Hours of Grace by Herman Struck Read online

  “Please to do me this last kindness!

  before him, plunging from shadow to light and Martin’s cabin, to-night, is no place for a

  back again into shadow—all these impressions woman.”

  he feverishly gathered as fuel in the last hour

  “It’s useless to argue.”

  of autumn and of time.

  The finality of her tone was

  His meditations were suddenly

  unmistakable.

  interrupted when, at a point about six miles He tried with more pleading to move

  from the Martin ranch, Louise drew rein and

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  begged him to halt.

  When, at some distance, Martin’s dogs

  “I’ve been thinking,” she said when

  announced Keel’s approach, he saw eight or

  they came to a stand, “and I see a way out.

  ten men crowd out of the cabin-door.

  I’ve been trying hard not to believe the

  They stood a moment talking excitedly

  horrible truth; but I fear now that when we

  in low tones, and then, as if by sudden

  ride in there they won’t even give you a agreement, reentered the cabin—except Pete hearing. It all depends on my speed in getting Martin, who waited for Keel to come up.

  there.

  “We’re holdin’ a court meetin’ in the

  “I must be in the cabin at twelve—

  kitchen,” Martin said curtly. “I’ll take you before they start hunting for you. I’ll ride on round to the sittin’-room. You wait there.

  alone, and you must come in an hour later. It’s Lucky you haven’t a gun on you,” he added,

  your one chance to save yourself. Please do

  while his practiced eye searched Keel from

  this for my sake! Don’t make me force you to head to foot.

  stay behind!”

  The prisoner made no reply and

  Keel’s immediate reply was to lean

  followed his warden into the little candle-

  over and kiss the trembling lips. Then he said lighted room, where he seated himself on a

  conclusively: “Impossible!” and started on.

  bear-skin couch.

  Louise spurred her horse in his way,

  Why was Louise not there to greet

  and from the folds of her riding-skirt drew a him? Keel asked himself as he sat alone,

  small revolver. Before he could interfere she pondering. Had she failed? For himself he did had pressed the gun against the head of his

  not care, but it was painful to imagine that horse and fired. The animal reared, stiffened Louise, fighting, in the adjoining room, a

  convulsively, and pitched sidewise to his crowd of hardened rangers, was feeling the knees. With accustomed dexterity Keel pangs of defeat.

  cleared the saddle, and then, in wordless

  He could hear the sounds of shuffling

  astonishment, turned upon Louise.

  boots and excited talking corning from the

  “Forgive me!” she pleaded. “I must get

  kitchen. The sitting-room clock ticked off

  to Martin’s first.”

  five—ten—fifteen minutes while this

  She swung her white into course and

  confusion held on. Then the talking seemed

  was soon lost to sight on the wooded trail.

  carried on alternately by two, while the others Keel

  stood

  motionless, until the sound

  were attentively listening.

  of speeding hoofs melted into the silence of Keel tried to recognize the voices, but

  the night. Then, having assured himself that the heavy dividing door deadened them to

  the horse was dead, he started on a running

  low, indistinct mumblings. For a time the

  walk in pursuit of his champion.

  mumbling burst again into volume, to

  In his thoughts he worshiped her for

  decrease suddenly to one tense voice

  her motive and upbraided her for the folly that emphasized by a man’s fist striking the table would only bring her unnecessary pain. It was three times.

  with speculations, giving himself unnecessary This was followed by a silence.

  pain, that the six miles to Martin’s cabin were Though he had no clue to the

  covered. He was not used to walking and

  supposition, he was certain that some one was running in stiff riding-boots; but physical writing. The vigilance committee was orderly, discomforts were lost in the confusion of his in its own way, and it usually put its verdicts expectations—his fears, not for himself, but down in writing, because one of its members

  for what Louise might experience.

  was thought to be versed in technical forms.

  Hours of Grace

  11

  The silence was charged with an all-

  my thanks otherwise.”

  pervading suspense. Keel was merely a

  There was still a struggling hardness in

  sensitive, transmitting instrument—a meter, the withered face, but Stringer answered with recording the clock-strokes, ominous and a kindness which he bravely tried to feel.

  slow, the pulse of Fate.

  “Let’s forget it,” he said. “As for your

  The talking and scraping of boots thanks, give them to Louise Summers and to began again. There was a pushing back of

  Mrs. Martin. They did it.”

  benches and chairs and a general clearing of Then, to make amends for his lapse

  throats. The men were gathering at the sitting-into sentiment, he turned to his men and said room door.

  gruffly: “Any bunch o’ gun-packin' rangers

  As they filed in and circled about him

  that’d let a pair o’ skirts ride over ’em rough-Keel saw that Louise and Mrs. Martin were

  shod, has no business bein’ out this time o’

  not present. Why did they remain in the night. Give the women a chance at Keel now.

  kitchen.

  Hike out!”

  Fortunately, he had not long to ponder

  The men soon found their hats in such

  this question, for Joseph Stringer stepped obscure corners as only mountaineers could before him and spoke in a voice which lacked discover as places of modest concealment,

  the characteristic boldness of the old man.

  and, with sheepish, congratulatory remarks to

  “I’m instructed to read,” he began, Keel, stalked out to their horses, accompanied

  “the verdict of this court meetin’, which is as by Pete Martin.

  follows:

  Then Louise came in.

  “Now you won’t have to leave these

  “We, the members of the Vigilance

  dear old hills!” she exclaimed when she could Committee, organized to enforce the laws in

  speak.

  protection of the people, find Jack Keel, here

  “No,” he replied. “I guess I’ll have to

  present, guilty of killing Charles Stringer, stay here now and prove up on my new known as ‘Red.’

  reputation. You will help me?”

  “Upon considering all evidence, we

  Her answer was more convincing than

  find it necessary to acquit Jack Keel. We also speech.

  find him to be a man of honor, and we unite in The clock was not alone in filling this

  pledging him our good will.

  period. There was a far-off bustle of departing

  “Signed by all members present.”

  riders, a friendly laugh or two and “Good

  nights” exchanged. Through the kitchen door, Jack Keel did not feel elated at this

  near which Keel and Louise stood, came the

  unexpected turn of affairs.

  faint
clatter of dishes. Also, through this

  In the riot of his emotions he knew not

  closed door radiated the personality of Mrs.

  whether to be happy or sad, but he did feel a Martin.

  great unworthiness, especially toward Joseph

  “I wonder,” whispered Louise, “if you

  Stringer; and if he had any definite resolve at aren’t thinking what I am?”

  the moment, it was to thank the old veteran.

  “I was thinking of Mrs. Martin.”

  “Mr. Stringer,” Keel said, when his

  “So was I. Shall we tell her?”

  opportunity came, “I can’t believe that you’d He took her hand and then rapped

  care to touch this right hand; I can’t express reverently on the kitchen-door.