cressy-第20章

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wild　mustard　that　half　hid　its　walls　with　yellow　bloom；　the　sound

of　faintly…trickling　water　in　one　of　those　old　Indian…haunted

springs　that　had　given　its　name　to　the　locality；　all　these　for　an

instant　touched　the　senses　of　this　hard；　fierce　woman　as　she　had

not　been　touched　since　she　was　a　girl。　　For　one　brief　moment　the

joys　of　peace　and　that　matured　repose　that　never　had　been　hers

flashed　upon　her；　but　with　it　came　the　savage　consciousness　that

even　now　it　was　being　wrested　away；　and　the　thought　fired　her　blood

again。　　She　listened　eagerly　for　a　second　in　the　direction　of　the

meadow；　there　was　no　report　of　fire…armsthere　was　yet　time　to

prepare　the　barn　for　defence。　　She　ran　to　the　front　of　the　building

and　seized　the　latch　of　the　half…closed　door。　　A　little　feminine

cry　that　was　half　a　laugh　came　from　within；　with　the　rapid　rustle

of　a　skirt　and　as　the　door　swung　open　a　light　figure　vanished

through　the　rear　window。　　The　slanting　sunlight　falling　in　the

shadowed　interior　disclosed　only　the　single　erect　figure　of　the

school…master　John　Ford。



The　first　confusion　and　embarrassment　of　an　interrupted　rendezvous

that　had　colored　Ford's　cheeks；　gave　way　to　a　look　of　alarm　as　he

caught　sight　of　the　bleeding　face　and　dishevelled　figure　of　Mrs。

McKinstry。　　She　saw　it。　　To　her　distorted　fancy　it　seemed　only　a

proof　of　deeper　guilt。　　Without　a　word　she　closed　the　heavy　door

behind　her　and　swung　the　huge　cross…bar　unaided　to　its　place。　　She

then　turned　and　confronted　him；　wiping　the　dust　from　her　face　and

arms　with　her　torn　and　dangling　sun…bonnet　in　a　way　that　recalled

her　attitude　on　the　first　day　he　had　met　her。



〃That　was　Cress　with　ye？〃　she　said。



He　hesitated；　still　gazing　at　her　in　wonder。



〃Don't　lie。〃



He　started。　　〃I　don't　propose　to；〃　he　retorted　indignantly。　　〃It

was〃



〃I　don't　ask　ye　how　long　this　yer's　bin　goin'　on；〃　she　said；

pointing　to　Cressy's　sun…bonnet；　a　few　books；　and　a　scattered

nosegay　of　wild　flowers　lying　on　the　hay；　〃and　I　don't　want　to

know。　　In　five　minutes　either　her　father　will　be　here；　or　them

hell…hounds　of　Harrison's　who've　sold　him　out　will　swarm　round

this　barn　to　git　possesshun。　　Ef　this　yer〃she　again　pointed

contemptuously　to　the　objects　just　indicated〃means　that　you've

cast　your　lot　with　US　and　kalkilate　to　take　our　bitter　with　our

sweet；　ye'll　lift　up　that　stack　of　hay　and　bring　out　a　gun　to　help

defend　it。　　Ef　you're　meanin'　anythin'　else；　Ford；　you'll　hide

yourself　in　that　hay　till　Hiram　comes　and　has　time　enough　to　attend

to　ye。〃



〃And　if　I　choose　to　do　neither？〃　he　said　haughtily。



She　looked　at　him　in　unutterable　scorn。　　〃There's　the　windertake

it　while　there's　time；　afore　I　bar　it。　　Ef　you　see　Hiram；　tell　him

ye　left　an　old　woman　behind　ye　to　defend　the　place　whar　you　uster

hide　with　her　darter。〃



Before　he　could　reply　there　was　a　distant　report；　followed　almost

directly　by　another。　　With　a　movement　of　irritation　he　walked　to

the　window；　turned　and　looked　at　herbolted　it；　and　came　back。



〃Where's　that　gun？〃　he　said　almost　rudely。



〃I　reckon's　that　would　fetch　ye；〃　she　said；　dragging　away　the　hay

and　disclosing　a　long　trough…like　box　covered　with　tarpaulin。　　It

proved　to　contain　powder；　shot；　and　two　guns。　　He　took　one。



〃I　suppose　I　may　know　what　I　am　fighting　for？〃　he　said　dryly。



〃Ye　might　say　'Cress'　ef　they〃indicating　the　direction　of　the

reports〃happen　to　ask　ye；〃　she　returned　with　equal　sobriety。

〃Jess　now　ye　kin　take　your　stand　up　thar　in　the　loft　and　see　what's

comin'。〃



He　did　not　linger；　but　climbed　to　the　place　assigned　him；　glad　to

escape　the　company　of　the　woman　who　at　that　moment　he　almost　hated。

In　his　unreflecting　passion　for　Cressy　he　had　always　evaded　the

thought　of　this　relationship　or　propinquity；　the　mother　had

recalled　it　to　him　in　a　way　that　imperilled　even　his　passion　for

the　daughter；　his　mind　was　wholly　preoccupied　with　the　idiotic；

exasperating；　and　utterly　hopeless　position　that　had　been　forced

upon　him。　　In　the　bitterness　of　his　spirit　his　sense　of　personal

danger　was　so　far　absorbed　that　he　speculated　on　the　chance

bullet　in　the　melee　that　might　end　his　folly　and　relieve　him　of

responsibility。　　Shut　up　in　a　barn　with　a　furious　woman；　in　a

lawless　defence　of　questionable　rightswith　the　added　consciousness

that　an　equally　questionable　passion　had　drawn　him　into　it；　and

that　SHE　knew　itdeath　seemed　to　offer　the　only　escape　from　the

explanation　he　could　never　give。　　If　another　sting　could　have　been

added　it　was　the　absurd　conviction　that　Cressy　would　not　appreciate

his　sacrifice；　but　was　perhaps　even　at　that　moment　calmly

congratulating　herself　on　the　felicitousness　of　the　complication

in　which　she　had　left　him。



Suddenly　he　heard　a　shout　and　the　tramping　of　horse。　　The　sides　of

the　loft　were　scantily　boarded　to　allow　the　extension　of　the　pent…

up　grain；　and　between　the　interstices　Ford；　without　being　himself

seen；　had　an　uninterrupted　view　of　the　plain　between　him　and　the

line　of　willows。　　As　he　gazed；　five　men　hurriedly　issued　from　the

extreme　left　and　ran　towards　the　barn。　　McKinstry　and　his　followers

simultaneously　broke　from　the　same　covert　further　to　the　right　and

galloped　forward　to　intercept　them。　　But　although　mounted；　the

greater　distance　they　had　to　traverse　brought　them　to　the　rear　of

the　building　only　as　the　Harrison　party　came　to　a　sudden　halt

before　the　closed　and　barricaded　doors　of　the　usually　defenceless

barn。　　The　discomfiture　of　the　latter　was　greeted　by　a　derisive

shout　from　the　McKinstry　partyalbeit；　equally　astonished。　　But　in

that　brief　moment　Ford　recognized　in　the　leader　of　the　Harrisons

the　well…known　figure　of　the　Sheriff　of　Tuolumne。　　It　needed　only

this　to　cap　the　climax　of　the　fatality　that　seemed　to　pursue　him。

He　was　no　longer　a　lawless　opposer　of　equally　lawless　forces；　but

he　was　actually　resisting　the　law　itself。　　He　understood　the

situation　now。　　It　was　some　idiotic　blunder　of　Uncle　Ben's　that

had　precipitated　this　attack。



The　belligerents　had　already　cocked　their　weapons；　although　the

barn　was　still　a　rampart　between　the　parties。　　But　an　adroit

flanker　of　McKinstry's；　creeping　through　the　tall　mustard；　managed

to　take　up　an　enfilading　position　as　the　Harrisons　advanced　to

break　in　the　door。　　A　threatening　shout　from　the　ambuscaded

partisans　caused　them　to　hurriedly　fall　back　towards　the　rear　of

the　barn。　　There　was　a　pause；　and　then　began　the　usual　Homeric

chaff；with　this　Western　difference　that　it　was　cunningly　intended

to　draw　the　other's　fire。



〃Why　don't　you　blaze　away　at　the　door；　you　　！　　It　won't

hurt　ye！〃



〃He's　afraid　the　bolt　will　shoot　back！〃　　Laughter　from　the

McKinstrys。



〃Come　outer　the　tall　grass　and　show　yourself；　you　black；　mud…eating

gopher。〃



〃He　can't。　　He's　dropped　his　grit　and　is　sarchin'　for　it。〃　　Goading

laughter　from　the　Harrisons。



Each　man　waited　for　that　single　shot　which　would　precipitate　the

fight。　　Even　in　their　lawlessness　the　rude　instinct　of　the　duello

swayed　them。　　The　officer　of　the　law　recognized　the　principle　as

well　as　its　practical　advantage　in　a　collision；　but　he　hesitated　to

sacrifice　one　of　his　men　in　an　attack　on　the　barn；　which　would　draw

the　fire　of　McKinstry　at　that　necessarily　fatal　range。　　As　a　brave

man　he　would　have　taken　the　risk　himself；　but　as　a　prudent　one；　he

reflected　that　his　hurriedly　collected　posse　were　all　partisans；

and　if　he　fell　the　conflict　would　resolve　itself　into　a　purely

partisan　struggle　without　a　single　unprejudiced　witness　to　justify

his　conduct　in　the　popular　eye。　　The　master　also　knew　this；　it　had

checked　his　first　impulse　to　come　forward　as　a　mediator；　his　only

reliance　now　was　on　Mrs。　McKinstry's　restraint　and　the　sheriff's

forbearance。　　The　next　instant　both　seemed　to　be　imperilled。



〃Well；　why　don't　you　wade　in？〃　sneered　Dick　McKinstry；　〃who　do　you

reckon's　hidden　in　the　barn？〃



〃I'll　tell　ye；〃　said　a　harsh；　passionate　voice　from　the　hill…side。

〃It's　Cressy　McKinstry　and　the　school…master　hidin'　in　the　hay。〃



Both　parties　turned　quickly　towards　the　intruder　who　had　approached

them　unperceived。　　But　the　speech　was　followed　by　a　more　startling

revulsion　of　sentiment　as　Mrs。　McKinstry's　voice　rang　out　from　the

barn；　〃You　lie；　Seth　Davis！〃



The　brief　advantage　offered　to　the　sheriff　in　Davis's　advent　as　a

neutral　witness；　was　utterly　lost　by　this　unlooked…for　revelation

of　Mrs。　McKinstry's　presence　in　the　barn！　　The　fates　were　clearly

against　him！　　A　woman　in　the　fight；　and　an　old　one　at　that！　　A

white　woman　to　be　forcibly　ejected！　　In　the　whole　unwritten　code　of

Southwestern　chivalry　there　was　no　such　precedent。



〃Stand　back；〃　he　said　disgustedly　to　his　followers；　〃stand　back　and

let　the　dd　barn　slide。　　But　you；　Hiram　McKinstry；　I'll　give　YOU

five　minutes　to　shake　yourself　clear　of　your　wife's　petticoats　and

git！〃　　His　blood　was　up　nowthe　quicker　from　his　momentary

weakness　and　the　trick　of　which　he　thought　himself　a　dupe。



Again　the　fatal　signal　seemed　imminent；　again　it　was　delayed。　　For

Hiram　McKinstry；　with　clanking　spurs　and　rifle　in　hand　stepped　from

behind　the　barn；　full　in　the　presence　of　his　antagonists。



〃Ez　to　my　gitten　in　five　minits；〃　he　began　in　his　laziest；

drowsiest　manner；　〃we'll　see　when　the　time's　up。　　But　jest　now

words　hev　passed　betwixt　my　wife　and　Seth　Davis。　　Afore　anythin'

else　goes　on　yer；　he's　got　to　take　HIS　back。　　My　wife　allows　he

lies；　I　allow　he　lies　too；　and　I　stan'　here　to　say　it。〃



The　right　of　personal　insult　to　precedence　of　redress　was　too　old　a

frontier　principle　to　be　gainsaid　now。　　Both　parties　held　back　and

every　eye　was　turned　to　where　Seth　Davis　had　been　standing。　　But　he

had　disappeared。



Where？



When　Mrs。　McKinstry　hurled　her　denial　from　the　barn；　he　had　taken

advantage　of　the　greater　surprise　to　leap　to　one　of　the　trusses　of

hay　that　projected　beyond　the　loft；　and　secure　a　footing　from　which

he　quickly　scrambled　through　the　open　scantling　to　the　interior。

The　master　who；　startled　by　his　voice；　had　made　his　way　through　the

loose　grain　to　the　rear；　reached　it　as　Seth　half　crawled；　half

tumbled　through。　　Their　eyes　met　in　a　single　flash　of　rage；　but

before　Seth　could　utter　an　outcry；　the　master　had　dropped　his　gun；

seized　him　around　the　neck　and　crammed　a　thick　handful　of　the　soft

hay　he　had　hurriedly　snatched　up　into　his　face　and　gasping　mouth。

A　furious　but　silent　struggle　ensued；　the　yielding　hay　on　which

they　both　fell　deadened　all　sound　of　a　scuffle　and　concealed　them

from　view；　masses　of　it；　already　loosened　by　the　intruder's

entrance；　and　dislodged　in　their　contortions　began　to　slip　through

the　opening　to　the　ground。　　The　master；　still　uppermost　and　holding

Seth　firmly　down；　allowed　himself　to　slip　with　them；　shoving　his

adversary　before　him；　the　maddened　Missourian　detecting　his

purpose；　made　a　desperat