The Night Riders
CHAPTER XXXII.
On reading the threatening anonymous missive which her husband had putin his pocket and forgot to change to his other coat, Sally quicklyfound food for disquieting thoughts. What if the Night Riders shouldlearn that he was away delivering his tobacco, and were to come duringhis absence? Still, if they intended coming, she hoped that it might beon this special night while her husband was away from home. She did notfear for herself but only on his account.
Then she fell to wondering when her husband had received thiswarning--there was no date on the note from which to learn. Milt hadmade no mention of its receipt, even when he was talking about theRiders to her the night before. This silence on his part, and the factthat he had so suddenly decided on delivering his tobacco at once, wonher to the belief that the threat was a thing of very recentoccurrence, perhaps of the past few hours, and that to it was due hispresent haste to get his barn empty before any unwelcome nocturnal visitshould be made.
Suppose the Riders had spies out, and were aware of the fact that herhusband was even then delivering his crop to independent buyers, andshould try to capture him on his way home. A great uneasiness tookpossession of her at this thought, and after several futile attempts atsewing, she finally let the garment drop to the floor, and with claspedhands sat staring intently into the fire, and listening anxiously forsome sound betokening her husband's return. Every now and then she wentto the front door, and looked anxiously out. The early spring night wascrisp and cool and the stars shone brightly. Each time there was nodisturbing sound to mar the deep stillness that greeted her, and afterlistening awhile, she went again within doors and sat down by the fire.
The night slowly wore on as she sat there listening, almost in the samespot where the Squire had sat ten or twelve years before, as he, too,listened anxiously to hear the approaching hoofbeats that would advisehim the Night Riders were on their way to attack the New Pike Gate, andthat the desired capture of his nephew was but a matter of brief delay.
On the third or fourth trip to the front door, Sally heard the sound ofapproaching horses, not the ones that Milton and his men had used forthe hauling of the tobacco, but a small cavalcade, coming rapidly downthe road. There was a certain familiar ring of the iron shoe on the hardsurface of the pike, that struck a sudden key-note of fear in her bosomas she listened. She remembered that ominous sound as she rode alone tothe old stone quarry the night that Milt was put on trial as a traitor.Perhaps the band was still inclined to look upon him as one, althoughthe evil influence of Jade Beddow was no longer to be feared.
Sally found herself mentally tracing the approach of the cavalcade alongthe public highway from the direction of the hill country whence itcame. Now the horsemen were galloping along a level stretch of roadsome distance away, then there was a curve and the sound diminished, andpresently almost died away as a deep cut in a hillside was reached.
Again it grew clearly distinct, increasing as the horsemen drew nearerthe avenue gate. Would they pass on by? The listener fervently hopedthat this might be the case, but no, close upon the hope, there was abrief cessation of hoofbeats, then she heard the click of the avenuegate-latch as the cavalcade came through. The Night Riders were again athing of actual reality. Her first thought was one of thankfulness thatMilt with his rash impetuous nature was not there to defy or enragethem, her second a regret at her own utter helplessness. She closed thedoor softly, locking it, and went into the room where she had beensitting. She remembered also to close the door between this room and thesmaller one beyond, in which the children were soundly sleeping, thenshe stood still waiting.
The subdued sound of horsemen coming down the avenue and circling aroundthe house reached her acute ears, and soon upon this came a clear sharp"Hello!"
THE TOBACCO NIGHT-RIDERS CALL ON MILT DERR.]
She went slowly to the window, and raising it, partly opened a shutterand looked out.
"What is wanted?" she asked.
"We want Milt Derr. Tell him to come out."
Sally was on the point of saying that her husband was not at home, whensuddenly there flashed into her mind the thought that perhaps she mightbe able to pacify them and send they away before Milt should return.
"What do you want of him?" she asked.
"We want to talk over the tobacco question."
As Sally glanced back into the room and saw Milt's coat lying on thefloor where it had dropped from her idle fingers, a scheme quicklypopped into her head that she resolved to put into execution.
"All right!" she answered, "I will call him and have him dress and comeout."
Some minutes later the front door opened and the muffled figure of ayoung man in a large overcoat, and with a hat slouched over his face,stepped out into the starlight.
"Show us your tobacco beds," a voice demanded.
The figure nodded assent and went slowly in the direction of the garden,while several of the masked horsemen followed close upon its footsteps.
When the garden-gate was opened, the figure silently pointed to a longwhite stretch of canvas running the length of the north boundary fence,and protected by it.
"Tear off that canvas!" demanded the leader, and as the covering of thincotton was stripped from the bed, two or three of the horsemen rode upand down it, crushing the young plants and grinding them into theyielding soil, then a portion of the frame of the bed was dragged theentire length of the bed, scraping from its surface whatever plants hadescaped the trampling iron hoofs.
When this had been accomplished, the torn canvas was gathered up by thehorsemen, and the silent guide ordered to lead the way to the tobaccobarn.
On reaching it, two of the riders dismounted and went within, carryingthe cloth with them, but soon they reappeared.
DRESSED IN HER HUSBAND'S CLOTHES, SHE LED THEM TO THETOBACCO BARN.]
"The barn is empty, the tobacco has been removed," they announced to theleader.
"Empty, is it?" he answered with an oath, "then fix it so it will notshelter another crop."
The men went inside again, and soon a dull light began to glimmerthrough the cracks between the boards, rapidly growing in brightness asthe flames began to fasten over the dry surface of the wooden framework,aided and fed by the tobacco sticks that were being piled like fagotshigh upon the spreading blaze. Short tongues of flame leaped upward, andcrept out here and there along the blazing walls, while spirals ofcopper-colored smoke began to uncoil into the night like fiery serpents,scattering myriads of sparks in their trail.
The scene began to light up weirdly, throwing a ruddy glow against thesky, and bringing into sharp relief the surrounding objects. The horsesand their masked riders stood boldly out like statues of ebony from thebackground of bright light.
"Boys, give the dumper twenty-five lashes!" cried the leader.
The two men afoot, who had fired the barn, started toward the motionlessfigure that had looked on helplessly and silently, keeping as much inthe shadow as possible. Almost at this moment a slight commotion washeard in the direction of the barn-lot gate, and several masked men camethrough the gateway, bringing with them a prisoner.
"Here is the dumper who has sold his tobacco!" they cried. "He is justgetting in from delivering it. We took him off the wagon just now."
"What fellow is this?" demanded the leader looking in the direction ofthe shrinking figure the two riders were about to lay hold upon.
Sally, throwing back the heavy coat and pulling the slouch hat from herhead, answered:
"It is I. A woman."