cressy-第26章

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hypocritical　Yankee　school…master　is　draggin'　your　daughter　to　h…ll

with　him　on　the　sly。〃



〃Quit　that；　Seth　Davis；〃　said　Mrs。　McKinstry　sternly；　〃or　be　man

enough　to　tell　it　to　a　man。　　That's　Hiram's　business　to　know。〃



〃And　what　if　he　knows　it　well　enough　and　winks　at　it？　　What　if　he's

willin'　enough　to　truckle　to　it；　to　curry　favor　with　them　sneakin'

Yanks？〃　said　Seth　malignantly。



A　spasm　of　savage　conviction　seized　Mrs。　McKinstry。　　But　it　was

more　from　her　jealous　fears　of　her　husband's　disloyalty　than

concern　for　her　daughter's　transgression。　　Nevertheless；　she　said

desperately；　〃It's　a　lie。　　Where　are　your　proofs？〃



〃Proofs？〃　returned　Seth。　　〃Who　is　it　sneaks　around　the　school…house

to　have　private　talks　with　the　school…master；　and　edges　him　on　with

Cressy　afore　folks？　　Your　husband。　　Who　goes　sneakin'　off　every

arternoon　with　that　same　cantin'　hound　of　a　school…master？　　Your

daughter。　　Who's　been　carryin'　on　together；　and　hidin'　thick　enough

to　be　ridden　out　on　a　rail　together？　　Your　daughter　and　the　school…

master。　　Proofs？ask　anybody。　　Ask　the　children。　　Look　yaryou；

Johnnycome　here。〃



He　had　suddenly　directed　his　voice　to　a　blackberry　bush　near　the

trail；　from　which　the　curly　head　of　Johnny　Filgee　had　just

appeared。　　That　home…returning　infant　painfully　disengaged　himself；

his　slate；　his　books；　and　his　small　dinner…pail　half　filled　with

fruit　as　immature　as　himself；　and　came　towards　them　sideways。



〃Yer's　a　dime；　Johnny；　to　git　some　candy；〃　said　Seth；　endeavoring

to　distort　his　passion…set　face　into　a　smile。



Johnny　Filgee's　small；　berry…stained　palm　promptly　closed　over　the

coin。



〃Now；　don't　lie。　　Where's　Cressy？〃



〃Kithin'　her　bo。〃



〃Good　boy。　　What　bo？〃



Johnny　hesitated。　　He　had　once　seen　the　school…master　and　Cressy

together；　he　had　heard　it　whispered　by　the　other　children　that　they

loved　each　other。　　But　looking　at　Seth　and　Mrs。　McKinstry　he　felt

that　something　more　tremendous　than　this　stupid　fact　was　required

of　him　for　grown…up　people；　and　being　honest　and　imaginative；　he

determined　that　it　should　be　worth　the　money。



〃Speak　up；　Johnny；　don't　be　afeard　to　tell。〃



Johnny　was　not　〃afeard〃he　was　only　thinking。　　He　had　it！　　He

remembered　that　he　had　just　seen　his　paragon；　the　brilliant　Stacey；

coming　from　the　boundary　woods。　　What　more　poetical　and　startlingly

effective　than　to　connect　him　with　Cressy？　　He　replied　promptly：



〃Mithter　Thtathy。　　He　gived　her　a　watch　and　ring　of　truly　gold。

Goin'　to　be　married　at　Thacramento。〃



〃You　lyin'　limb；〃　said　Seth；　seizing　him　roughly。　　But　Mrs。

McKinstry　interposed。



〃Let　that　brat　go；〃　she　said　with　gleaming　eyes。　　〃I　want　to　talk

to　you。〃　　Seth　released　Johnny。　　〃It's　a　trick；'　he　said；　〃he's　bin

put　up　to　it　by　that　Ford。〃



But　Johnny；　after　securing　a　safe　vantage　behind　the　blackberry

bush；　determined　to　give　them　another　trialwith　facts。



〃I　know　mor'n　that；〃　he　called　out。



〃Gityou　measly　pup；〃　said　Seth　savagely。



〃I　know　Theriff　Briggth；　he　rid　over　the　boundary　with　a　lot　o'　men

and　horthes；〃　said　Johnny；　with　that　hurried　delivery　with　which　he

was　able　to　estop　interruption。　　〃Theed　'em　go　by。　　Maur　Harrithon

theth　his　dad's　goin'　to　chuck　out　ole　McKinthtry。　　Hooray！〃



Mrs。　McKinstry　turned　her　dark　face　sharply　on　Seth。　　〃What's　that

he　sez？〃



〃Nothin'　but　children's　gassin'；〃　he　answered；　meeting　her　eyes

with　an　evil　consciousness　half　loutish；　half　defiant；　〃and　ef　it

war　true；　it　would　only　sarve　Hiram　McKinstry　right。〃



She　laid　her　hand　upon　his　shoulder　with　swift　suspicion。　　〃Out　o'

my　way；　Seth　Davis；〃　she　said　suddenly；　pushing　him　aside。　　〃Ef

this　ez　any　underhanded　work　of　yours；　you'll　pay　for　it。〃



She　strode　past　him　in　the　direction　of　Johnny；　but　at　the　approach

of　the　tall　woman　with　the　angry　eyes；　the　boy　flew。　　She　hesitated

a　moment；　turned　again　with　a　threatening　wave　of　the　hand　to　Seth；

and　started　off　rapidly　in　the　direction　of　the　boundary。



She　had　not　placed　so　much　faith　in　the　boy's　story　as　in　the　vague

revelation　of　evil　in　Davis's　manner。　　If　there　was　any　〃cussedness〃

afoot；　Seth；　convinced　of　Cressy's　unfaithfulness；　and　with　no

further　hope　of　any　mediation　from　the　parents；　would　know　it。

Unless　Hiram　had　been　warned；　he　was　still　lulled　in　his　fatuous

dream　of　civilization。　　At　that　time　he　and　his　men　were　in　the

tules　with　the　stock；　to　be　satisfied；　she　herself　must　go　to　the

boundary。



She　reached　the　ridge　of　the　cottonwoods　and　sycamores；　and　a　few

hundred　yards　further　brought　her　to　the　edge　of　that　gentle

southern　slope　which　at　last　sank　into　the　broad　meadow　of　the

debatable　ground。　　In　spite　of　Stacey's　invidious　criticism　of　its

intrinsic　value；　this　theatre　of　savage　dissension；　violence；　and

bloodshed　was　by　some　irony　of　nature　a　pastoral　landscape　of

singular　and　peaceful　repose。　　The　soft　glacis　stretching　before

her　was　in　spring　cerulean　with　lupins；　and　later　starred　with

mariposas。　　The　meadow　was　transversely　crossed　by　a　curving　line

of　alders　that　indicated　a　rare　water…course；　of　which　in　the　dry

season　only　a　single　pool　remained　to　flash　back　the　unvarying　sky。

There　had　been　no　attempt　at　cultivation　of　this　broad　expanse；

wild　oats；　mustard；　and　rank　grasses　left　it　a　tossing　sea　of

turbulent　and　variegated　color　whose　waves　rode　high　enough　to

engulf　horse　and　rider　in　their　choking　depths。　　Even　the　traces　of

human　struggle；　the　uprooted　stakes；　scattered　fence…rails；　and

empty　post…holes　were　forever　hidden　under　these　billows　of

verdure。　　Midway　of　the　field　and　near　the　water…course　arose

McKinstry's　barnthe　solitary　human　structure　whose　rude；

misshapen；　bulging　sides　and　swallow…haunted　eaves　bursting　with

hay　from　the　neighboring　pasture；　seemed　however　only　an

extravagant　growth　of　the　prolific　soil。　　Mrs。　McKinstry　gazed　at

it　anxiously。　　There　was　no　sign　of　life　or　movement　near　or　around

it；　it　stood　as　it　had　always　stood；　deserted　and　solitary。　　But

turning　her　eyes　to　the　right；　beyond　the　water…course；　she　could

see　a　slight　regular　undulation　of　the　grassy　sea　and　what　appeared

to　be　the　drifting　on　its　surface　of　half　a　dozen　slouched　hats　in

the　direction　of　the　alders。　　There　was　no　longer　any　doubt；　a

party　from　the　other　side　was　approaching　the　border。



A　shout　and　the　quick　galloping　of　hoofs　behind　her　sent　a　thrill

of　relief　to　her　heart。　　She　had　barely　time　to　draw　aside　as　her

husband　and　his　followers　swept　past　her　down　the　slope。　　But　it

needed　not　his　furious　cry；　〃The　Harrisons　hev　sold　us　out；〃　to

tell　her　that　the　crisis　had　come。



She　held　her　breath　as　the　cavalcade　diverged；　and　in　open　order

furiously　approached　the　water…course；　and　she　could　see　a　sudden

check　and　hesitation　in　the　movement　in　the　meadow　at　that

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

bel