第4章
Inthefrontoftheinn,surroundedbyaghostlikegroupthatspokeitssuspicions,ChestertonwasliftinghissaddlefromElCapitanandrubbingthelameforeleg。Itwasnotaserioussprain。Aweekwouldsetitright,butforthatnighttheponywasuseless。
Impatiently,Chestertoncalledacrosstheplaza,beggingthelandlordtomakehaste。Hewaseagertobegone,alarmedandfearfullesteventhisslightdelayshouldcausehimtomissthetransport。Thethoughtwasintolerable。Buthewasalsoacutelyconsciousthathewasveryhungry,andhewastoooldacampaignertoscoffathunger。Withthehopethathecouldfindsomethingtocarrywithhimandeatasherodeforward,heenteredtheinn。
Themainroomofthehousewasnowindarkness,butasmallerroomadjoiningitwaslitbycandles,andbyatinytaperfloatingbeforeacrucifix。InthelightofthecandlesChestertonmadeoutabed,apriestbendingoverit,awomankneelingbesideit,anduponthebedthelittlefigureofaboywhotossedandmoaned。AsChestertonhaltedandwaitedhesitating,theprieststrodepasthim,andinavoicedullandflatwithgriefandweariness,orderedthoseatthedoortobringthelandlordquickly。Asoneofthegroupleapedtowardthecorral,thepriestsaidtotheothers:
"Thereisanotherattack。Ihavelosthope。"
Chestertonadvancedandaskedifhecouldbeofservice。Thepriestshookhishead。Thechild,hesaid,wastheonlysonofthelandlord,andmuchbelovedbyhim,andbyallthevillage。Hewasnowinthethirdweekoftyphoidfeverandtheperiodofhemorrhages。Unlesstheycouldbechecked,theboywoulddie,andthepriest,whoformanymilesofmountainandforestwasalsotheonlydoctor,hadexhaustedhisstoreofsimplemedicines。
"Nothingcanstopthehemorrhage,"heprotestedwearily,"butthestrongestofdrugs。AndIhavenothing!"
ChestertonbethoughthimofthemedicinecaseMissArmitagehadforceduponhim。"Ihavegivenopiumtothemenfordysentery,"hesaid。"Wouldopiumhelpyou?"
Thepriestsprangathimandpushedhimoutofthedoorandtowardthesaddle-bags。
"Mychildren,"hecried,tothesilentgroupintheplaza,"Godhassentamiracle!"
Afteranhouratthebedsidethepriestsaid,"Hewilllive,"andknelt,andthemotheroftheboyandthevillagerskneltwithhim。
WhenChestertonraisedhiseyes,hefoundthatthelandlord,whohadbeensilentlywatchingwhilethetwomenstruggledwithdeathforthelifeofhisson,haddisappeared。Butheheard,leavingthevillagealongthetrailtoMayaguez,thesuddenclatterofapony"shoofs。Itmovedlikeathingdrivenwithfear。
Theprieststrodeoutintothemoonlight。Intherecoveryofthechildhesawonlyademonstrationoftheefficacyofprayer,andhecouldnottooquicklybringhomethelessontohisparishioners。
AmidtheirmurmursofwonderandgratitudeChestertonrodeaway。
TothekindlycareofthepriesthebequeathedElCapitan。Withhim,also,heleftthegoldpieceswhichweretopayforthefreshpony。
Aquarterofamileoutsidethevillagethreewhitefiguresconfrontedhim。Twowhostoodapartintheshadowshrankfromobservation,butthelandlord,seatedbarebackuponaponythatfromsomelateexertionwasbreathingheavily,calledtohimtohalt。
"Inthefashionofmycountry,"hebegangrandiloquently,"wehavecomethisfartowishyouGodspeeduponyourjourney。"InthefashionoftheAmericanheseizedChestertonbythehand。"Ithankyou,senor,"hemurmured。
"Notme,"returnedChesterton。"Buttheonewhomademe"pack"
thatmedicinechest。Thankher,forto-nightIthinkitsavedalife。"
TheSpaniardregardedhimcuriously,fixinghimwithhiseyesasthoughdeepinconsideration。Atlasthesmiledgravely。
"Youareright,"hesaid。"Letusbothrememberherinourprayers。"
AsChestertonrodeawaythewordsremainedgratefullyinhismemoryandfilledhimwithpleasantthoughts。"Theworld,"hemused,"isfullofjustsuchkindandgentlesouls。"
AfteraninterminabledelayhereachedNewport,andtheyescapedfromtheothers,andMissArmitageandherandownthelawntotherocks,andstoodwiththewaveswhisperingattheirfeet。
Itwasthemomentforwhicheachhadsooftenlonged,withwhichbothhadsooftentorturedthemselvesbylivinginimagination,thatnow,thatitwastheirs,theywerefearfulitmightnotbetrue。
Finally,hesaid:"Andthecharmneverfailed!Indeed,itwaswonderful!Itstoodbymesoobviously。Forinstance,thenightbeforeSanJuan,inthemillatElPoso,Isleptonthesameponchowithanothercorrespondent。Iwokeupwitharagingappetiteforbaconandcoffee,andhewokeupoutofhismind,andwithatemperatureofonehundredandfour。Andagain,IwasstandingbyCapron"sgunatElCaney,whenashelltookthethreemenwhoservedit,andonlyscaredME。Andtherewasanothertime——"Hestopped。"Anyway,"helaughed,"hereIam。"
"Buttherewasonenight,oneawfulnight,"beganthegirl。Shetrembled,andhemadethisanaddedexcusefordrawingherclosertohim。"WhenIfeltyouwereingreatperil,thatyouwouldsurelydie。AndallthroughthenightIkneltbythewindowandlookedtowardCubaandprayed,andprayedtoGodtoletyoulive。"
Chestertonbenthisheadandkissedthetipsofherfingers。Afteramomenthesaid:"Wouldyouknowwhatnightitwas?ItmightbecuriousifIhadbeen——"
"WouldIknow!"criedthegirl。"Itwaseightdaysago。Thenightofthetwelfth。Anawfulnight!"
"Thetwelfth!"exclaimedChesterton,andlaughedandthenbeggedherpardonhumbly。"Ilaughedbecausethetwelfth,"heexclaimed,"wasthenightpeacewasdeclared。Thewarwasover。I"msorry,butTHATnightIwasridingtowardyou,thinkingonlyofyou。I
wasneverforamomentindanger。"