The Pioneers

by Katharine Susannah Prichard

  CHAPTER XLIV

  Conal was early astir. Deirdre heard him moving in the kitchen and thenout of doors.

  When he came in again, she had spread a cloth on the end of the table.Bacon and eggs were spluttering in a shallow pan on the hearth, a pot ofporridge was ready for him, the kettle steaming.

  Conal's face was sombre; it was easy to see that he had not slept andthat his mind was set to a plan of action. He ate without speaking, andgot up to go.

  Ginger was standing saddled by the door, her reins trailing beside her.She cropped the young grass that showed vivid green blades about thewater barrel, and was nourished by the drips from the roof spouts andleakages from the barrel itself. Deirdre heard the click, click ofGinger's snaffle, the chirping of young birds under the roof, whileConal was eating. There was a solemnity, a wrapped-up purposefulnessabout him this morning; she dared not ask him what he was going to do.

  It was a fresh morning with frost in the air. A sparkling rime lay outon the grass in the paddocks and spread under the straggling shade ofthe sheds and the stables in crisp white patches. The sunshine splashedgolden over the hills; it lay in long shafts of purest brilliance on thepaddocks and across the stable yard.

  Conal went out of doors; Deirdre followed him.

  "Conal," she cried.

  There was appeal in her voice.

  He had gathered Ginger's reins in his hand. The mare turned her head,her great beautiful eyes on Deirdre.

  "It's no good you're saying anything, Deirdre, telling me what to do andwhat not to do," Conal said roughly.

  "I've thought it all out. I know what's got to be done. I'll do it thebest way I can."

  He understood the prayer of her eyes.

  "D'you think I want his blood on my hands?" he asked irritably. "Buthe's got to let you go, Deirdre. He's got to. There's no two ways aboutit, and if he says a word about the Schoolmaster or Steve, he'll have toreck'n with me then--and the reckoning'll be a short one. That's thebargain I'm going to make with him. And I'll hold him responsible ... ifever the story gets out. He'll pay all the same and I'll swear that--onthe soul of my mother. Do you think my life's worth a straw to me? Doyou think if it is a question of yours and Dan's life against McNab's, Ican hesitate?"

  He threw back his head with the old reckless movement.

  "Not much! Lord, I'd take what was coming to me, cheerin', if I thoughtI'd put things right for the Schoolmaster and you. But if a knockingabout'll do Thad any good instead, he's welcome to it. If I can get whatI want out of him with a scarin' there'll be no need to go further.

  "If I promise him on the reddest oath under the sun, and he's prettysure I mean it--it'll do instead, perhaps. But I'm not taking anychances of his trickin' me. I can't afford to take chances, Deirdre. IfI don't feel I've got him that way--"

  She knew what he meant.

  "It'll be a long day till you're back, Conal," she said.

  He swung into his saddle, and went out to the road. She watched the baywith her long easy stride and Conal swinging above her, till the treeshid them.

  There was no doubt in her mind that when Conal let his tongue loose,unleashed the rage in him, McNab would do what he wanted. Conal was notknown as "Fighting" Conal for nothing, and he was credited with being aman of his word. Reckless and dare-devil as he was, none knew betterthan McNab that he cared neither for God nor man when his blood was up,and that he would assuredly do as he said though the heavens fell.

  Everybody knew the cringing coward McNab was. More than one of the menhe had sold had threatened to wipe off old scores without leave orlicence. A threat more or less might not have mattered, but each oneintensified McNab's terror of the clutch of iron finger in the night,the swift blade of a knife, the short bark of a pistol. It was easy toscare Steve with a clank of a chain, but the click of a pistol behindMcNab turned him livid, a greenish hue spread on his face. Deirdre knewthe frenzy of McNab's fear; but she knew, too, his shrewd brain.

  While Conal was there he would dominate, convert him into the shaking,shrieking thing McNab became when the fear of violence, or a violentdeath, took possession of him; but afterwards, when Conal was gone, hisbrain would get to work--that cunning brain of his, quickened by a senseof his injuries and his spluttering, passionate fear and hate of the manwho had humiliated and thwarted him. Deirdre wondered how it would farewith Conal then, whether McNab would outwit him. He would try. He wasmade that way--McNab--to scheme out of holes and corners. If Conal wouldhave to reckon with him in the end, she realised that it would have beenbetter to let the reckoning be now, before any further mischief wasdone. Yet her mind shuddered at the thought. She knew that she had meantto delay it.

  When Steve came shambling into the yard, blinking at the sunlight, shetold him that Conal had returned and that he had gone down to the BlackBull, but would be back by the evening.

  He exclaimed all the morning about Conal's coming, and had a thousandquestions to ask. Where had Conal been? What had he been doing? Why wasit he had gone off the way he did without saying a word to anybody? Allof which Deirdre had not thought to ask. But they talked about Conal allthe morning. Steve came in from cutting ferns for the cow-shed to ask ifConal was going to stay long. What was he going to do? Was he going upto the trial? Had she told him what McNab had said to them?

  Deirdre wanted to be very busy all day so that the time would not seemlong till Conal returned.

  Steve with his questions made a little current of joyous excitement.Ordinarily the days were very still and empty. She swept and dusted,cooked their food, washed the dishes and sewed, with latterly onlyanxious thoughts to occupy her mind.

  "How is he lookin'--Conal?" Steve asked, coming to the door when she wasbeating cream into butter in a delft bowl. He had come in as the ideafor a new question occurred to him.

  "Oh, well," she said, "but he'd been riding hard and was tired out. Ithink he's a bit thinner than he used to be, and he was awfully hungry."

  "You gave him a drop of grog?" he asked, anxiously.

  Deirdre nodded.

  "He was wet through. I thought he'd have his death of cold to-day."

  "But he was all right this morning?"

  "Oh, yes."

  "Where did he come from?"

  She shook her head.

  "Hadn't you better finish laying down the ferns," she said. "He may beback sooner than we think--and then you'll want to talk to him."

  "Oh, yes!" He shuffled out of doors again.

  A moment later he put his head in the window. His shabby, drooping hatwas outlined against the blank of sunshine. His face looked in at her,under the shadow of his hat, bright with a question.

  "What did he go to the Wirree for, Deirdre?"

  "Oh!" She hesitated. "He wanted to see McNab."

  "Why?"

  Steve chewed the cud of a wondering thought.

  "Why did he want to see McNab, Deirdre?"

  "He'll tell you when he comes," she said.

  The bare kitchen had the musky, warm smell of newly-baked bread and ofcurdy, sweet buttermilk by the afternoon. Deirdre had made bread and newbutter for Conal. She had prepared a good meal for him when he came homein the evening. After she had scrubbed the wooden table until it was ofa weathered whiteness, and redded the bricks round the hearth, shelooked about for other household tasks to work at so that the day wouldseem shorter.

  It was late in the afternoon when she brushed her hair, twisted it upanew, put on a fresh frock, and sat down to sew until Conal came. Stevewent out to the road every now and then to see if there were any signsof him.

  Deirdre glanced at the shadows the trees cast. She dared not expectConal before sunset. Her needle flew in and out of a piece of stiffunbleached linen Mrs. Cameron had given her some time ago. She thoughtof her when she was afraid to think of Conal and what was happening inWirreeford.

  The sun sank behind the distant line of hills, and the Jackasses on thehigh branches of a tree by the road laughed their good-night to the sun.She could not rest
rain her impatience any longer, and went to the road.Her eyes strained to see Conal and his bay horse, forging out of thegloom that was beginning to gather amongst the trees, hangingmysterious, impalpable veils across the ends of the track where thetrees met over it, and it dwindled into a wavering thread.

  She lay down by the roadside, and pressed her ear to the earth to listenfor the sound of hoof-beats, but only the forest murmurs came to her,the moan of the wind in the valleys, the leafy murmur of the trees, thecreaking of broken and swaying branches, the faint calling of birds, allconfused and mingled in a vague wave of sound.

  The last hoot hoot of the jackasses in the misty depths of the hillsdrifted across the quiet evening air. The cows had gathered against thepaddock fence and were lowing plaintively for the evening milking.

  Deirdre drove them into the yard and milked. When she had taken thepails indoors, she went again to the road, gazed down into the darknessthat had now gathered over the track, and listened for the rapid beat ofhoofs on the road.

  A glimmer of light in the shanty windows told Deirdre that Steve hadlighted up. He came to the door.

  "Conal's late, Deirdre?" he called.

  "Yes," she replied.

  She stood there quite still staring down the road.

  "What do you think can have kept him?"

  Steve had come out and was standing beside her.

  Her face was very wan to his old eyes; her dark hair blew in tendrilsabout it.

  "I--don't know!"

  She saw the anxiety start in his eyes.

  "Oh, it's all right!" She took his arm and they went towards the houseagain.

  "He'll be having a game of cards with the boys. It's too soon to expecthim, that's all. We'll go in and have supper."

  She spread the table and put out the hot dinner she had made for Conal.Steve's hunger increased at the savoury smell of it, and because it waslater than they usually had their meal, he ate steadily and with readyrelish. Deirdre sat down at the table with him.

  "Aren't you going to have anything?" he asked when he saw that she wasnot eating.

  "I'll wait for Conal," she said.

  Steve dozed in his chair afterwards. The night that closed in on theforest was of a soft, thick darkness. Deirdre stood in the doorwaylooking out into it for while. Not a star hung its silver lamp over thehills. The wind crept with slow, uncertain breaths about the shanty. Sheshut the door.

  She carried her work-basket, with the socks that she had been mendingthe night before, to the table. But she could not work; her hands wouldnot stir. She sat listening, listening, listening.

  Steve had taken out his pipe and sucked it, nodding in his chair by thefire. His teeth relaxed their grip as he dozed; the pipe fell on thefloor. Deirdre started to her feet as the sound broke the stillness. Itwakened him too. He stared stupidly about him with sleep-dazed eyes.

  "What's that?" he asked. "Has Conal come yet?"

  "No," she said, picking up the pipe. "Perhaps you'd better not wait upfor him."

  "Yes! Yes!" he muttered testily. "Of course I'll wait."

  He sank back into his chair and presently was sleeping again.

  Deirdre went back to the table and sat there staring before her,listening fixedly. Hour after hour went by.

  A quick breath crossed her lips; she ran to the door and threw it open.

  A gust of wind rushed into the room, and it brought the sound of a horseon the road. She slammed the door and went back to the hearth, raked theembers and pulled back the log so that it fell with a shower of sparksand the flames leapt up over the new wood. She moved the pots withConal's dinner in them nearer the fire, and opening the door again,stood by it waiting.

  Ginger swung round the corner, and Conal on her. He was riding low,huddled against her neck. The way he dropped from the saddle drove thebreath from Deirdre's body.

  He threw out his arms and staggered forward. He would have fallen if shehad not been there to hold him. She dragged him indoors leaning againsther.

  "Steve--Steve!" she called.

  The old man was beside her in an instant.

  Conal had fallen, his legs crumpling up under him. There was a stain ofblood on his clothes.

  Deirdre tore them from the place where the blood welled. She put thebrandy Steve brought to Conal's lips, and sent Steve for water and rags,telling him where to find the soft scraps she kept together for burns orcuts.

  "It's like the wound Davey had," Steve cried, when he saw the way theflesh was ploughed up on Conal's breast, "only nearer the heart."

  Conal moaned as the cold water struck him. A damp sweat lay on hisforehead.

  "It's all up--I'm done for," he muttered. "Give me--your hand,Deirdre--never--never thought I'd reach you--but I couldn'tdie--there--in the dark--down by the creek."

  His voice failed.

  "Don't try to talk, Conal dear," she begged. "You'll be all right if youkeep quiet--lie still--Davey was."

  But there was a greyness about Conal's face, a dimness that Davey's hadnot had.

  "Davey?" he muttered. "Davey--"

  His eyes opened; they were the wild, bright eyes, reckless andchallenging, of Fighting Conal.

  "You--believe--I shot Davey?"

  "No." Deirdre bent over him, her breath coming sobbingly. "I don'tbelieve it now, Conal. The same hands that did this to you--did it toDavey, too--"

  "A damn', whispering slug in the dark!" he gasped. "It was by theculvert over the creek too--from the cover of the trees--And I knowwhose hand it was--I saw the slinking hound. By God--why did I let himoff? Why did I think I'd got him tight enough."

  He sank back against her arm with a spasm of pain. She put the spirit tohis lips.

  "If only I'd choked--the life out of him, I could die easy. But the marebolted--I couldn't get her back to him. The lying cur! The bargain wasmade--I thought I'd got him--that he'd 've made over his last penny tome. Someone kept me talking outside the Bull--it was that kid minds hishorses--saying that Ginger'd gone lame--and the next thing was a shotfrom the creek and McNab scuttling among the trees. Paugh!" he movedimpatiently, "Why didn't I do for him while I had the chance."

  Superhuman strength animating him for a moment he struggled up, hisswart face stiffening, his eyes flashing.

  "I can! I'm alive yet--I can, Deirdre."

  He swayed and she caught him, breaking the shock of his fall backwards.Blood welled from the open wound; the wet pads had staunched the flowfor a moment. Steve brought more water. She dipped fresh linen and ragsin it and bound them into place. Conal lay heavy and still.

  She bent over him; her eyes turned questioningly to Steve.

  She lifted Conal's head on to her knees. The silence was unbroken.

  "Conal," she whispered as though she were calling him, "Conal!"

  "That you, Deirdre?" he asked huskily, but he did not open his eyes."If--if you could--kiss me--it's so hard to go--feeling you near--andthat you don't care for me at all. If only I hadn't failed you--thistime! If only--But it was because of you I didn't want to--killhim--unless--unless it was necessary. It seemed all right--the otherway--You won't think badly of me, Deirdre?"

  "No, no, Conal dear, but don't try to talk now."

  "I've been hard on you--Deirdre--But you won't think ill of me. It's theway men are made--and I didn't understand how it was with you--andDavey--not till that night in the hut. If I hadn't brought troublebetween you--you might forgive me."

  "Conal, Conal," Deirdre sobbed, the tears streaming over her face."You're dear to me, yourself--dear in your own way. Haven't you alwaysbeen--and I haven't been good to you--always. My heart's breaking tohear you talk like this."

  She bent over and kissed him.

  Conal opened his eyes. The mellow light of serene happiness had driftedinto them. They rested on her face as though they were loath to leaveit. His long fingers were knotted about her hands.

  "I'm happier than ever I was in my life, Deirdre, darling," hewhispered. She had to stoop over him to catch the words on his
lips, sofaint and hoarsely uttered they were, as though the thoughts left himwithout his lips having power to form them. "Never expected to put myhead on your knees--hold your hand--like this. It would never havehappened, if I'd lived, so it's good to die. You'll look afterGinger--'ginger for pluck'--dear old devil--never 've got here--but forher. And Sally--good old Sally--not a cattle mong' Likeher--countryside."

  The ghost of a smile flitted over his lips.

  "If only--"

  Recollection of McNab came, banishing the peaceful happiness from hisface. His eyes blazed. There was a momentary struggle for breath and hefell back fighting for life. Then, on a long sigh, he was still.

  Deirdre tried the brandy again. She called him. She felt for his heart.His head was very heavy on her knees. She stared down on the finelychiselled features, so still, upraised before her. Her tears rained overthem. The quiet was unbroken but for Steve's crying like a child.

  Then Sally, lying crouched against the door of the hut, lifted her voicein a long, mournful howl that told the shrouded hills and all thecreatures of them that the soul of her master, Long Conal--Conal, theFighter--had passed on.