The Way of a Man

by Emerson Hough

  CHAPTER XIII

  THE FACE IN THE FIRELIGHT

  Sudden disaster usually brings sudden calm, the pause before resolutionor resignation. For the first instant after the shock of the boat uponthe impaling snag I stood irresolute; the next, I was busy with plansfor escape. Running down the companionway, I found myself among a crowdof excited deck hands, most of whom, with many of the passengers, werepushing toward the starboard rail, whence could be seen the gloom of theforest along shore. The gangway door on the opposite side of the boatwas open, and as I looked out I could see the long white arms of thegiant snag reaching alongside. Without much plan or premeditation Isprang out, and making good my hold upon the nearest limb as I plunged,found myself, to my surprise, standing in not more than four feet ofwater, the foot of the bar evidently running down well under the boat.

  Just as I turned to call to others I saw the tall figure of myplainsman, Auberry, appear at the doorway, and he also, with scarcely amoment's deliberation, took a flying leap and joined me on the snag."It's better here than there," he said, "if she sinks or busts, andthey're allus likely to do both."

  As we pulled ourselves up into the fork of the long naked branch weheard a voice, and saw the face of a woman leaning over the rail of theupper deck. I recognized my whilom friend, Mandy McGovern. "Whut you alldoin' down there?" she called. "Wait a minute; I'm comin', too." Amoment later she appeared at the opening of the lower deck and cranedout her long neck. I then saw at her side the figure of a young woman,her hair fallen from its coils, her feet bare, her body wrappedapparently only in some light silken dressing to be thrown above hernightwear. She, too, looked out into the darkness, but shrank back.

  "Here, you," called out Mandy McGovern, "git hold of the end of thisrope."

  She tossed to me the end of the gang-plank rope, by which the slidingstage was drawn out and in at the boat landings. I caught this andpassed it over a projection on the snag.

  "Now, haul it out," commanded she; and as we pulled, she pushed, so thatpresently indeed we found that the end reached the edge of the limb onwhich we sat. Without any concern, Mrs. McGovern stepped out on theswaying bridge, sunbonnet hanging down her back, her long rifle underone arm, while by the other hand she dragged her tall son, AndrewJackson, who was blubbering in terror.

  This bridge, however, proved insecure, for as Mandy gave Andrew Jacksona final yank at its farther end, the latter stumbled, and in hisstruggles to lay hold upon the snag, pushed the end of the planks offtheir support. His mother's sinewy arm thrust him into safety, and sheherself clambered up, very wet and very voluble in her imprecations onhis clumsiness.

  "Thar, now, look what ye did, ye low-down coward," she said. "Like to'a' drownded both of us, and left the gal back there on the boat!"

  The gang plank, confined by the rope, swung in the current alongside thesnag, but it seemed useless to undertake to restore it to its position.The girl cowered against the side of the deck opening, undecided."Wait," I called out to her; and slipping down into the water again, Iwaded as close as I could to the door, the water then catching me closeto the shoulders.

  "Jump!" I said to her, holding out my arms.

  "I can't--I'm afraid," she said, in a voice hardly above a whisper.

  "Do as I tell you!" I roared, in no gentle tones, I fear. "Jump atonce!" She stooped, and sprang, and as I caught her weight with my armsunder hers, she was for the moment almost immersed; but I staggeredbackwards and managed to hold my footing till Auberry's arms reached usfrom the snag, up which we clambered, the girl dripping wet and catchingher breath in terror.

  "That's right," said Mandy McGovern, calmly, "now here we be, all of us.Now, you men, git hold of this here rope an' haul up them boards, an'make a seat for us."

  Auberry and I found it difficult to execute this order, for the currentof old Missouri, thrusting against so large an object, was incrediblystrong; but at last, little by little edging the heavy staging up overthe limb of the snag, we got its end upon another fork and so made aticklish support, half in and half out of the water.

  "That's better," said Mandy, climbing upon it. "Now come here, you porechild. You're powerful cold." She gathered the girl between her knees asshe sat. "Here, you man, give me your coat," she said to me; and Icomplied, wishing it were not so wet.

  None on the boat seemed to have any notion of what was going on upon ourside of the vessel. We heard many shouts and orders, much trampling offeet, but for the most part on the opposite part of the boat. Then atonce we heard the engines reverse, and were nearly swept from ourinsecure hold upon the snag by the surges kicked up under the wheel. Thecurrent caught the long underbody of the boat as she swung. We heardsomething rip and splinter and grate; and then the boat, backing freefrom the snag, gradually slipped down from the bar and swept into thecurrent under steam again.

  Not so lucky ourselves, for this wrenching free of the boat had tornloose the long imbedded roots of the giant snag, and the plowing currentgetting under the vast flat back of matted roots, now slowly forced it,grinding and shuddering, down from the toe of the bar. With a sullenroll it settled down into new lines as it reached the deeper water. Thenthe hiss of the water among the branches ceased. Rolling and swaying, wewere going with the current, fully afloat on the yellow flood of theMissouri!

  I held my breath for a moment, fearing lest the snag might roll overentirely; but no concern seemed to reach the mind of our friend Mrs.McGovern. "It's all right," said she, calmly. "No use gittin' skeeredtill the time comes. Boat's left us, so I reckon we'd better be gittin'somewhere for ourselves. You, Andrew Jackson, dem yer fool soul, if youdon't quit snivelin' I'll throw you off into the worter."

  Looking across the stream I could see the lights of the _River Belle_swing gradually into a longer line, and presently heard the clanging ofher bells as she came to a full stop, apparently tied up along shore.From that direction the current seemed to come toward us with a longslant, so that as we dropped down stream, we also edged away.

  We had traveled perhaps three quarters of a mile, when I noticed the dimloom of trees on our side of the stream, and saw that we wereapproaching a long point which ran out below us. This should have beenthe deep side of the river, but no one can account for the vagaries ofthe Missouri. When we were within a hundred yards or so of the point, wefelt a long shuddering scrape under us, and after a series of slips andjerks, our old snag came to anchor again, its roots having once morelaid hold upon a bar. The sand-wash seemed to have been deflected by theprojecting mass of a heap of driftwood which I now saw opposite to us,its long white arms reaching out toward those of our floating craft.Once more the hissing of the water began among the buried limbs, andonce more the snag rolled ominously, and then lay still, its giant,naked trunk, white and half submerged, reaching up stream fifty feetabove us. We were apparently as far from safety as ever, although almostwithin touch of shore.

  It occurred to me that as I had been able to touch bottom on the otherbar, I might do so here. I crawled back along the trunk of the snag to aplace as near the roots as I could reach, and letting myself downgently, found that I could keep my footing on the sand.

  "Look out there! boy," cried Auberry to me. "This river's dangerous. Ifit takes you down, swim for the shore. Don't try to get back here." Wecould see that the set of the current below ran close inshore, althoughdoubtless the water there was very deep.

  Little by little I edged up the stream, and found presently that thewater shoaled toward the heap of driftwood. It dropped off, I know nothow deep, between the edge of the bar and the piled drift; but standingno more than waist deep; I could reach the outer limbs of the drift andsaw that they would support my weight. After that I waded back to thesnag carefully, and once more ordered the young woman to come to me.

  She came back along the naked and slippery trunk of the snag, pullingherself along by her hands, her bare feet and limbs deep in the wateralongside. I could hear the sob of her intaken breath, and saw that shetrembled in fright.

&nb
sp; "Come," I said, as she finally reached the mass of the roots. And moredead than alive, it seemed to me, she fell once more into my arms. Ifelt her grasp tighten about my neck, and her firm body crowd against meas we both sank down for an instant. Then I caught my feet andstraightened, and was really the steadier for the added weight, as anyone knows who has waded in fast water. Little by little I edged up onthe bar, quite conscious of her very gracious weight, but sure we shouldthus reach safety.

  "Put me down," she said at length, as she saw the water shoaling. It waship deep to me, but waist deep to her; and I felt her shudder as shecaught its chill. Her little hand gripped tight to mine.

  By this time the others had also descended from the snag. I saw oldAuberry plunging methodically along, at his side Mrs. McGovern, claspingthe hand of her son. "Come on here, you boy," she said. "What ye skeeredof? Tall as you air, you could wade the whole Missouri without your hairgettin' wet. Come along!"

  "Get up, Auberry," I said to him as he approached, and motioned to thelong, overhanging branches from the driftwood. He swung up, breaking offthe more insecure boughs, and was of the belief that we could get acrossin that way. As he reached down, I swung the young woman up to him, andshe clambered on as best she could. Thus, I scarce know how, we allmanaged to reach the solid drift, and so presently found ourselvesashore, on a narrow, sandy beach, hedged on the back by a heavy growthof willows.

  "Now then, you men," ordered Mandy McGovern, "get some wood out andstart a fire, right away. This here girl is shaking the teeth plumbout'n her head."

  Auberry and I had dragged some wood from the edge of the drift andpulled it into a heap near by, before we realized that neither of us hadmatches.

  "Humph!" snorted our leader, feeling in her pockets. She drew forth twoflasks, each stoppered with a bit of corncob. The one held sulphurmatches, thus kept quite dry, and this she passed to me. The other shehanded to the young woman.

  "Here," said she, "take a drink of that. It'll do you good."

  I heard the girl gasp and choke as she obeyed this injunction; and thenMandy applied the bottle gurglingly to her own lips.

  "I've got a gallon of that back there on the boat," said Auberryruefully.

  "Heap of good it'll do you there," remarked Mandy. "Looks to me like youall never did travel much. Fer me, I always go heeled. Wherever I gitsthrowed, there my rifle, and my matches, and my licker gits throwed_too_! Now I'll show you how to, light a fire."

  Presently we had a roaring blaze started, which added much to thecomfort of all, for the chill of night was over the river, despite thefact that this was in the springtime. Mandy seated herself comfortablyupon a log, and producing a corncob pipe and a quantity of natural leaftobacco, proceeded to enjoy herself in her own fashion. "This here's allright," she remarked. "We might be a heap worse off'n we air."

  I could not help pitying the young woman who crouched near her at thefireside, still shivering; she seemed so young and helpless and so outof place in such surroundings. As presently the heat of the flame madeher more comfortable, she began to tuck back the tumbled locks of herhair, which I could see was thick and dark. The firelight showed insilhouette the outlines of her face. It seemed to me I had never seenone more beautiful. I remembered the round firmness of her body in myarms, the clasp of her hands about my neck, her hair blown across mycheek, and I reflected that since fortune had elected me to be arescuer, it was not ill that so fair an object had been there for therescuing.

  Perhaps she felt my gaze, for presently she turned and said to me, in aspleasant a speaking voice as I had ever heard, "Indeed, it might beworse. I thank you so much. It was very brave of you."

  "Listen at that!" grunted Mandy McGovern. "What'd them men have to dowith it? Where'd you all be now if it wasn't for me?"

  "You'd be much better off," I ventured, "if I hadn't done any rescuingat all, and if we'd all stayed over there on the boat." I pointed to thelights of the _River Belle_, lying on the opposite shore, something likea mile above us.

  "We're all right now," said old Auberry after a time. "If we can't getacross to the boat, it's only four or five miles up to the settlementson this side, opposite the old Independence landing."

  "I couldn't walk," said the girl. She shyly looked down at the edge ofher thin wrapper, and I saw the outline of an uncovered toe.

  "Here, ma'am," said Auberry, unknotting from his neck a heavy bandana."This is the best I can do. You and the woman see if you can tie up yourfeet somehow."

  The girl hesitated, laughed, and took the kerchief. She and Mandy bentapart, and I heard the ripping of the handkerchief torn across. The girlturned back to the fire and put out a little foot for us to see, mufflednow in the red folds of the kerchief. Her thin garments by this timewere becoming dry, and her spirits now became more gay. She fell into aready comradeship with us.

  As she stood at the fire, innocent of its defining light, I saw that shewas a beautiful creature, apparently about twenty years of age. Givenproper surroundings, I fancied, here was a girl who might make troublefor a man. Eyes like hers, I imagined, had before this set some man'sheart astir; and one so fair as she never waited long in this world foradmirers.

  She stooped and spread out her hands before the flames. I could see thather hands were small and well formed, could see the firelight shine pinkat the inner edges of her fingers. On one finger, as I could not avoidnoticing, was a curious ring of plain gold. The setting, also of gold,was deeply cut into the figure of a rose. I recalled that I had neverseen a ring just similar. Indeed, it seemed to me, as I stole a furtiveglance at her now and then, I had never seen a girl just similar.

  THEY FOUGHT FURIOUSLY THE YELLING CHARGING REDSKINWARRIORS]

  THE WAGONS DRAW INTO A DEFENSIVE CIRCLE]

  We had waited perhaps not over an hour at our fireside, undecided whatto do, when Auberry raised a hand. "Listen," he said. "There's a boatcoming"; and presently we all heard the splash of oars. Our fire hadbeen seen by one of the boats of the _River Belle_, out picking up suchstragglers as could be found.

  "Hello, there!" called a rough voice to us, as the boat grated at ourbeach. Auberry and I walked over and found that it was the mate of theboat, with a pair of oarsmen in a narrow river skiff.

  "How many's there of you?" asked the mate--"Five?--I can't take youall."

  "All right," said Auberry, "this gentleman and I will walk up to thetown on this side. You take the women and the boy. We'll send down forour things in the morning, if you don't come up."

  So our little bivouac on the beach came to an end. A moment later thepassengers were embarked, and Auberry and I, standing at the bow, wereabout to push off the boat for them.

  "A moment, sir," exclaimed our friend of the fireside, rising andstepping toward me as I stood alongside the boat. "You are forgettingyour coat."

  She would have taken it from her shoulders, but I forbade it. Shehesitated, and finally said, "I thank you so much"; holding out herhand.

  I took it. It was a small hand, with round fingers, firm of clasp. Ihate a hard-handed woman, or one with mushy fingers, but this, as itseemed to me, was a hand excellently good to clasp--warm now, and nolonger trembling in the terrors of the night.

  "I do not know your name, sir," she said, "but I should like my fatherto thank you some day."

  "All ready!" cried the mate.

  "My name is Cowles," I began, "and sometime, perhaps--"

  "All aboard!" cried the mate; and so the oars gave way.

  So I did not get the name of the girl I had seen there in the firelight.What did remain--and that not wholly to my pleasure, so distinct itseemed--was the picture of her high-bred profile, shown in chiaroscuroat the fireside, the line of her chin and neck, the tumbled masses ofher hair. These were things I did not care to remember; and I hatedmyself as a soft-hearted fool, seeing that I did so.

  "Son," said old Auberry to me, after a time, as we trudged along up thebank, stumbling over roots and braided grasses, "that was a almightyfine lookin' gal we brun
g along with us there."

  "I didn't notice," said I.

  "No," said Auberry, solemnly, "I noticed you didn't take no notice; soyou can just take my judgment on it, which I allow is safe. Are you amarried man?"

  "Not yet," I said.

  "You might do a heap worse than that gal," said Auberry.

  "I suppose you're married yourself," I suggested.

  "Some," said Auberry, chuckling in the dark. "In fact, a good deal, Ireckon. My present woman's a Shoshone--we're livin' up Horse Creek,below Laramie. Them Shoshones make about the best dressers of 'em all."

  "I don't quite understand--"

  "I meant hides. They can make the best buckskin of any tribe I know." Hewalked on ahead in the dark for some time, before he added irrelevantly,"Well, after all, in some ways, women is women, my son, and men is men;that bein' the way this world is made just at these here present times.As I was sayin', that's a powerful nice lookin' gal."

  I shuddered in my soul. I glanced up at the heavens, studded thick withstars. It seemed to me that I saw gazing down directly at me one cold,bright, reproving star, staring straight into my soul, and accusing meof being nothing more than a savage, nothing better than a man.