Show under U d pressure P r assur a george agnew Chamber lala by george agnew chamberlain service astl alc CHAPTER XIV continued I Is you make a great mistake laid d dorado pleasantly two mistakes it is not so easy to die as you think also you would be no use to me dead I 1 wish you only kindness and goodness and a long life as the senora pepe dorado he paused we will enjoy la barranca together she stared at him over the half empty plate set it aside on the cot but retained the three tined steel fork with a single sweeping movement unbelievably swift he leaned forward and struck the murderous weapon from her hand so violently I 1 it t wen went t flying out into the night you want things to be unpleasant hein he cried his eyes flashing good from now on you eat with your fingers like the peones deones you dont sleep in here where theres plenty ot of air not nol you sleep inside in the dark no fire no air nothing me I 1 stay here and ten men more all right said joyce a taint faint light or of hope dawning in her eyes can I 1 go now yes now said dorado calming himself by a ml mighty gaty effort perhaps tomorrow when the priest comes have more sense what good would that do you asked joyce quickly you know as well as I 1 no marriage by a priest is legal in mexico no you know so much eh then you know that for the world the church is everything again he smiled atter after the religious consummation you wont mind so much the civil ceremony again he called and the same two men came back to carry cot mattress and blankets into the innermost room he followed waving a brand from the fire into a flaming torch and propelling joyce before him he pointed with his chin along the farther reaches of the drift perhaps you think you can climb out that way try it and I 1 give you tor for a present to the men who catch you left alone in darkness joyce crept to the cot but not to lie down dragging a blanket over her shivering shoulders she sat on its edge elbows on knees and her chin cupped in her hands it was no good thinking no good at all but she could listen keep on listening how often had she boasted to herself she was afraid of no man alive she was afraid now fear seemed to melt her bones and set the teeth in her head to chattering another sound came to her ears a single snore and soon after a veritable chorus there was something actually comforting in the harsh dissonance and the longer it continued the more d did ld it soothe her presently she tell fell sidewise stretched out and tumbled into unconsciousness she awoke to the flare of a wax match so it was here she had slept and the terror was upon herl her throat thickened and closed tight as she discerned Black adders eyes cavernous and glowing glowin not the end after all she thought drowsily thank god only another dream but his whisper took on form became actual words joyce dont make a sound listen list t e n do you see this rope wait ill n light another match now look im going to tie the end of it around your waist for safety but the rest will be up to you the second match went out but the whisper kept on take the rope in your hands it now follow it walk as quietly as you can test out each step before you put down your toot foot just follow wherever it leads his hands brushed across hers seized thi the rope and gave it three sharp pulls goodby good by joyce goodby good by she had answered automatically but now something in the manner of his onal final whisper troubled her and she frowned but presently was intent on carrying out his orders to the letter she had gone quite a distance before she noticed there was no slack even her bemused mind knew what that meant somebody at the other end was taking it in suddenly the rope slanted up ward so sharply she stumbled and tell fell to her knees she was up again in a moment and stood quite still wondering it if the sound of her fall had bad been heard apparently not she continued resting more and more weight on the rope as the climb grew steeper several yards of the ascent were behind her when a stone that had seemed firm sank away and went rumbling downward the next instant the roar of a e dozen voices reverberated tar far down far behind her so the very earth teemed seemed to shake then three lonely shots then an answering deafening volley now she knew why helm blackadder Black adde adders rs goodby good by had lingered so won strangely gely in her ears the rope was lifting her dragging her upward faster than she could place her fiet feet her knee struck here an elbow there and sometimes her shoulders dug into the damp loam of the disused shaft breath went out of her stayed out herlands Her hands bands still clung to the rope JI but with a grip like the grasp after death dearil her head drooped between her arms struck and struck again so this not that other oth erwa was to bi be the end dirk kneeled beside her joyce I 1 for gods sake jaycel youve got to oh joyce wake up darling weve got to get away youve got to ridel adel let up on it it advised leonardo sharply cant you see ashes passed out get on your horse senor and take her hurry 1 dirk mounted im ready what are you waiting for or what are you doing you never can tell said leonardo pausing to knot a tie rein to one of the thorn trees theres a bare chance the senor who went below may crawl out of this hole alive and if he does hes going to find a horse Tob alito Pre presenter give me a hand with the senorita together they lifted joyce and placed her tn in dirks arms sitting on the ridge ot of the cantlo cantle he gave her all the saddle he could and trembled for or tear fear might act badly under the unaccustomed burden but the horse seemed to know exactly what it was au all about they V thrust dirk back when ile he attempted to follow started Tob alito as guide in the lead dirk next and leonardo armed bringing up the rear A whinny from the tethered range pony rang out sharply across the desert air startled Tob alito put spurs to his flea bitten mount dirk found a trot galling but was at ease the minute reached out into the cradle like motion of his swinging 9 canter he shifted joyce so her head lay against his shoulder passed the reins to his right hand and with his bis left held her knees securely though her coina coma persisted he knew she lived by the faint tremor of her breathing and because while at first she had seemed rigid and cold now he could feel his own warmth gradually stealing into her veins but he was troubled about something else leonardo he called over his shoulder do you really think theres a chance Black adders still alive none senor he did not wish to live why do you say that leonardo rode closer not caring to shout his answer he really died when he came to after wed pulled him out at the place of the fallen bridge he spoke and told us all but I 1 could see it was a dead man talking are you loco asked dirk no tor for ive seen it happen before said leonardo with some men pride takes the place ot of blood and bone destroy it and they die it was so with him his tongue talked but only to tell us of at his shame I 1 could see his heart and eyes were dead he knew he could never walk upright except to death so he died god and the virgin rest his soul I 1 then why did you leave the horse asked dirk do you expect pe ct a miracle no said leonardo hesitatingly distressed at being driven into a show of his secret thoughts though la in my country miracles have often happened I 1 think I 1 was moved senor in the manner of my ancestors to make a living sacrifice to the memory of a brave man dirk imagined a taint faint stirring within the burden in his arms something vaguely different from the mere mere persistence of life iffe he peered down doAm at joyces joycea face tilted against his bis right shoulder and studied it in the light odthe of the stars it teemed deathly pale a patch of moonlight meri mere reflection of a faraway reflect reflection lom her eyes were closed and ana her lips though halt ball open never stirred he spoke to her joyce you arent awake are you can you hear me mea just move something your hand or you show you hear me there was wai no answer by sound or sign nevertheless so strong a feeling of content pervaded him he could not doubt all would yet be well Tob alito knew better than to follow the barranca too closely he made a detour through little used paths known to few but himself the pace slowed from a canter to a walk and dirk glad his companions knew no english began to talk joyce I 1 love you whether you can hear me or not matter in the least since anyway ill be telling it to you over and over again I 1 dont know when it began or where it win will end and I 1 dont care im part ot of you and you of me theres nothing cheeky in what im saying really there because lt its just something happened and cant be helped I 1 love you I 1 belong to you the way your hand belongs you can do anything you like with me except cut me off if you do that bleed bleed to death abruptly his lace face leaned lower nearer to hers oh thaes non he cried how do I 1 know what makes me think bleed how can I 1 keep on believing it it if you dont say so oh joyce darling please speak please tell me how can you be so near my heart and not answer it I 1 can feel eel yours and its still so still its almost as if it beating at all but you cant be dead since I 1 still live my blood Is your blood everything I 1 was everything im going to be has rushed into this moment with you in my arms because I 1 love you I 1 love you debauched debou ched suddenly from the shadowy recesses of an arroyo and came to a halt with dirk beside him leonardo drew level in plain view only a few hundred yards away stood the white mass of la barranca to the right was the towering blot of trees melting into the inky expanse of the lake choked with hyacinths to the left stretched the illimitable prairie marked here and there with the black alack candelabra and exclamation points of cacti no light showed from tom the hacienda yet they knew eyes were watching from every angle as they advanced toward the eastern gate it swung open at their heir approach and they entered promptly it slammed shut behind them hem luz took command of joyce still i inert and thrust dirk back when he attempted to follow arlan adan arnaldo gloomy because poor horsemanship had prevented his joining the rescuing expedition led him to don jorge in his office where he was greeted with the news a courier had come through from mexico city and tossed dispatches tor for himself and B blackadder ac kadder across the now impassable a ble barranca dirk opened the long envelope bearing his name with some trepidation and was relieved to find it a personal missive written in the ambassadors own hand my dear van Sut tart he read at last word has reached me through general onella onelia of your w whereabouts hereabouts for your diligence in following out to the letter the instructions in a certain cable from the department tie p artmont you are to be commended for assuming I 1 was to be kept in pitch darkness as to your movements move ments thereby robbing me of sleep and turning my hair from gray to white I 1 intend urging your dismissal from the service on the grounds of malfeasance unless you return at once to your regular duties t e S As you have darkened my days so will I 1 blacken your nami name |