riders of the purple sage-第55节

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iterfanatically　faithful　to　a　false　religion　I　may　have　been　but　I　know　justice；　and　my　father　is　beyond　human　justice。　Surely　he　is　meeting　just　punishmentsomewhere。　Always　it　has　appalled　methe　thought　of　your　killing　Dyer　for　my　father's　sins。　So　I　have　prayed！〃

〃Jane；　the　past　is　dead。　In　my　love　for　you　I　forgot　the　past。　This　thing　I'm　about　to　do　ain't　for　myself　or　Milly　or　Fay。　It　s　not　because　of　anythin'　that　ever　happened　in　the　past；　but　for　what　is　happenin'　right　now。　It's　for　you！。。。An'　listen。　Since　I　was　a　boy　I've　never　thanked　God　for　anythin'。　If　there　is　a　Godan'　I've　come　to　believe　itI　thank　Him　now　for　the　years　that　made　me　Lassiter！。。。I　can　reach　down　en'　feel　these　big　guns；　en'　know　what　I　can　do　with　them。　An'；　Jane；　only　one　of　the　miracles　Dyer　professes　to　believe　in　can　save　him！〃

Again　for　Jane　Withersteen　came　the　spinning　of　her　brain　in　darkness；　and　as　she　whirled　in　endless　chaos　she　seemed　to　be　falling　at　the　feet　of　a　luminous　figurea　manLassiterwho　had　saved　her　from　herself；　who　could　not　be　changed；　who　would　slay　rightfully。　Then　she　slipped　into　utter　blackness。

When　she　recovered　from　her　faint　she　became　aware　that　she　was　lying　on　a　couch　near　the　window　in　her　sitting…room。　Her　brow　felt　damp　and　cold　and　wet；　some　one　was　chafing　her　hands；　she　recognized　Judkins；　and　then　saw　that　his　lean；　hard　face　wore　the　hue　and　look　of　excessive　agitation。

〃Judkins！〃　Her　voice　broke　weakly。

〃Aw；　Miss　Withersteen；　you're　comin'　round　fine。　Now　jest　lay　still　a　little。　You're　all　right；　everythin's　all　right。〃

〃Where　ishe？〃

〃Who？〃

〃Lassiter！〃

〃You　needn't　worry　none　about　him。〃

〃Where　is　he？　Tell　meinstantly。〃

〃War；　he's　in　the　other　room　patchin'　up　a　few　triflin'　bullet　holes。〃

〃Ah！。。。Bishop'　Dyer？〃

〃When　I　seen　him　lasta　matter　of　half　an　hour　ago；　he　was　on　his　knees。　He　was　some　busy；　but　he　wasn't　prayin'！〃

〃How　strangely　you　talk！　I'll　sit　up。　I'mwell；　strong　again。　Tell　me。　Dyer　on　his　knees！　What　was　he　doing？〃

〃War；　beggin'　your　pardon　fer　blunt　talk；　Miss　Withersteen；　Dyer　was　on　his　knees　an'　not　prayin'。　You　remember　his　big；　broad　hands？　You've　seen　'em　raised　in　blessin'　over　old　gray　men　an'　little　curly…headed　children　likelike　Fay　Larkin！　Come　to　think　of　thet；　I　disremember　ever　hearin'　of　his　liftin'　his　big　hands　in　blessin'　over　a　woman。　Wal；　when　I　seen　him　lastjest　a　little　while　agohe　was　on　his　knees；　not　prayin'；　as　I　remarkedan'　he　was　pressin'　his　big　hands　over　some　bigger　wounds。〃

〃Man；　you　drive　me　mad！　Did　Lassiter　kill　Dyer？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Did　he　kill　Tull？〃

〃No。　Tull's　out　of　the　village　with　most　of　his　riders。　He's　expected　back　before　evenin'。　Lassiter　will　hev　to　git　away　before　Tull　en'　his　riders　come　in。　It's　sure　death　fer　him　here。　An'　wuss　fer　you；　too；　Miss　Withersteen。　There'll　be　some　of　an　uprisin'　when　Tull　gits　back。〃

〃I　shall　ride　away　with　Lassiter。　Judkins；　tell　me　all　you　sawall　you　know　about　this　killing。〃　She　realized；　without　wonder　or　amaze；　how　Judkins's　one　word；　affirming　the　death　of　Dyerthat　the　catastrophe　had　fallenhad　completed　the　change　whereby　she　had　been　molded　or　beaten　or　broken　into　another　woman。　She　felt　calm；　slightly　cold；　strong　as　she　had　not　been　strong　since　the　first　shadow　fell　upon　her。

〃I　jest　saw　about　all　of　it；　Miss　Withersteen；　an'　I'll　be　glad　to　tell　you　if　you'll　only　hev　patience　with　me；〃　said　Judkins；　earnestly。　〃You　see；　I've　been　pecooliarly　interested；　an'　nat'rully　I'm　some　excited。　An'　I　talk　a　lot　thet　mebbe　ain't　necessary；　but　I　can't　help　thet。

〃I　was　at　the　meetin'…house　where　Dyer　was　holdin'　court。　You　know　he　allus　acts　as　magistrate　an'　judge　when　Tull's　away。　An'　the　trial　was　fer　tryin'　what's　left　of　my　boy　ridersthet　helped　me　hold　your　cattlefer　a　lot　of　hatched…up　things　the　boys　never　did。　We're　used　to　thet；　an'　the　boys　wouldn't　hev　minded　bein'　locked　up　fer　a　while；　or　hevin'　to　dig　ditches；　or　whatever　the　judge　laid　down。　You　see；　I　divided　the　gold　you　give　me　among　all　my　boys；　an'　they　all　hid　it；　en'　they　all　feel　rich。　Howsomever；　court　was　adjourned　before　the　judge　passed　sentence。　Yes；　ma'm；　court　was　adjourned　some　strange　an'　quick；　much　as　if　lightnin'　hed　struck　the　meetin'…house。

〃I　hed　trouble　attendin'　the　trial；　but　I　got　in。　There　was　a　good　many　people　there；　all　my　boys；　an'　Judge　Dyer　with　his　several　clerks。　Also　he　hed　with　him　the　five　riders　who've　been　guardin'　him　pretty　close　of　late。　They　was　Carter；　Wright；　Jengessen；　an'　two　new　riders　from　Stone　Bridge。　I　didn't　hear　their　names；　but　I　heard　they　was　handy　men　with　guns　an'　they　looked　more　like　rustlers　than　riders。　Anyway；　there　they　was；　the　five　all　in　a　row。

〃Judge　Dyer　was　tellin'　Willie　Kern；　one　of　my　best　an'　steadiest　boys　Dyer　was　tellin'　him　how　there　was　a　ditch　opened　near　Willie's　home　lettin'　water　through　his　lot；　where　it　hadn't　ought　to　go。　An'　Willie　was　tryin'　to　git　a　word　in　to　prove　he　wasn't　at　home　all　the　day　it　happenedwhich　was　true；　as　I　knowbut　Willie　couldn't　git　a　word　in；　an'　then　Judge　Dyer　went　on　layin'　down　the　law。　An'　all　to　onct　he　happened　to　look　down　the　long　room。　An'　if　ever　any　man　turned　to　stone　he　was　thet　man。

〃Nat'rully　I　looked　back　to　see　what　hed　acted　so　powerful　strange　on　the　judge。　An'　there；　half…way　up　the　room；　in　the　middle　of　the　wide　aisle；　stood　Lassiter！　All　white　an'　black　he　looked；　an'　I　can't　think　of　anythin'　he　resembled；　onless　it's　death。　Venters　made　thet　same　room　some　still　an'　chilly　when　he　called　Tull；　but　this　was　different。　I　give　my　word；　Miss　Withersteen；　thet　I　went　cold　to　my　very　marrow。　I　don't　know　why。　But　Lassiter　had　a　way　about　him　thet's　awful。　He　spoke　a　worda　nameI　couldn't　understand　it；　though　he　spoke　clear　as　a　bell。　I　was　too　excited；　mebbe。　Judge　Dyer　must　hev　understood　it；　an'　a　lot　more　thet　was　mystery　to　me；　for　he　pitched　forrard　out　of　his　chair　right　onto　the　platform。

〃Then　them　five　riders；　Dyer's　bodyguards；　they　jumped　up；　an'　two　of　them　thet　I　found　out　afterward　were　the　strangers　from　Stone　Bridge；　they　piled　right　out　of　a　winder；　so　quick　you　couldn't　catch　your　breath。　It　was　plain　they　wasn't　Mormons。

〃Jengessen；　Carter；　an'　Wright　eyed　Lassiter；　for　what　must　hev　been　a　second　an'　seemed　like　an　hour；　an'　they　went　white　en'　strung。　But　they　didn't　weaken　nor　lose　their　nerve。

〃I　hed　a　good　look　at　Lassiter。　He　stood　sort　of　stiff；　bendin'　a　little；　an'　both　his　arms　were　crooked　an'　his　hands　looked　like　a　hawk's　claws。　But　there　ain't　no　tellin'　how　his　eyes　looked。　I　know　this；　though；　an'　thet　is　his　eyes　could　read　the　mind　of　any　man　about　to　throw　a　gun。　An'　in　watchin'　him；　of　course；　I　couldn't　see　the　three　men　go　fer　their　guns。　An'　though　I　was　lookin'　right　at　Lassiterlookin'　hardI　couldn't　see　how　he　drawed。　He　was　quicker　'n　eyesightthet's　all。　But　I　seen　the　red　spurtin'　of　his　guns；　en'　heard　his　shots　jest　the　very　littlest　instant　before　I　heard　the　shots　of　the　riders。　An'　when　I　turned；　Wright　an'　Carter　was　down；　en'　Jengessen；　who's　tough　like　a　steer；　was　pullin'　the　trigger　of　a　wabblin'　gun。　But　it　was　plain　he　was　shot　through；　plumb　center。　An'　sudden　he　fell　with　a　crash；　an'　his　gun　clattered　on　the　floor。

〃Then　there　was　a　hell　of　a　silence。　Nobody　breathed。　Sartin　I　didn't；　anyway。　I　saw　Lassiter　slip　a　smokin'　gun　back　in　a　belt。　But　he　hadn't　throwed　either　of　the　big　black　guns；　an'　I　thought　thet　strange。　An'　all　this　was　happenin'　quickyou　can't　imagine　how　quick。

〃There　come　a　scrapin'　on　the　floor　an'　Dyer　got　up；　his　face　like　lead。　I　wanted　to　watch　Lassiter；　but　Dyer's　face；　onct　I　seen　it　like　thet；　glued　my　eyes。　I　seen　him　go　fer　his　gunwhy；　I　could　hev　done　better；　quickeran'　then　there　was　a　thunderin'　shot　from　Lassiter；　an'　it　hit　Dyer's　right　arm；　an'　his　gun　went　off　as　it　dropped。　He　looked　at　Lassiter　like　a　cornered　sage…wolf；　an'　sort　of　howled；　an'　reached　down　fer　his　gun。　He'd　jest　picked　it　off　the　floor　an'　was　raisin'　it　when　another　thunderin'　shot　almost　tore　thet　arm　offso　it　seemed　to　me。　The　gun　dropped　again　an'　he　went　down　on　his　knees；　kind　of　flounderin'　after　it。　It　was　some　strange　an'　terrible　to　see　his　awful　earnestness。　Why　would　such　a　man　cling　so　to　life？　Anyway；　he　got　the　gun　with　left　hand　an'　was　raisin'　it；　pullin'　trigger　in　his　madness；　when　the　third　thunderin'　shot　hit　his　left　arm；　an'　he　dropped　the　gun　again。　But　thet　left　arm　wasn't　useless　yet；　fer　he　grabbed　up　the　gun；　an'　with　a　shakin'　aim　thet　would　hev　been　pitiful　to　mein　any　other　manhe　began　to　shoot。　One　wild　bullet　struck　a　man　twenty　feet　from　Lassiter。　An'　it　killed　thet　man；　as　I　seen　afterward。　Then　come　a　bunch　of　thunderin'　shotsnine　I　calkilated　after；　fer　they　come　so　quick　I　couldn't　count　theman'　I　knew　Lassiter　hed　turned　the　black　guns　loose　on　Dyer。

〃I'm　tellin'　you　straight；　Miss　Withersteen；　fer　I　want　you　to　know。　Afterward　you'll　git　over　it。　I've　seen　some　soul…rackin'　scenes　on　this　Utah　border；　but　this　was　the　awfulest。　I　remember　I　closed　my　eyes；　an'　fer　a　minute　I　thought　of　the　strangest　things；　out　of　place　there；　such　as　you'd　never　dream　would　come　to　mind。　I　saw　the　sage；　an'　runnin'　hossesan'　thet's　the　be