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〃I know mor'n that；〃 he called out。
〃Gityou measly pup；〃 said Seth savagely。
〃I know Theriff Briggth； he rid over the boundary with a lot o' men
and horthes；〃 said Johnny； with that hurried delivery with which he
was able to estop interruption。 〃Theed 'em go by。 Maur Harrithon
theth his dad's goin' to chuck out ole McKinthtry。 Hooray！〃
Mrs。 McKinstry turned her dark face sharply on Seth。 〃What's that
he sez？〃
〃Nothin' but children's gassin'；〃 he answered； meeting her eyes
with an evil consciousness half loutish； half defiant； 〃and ef it
war true； it would only sarve Hiram McKinstry right。〃
She laid her hand upon his shoulder with swift suspicion。 〃Out o'
my way； Seth Davis；〃 she said suddenly； pushing him aside。 〃Ef
this ez any underhanded work of yours； you'll pay for it。〃
She strode past him in the direction of Johnny； but at the approach
of the tall woman with the angry eyes； the boy flew。 She hesitated
a moment； turned again with a threatening wave of the hand to Seth；
and started off rapidly in the direction of the boundary。
She had not placed so much faith in the boy's story as in the vague
revelation of evil in Davis's manner。 If there was any 〃cussedness〃
afoot； Seth； convinced of Cressy's unfaithfulness； and with no
further hope of any mediation from the parents； would know it。
Unless Hiram had been warned； he was still lulled in his fatuous
dream of civilization。 At that time he and his men were in the
tules with the stock； to be satisfied； she herself must go to the
boundary。
She reached the ridge of the cottonwoods and sycamores； and a few
hundred yards further brought her to the edge of that gentle
southern slope which at last sank into the broad meadow of the
debatable ground。 In spite of Stacey's invidious criticism of its
intrinsic value； this theatre of savage dissension； violence； and
bloodshed was by some irony of nature a pastoral landscape of
singular and peaceful repose。 The soft glacis stretching before
her was in spring cerulean with lupins； and later starred with
mariposas。 The meadow was transversely crossed by a curving line
of alders that indicated a rare water…course； of which in the dry
season only a single pool remained to flash back the unvarying sky。
There had been no attempt at cultivation of this broad expanse；
wild oats； mustard； and rank grasses left it a tossing sea of
turbulent and variegated color whose waves rode high enough to
engulf horse and rider in their choking depths。 Even the traces of
human struggle； the uprooted stakes； scattered fence…rails； and
empty post…holes were forever hidden under these billows of
verdure。 Midway of the field and near the water…course arose
McKinstry's barnthe solitary human structure whose rude；
misshapen； bulging sides and swallow…haunted eaves bursting with
hay from the neighboring pasture； seemed however only an
extravagant growth of the prolific soil。 Mrs。 McKinstry gazed at
it anxiously。 There was no sign of life or movement near or around
it； it stood as it had always stood； deserted and solitary。 But
turning her eyes to the right； beyond the water…course； she could
see a slight regular undulation of the grassy sea and what appeared
to be the drifting on its surface of half a dozen slouched hats in
the direction of the alders。 There was no longer any doubt； a
party from the other side was approaching the border。
A shout and the quick galloping of hoofs behind her sent a thrill
of relief to her heart。 She had barely time to draw aside as her
husband and his followers swept past her down the slope。 But it
needed not his furious cry； 〃The Harrisons hev sold us out；〃 to
tell her that the crisis had come。
She held her breath as the cavalcade diverged； and in open order
furiously approached the water…course； and she could see a sudden
check and hesitation in the movement in the meadow at that
unlooked…for onset。 Then she thought of the barn。 It would be a
rallying…point for them if driven backa tower of defence if
besieged。 There were arms secreted beneath the hay for such an
emergency。 She would run there； swing…to its open doors； and get
ready to barricade them。
She ran crouchingly； seeking the higher grasses and brambles of the
ridge to escape observation from the meadow until she could descend
upon the barn from the rear。 She threw aside her impeding shawl；
her brown holland sun…bonnet； torn off her head and hanging by its
strings from her shoulders； let her coarse silver…threaded hair
stream like a mane over her back； her face and hands were bleeding
from thorns and whitened by dust。 But she struggled on fiercely
like some hunted animal until she reached the descending trail；
when； letting herself go blindly； only withheld by the long grasses
she clutched at wildly on either side； she half fell； half stumbled
down the slope and emerged beside the barn； breathless and exhausted。
But what a contrast was there！ For an instant she could scarcely
believe that she had left the ridge with her husband's savage
outcry in her ears； and in her eyes the swift vision of his furious
cavalcade。 The boundary meadow was hidden by the soft lines of
graceful willows in whose dim recesses the figures of the
passionate horsemen seemed to have melted forever。 There was
nothing now to interrupt the long vista of peaceful beauty that
stretched before her through this lonely hollow to the distant
sleeping hills。 The bursting barn in the foreground； heaped with
grain that fringed its eaves and bristled from its windows and
doors until its unlovely bulk was hidden in trailing feathery
outlines； the gentle flutter of wings and soothing twitter of
swallows and jays around its open rafters； and the drifting shadows
of a few circling crows above it； the drowsy song of bees on the
wild mustard that half hid its walls with yellow bloom； the sound
of faintly…trickling water in one of those old Indian…haunted
springs that had given its name to the locality； all these for an
instant touched the senses of this hard； fierce woman as she had
not been touched since she was a girl。 For one brief moment the
joys of peace and that matured repose that never had been hers
flashed upon her； but with it came the savage consciousness that
even now it was being wrested away； and the thought fired her blood
again。 She listened eagerly for a second in the direction of the
meadow； there was no report of fire…armsthere was yet time to
prepare the barn for defence。 She ran to the front of the building
and seized the latch of the half…closed door。 A little feminine
cry that was half a laugh came from within； with the rapid rustle
of a skirt and as the door swung open a light figure vanished
through the rear window。 The slanting sunlight falling in the
shadowed interior disclosed only the single erect figure of the
school…master John Ford。
The first confusion and embarrassment of an interru