Prisoners of Chance Part 15

WE GAIN A NEW RECRUIT

There could be no doubt regarding the complete emptiness of the Reverend Ezekiel Cairnes, if the breakfast he devoured from our stock of cold provisions was evidence. I have been commonly blessed with robust appet.i.te, yet where that man found s.p.a.ce within his ribs to store away all he ate in that hour remains a mystery. Nothing, except total inability to address him in intelligible language, held De Noyan quiet as our limited supply steadily diminished before the Puritan's onslaught, and long before the latter heaved a sigh of profound satisfaction the gallant soldier had fallen fast asleep. But Madame remained in her place opposite, apparently fascinated by that vivid red crop of hair, now thoroughly dried in the sun, and standing erect above his odd, pear-shaped head. I had whispered in her ear what the fellow claimed for himself, and being a most devout Catholic, and he the first specimen of his cla.s.s she had ever met, she studied him with no small amount of curiosity and abhorrence.

I can clearly recall the picture, as these two, so widely different, sat facing each other in silence, the golden sunshine checkered over them through an arch of limbs, the broad river shining away to the southward, and De Noyan resting upon his back, with face turned up toward the clear blue sky. The woman, with her soft silken hair smoothed back from the wide, white brow, her intelligent face lighted by eyes of deepest brown, looking, what in truth she was, the aristocratic daughter of a gentleman of France, one whose home had ever been amid refinements of civilization, and whose surroundings those of love and courtesy. Even there, in the heart of that wilderness, the social training of years remained paramount, and she sat silent, toying with untasted food, out of respect to this stranger guest. And he, with shoulders so abnormally broad as to appear deformed, clad in sober Puritan garb, ate serenely on, unconscious of her glances, making use of both his huge hands in the operation, his little gimlet eyes twinkling greedily, his head, oddly resembling a cone, blazing like a fire whenever a ray of sun chanced to fall across it. I noticed he occasionally stole shy glances at her, nor could I wonder, for, in spite of fatigue and exposure, Madame remained a winsome sight, to do the heart of any man good to look upon.

"The Lord G.o.d of Hosts be praised; ay! with harps, cymbals, and instruments of many strings, will I give praise unto His holy name," he exclaimed fervently, wiping his wide mouth upon his sleeve, while casting a look of regret over the debris in his front. "Once again hath He abundantly supplied His elect with that which upbuildeth and giveth strength to the flesh. Now my bodily requirements have been duly attended to, it behooves me to minister likewise unto the spiritual, and then seek repose. Friends, will you not both join with me at the throne of grace? It hath been said that I possess much unction in prayer."

"No," I answered, not unwilling to be left alone with Eloise; "you are welcome to put up pet.i.tions in our behalf, but this lady is not of your faith, while as for myself, I have known little about such matters since childhood. One thing, however,--if you propose making use of that bull voice of yours, I advise that you select the farther extremity of the island for the scene of your devotions, lest you arouse the Chevalier."

He cast upon me a glance not altogether pleasant, but tramped off through the bushes without reply, and for several moments we heard the st.u.r.dy rise and fall of his earnest supplications, frequently interspersed with hearty groans, as of one in all the agony of deep remorse.

"'Tis an odd fish we've hooked out of the stream," I said, turning my head toward the dismal sounds. "Yet he has strong arms, and may be of considerable use, if he will consent to voyage with us."

"I scarcely know what to make of the man," Madame admitted candidly.

"He is unlike any I have ever met. Yet I think he may prove honest and of good heart, although his exterior is far from attractive."

"And his appet.i.te hardly suggestive of economy," I added.

The bright look I always loved to see leaped into her clear eyes.

"Have you faith his labor will offset his eating?" she replied, laughing.

"Possibly not; yet it is not labor alone I would select him for. We may have to fight before we attain a place of safety. For that purpose I would rank this fellow highly. Never yet have I met a red-headed man averse to a quarrel. Faith! by that token, this one should be worth a company if we ever come to blows."

"But he is a priest, you told me, a preacher of the Protestants."

"Ay! and the better for it. I have heard my father say the Puritan breed makes the stoutest men-at-arms; that nothing has been found to stiffen a battle-line equal to a good text. Give this fellow a pike, pit him against a boatload of Spanish papists, and, I 'll warrant, he 'll crack more heads than any two of us. Besides, he controls a perfect tornado of a voice, fit to frighten the crew of a frigate on a dark night."

She was sitting, her back pressed against a small tree, her hands clasped lightly about one knee, with dark eves gazing afar where the broad river danced away into the golden sheen.

"Geoffrey Benteen," she asked soberly, never glancing toward me, "is it true you do not desire my return to New Orleans?"

"It is true."

"Would you honestly tell me why?" and she turned her eyes, looking searchingly into mine.

"I have mentioned sufficient reasons," I ventured, resolutely facing her, determined to speak frankly and abide the result. "All I need add is, to my judgment it will prove better for you to remain with your husband."

She glanced aside at him where he lay, the quick blood flushing her clear cheek.

"You do not like him?" the question fell faltering from her lips.

"That I am not prepared to declare. He is changeable, somewhat overbearing in speech, not as sober of mind as I am accustomed to find men, yet it is not true I dislike him. I merely believe that he will do better, be truer to his manhood, with you near him, than with you absent."

"He is French," she explained gently, "by nature of birth different from your race. Besides, he has led a life filled with the dissipation of the town."

"True! for that reason I forbear judging his words and actions by any standard of my own people. Yet this I cannot be blind to, Madame; he is of quick temper, hasty in action, easily influenced by others, and might become careless at times, and under strong temptation, unless some moral firmness hold him in check. You alone possess the power to become his good angel."

She bowed her head, her gaze again far off upon the river, the deepening surge of color rising upon either cheek.

"You cannot be angry," I continued gravely, after pausing vainly for a reply. "Surely I have said no more than you already knew, and I spoke merely in answer to your questioning."

"No, I am not angry. But it is not a pleasant reflection underlying the things mentioned, and I cannot a.s.sert your judgment of the Chevalier false. Still I would press you further. Is this your only reason for desiring me to remain?"

"You wish me to answer frankly?"

"Otherwise I should not ask."

I felt the quick flush mount even to my hair, yet gripped my breath, making effort to respond boldly.

"I had other reason. To deny it would be merely uttering a lie to no purpose. Madame de Noyan, we are not strangers--we could never be after that night when we parted beneath the olives of Monsieur Beaujen's garden. You are wife to a chevalier of France; I, a homeless adventurer. Yet I have no higher ambition than to prove of service to you. Whatever I have accomplished has been entirely for your sake, not for his. Now we are together, the daily opportunity to serve you is mine; here I can work for you, perchance die for you, should such sacrifice promise you happiness. But if you decide to go back yonder, directly into danger as desperate as any confronting us to the northward, then I must determine for myself where I can serve you best.

Knowing my heart as you must, you can easily judge whether I would plunge deeper into the wilderness with your husband, or return to New Orleans with you. There is a sentence in the Bible about the impossibility of serving two masters, hence I trust I may not be compelled to choose between, until the hour when you are both safe."

She listened silently, and I almost feared I had ventured upon too plain speaking. Yet now, as she turned again toward me, her eyes were moist with tears.

"You are a strange man, Geoffrey Benteen," she said gently, and, I know not how, yet both her hands found way to mine. "I scarcely comprehend your nature, or gauge your purposes--you are so unlike all others I have known. Yet this I am a.s.sured; you are of honest heart, and I trust you wholly."

"You will not return to the town?"

"I abide with you, and with my husband." Her voice faltered to that last word, yet she spoke it bravely.

"It will be better so," I a.s.sented. "Better for us all."

We slept late, undisturbed, in secure retreat among the trees, the vast river chanting its endless song on either side of us. During the evening meal, partaken of amid the gathering shadows of twilight, our newly discovered friend again evidenced his power as a trencherman.

"_Sacre_!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed De Noyan in dismay. "I supposed his breakfast was intended to last the week. We shall need a fleet of boats to provision the fellow if he keep us company long. How is it, friend Benteen, are we to enjoy the pleasure of a.s.sociating with this human alligator, or do we now part company?"

"That is not yet determined," I replied, smiling at the look of consternation with which he regarded him. "I will sound the man on the subject, while he appears in good humor."

I crossed the narrow plat of gra.s.s to where our guest sat facing the remains of his late feast, a look of satisfaction visible upon his withered countenance.

"My good friend," he exclaimed, observing my approach, "there seems an over-preponderance of spices in this cured meat; otherwise it meets my cordial approbation, although your Southern cookery has a peculiarly greasy flavor to one of my taste in food."

"I failed to observe your refraining from any on account of that objection," I retorted, deeply amused by his words. "But if you are completely satisfied, you may be willing to turn a moment to matters of business, and inform us what you propose doing. In brief, will you resume your voyage, or is it your desire to cast your lot with us?"

He meditatively stroked the thin red stubble adorning his chin, contemplating me steadily.

"Doth that which a.s.sisteth to nourish and sustain the inner man bid fair to hold out?" he finally questioned in a tone of anxiety. "I have need of sufficient food, both temporal and spiritual, and would not lightly a.s.sume any burden of suffering, unless it appear clearly as the will of G.o.d."

"I know not how long we can withstand such onslaughts as those you have already made," I returned honestly. "We are fairly well provisioned for present needs, and when farther up the river will feel free to seek fresh game."

"Ah! you have guns in the party? You will shoot deer--deer!" He smacked his thin lips greedily. "A nice, fat, juicy steak would not go bad even now. 'Tis strange how the mind runneth upon such carnal matters--it remindeth us the flesh is weak. Deer--'tis best turned upon a spit, with live coats not quite touching it. I would one might wander before your gun this very night. Young man, did I not hear you name the destination of your party as the Ohio?"

"I so stated."

"Then let me warn you, friend," he crossed his legs more comfortably, resting back at ease, "that what you propose may not prove so easy as you dream. The Amalekites and heathen, together with the worshippers of Baal, are everywhere along the upper waters. By the memory of Old Noll, I have seen more black-faced papists in the past two weeks than I ever before laid eyes on."

"You do not enjoy the prospect of a fight?"