按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
unlooked…for onset。 Then she thought of the barn。 It would be a
rallying…point for them if driven backa tower of defence if
besieged。 There were arms secreted beneath the hay for such an
emergency。 She would run there； swing…to its open doors； and get
ready to barricade them。
She ran crouchingly； seeking the higher grasses and brambles of the
ridge to escape observation from the meadow until she could descend
upon the barn from the rear。 She threw aside her impeding shawl；
her brown holland sun…bonnet； torn off her head and hanging by its
strings from her shoulders； let her coarse silver…threaded hair
stream like a mane over her back； her face and hands were bleeding
from thorns and whitened by dust。 But she struggled on fiercely
like some hunted animal until she reached the descending trail；
when； letting herself go blindly； only withheld by the long grasses
she clutched at wildly on either side； she half fell； half stumbled
down the slope and emerged beside the barn； breathless and exhausted。
But what a contrast was there！ For an instant she could scarcely
believe that she had left the ridge with her husband's savage
outcry in her ears； and in her eyes the swift vision of his furious
cavalcade。 The boundary meadow was hidden by the soft lines of
graceful willows in whose dim recesses the figures of the
passionate horsemen seemed to have melted forever。 There was
nothing now to interrupt the long vista of peaceful beauty that
stretched before her through this lonely hollow to the distant
sleeping hills。 The bursting barn in the foreground； heaped with
grain that fringed its eaves and bristled from its windows and
doors until its unlovely bulk was hidden in trailing feathery
outlines； the gentle flutter of wings and soothing twitter of
swallows and jays around its open rafters； and the drifting shadows
of a few circling crows above it； the drowsy song of bees on the
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