Driscoll reddened. He had lingered behind the screen of rock to bandage his furrowed leg. “S’pose you don’t ask,” he said abruptly, “there’s plenty other things to be doing.”
He turned and invited the little Breton maid to come from the shack. She was white, and trembled a little yet. “I knew, I knew you would not leave us, monsieur,” she was trying to tell him. “But if you had–oh, what would madame––”
“Now then,” the practical American interrupted, “where’s Murgie?”
Jacqueline pointed with the toe of her slipper. There were prostrate bodies around them, with teeth bared, insolent, silent, horrible. One couldn’t be sorry they were dead, but one didn’t like to see them. Jacqueline’s boot pointed to a 100man lying on his face. A silk hat was near by in the dust. A rusty black wig was loosened from his head. The girl invoked him solemnly. “Arise, Ancient Black Crow, and live another thousand years.”
Driscoll lifted the shrunken bundle of a man, held him at arm’s length, looked him over, and stood him on his feet. The withered face was more than ever like a death’s head, and the eyes were glassy, senseless. But as to hurt or scratch, there was none. The beady orbs started slowly in their sockets, rolling from side to side. The lips opened, and formed words. “Killed? yes, I am killed. But I want–my cotton, my burros, my peons–I want them. I am dead, give them to me.”
“You’re alive, you old maverick.”
The gaze focused slowly on Driscoll, and slowly wakened to a crafty leer. Believe this Gringo?–not he!
With an arm behind his shoulders Driscoll forced him down the trail to his caravan. Most of the animals were lying down, dozing under their packs. Murguía’s eyes grew watery when he saw them, but he was still dazed and his delusion was obstinate. The leer shot exultant gleams. “A rich man can enter heaven,” he chuckled with unholy glee.
“Oh wake up, and give me two donkeys for the girls. Their horses got hit, you know.”
Then the stunned old miser began to perceive that he was not in heaven. His tyrant’s voice! “You get my horses killed,” he whined, “and now you take my burros.”