He drew me aside, read it on the spot, and became all hospitality at once.The town was full, and though he had several friends staying in his house I should join them.Was my horse fed? Dinner had been forgotten that day, but would I enter and partake? In short, Ifound myself suddenly provided for, and I lost no time in getting my weary mount into Mr.Wright's little stable.And then I sat down, with several other gentlemen, at Mr.Wright's board, where there was much guessing as to Major Cozby's plan.
``No other man west of the mountains could have calmed that crowd after that young daredevil Temple had stirred them up,'' declared Mr.Wright.
I ventured to say that I had business with Mr.Temple.
``Faith, then, I will invite him here,'' said my host.
``But I warn you, Mr.Ritchie, that he is a trigger set on the hair.If he does not fancy you, he may quarrel with you and shoot you.And he is in no temper to be trifled with to-day.''
``I am not an easy person to quarrel with,'' I answered.
``To look at you, I shouldn't say that you were,'' said he.``We are going to the court-house, and I will see if I can get a word with the young Hotspur and send him to you.Do you wait here.''
I waited on the porch as the day waned.The tumult of the place had died down, for men were gathering in the houses to discuss and conjecture.And presently, sauntering along the street in a careless fashion, his spurs trailing in the dust, came Nicholas Temple.He stopped before the house and stared at me with a fine insolence, and I wondered whether I myself had not been too hasty in reclaiming him.A greeting died on my lips.
``Well, sir,'' he said, ``so you are the gentleman who has been dogging me all day.''
``I dog no one, Mr.Temple,'' I replied bitterly.
``We'll not quibble about words,'' said he.``Would it be impertinent to ask your business--and perhaps your name?''
``Did not Mr.Wright give you my name?'' I exclaimed.
``He might have mentioned it, I did not hear.Is it of such importance?''
At that I lost my temper entirely.
``It may be, and it may not,'' I retorted.``I am David Ritchie.''
He changed before my eyes as he stared at me, and then, ere I knew it, he had me by both arms, crying out:--``David Ritchie! My Davy--who ran away from me --and we were going to Kentucky together.Oh, I have never forgiven you,''--the smile that there was no resisting belied his words as he put his face close to mine --``I never will forgive you.I might have known you--you've grown, but I vow you're still an old man,--Davy, you renegade.And where the devil did you run to?''
``Kentucky,'' I said, laughing.
``Oh, you traitor--and I trusted you.I loved you, Davy.Do you remember how I clung to you in my sleep? And when I woke up, the world was black.Ifollowed your trail down the drive and to the cross-roads--''
``It was not ingratitude, Nick,'' I said; ``you were all I had in the world.'' And then I faltered, the sadness of that far-off time coming over me in a flood, and the remembrance of his generous sorrow for me.
``And how the devil did you track me to the Widow Brown's?'' he demanded, releasing me.
``A Mr.Jackson had a shrewd notion you were there.
And by the way, he was in a fine temper because you had skipped a race with him.''
``That sorrel-topped, lantern-headed Mr.Jackson?''
said Nick.``He'll be killed in one of his fine tempers.
Damn a man who can't keep his temper.I'll race him, of course.And where are you bound now, Davy?''
``For Louisville, in Kentucky, at the Falls of the Ohio.
It is a growing place, and a promising one for a young man in the legal profession to begin life.''
``When do you leave?'' said he.
``To-morrow morning, Nick,'' said I.``You wanted once to go to Kentucky; why not come with me?''
His face clouded.
``I do not budge from this town,'' said he, ``I do not budge until I hear that Jack Sevier is safe.Damn Cozby!
If he had given me my way, we should have been forty miles from here by this.I'll tell you.Cozby is even now picking five men to go to Morganton and steal Sevier, and he puts me off with a kind word.He'll not have me, he says.''
``He thinks you too hot.It needs discretion and an old head,'' said I.
``Egad, then, I'll commend you to him,'' said Nick.