Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-01-20
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Anse looked up and spoke slowly:
81 reckon it wouldn't profit We much
to harm US, Miit We amt armed, an
it would bring on heap Of trouble >"
Outside rose an angry chorus Of
voices. The news that the Jail was
empty had gone through the crowd.
For time the McBriar stood there
debating his next step. The town
seemed at his mercy. Seemed! That
word gave him pause. The way home
lay through Havey territory. which
might mean twenty miles of solid
ambush. Anse Havey sat too quietly
for Milt's ease of mind. Was he bait
ing some fresh trap?
The old intriguer felt baf1ed and at
sea. He had grown accustomed to
weighing and calculating with guileful
elaboration. He baked at swift and
impulsive action Moreover. If he de-
Dated long, he might not be able to
control his men. He looked up-to
see little Milt, who was fighting back
the crowd at the door and locking
them out. Beyond the panels could
be heard loud swearing and the impa-
tient shutting Of many feet.
What shall we do. SOM" inquired
the older man of the younger His
voice had note of appeal and break
Ing power. 8.
When Young Milt had ridden out
0ril Is1k f1 he h cd
borne a heart fuller Of hatred and
hunger for vengeance, but that was
because Of his father. Now his father
was free. For Luke Thfxton he had
profound contempt He saw in the
situation only game of wits in which
Anse Havey was winner
Well" he replied with a grin he
could not repress, hit looks right
smart ter me like thar hain't nothin'
to do but ride on back home an try
again next time"
That counsel in the end prevailed.
struggle with mutinous spirit. These
men had come for action and they did
not want to ride back foiled. but the
word Of Old Milt had stood unchal-
ienged too long to fail now. Yet he
led back a grumblfng following and
bore discounted power. They could
not forget that a Havey had worsted
him.
So the spirit of the men who had
come to fight vented itself in the yell
and the random shots to which there
was no reply, and again q train of
horsemen were on their way into the
hills.
When it was all over and Juanita
sat there in her empty school she was
realizing that, after all, the desperate
moment had only been deferred and
must come with absolute certainty.
Christmas was only two days off and
her gun-rack was empty. When she
had come home there had not been
single weapon there.
There would be no Christmas tree
now! The berib boned packages lay In
a useless pile. Had school been in ses-
sion, she knew that the desks would
have been as empty as the gun-rack.
The whole turtlelike life had drawn in
Its head and the countryside lay as
though besieged
On Anse Haveyss book-she1ves were
new volumes, for Juanita was feeding
his scant supply, and a softer type of
poetry was being added to his frugal
and stern repertoire. A number of
men left the mountains and went into
nVIl Ia n1Cn ha
nesses who must testify against Luke
Thixton and whose lives would not
have been worth a nickel had they
stayed at home.
Then came Christmas day itself,
bleak and soggy with the thaw that
had set in and the moody dreariness
Of the sky. The sun seemed to have
despaired and made its course spirit
!essly from dawn to twilight, crawling
dimly across its daily arc.
Brother Anse Talbot came over to
the school and found both women sit
ting alphabetically by an untrimmed fir
tree amid litter of forgotten pack
ages. The children CT Tribulation
were having the sort OF Christmas
they had always had-a day OF terror
and empty cheerlessness.
Hit seems like q right smart pity
fer them children ter be plumb, tee
totally disappointed" unused the old
preacher. "S'pose now We put names
On them gewgaws an let me jest
sorter ride round an scatter en-"
You dear old saint" cried Juanita,
suddenly reused out of her apathy.
But you'll freeze to death an get
drowned in some ford"
'Thet's all right" the preacher an
swered briefly. Il reckon l kin 90
Their route
1t took Good Anse Talbot three
lays of battle with quicksand and
nire to finish that mission. At each
house he told them that Juanita Hol-
land had sent him, and the girl was
canonized afresh in hearts old and
young, back in roadless coves and on
bleak hillsides.
Every evening found Anse. Havey
seated before Juanita's hearth, study
ing the flicker OF the freight on her
face. Every detail of her expression
became to him as something he had
always known and worshiped
Some day Malcolm would come back
l.