The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-08-13
CHAPTER XII

1t was beyond midnight when Clay
reached home. Harry Jump, night
hawking around the yard, followed
him into the kitchen and watched
him strip down to the waist and
wash. Morgan's cheeks showed the
battering of Herendeen's fists.
Morgan went up to his bed and
lay there, his brain pulsing within its
skullcap and strong pain travelling
through his left arm from bro
ken finger. It made him remember
the older fight. Both of them had
been younger men, soon recovering
from the misery of that beating.
This one would stick, it would be
buried physically in them as long
as they lived, and the sting of it
would never leave their minds.
At two in the morning, his broken
hand on fire, he dressed and went
downstairs; he lighted lamp in the
kitchen and shaved himself for want
of something better to do-watching
the bruised patches on his face slow
ly change color. He stocked up the
stove and put on the coffeepot; and
sat on the porch in the moon-shot
heart of night. Wind drifted across
the flats, cold and sweet. Harry
Jump appeared from the shadows,
saying in his sleepy, irritable voice,
"WeI, if you're goin' to stay up
I'll turn in"
Morgan got up from the chair, un-
able to take the punishment of his
hand by sitting STILL He went in
and drank his coffee, black and hot,
and returned to the yard, pacing out
through the long-thrown shadows of
the poplars. The weathered juniper
poles of the corral showed whitley
in the moonlight; across the valley
the outline of silence; even the night
creatures at last grew still. And so
he watched this land, his land, slow
ly turn through the night from glow
ing shapelessness to the first hard
shadows of false morning. A streak
showed over the eastern hills and the
horses began to stir in the corral.
At four he heard the cook cross the
kitchen, automatically coughing; at
five, drawn and wire-nerved, Morgan
ate breakfast with the crew.
He said to Jump, 'fIll be in town
for a couple hours. Stick close to
the house until get back"
Afterwards, all his muscles sore
and strained and ragged, he climbed
the stairs to Janet's room and stood
a moment by her bed. She lay in
a curled bundle, both hands drawn
near her face. Her lips were soft,
almost on the edge of smile, as
though her dreams were pleasant; !;
and this way, unconscious of him,
she showed Morgan a childish
sweetness that held him there, long
wondering and strongly moved. 1t
was that little-girl look, full of faith
and belief, which struck him so
hard. 1t would not, he realized, be
with her much longer. He left the
room reluctantly, got his horse and
lined out for War Pass, reaching
town beyond sunup and going direct
ly to Charley Padden's house.
Charley was the only doctor in
the country, a man turned rough and
blunt by the kind Of practice he
had, somewhat profane and appar-
emily calloused to pain in others.
When he saw the broken finger and
the bruises on Morgan's face, he
said: 1.-THE other customer came in
before daylight l took four stitches
in his lip. This is going to make
you squirm, Clay. Want drink of
whisky first?"
'No," said Clay, "go ahead and
don't talk SO damned much"
Rounding the bend of the trail, a
few minutes later, he saw Catherine
Grant dismounted in the trail, wait
ing.
When Morgan dismounted before
her her eyes showed him something
that warmed him through and
through: it was swift personal in
terest, a little saddened by what
she saw, as though his injuries hurt
her heart Zones McGeen came by
the ranch late last night and told us
what happened" She watched him
AullG 1lllllS. ol4I SlAOlAS l4llC Vi
worry across her forehead. 'I was
afraid you were badly hurt. | hope
you paid him back. I hope you
smashed the lights out of himl'
He managed a grin. Hell take
no beauty prizes for a SPELL"
They had this power TO be pleased
with each other, to cover up serious
ls1ta /.
NOR.
He said: I'm glad crossed your
trail. What are you doing?"
Il was coming your way. I want
ed to see how you were"
Ibid you tell Gurd you were COM
ing?"
No"
"What's the matter with him?"