Part 2 (2/2)

”Git down on yer knees! Now I want ye to beg fer mercy thet ye never showed--thet ye wouldn't 'a' showed Steve... Purty good,” he said, encouragingly.

”Mebbe ye kin pray a leetle, seem' ez ye air a chu'ch member. Pray fer yer enemies, Eli; Uncl' Gabe says ye must love yer enemies. I know how ye loves me, 'n' I want yer to pray fer me. The Lawd mus' sot a powerful store by a good citizen like you. Ax him to fergive me fer killin' ye.”

”Have mercy, O Lawd,” prayed Crump, to command--and the prayer was subtle--”on the murderer of this Thy servant. A life fer a life, Thou hev said, O Lawd. Fer killin' me he will foller me, 'n' ef Ye hev not mussy he is boun' fer the lowes' pit o' h.e.l.l, O Lawd--”

It was Isom's time to wince now, and Crump's pious groan was cut short.

”Shet up!” cried the boy, sharply, and he sat a moment silent. ”You've been a-spyin' on us sence I was borned, Eli,” he said, reflectively.

”I believe ye lay-wayed dad. Y'u spied on Rome. Y'u told the soldiers whar he was a-hidin' Y'u tried to shoot him from the bresh. Y'u found out Steve was goin' to Breathitt on Sunday, 'n' you've jes made a blind to shoot him in the back. I reckon thar's no meanness ye hain't done.

Dad's al'ays said ye sot a snare fer a woman once--a woman! Y'u loaded a musket with slugs, 'n' tied a string to the trigger, 'n' stretched hit 'cross the path, 'n' y'u got up on a cliff 'n' whistled to make her slow up jes when she struck the string. I reckon thet's yer wust--but I don't know.”

Several times Crump raised his hands in protest while his arraignment was going on; several times he tried to speak, but his lips refused utterance. The boy's voice was getting thicker and thicker, and he was nervously working the c.o.c.k of the big pistol up and down.

”Git up,” he said; and Crump rose with a spring. The lad's tone meant release.

”You hain't wuth the risk. I hain't goin' ter kill ye. I jus' wanted ter banter ye 'n' make ye beg. You're a good beggar, Eli, 'n' a powerful prayer. You'll be a s.h.i.+nin' light in the chu'ch, ef ye gits a chance ter s.h.i.+ne long. Fer lemme tell ye, n.o.body ever ketched ye afore. But you're ketched now, an' I'm goin' to tell Steve. He'll be a-watchin' fer ye, 'n' so 'll I. I tell ye in time, ef ye ever come over hyeh agin as long as you live, you'll never git back alive. Turn roun'! Hev ye got any b.a.l.l.s?” he asked, feeling in Crump's pockets for cartridges. ”No; well”--he picked up the Winchester and pumped the magazine empty--”I'll keep these,” he said, handing Crump the empty rifle. ”Now git away--an'

git away quick!”

Crump's slouching footsteps went out of hearing, and Isom sat where he was. His elbows dropped to his knees. His face dropped slowly into his hands, and the nettles of remorse began to sting. He took the back of one tremulous hand presently to wipe the perspiration from his forehead, and he found it burning. A sharp pain shot through his eyes. He knew what that meant, and feeling dizzy, he rose and started a little blindly towards home.

Old Gabe was waiting for him. He did not answer the old man's querulous inquiry, but stumbled towards a bed. An hour later, when the miller was rubbing his forehead, he opened his eyes, shut them, and began to talk.

”I reckon I hain't much better 'n Eli, Und' Gabe,” he said, plaintively.

”I've been abusin' him down thar in the woods. I come might' nigh killin' him onct.” The old man stroked on, scarcely heeding the boy's words, so much nonsense would he talk when ill.

”I've been lyin' to ye, Uncl' Gabe, 'n' a-deceivin' of ye right along.

Steve's a-goin' atter ole Brayton--I'm goin' too--Steve didn't kill Ja.s.s--hit wusn't Steve--hit wusn't Rome--hit was--” The last word stopped behind his shaking lips; he rose suddenly in bed, looked wildly into the miller's startled face, and dropping with a sob to the bed, went sobbing to sleep.

Old Gabe went back to his pipe, and while he smoked, his figure shrank slowly in his chair. He went to bed finally, but sleep would not come, and he rose again and built up the fire and sat by it, waiting for day.

His own doctrine, sternly taught for many a year, had come home to him; and the miller's face when he opened his door was gray as the breaking light.

IV.

THERE was little peace for old Gabe that day at the mill. And when he went home at night he found cause for the thousand premonitions that had haunted him. The lad was gone.

A faint light in the east was heralding the moon when Isom reached Steve Marc.u.m's gate. There were several horses. .h.i.tched to the fence, several dim forms seated in the porch, and the lad halloed for Steve, whose shadow shot instantly from the door and came towards him.

”Glad ter see ye, Isom,” he called, jubilantly. ”I was jus' about to sen'

fer ye. How'd ye happen to come up?”

Isom answered in a low voice with the news of Crump's ”blind,” and Steve laughed and swore in the same breath.

”Come hyeh!” he said, leading the way back; and at the porch he had Isom tell the story again.

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