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Updated: June 26, 2025
White as snow, Sheppard backed against the wall; but did not take the drink. The sailor had the floor; no one save him spoke a word. The action had been so rapid that there had hardly been time. Colonel Zane and Silas were as quiet and tense as the borderman. "Drink!" hoarsely cried the sailor, advancing his knife toward Sheppard's body.
A little procession of men and boys followed the borderman from the river, and from the cabins appeared the settlers and their wives. But there was no excitement except among the children. The crowd filed into the colonel's yard behind Jonathan and Silas. Colonel Zane silently greeted his brother with an iron grip of the hand which was more expressive than words.
Jonathan's smile, which came quickly, accompanied by a warm light in the eyes, relieved Helen of an unaccountable repugnance she had begun to feel toward the borderman. That smile, brief as a flash, showed his gentle kindness and told that he was not a creature who had set himself apart from human life and love. As he took little Rebecca, one of his hands touched Helen's.
"There's a lake over yonder which the Shawnees say is haunted by a woman they killed," he replied quietly. "You'd do for her spirit, so white an' beautiful in the silver moonlight." "So my white dress makes me look ghostly," she answered lightly, though deeply conscious of surprise and pleasure at such an unexpected reply from him. This borderman might be full of surprises.
Helen, piqued at his curt greeting, had asked him to wait without any idea of what she would say. Coming slowly down the path she felt again a subtle awe of this borderman. Regretting her impulsiveness, she lost confidence. Gaining the gate she looked up intending to speak; but was unable to do so as she saw how cold and grave was his face, and how piercing were his eyes.
"Betty's pretty keen, Jack. I never knew her to misjudge a man. Why this sudden interest in Roger Brandt?" The borderman puffed his pipe in silence. "Say, Jack," Colonel Zane said suddenly, "do you connect Brandt in any way with this horse-stealing?" "No more than some, an' less than others," replied Jonathan curtly. Nothing more was said for a time.
The borderman made the reflection, that if knife-play was the little man's pastime, he was not likely to go short of sport in that vicinity. Colonel Zane attracted Jonathan's attention at this moment. The pioneers had vacated the other table, and Silas and Sheppard now sat by it. The colonel wanted his brother to join them. "Here, Johnny, bring drinks," he said to the serving boy.
It was an indescribable glance that Brandt cast upon the tearful face of the girl who had saved his life. But without a word he followed Colonel Zane from the room. The crowd slowly filed down the steps. Betty and Nell lingered behind, their eyes beaming through happy tears. Jonathan, long so cold, showed evidence of becoming as quick and passionate a lover as he had been a borderman.
Say you will not, Jack." To these entreaties the borderman remained silent. He stood leaning on his rifle, a tall, dark, strangely sad and stern man. "Helen, beg him to stay!" implored Betty. Colonel Zane took Helen's hand, and stroked it. "Yes," he said, "you ask him, lass. I'm sure you can persuade him to stay." Helen raised her head. "Is Brandt dead?" she whispered faintly.
With a couple of Injuns guardin' thet spot, he'll think he's safe. But I know the place, an' can crawl to thet rock the darkest night thet ever was an' never crack a stick." In the gray of the deepening twilight Jonathan Zane sat alone. An owl hooted dismally in the dark woods beyond the thicket where the borderman crouched waiting for Wetzel.
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