The Heart of Thunder Mountain Part 26

"What the devil?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Huntington.

So they stood, waiting and wondering, while Hillyer alighted from the automobile, and walked, with exasperating slowness--with reluctance, if they had but known it--up the graveled path among the flower beds.

Something in the look of him caused Claire to clutch a post of the veranda for support.

"Where's Marion?" she cried.

"She's all right," replied Hillyer, as he mounted the steps. "That is, nothing has happened to her. But there's been an accident." He hesitated. "Who is this Philip Haig?"

"Haig? What about Haig?" demanded Huntington.

"He's been hurt. A horse threw him."

"Sunnysides?" cried Huntington excitedly.

"I believe so."

"He will, will he?" chuckled Huntington. "That serves--"

"But Marion?" interrupted Claire. "What about Marion?"

Hillyer looked doubtfully from one to the other, in much embarra.s.sment.

What did they know? Or were they as ignorant as he of the situation that had been revealed to him as if by the flash of a thunderbolt? And how much should he disclose to them, in loyalty to Marion? But in his pocket was Marion's list.

"She's there--with him," he said at length.

"There? Where?" thundered Huntington.

"At his house."

They stood stock-still, staring at him.

"She wishes Mrs. Huntington to make up a bundle of these things for me to take to her."

He handed the list to Claire, who took it, and held it at arm's length, regarding it curiously, as if she had not understood.

"You mean that--" she began, and stopped.

"She says she's going to nurse him."

"She's going to--what?" Claire's voice rose almost to a shriek.

"Nurse him."

"And you've left her there with that--"

Huntington was going to say "ruffian," but was checked by a sudden recollection, as well as by the look that Hillyer flashed at him. For a moment the two men faced each other, the one with anger boiling up inside of him, the other struggling to put down the resentment aroused by Huntington's belligerent tone. Claire crushed the slip of paper in her hand, and watched them fearfully.

"I judge from your manner," said Hillyer at length, when he had controlled himself, "that you dislike her being there as much as I do.

But as I am all in the dark, I'll be greatly obliged to you if you will answer my question. Who is Philip Haig?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" blurted out Huntington.

Hillyer made a gesture of impatience.

"But he's your neighbor," he said curtly.

"And that's about all I know of him," Huntington replied, "except that we ought to have run him out of the Park long ago, and will do it yet, so help me G.o.d!"

"Why?" asked Hillyer shortly.

Then, as clearly as he could in his rage, Seth gave Hillyer a brief account of the events of the four years that Haig had been in the Park,--an account that satisfied Hillyer as little as it had satisfied Marion. He had meant, in the beginning, to ask how Marion had come to know Haig, and if they had been much together; but he now surmised that Huntington and his wife were as ignorant as himself of that acquaintances.h.i.+p, or friends.h.i.+p, or whatever it was that could have made possible the astounding emotions he had seen on Marion's face.

Hillyer's situation was difficult. If Marion had a secret he must guard it for her, whatever it might cost him. Yet now he needed help, and no one could help him but Huntington and his wife. And at the first words on the subject, Huntington had (more in the tone of his speech than the matter) shown him that little help could be expected in that quarter. Last of all, and not to be forgotten, he was the Huntingtons' guest.

"How bad's he hurt?" asked Huntington.

Hillyer shook his head dubiously.

"It's impossible to say just yet. Doctor Norris fears that the pancreas is ruptured. In that case--" He shrugged his shoulders. "At any rate, the pancreas and the stomach are temporarily paralyzed by the blow of the saddle horn--the horse seems to have gone over backward on him. If he gets over the shock there's still the danger of inflammation. There ought to be ice packs. Cold water will have to do.

They must be changed every minute. Doctor Norris told me--" He paused to look intently at Claire--"Doctor Norris told me that nothing but the most careful nursing can save him."

"Let the Chinaman do it!" Huntington blurted out.

Hillyer shook his head.

"No. Norris says he will not trust him. You see, Haig's pleading for water must be denied. He can command the Chinaman, and that--Besides, all this is not to the point. Marion has made up her mind, and I a.s.sure you--Please get the things she asks for, Mrs. Huntington."

"You don't mean you're going to take them!" shouted Huntington.

"Certainly. She's asked for them."

"And you're going to let her stay there--with him?"

Hillyer smiled. Having abandoned all hope of a.s.sistance from Huntington, he was thinking of other measures, and was scarcely as attentive as he might have been to the increasing truculence of his host.

"What would you do?" he asked quietly.

"I'd bring her away!"

"Would you care to go and try it?"

This was a keener thrust than Hillyer had any intention of delivering, provoked though he was by Huntington's behavior; for Seth had not included in his narrative any reference to the affair at the post-office, or to Haig's visit to his house. Huntington's face became purple; and if he had been apoplectic in disposition he would surely have suffered a seizure in that moment of choking rage.

"I'll go there right enough!" he bellowed. "I'll go, when I get ready.

I'll go when he's able to stand up and take what's coming to him. As for her--you can take her things, and her trunks too, while you're about it."

Hillyer gazed at him dumbfounded for just a breath of time. Then his own face flamed.

"Quite right, Mr. Huntington!" he said, taking a step toward him. "I haven't seen much of Haig, but from what I've seen of you, I think his house can be no worse place for Miss g.a.y.l.o.r.d than yours. What's more, you're an--" He caught himself, whirled on his heel, and addressed Claire. "May I ask you, please, to pack Marion's trunks. I'll attend to mine."