the friendly road-第25章

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n　the　town　road　late　one　afternoon　when　I　heard　a　wagon　rattling　behind　me；　and　then；　quite　suddenly；　a　shouted；　〃Whoa。〃

Looking　around；　I　saw　Old　Toombs；　his　great　solid　figure　mounted　high　on　the　wagon　seat；　the　reins　held　fast　in　the　fingers　of　one　hand。　I　was　struck　by　the　strange　expression　in　his　facea　sort　of　grim　exaltation。　As　I　stepped　aside　he　burst　out　in　a　loud；　shrill；　cackling　laugh：

〃He…he…hehe…he…he〃

I　was　too　astonished　to　speak　at　once。　Ordinarily　when　I　meet　any　one　in　the　town　road　it　is　in　my　heart　to　cry　out　to　him；

〃Good　morning；　friend；〃　or；　〃How　are　you；　brother？〃　but　I　had　no　such　prompting　that　day。

〃Git　in；　Grayson；〃　he　said；　〃git　in；　git　in。〃

I　climbed　up　beside　him；　and　he　slapped　me　on　the　knee　with　another　burst　of　shrill　laughter。

〃They　thought　they　had　the　old　man；〃　he　said；　starting　up　his　horses。　〃They　thought　there　weren't　no　law　left　in　Israel。　I　showed　'em。〃

I　cannot　convey　the　bitter　triumphancy　of　his　voice。

〃You　mean　the　road　case？〃　I　asked。

〃Road　case！〃　he　exploded；　〃they　wan't　no　road　case；　they　didn't　have　no　road　case。　I　beat　'em。　I　says　to　'em；　'What　right　hev　any　o'　you　on　my　property？　Go　round　with　you；'　I　says。　Oh；　I　beat　'em。　If　they'd　had　their　way；　they'd　'a'　cut　through　my　hedgethe　hounds！〃


When　he　set　me　down　at　my　door；　I　had　said　hardly　a　word。　There　seemed　nothing　that　could　be　said。　I　remember　I　stood　for　some　time　watching　the　old　man　as　he　rode　away；　his　wagon　jolting　in　the　country　road；　his　stout　figure　perched　firmly　in　the　seat。　I　went　in　with　a　sense　of　heaviness　at　the　heart。

〃Harriet；〃　I　said；　〃there　are　some　things　in　this　world　beyond　human　remedy。〃

Two　evenings　later　I　was　surprised　to　see　the　Scotch　Preacher　drive　up　to　my　gate　and　hastily　tie　his　horse。

〃David；〃　said　he；　〃there's　bad　business　afoot。　A　lot　of　the　young　fellows　in　Swan　Hill　are　planning　a　raid　on　Old　Toombs's　hedge。　They　are　coming　down　to…night。〃

I　got　my　hat　and　jumped　in　with　him。　We　drove　up　the　hilly　road　and　out　around　Old　Toombs's　farm　and　thus　came；　near　to　the　settlement。　I　had　no　conception　of　the　bitterness　that　the　lawsuit　had　engendered。

〃Where　once　you　start　men　hating　one　another；〃　said　the　Scotch　Preacher；　〃there's　utterly　no　end　of　it。〃

I　have　seen　our　Scotch　Preacher　in　many　difficult　places；　but　never　have　I　seen　him　rise　to　greater　heights　than　he　did　that　night。　It　is　not　in　his　preaching　that　Doctor　McAlway　excels；　but　what　a　power　he　is　among　men！　He　was　like　some　stern　old　giant；　standing　there　and　holding　up　the　portals　of　civilization。　I　saw　men　melt　under　his　words　like　wax；　I　saw　wild　young　fellows　subdued　into　quietude；　I　saw　unwise　old　men　set　to　thinking。

〃Man；　man；〃　he'd　say；　lapsing　in　his　earnestness　into　the　broad　Scotch　accent　of　his　youth；　〃you　canna'　mean　plunder；　and　destruction；　and　riot！　You　canna！　Not　in　this　neighbourhood！〃

〃What　about　Old　Toombs？〃　shouted　one　of　the　boys。

I　never　shall　forget　how　Doctor　McAlway　drew　himself　up　nor　the　majesty　that　looked　from　his　eye。

〃Old　Toombs！〃　he　said　in　a　voice　that　thrilled　one　to　the　bone；　〃Old　Toombs！　Have　you　no　faith；　that　you　stand　in　the　place　of　Almighty　God　and　measure　punishments？〃

Before　we　left　it　was　past　midnight　and　we　drove　home；　almost　silent；　in　the　darkness。

〃Doctor　McAlway；〃　I　said；　〃if　Old　Toombs　could　know　the　history　of　this　night　it　might　change　his　point　of　view。〃

〃I　doot　it；〃　said　the　Scotch　Preacher。　〃I　doot　it。〃

The　night　passed　serenely；　the　morning　saw　Old　Toombs's　hedge　standing　as　gorgeous　as　ever。　The　community　had　again　stepped　aside　and　let　Old　Toombs　have　his　way：　they　had　let　him　alone；　with　all　his　great　barns；　his　wide　acres　and　his　wonderful　hedge。　He　probably　never　even　knew　what　had　threatened　him　that　night；　nor　how　the　forces　of　religion；　of　social　order；　of　neighbourliness　in　the　community　which　he　despised　had；　after　all；　held　him　safe。　There　is　a　supreme　faith　among　common　peopleit　is；　indeed；　the　very　taproot　of　democracythat　although　the　unfriendly　one　may　persist　long　in　his　power　and　arrogance；　there　is　a　moving　Force　which　commands　events。

I　suppose　if　I　were　writing　a　mere　story　I　should　tell　how　Old　Toombs　was　miraculously　softened　at　the　age　of　sixty…eight　years；　and　came　into　new　relationships　with　his　neighbours；　or　else　I　should　relate　how　the　mills　of　God；　grinding　slowly；　had　crushed　the　recalcitrant　human　atom　into　dust。

Either　of　these　results　conceivably　might　have　happenedall　things　are　possibleand　being　ingeniously　related　would　somehow　have　answered　a　need　in　the　human　soul　that　the　logic　of　events　be　constantly　and　conclusively　demonstrated　in　the　lives　of　individual　men　and　women。

But　as　a　matter　of　fact；　neither　of　these　things　did　happen　in　this　quiet　community　of　ours。　There　exists；　assuredly；　a　logic　of　events；　oh；　a　terrible；　irresistible　logic　of　events；　but　it　is　careless　of　the　span　of　any　one　man's　life。　We　would　like　to　have　each　man　enjoy　the　sweets　of　his　own　virtues　and　suffer　the　lash　of　his　own　misdeedsbut　it　rarely　so　happens　in　life。　No；　it　is　the　community　which　lives　or　dies；　is　regenerated　or　marred　by　the　deeds　of　men。

So　Old　Toombs　continued　to　live。　So　he　continued　to　buy　more　land；　raise　more　cattle；　collect　more　interest；　and　the　wonderful　hedge　continued　to　flaunt　its　marvels　still　more　notably　upon　the　country　road。　To　what　end？　Who　knows？　Who　knows？

I　saw　him　afterward　from　time　to　time；　tried　to　maintain　some　sort　of　friendly　relations　with　him；　but　it　seemed　as　the　years　passed　that　he　grew　ever　lonelier　and　more　bitter；　and　not　only　more　friendless；　but　seemingly　more　incapable　of　friendliness。　In　times　past　I　have　seen　what　men　call　tragediesI　saw　once　a　perfect　young　man　die　in　his　strengthbut　it　seems　to　me　I　never　knew　anything　more　tragic　than　the　life　and　death　of　Old　Toombs。　If　it　cannot　be　said　of　a　man　when　he　dies　that　either　his　nation；　his　state；　his　neighborhood；　his　family；　or　at　least　his　wife　or　child；　is　better　for　his　having　lived；　what　CAN　be　said　for　him？

Old　Toombs　is　dead。　Like　Jehoram；　King　of　Judah；　of　whom　it　is　terribly　said　in　the　Book　of　Chronicles；　〃he　departed　without　being　desired。〃

Of　this　story　of　Nathan　Toombs　we　talked　much　and　long　there　in　the　Ransome　home。　I　was　with　them；　as　I　said；　about　two　dayskept　inside　most　of　the　time　by　a　driving　spring　rain　which　filled　the　valley　with　a　pale　gray　mist　and　turned　all　the　country　roads　into　running　streams。　One　morning；　the　weather　having　cleared；　I　swung　my　bag　to　my　shoulder；　and　with　much　warmth　of　parting　I　set　my　face　again　to　the　free　road　and　the　open　country。



CHAPTER　IX。　　THE　MAN　POSSESSED

I　suppose　I　was　predestined　（and　likewise　foreordained）　to　reach　the　city　sooner　or　later。　My　fate　in　that　respect　was　settled　for　me　when　I　placed　my　trust　in　the　vagrant　road。　I　thought　for　a　time　that　I　was　more　than　a　match　for　the　Road；　but　I　soon　learned　that　the　Road　was　more　than　a　match　for　me。　Sly？　There's　no　name　for　it。　Alluring；　lovable；　mysteriousas　the　heart　of　a　woman。　Many　a　time　I　followed　the　Road　where　it　led　through　innocent　meadows　or　climbed　leisurely　hill　slopes　only　to　find　that　it　had　crept　around　slyly　and　led　me　before　I　knew　it　into　the　back　door　of　some　busy　town。

Mostly　in　this　country　the　towns　squat　low　in　the　valleys；　they　lie　in　wait　by　the　rivers；　and　often　I　scarcely　know　of　their　presence　until　I　am　so　close　upon　them　that　I　can　smell　the　breath　of　their　heated　nostrils　and　hear　their　low　growlings　and　grumblings。

My　fear　of　these　lesser　towns　has　never　been　profound。　I　have　even　been　bold　enough；　when　I　came　across　one　of　them；　to　hasten　straight　through　as　though　assured　that　Cerberus　was　securely　chained；　but　I　found；　after　a　time；　what　I　might　indeed　have　guessed；　that　the　Road；　also　led　irresistibly　to　the　lair　of　the　Old　Monster　himself；　the　He…one　of　the　species；　where　he　lies　upon　the　plain；　lolling　under　his　soiled　gray　blanket　of　smoke。

It　is　wonderful　to　be　safe　at　home　again；　to　watch　the　tender；　reddish　brown　shoots　of　the　Virginia　creeper　reaching　in　at　my　study　window；　to　see　the　green　of　my　own　quiet　fields；　to　hear　the　peaceful　clucking　of　the　hens　in　the　sunny　dooryardand　Har