The Last Stetson | Page 9

mos two thousand years.' Granny was a-cryin', Uncl' Gabe, 'n'
she said, sorter soft, ' Stranger, let's hope that hit hain't so ' ; 'n' the rider
says, But hit air so; n' He fergive em while they was doin' it.' Thet's
whut got me, Uncl' Gabe, 'n' when the woman got to singin', somethin'
kinder broke loose hyeh "-Isom passed his hand over his thin chest-" 'n'
I couldn't git breath. I was mos' afeerd to ride home. I jes layed at the
mill studyin', till I thought my head would bust. I reckon hit was the
spent a-work-in me. Looks like I was mos' convicted, Uncl' Gabe." His
voice trembled and he stopped. Crump was a-lyin'," he cried, suddenly.
"But hit's wuss, Und' Gabe; hit's wuss! You say a life fer a life in this
worl'; the rider says hit's in the next, 'n' I'm mis'ble, Uncl' Gabe. Ef
Rome-I wish Rome was hyeh," he cried, helplessly. "I don't know whut
to do."
The miller rose and limped within the mill, and ran one hand through
the shifting corn. He stood in the doorway, looking long and
perplexedly towards Hazlan; he finally saw, he thought, just what the

lad's trouble was. He could give him some comfort, and he got his chair
and dragged it out to the door across the platform, and sat down in
silence.
Isom," he said at last, "the Spent air shorely a-workin' ye, 'n' I'm glad of
it. But ye mus 'n t worry about the penalty a-fallin' on Rome. Steve
Marcum killed Jass-he can't fool me-'n' I've told Steve he's got thet
penalty to pay ef he gits up this trouble. I'm glad the Spent's a-workin'
ye, but ye mus'n' t worry 'bout Rome."
Isom rose suddenly on one elbow, and with a moan lay back and
crossed his arms over his face.
Old Gabe turned and left him.
Git up, Isom." It was the miller's voice again, an hour later. "You better
go home now. Ride the hoss, boy," he and, kindly.
Isom rose, and old Gabe helped him mount, and stood at the door. The
horse started, but the boy pulled him to a standstill again.
"I want to ax ye jes one thing more, Uncl' Gabe," he said, slowly."
S'posin' Steve had a-killed Jass to keep him from killin' Rome, hev he
got to be damned fer it jes the same? Hev he got to give up eternal life
anyways? Hain't thar no way out'n it-no way?"
There was need for close distinction now and the miller was deliberate.
Ef Steve shot Jass," he said, " jes to save Rome's life-he had the right to
shoot him. Thar hain't no doubt 'bout that. The law says so. But "-there
was a judicial pause-"I've heerd Steve say that he hated Jass wuss' n
anybody on earth, 'cept old Brayton; 'n' ef he wus glad o' the chance o'
killin' him, why-the Lord air merciful, Isom; the Bible air true, 'n' hit
says an ' eye fer an eye, a tooth fer a tooth,' 'n' I never knowed hit to
fail-but the Lord air merciful. Ef Steve would only jes repent, 'n' ef,
'stid o' fightin' the Lord by takin' human life, he'd fight fer Him by
savin' it, I reckon the Lord would fergive him. Fer ef ye lose yer life fer
Him, He do say you'll find it agin somewhar-sometime.

Old Gabe did not see the sullen despair that came into the boy's tense
face. The subtlety of the answer had taken the old man back to the days
when he was magistrate, and his eyes were half closed. Isom rode away
without a word. From the dark of the mill old Gabe turned to look after
him again.
"I'm afeerd he's a-gittin' feverish agin. Hit looks like he's convicted; but
"-he knew the wavering nature of the boy-" I don't know-I don't know."
Going home an hour later, the old man saw several mountaineers
climbing the path towards Steve Marcum's cabin; it meant the brewing
of mischief; and when he stopped at his own gate, he saw at the bend of
the road a figure creep from the bushes on one side into the bushes on
the other.
It looked like Crump.
III
IT was Crump, and fifty yards behind him was Isom, slipping through
the brush after him -Isom's evil spirit-old Gabe, Raines, " conviction,"
blood-penalty, forgotten, all lost in the passion of a chase which has no
parallel when the game is man.
Straight up the ravine Crump went along a path which led to Steve
Marcum's cabin. There was a clump of rhododendron at the head of the
ravine, and near Steve's cabin. About this hour Marcum would be
chopping wood for supper, or sitting out in