Show 8 ram Hostile b by Ben Bell Valley fiction Fiction Ames Williams CHAPTER S l t I He Her too had seen her terror then It must have been plain for them all ll to sec see But even as she thought this she realized suddenly that she V was no longer afraid and wondered why And then then without speaking to Bart she came quickly back into the he kitchen where were Mann Marm Pierce and Will VIlI Her hand touched Wills Will's sleeve and peace filled her end and a deep enlightenment and certainty certainty certainty like a revelation Then the truck departed and Bart BartI and Sohier and Saladine returned I indoors and Sohier said vaguely Rains stopped Looks s like clearIng clear- clear In Ing but Carey says it will wUl rain some more M Most st always does give it time Marm Pierce agreed ag And after a moment the sheriff appealed to Saladine Jim he said Looks like you could figure something out of this business I Iguess Iguess guess you was the last one to see sec Mis' Mis Ferrin alive aliv Saladine shook his head I 1 dont don't see into it at all aU he con con- Bart turned to Will How about you Will Z he lie urged you hear her screech when she fell ZId Z Id I'd have said everybody in a mile would have heard that It sounded mighty loud to me Will vm shook his head The noise wouldn't carry up to the farm with the hill between and the trees trees' He seemed to collect his memories He looked at Saladine I 1 mind he said when you went off oft with Huldy Zeke Zelte ho he come out of the shed like Jike hed he'd go along after you ou I 1 stopped him made him stay behind be be- hind And he continued after a moment Seems like I 1 kep him there a sight it'd take you to get down to the brook Supposing Supposing Supposing ing you ou didn't stop any time on the ledge I didn't Saladine said What time was that the sherIff sheriff sher sher- iff asked Maybe past half-past nine Saladine hazarded He went on I 11 walked up tip brook as far as Careys Then I crossed over and come down the theother theother theother other side but I 1 didn't fish the quick water I 1 didn't fish much till I 1 come to the deep holes He looked toward Jenny And then I run into you There was silence for a moment then Will VIII spoke again gropingly By the time I figured you'd be I left Zeke gone gone gone- he explained and went into the house but when it come como on to rain I wondered where Huldy was I come como out on the porch and yelled for Zeke but buthe buthe buthe he didn't answer so 50 I went hunting them you go Bart asked Will Vill said In the barn and around It was raining a sight to see b by that time Finally I put on ona ona ona a slicker and went down to the ledge No sign of ot her there Sohier asked Will Vm shook his head I 1 started to go down the path to the brook he tie explained But then I decided there want any use in that He added with a glance at Saladine I III see seo tracks trades where you'd gone down where your boots had slipped Saladine spoke quickly Boots Ive I've got bot shoes on Long silence The kettle simmering simmerIng simmering simmer- simmer Ing on the stove was the only sound It was someone else Saladine Insisted It want me Marm Pierce got gott up and crossed to pull pun down the window blind she I traversed the length of ot the kitchen to o draw the shade on the glass panel In Inthe n the door It gives me the fidgets to have the blinds bUnds up she confessed With anyone that's a mind to looking lookin in They nodded in grave assent Then Will vm said stubbornly It flIt was boot tracks that I 1 see Somebody with boots on had gone down the trail trait And Bart spoke Guess Zeke had boots o on didn't he Will considered and he nodded Likely he agreed Yes Y s he did I mind now He did The sheriff stirred The way it looks to me he ho decided Zekes the ho one to find and we aint likely to o find him long as were we're setting here Nor you cant can't find him outside Marm Pierce cried sharply Show some ome sense sheriff You couldn't see see Zeke ten feet away a night like ike this if he was a mind to I hide He frowned Then what hat in am I going a-going to do he protested Set down the old woman in- in Isted Use your head stead of your feet leet Use Uso your eyes to todo todo todo What goods good's my e eyes es going do mo me here hero ho he urged Theres been enough to sec if him and you want blind she told she looked briefly r it at c Jenny I 1 guess uess I be then then he admitted I I dont don't know what yore getting at The old woman hesitated then she turned at last to face the tho girl Jenny she said sharply You were almighty scared a while white ago I r think you know something moren youve you've told You was down brook this morning Did you see anything anything anything any any- thing hear anything at all an Her tones were insistent Jenny though her heart was pounding spoke after a moment steadily enough The way was clear before her now all doubts resolved But she only said I r told you I I heard someone talking in the woods Marm Pierce protested irascibly Nothing in that to scare you She came closer to the girl IJ Jenny enny I 1 Ican Ican can see sec more than most but I cant can't cantsee I Isee see everything What was it scared i you a while white ago When the sheriff sherif sheriff sher sher- if iff said that about wishing Huldy had come to before she died And she urged with a sort of ot otio violence vio io lence And OlAnd you was scared this morning right after Huldy died And she admitted Oh I 1 know you let ct on it was because oud heard someone in the other side the house louse but youve you've heard Win Vin in in inhere there here often enough It want that that frightened you Her Her voice What was stern commanding was it Jenn Jenny she demanded The girl smiled slowly as at some secret thou thought ht Go on Jenny said old Marm Pierce Tell the truth and shame the tho devil de Jenny looked at Wills Will's bowed head lead and her smile suddenly was radiant as the sun It uIt dont don't mean meana a thing lhing to me now she protested softly Because I can see sec it want true What was It Jenny tho the old woman insisted Huldy did come coe to for a minute before she died said Jenny then There was for a moment deep silence on them all aU and Saladine remembered in an which revealed many things till un now concealed that murmur of ot voices which he had heard in the dining room when Huldy died Then Marm Pierce cried in a deep in incredulity incredulity incredulity in- in credulity Jenny she never did And Bart exclaimed She couldn't Jenny Vh Why she was asgood as asgood good as dead before ever I got her here Jenny repeated slowly She did anyway And for a moment she said no more She stood near the cabinet over the sink where whore knives and forks and cooking dishes were stowed ed away Bart was by the door into nto the shed Marm Pierce PIerc was between Jenn Jenny and the tho stove sto and Sheriff Sohier sat in front of the oven with his greatcoat loose about him lira Will vm was beyond the stove near nearlie the lie other door impassive waiting Saladine watching Jenny Tenn thought bought she seemed in this moment to lo wear a mantle of ot grace she stood so erectly and her eyes were so clear and fine She looked at Will and her eyes held his and her tone was gently mirthful She told me you did it Will Vilt said Jenn Jenny with a smile on her lips and her glance serene Bart uttered a low ejaculation but ut Marm Pierce spoke in brisk Insistence Jenny you begin at the first of oft it it t she said When did all an this happen lappen How come you didn't call me I didn't want you Jenny told her gently The more fool you said Marm Pi Pierce briskly her patience near the breaking point What happened she sha sh demanded J Jenny hesitated faintly Why I Iwas Iwas Iwas was by her not touching her she explained Just uJust watching And I Isee Isse see her kind of move and h heave ave like she w was trying to breathe Th Then n her here e eyes es op opened ned and then she looked at me The old woman erl cried d Her eyes W was lS open after fter she di died d for the matter matter mat mat- ter of that Jenny shook her head No uNo she I said No she did not come to She knew me i iThe The sheriff sherif spoke heavily u Mis Ms ts' ts I P Pierce Perce you ou let Jet her tell it her own I way he urged So Marm Pierce i was silenced d and nd Jennys Jenny's eyes turned again to Will WUl The bl big man stood I le ming leaning a little forward not speakIng speaking speak speak- In ing not moving yet d he shook and swayed wh where re he stood as though this that Jenny had to sa say had struck him lim nerveless I Then Jenny faced the sheriff sheri steadily steadily stead stead- ily and she said Mis Ferrin looked t m me and her mouth twisted into a aking aking aking king of laugh and she said something something some some- thing And the girl went on First off oft I couldn't hear her She w was awful w weak and I leaned down and I said sad to her Its lIts all right Mis' Mis Ferrin And Ard sh she laughed at me I mean her mouth twisted as if she was trying to And this time I heard what whal she said aid Marm Pierce exploded In a fierce impatience Get on with it Jenny What Whal did she say sa And Jenny answered She said I could have him hm now She h d then continued I guess gues I kind of ot moved back at that away from her herl It Il was like Jike shed she'd slapped me me Her cheek chck k was pale and she spoke almost humbly I didn't know what to do she con f s d. d So I just trl tried d to tell her it was all right and I told her Will Wilt was coming Her tones shook then steadied I And then she said it she con eluded She said kind of slow end and weak Will knocked me off off oU- And she had to wait wail a minute and then she said He hit mel met The girl was silent for lor an ins instant nt before she could go on Her mouth was still kind of laughing laugh laugh- ing the she finished And she he sort of coughed I guess ess that was when she died A deep tremor shook her but her voice was firm She laid th there re looking g at me and her mouth grinning at me but I guess gUeS sh she wes was dead d c by then Anyway she didn't say sayan any more s She She c finished and was still sun waiting An Ana Anc suddenly she was very tired i f dreading what was to come Yet for a while no one spoke at all To be continued tomorrow |