Fire Below (19 page)

So we stood, still as death, with all about us that most impressive silence which the steady splash of some water brook served to make more profound.

And as we stood there, so still, the world began to grow light.

I raised my eyes to the heaven, to see clear-cut in the wet the edge of the pall of cloud and, beyond it, the radiance of the moon which had not yet sunk into view. I have never seen a more curious spectacle, for the pall stretched like a ceiling from north to south and might have been the sliding lid of some box which had been drawn open a little from west to east, to let the moon sink by.

I lowered my gaze to look around me.

Immediately in front there was something that might or might not have been two men; to the left I was sure there was a figure, for the glow from the west was upon it, as it was upon Lelia and me; but the other mass was in shadow, and I could not see it so well.

What then happened, happened so swiftly as far to outrun my pen.

Lelia gasped and started and flung herself on my breast. As she did so, a tongue of flame leaped out of the mass before me, the roar of a pistol sounded, and Lelia seemed to jerk me against the rock. Then her head fell on to my shoulder, and her body went slack.

Frantically I called upon her.

‘Lelia!’ I cried. ‘Lelia!’

She made no sort of answer, but hung as she had stood in my arms, and I felt her blood running over my pistol hand. And when I made to lay her down on the ground, her lovely head fell sideways, because she was dead.

I laid her down very gently and crossed her hands.

When I got to my feet I saw that the moon was clear.

To my left stood the detective that I had come to know. He had started against the rock and covered his eyes. In front stood Grieg and the smuggler. The latter was standing, staring, with his head on one side, but Grieg was swaying a little, with his right hand up to his head.

The smuggler cleared his throat and spat on the ground. Then he took a step or two forward to peer at Lelia’s face.

I raised my pistol and shot the beast through the head.

As he fell, Grieg fired again upon me, but his bullet went wide. I never so much as heard it, and I think the man was shaken with what he had done. Indeed, I now know that he was, for I afterwards learned that he thought, as did all, that Lelia was Leonie, who had, after all, come to meet me where the water came down. And when I had called upon her, so alike were the names that those that heard me made sure I was calling upon my wife.

So, though she lay dead, Lelia served me for the last time.

That must have been Grieg’s last round, for as I fired – and missed him – he took to his heels.

I never would have believed that he would run before me, and I never would have believed that he could run so well; but I think that I could have caught him, if he had girdled the earth.

Except where the shadows fell, after that fatal darkness the place seemed as bright as day, and Grieg kept clear of the shadows because, I suppose, he was afraid of stumbling if once he ran into the dark.

He led me back past the fall, and in a moment I saw he was seeking the bridle-path. I, therefore, ran to his right to cut him off from the police, and, though he made a great effort, I gained my end. We reached the path together, but I was nearer its mouth.

I had thought that when he saw this, he would stand and fight, but he instantly turned to the left and began to run up the path into the mountains towards the frontier-post.

I now put up my pistol, for I am a poor marksman and I knew that to fire at him running would be to waste a round, and I did not try to catch him, but only to cling to his heels, for I knew he must come to the chasm from which the bridge would be gone.

The path lay sometimes in shadow and sometimes in the light of the moon, but though I could see him glancing from side to side, he did not try to leave it, because I think he was glad to stick to a line where the going was good.

He was tiring now and I could have caught him, had I wished, without any fuss; but, instead, I spared myself for what was to come.

And, after a little, I saw the white walls of the guard-room rising ahead.

It was now manifest that he did not know what was coming, for he made a sudden effort and almost doubled his pace.

I fancy that he had expected that the guard-room would be open and had purposed to call on the sentry to save his life. Be that as it may, when he saw that the door was shut, he ran straight on.

So he came to the deep ravine and the girders whose floor was gone.

I saw him stop and boggle and glance to either side, but when he turned, I was standing between him and the guard-room ten paces away.

For a moment he stood uncertain. Then he flung up his heavy head.

I could see that his lips were moving, but the water raging below us drowned his voice and because I thought he was bidding me come and take him, I stood my ground.

So for perhaps two minutes. Then he shrugged his shoulders and turned back the way we had come.

I was by his side in an instant, and touching him on the sleeve.

‘Not that way,’ I shouted.

He drew back and looked me up and down.

‘Where, then?’ he demanded thickly.

In a flash I had him by the shoulders and had turned him to face the gorge.

‘That way,’ said I. ‘You chose it. And now, by God, you shall take it – and take it alive,’ and with that, I hurled him forward with all my might.

He let himself fall and saved himself by a foot, but such scornful usage stung him as nothing else could have done, and he was up in an instant and crouching like any beast. I waited for him to attack me, or seek to go by.

Of the end, my condition of mind allowed no doubt. I seemed to myself so strong that I could have torn him to bits and have flung the murderer piecemeal into the gorge, and, such is the power of confidence that I had for that time a strength before which he could not stand.

Be sure I needed it.

He turned as though to avoid me, and as I leaped to stop him, he changed direction and sprang. I almost lost my balance before the shock, and, quick as a flash, he had my back to the gorge, but I twisted him round again and tore his hand from my throat.

The ease with which I did this must, I think, have shown him his hour was come, for he caught his breath in a sob as a man that has been startled by the touch of some unseen hand. The next instant he was fighting, with no thought, I think, to kill me, but only to save his life.

His game was, of course, to grapple, and I must say he played it well. Twice I fought myself free, but before I could follow my advantage, each time he had closed again. It was as though he had boasted that if he went into the gorge, he would not go alone.

I made up my mind to end it, and let myself go.

The punishment he took was frightful, but his arms were like irons upon me and when I had torn one off, he fastened his teeth in my shoulder and bit me down to some bone. But, though he fought like a madman, he could not outstay the strength which he himself had added to that I had; his effort began to fail before my challenge: I felt his muscles quivering under the strain; and at last I had my way and had turned him round.

We were now both facing the gorge, and I was standing behind him and had him fast by the wrists. If he was thus at my mercy, I showed him none, for all I could see was Lelia and the rare and exquisite light which he had put out.

Inch by inch I forced him towards the brink.

He dared not let himself fall, for so his last chance was gone, and all his hope was in planting his feet and throwing all his weight backward, just as a man that is pulling some tug-of-war. And as such a man is pulled forward by one that is stronger than he, so, little by little, I made my prisoner yield.

We were very close now, and the bellow of the turbulent water, God knows how far below us, was very loud. The sound was awful, and conjured up for me those ancient pictures of The Last Judgment, where the righteous are ascending and the wicked are falling headlong into the power of monsters that hail their prey. If it did so for Grieg I do not know, but I felt his sweat running on my fingers, and I fancy his soul was quaking as he looked on the horrid portal by which he was to go into hell.

I forced him forward six inches and let him gaze. Then I twisted his arm to make him leave his foothold and, when at last he did so, I set my foot in his back and thrust him down.

The effort sent me backward, but as I got to my feet, I saw him swinging from a girder which he must have met as he fell. For a moment I wondered whether, after all, I had failed, but the iron was cold and unfriendly, and ere he could draw himself up, he lost what hold he had and fell like a stone.

Slowly I made my way back to where Lelia lay.

I cannot remember this journey, try as I will. One moment I was by the guard-room, and the next I was looking up at the sheaf of foam. If I had thoughts I do not know what they were, and, except that I was going to Lelia, I had no sort of purpose, and the future cared for itself.

The moon was sinking now, and the darkness was coming back, but as I rounded the spur, I saw three figures standing by where I had laid her down.

I went to them directly and gave the sergeant my pistol without a word. Then I passed to where Lelia was lying and fell on my knees.

So I stayed for a moment, not presuming to commend her spirit, for I think that it needed no prayers, but remembering her youth and her beauty and her natural sweetness of heart and how she had shown me that very nonesuch of love, that she laid down her life for her friend.

Something moved beside me, and when I looked down, the poor dog that she was so proud of touched my leg. Before this dumb call for comfort I could have burst into tears, but though I patted and stroked him, my touch was not what he wanted, and after a grievous look the poor animal drooped his head and turned away.

Very gently I gathered his mistress into my arms.

Then I rose to my feet.

‘Where is the smuggler?’ I said.

The sergeant answered me.

‘We have weighted his body with stones, sir, and cast it under the fall.’

‘Very well,’ said I. ‘I am ready. Will you lead on?’

Without a word, he turned the way I had come, and when I began to follow, his fellows brought up the rear.

Half an hour later we came out on to the uplands by way of the bridle-path. And there I sat down for a little, to take some rest, with the wolf-hound couched by my side and Lelia all slack against me and her beautiful head fallen forward and her soft cheek against my coat.

Some house was afire in Vardar. The big, red tongues of flame were lighting the neighbouring roofs and made a pretty picture of somebody’s grief. As I got to my feet, I saw the roof fall in. But had Vigil itself been blazing, I do not think I should have given the matter a thought.

I addressed myself to the sergeant.

‘I will go your way,’ I said, ‘in a little while. But first I must take – I must take her home. Do you know the village of Merring?’

The man consulted his fellows.

After a moment–

‘I know the name, sir,’ he said. ‘Perhaps you can tell us the way.’

‘I only know that it lies beyond Vardar,’ I said.

‘That is enough, sir,’ said he. ‘We will ask the way at Vardar.’ He hesitated. Then, ‘I hope you will believe, sir,’ he said, ‘that our hands are clean. We had you surrounded. It never entered my head that he would fire without warning. And when – when I saw what had happened…’ Again he hesitated. ‘We had reason to think it was her Highness,’ he added jerkily.

‘The crime is as black,’ I said thickly. ‘This was her deputy.’

Twenty minutes later I entered one of two cars that were waiting below. The police gave me this to myself, except that the sergeant sat by the driver’s side. The wolf-hound lay on the floor with his chin on my foot. And I sat back, like some image, thinking of the pleasure which Lelia would have found in the drive and how she and I would ere now have been nearing Vigil but for that fatal darkness which had confounded our steps.

Now to get to Vardar, we had to cross the railway, and that by the level-crossing, whose light could be seen so far upon every side. When we reached it, the gates were shut, because some express was due, and we had no choice but to wait until it had come and gone.

On any other night we should have waited alone and, as like as not, have had to rouse the keeper to open the gates, but tonight he was up and doing because of the fire, and the spot was alive with people, some of them coming or going, but most of them doing nothing but stand around and argue about the fate of the house, which seemed to have stood at some corner rather less than a furlong ahead.

I could have spared the check, for any delay seemed indecent, and my one desire was to bring my pitiful burden to those I was sure must have loved her and lay her upon the bed in which, but for me, she would have been lying asleep; the liveliness and the gossip into which we had been suddenly plunged seemed so ill-timed and outrageous as scarce to be borne, and, what was far worse, so bright was the lamp beside us that any moment some idle glance might discover that the car was conveying no ordinary passenger.

That the sergeant feared as I did was very plain, for after a moment he descended and stood by one of the doors, whilst I sat on tenterhooks, ready myself to murder the first that offended my dead.

So for five ghastly minutes. Then the voices declined to whispers, and I knew that our secret was out.

Presently the keeper of the crossing came up to the sergeant’s side.

I did not hear his question, but I heard the other’s reply.

‘An accident,’ he said shortly. ‘An accident with a car. A girl has been run over. We are taking her to Vigil as fast as we can.’

The rumour went round like wildfire, and at a word from the sergeant the driver of the car descended and stood to the other door.

Very soon there was a crowd about us; but the train did not come.

I addressed myself to the sergeant.