see you. Oh, go." Then, as he still hesitated, asudden thought struck her. She tore open the neck of her gown and drewout the little black leather bag of loose stones. "Look!" she pulled itopen and held it out to him that he might see the gleaming jewelsinside. "There, will that make it worth your while? They are yours,Jose, if you will only go."
With a low exclamation of surprise and admiration, Jose bent over them.Then he looked at Pearl, his eyes alive with darting gleams of avarice.He would have risked his life any time, almost without a thought, inorder to gain them, and here without his even lifting a finger, they hadfallen into his hands, straight out of heaven. It was evidently a rewardfor the patience with which he had borne the long days that he had lainhidden in Gallito's rock-hewn chamber in the Mont d'Or.
"It shall never be said of Crop-eared Jose that he left a friend indistress," he exclaimed virtuously, and, stuffing the little bag in hispocket, sped up the hill.
Uttering broken expressions of relief, Pearl again threw herself flat onthe ground and gazed over the edge of the cliff. And, as she lay thus,moaning out passionately tender words which Harry, lying motionless andunconscious, could not hear, a sudden thought struck her. She would goto him. She looked down, far down where those rocky walls lostthemselves in indefinite hazes and shuddered; but another glance atHar
ry and courage flowed to her again. She saw where, on the narrowprojecting ledge and on the trunks of those up-springing pines, shecould get a foothold near him, if it were but possible for her to climbdown. Scanning the wall closely, it seemed to her rough and jaggedenough for her to do so with comparative safety.
Just as she reached this decision, she heard a faint holloo from thesame direction in which Jose had come and, turning her head quickly, shesaw Mrs. Nitschkan hastening over the hill toward her.
"Gosh a'mighty!" exclaimed the gypsy, when she had come within speakingdistance. "What kind of a howdy-do is this? I brought up a bite for Joseto eat and, although I've stood down there whistling my head off, henever poked his head out of the ground, the jack-rabbit! And the nextthing I see is you lying flat in the mud."
"Oh, Nitschkan!" Tears of relief were streaming down Pearl's face."Thank God that you've come. Harry fell over the cliff. We can see him,and Jose's gone to the cabin to get ropes."
With many exclamations of surprise Mrs. Nitschkan peered over the edgeof the ravine. "Saved by them little sticks of pine trees and a piece ofrock no wider than my foot! Ain't that the workings of Providence foryou!"
"Is he--is he--do you think he is--" Pearl's voice broke in anguish.
"No, I don't. He ain't lookin' that way," said Mrs. Nitschkan, with suchforce and heartiness that Pearl was immediately reassured. "He's jus'got the sense knocked out of him. I don't jus' see yet how we're goin'to get the ropes fastened to him, so's he can be drug up."
"I'm going down to him. I'll fasten them."
"You! And yet I don't know but what it ain't best. It'll take all thestrength Jose and I've got to draw him up careful and not go bumping himtoo much against the rocks."
Pearl took off her shoes, then, shutting her lips tightly and reassuringherself with the knowledge that the rock was rough and she wassure-footed, she lowered herself over the side of the ravine andreached for a foothold. Presently she found it, and then another.Slowly, with cut and bleeding hands, she made her way down. Half way,perhaps, she grasped a little bush which seemed to spring securely fromthe cliff and held tightly to this until she could grasp another juttingpoint of rock and then another bush, until at last, with a great sobbingsigh, she found her feet planted on what seemed sure ground. It was thetrunks and the outspreading branches of the same pine trees which heldSeagreave. She took a second to draw a long breath, and then, holdingcautiously to a little branch, she bent over him.
With infinite tenderness she attempted to straighten out one leg whichwas doubled beneath him, but he moaned and sighed so that she desisted,seeing from the limp way that it lay that it was broken. He hadevidently fallen on his back; and like a dagger zig-zagging its waythrough her heart was the thought, "What if that, too, were broken?"
Oh, how should they get him up without injuring him further and cruellyhurting him with the ropes. And he must be so cold. She shivered herselfin the damp, icy air of this ravine. She called up to Mrs. Nitschkan toswing down to her her long cape, which she had discarded beforebeginning her climb. The gypsy did so carefully, but just as she let theend of it go a gust of wind swept it in slow circles down the ravine.
Mrs. Nitschkan uttered more or less profane exclamations of disgust; butPearl said nothing. After her first feeling of intense disappointment,a new idea had come to her, and she hastened to act uponit. As quickly as she could with her torn fingers she unfastened hergown and slipped out of it, and then, unheeding Mrs. Nitschkan, who wasscolding her like a magpie, she threw it over Seagreave, tucking itabout him as best she could. The breath of the snow-damp air upon hershoulders and arms was like a bath of ice water, but she scarcelynoticed it, for she heard Mrs. Nitschkan welcoming Jose.
"Holding cautiously to a little branch, she bent overhim."]
He and the gypsy immediately began swinging great coils of rope over thecliff.
"Can you get the ropes under him, Pearl, and tie 'em in a kind ofcradle?" called Mrs. Nitschkan.
"Of course," she answered, "if you and Jose will tell me how."
Then, under their direction, she managed to bind the ropes securelyabout Seagreave, moaning and weeping herself at the pain she evidentlycaused him, although he did not so far recover consciousness as torealize what was happening to him. When she had finished, she caughtanother swinging end of rope which they threw her and climbed up thecliff. She took a moment or two to get her breath, and then slowly andwith all the care possible under the circumstances, they drew Seagreaveup.
"Dios!" cried Jose, panting, "it is well that you two are so strong,because we have yet to get him to the cabin. Fortunately I, also, havegreat strength."
After some discussion it was finally decided that Pearl was to hasten onahead and build up the fires and heat water, while Mrs. Nitschkan andJose carried Harry up the hill.
It was for them a slow and difficult progress, but the cabin was finallyreached and the gypsy and Jose laid him on his bed, undressed him andexamined his injuries.
Presently Mrs. Nitschkan came into the outer room, where Pearl coweredbeside the fire, her hands over her face. She caught imploringly at theother woman's skirt. "Oh, Nitschkan, what is it? Will he live? Tell me,tell me, quick."
"Things might be better and they might be worse, but," with rough goodwill, "you ain't no call to wear mourning yet. His back ain't hurtserious, but his left leg and his right arm are both broken and he's anawful lot cut and bruised, especially about the back and the head. I canset a leg myself, as good as most, and many a one have I done, but thosethat I've set 'em for don't always seem to have as good use of theirlimbs after as before. So if you want him as good as new again, you'dbetter have a doctor."
"Yes," agreed Jose, who had come into the room. "They are bad breaks. I,too, can set a leg or an arm, but, as you say, Nitschkan, those for whomI have done it have usually been ungrateful enough not to use themright."
Pearl staggered to her feet. "I will go," she said, "if you two willonly stay here and look after him, while I am gone. Oh dear Jose,promise me that you will not leave Nitschkan alone. You can hide herein the cabin when you see me coming with the doctor."
Jose's fingers touched the little black bag in his pocket. "Saints anddevils!" he cried, expanding his chest, "only a dog would refuse you. Ofcourse I will stay."