Theodore Goodridge Roberts

“ The chance discovery of a grave in the woods is almost certain to start surmises and rumors and perhaps lead to enquiries. Old Glashner still lay where I had dropped him, unconscious. I gathered large, mossy stones from close at hand and laid them on the spaded earth. But this was not concealment enough. I scattered several spade-fulls of sodden ashes among the stones. Even this did not satisfy me; so I tore down the brush and slender poles of the lean-to and piled them upon the grave. But the brush was wet and would require dry stuff to kindle it to flame. ”

“ He sprang hard and straight. The rifle whanged, a bullet went skyward, and Ruben Glashner struck the ground with the flat of his back. I picked up the rifle and called Lion off. Then I dragged the old man out and set him to work. Lion and I sat in the shelter and watched him pick and dig. I was pitiless. I made no allowance for his insanity. When he begged me for drink, I gave him the bottle from which he had already imbibed freely, which was still half-full. I was not interested in his health. He was welcome to kill himself, either with over-exertion or overindulgence in liquor. ”

“ It ain't natural—An' the barns, too. D'ye hear the hosses jumpin' an' lashin' out? God's will be done!"
He sank back, exhausted. I scouted around, on the lookout for falling sparks; but the rain took care of the sparks. The fire devoured the brush and poles to white and rusty red ashes and a network of black charcoal. I called to Lion and walked off, with the rifle in the crook of my arm, leaving old Ruben still prostrate and muttering in the partial shelter of the big spruce and the warm rain still dredging down softly and penetratingly. ”

“ I heard Deblore stand his gun against the wall.
"Where's the—the other?" he asked.
"Where he won't do any more harm," I answered.
Just then Amy Bear struck a match and lit the lamp on the table. Sol deposited old Glashner on the floor. I turned to Tom, who was leaning forward in his chair with his eyes fixed on me.
"It is all right," I said. "He was dead when I got there. Ruben dug his grave and I buried him."
Tom's whiskers were working. "Are you sure of that?" he asked. "Dead—that man with the puckered eye-brow and scarred forehead? Will you swear to that?" ”

“ Old Ruben rolled and muttered where he lay on the moss beside me.
"The house is afire," he gabbled. "The house is afire. Thar goes Tom—an' them injuns—an' good riddance. Hen, ye're the devil himself! Worse'n ye used ter be. Never a word of Holy Scripture now to sweeten it, like in the old days. The money is all we want, Hen, an' we's good as got our hands on it now. An' a man hadn't ought to burn his own brother to death that a-way. ”

“ He talked a good deal about killing people—people already killed and yet to be killed. He asked old Ruben if he hadn't already bumped off a sufficient number to prove that murder was no more to him than pulling a cork. Ruben lay down, and the fire fell low, and I crawled around to the back of the camp. I took a look at the murderer through a hole in the roof. ”

“ I'm afraid that I was rather hard on him."
"He's drunk, for one thing—the old blackguard," said Tom with a chuckle. "If that's all that ails him, he'll be on his feet again by morning. Drink's a thing he'll never die of." ”

“ I went in among the trees to gather kindlings, leaving Lion to keep an eye on the old man. I took the rifle with me. I soon returned with as much dry brush and bark as I could get two arms around. After placing this, I moved old Ruben to a spot at the edge of the dell and in the shelter of a wide-limbed spruce. ”

“ He'll work a man to the bone an' then into the grave. He used ter be like that—an' now he's worse. The same, only worse. Thar never was a man in the country, only me, could keep friends with 'im. But he ain't jist the same now as afore he went away. ”

“ The old man fell back on his pillow, with a hand pressed to his heart. He whispered something I did not catch, but I had sense enough to realize what he needed most at the moment and to act quick. I found it in the drawer of his washstand—a bottle half-full of brandy. I poured a stiff shot into him ”