第35章

And yet what was Joan to Blandford now? Why should he weep for the woman who had never loved him--whom he loved no longer? The woman who had deceived him--who had deceived them BOTH.Yes! for Joan must have suspected that Blandford was living to have sought her secret divorce--and yet she had never told him--him--the man for whom she got it.Ah! he must not forget THAT! It was to marry him that she had taken that step.It was perhaps a foolish caution--a mistaken reservation; but it was the folly--the mistake of a loving woman.He hugged this belief the closer, albeit he was conscious at the same time of following Blandford's story of his alienated affection with a feeling of wonder and envy.

"And what was the result of this touching sacrifice?" continued Blandford, trying to resume his former cynical indifference."I'll tell you.This scoundrel set himself about to supplant me.Taking advantage of my absence, his knowledge that her affection for me was heightened by the mystery of my life, and trusting to profit by a personal resemblance he is said to bear to me, he began to haunt her.Lately he has grown bolder, and he dared even to communicate with her here.For it is he," he continued, again giving way to his passion, "this dog, this sneaking coward, who visits the place unknown to you, and thinks to entrap the poor girl through her memory of me.And it is he that I came here to prevent, to expose--if necessary to kill! Don't misunderstand me.I have made myself a deputy of the law for that purpose.I've a warrant in my pocket, and I shall take him, this mongrel, half-breed Cherokee Bob, by fair means or foul!"The energy and presence of his passion was so infectious that it momentarily swept away Demorest's doubts of the past."And I will help you, before God, Blandford," he said eagerly."And Joan shall, too.She will find out from Rosita how far--""Thank you," interrupted Blandford, dryly; "but your wife has already interfered in this matter, to my cost.It is to her, Ibelieve, I owe this wretch's following Rosita here.She already knows this man--has met him twice in San Francisco; he even boasts of YOUR jealousy.You know best how far he lied."But Demorest had braced himself against the chill sensation that had begun to creep over him as Blandford spoke.He nerved himself and said, proudly, "I forbade her knowing him on account of his reputation solely.I have no reason to believe she has ever even wished to disobey me."A smile of scorn that had kindled in Blandford's eyes, darkened with a swift shadow of compassion as he glanced at Demorest's hard, ashen face.He held out his hand with a sudden impulse."Enough, I accept your offer, and shall put it to the test this very night.

I know--if you do not--that Rosita is to leave here for Los Osos an hour from now in a private carriage, which your wife has ordered especially for her.The same information tells me that this villain and another of his gang will be in wait for the carriage three miles out of the pueblo to attack it and carry off the young girl.""Are you mad!" said Demorest, in unfeigned amazement."Do you believe them capable of attacking a private carriage and carrying off a solitary, defenceless woman? Come, Blandford, this is a school-girl romance--not an act of mercenary highwaymen--least of all Cherokee Bob and his gang.This is some madness of Rosita's, surely," he continued with a forced laugh.

"Does this mean that you think better of your promise?" asked Blandford, dryly.

"I said I was at your service," said Demorest, reproachfully.

"Then hear my plan to prevent it, and yet take that dog in the act,"said Blandford."But we must first wait here till the last moment to ascertain if he makes any signal to show that his plan is altered, or that he has discovered he is watched." He turned, and in his preoccupation laid his hand for an instant upon Demorest's shoulder with the absent familiarity of old days.Unconscious as the action was, it thrilled them both--from its very unconsciousness--and impelled them to throw themselves into the new alliance with such feverish and excited activity in order to preclude any dangerous alien reflection, that when they rose a few moments later and cautiously left the garden arm-in-arm through the outer gates, no one would have believed they had ever been estranged, least of all the clever woman who had separated them.

It was nearly nine o'clock when the two friends, accompanied by the sheriff of the county, left San Buenaventura turnpike and turned into a thicket of alders to wait the coming of the carriage they were to henceforth follow cautiously and unseen in a parallel trail to the main road.The moon had risen, and with it the long withheld wind that now swept over the distant stretch of gleaming road and partly veiled it at times with flying dust unchecked by any dew from the clear cold sky.Demorest shivered even with his ready hand on his revolver.Suddenly the sheriff uttered an exclamation of disgust.

"Blasted if thar ain't some one in the road between us and their ambush.""It's one of their gang--scouting.Lie close.""Scout be darned.Look at him bucking round there in the dust.He can't even ride! It's some blasted greenhorn taking a pasear on a hoss for the first time.Damnation! he's ruined everything.

They'll take the alarm."

"I'll push on and clear him out," said Blandford, excitedly."Even if they're off, I may yet get a shot at the Cherokee.""Quick then," said Demorest, "for here comes the carriage." He pointed to a dark spot on the road occasionally emerging from the driven dust clouds.

In another moment Blandford was at the heels of the awkward horseman, who wheeled clumsily at his approach and revealed the lank figure of Ezekiel Corwin!

"You here!" said Blandford, in stupefied fury.