Free The Max Brand Megapack by Max Brand, Frederick Faust Page A

behind him and his leonine head fallen low.
    “Yes, why shouldn’t you tell me! I think I understand already.”
    All desire to laugh went from her, and deep fear took its place; her eyes were held fascinated upon his interlaced fingers, white under their own terrific pressure; yet she understood that she must go on. If she failed, this mighty force would be turned against Harrigan; and Harrigan, not less grim in battle, as she could guess, would be turned against him.
    She said quickly, to conceal her fear: “I thought there was some trouble between you and Dan. I asked him to promise that he would not fight with you. But I don’t need to ask you to promise not to fight with him, for now that you know—”
    He leaped up and beat his hands together over his head.
    “And that was why! I taunted him and all the time he was laughing to himself!”
    He stopped and then whispered to himself: “Still, it’s only postponed. The tune will come! The time will come!”
    She understood the promise.
    “Angus! What are you saying?”
    He said quietly: “Harrigan’s safe from me while you care for him. Do you think I’m fool enough to make a martyr of him? Not I! But when we get back to the world—”
    He finished the sentence by slowly flexing his fingers.
    “I love you, Kate, and until the strength goes out of my hands, I’ll still love you. I want you; and what I want I get. You’ll hate me for it, eh?”
    He went off without waiting for an answer, stumbling as he walked like one who was dazed. Her strength held with her until he was out of sight among the trees, but then she sank to the ground, panting. Sooner or later they were sure to discover her ruse, and the moment one of them learned that she did not love the other, they would rush into battle. She only prayed that the discovery would not come till they were safely off the island. Once back in the world the strong arm of the law might suffice to keep them apart.
    The falling of the fire roused her at last and she set about gathering wood to keep it alive. It was the Irishman who returned first. He waved her to the shade of the shelter and finished collecting the wood.
    CHAPTER 14
    Afterward he inquired, frowning: “Where’s McTee? I met him an’ he started back to find you.”
    “He’s gone off with his thoughts, Dan.”
    Harrigan sighed, looking up to the stainless blue of the sky: “Aye, that’s the way of the Scotch. When they’re happy in love, they go off by themselves an’ brood like a dog that’s thinking of a fight. But were I he, I’d never be leavin’ your side, colleen.”
    His head tilted back in the way she had come to know, and she waited for the soft dialect: “I’d be singin’ songs av love an’ war-r-r, an’ braggin’ me hear-rt out, an’ talkin’ av the sea-green av your eyes, colleen. Look at him now!”
    For the great form of McTee left the circle of the trees and approached them.
    “He’s got his head down between his shoulders like a whipped cur. He’s broodin’, an’ his soul is thick in a fog.”
    “Dan, I trust you to cheer him up; but you’ll not speak of me?”
    “Not I. He’s a proud man, Black McTee, an’ he’d be angered to the core of him if he thought you’d talked about him an’ his love to Harrigan. Whisht, Kate, I’ll handle him like fire!
    “The wood,” he began, as McTee came in. “Did you find it on top of the hill, lad?”
    McTee rumbled after a pause, and without looking at Harrigan: “There’s plenty of it there. I made a little heap of the driest on the crown of the hill.”
    “Then the next thing is to move our fire up there.”
    “Move our fire?” cried Kate. “How can you carry the fire?”
    “Easy. Take two pieces of burnin’ wood an’ walk along holdin’ them close together. That way they burn each other an’ the flame keeps goin’. Watch!”
    He selected two good-sized brands from the fire and raised them, holding one in either hand and keeping the ignited portions of