BILL'S FRESH BLUNDERING
The change in the man that rode away from Kate Seton's home as
compared with the man who had arrived there less than an hour earlier
was so remarkable as to be almost absurd in a man of Stanley Fyles's
reputation for stern discipline and uncompromising methods. There was
an almost boyish light of excited anticipation and hope in the usually
cold eyes that looked out down the valley as he rode away. There was
no doubt, no question. His look suggested the confidence of the
victor. And so Charlie Bryant read it as he passed him on the trail.
Charlie was in a discontented mood. He had seen Fyles approach Kate's
home from his eyrie on the valley slope, and that hopeless impulse
belonging to a weakly nature, that self-pitying desire to further
lacerate his own feelings, had sent him seeking to intercept the man
whom he felt in his inmost heart was his successful rival for all that
which he most desired on earth.
So he walked past Fyles, who was on the back of his faithful Peter,
and hungrily read the expression of his face, that he might further
assure himself of the truth of his convictions.
The men passed each other without the exchange of a word. Fyles eyed
the slight figure with contempt and dislike. Nor could he help such
feelings for one whom he knew possessed so much of Kate's warmest
sympathy and liking. Besides, was he not a man whose doings placed him
against the law, in the administration of which it was his duty to
share?
Charlie's eyes were full of an undisguised hatred. His interpretation
of the officer's expression left him no room for doubting. Delight,
victory, were hall-marked all over it. And victory for Fyles could
only mean defeat for him.
He passed on. His way took him along the main village trail, and,
presently, he encountered two people whom he would willingly have
avoided. Helen and his brother were returning toward the house across
the river.
Helen's quick eyes saw him at once, and she pointed him out to the big
man at her side.
"It's Charlie," she cried, "let's hurry, or he'll give us the slip. I
must tell him."
"Tell him what?"
But Helen deigned no answer. She hurried on, and called to the
dejected figure, which, to her imagination, seemed to shuffle rather
than walk along the trail.
Charlie Bryant had no alternative. He came up. He felt a desperate
desire to curse their evident happiness in each other's society. Why
should these two know nothing but the joys of life, while he--he was
forbidden even a shadow of the happiness for which he yearned?
But Helen gave him little enough chance to further castigate himself
with self-pity. She was full of her desire to impart her news, and her
desire promptly set her tongue rattling out her story.
"Oh, Charlie," she cried, "I've had such a shock. Say, did you ever
have a cyclone strike you when--when there wasn't a cyclone within a
hundred miles of you?" Then she laughed. "That surely don't sound
right, does it? It's--it's kind of mixed metaphor. Anyway, you know
what I mean. I had that to-day. Bill's nearly killed one of our
boys--Pete Clancy. Say, I once saw a dog fight. It was a terrier, and
one of those heavy, slow British bulldogs. Well, I guess when he
starts the bully is greased lightning. Bill's that bully. That's all.
Pete tried to kiss me. He was drunk. They're always drunk when they
get gay like that. Bill guessed he wasn't going to succeed, and now I
sort of fancy he's sitting back there by our barn trying to sort out
his face. My, Bill nearly killed him!"
But the girl's dancing-eyed enjoyment found no reflection in Bill's
brother. In a moment Charlie's whole manner underwent a change, and
his dark eyes stared incredulously up into Bill's face, which, surely
enough, still bore the marks of his encounter.
"You--thrashed Pete?" he inquired slowly, in the manner of a man
painfully digesting unpleasant facts.
But Bill was in no mood to accept any sort of chiding on the point.
"I wish I'd--killed him," he retorted fiercely.
Charlie's eyes turned slowly from the contemplation of his brother's
war-scarred features.
"I guess he deserved it--all right," he said thoughtfully.
Helen protested indignantly.
"Deserved it? My word, he deserved--anything," she cried. Then her
indignation merged again into her usual laughter. "Say," she went on.
"I--I don't believe you're a bit glad, a bit thankful to Bill. I--I
don't believe you mind that--that I was insulted. Oh, but if you'd
only seen it you'd have been proud of Big Brother Bill. He--he was
just greased lightning. I don't think I'd be scared of anything with
him around."
But her praise was too much for the modest Bill. He flushed as he
clumsily endeavored to change the subject.
"Where are you going, Charlie?" he inquired. "We're going on over the
river. Kate's there. You coming?"
Just for a moment a look of hesitation crept into his brother's eyes.
He glanced across the river as though he were yearning to accept the
invitation. But, a moment later, his eyes came back to his brother
with a look of almost cold decision.
"I'm afraid I can't," he said. Then he added, "I've got something to
see to--in the village."
Bill made no attempt to question him further, and Helen had no desire
to. She felt that she had somehow blundered, and her busy mind was
speculating as to how.
They parted. And as Charlie moved on he called back to Bill.
"I'll be back soon. Will you be home?"
"I can be. In an hour?"
Charlie nodded and went on.
The moment they were out of earshot Helen turned to her lover.
"Say, Bill," she exclaimed. "What have I done wrong?"
The laughter had gone out of her eyes and left them full of anxiety.
Bill shrugged gloomily.
"Nothing," he said. "It's me--again." Then he added, still more
gloomily, "Pete's one of the whisky gang, and--I'm Charlie's brother.
Say," he finished up with a ponderous sigh. "I've mussed
things--surely."
* * * * *
"I'm sorry for that scrap, Bill."
Charlie Bryant was leaning against a veranda post with his hands in
his pockets, and his gaze, as usual, fixed on the far side of the
valley. Bill completely filled a chair, where he basked in the evening
sunlight.
"So am I--now, Charlie."
The big man's agreement brought the other's eyes to his battered face.
"Why?" he demanded quickly.
Bill looked up into the dark eyes above him, and his own were full of
concern.
"Why? Is there need to ask that?"
A shadowy smile spread slowly over the other's face.
"No, I don't guess _you_ need to ask why."
There was just the slightest emphasis on the pronoun.
"You've remembered he's one of the gang--my gang. You sort of feel
there's danger ahead--in consequence. Yes, there is danger. That's why
I'm sorry. But--somehow I wouldn't have had you act different--even
though there's danger. I'm glad it was you, and not me, though. You
could hammer him with your two big fists. I couldn't. I should have
shot him--dead."
Bill stared incredulously at the other's boyish face. His brother's
tone had carried such cold conviction.
"Charlie," he cried, "you get me beat every time. I wouldn't have
guessed you felt that way."
The other smiled bitterly.
"No," he said. Then he shifted his position. "I'm afraid there's going
to be trouble. I've thought a heap since Helen told me."
"Trouble--through me?" said Bill, sharply. "Say, there's been nothing
but blundering through me ever since I came here. I'd best pull up
stakes and get out. I'm too big and foolish. I'm the worst blundering
idiot out. I wish I'd shot him up. But," he added plaintively, "I
hadn't got a gun. Say, I'm too foolishly civilized for this country. I
sure best get back to the parlors of the East where I came from."
Charlie shook his head, and his smile was affectionate.
"Best stop around, Bill," he said. "You haven't blundered. You've
acted as--honesty demanded. If there's trouble comes through it, it's
no blame to you. There's no blame to you anyway. You're honest. Maybe
I've cursed you some, but it's me who's wrong--always. Do you get me?
It don't make any difference to my real feelings. You just stop around
all you need, and don't you act different from what you are doing."
Bill stirred his bulk uneasily.
"But this trouble? Say, Charlie, boy," he cried, his big face flushing
painfully, "it don't matter to me a curse what you are. You're my
brother. See? I wouldn't do you a hurt intentionally. I'd--I'd chop my
own fool head off first. Can't anything be done? Can't I do anything
to fix things right?"
The other had turned away. A grave anxiety was written all over his
youthful face.
"Maybe," he said.
"How? Just tell me right now," cried Bill eagerly.
"Why----" Charlie broke off. His pause was one of deep consideration.
"It don't matter what it is, Charlie," cried Bill, suddenly stirred to
a big pitch of enthusiasm. "Just count me on your side, and--and if
you need to have Fyles shot up, why--I'm your man."
Charlie shook his head.
"Don't worry that way," he cried. "Just stop around. You needn't ask a
whole heap of questions. Just stop around, and maybe you can bear a
hand--some day. I shan't ask you to do any dirty work. But if there's
anything an honest man may do--why, I'll ask you--sure."