CHAPTER XVI.
THE THORN OF ROSES.
It was going on seven o'clock when the unhappy Captain of the goldseekers and his deliverer, as he emphatically termed him, reached theformer's camp.
The weather kept cold, and the frost was biting. The cloudless sky of aclear night was lavishly sprinkled with the brightest stars.
Lieutenant Carcajieu was on the point of sending out some scouts tofind the captain and missing men as he reappeared. He was warmlygreeted. Not that his fellows doated upon him; but, being like seamennavigating an unknown sea, they would have been in a quandary if hehad eloped. After thanking them, the leader gave an account of hisadventure, upon which the congratulations broke forth afresh for onewho had escaped two grizzlies. Three or four men, as they were fullyequipped, were directed to go out and bring in the remains of theEnglish convict.
"By the way, where's the Frenchman?" enquired Kidd, though desirous ofrepose.
"Paul has not returned," responded the lieutenant, to his surprise."Though it's blamed late for scrambling round in the districtoverflowing with b'ar."
"I hope nothing's befallen him," observed Kidd, gravely. "Double theforce of scouts, and let them move most warily."
Leaving Joe to govern the camp, and seeking the recuperation of whichhe felt in need, the captain and Dearborn proceeded towards the tent.Wearied, aching, and meditative, Kidd did not remark a quick peculiarsign of "friend!" from the young hunter to his right-hand man. A plateadditional was set for Dearborn, and the captain plied a good knifeand fork. Soon he gave the Negro Samson an order. In five minutes itspurport was made manifest, for the black man ushered in under thecanvas flap, Dona Rosario. She came forward in a singularly embarrassedway, a feverish blush on her face, and her eyes curiously enkindled.She seemed struggling between interest in the stranger and a resolvenot to exhibit it.
This caution was so quickly mastered, that it was invisible by the timeshe had taken a seat prepared for her between the two men. Dearborn hadgazed at her with no other sentiment than admiration, unless, also,some pity was involuntarily betrayed.
Ordinarily Captain Kidd let no incident escape him; but he was toobruised and too famished not to be exceedingly self-concentrated.Happily for them, therefore, nothing met his eye.
"I must ask your forgiveness, _Nina_," he said in Spanish, in a voicewhich he tried to soften, "I ought to have notified you of a strangerguest."
"As the ruler, sir, you can do just as you please," she returned, withindifference.
"Nay, nay, my sweet! I don't want the gentleman to have a poor opinionof me, and suppose I act tyrannically over you."
"I beg pardon, Mr. Kidd," interrupted Dearborn, playing carelesslywith his knife, "as everybody has his hands full in minding his ownbusiness, I make it a rule never to go out of my way supposing things.At the same time, this foreign language before a guest is not whatI was educated to call the correct etiquette. Besides, if you mustdiscuss family matters with this young lady, whom I take to be yourdaughter, would it not be better to put that by till we are through themeal?"
"Oh, I thought you knew Spanish," returned the captain, smoothly. "Thelady is not my daughter, but my ward--a far-removed relative--but Ilove her as if she were my own child; and there is nothing that dependson me that should not be hers to satisfy her in any way."
The girl smiled mockingly. The captain never moved a muscle as he wenton thus:
"I was merely observing, my pet--_querida Nina_--that I never shouldhave invited a complete stranger hither--one I have only known a fewhours--to be our guest but for his having rendered me one of thoseservices utterly unpayable. In plain English, he has saved my life."
"Delighted to hear it," rejoined the young lady, nibbling at the sweetbiscuit.
"It is only too true," took up the hunter, laughing, "that, without anyvaunt, my interpolation in your trialogue with the grizzly bears aloneprevented the last repartee being rather fatal than otherwise to you."
"Ugh! The bare idea makes me shudder!" said the captain, with nointention to jest. "I am gooseflesh all over now!"
"Did this gentleman really save you from the monsters?" queried she,apparently at length interested in the conversation.
"Save is the word!" ejaculated the bandit chief. "I was under the veryclaws, between the teeth of the horrible beasts. So shake again, Mr.Dearborn," he added, with a fine tragi-comic offering of his hand. "Weare brothers right on till death do us part! I am not much given tospeechifying, but I have a rare memory for good and evil deeds done me,and as I live, you may ask anything of mine, and halves we go in it,though 'tis my gold placer in the--well yonder!"
"Mind, I'm booking that offer, captain." said the young man, withan Englishman's hearty joviality; "I am not a man to forget easily,either, and I am a great fellow for taking people at their word. So,though I am for claiming nothing just now, do you see, I should notwonder if someday I remind you of your pledge. So hold yourself readyto meet the demand, and cash up."
"There is no reminder needed in my case," said the captain, rathercoldly and proudly. "You will find me ready to act up to my pledges."
"Therefore, I shall not dwell on that point. Let us change the subject.You were laughing at me as a foolhardy son of fortune who renounces oldcountry luxuries, and penetrates the American wilderness, _quite byhimself_," he said with a stress meant for the auditress to mark thephrase; "but what the plague brings you into desolation? You have notthe look of a merchant. You would not haggle and bicker with Messrs. Lo& Co., as the Yankees playfully call the noble son of the forest."
"Quite so, I am not here to trade. Oh, dear, no! I am just joggingalong."
"But whither? I do not want to be rude; but where there are no roads, Ishould imagine one's route led nowhere."
"The proof that your inquiry is not impertinent is shown in my freelyanswering you. My course is public property. On the border, everyoneknows that my mates and I are going to the gold fields."
"Oh, after gold," repeated the other with well-feigned surprise. "Overthe range into California? In that case, if there's any reliance inmaps--though when maps are made by geographers at a desk ten thousandmiles off, I have not too much faith in maps myself--well, you _are_askew! Granting you the finding of a pass in the Rockies, you will bethree weeks reaching the eastern slope of the Nevada Range, and if yougo that way and can climb the Oregonian Heights, you will be threemonths getting down to Portland. Either way, you will have so heavy andfatiguing a 'jog,' that I wonder very much that you take a delicateyoung lady with you."
"What you say may be very true, sir; but, to begin with, do notrun away with the wrong notion. This young lady would not be in mycompany--I may better say, one of my company--if it were not absolutelyher wish and will."
"Oh, now I curl back into my shell," said the Englishman, with asardonic smile, "I cannot say I am amazed at the fair young lady'sdetermination. Your American girls have already a name in Europe fordaring, devotion, constancy, and--caprices."
"I beg your pardon, sir," broke in the young lady, looking at himfixedly, "for intervening in your conversation unbesought, but youshould be fully informed on one point, Mr. Dearborn--I believe you areso named--"
"Ranald Dearborn, at your service."
"Well, Mr. Ranald Dearborn, I do not deserve your eulogy in anymeasure. Captain Kidd lies, and very well knows that he lies, when heasserts that I wish to accompany him in his journey. I am here, in hiscompany--as he puts it--in spite of myself, against my will, becauseI have been shamefully torn from all the semblance of home that I had,and dragged thence I know not whither. I am no relative of his, not hisward, but his slave!"
"Senorita!" began the captain violently, on recovering his tongue.
"Do you dare deny it!" she cried, energetically, looking him in theeyes. "It is high time the truth came out! And that everybody knewof what you are capable, and what my position is! I thank Heavenyou have at last brought a stranger to my hearing, not your hangdogconfederates. Too well, senor,
you relied on my scorn and acquiescencewhen you had the impudence to utter those words. I will not allowmy weakness to bring me in as your accomplice, Mr. Dearborn," shecontinued, turning abruptly to the hunter, "this man has lied; he hascowardly abducted me for reasons unknown, and he intends to leave mydead body so far from civilization that it will never rise in judgmentof this world against him."
"Have a care, young lady," said the captain, moodily, "I can't let yourun on too far in this style--"
"One moment, captain," broke in Dearborn, sternly, "questions areraised which do not come into my province. But I am obliged to observethat you--or anybody else--has got to behave like a gentleman when alady is present--"
"But, sir, if--"
"I know no ifs or buts, sir, for none but a coward and a blackguardwould threaten a defenceless woman. You brought her here as theornament to the supper table, so it's your own fault. I warn you oncefor all that, before me, you will have to treat the young lady with allthe respect due to her age and sex, or else we shall have to settle thepunctilio of etiquette with pistol or knife! And I doubt if you willbe lucky enough to have anyone burst in between you and me as I didbetween you and the grizzlies."
"Good gracious, sir," the captain hastened to reply, the last turn ofthe defiant speech making him cease to bite his lips till the bloodran, "I am very sorry this awkward incident occurred--very! Nothing ofthe kind did ever take place; and I shall take the greatest heed itdoes not repeat itself," he went on, with a look of evil augury asideat the girl, who was wringing her hands and tapping the ground with herfeet. "I allow that I let myself ramble farther than I ought. To showyou how much I regret having displeased the young lady, I beg her tooverlook the offence, and bear me no grudge."
Rosa tossed her head disdainfully.
"That's more like," said the English hunter, lightly; "since youapologise, I haven't a word to say."
"Yes; I am thoroughly vexed. Let us drop the hot but dying coals ofdissention, therefore, and--what were we talking about when they flewout of the fire?"
"I don't know now."
"Oh, senor, you were observing that it looked as if my present routefor the goldfields would bring me out in the Sacramento Valley, or atVancouver's. Are you sure?"
"Well, I am no resident; but, coming down from the North, few signs ofgold bearing tracts met my humble vision."
"Did you come through the Yellowstone Basin?" inquired the captain.
"What the Canadians called the 'Infernal Regions,' and the trappers the'Fireholes?' Well, not what you can call through. I did--as I do whena big band of Indians cross my trail--I skirted it. They say it is thedevil's own home on earth; and I have no wish, prematurely, to soak ina sulphur bath!"
"Mr. Dearborn, are you the man to render me still a further service?"
"I want to know, you know," said the Englishman, humorously.
"_iDiablo!_ You are in no hurry to contract yourself into a bargain,senor;" commented Mr. Kidd, with a bitter grin.
"Being a foreigner--"
"It's prudent. I wish I had always been as slow to plunge at your age!Tell me, where were you going when we met?"
"Southerly: I came to hunt. But the presence of Indians makes me fearthat a solitary man would be hunted here."
"If you have no disinclination to remain with a force around you atwhich no Indian lances will tilt," said Captain Kidd, proudly, "I canoffer you something--a way to utilise your recently gained knowledgein skirting the Yellowstone Basin; guide us inside it!"
"Why, what the--"
"Gold! That's the 'the!'"
"Gold there?"
The prairie rover leaned forward, resting both elbows on the board, andfixing his glowing eyes on the Englishman, spoke earnestly as follows.