The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1915-12-16


looked around and then bent over and
whispered a name There was a short
pause, after which the chief comment.
ed; Wall. ! reckon don't need ter
tell yer what ter do now"
Il reckon | knows" confessed Luke
with somewhat surly expression.
But Mllt McBriar was paying no
attention His face was darkening.
Il wish could AFFORD ter git the
real mani" he exclaimed abruptly. Il
wish | burst hev Anse IIavey kilt"
"Wall"-this time II was the un.
derling who spoke CASUALTY reck.
on ! mought as well die fer sheep as
lamb. Shell kill Anse Havey fer
ye?
The chieftain looked at him during
a long pause. then slowly shook his
head.
mo, Luke" he said quietly. 81
haint quite ready ter die myself yit.
] reckon II he'd ye ter kill Bad Anse
thet's bout what'd happen. Jest git
ther lamb this trip an let ther old
ram live a spell"
So, one unspeakably sultry morning.
a few days after that informal session.
Good Anse Talbot arrived at the
Widow Everson's house. As Juanita
Holland appeared at the door to greet
him he came at once to the point.
"Fletch McNash hes done been
kilt" he said. Bout twilight last
night, es he was a-comin' In from ther
barn somebody shot one shoot from
ther la'rel. | reckon hit'd be right
smart comfort ter his woman an
little Dawn ef ye could ride over thar
an help tend ter ther buryin' Kin
ye start now?"
Go! Juanlta would go II II we're
necessary to run a gantlet OF all the
combined forces of the Haveys and
McBriars. Her heart ached for the
widow and the boys, but for Dawn the
ache was as deeply poignant as 1t
could have been for a little sister of
her own. So with set face and hot in.
dignation Juanita mounted for the
journey.
At last they reached the McNash
cabin and found gathered about 1t a
score OF figures with sullea and scowl-
ing faces.
From the barn came the screech OF
saw and rat-tat OF hammer, where
those whose knack ran into carpentry
we're fashioning the box which was to
serve in lieu of casket.
There was no fire now, and the
cabin was very dark In deeply
shadowed corner lay Fletch McNash.
made visible by the white sheet that
covered him.
Juanita had come In silently, and
for moment thought that no one
else was there. The younger children
had been sent away, and the neigh
bors remained outside with rough
sense Of consideration.
There, in a squat chair near the
cold hearth, sat Mrs. McNash. her
back turned to the room. She was
leaning forward and gazing ahead
with unseeing eyes. Dawn was kneel-
Ing at her side with both arms about
her mothers dropping shoulders.
Juanita bent and impulsively kissed
the withered face, but the woman only
stirred a little, like a half-wakened
sleeper, and looked stolidly up. After
while she spoke In the lifeless, far
away tone of utter lethargy.
EFF ye'd like ter see him, Jest lift
up ther sheet. He's a-layin thar"
Then once more she sank back into
the coma Of her staring at the hearth
with its dead ashes.
Then the door opened, letting in two
men, and in them Juanita recognized
Jeb McNash and Bad Anse Havey.
At their coming Dawn looked up,
drawing away from the embrace OF
the older girl, and retreated silently
to a corner, as though ashamed OF
having been discovered in tears. For
a few moments there was silence in
the room, complete except for the rap
of Jeb's pipe when he knocked out its
ashes against the chimney.
Bad Anse stood with folded arms in
the dim light and gave no sign that he
had recognized the presence of the
"furrin" woman.
The boy jerked his head toward the
hearth and said in a strained, hard
voice: set ye a cheer, Anse," and
after that no one spoke Jeb's thin
but muscular chest rose and fell to
the swell of heavy breathing and his
face was wrapped black in a scowl
that made his eyes smolder and his
lips snarl. Juanita had dropped back
to one OF the beds with Dawn's face
buried in her lap.
Then, as II rousing from a long
dream. Mrs. McNash looked up, and
for the first time appeared to realize
that her son and his companion had
entered the place.
The dead blankness left her pupils.
and into them leaped a hateful fire.
Her voice came in shrill and high.
pitched questioning: wall, Jeb, hey
ua mot hHt,