cressy-第28章

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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　desperate　attempt　to　change　his　position；　and

succeeded　in　raising　his　knee　against　the　master's　chest。　　Ford；

guarding　against　what　seemed　to　be　only　a　wrestler's　strategy；

contented　himself　by　locking　the　bent　knee　firmly　in　that　position；

and　thus　unwittingly　gave　Seth　the　looked…for　opportunity　of

drawing　the　bowie…knife　concealed　in　his　boot　leg。　　He　knew　his

mistake　only　as　Seth　violently　freed　his　arm；　and　threw　it　upward

for　the　blow。　　He　heard　the　steel　slither　like　a　scythe　through　the

hay；　and　unlocking　his　hold　desperately　threw　himself　on　the

uplifted　arm。　　The　movement　saved　him。　　For　the　released　body　of

Seth　slipped　rapidly　through　the　opening；　upheld　for　a　single

instant　on　the　verge　by　the　grasp　of　the　master's　two　hands　on　the

arm　that　still　held　the　knife；　and　then　dropped　heavily　downward。

Even　then；　the　hay　that　had　slipped　before　him　would　have　broken

his　fall；　but　his　head　came　in　violent　contact　with　some　farming

implements　standing　against　the　wall；　and　without　a　cry　he　was

stretched　senseless　on　the　ground。　　The　whole　occurrence　passed　so

rapidly　and　so　noiselessly　that　not　only　did　McKinstry's　challenge

fall　upon　his　already　unconscious　ears；　but　the　loosened　hay　which

in　the　master's　struggles　to　recover　himself　still　continued　to

slide　gently　from　the　loft；　actually　hid　him　from　the　eyes　of　the

spectators　who　sought　him　a　moment　afterwards。　　A　mass　of　hay　and

wild　oats；　dislodged　apparently　by　Mrs。　McKinstry　in　securing　her

defences；　was　all　that　met　their　eyes；　even　the　woman　herself　was

unconscious　of　the　deadly　struggle　that　had　taken　place　above　her。



The　master　staggered　to　an　upright　position　half　choked　and　half

blinded　with　dust；　turgid　and　bursting　with　the　rush　of　blood　to

his　head；　but　clear　and　collected　in　mind；　and　unremorsefully

triumphant。　　Unconscious　of　the　real　extent　of　Seth's　catastrophe

he　groped　for　and　seized　his　gun；　examined　the　cap　and　eagerly

waited　for　a　renewed　attack。　　〃He　tried　to　kill　me；　he　would　have

killed　me；　if　he　comes　again　I　must　kill　him；〃　he　kept　repeating　to

himself。　　It　never　occurred　to　him　that　this　was　inconsistent　with

his　previous　thoughtindeed　with　the　whole　tenor　of　his　belief。

Perhaps　the　most　peaceful　man　who　has　been　once　put　in　peril　of

life　by　an　adversary；　who　has　recognized　death　threatening　him　in

the　eye　of　his　antagonist；　is　by　some　strange　paradox　not　likely　to

hold　his　own　life　or　the　life　of　his　adversary　as　dearly　as　before。

Everything　was　silent　now。　　The　suspense　irritated　him；　he　no

longer　dreaded　but　even　longed　for　the　shot　that　would　precipitate

hostilities。　　What　were　they　doing？　　Guided　by　Seth；　were　they

concerting　a　fresh　attack？



Listening　more　intently　he　became　aware　of　a　distant　shouting；　and

even　more　distinctly；　of　the　dull；　heavy　trampling　of　hoofs。　　A

sudden　angry　fear　that　the　McKinstrys　had　been　beaten　off　and　were

flyinga　fear　and　anger　that　now　for　the　first　time　identified　him

with　their　causecame　over　him；　and　he　scrambled　quickly　towards

the　opening　below。　　But　the　sound　was　approaching　and　with　it　came

a　voice。



〃Hold　on　there；　sheriff！〃



It　was　the　voice　of　the　agent　Stacey。



There　was　a　pause　of　reluctant　murmuring。　　But　the　warning　was

enforced　by　a　command　from　another　voiceweak；　unheroic；　but

familiar；　〃I　order　this　yer　to　stopright　yer！〃



A　burst　of　ironical　laughter　followed。　　The　voice　was　Uncle　Ben's。



〃Stand　back！　　This　is　no　time　for　foolin'；〃　said　the　sheriff

roughly。



〃He's　right；　Sheriff　Briggs；〃　said　Stacey's　voice　hurriedly；

〃you're　acting　for　HIM；　he's　the　owner　of　the　land。〃



〃What？　　That　Ben　Dabney？〃



〃Yes；　he's　Daubigny；　who　bought　the　title　from　us。〃



There　was　a　momentary　hush；　and　then　a　hurried　murmur。



〃Which　means；　gents；〃　rose　Uncle　Ben's　voice　persuasively；　〃that

this　yer　young　man；　though　fair…minded　and　well…intended；　hez　bin　a

leetle　too　chipper　and　previous　in　orderin'　out　the