Show LE VALLE williams w Service big hI b Ben Ames eon Copyright by by Ben en Ames Am Williams William SYNOPSIS At a gathering of cronies In the vii vil village lage lase of Liberty Maine Jim listens to the history of the neighbor neighbor- neighboring ing Hostile Valley Valley Its Its past tragedies Its Us superb fishing streams and above all the mysterious enticing HuldY wife wICe of Will m FerrIn Interested he drives to the Valley for a a. days day's fishing though admitting to himself his chief desire la to to see the glamorous HuMy Ferrin Old Marm Pierce and her year old granddaughter Jenny live JIve In the Valley Valle Since childhood Jenny has deeply loved young Will Ill Ferrin older than she shoo and who re regards re- re regards regards gards her as still a child Will leaves to take employment In nearby Augusta His fathers father's death brings Will Viii back to the Valley but he returns to Au Au- Augusta Augusta Augusta Jennys Jenny's gusta still unconscious of womanhood and love Neighbors Neighbor of the Pierces are Bart and Amy Carey are brother and sister Bart unmarried and something of a neer ne'er neer ne'er ell Is at attracted at- at attracted attracted by Jenny The girl repulses him definitely Learning that Will Willis is coming home Jenny exulting sets his long-empty long house to rights ts and has ha dinner ready read for him lie romos romos- bringing his wife Huldy The girls girl's world collapses Huldy Huld becomes the subject of unfavorable gossip In the Valley Entering his home unlooked unlocked for Will wm finds seemingly damning evidence evl enco of his wife's unfaithfulness Humph Humph- Humphreys Humphreys as aa a man he knows 15 is reys breaks from the house hou e 1 L CHAPTER IV Continued IV-Continued Continued 7 7 I f But Dut Will had spent no energy In vain rain direct pursuit He lie had cut straight for the steam mill down the I Valley to wait walt for Seth there and Humphreys after a while guessed this TIe lie said to Bart Dart himself reluctantly preparing to depart Bart you got a gun In the house Theres There's a wild bull In the woods down where were we're working been bothering the men Im I'm a mind to shoot him Bart said said- Ive I got an old revolver that throws a heavy slug If you can bold hold it straight You get near enough and you could kill an elephant with it it Let me have ha that Seth proposed This bull he comes right up around arou d the mill I can get near enough to him without no trouble at all So Bart Dart produced the revolver voler r an ancient model In a heavy heary holster stained by years of use Got quite a history that gun has he said proud proud- ly Fellow out in Denver Den found a dead man in a gulch In ia the mountains one day with this gun on him and a bullet through his head DC lIe sent the gun to me m Triggers Trigger's ers er's mighty light Sin- Sin Single Single Single gle action You have to cock It It Seth hefted the weapon sighted it made sure It was loaded Much obliged he said Ill fetch It back to you And he got Into the truck and laid the pistol on the seat beside him and went ent on his way The man was afraid He lIe was as big bigas bigas as ns Will Ferrin not quite so tall but heavier Nevertheless Ne Just as a dog dogfights dogfights dogfights fights best In its own yard so does a aman aman aman man In the wrong fight poorly Seth wanted no fight light with Will Ferrin and his very fears gave him a false cour cour- courage courage courage age a pseudo pseudo ferocity He lIe gritted his teeth and shook his head and vowed owed that Will had better not try to lay a hand band on him He lIe drove down the Valley road and turned Into the rough wood track that I f led to the clearing where the steam mill was set beside a spring brook that furnished water for the boilers The 1 mill was working the mill crew gath gath- gathered gathered ered In n the shed But Dut Seth did aid not see Will anywhere about and knew a deep relief There was at one side a shed of rough rou h boards roofed with tar paper with a dirt floor In which the truck was custom custom- customarily customarily customarily stored against the weather Its doors were swung wide and Seth turned the truck Into this shed But Dut as he did so Will Ferrin came suddenly out from behind one wide- wide flung door and leaped on the trucks truck's running board by Seth's very elbow His Bis countenance was affrighting Seth's foot missed the brake pressed the throttle Instead then he found the brake and Jammed It down The truck leaped ahead tried to stop skidded sidewise the right rear wheel broke partly through one wall the front mud mud- mudguard mudguard guard burst Into the opposite wall And Will In silent deadly purpose caught aught Seth's throat with both hands to drag him to the ground Seth's hand band found the ready pistol be he thumbed the hammer back bacI- As the weapon came Into his sight Will re re- released released leased Seth's throat with his left hand and grabbed at Seth's wrist that held the gun The two men were falling to to- together together gether as the pistol exploded Will felt the heavy ball plow into his leg le below helow the knee crashing through the bone with a shocking impact But Dut he did not loose the grip he be had bad The mill was sixty or seventy se yards away and the saw at the moment of the shot was whining through a log but Luke Hills was seas beyond be ond the mill by the Wool brook and his ears cars were clear of the saws saw's close proximity lIe He heard beard the shot and came lumbering up tip the bank shouting the alarm to the others The men came to the shed door door and saw Will and Seth down In Ina Ina ina a locked grip and Wills Will's leg was hide hide- hideous ous But the muzzle of a heavy pistol pis pis- pistol pistol tol pointed toward them from the ground wavering wl In the tight grip of ot two opposing hands bands and this was enough to deter the boldest for tor a n mo mo- moment moment ment They dodged aside peering cau cau- cautiously cautiously and by the time they found courage to draw w near Dear Seth was dead But Will despite his wound was alive and Luke knotted a bit of rope around Wills Will's leg and twisted it with witha a stick There was a babble of or com com- commands commands mands and advice and argument ForSeth For ForSeth ForSeth Seth clearly there was nothing to be bedone done But Dut we got to get help for Will here mighty quick Luke pointed out One of ot the other men remembered Harm Marm Pierce Two boards secured to to- together together gether by b crosspieces served ser as a n rude litter They set out to carry Will through the woods to the old womans woman's house It was thus that Jenny Jenn saw Will wm again borne on a rough litter improvised improvised of fresh sawed boards still red red- redolent redolent redolent of ot sap and resin his face drained white his eyes ejes e es closed his leg below the knotted rope a shattered thing She saw the men approaching with their burden and she and Marm Pierce came out on the kitchen porch and the old woman cried urgently hurt bad Jenny get the cloth off oft the dining room table Put a n couple leaves In and a blanket I on It sos so's they can lay him there Jenny would have haye run desperately to meet them but the old woman held I her from that futility So when Luke and the others arrived the table was ns prepared and Mann Marro Pierce met them at the door Fetch him In she commanded Who is It Will wm Ferrin i His Ills legs leg's shot off oft said Luke Hills hoarsely Seth shot him would have ha haver r I r 1 y But He Did Not Loose the Grip He Had killed him like as not But Dut Will wm held heldon on till he choked the life liCe out of Seth Dont stand there talking the old woman scolded Lay him on the table here easy One of you go over to Bart Careys Carey's and telephone for a doctor We lowed you could Get a doctor I told you ou l 1 Jabbering Jabber- Jabber JabberIng JabberIng Ing like a pack of crows 1 I Lay him down Now get out of here the lot lotof lotof lotof of you Jenny and me well we'll tend him One of you go telephone and the rest of you stay handy case I need you A man departed at a clumsy run and Harm Marm Pierce standing by Will slitting away his overalls o tugging at his heavy shoe asked over o her shoulder Wheres Seth i i Hes lIes dead No help for him Luke Hills told her Well W I go g stay ta with i h him one e of f you you ou Jenny Shut the door I l ISo ISo So Jenny and Marm Pierce were left to tend the hurt man and Marm Pierce as she bared the wound made little rueful whistling sounds between her teeth and Jenny was cold as stone all an emotions in abeyance abe ance stand stand- standing standing standIng ing like Ice Get water boiling Jenny Marm alarm Pierce fierce directed The want that certain And fetch some water here till I clean his leg all I can Jenny turned to the kitchen chunked the fire pumped water put the kettle ket ket- kettle kettle tle on the stove then she came carne back to the dining room She had not spoken Wills Will's eyelids e wavered opened then closed again He lIe said weakly My teams team's tied up on ridge on-ridge ridge road Somebody Some Some- Somebody Somebody body fetch em home You hush up Will Marm Pierce told him need all the strength youve you've got Nut come off the axle Will wm In In- insisted Theres a spare nut In th Ui shed Hush Bush I tell you I 1 the old woman cried She loosed the tourniquet a lit lit- little little tle tie till blood flowed again a aln then tight tight- tightened tightened tightened ened it once more She saw Jennys Jenny's fearful doubts of this procedure and said I dunno Jenny Seems like Ive I've heard tell youve you've got to let some blood get through or the le leglI 11 die I guess Its It's going to have to be cut off oft though thou h. h No bone left only splinters for four- four five live inches down the shin Jenny nodded dumbly All Ali we can do Is 18 keep him quiet till the doctor comes Marm Pierce confessed I can cure some hurts this here Is too much for me And later she said You put a pil pU- pillow pUlow low under his head and a blanket over oer him to keep him warm But Dut when these things were done donethey donethey donethey they could only keep vigil Igil till tin after a along aIon along long Ion hour the doctor did arrive When that which had now to be bedone bedone bedone done was done Jenny Tenny was left drained and empty her muscles limp her heart farm Marm Pierce sick Throughout she and had helped the doctor the old woman administering chloroform drop by drop under tinder strict direction Jenny holding holdin this and that as she was bidden With the first stroke of knife she was stunned as ns though by a head blow had thereafter no sense or strict consciousness of what went forward here at nt all This still form on the table ceased to be the man she loved lo she helped like an automaton her cheek white as stone her hands precise and strong stron while flesh and blood and bone of good Will FerrIn were reduced to carrion The overpowering o physical ex ex- experience experience ex- ex experience would leave its traces on her thereafter in lasting ways wa s 's yet she was for the moment spared emotion This was no tempest of the soul which buffeted her Rather she suffered physical ph blows and and emerged exhausted bruised weary to the heart When at last she was no longer lon er needed she went weakly Into the kitchen to wash her hands and clean clenn her garments she returned to her own room to change Into her other gear Time had flown dusk was pur pur- purple purple purple in the Valley When she returned to the dining room Will had somehow been moved mo so that he lay la breathing In long gasping Inhalations on the couch and Jenny found the doctor and Luke gone and only Marm Pierce Fierce Hills remaining here The old woman looked at Jenny inthe In Inthe Inthe the lamps lamp's pale light and saw the girls girl's exhaustion and she came to say sayto sayto sayto to her softly Jenny theres there's nought to do here for fora a while It will be long enough till he knows us or knows anything You get out of doors get some air breathe life back Into you child Youre You're pale as a agone agone agone gone thing tiring yourself this minute Ill I'll 1 tend all here And Jenny moving with a curious passivity obeyed obe ed the old woman as she was used to obey The night would be cold and she put on a coat cont over her dress and a shawl about her head and shoulders and went out Into the thickening darkness This was a still cold night with threat of another frost before dawn L low peered brightly down like the eyes of curious children The girl looked up at them and she heard an nn owls owl's hooting cry far down the Valley and she heard beard the rumble of ofa ofa ofa a distant automobile somewhere toward the steam mill and saw a sweeping ray of light above the trees as though a car were turning there its headlights like a searchlights searchlight's beam They would be taking Seth Hum Hum- Humphreys' Humphreys Humphreys' Humphreys body bod away she thought and she thought Will had killed him and thought of the law and what the law would have ha to say to this and she thought loyally that none could blame Will Blame mame It might mi ht be lie but not Will And slow anger an er began bt gan to wake in her to supplant the terrible stricken grief because a part of Will was gone and the sweet flesh she loved loyed was now reduced to a noisome thing that must be disposed ed of lif secretly and swiftly Anger woke In her at Seth Hum Humphreys s 's for his active part and at Huldy for her secret passive role Seth was dead beyond be ond reach of Jennys Jenny's wrath but Huldy lived lI I And Jenny found herself going at long strides like a swift avenger toward the brook brool along the wood path toward Wills Will's farm here where Huldy now would be Jenny went In wrath but her deep abiding anger was bound In fetters not easily to be broken for Huldy was Wills Will's wife and the girl had wit enough deep sense enough h sound wis wis- wisdom wisdom wisdom dom enough to understand that this was no seemly seem I hour tour for a womans woman's brawl To shame would be to shame bhame Will and with sudden clear perception Jenny knew that this she sue would not do So by the time she had crossed the brook and climbed the steep bleep trail and come up through the orchard to the house she was steady again bent and bound first and above abon nil all else to protect Will from ugly tongues She came through the barn Into the farmyard falm ar and through the window of the kitchen she saw within And sight of ot checked the girl for Wills Will's wife was dressed in an unaccustomed fashion In a skirt and coat of some dark stuff Also Jenny saw that Bart Hart Carey stood be be- beside beside beside side her bending down to her speak speak- speakIng speaking Ing Intently and she saw sa Huldy's slow mocking smile as she looked at atthe atthe atthe the man her head tilted tIIt backward the smooth line of her throat sweeping deep Into her bosom This much Jenny saw not particularly particularly Intent on Bart Dart but startled by bythe bythe bythe the fashion of ot Huldy's dress and she went quickly to knock upon the kitchen door Huldy called Come In I So Jenny entered The two faced her from beyond the table the lamplight was strong upon ullon head a lit lit- little little little them Huld sat with her tle on one side her dark eyes shad shall shadowed shadowed in that deep owed o her lips curled smile Bart Dart beside her stood half half- erect one hand still upon the arm of her chair as though he had been bending bend bend- bendIng Ing over o her In some stern or ardent urgency And Jenny said slowly Mis llis Ferrin I guess uess you dont don't know but Wills Will's It or you'd been there hurt over o to Grannys Granny's house The doc doc- doctor tor cut tor-cut cut his leg off oft You'll YouJI have to come on over o I Bart straightened up |