Erskine Dale-Pioneer Part 14

"I shall not."

XVII

Nor did he. Within half an hour Barbara, pa.s.sing through the hall, saw that the rapiers were gone from the wall and she stopped, with the color fled from her face and her hand on her heart. At that moment Ephraim dashed in from the kitchen.

"Miss Barbary, somebody gwine to git killed. I was wukkin' in de ole field an' Ma.r.s.e Grey rid by cussin' to hisself. Jist now Ma.r.s.e Erskine went tearin' by de landin' wid a couple o' swords under his arm." His eyes too went to the wall. "Yes, bless Gawd, dey's gone!" Barbara flew out the door.

In a few moments she had found Harry and Hugh. Even while their horses were being saddled her father rode up.

"It's murder," cried Harry, "and Grey knows it. Erskine knows nothing about a rapier."

Without a word Colonel Dale wheeled his tired horse and soon Harry and Hugh dashed after him. Barbara walked back to the house, wringing her hands, but on the porch she sat quietly in the agony of waiting that was the role of women in those days.

Meanwhile, at a swift gallop Firefly was skimming along the river road.

Grey had kept his word and more: he had not only ridden slowly but he had stopped and was waiting at an oak-tree that was a corner-stone between two plantations.

"That I may not kill you on your own land," he said.

Erskine started. "The consideration is deeper than you know."

They hitched their horses, and Erskine followed into a pleasant glade-a gra.s.sy glade through which murmured a little stream. Erskine dropped the rapiers on the sward.

"Take your choice," he said.

"There is none," said Grey, picking up the one nearer to him. "I know them both." Grey took off his coat while Erskine waited. Grey made the usual moves of courtesy and still Erskine waited, wonderingly, with the point of the rapier on the ground.

"When you are ready," he said, "will you please let me know?"

"Ready!" answered Grey, and he lunged forward. Erskine merely whipped at his blade so that the clang of it whined on the air to the breaking-point and sprang backward. He was as quick as an eyelash and lithe as a panther, and yet Grey almost laughed aloud. All Erskine did was to whip the thrusting blade aside and leap out of danger like a flash of light. It was like an inexpert boxer flailing according to rules unknown-and Grey's face flamed and actually turned anxious. Then, as a kindly fate would have it, Erskine's blade caught in Grey's guard by accident, and the powerful wrist behind it seeking merely to wrench the weapon loose tore Grey's rapier from his grasp and hurled it ten feet away. There is no greater humiliation for the expert swordsman, and not for nothing had Erskine suffered the shame of that long-ago day when a primitive instinct had led him to thrusting his knife into this same enemy's breast. Now, with his sword's point on the earth, he waited courteously for Grey to recover his weapon.

Again a kindly fate intervened. Even as Grey rushed for his sword, Erskine heard the beat of horses' hoofs. As he s.n.a.t.c.hed it from the ground and turned, with a wicked smile over his grinding teeth, came Harry's shout, and as he rushed for Erskine, Colonel Dale swung from his horse. The sword-blades clashed, Erskine whipping back and forth in a way to make a swordsman groan-and Colonel Dale had Erskine by the wrist and was between them.

"How dare you, sir?" cried Grey hotly.

"Just a moment, young gentleman," said Colonel Dale calmly.

"Let us alone, Uncle Harry-I--"

"Just a moment," repeated the colonel sternly. "Mr. Grey, do you think it quite fair that you with your skill should fight a man who knows nothing about foils?"

"There was no other way," Grey said sullenly.

"And you could not wait, I presume?" Grey did not answer.

"Now, hear what I have to say, and if you both do not agree, the matter will be arranged to your entire satisfaction, Mr. Grey. I have but one question to ask. Your country is at war. She needs every man for her defense. Do you not both think your lives belong to your country and that it is selfish and unpatriotic just now to risk them in any other cause?" He waited for his meaning to sink in, and sink it did.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The sword blades clashed, Erskine whipping back and forth in a way to make a swordsman groan]

"Colonel Dale, your nephew grossly insulted me, and your daughter showed me the door. I made no defense to him nor to her, but I will to you. I merely repeated what I had been told and I believed it true. Now that I hear it is not true, I agree with you, sir, and I am willing to express my regrets and apologies."

"That is better," said Colonel Dale heartily, and he turned to Erskine, but Erskine was crying hotly:

"And I express neither."

"Very well," sneered Grey coldly. "Perhaps we may meet when your relatives are not present to protect you."

"Uncle Harry--" Erskine implored, but Grey was turning toward his horse.

"After all, Colonel Dale is right."

"Yes," a.s.sented Erskine helplessly, and then-"it is possible that we shall not always be on the same side."

"So I thought," returned Grey with lifted eyebrows, "when I heard what I did about you!" Both Harry and Hugh had to catch Erskine by an arm then, and they led him struggling away. Grey mounted his horse, lifted his hat, and was gone. Colonel Dale picked up the swords.

"Now," he said, "enough, of all this-let it be forgotten."

And he laughed.

"You'll have to confess, Erskine-he has a quick tongue and you must think only of his temptation to use it."

Erskine did not answer.

As they rode back Colonel Dale spoke of the war. It was about to move into Virginia, he said, and when it did-- Both Harry and Hugh interrupted him with a glad shout:

"We can go!" Colonel Dale nodded sadly.

Suddenly all pulled their horses in simultaneously and raised their eyes, for all heard the coming of a horse in a dead run. Around a thicketed curve of the road came Barbara, with her face white and her hair streaming behind her. She pulled her pony in but a few feet in front of them, with her burning eyes on Erskine alone.

"Have you killed him-have you killed him? If you have-" She stopped helpless, and all were so amazed that none could answer. Erskine shook his head. There was a flash of relief in the girl's white face, its recklessness gave way to sudden shame, and, without a word, she wheeled and was away again-Harry flying after her. No one spoke. Colonel Dale looked aghast and Erskine's heart again turned sick.

XVIII

The sun was close to the uneven sweep of the wilderness. Through its slanting rays the river poured like a flood of gold. The negroes were on the way singing from the fields. Cries, chaffing, and the musical clanking of trace-chains came from the barnyard. Hungry cattle were lowing and full-uddered mothers were mooing answers to bawling calves. A peac.o.c.k screamed from a distant tree and sailed forth, full-spread-a great gleaming winged jewel of the air. In crises the nerves tighten like violin strings, the memory-plates turn abnormally sensitive-and Erskine was not to forget that hour.

The house was still and not a soul was in sight as the three, still silent, walked up the great path. When they were near the portico Harry came out. He looked worried and anxious.

"Where's Barbara?" asked her father.

"Locked in her room."

"Let her alone," said Colonel Dale gently. Like brother and cousin, Harry and Hugh were merely irritated by the late revelation, but the father was shocked that his child was no longer a child. Erskine remembered the girl as she waited for Grey's coming at the sun-dial, her face as she walked with him up the path. For a moment the two boys stood in moody silence. Harry took the rapiers in and put them in their place on the wall. Hugh quietly disappeared. Erskine, with a word of apology, went to his room, and Colonel Dale sat down on the porch alone.