Inthefrontoftheinn,surroundedbyaghostlikegroupthatspokeitssuspicions,ChestertonwasliftinghissaddlefromElCapitanandrubbingthelameforeleg。Itwasnotaserioussprain。Aweekwouldsetitright,butforthatnighttheponywasuseless。
Impatiently,Chestertoncalledacrosstheplaza,beggingthelandlordtomakehaste。Hewaseagertobegone,alarmedandfearfullesteventhisslightdelayshouldcausehimtomissthetransport。Thethoughtwasintolerable。Buthewasalsoacutelyconsciousthathewasveryhungry,andhewastoooldacampaignertoscoffathunger。Withthehopethathecouldfindsomethingtocarrywithhimandeatasherodeforward,heenteredtheinn。
Themainroomofthehousewasnowindarkness,butasmallerroomadjoiningitwaslitbycandles,andbyatinytaperfloatingbeforeacrucifix。InthelightofthecandlesChestertonmadeoutabed,apriestbendingoverit,awomankneelingbesideit,anduponthebedthelittlefigureofaboywhotossedandmoaned。AsChestertonhaltedandwaitedhesitating,theprieststrodepasthim,andinavoicedullandflatwithgriefandweariness,orderedthoseatthedoortobringthelandlordquickly。Asoneofthegroupleapedtowardthecorral,thepriestsaidtotheothers:
\"Thereisanotherattack。Ihavelosthope。\"
Chestertonadvancedandaskedifhecouldbeofservice。Thepriestshookhishead。Thechild,hesaid,wastheonlysonofthelandlord,andmuchbelovedbyhim,andbyallthevillage。Hewasnowinthethirdweekoftyphoidfeverandtheperiodofhemorrhages。Unlesstheycouldbechecked,theboywoulddie,andthepriest,whoformanymilesofmountainandforestwasalsotheonlydoctor,hadexhaustedhisstoreofsimplemedicines。
\"Nothingcanstopthehemorrhage,\"heprotestedwearily,\"butthestrongestofdrugs。AndIhavenothing!\"
ChestertonbethoughthimofthemedicinecaseMissArmitagehadforceduponhim。\"Ihavegivenopiumtothemenfordysentery,\"hesaid。\"Wouldopiumhelpyou?\"
Thepriestsprangathimandpushedhimoutofthedoorandtowardthesaddle-bags。
\"Mychildren,\"hecried,tothesilentgroupintheplaza,\"Godhassentamiracle!\"
Afteranhouratthebedsidethepriestsaid,\"Hewilllive,\"andknelt,andthemotheroftheboyandthevillagerskneltwithhim。
WhenChestertonraisedhiseyes,hefoundthatthelandlord,whohadbeensilentlywatchingwhilethetwomenstruggledwithdeathforthelifeofhisson,haddisappeared。Butheheard,leavingthevillagealongthetrailtoMayaguez,thesuddenclatterofapony\'shoofs。Itmovedlikeathingdrivenwithfear。
Theprieststrodeoutintothemoonlight。Intherecoveryofthechildhesawonlyademonstrationoftheefficacyofprayer,andhecouldnottooquicklybringhomethelessontohisparishioners。
AmidtheirmurmursofwonderandgratitudeChestertonrodeaway。
TothekindlycareofthepriesthebequeathedElCapitan。Withhim,also,heleftthegoldpieceswhichweretopayforthefreshpony。
Aquarterofamileoutsidethevillagethreewhitefiguresconfrontedhim。Twowhostoodapartintheshadowshrankfromobservation,butthelandlord,seatedbarebackuponaponythatfromsomelateexertionwasbreathingheavily,calledtohimtohalt。
\"Inthefashionofmycountry,\"hebegangrandiloquently,\"wehavecomethisfartowishyouGodspeeduponyourjourney。\"InthefashionoftheAmericanheseizedChestertonbythehand。\"Ithankyou,senor,\"hemurmured。
\"Notme,\"returnedChesterton。\"Buttheonewhomademe\'pack\'
thatmedicinechest。Thankher,forto-nightIthinkitsavedalife。\"
TheSpaniardregardedhimcuriously,fixinghimwithhiseyesasthoughdeepinconsideration。Atlasthesmiledgravely。
\"Youareright,\"hesaid。\"Letusbothrememberherinourprayers。\"
AsChestertonrodeawaythewordsremainedgratefullyinhismemoryandfilledhimwithpleasantthoughts。\"Theworld,\"hemused,\"isfullofjustsuchkindandgentlesouls。\"
AfteraninterminabledelayhereachedNewport,andtheyescapedfromtheothers,andMissArmitageandherandownthelawntotherocks,andstoodwiththewaveswhisperingattheirfeet。
Itwasthemomentforwhicheachhadsooftenlonged,withwhichbothhadsooftentorturedthemselvesbylivinginimagination,thatnow,thatitwastheirs,theywerefearfulitmightnotbetrue。
Finally,hesaid:\"Andthecharmneverfailed!Indeed,itwaswonderful!Itstoodbymesoobviously。Forinstance,thenightbeforeSanJuan,inthemillatElPoso,Isleptonthesameponchowithanothercorrespondent。Iwokeupwitharagingappetiteforbaconandcoffee,andhewokeupoutofhismind,andwithatemperatureofonehundredandfour。Andagain,IwasstandingbyCapron\'sgunatElCaney,whenashelltookthethreemenwhoservedit,andonlyscaredME。Andtherewasanothertime——\"Hestopped。\"Anyway,\"helaughed,\"hereIam。\"
\"Buttherewasonenight,oneawfulnight,\"beganthegirl。Shetrembled,andhemadethisanaddedexcusefordrawingherclosertohim。\"WhenIfeltyouwereingreatperil,thatyouwouldsurelydie。AndallthroughthenightIkneltbythewindowandlookedtowardCubaandprayed,andprayedtoGodtoletyoulive。\"
Chestertonbenthisheadandkissedthetipsofherfingers。Afteramomenthesaid:\"Wouldyouknowwhatnightitwas?ItmightbecuriousifIhadbeen——\"
\"WouldIknow!\"criedthegirl。\"Itwaseightdaysago。Thenightofthetwelfth。Anawfulnight!\"
\"Thetwelfth!\"exclaimedChesterton,andlaughedandthenbeggedherpardonhumbly。\"Ilaughedbecausethetwelfth,\"heexclaimed,\"wasthenightpeacewasdeclared。Thewarwasover。I\'msorry,butTHATnightIwasridingtowardyou,thinkingonlyofyou。I
wasneverforamomentindanger。\"