to the last man-第44章
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coming out into the open to the right； he got the corner of Greaves's
barn between him and the window of the store。 Then he boldly hurried
into the open； and soon reached an old wagon； from behind which he
proposed to watch。 He could not see either window or door of the store；
but if any of the Jorth contingent came out the back way they would be
within reach of his rifle。 Jean took the risk of being shot at from
either side。
So sharp and roving was his sight that he soon espied Colmor slipping
along behind the trees some hundred yards to the left。 All his efforts
to catch a glimpse of Bill； however； were fruitless。 And this appeared
strange to Jean； for there were several good places on the right from
which Bill could have commanded the front of Greaves's store and the
whole west side。
Colmor disappeared among some shrubbery； and Jean seemed left alone to
watch a deserted； silent village。 Watching and listening； he felt that
the time dragged。 Yet the shadows cast by the sun showed him that；
no matter how tense he felt and how the moments seemed hours； they were
really flying。
Suddenly Jean's ears rang with the vibrant shock of a rifle report。
He jerked up； strung and thrilling。 It came from in front of the store。
It was followed by revolver shots； heavy； booming。 Three he counted；
and the rest were too close together to enumerate。 A single hoarse
yell pealed out； somehow trenchant and triumphant。 Other yells；
not so wild and strange； muffled the first one。 Then silence clapped
down on the store and the； open square。
Jean was deadly certain that some of the Jorth clan would show
themselves。 He strained to still the trembling those sudden shots
and that significant yell had caused him。 No man appeared。 No more
sounds caught Jean's ears。 The suspense； then； grew unbearable。
It was not that he could not wait for an enemy to appear； but that he
could not wait to learn what had happened。 Every moment that he stayed
there； with hands like steel on his rifle； with eyes of a falcon； but
added to a dreadful； dark certainty of disaster。 A rifle shot swiftly
followed by revolver shots！ What could； they mean？ Revolver shots of
different caliber； surely fired by different men！ What could they mean？
It was not these shots that accounted for Jean's dread； but the yell
which had followed。 All his intelligence and all his nerve were not
sufficient to fight down the feeling of calamity。 And at last； yielding
to it； he left his post； and ran like a deer across the open； through
the cabin yard； and around the edge of the slope to the road。 Here his
caution brought him to a halt。 Not a living thing crossed his vision。
Breaking into a run； he soon reached the back of Meeker's place and
entered； to hurry forward to the cabin。
Colmor was there in the yard； breathing hard； his face working； and in
front of him crouched several of the men with rifles ready。 The road；
to Jean's flashing glance； was apparently deserted。 Blue sat on the
doorstep； lighting a cigarette。 Then on the moment Blaisdell strode
to the door of the cabin。 Jean had never seen him look like that。
〃Jeanlookdown the road；〃 he said； brokenly； and with big hand
shaking he pointed down toward Greaves's store。
Like lightning Jean's glance shot downdowndownuntil it stopped
to fix upon the prostrate form of a man； lying in the middle of the road。
A man of lengthy build； shirt…sleeved arms flung wide； white head in the
dustdead！ Jean's recognition was as swift as his sight。 His father！
They had killed him！ The Jorths！ It was done。 His father's premonition
of death had not been false。 And then； after these flashing thoughts；
came a sense of blankness； momentarily almost oblivion； that gave place
to a rending of the heart。 That pain Jean had known only at the death
of his mother。 It passed； this agonizing pang； and its icy pressure
yielded to a rushing gust of blood； fiery as hell。
〃Whodid it？〃 whispered Jean。
〃Jorth！〃 replied Blaisdell； huskily。 〃Son； we couldn't hold your dad back。
。 。 。 We couldn't。 He was like a lion。 。 。 。 An' he throwed his life away！
Oh； if it hadn't been for that it 'd not be so awful。 Shore； we come
heah to shoot an' be shot。 But not like that。 。 。 。 By God； it was
murdermurder！〃
Jean's mute lips framed a query easily read。
〃Tell him； Blue。 I cain't；〃 continued Blaisdell； and he tramped
back into the cabin。
〃Set down； Jean； an' take things easy；〃 said Blue； calmly。 〃You know
we all reckoned we'd git plugged one way or another in this deal。
An' shore it doesn't matter much how a fellar gits it。 All thet
ought to bother us is to make shore the other outfit bites the dust
same as your dad had to。〃
Under this man's tranquil presence； all the more quieting because it
seemed to be so deadly sure and cool； Jean felt the uplift of his dark
spirit； the acceptance of fatality； the mounting control of faculties
that must wait。 The little gunman seemed to have about his inert
presence something that suggested a rattlesnake's inherent knowledge
of its destructiveness。 Jean sat down and wiped his clammy face。
〃Jean； your dad reckoned to square accounts with Jorth； an' save us all；〃
began Blue； puffing out a cloud of smoke。 〃But he reckoned too late。
Mebbe years； agoor even not long agoif he'd called Jorth out man
to man there'd never been any Jorth…Isbel war。 Gaston Isbel's
conscience woke too late。 That's how I figger it。〃
〃Hurry！ Tell mehow ithappen；〃 panted Jean。
〃Wal； a little while after y'u left I seen your dad writin' on a leaf
he tore out of a bookMeeker's Bible； as yu can see。 I thought thet
was funny。 An' Blaisdell gave me a hunch。 Pretty soon along comes
young Evarts。 The old man calls him out of our hearin' an' talks to him。
Then I seen him give the boy somethin'； which I afterward figgered was
what he wrote on the leaf out of the Bible。 Me an' Blaisdell both tried
to git out of him what thet meant。 But not a word。 I kept watchin' an'
after a while I seen young Evarts slip out the back way。 Mebbe half an
hour I seen a bare…legged kid cross； the road an' go into Greaves's
store。 。 。 。 Then shore I tumbled to your dad。 He'd sent a note to
Jorth to come out an' meet him face to face； man to man！ 。 。 。
Shore it was like readin' what your dad had wrote。 But I didn't say
nothin' to Blaisdell。 I jest watched。〃
Blue drawled these last words； as if he enjoyed remembrance of his keen
reasoning。 A smile wreathed his thin lips。 He drew twice on the
cigarette and emitted another cloud of smoke。 Quite suddenly then
he changed。 He made a rapid gesturethe whip of a hand； significant
and passionate。 And swift words followed：
〃Colonel Lee Jorth stalked out of the storeout into the roadmebbe
a hundred steps。 Then he halted。 He wore his long black coat an' his
wide black hat； an' he stood like a stone。
〃'What the hell！' burst out Blaisdell； comin' out of his trance。
〃The rest of us jest looked。 I'd forgot your dad； for the minnit。
So had all of us。 But we remembered soon enough when we seen him
stalk out。 Everybody had a hunch then。 I called him。 Blaisdell
begged him to come back。 All the fellars； had a say。 No use！
Then I shore cussed him an' told him it was plain as day thet Jorth
didn't hit me like an honest man。 I can sense such things。 I knew
Jorth had trick up his sleeve。 I've not been a gun fighter fer nothin'。
〃Your dad had no rifle。 He packed his gun at his hip。 He jest stalked
down thet road like a giant； goin' faster an' faster； holdin' his head
high。 It shore was fine to see him。 But I was sick。 I heerd Blaisdell
groan； an' Fredericks thar cussed somethin' fierce。 。 。 。 When your dad
haltedI reckon aboot fifty steps from Jorththen we all went numb。
I heerd your dad's voicethen Jorth's。 They cut like knives。
Y'u could shore heah the hate they hed fer each other。〃
Blue had become a little husky。 His speech had grown gradually to
denote his feeling。 Underneath his serenity there was a different
order of man。
〃I reckon both your dad an' Jorth went fer their guns at the same time
an even break。 But jest as they drew； some one shot a ri
