The Border Legion by Zane Grey (books suggested by bill gates txt) 📗
- Author: Zane Grey
Book online «The Border Legion by Zane Grey (books suggested by bill gates txt) 📗». Author Zane Grey
The day, when at last it arrived, was no better than the night. It wore on endlessly, and she who listened so intently found it one of the silent days. Only Bate Wood remained at the cabin. He appeared kinder than usual, but Joan did not want to talk. She ate her meals, and passed the hours watching from the window and lying on the bed. Dusk brought Kells and Pearce and Smith, but not Jim Cleve. Handy Oliver and Blicky arrived at supper-time.
“Reckon Jim's appetite is pore,” remarked Bate Wood, reflectively. “He ain't been in to-day.”
Some of the bandits laughed, but Kells had a twinge, if Joan ever saw a man have one. The dark, formidable, stern look was on his face. He alone of the men ate sparingly, and after the meal he took to his bent posture and thoughtful pacing. Joan saw the added burden of another crime upon his shoulders. Conversation, which had been desultory, and such as any miners or campers might have indulged in, gradually diminished to a word here and there, and finally ceased. Kells always at this hour had a dampening effect upon his followers. More and more he drew aloof from them, yet he never realized that. He might have been alone. But often he glanced out of the door, and appeared to listen. Of course he expected Jim Cleve to return, but what did he expect of him? Joan had a blind faith that Jim would be cunning enough to fool Kells and Pearce. So much depended upon it!
Some of the bandits uttered an exclamation. Then silently, like a shadow, Jim Cleve entered.
Joan's heart leaped and seemed to stand still. Jim could not have locked more terrible if he were really a murderer. He opened his coat. Then he flung a black object upon the table and it fell with a soft, heavy, sodden thud. It was a leather belt packed with gold.
When Kells saw that he looked no more at the pale Cleve. His clawlike hand swept out for the belt, lifted and weighed it. Likewise the other bandits, with gold in sight, surged round Kells, forgetting Cleve.
“Twenty pounds!” exclaimed Kells, with a strange rapture in his voice.
“Let me heft it?” asked Pearce, thrillingly.
Joan saw and heard so much, then through a kind of dimness, that she could not wipe away, her eyes beheld Jim. What was the awful thing that she interpreted from his face, his mien? Was this a part he was playing to deceive Kells? The slow-gathering might of her horror came with the meaning of that gold-belt. Jim had brought back the gold-belt of the miner Creede. He had, in his passion to remain near her, to save her in the end, kept his word to Kells and done the ghastly deed.
Joan reeled and sank back upon the bed, blindly, with darkening sight and mind.
16
Joan returned to consciousness with a sense of vague and unlocalized pain which she thought was that old, familiar pang of grief. But once fully awakened, as if by a sharp twinge, she became aware that the pain was some kind of muscular throb in her shoulder. The instant she was fully sure of this the strange feeling ceased. Then she lay wide-eyed in the darkness, waiting and wondering.
Suddenly the slight sharp twing was repeated. It seemed to come from outside her flesh. She shivered a little, thinking it might be a centipede. When she reached for her shoulder her hand came in contact with a slender stick that had been thrust through a crack between the boards. Jim was trying to rouse her. This had been his method on several occasions when she had fallen asleep after waiting long for him.
Joan got up to the window, dizzy and sick with the resurging memory of Jim's return to Kells with that gold-belt.
Jim rose out of the shadow and felt for her, clasped her close. Joan had none of the old thrill; her hands slid loosely round his; and every second the weight inwardly grew heavier.
“Joan! I had a time waking you,” whispered Jim, and then he kissed her. “Why, you're as cold as ice.”
“Jim—I—I must have fainted,” she replied.
“What for?” “I was peeping into Kells's cabin, when you—you—”
“Poor kid!” he interrupted, tenderly. “You've had so much to bear!... Joan, I fooled Kells. Oh, I was slick!... He ordered me out on a job—to kill a miner! Fancy that! And what do you think? I know Creede well. He's a good fellow. I traded my big nugget for his gold-belt!”
“You TRADED—you—didn't—kill him!” faltered Joan.
“Hear the child talk!” exclaimed Cleve, with a low laugh.
Joan suddenly clung to him with all her might, quivering in a silent joy. It had not occurred to Jim what she might have thought.
“Listen,” he went on. “I traded my nugget. It was worth a great deal more than Creede's gold-belt. He knew this. He didn't want to trade. But I coaxed him. I persuaded him to leave camp—to walk out on the road to Bannack. To meet the stage somewhere and go on to Bannack, and stay a few days. He sure was curious. But I kept my secret.... Then I came back here, gave the belt to Kells, told him I had followed Creede in the dark, had killed him and slid him into a deep hole in the creek.... Kells and Pearce—none of them paid any attention to my story. I had the gold-belt. That was enough. Gold talks—fills the ears of these bandits.... I have my share of Creede's gold-dust in my pocket. Isn't that funny? Alas for my—YOUR big nugget! But we've got to play the game. Besides, I've sacks and cans of gold hidden away. Joan, what'll we do with it all? You're my wife now. And, oh! If we can only get away with it you'll be rich!”
Joan could not share his happiness any more than she could understand his spirit. She remembered.
“Jim—dear—did Kells tell you what your—next job was to be?” she whispered, haltingly.
Cleve swore under his breath, but loud enough to make Joan swiftly put her hand over his lips and caution him.
“Joan, did you hear that about Gulden?” he asked.
“Oh yes.”
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell you. Yes, I've got my second job. And this one I can't shirk or twist around.”
Joan held to him convulsively. She could scarcely speak.
“Girl, don't lose your nerve!” he said, sternly. “When you married me you made me a man. I'll play my end of the game. Don't fear for me. You plan when we can risk escape. I'll obey you to the word.”
“But Jim—oh, Jim!” she moaned. “You're as wild as these bandits. You can't see your danger.... That terrible Gulden!... You don't mean to meet him—fight him?... Say you won't!”
“Joan, I'll meet him—and I'll KILL
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