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〃And what mouut YOU be doin' here； Mister Ben Dabney？〃 said Seth；
resuming his effrontery。
〃Well；〃 returned Uncle Ben； planting himself in the aisle before
his opponent； 〃I ain't doin' no sheriff's posse business jest now；
but I reckon to keep my hand in far enuff to purtect other folks'
property；〃 he added； with a significant glance at the broken lock
of the desk。
〃Ben Dabney；〃 said Seth in snarling expostulation； 〃I hain't got no
quar'll with ye！〃
〃Then hand me over whatever you took just now from teacher's desk
and we'll talk about that afterwards；〃 said Uncle Ben advancing。
〃I tell ye I hain't got no quar'll with ye； Uncle Ben；〃 continued
Seth； retreating with a malignant sneer； 〃and when you talk of
protectin' other folks' property； mebbe ye'd better protect YOUR
OWNor what ye'd like to call soinstead of quar'llin' with the
man that's helpin' ye。 I've got yer the proofs that that sneakin'
hound of a Yankee school…master that Cress McKinstry's hell bent
on； and that the old man and old woman are just chuckin' into her
arms； is a lyin'； black…hearted； hypocritical seducer〃
〃Stop！〃 said Uncle Ben in a voice that made the crazy casement
rattle。
He strode towards Seth Davis； no longer with his habitual careful；
hesitating step； but with a tread that seemed to shake the whole
school…room。 A single dominant clutch of his powerful right hand
on the young man's breast forced him backwards into the vacant
chair of the master。 His usually florid face had grown as gray as
the twilight； his menacing form in a moment filled the little room
and darkened the windows。 Then in some inexplicable reaction his
figure slightly drooped； he laid one heavy hand tremblingly on the
desk； and with the other affected to wipe his mouth after his old
embarrassed fashion。
〃What's that you were sayin' o' Cressy？〃 he said huskily。
〃Wot everybody says；〃 said the frightened Seth； gaining a cowardly
confidence under his adversary's emotion。 〃Wot every cub that sets
yer under his cantin' teachin'； and sees 'em together； knows。 It's
wot you'd hev knowed ef he and Roop Filgee hadn't played ye fer a
softy all the time。 And while you've bin hangin' round yer fer a
flicker of Cressy's gownd as she prances out o' school； he's bin
lyin' low and laffin' at ye； and while he's turned Roop over to
keep you here； pretendin' to give ye lessons； he's bin gallivantin'
round with her and huggin' and kissin' her in barns and in the
brushand now YOU want to quar'll with me。〃
He stopped； panting for breath； and stared malignantly in the gray
face of his hearer。 But Uncle Ben only lifted his heavy hand
mildly with an awkward gesture of warning； stepped softly in his
old cautious hesitating manner to the open door； closed it； and
returned gently：
〃I reckon ye got in through the winder； didn't ye； Seth？〃 he said；
with a labored affectation of unemotional ease； 〃a kind o' one leg
over； and one； two； and then you're in； eh？〃
〃Never you mind HOW I got in； Ben Dabney；〃 returned Seth； his
hostility and insolence increasing with his opponent's evident
weakness； 〃ez long ez I got yer and got； by G…d！ what I kem here
fer！ For whiles all this was goin' on； and whiles the old fool man
and old fool woman was swallowin' what they did see and blinkin' at
what they didn't； and huggin' themselves that they'd got high…toned
kempany fer their darter； that high…toned kempany was playin' THEM
too； by G…d！ Yes； Sir！ that high…toned； cantin' school…teacher was
keepin' a married woman in 'Frisco； all the while he was here
honey…foglin' with Cressy； and I've got the papers yer to prove
it。〃 He tapped his breast…pocket with a coarse laugh and thrust
his face forward into the gray shadow of his adversary's。
〃An' you sorter spotted their bein' in this yer desk and bursted
it？〃 said Uncle Ben； gravely examining the broken lock in the
darkness as if it were the most important feature of the incident。
Seth nodded。 〃You bet your life。 I saw him through the winder
only this afternoon lookin over 'em alone； and I reckoned to lay
my hands on 'em if I had to bust him or his desk。 And I did！〃 he
added with a triumphant chuckle。
〃And you didsure pop！〃 said Uncle Ben with slow deliberate
admiration； passing his heavy hand along the splintered lid。 〃And
you reckon； Seth； that this yer showin' of him up will break off
enythin' betwixt him and this yerthis yer MissMiss McKinstry？〃
he continued with labored formality。
〃I reckon ef the old fool McKinstry don't shoot him in his tracks
thar'll be white men enough in Injin Springs to ride this high…
toned； pizenous hypocrit on a rail outer the settlement！〃
〃That's so！〃 said Uncle Ben musingly； after a thoughtful pause； in
which he still seemed to be more occupied with the broken desk than
his companion's remark。 Then he went on cautiously： 〃And ez this
thing orter be worked mighty fine； Seth； p'r'aps； on the hull；
you'd better let me have them papers。〃
〃What！ YOU？〃 snarled Seth； drawing back with a glance of angry
suspicion； 〃not if I know it！〃
〃Seth；〃 said Uncle Ben； resting his elbows on the desk
confidentially； and speaking with painful and heavy deliberation；
〃when you first interdoosed this yer subject you elluded to my
hevin'； so to speak； rights o' preemption and interference with
this young lady； and that in your opinion； I wasn't purtectin' them
rights。 It 'pears to me that； allowin' that to be gospel truth；
them ther papers orter be in MY possessionyou hevin' so to speak
no rights to purtect； bein' off the board with this yer young lady；
and bein' moved gin'rally by free and independent cussedness。 And
ez I sed afore； this sort o' thing havin' to be worked mighty fine；
and them papers manniperlated with judgment； I reckon； Seth； if you
don't objeck； I'll hevhevto trouble you。〃
Seth started to his feet with a rapid glance at the door； but Uncle
Ben had risen again with the same alarming expression of completely
filling the darkened school…room； and of shaking the floor beneath
him at the slightest movement。 Already he fancied he saw Uncle
Ben's powerful arm hovering above him ready to descend。 It
suddenly occurred to him that if he left the execution of his
scheme of exposure and vengeance to Uncle Ben； the onus of stealing
the letters would fall equally upon their possessor。 This
advantage seemed more probable than the danger of Uncle Ben's
weakly yielding them up to the master。 In the latter case he；
Seth； could still circulate the report of having seen the letters
which Uncle Ben had himself stolen in a fit of jealousya
hypothesis the more readily accepted from the latter's familiar
knowledge of the schoolhouse and his presumed ambitious jealousy of
Cressy in his present attitude as a man of position。 With affected
reluctance and hesitation he put his hand to his breast…pocket。
〃Of course；〃 he said； 〃if you're kalkilatin' to take up the quar'll
on YOUR rights； and ez Cressy ain't anythin' more to me； YOU orter
hev the proofs。 Only don't trust them into that hound's hands。
Once he gets 'em again he'll secure a warrant agin you for stealin'。
That'll be his game。 I'd show 'em to HER firstdon't ye see？and
I reckon ef she's old Ma'am McKinstry's darter； she'll make it
lively for him。〃
He handed the letters to the looming figure before him。 It seemed
to become again a yielding mortal； and said in a hesitating voice；
〃P'r'aps you'd better make tracks outer this； Seth； and leave me
yer to put things to rights and fix up that door and the desk agin
to…morrow mornin'。 He'd better not know it to onct； and so start a
row about bein' broken into。〃
The proposition seemed to please Seth； he even extended his hand in
the darkness。 But he met only an irresponsive void。 With a slight
shrug of his shoulders and a grunting farewell； he felt his way to
the door and disappeared。 For a few moments it seemed as if Uncle
Ben had also deserted the schoolhouse； so profound and quiet was
the hush that fell upon it。 But as the eye became accustomed to
the shadow a grayish bulk appeared to grow out of it over the
master's desk and shaped itself into the broad figure of Uncle Ben。
Later； when the moon rose and looked in at the window； it saw him
as the master had seen him on the first day he had begun his
lessons in the school…house； with his face bent forward over the
desk and the same look of child…like perplexity and struggle that
he had worn at his allotted task。 Unheroic； ridiculous； and no
doubt blundering and idiotic as then； but still vaguely persistent
in his thought； he remained for some moments in this attitude。
Then rising and taking advantage of the moonlight that flooded the
desk； he set himself to mend the broken lock with a large
mechanical clasp…knife he produced from his pocket； and the aid of
his workmanlike thumb and finger。 Presently he b