“And we’ll have less time.”
Wilson’s jaw was set. To go down the mountain and back would take at least four hours and leave them even nearer dead than they were at present. Aside from that, the desire to see the girl had become an obsession. He was no longer amenable to reason. He felt the power to dominate. In the last two days 309 he had learned that there are at least two essential things in life––two things a man has a right to take where he finds them––love and water. The two lay at his feet now and he would wait no longer. His heart burned with as hot a thirst as his throat. Neither Sorez nor gold nor all the brown men in the universe should balk him of them longer.
Leaning forward he gripped the arm of his comrade with a strength the latter had not thought within him.
“Old man,” he said with a new ring in his voice, “you must follow me the rest of this journey. I’ve got down to one thing now––just one thing. I’m going to find this girl––I’m going to take her into these two arms––and I’m going to carry her out of here and never let her go. Do you understand? And there isn’t gold enough, nor men enough, nor heathen images enough in the world to stop me now. We’re going back, Stubbs––the girl and I––we’re going back, and God help those who get in our way.”
At first Stubbs thought this was the fever, but as he looked at the tense face, the locked jaw, the burning eyes, he saw it was only a man in earnest. Some spark within his own breast warmed to life before this passion. He put out his hand.
“An’ I signs with you right here.”
“I’ve turned aside for things all I’m going to,” ran on Wilson, excitedly. “Now I’m going over them. I’m going straight––I’m going hard––and I’m not going to turn my back on her again for a 310 second. Do you understand, Stubbs? She’s mine and I’m going to take her.”
“You won’t have to take her, if you feel that way,” answered Stubbs.
“What d’ you mean?”
“She’ll go, boy––she’ll go through Hell with you with thet look in your eyes.”