第23章 XII(3)

Around and around they whirled,straining,tripping,breaking the silence only with deep,quick breaths and the stamping of feet,Jasper firm on the rock,and Rome's agility saving him from being lifted in the air and tossed from the cliff.There was no pause for rest.It was a struggle to the end,and a quick one;and under stress of excitement the figure at the pine-tree had risen to his knees-jumping even to his feet in plain view,when the short,strong arms of the Lewallen began at last to draw Rome closer still,and to bend him backward.The Stetson was giving way at last.The Lewallen's vindictive face grew blacker,and his white teeth showed between his snarling lips as he fastened one leg behind his enemy's,and,with chin against his shoulder,bent him slowly,slowly back.The two breathed in short,painful gasps;their swollen muscles trembled under the strain as with ague.Back -back -the Stetson was falling;he seemed almost down,when-the trick is an old one-whirling with the quickness of light,he fell heavily on his opponent,and caught him by the throat with both hands.

"'Nough?"he asked,hoarsely.It was the first word uttered.

The only answer was a fierce struggle.Rome felt the Lewallen's teeth sinking in his arm,and his fingers tightened like twisting steel,till Jasper caught his breath as though strangling to death.

"'Nough?"asked the hoarse voice again.

No answer;tighter clinched the fingers.The Lewallen shook his head feebly;his purple face paled suddenly as Rome loosed his hold,and his lips moved in a whisper.

"'Nough!"

Rome rose dizzily to one knee.Jasper turned,gasping,and lay with his face to the rock.For a while both were quiet,Rome,panting with open mouth and white with exhaustion,looking down now and then at the Lewallen,whose face was turned away with shame.

The sun was blazing above Wolf's Head now,and the stillness about them lay unbroken on the woods below.

"I've whooped ye,Jas,"Rome said,at last;"I've whooped ye in a fa'r fight,'n'I've got nothin'now to say 'bout yer tall talk,'n'Ireckon you hevn't nuther.Now,hit's understood,hain't it,that y'u'll leave these mount'ins?

Y'u kin go West,"he continued,as the Lewallen did not answer."Uncle Rufe used to say thar's a good deal to do out thar,'n'nobody axes questions.Thar's nobody left hyeh but you 'n'me,but these mount'ins was never big 'nough fer one Lewallen 'n'one Stetson,'n'you've got to go.I reckon ye won't believe me,but I'm glad I didn't hev to kill ye.But you've promised to go,now,'n'I'll take yer word fer it."He turned his face,and the Lewallen,knowing it from the sound of his voice,sprang to his feet.

"Oh-!"

A wild curse burst from Rome's lips,and both leaped for the guns.

The Lewallen had the start of a few feet,and Rome,lamed in the fight,stumbled and fell.Before he could rise Jasper had whirled,with one of the Winchesters above his head and his face aflame with fury.Asking no mercy,Rome hid his face with one arm and waited,stricken faint all at once,and numb.One report struck his ears,muffled,whip-like.A dull wonder came to him that the Lewallen could have missed at such close range,and he waited for another.Some one shouted-a shrill hallo.A loud laugh followed;a light seemed breaking before Rome's eyes,and he lifted his head.

Jasper was on his face again,motionless;and Steve Marcum's tall figure was climbing over a bowlder toward him.

"That was the best fight I've seed in my time,by God,"he said,coolly,"'n',Rome,y'u air the biggest fool this side o'the settlements,I reckon.I had dead aim on him,'n'I was jest a-thinkin'hit was a purty good thing fer you that old long-nosed Jim Stover chased me up hyeh,when,damn me,ef that boy up thar didn't let his ole gun loose.I'd a-got Jas myself ef he hadn't been so all-fired quick o'trigger."Up at the root of the pine-tree Isom stood motionless,with his long rifle in one hand and a little cloud of smoke breaking above his white face.When Rome looked up he started down without a word.Steve swung himself over the ledge.

"I heerd the shootin',"said the boy,"up thar at the cave,'n'Icouldn't stay thar.I knowed ye could whoop him,Rome,'n'I seed Steve,too,but I was afeard-"Then he saw the body.His tongue stopped,his face shrivelled,and Steve,hanging with one hand to the ledge,watched him curiously.

"Rome,"said the boy,in a quick whisper,"is he daid?

"Come on!"said Steve,roughly."They'll be up hyeh atter us in a minute.Leave Jas's gun thar,'n'send that boy back home."That day the troops came-young Blue Grass Kentuckians.That night,within the circle of their camp-fires,a last defiance was cast in the teeth of law and order.Flames rose within the old court-house,and before midnight the moonlight fell on four black walls.

That night,too,the news of young Jasper's fate was carried to the death-bed of Rome's mother,and before day the old woman passed in peace.That day Stetsons and Lewallens disbanded.The Lewallens had no leader;the Stetsons,no enemies to fight.Some hid,some left the mountains,some gave themselves up for trial.

Upon Rome Stetson the burden fell.Against him the law was set.

A price was put on his head,his house was burned-a last act of Lewallen hate-and Rome was homeless,the last of his race,and an outlaw.