Part 21 (1/2)
Into the grave near the house the rough pine coffin, which had been knocked together by neighbour hands, was lowered by members of both factions whose peace the dead man had impartially guarded.
No circuit-rider was available, but one or two G.o.dly men knelt there and prayed and over the green valley, splendidly resurrected from the scorch and thirst of the drought, floated untrained voices raised in the old hymns.
Then as the crowd scattered along its several ways a handful of men delayed their departure, and when the place had otherwise emptied itself they led Cal Maggard to his front door where, without realization that they were selecting a spot of special significance, they halted under the n.o.bly spread shade of the tree.
The walnut, with the blight of dry weeks thrown off, had freshened its leaf.a.ge into renewed vigour--and though its scar was fresh and raw, its vital stalwartness was that of a veteran who has once more triumphed over his wounding.
The few men who had remained were all Doanes, in clan affiliation if not in name, and they stood as solemnly silent as they had been by the open grave but with heads no longer uncovered and with a grimmer quality in their sober eyes.
It was Hump Doane, the man with the twisted back, who broke the silence as spokesman for the group, and his high, sharp voice carried the rasping suggestion of a threat.
”Afore we went away from here,” he said with a note of embarra.s.sment, ”we 'lowed thet we hed need ter ask ye a few questions, Mr. Thornton.”
”I'm hearkenin' ter ye,” came the non-committal rejoinder, and the hunchback went on:
”Ther man we've jest laid ter rest was ther leader of ther Harpers an'
ther Thorntons but over an' above thet he was ther friend of every man thet loved peace-abidin' and human betterment.”
That tribute Cal acknowledged with a grave inclination of his head, but no word.
”So long as he lived ther truce thet he'd done made endured. Now thet he's dead hit would be a right distressful thing ef hit collapsed.”
Maggard's candid eyes engaged those of the others in level glance as he inquired, ”Is thar any self-respectin' man thet feels contrariwise, Mr.
Doane?”
”Thet's what we seeks ter find out. With Caleb dead an' gone, no man kin handily foretell what ther Thorntons aims ter do--an' without we knows we kain't breathe free.”
”Why does ye come ter me?”
”Because folks tells. .h.i.t thet ther old man named ye ter stand in his stead--an' ef ye does thet we hev need ter put some questions up ter ye.”
”I hain't said I sought no leaders.h.i.+p--but speak right out fer yoreselves,” invited Maggard.
”All right. We knows thet ye come hyar from _somewhars_ else--an' we don't know whar from. Because ye're old Caleb's heir, what ye does an'
what ye says gets ter be mighty pithy an' pertinent ter us.”
”I've done come ter kinderly reelize that, myself, hyar of late.”
”Ye comes from Virginny, folks says; air thet true?”
”Thet's true.”
”An' ye give one name when ye come an' tuck another atter ye'd been hyar a while, air thet true likewise?”
Maggard stiffened but he bowed his head in a.s.sent.
”All right, then--I reckon ye kin see fer yorself thet ef we've got ter trust our business in yore hands tor'ds keepin' ther truce, we've jedgmatically got ter confidence ye. We seeks ter hev ye ter tell us why ye left Virginny an' why ye changed yore name. We wants ter send a man of our own pick an' choosin' over thar an' find out fer ourselves jest what yore repute war in yore own home afore ye come hyar.”
Cal could feel the tingling of antagonism in a galvanic current along his spine. He knew that his eyes had flashed defiance before he had quelled their impulse and controlled his features, but he held his lips tight for a rebellious moment and when he opened them he asked with a velvety smoothness: