The Heart of the Desert Part 43

DeWitt's arm dropped as if dead.

"Rhoda," he repeated, agonizedly, "you don't know what you are saying!"

"Don't I?" asked Rhoda steadily. "Have I fought my fight without coming to know the risk? Don't I know what atavism means, and race alienation, and hunger for my own? But this which has come to me is stronger than all these. I love Kut-le, John, and I ask you to give his life to me!"

Still Kut-le stood motionless, as did Jack and Porter. DeWitt, without taking his eyes from Rhoda's, slowly, very slowly, slipped his Colt back into his belt. For a long moment he gazed at the wonder of the girl's exalted face. Then he pa.s.sed his hands across his eyes.

"I give up!" he said quietly. Then he turned, walked slowly to the canon edge, and clambered deliberately down the trail.

Jack and Billy stood dazed for a moment longer, then Porter cleared his throat.

"Miss Rhoda, don't do this! Now don't you! Come with us back to the ranch. Just for a month till you get away from this Injun's influence!

Come back and talk to Mrs. Newman. Come back and get some other woman's ideas! For G.o.d's sake, Miss Rhoda, don't ruin your life this way!"

"When Katherine knows it all, she'll understand and agree with me,"

replied Rhoda. "Jack, try to remember everything I said, to tell Katherine."

"_I_ tell her!" cried Jack. "Why can't you tell her yourself? What are you planning to do?"

"That is for Kut-le to say," answered Rhoda.

"Rhoda," said Jack, and his voice shook with earnestness, "listen!

Listen to me, your old playmate! I know how fascinating Kut-le is.

Lord help us, girl, he's been my best friend for years! And in spite of everything, he's my friend still. But, Rhoda, it won't do! It won't work out right. He's a fine man for men. But as a husband to a white woman, he's still an Indian; and after the first, that must always come between you! Think again, Rhoda! I tell you, it won't do!"

Rhoda's voice still was clear and high, still bore the note of exaltation.

"I have thought again and again, Jack. There could be no end to the thinking, so I gave it up!"

Kut-le's eyes were on the girl, inscrutable and calm as the desert itself, but still he did not speak.

Billy Porter wiped his forehead again and again on a cloth that bore no resemblance to a handkerchief.

"I can't put up any kind of an argument. All I can say is I don't see how any one like you could do it, Miss Rhoda! Just think! His folks is Injuns, dirty, blanket Injuns! They scratch themselves from one day's end to the other. They will be your relatives, too! They'll be hanging round you all the time. I'm not a married man but I've noticed when you marry a man you generally marry his whole darn family.

I--I--oh, there's no use talking to her! Let's take her away by force, Jack!"

Rhoda caught her breath and instinctively moved toward Kut-le. But Jack did not stir.

"No," he answered; "I've done all the chasing and trying to kidnap that I care about. But, Rhoda, once and for all I tell you that I think you are doing you and yours a deadly wrong!"

"Perhaps I am," replied Rhoda steadily. "I make no pretense of knowing. At any rate, I'm going to stay with Kut-le."

"For heaven's sake, Rhoda," cried Jack, "at least come back to the ranch and let Katherine give you a wedding. She'll never forgive me for leaving you this way!"

Porter turned on Jack savagely.

"Look here!" he shouted. "Are you crazy too! You're talking about her _marrying_ this Apache!"

Jack spoke through his teeth obstinately.

"I've sweated blood over this thing as long as I propose to. If Rhoda wants to marry Kut-le, that's her business. I always did like Kut-le and I always shall. I've done my full duty in trying to get Rhoda back. Now that she says that she cares for him, it's neither your nor my business--nor DeWitt's. But I want them to come back to the ranch with me and let Katherine give them a nice wedding."

"But--but--" spluttered Porter. Then he stopped as the good sense of Jack's att.i.tude suddenly came home to him. "All right," he said sullenly. "I'm like DeWitt. I pa.s.s. Only--if you try to take this Injun back to the ranch, he'll never get there alive. He'll be lynched by the first bunch of cowboys or miners we strike. Miss Rhoda nor you can't stop 'em. You want to remember how the whole country is worked up over this!"

Rhoda whitened.

"Do you think that too, Jack and Kut-le?"

For the first time, Jack spoke to Kut-le.

"What do you think, Kut-le?" he said.

"Porter's right, of course," answered Kut-le. "My plan always has been to slip down into Mexico and then go to Paris for a year or two. I've got enough money for that. I've always wanted to do some work in the Sorbonne. By the end of two years I think the Southwest will be willing to welcome us back."

Nothing could have so simplified the situation as Kut-le's calm reference to his plans for carrying on his profession. He stood in his well-cut clothes, not an Indian, but a well-bred, clean-cut man of the world. Even Porter recognized this, and with a sigh he resigned himself to the inevitable.

"You folks better come down to the monastery and be married," he said.

"There's a padre down there."

"Gee! What'll I say to Katherine!" groaned Jack.

"Katherine will understand," said Rhoda. "Katherine always loved Kut-le. Even now I can't believe that she has altogether turned against him."

Jack Newman heaved a sigh.

"Well," he said, "Kut-le, will you and Rhoda come down to the monastery with us and be married?" His young niece was solemn.

"Yes," answered Kut-le, "if Rhoda is agreed."

Rhoda's face still wore the look of exaltation.

"I will come!" she said.

Kut-le did not let his glance rest on her, but turned to Billy.

"Mr. Porter," he said courteously, "will you come to my wedding?"

Billy looked dazed. He stared from Kut-le to Rhoda, and Rhoda smiled at him. His last defense was down.

"I'll be there, thanks!" he said.

"There is a side trail that we can take my horses down," said Kut-le.

They all were silent as Kut-le led the way down the side trail and by a circuitous path to the monastery. He made his way up through a rude, gra.s.s-grown path to a cloistered front that was in fairly good repair.

Here they dismounted and waited while Kut-le pulled a long bell-rope that hung beside a battered door. There was not long to wait before the door opened and a white-faced old padre stood staring in amazement at the little group.

Kut-le talked rapidly, now in Spanish and now in English, and at last the padre turned to Rhoda with a smile.

"And you?" he asked. "You are quite willing?"