Zane Grey - The Rustlers of Pecos County

“You poor kid!” I whispered, taking her hands and trying to raise her. But she stayed on her knees and clung to me.

“Russ! It was vile of me,” she whispered. “I know it. I deserve anything—anything! But I am only a kid. Russ, I didn't break my word—I didn't make you kiss me just for, vanity's sake. I swear I didn't. I wanted you to. For I care, Russ, I can't help it. Please forgive me. Please let me off this time. Don't—don't—”

“Will you shut up!” I interrupted, half beside myself. And I used force in another way than speech. I shook her and sat her on the bed. “You little fool, I didn't come in here to kill you or do some other awful thing, as you think. For God's sake, Sally, what do you take me for?”

“Russ, you swore you'd do something terrible if I tempted you anymore,” she faltered. The way she searched my face with doubtful, fearful eyes hurt me.

“Listen,” and with the word I seemed to be pervaded by peace. “I didn't know this was your room. I came in here to get away—to save my life. I was pursued. I was spying on Sampson and his men. They heard me, but did not see me. They don't know who was listening. They're after me now. I'm Special United States Deputy Marshal Sittell—Russell Archibald Sittell. I'm a Ranger. I'm here as secret aid to Steele.”

Sally's eyes changed from blank gulfs to dilating, shadowing, quickening windows of thought. “Russ-ell Archi-bald Sittell,” she echoed. “Ranger! Secret aid to Steele!”

“Yes.”

“Then you're no cowboy?”

“No.”

“Only a make-believe one?”

“Yes.”

“And the drinking, the gambling, the association with those low men—that was all put on?”

“Part of the game, Sally. I'm not a drinking man. And I sure hate those places I had to go in, and all that pertains to them.”

“Oh, so that's it! I knew there was something. How glad—how glad I am!” Then Sally threw her arms around my neck, and without reserve or restraint began to kiss me and love me. It must have been a moment of sheer gladness to feel that I was not disreputable, a moment when something deep and womanly in her was vindicated. Assuredly she was entirely different from what she had ever been before.

There was a little space of time, a sweet confusion of senses, when I could not but meet her half-way in tenderness. Quite as suddenly, then she began to cry. I whispered in her ear, cautioning her to be careful, that my life was at stake; and after that she cried silently, with one of her arms round my neck, her head on my breast, and her hand clasping mine. So I held her for what seemed a long time. Indistinct voices came to me and footsteps seemingly a long way off. I heard the wind in the rose-bush outside. Some one walked down the stony court. Then a shrill neigh of a horse pierced the silence. A rider was mounting out there for some reason. With my life at stake I grasped all the sweetness of that situation. Sally stirred in my arms, raised a red, tear-stained yet happy face, and tried to smile. “It isn't any time to cry,” she whispered. “But I had to. You can't understand what it made me feel to learn you're no drunkard, no desperado, but a man —a man like that Ranger!” Very sweetly and seriously she kissed me again. “Russ, if I didn't honestly and truly love you before, I do now.”

Then she stood up and faced me with the fire and intelligence of a woman in her eyes. “Tell me now. You were spying on my uncle?”

Briefly I told her what had happened before I entered her room, not omitting a terse word as to the character of the men I had watched.

“My God! So it's Uncle Roger! I knew something was very wrong here—with him, with the place, the people. And right off I hated George Wright. Russ, does Diane know?”

“She knows something. I haven't any idea how much.”

“This explains her appeal to Steele. Oh, it'll kill her! You don't know how proud, how good Diane is. Oh, it'll kill her!”

“Sally, she's no baby. She's got sand, that girl—”

The sound of soft steps somewhere near distracted my attention, reminded me of my peril, and now, what counted more with me, made clear the probability of being discovered in Sally's room. “I'll have to get out of here,” I whispered.

“Wait,” she replied, detaining me. “Didn't you say they were hunting for you?”

“They sure are,” I returned grimly.

“Oh! Then you mustn't go. They might shoot you before you got away. Stay. If we hear them you can hide under my bed. I'll turn out the light. I'll meet them at the door. You can trust me. Stay, Russ. Wait till all quiets down, if we have to wait till morning. Then you can slip out.”

“Sally, I oughtn't to stay. I don't want to—I won't,” I replied perplexed and stubborn.

“But you must. It's the only safe way. They won't come here.”

“Suppose they should? It's an even chance Sampson'll search every room and corner in this old house. If they found me here I couldn't start a fight. You might be hurt. Then—the fact of my being here—” I did not finish what I meant, but instead made a step toward the door.

Sally was on me like a little whirlwind, white of face and dark of eye, with a resoluteness I could not have deemed her capable of. She was as strong and supple as a panther, too. But she need not have been either resolute or strong, for the clasp of her arms, the feel of her warm breast as she pressed me back were enough to make me weak as water. My knees buckled as I touched the chair, and I was glad to sit down. My face was wet with perspiration and a kind of cold ripple shot over me. I imagined I was losing my nerve then. Proof beyond doubt that Sally loved me was so sweet, so overwhelming a thing, that I could not resist, even to save her disgrace.

“Russ, the fact of your being here is the very thing to save you—if they come,” Sally whispered softly. “What do I care what they think?” She put her arms round my neck. I gave up then and held her as if she indeed were my only hope. A noise, a stealthy sound, a step, froze that embrace into stone.

“Up yet, Sally?” came Sampson's clear voice, too strained, too eager to be natural.

“No. I'm in bed, reading. Good night, Uncle,” instantly replied Sally, so calmly and naturally that I marveled at the difference between man and woman. Perhaps that was the difference between love and hate.

“Are you alone?” went on Sampson's penetrating voice, colder now.

“Yes,” replied Sally.

The door swung inward with a swift scrape and jar. Sampson half entered, haggard, flaming-eyed. His leveled gun did not have to move an inch to cover me. Behind him I saw Wright and indistinctly, another man.

“Well!” gasped Sampson. He showed amazement. “Hands up, Russ!”

I put up my hands quickly, but all the time I was calculating what chance I had to leap for my gun or dash out the light. I was trapped. And fury, like the hot teeth of a wolf, bit into me. That leveled gun, the menace in Sampson's puzzled eyes, Wright's dark and hateful face, these loosened the spirit of fight in me. If Sally had not been there I would have made some desperate move.

Sampson barred Wright from entering, which action showed control as well as distrust.

“You lied!” said Sampson to Sally. He was hard as flint, yet doubtful and curious, too.

“Certainly I lied,” snapped Sally in reply. She was cool, almost flippant. I awakened to the knowledge that she was to be reckoned with in this situation. Suddenly she stepped squarely between Sampson and me.

“Move aside,” ordered Sampson sternly.

“I won't! What do I care for your old gun? You shan't shoot Russ or do anything else to him. It's my fault he's here in my room. I coaxed him to come.”