Show FU FEM PR own aown 40 R 4 ar chamberlain georce agnew by george agnew chamberlain V service CHA CHAPTER TER XIII continued 15 for the end leaving the men still arguing she went to her room sat down at the desk and strove to prepare herself tor for what she felt sure would prove an ordeal blackadder was not long in following she motioned toward a comfortable armchair and he sat down joyce im a queer bird he be began in a voice so amiable it startled her that little talk we had yesterday I 1 certainly got oft off on the wrong foot and im sorry been my trouble all my life making other people angry through getting riled ailed myself if a vile temper was something you could have cut out like an appendix I 1 swear id take ether tomorrow better wait she said smilingly scarcely able to credit her ears until you get somewhere you can do it right surgeon hospital and a pretty nurse se yes said helm more soberly those things are a long way off an awful long way off and that brings me back to the line I 1 meant to have taken from the start I 1 ought to have reasoned with you joyce shown you a fact or two youre too young to think out for yourself for instance youve got this place youve actually taken it over but you cant possibly hold it but exactly what im doing protested joyce you think you are but it cant last asserted blackadder with wit h growing confidence its against reason dorado the science of economics the mexican and american governments fooling you just now is the well known phenomenon of the calm between the two winds of a cyclone besides it worth it the worst trick you could play on any american would be to give him this rancho for nothing it a rancho corrected joyce quietly its a hacienda the difference between a toy balloon and a zeppelin 1 I know I 1 know said helm showing a first trace of impatience but he promptly restrained himself her placidity fooled him into thinking he was vas really getting somewhere why spoil it the thing that gets me joyce is how you could ever bring yourself to come here after what what happened you mean about my mother asked joyce in the same still voice yes he answered she rose with a peculiarly swift motion and stood with fingers resting on the desk to steady herself A moment before she had seemed small on the point of resuming the familiar form of the young girl he had felt sure he could handle now suddenly she was an imposing and arresting figure 1 I wonder it if you can be made to see what I 1 see she began her voice low and vibrant what ive seen for years all my life it worked with mr van Sut tart perhaps it might with you what asked blackadder thugs things that happen especially terrible things continued joyce ignoring the question cant be measured or weighed or seen away from where they took place my mothers death has become part of time to me its a stone in a long high wall longer and older than any one life its built into la barranca and so am 1 I come with me and IU ill try to show you what I 1 mean a world my part in it where my part began and where you think it ended blackadder rose and fixed his eyes on her rapt face since you offer to read my thoughts just where do I 1 think it ended with escape of 0 course said joyce fathers and mine but its the difference that counts with him there was no return the great idea the blinding inspiration did not come to blackadder until many minutes later at the moment when joyce standing aside tor for him to pull open the little postern door stepped past him into the velvet blackness of the outer garden stopped and drew back her dark head seemed to vanish there remained only the stenciled splotches of her printed frock im sorry its too dark tonight to show you she said it was through here where I 1 used to play not too dark tor for me said blackadder ac kadder quickly if you forgotten the way I 1 could follow you quite easily could you said joyce doubtfully her dilating pupils made out a hitherto unseen tree and then another why yes im begu beginning ming to see quite well now myself come on it will be lighter beyond the ash A few minutes later standing on the platform of mossy masonry which had once been a pier they became dimly visible to each other in the cut steel light of the stars blackadder had taken oft off his coat as they walked along and with nervous fingers had re buttoned it in the dark youve taken off your coat exclaimed joyce yes he said 1 I realized you must be cold here slip it on slip it on like a sweater before she could quite understand before she could raise her arms the coat was descending over her head how extraordinary she thought and was on the point of crying out it was nonsense to put on a coat like that when its sleeves swirled and tightened one around her neck the other across her astonished toni shed halt open mouth then she struggled frantically but the sleeves only drew tighter they were being tied knotted she was gagged trapped powerless to raise her hands too late she realized her only chance would have been to run run at the first instant of attack but already Black adders arms were descending past her hips to her knees they closed lifted her 1 ay 1 the cavalcade set off dorado in the lead hung her like a sack over his shoulder if only she ife could get at the buttons but she was lying on them and all he be need do to keep her that way was to tilt her knees upward ile he did it twice and that was enough to cure her ile he was strong s she he had never imagined a man cou could id be so strong she felt him step off the pier and creep along its side until he reached the edge of the water immediately he sank halfway to his knees knee but persevered making his way toward the right once he reached and turned the angle of the haciendas outer wall he knew where he was now all he had to do was to keep in touch with that wall follow it so closely no eye from the ramparts above could spy him As joyce struggled the cloth of the coat grew hot and soggy against her face promptly she quieted and bent every effort to getting a little air by turning her head this way and that she must think and to think she must breathe after all this was only helm blackadder in the grip of an insane conviction he was doing his duty as decreed by god and irma sewell why be frightened she lost all sense of locality until he slowed almost most to a complete halt released the pressure of his right arm to take a grip on one of the hand ropes and ventured a cautious toot foot on the bridge at its first oscillation she realized her chance had come at last once started down that treacherous incline no longer would he dare practice the trick of raising tier er knees she tore at the buttons freed one hand quickly she untied the sleeves threw back her head and screamed for help at the top of her voice Leo leonardo Tob alito accuse dirk dirk oh dirk blackadder clamped his left arm like a vise and kept on he was at his last gasp thoughts racing so madly through his brain he scarcely heard her cry why was he hero what was he doing what did he care whether joyce stayed or went hot sweat was pouring down his back yet an icy crust was forming on his forehead what a fool he had been to think he could cross this bridge carrying a wildcat in his arms a wildcat that had seemed a feather at the start and now weighed a ton but there was something indomitable in him some bulldog quality that made him the slave of an idea once he had sunk his teeth in it and drove him on to domination whatever the cost it explained much why he was here and why he quit the floor of beneath his feet was rising for an instant it had been level now it was steep he was as winning winning through he looked up and saw a bulky shadow two brown hands like talons were reaching rea chine out to relieve hirn him of his burden he had won but only do rados left hand seized on joyce his right crashed into face sending him hurtling backward he tumbled rolled he could feel his nails breaking as they clawed vainly on the corrugated surface of the his arms thrashed out one of them struck against a rope and for his very life he wound it on his wrist fury blinded him now to climb back bury his thumbs in dorados donados Do rados double crossing throat and at that moment all tour four anchor ropes at dorados donados Do rados end were slashed and blackadder knew an instant ot of horror as the bridge fell treachery and now death but what saved him was the very depth of the gorge the severed bridge acted as a bumper as it slammed against the opposite cliff its dangling end reaching less than halfway down shaken off torn by thorns cut by the shale bruised against boulders he rolled to the bottom then silence minutes of silence before before he commenced to groan presently present ay a frenzied voice called down at him the matter who are you down there what happened immediately there were other excited voices under leonardos direction two of the severed ropes were hastily knotted into one another added and Tob alito was descending sc backward his bare toes seizing like hands on grip after grip having tied the end of the rope under the injured mans shoulders he ascended almost as fast as he had gone down and helped haul blackadder to the top dirk leaned over him Black adderl you what happened wheres joyce he took hold of his shoulder and shook it answerl wheres joyce CHAPTER XIV joyce seized by an arm had been dragged forward so violently she would have fallen face down had not the same hand supported her and set her on her feet she heard a low laugh and looked up into dorados donados Do rados unforgettable face nightmare this was nightmare he was laughing at the trick of the coat now he repeated it with modifications ficat ions no longer need it cover her head let her yell all she liked also it was secured in place not with the buttons but by the simple expedient of a lariat wrapped around her from s shoulder boulder to waist leaving enough loose end to bind her to the man with whom she must ride no sooner was the operation completed than the cavalcade set off dorado in the lead she at the extreme rear already lights were showing and people coming on the run arm from the hacienda but if any shots were fired she would get them first dorado convinced Dlack adders mouth was closed forever saw no reason to hurry the halt half dozen horses ambled along at a running walk giving joyce time to think too much time time enough to grow afraid had she really witnessed helm Black adders murder and the de st ruction of the bridge bridga or was it part of this ghastly dream oh it if only it could be a dreamt an hour passed her knees grew chafed chafee burned and then turned numb with the pain she swayed and would have fallen had she not been tied to the man before her but the worst was yet to come with the descent of the switchback path owing to the changing of the angle ot of pressure agony returned fourfold she broke down and wept sobbing in her abject misery As relief had come to blackadder on the level stretch from the path to the camp so it came to her but it was not complete an hour passed and she found herself released of her bonds and stretched on the army cot in do rados quarters then it surged over her nothing but divine rest mattered nothing her eyes shut with almost a click and she slept when she woke a fine fire was burning at the entrance to the drift and by its light she s saw w dorado seated on a camp sto stoof fornear near by watching her out of half closed eyes As hers opened wide his did also he smiled but said nothing they looked at each other for a long time and the longer the silence lasted the more did joyce feel her heart grow tight and small in her breast what magic word could save her but it was he who spoke first you frightened hem hein talk in spanish said joyce surprised she could speak at all it will be easier for both of us promptly his heavy face brightened and he became voluble ali ah better much better in castellano I 1 can talk tell you things explain how simply and easily everything can be arranged it if only you turn out to be as reasonable as you are beautiful 1 I dont feel beautiful said joyce shortly straightening on the cot and bracing herself im thirsty terribly thirsty ali ah forgive cried dorado he turned and shouted an order A man came running with a of water fresh from the brook and scarcely had she drained it before another retainer appeared carrying a tin plate heaped with food its a molle de guajalote said dorado proudly knowing you were to be my guest I 1 ordered it especially for you at first joyce merely toyed with the most famous of Alex mexican ican dishes but presently hunger triumphed over anxiety and she began really to eat slowly aly then more slowly for the longer each mouthful lasted the more time she gained to think but somehow think thinking in seem to do much good per perhaps talking saying anything at all would be bet ter what do you want she asked money la barranca what you I 1 said dorado briefly smiled and waited impossible said joyce after a pause nobody can take me not while im alive that probably sounds silly but I 1 mean it TO BE CONTINUED |