[Chester sat looking at a newly turned page as though it were illegible.
"I'm wondering," he lightly said, "what public enormity of to-day the
next generation will be as amazed at as we are at this."
"Ah," Mme. Castanado responded, "never mine! Tha'z but the moral!
Aline and me we are insane for the story to finizh!" And the story was
resumed, to suffer no further interruption.]
At the river we burst out upon a broad, gentle bend up and down which
we could see both heavily wooded banks for a good furlong either way.
The sun's last beams shone straight up the lower arm of the bend. On
the upper bayed Charmer and Dandy, unseen. On the lower we heard the
younger pair. On the upper we saw only the clear waters crinkling in a
wide shallow over a gravel-bar, but down-stream we instantly discovered
Luke and his wife. Silhouetted against the level sunlight, heaving
forward with arms upthrown, waist deep in the main current, they were
more than half-way across. At that moment two small dark objects, the
two dogs, moved out from the shore, after them, each with its wake of
two long silvery ripples. The "puppy" was leading.
With a curse their master threw the horn to his lips and blew an
imperious note. The rear dog turned his head and would have reversed
his course, but seeing his leader keep on he kept on with him. Again
the angry horn re-echoed, and the rear dog promptly turned back though
the other swam on.
Rebecca threw a look behind and it was pitiful to hear her outcry of
despair and terror. But Luke faced about and, backing after her
through the flood, prepared to meet the hound naked-handed. Hardy
sprang to his tiptoes in the stirrups, his curses pealing across the
water. "If you hurt that dog," he yelled, "I'll shoot you dead!"
Up-stream the other two runaways were out on the gravel-bar, Euonymus
behind Robelia and Robelia splashing ludicrously across the shoal,
tearing off and kicking off--in preparation for deep water--sunbonnet,
skirt, waist, petticoat, and howling in the self-concern of abject
cowardice.
"Thank heaven, she's a swimmer," thought I, "and won't drown her
brother!" For only a swimmer ever cast off garments that way.
The flight of Euonymus, too, was bare-headed and swift, but it was
unfrenzied and silent. Neither of them saw Luke or Rebecca; the sun
was in their eyes and at that instant Charmer and Dandy, having met
some momentary delay, once more bayed joyously and sprang into view.
Like Luke, Euonymus faced the brutes. With another fierce outcry Hardy
blew his recall of all the four dogs.
Three turned at once but the youngster launched himself at Luke's
throat where he stood breast-high in the glassing current. The slave
caught the dog's whole windpipe in both hands and went with him under
the flood. Hardy's supreme care for Charmer had lost him the strategic
moment, but he fired straight at Rebecca.
She did not fall and his weapon flew up for a second shot! but by some
sheer luck I knocked the pistol spinning yards away into the river.
While it spun I saw other things: Rebecca clasping a wounded arm; Luke
and the dog reappearing apart, the dog about to repeat his onset; and
Hardy dumb with rage.
"Call the puppy!" I cried, "you'll save him yet."
The master winded his horn, and the dog swam our way. At the same time
his fellows came about us, while on the farther bank Luke helped his
wife writhe up through the waterside vines, and with her disappeared.
Only Euonymus remained in the water, at the far edge of the gravel-bar.
I was so happy that I laughed. "All right," I cried, "I'll pay for the
revolver."
Foul epithets were Hardy's reply while he spurred madly to and fro in
search of an opening in the vines to let his horse down into the
stream. I rode with him, knee to knee. "You'll pay for this with your
life !" he yelled down my throat. "I'll kill you, so help me God!
_Charmer! Dandy! go, take the nigger!_"
The whole baying pack darted off for Euonymus's crossing. "_Take the
nigger, Charmer! Ah! take him, my lady!_" We saw that Euonymus could
not swim. Still knee to knee with Hardy, I drew and fired. "Puppy's"
mate yelped and rolled over, dead.
"Call them back," I said, holding my weapon high; but Hardy only
shrieked curses and cried:
"_Take the nigger, Charmer, take him!_"
I fired again. Poor Dandy! He sprang aside howling piteously, with
melting eyes on his master.
"Oh, God!" cried Hardy, leaping down beside the wailing dog, that
pushed its head into his bosom like a sick child. "Oh, God, but you
shall die for this!"
He was half right but so was I and I checked up barely enough to cry
back: "Call 'em off! Call 'em off or I'll shoot Charmer!"
With Dandy clasped close and with eyes streaming he blew the recall.
Looking for its effect, I saw Euonymus trying to swim and Charmer
quitting the chase. But the young dog kept on. The current was
carrying Euonymus away. Twice through vines and brush, while I cried:
"Catch the fallen tree below you! Catch the tree!" I tried to spur my
horse down into the stream, and on the third trial I succeeded.
The flood had cut the bank from under a great buttonwood. It hung
prone over the water, and one dipping fork seized and held the fainting
swimmer. The dog was close, but had entered the current too far down
and was breasting it while he bayed in protest to his master's horn.
Now, as Euonymus struggled along the tree the brute struck for the
bank, and the two gained it together. Euonymus ran, but on a bit of
open grass dropped to one knee, at bay. The dog sprang. In the negro
fashion the runaway's head ducked forward to receive the onset, while
both hands clutched the brute's throat. Not dreaming that they would
keep their hold till I could get there, I leaped down in the shoal to
fire; but the grip held, though the dog's teeth sank into legs and
arms, and all at once Euonymus straightened to full stature, lifting
the dog till his hind legs could but just tiptoe the ground.
"Right!" I cried; "bully, my boy! Lift him one inch higher and he's
whipped!"
But Euonymus could barely hold him off from face and throat.
"Turn him broadside to me!" I shouted, having come into water
breast-deep. "Let me put a hole through him!"
But the fugitive's only response was: "Run, Robelia! 'Ever mind me!
Run! Run!"
And here came Hardy across the gravel-bar, in the saddle. I aimed at
him: "Stand, sir! Stand!"
He hauled in and lifted the horn. Euonymus had heaved the dog from his
feet. The horn rang, and with a howl of terror the brute writhed free,
leaped into the river and swam toward his master. I sprang on my horse
and took the deep water: "Wait, boy! Wait!"
It was hard getting ashore. When I reached the spot of grass I found
only the front half of the runaway's hickory shirt, in bloody rags. I
spurred to a gap in the bushes, and there, face down, lay Euonymus,
insensible. I knelt and turned the slender form; and then I whipped
off my coat and laid it over the still, black bosom. For Euonymus was
a girl.