He urged his horse forward and pa.s.sed on down the trail. And as he went a trooper followed him, with orders to track him till daylight.

CHAPTER XXVI

ROCKY SPRINGS HEARS THE NEWS

The news which greeted early morning ears in Rocky Springs was of a quality calculated to upset the entire affairs of the day, and bring a perfect surfeit of grist to O'Brien's insatiable mill. It even jeopardized the all-important church affairs. No one was inclined to work at all, let alone voluntarily work.

Then, too, there were the difficulties of gathering together a quorum of the Church Construction Committee, and Mrs. John Day, full of righteous indignation and outraged pride, as president, felt and declared that it was a scandal that the degraded doings of a parcel of low-down whisky-runners should be allowed to interfere with the n.o.ble cause which the hearts of the valley were set upon. But, being a woman of considerable energy, she by no means yielded to circ.u.mstances.

However, her difficulties were considerable. The percolation of the news of the police failure had reduced the male population to the condition of a joyful desire to celebrate in contraband drink. The female population became obsessed with a love of their own doorsteps, whence they could greet each other and exchange loud-voiced opinions with their neighbors, while their household "ch.o.r.es" awaited their later convenience. The children, too, were robbed of their delight in more familiar mischief, and turned their inventive faculties toward something newer and more in keeping with prevailing conditions and sentiments. Thus, a new game was swiftly arranged, and some brighter soul among them christened it the D. I. F. game. The initials were popularly believed to represent "Done is Fyles," but the enlightened among the boys understood that they stood for "d.a.m.n Idjut Fyles," an interpretation quite in keeping with the general opinion of the people of the valley.

Certainly the atmosphere of the village that morning must have been intolerable to Inspector Fyles, had he permitted himself to dwell upon the indications, the derisive glances, the quiet laugh of men as he chanced to pa.s.s. But public opinion and feeling were things he had long since schooled himself to ignore. He was concerned with his superiors, and his superiors only. At all times they were more than sufficient to trouble with, and his whole anxiety was turned in their direction now, in view of his terrible failure of the night before.

Thus he was forced to witness the signs about him, and content himself with the knowledge that he had been bluffed, while he cast about in his troubled mind for a means of appeasing his superior's official wrath.

The church committee was to a.s.semble at Mrs. John Day's house at ten o'clock, and the hour pa.s.sed without a shadow of a quorum being formed. Kate Seton, the honorary secretary, was the only member, besides the president, who put in an appearance at the appointed hour.

So Mrs. Day thrust on her bonnet, and, with every artificial flower in its crown shaking with indignation, set out to "round-up" the members.

O'Brien was impossible. His trade was too overwhelming to be left in the hands of a mere bartender, but there was less excuse for Billy Unguin and Allan Dy, who were merely drinkers in the place. She possessed herself of their persons and marched them off, and gathered up two or three women friends of hers on the way home. Thus, by eleven o'clock, she had the door of her parlor closed upon a more or less efficient quorum.

Then she sat her bulk down with a sigh of enforced content. Her florid face was beaded with perspiration as a result of her efforts.

She turned autocratically to her secretary.

"We'll dispense with the reading of the minutes of the last meeting,"

she declared half-defiantly. "We'll take 'em as read and pa.s.sed. This liquor business is driving us all to perdition, as well as wasting our time, which is more important in Rocky Springs. I've never seen the like of this place." She glared directly at the two men. "And the men--well, say, I s'pose they are men, these fellows who stand around decorating that villain O'Brien's saloon. If it was a christening, they'd drink; if it was a wedding, they'd drink; if it was a funeral, they'd drink; if they were going to stand before their Maker right away, they'd call for rye first."

After which few opening remarks, given with all the scornful dignity of one who knows she holds the leading position among her s.e.x in the village, she proceeded with the work in hand with a capacity for detail that quite worried the absent minds of the only two male members of the committee present.

Such was the general yearning for a termination of the meeting, so that its members might once more return to the gossip outside, that Mrs. John Day was permitted to carry all her plans in her scheme of salvation before her, with little or no discussion. And, in consequence, her good nature quickly rea.s.serted itself, and she became more and more inclined to look leniently upon the defects of the majority of her committee.

The president disposed of several lesser complaints against the construction of the church to her own satisfaction. The list of them was an acc.u.mulation of opinions sent in by people who felt that it was due to the community, and themselves, particularly, that the elected committee were sufficiently harra.s.sed by pin p.r.i.c.ks, lest it became too high-handed and autocratic.

Mrs. Day's methods of dealing with these was characteristic of her social rule in the village. She rose with a look of contemptuous defiance upon her fiery features. It was Helen who had once declared that Mrs. John always reminded her of one of those very red-combed old hens who never failed to cluck themselves very nearly into an apoplectic fit over a helpless worm, and demanded that all eyes should watch her marvelous display of prowess in its slaughter. A slip of paper had been thrust into her hands by the undisturbed honorary secretary.

"I guess I'm not going to worry you folks with debating these fool complaints sent in by some of the glory-seekers in this village," she began with enthusiastic heat. "I've settled them all myself. I'll read you the complaints and what I've done in each case. First, there's a kick from Mrs. Morgan, upon the hill. She's no account anyway, and hasn't given a bean toward the church--yet. Guess I'll have to see to that later. She says she saw two of the boys working on log hauling, sitting around in the shade of the church wall, after doing their work, swilling whisky out of the neck of a bottle, and guessed it wasn't decent. I've written her asking her to send two boys to do the work in their place. Guess she hasn't replied. Katherine L. Sherman, who guesses she's related to the real Shermans, and has had twins twice in three years, writes: 'When are we goin' to arrange for a christening font?' I handed her this. 'When folks needing it see their way clear to unrolling their bank wads.' Then there's Mrs. Andy Carlton, who's felt high-toned ever since she bought that second-hand top buggy from Mary Porson. She guesses we need a bell. I told her that if the people of Rocky Springs tried ringing their way to glory, it would be liable to alarm folks there. Best way would be to try and sneak in, and not shout they were coming. Then I heard from Mary Porson, herself. She wants to know who's to keep the boys who're drunk out of service, and wouldn't it be better to hold Meeting on Monday, so's the boys could get over the Sat.u.r.day night souse in comfort. I told her she seemed to have a wrong idea of the folks of this village.

I guessed if any feller got around to Meeting with liquor under his belt, there was liable to be a lynching right away. The boys wouldn't stand for any ungentlemanly conduct at Meeting. Then there's Mrs.

Annerly-Jones. Having a hyphen to her name, she's all for white surplices and organized singing. She figures to start up a full choir, and sing the solos herself. I hinted that the choir racket wasn't to be despised, but solo work was liable to cause ill-feeling in the village by making folks think the singer was getting the start of them in the chase for glory. And, anyway, the old harmonium wasn't a match for her voice. Then there's a suggestion for cuspidors for each bench, and I must say, right here, I'm in favor of them. I'm not one to interfere with the disgusting ways of men. Men are just men, and can't help it, anyway, and if they contract filthy habits, it's not for woman to put 'em right. But she's got the right to refuse having her skirts turned into floor swabs. I've fixed all these things right, so we don't need to vote on 'em. But there's one little matter that needs discussing right here and now, seeing that the folks are present who've brought it up."

The president paused and glared at the two men through her big, steel-rimmed gla.s.ses, and Billy Unguin and Allan Dy found themselves uncomfortably interested in various parts of well-varnished appointments of the lady's parlor.

Kate Seton eyed the two men with some amus.e.m.e.nt. She felt that the recent discussion, which took place in the new church itself, was liable to a.s.sume a different complexion here. Besides, she knew these two men, and felt it was best to have the suggestion of felling the old pine, as a ridge pole for the church, definitely negatived by the present meeting.

Mrs. John Day was always a difficult woman, of very strong opinions.

Therefore it was not policy to suggest her course of action. So Kate had merely warned her that the suggestion had been made.

"It's been said," Mrs. Day went on, with an aggressive look in her hot eyes, "that the design of the building is all wrong. That the main body is too long, and that the ridge pole of the roof will have to be joined in several places. This means a great weakness that'll have to be supported by central columns, which will obstruct the central gangway and the general view. I'd like Mr. Unguin and Mr. Dy to discuss the matter before the meeting."

Thus challenged, Allan Dy sprang to his feet.

"It's just as you say, ma'm," he cried. "And I say right here that ridge pole should be in one piece. It's bad. In a few years' time we'll surely have to rebuild that roof."

He sat down with a jolt, and glared fiercely at his friend beside him.

Billy Unguin was on his feet in a moment.

"I want to say right here that my friend's been sorting mail so long he's got nervous. Furthermore, I'd add he don't need to worry a thing.

It's my opinion the new church is an elegant proposition which reflects credit upon Rocky Springs, and our charming president more than anybody. And, if there's any liberties taken with the science of architecture, the matter can be got over dead easy. If joining the ridge pole means weakening the structure, then don't join it. That don't beat us a little bit. With such a head as our president has for the management of big affairs I'm sure she'll see a way out of the trouble, 'specially when I draw her attention to the old pine, which is tall enough to cut two ridge poles out of it for our church."

Like his friend, he sat down with a jolt. But he was smiling with antic.i.p.ated triumph. He felt that his long experience as a salesman of dry goods had taught him how to reach the most vulnerable point in feminine armor. When it came to winning over Mrs. John Day to his side Allan Dy hadn't an earthly chance with him.

But his smile slowly disappeared when the honorary secretary promptly rose to her feet.

Kate Seton turned and addressed herself to the president.

"I should like to put in a word of protest," she began, while Allan Dy smiled and breathed his thankfulness that he was not to remain unsupported.

Instantly Billy Unguin broke in.

"Miss Seton, as secretary, is only ex-officio," he cried.

Mrs. Day shot a withering glance at him.

"Miss Seton is _honorary_ secretary."

Allan Dy smiled more broadly as the president promptly nodded for Kate to proceed.

"I wish to protest against the old pine being felled," she said, with some warmth. "It means disaster to Rocky Springs. There is the old legend. There is a curse on the felling of that tree."

Her announcement was greeted by a murmur of approval from the women present, all except Mrs. Day. Dy beamed. But Kate was less pleased.

She knew her president. She would always listen to the men, but when her own s.e.x ventured on thinking for themselves she was liable to become restive.

The president glanced round the room with a swift challenge shining through her gla.s.ses, and her hard mouth closed tightly. Then she turned sharply to the woman at her side.

"I'm--I'm--astonished, Kate," she cried, with difficulty suppressing her inclination to domineer. "The matter is most simple. It is said the best interests of the church are being jeopardized. There is the obvious necessity of altering the design of the roof of our beautiful building. You--whom I have always regarded as the essence of sanity, and my chief support in the arduous work which has been flung upon my shoulders, and which Mr. Unguin has been pleased to say I'm not incapable of carrying out--you would sacrifice those interests for a lot of old Indian fool talk. I never would have believed it. Never!

Say," she turned to the others, and her eyes challenged the rest of the women, "This surely is a more serious matter than I thought. It must be looked into. I'll look into it myself. If things are as Mr. Dy says, and it's necessary, as Mr. Unguin points out, to cut down that tree to fix our church right--why, it's going to be cut down. That's all."

She paused dramatically, but not long enough for anybody to interrupt her. Then, with a wave of her fat arm, which, to the women, became a threat, and to the men appeared to be something like the gesticulation of an animated sausage, she proceeded to terminate the debate.

"Those in favor of _my_ proposition will signify the same in the usual manner," she cried, with an air that brooked no sort of denial.

Up went every right hand in the room except those of Kate and Allan Dy. Then the "no's" were taken. After which the result was announced with all the triumph of Mrs. Day's domineering personality.