Part 15 (2/2)
”I want Creed Bonbright. I've got something to tell him.”
”Thar--ye see now,” breathed the old woman, turning toward Creed. Then she raised her voice.
”He ain't here, honey,” she lied unhesitatingly.
”Why don't ye go to his office--that's whar he stays at.”
”Oh, for the Lord's sake--Aunt Nancy!” came back the girl's shrill, terrified tones. ”I've done been to the office; I know in reason Creed ain't there, or he'd a-answered me. Please let me in; I'm scared some of the Turrentines'll come an' ketch me.”
At this Creed strode to the door, Nancy dragging back on his arm and Buck and Beezy seconding her with all their small might, while Provine spluttered ineffectually in the background.
”Hit's a lie,” hissed Nancy. ”She's a decoy. Ef you open that thar do'
with the light on ye, they'll shoot ye over her shoulders. Hit was did to my man thataway in feud times. Don't you open the do' Creed.”
”Why, Aunt Nancy,” remonstrated Creed, almost smiling, ”this isn't like you. There's nothing but a girl there in the rain. Keep out of range if you're scared. I'm sure going to open that door.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”They stood in the lighted cabin and listened intently.”]
As he made ready to do so Nancy flew back to the table and blew out the light, and the next minute Huldah Spiller, dripping like a mermaid, was standing in the middle of the darkened room, and Doss Provine, breathing short, was barring the door behind her.
”Who's here?” gasped the girl peering about the gloom. ”What air you-all a-goin' to do to me?”
Nancy relighted the lamp and set it on the table, and Huldah discovered with a long-drawn sobbing sigh of relief that there was no one save the immediate family present.
”I came quick as I could,” she began in the middle of her story, grasping Creed by the arm and shaking him in the violence of her emotion and insistence. ”Blatch Turrentine's alive. Andy and Jeff have got him hid out. I seed him myse'f with my own eyes, in a hideout thar below Foeman's Bluff, not more'n a hour ago. I'll bet he aims to layway you, ef he cain't git ye hung for murderin' of him. You got to git out o' here. It was as much as my life was worth to come over and tell ye. I'm afraid to go back. I'm goin' right on down to Hepzibah and stay thar.”
”Come up closeter to the fire,” commanded Nancy, who had watched the girl keenly throughout her recital. ”Doss, put some sticks on and git a little blaze so she can dry herself. Huldy, you're a good girl to come over and warn Creed--when was you aimin' to go to Hepzibah?” She looked up from the hearth where she knelt with the frankest inquiring gaze.
”To-night--right now,” half whimpered Huldah. ”I'm scared to go back. I'm scared to be here on the mountain at all.”
”And did ye aim to have Creed go along of ye?” old Nancy questioned mildly.
”Yes--yes--he'd better,” agreed Huldah hysterically. ”Hit's the onliest way for him now.”
Nancy caught Creed's eye above the girl's drenched head, and shook her own warningly. Leaving Doss to look after the newcomer, she drew the young justice into the kitchen.
”Whatever ye do,” she warned him hastily, ”don't you put out with that red-headed gal in the dark. Things may be adzackly as she says--looks to me like she thinks she's a-speakin' the truth; but then agin the Turrentines might a' sent her for to draw you out. They wouldn't like to shoot ye in my cabin, 'caze they know me and my kinfolks would be apt to raise a fuss; but halfway down the mountain with this sweetheart of Wade's--huh-uh, boy; I reckon they could tell their own tale then, of how you come by yo' death. Don't you go with her.”
”I wasn't aiming to, Aunt Nancy,” said Creed quietly. ”As soon as I heard that Blatch Turrentine was alive, I intended to go right over and have a talk with old Jephthah. He's a fair-minded man, and if he is informed that his nephew is living I think he and I can come to terms.”
”Fa'r-minded man!” echoed Nancy contemptuously. ”Jephthah Turrentine a fa'r-minded man! Well, Creed, ef I hadn't no better eye for a fat chicken than you have for a fa'r-minded man, you wouldn't enjoy yo' dinner at my table as well as you do. I say fa'r-minded! This thing has got into a feud, boy, and in a feud you cain't trust n.o.body--_n.o.body_!”
Creed went back into the room, and Nancy reluctantly followed him. Huldah was getting dry and warm, and that fluent tongue of hers was impatiently silent. As soon as she saw the returning pair she began to repeat again the details of her information--how she had glimpsed the hidden man through the bushes, how she knew in reason he could be none other than Blatch. Nancy exchanged a glance of intelligence with Creed.
”Ye see!” she murmured, aside. ”Ef she _ain't_ a decoy they've sont, she don't know nothin' for sartin.”
”I'm scared of all the Turrentines,” Huldah declared. ”They're awful folks. From the old man down to Jude, they scare me. I reckon Jude's had a big hand in this,” she went on excitedly. ”Her and Blatch is goin' to wed shortly, and she'd be sh.o.r.e to know any meanness he was into. I'll be glad to git shet of sech. When you're ready to be a-steppin' Creed, I am.”
She looked up at the young fellow with a sort of unwilling wors.h.i.+p.
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