Lister's Great Adventure

by Harold Bindloss

  CHAPTER V

  SHILLITO GETS AWAY

  When the train started Lister did not go to his berth. His curiosity wasexcited and he wondered whether he had been rash. Now he came to thinkabout it, the girl was attractive, and perhaps this to some extentaccounted for his willingness to help. Moreover she was young, and itwas possible her relations had put her in the man's control. If so, hismeddling could not be justified.

  After a time he heard the whistle, and imagined the train was going tostop at a small station to which mails were brought from some miningcamps. The neighboring country was rugged and lonely, but a trail ransouth through the woods to the American frontier. When the cars stoppedhe pushed down the window and looked out.

  Small trees grew along the track and the light from the cars touchedtheir branches. The line was checkered by illuminated patches and beltsof gloom. Lister heard somebody open the baggage car and then saw a manrun along the line beside the train. Another jumped off a platform andthey met not far from Lister's window. The man who got down was thefellow who had gone through the car looking for the girl. The locomotivepump throbbed noisily and Lister could not hear their talk, but hethought they argued.

  The one who came up the line looked impatient and put his hand on hiscompanion's arm, as if to urge him away. The other stepped back, and hisgesture implied that he refused to go. The train was long, thepassengers were asleep, and the men, no doubt, imagined nobody saw them.Lister thought the fellow who got down did not know the girl was goneand did not mean to leave the train without her. The light touched themen's faces, and it was obvious that one was angry and the otherdisturbed. The scene intrigued Lister. It was like watching an act in acinema play of which one did not know the plot.

  After a minute or two a lantern flashed up the track, the bell tolled,and the nearer man jumped back on the step. Lister heard a vestibuledoor shut and then the throb of wheels began. The fellow on the linefrowned and threw out his hands angrily. From the movement of his lipsLister thought he swore, but the car rolled past him and he melted intothe dark.

  Lister went to his berth, but did not undress. Much of the night hadgone, he would reach his camp soon after daybreak, and the train wouldonly stop long enough for him to jump off. He could sleep in his clothesfor an hour or two. A slackening of the roll of wheels wakened him andhe got out of his berth, but the big lamps were burning and when he wentto the door he saw dawn had not come. It was obvious they had notreached the construction camp. Lister shivered, and was returning to hisberth when the conductor opened the door.

  "Our luck's surely not good to-night," he said. "They're pulling us upat Maple. If it's not a washout, somebody will get fired."

  He went off, grumbling, but when the train stopped came back with atrooper of the North-West Mounted Police.

  "Where's the guy you told me to watch out for?" he asked.

  Lister said he did not know and offered to go with them and help findthe man. It looked as if he were going to see the end of the play.

  When they opened a vestibule door a man came out of the car in front andstopped, as if he were dazzled by the beam from the conductor's liftedlamp.

  "That's the fellow," Lister shouted.

  He thought the other saw the trooper's uniform, because he stepped backquickly. The door, however, was shut. When he let go the handle thespring-bolt had engaged.

  "Nothing doing that way!" said the trooper. "My partner's coming alongbehind you; you're corraled all right. I've a warrant for you, LouisShillito."

  The North-West Police work in couples and the situation was plain. Onetrooper had begun his search at the front of the train, the other at theback, and Shillito, hearing the first turn the passengers out of theirberths, had tried to steal away and met the other. His face gotstrangely white, but Lister thought it was rather with rage than fear.His lips drew back in a snarl, and the veins swelled on his forehead. Heoccupied the center of the illuminated circle thrown by the conductor'slamp, and his savage gaze was fixed. Lister saw he was not looking atthe policeman but at him.

  "Blast you!" Shillito shouted. "If you hadn't butted in--"

  "Cut it out!" said the trooper. "Hands up; we've got you! Don't maketrouble."

  Shillito's hand went behind him. It was possible he felt for the doorknob, but the trooper meant to run no risks. Although he had put downhis rifle and taken out his handcuffs, he jumped forward, across theplatform, and Shillito bent sideways to avoid his spring. The fellow wasathletic and his quick side-movement indicated he was something of aboxer; the policeman was embarrassed by his handcuffs and young.Shillito seized him and threw him against the rails, close to the gapwhere the steps went down. The trooper gasped, his grasp got slack, andhis body slipped along the rails. It looked as if Shillito would throwhim down the steps, and Lister jumped.

  He saw Shillito's hand go up and next moment got a heavy blow. For allthat, he seized the man and held on, though blood ran into his eyes andhe felt dizzy. Shillito struggled like a savage animal and Listerimagined the trooper did not help much. He got his arms round hisantagonist and tried to pull him down; Shillito was trying to reach theopening in the rails. After a moment or two, Lister felt his musclesgetting slack, lurched forward, and saw nothing in front. He plunged outfrom the gap, struck a step with his foot, and somebody fell on him.Then he thought he heard a rifle-shot, and knew nothing more.

  By and by somebody pulled him to his feet and he saw the conductorholding his arm. A group of excited passengers stood round them in thelight that shone from the train and some others ran along the edge ofthe woods. The trooper and Shillito were gone.

  Lister's head hurt, he felt shaky, and when he wiped his face his handwas wet with blood.

  "My head's cut. S'pose I hit something when I fell," he said.

  "Shillito socked it to you pretty good," the conductor replied, andwaved his lamp. "All aboard!" he shouted, and pushed Lister up thesteps.

  When they reached the platform the car jolted and Lister sat down, withhis back against the door.

  "My legs won't hold me," he said in an apologetic voice. "Did Shillitoget off?"

  "Knocked out the trooper and made the bush; the other fellow was wayback along the train," the conductor replied. "They want him forembezzlement and will soon get on his trail, but the wash-out's brokethe wires and I reckon he'll cross the frontier ahead. Now you comealong and I'll try to fix your cut."

  Lister went, and soon after a porter helped him into his berth. His headhurt and he felt very dull and slack, but he slept and when he wokebright sunshine streamed into the standing car and he saw the train hadstopped at Winnipeg. Soon afterwards the conductor and one of thestation officials put him into an automobile.

  "If the reporters get after you, remember you're not to talk about thegirl," he said to the conductor.

  The other nodded, and signed the driver to start. The car rolled off andstopped at the house of a doctor who dressed the cut on Lister's headand ordered him a week's rest. Lister went to a hotel, and in themorning found a romantic narrative of Shillito's escape in thenewspaper, but was relieved to note that nothing was said about thegirl. The report, however, stated that a passenger who tried to help thepolice had got badly hurt and Shillito had vanished in the woods. Thepolice had not found his trail and it was possible he would reach theAmerican frontier.

  Lister thought the thing was done with, and when a letter arrived fromthe construction office, telling him to stay until he felt able toresume his work, resigned himself to rather dreary idleness. For somedays his head ached and he could not go out; the other guests wereengaged in the city and there was nobody to whom he could talk. He gotbadly bored, and it was a relief when one afternoon the gentleman he hadmet at the construction camp arrived with his daughter. For all that,Lister was surprised. Duveen was a man of some importance, Miss Duveenwas a fashionable young lady, and Lister had imagined they had forgottenhim. He took his guests to a corner of the spacious rotunda where athrobbing electric fan blew away the flies,
and Duveen gave him acigarette.

  "The _Record_ did not give your name, but we soon found out who was theplucky passenger," he said with a friendly smile. "Ruth thought she'dlike to see you, and since I wasn't engaged this afternoon we camealong."

  "I did want to come, but I really think you proposed the visit," Ruthremarked.

  "Oh, well," said Duveen, "I don't know if it's important, but perhaps weoughtn't to make Mr. Lister talk."

  Lister declared he wanted to talk, and Duveen said presently, "I don'tsee why you butted in."

  For a moment or two Lister hesitated. He was resolved to say nothingabout the girl; it was obvious she would not like her adventure known,but he must be cautious. Duveen was clever, and he thought Miss Duveengave him a curious glance.

  "The trooper was young and I sympathized with his keenness. Looked as ifit was his first important job and he meant to make good."

  "A romantic impulse?" Duveen remarked, and laughed. "Well, when one isyoung, I expect it's hard to stand off while a fight's going on. All thesame, it's strange you didn't sympathize with the fellow who wascorraled. That's youth's natural instinct, although I allow it's notoften justified."

  "The trooper was corraled. He'd put down his rifle and Shillito had agun; I reckon it was the sharp butt of a heavy automatic that cut myhead. Then I didn't like the fellow; he'd come through the train beforeand looked a smart crook."

  "He is a crook and got away with a big wad of the lumber firm's money.However, you were rash to jump for a man with a pistol. You didn't knowhe'd use the butt. All the same, you look brighter than we thought andcan take a rest. I expect the construction office won't rush you backuntil you're fit."

  "I want to get back. Loafing round the hotel is dreary and my job's notgetting on. Although I'm ordered to lie off, this won't count for much.I'll be made accountable for getting behind."

  Duveen said nothing for a moment or two, but he looked thoughtful, andLister imagined Miss Duveen studied him quietly. He did not belong tothe Duveens' circle; he was ruder. In fact, it was rather strange to seethese people sitting with him, engaged in friendly talk, although, nowhe thought about it, Miss Duveen had not said much.

  She was a pretty girl and Lister liked her fashionable dress. SomehowRuth Duveen harmonized with the tall pillars and rich ornamentation ofthe rotunda. One felt she belonged to spacious rooms. Duveen's clotheswere in quiet taste, he wore a big diamond, and looked commanding. Onefelt this was a man whose word carried weight.

  "You're something of a hustler," he remarked with a smile. "For allthat, you got a nasty knock, and your quitting for a time is justified.Well, if you feel lonesome, come along and dine at our hotel. Then we'llgo and see the American opera. I'm told the show is good."

  Lister made some excuses, but Duveen would not be refused.

  "When we stopped at your camp you made things smooth for us. You gaveRuth some thrills, showed her the romance of track-grading, andgenerally helped her to a good time. Anyhow, the thing is fixed. We'llsend the car for you."

  They went off soon afterwards, and Lister mused and smoked. He hadhardly expected to meet the Duveens again and wondered whether he owedthe visit to Ruth or her father; he had remarked at the camp that shewas generally indulged. Well, it was plain Duveen could help him andLister was ambitious, but he frowned and pulled himself up. He was notgoing to intrigue for promotion and use a girl's friendship in order toforce his chiefs to see his merits. Things like that were done, but notby him; it demanded qualities he did not think were his. Moreover he didnot know if Ruth Duveen was his friend. She was attractive, but heimagined she was clever. All the same, if he could get the doctor to fixhis bandage so as to make it inconspicuous he would dine with theDuveens.