10. BOMBSHELL
Dan Blazer, going up the trail toward Granny Wilson's with the shotgunin one hand and Pal's leash in the other, was a little angry and morethan a little resentful. Though Jeff had said that Dan was going to takecare of Granny, the boy had convinced himself that he was actually to betaken care of. He resented it because he and Jeff had a pact--Dan hadpromised to do anything Jeff said--but Jeff seemed to have forgotten. Ifhe wanted to stay at Granny's, he had only to say so and nothing elsewas necessary. Dan turned to pull the balky Pal along.
"Come on!" he ordered. "Come on, Pal! Jeff's going to Ackerton and hedoesn't want either you or me with him!"
Pal, who had wanted to go with Jeff but who was beginning to get theidea that he was not supposed to, stopped straining back on the leash.He was not wholly abandoned, as he had been when Johnny went away, andthat was a comfort.
Dan brightened a little. Jeff had not only let him have the shotgun andthe six shells but had insisted that he take them. The very fact thatJeff had trusted him with both made him feel more like a man and lesslike a little boy. He gripped the shotgun tightly. Some day he wouldlook down the rib that separated its two barrels and see the man whohad shot his father. Dan's eyes flashed, then softened. That day mustnot be now; he had promised Jeff that he wouldn't shoot anybody and Jeffwas very smart. Dan skipped along.
Save for the one dark cloud, the future glowed with bright promise. Jeffhad promised to make a peddler of him and that would be the ideal life.Dan thought of it during his waking moments and dreamed of it in hissleep. All he had to do in order to make his dreams come true was obeyJeff, and that was a small price to pay for the reward it offered. Jeffwas all-wise, all-good, all-powerful, and maybe he _had_ really sent Danto take care of Granny.
When Granny's green hill came in sight, Dan's spirits were almostcompletely lifted. The fact that he wished so desperately to take aman's part helped convince him that he was taking one, and he forgot hisresentment to greet Granny with a smile.
"Good morning, Granny."
"Dan! My land! Where's Jeff?"
"Gone to Ackerton and he'll be gone for some time. He--" Dan hesitated."He sent me and Pal up to look after you while he's away."
Granny reacted precisely as Jeff had thought she would. "Now that was akindly thought! I really miss a man around the house. Come in and let meset you a dish of cookies."
Granny's wholehearted acceptance of himself and his mission removed mostof the lingering suspicion Dan retained that Granny was really supposedto take care of him. He swelled with newfound importance and felt aprofound gratitude toward Jeff for sending him on a man's job. Thecookies Granny set before him were tangible proof that taking care ofher would not be without its rewards. With the appetite of a dragon andthe digestion of a goat, and despite his substantial breakfast, Danfinished all the cookies and wished there were more. But it would hardlybe polite to ask.
"I can stay until Jeff gets back, Granny," he said. "You won't have toworry while I'm here."
"I won't," she asserted. "I just won't fret even one particle. It's sucha comfort to have you. What's Jeff doing in Ackerton?"
"Trading. We've been working pretty hard and now he has to tradeeverything we got." Dan thought wistfully of Jeff, who in the boy's mindwas nine feet tall and possessed all the capacities of a wizard. "He'lldo all right, too. Those city people, they're not near as smart asJeff."
"They couldn't be," Granny agreed solemnly. "That Jeff, he's man allthrough."
"We're partners," Dan said. "Partners in everything. Any of thoseWhitneys been bothering you, Granny?"
"Not of late." Granny looked a bit puzzled. "Why do you ask about theWhitneys?"
"Because," Dan said fiercely, "one of them shot my pop and soon's Jeffand me find out which one, we're going to shoot him!"
"My land! How you talk!"
Dan felt suddenly that he was a little boy again, and justly censured byan adult for lack of wisdom. He all but blushed. "We're not going to doit right away."
"That's nice," Granny said.
"Now I have to take care of you. What needs taking care of first?"
"You might go see that no pesky thing's troublin' my sheep."
Pal at his heels, Dan raced down to where the fat sheep were at theirendless task of cropping grass. They looked at him with mildly surprisedeyes and continued to crop. Dan circled the sheep three times, pettedthe gentle creatures, and was more than a little disappointed becausethere seemed to be no immediate need of his protective services. But hedid not lose hope, there was still a lot of Granny's hill left.
Molly, Granny's placid old cow, and Ephraim, Granny's mule, were as welloff as the sheep. Dan sighed, then became a little excited when fourblackbirds winged out of the trees to scratch in Granny's garden. Hestalked them carefully. But before he could come near enough, Palcharged the blackbirds and sent them in jittery flight back to thetrees.
Dan circled the foot of the hill, looking hard for something from whichGranny should be protected. But all he found was a cottontail rabbitthat confounded the fleet Pal by ducking into a burrow three inches infront of his nose. Dan wandered back to Granny's house just in time forlunch.
That, consisting of bread much softer and better than any Abel Tarkmansold, butter, delicately-spiced strawberry preserves, goblets of milk,and a crisp apple turnover smothered in cream, was better than any Danhad eaten, even at the Jackson School for Boys.
Suddenly homesick, he thought of the school and all it had meant to him,then put the thought behind him. He had left the school because he wasdriven by a mission that would not let him rest and would never permithim to have peace until it was fulfilled. Until it was, he must thinkof nothing else; he shouldn't even think seriously of going peddlingwith Jeff but he couldn't help that. Then his faith restored itself.Jeff was all-wise and all-powerful. Jeff had promised him that justicewould be done. Dan was a bit ashamed of his doubts.... Unable to swallowanother bite, he pushed his plate back and lingered over it. Granny, whohadn't had a hungry boy to satisfy in far too long, was shaping an applepie at the table and Dan's eyes lingered on her. The big wood stove casta pleasant glow into the room, and tantalizing odors promised much tocome. Dan licked his lips, the faint beginning of fresh hunger rising onthe very heels of the meal he had just eaten.
Dan wrinkled his brows. He had been sent to look after Granny, and lookafter her he would. But she didn't seem to need any looking-after rightnow and the forest surrounding the hill was an inviting place. He asked,"Is everything all right, Granny?"
"Land! It's right as rain since you got here. Haven't felt this safe ina dog's age."
"Would you still feel safe if Pal and me went down in the woods thisafternoon?"
"Can you beat that? I was just about to ask you if you would! What yougoin' to do there, Dan?"
"Look around and make sure nothing's lurking too near."
"Good! Good! If you can spare the time, you might bring a few trout forus to sup on."
"Oh, boy!"
Dan whooped from his chair. With Pal bustling at his heels, he ran outto the garden. He loved to fish, his father had taught him how to catchtrout, and Granny's accustomed tackle, a hook and line tied to a willowpole, hung over the door. In the spring's damp overflow Dan grubbeduntil he had filled his pocket with fat worms. Then he snatched the polefrom over the doorway and raced down to the little stream that from thehilltop wound like a silver ribbon through the forest.
He strung a worm on his hook, crawled cautiously up to a pool anddropped the worm gently, watching with bated breath the ripples thatspread. A trout surged from the depths, struck viciously, and Dan drewhis wriggling catch in. Deftly he slipped it onto a willow stringer.
Stringer in one hand, pole in the other, he sneaked up to another pooland caught another trout. Mindful of the pies Granny was making, hedecided that he needed no more than two trout for himself because hisappetite must be saved for more important things. Granny might eatthree. Dan had four trout on his stringer
when Pal growled.
Hackles raised, ears alert, nose questing, he peered up-stream. Danstopped, not knowing what was coming but sure that Pal wouldn't growlfor no reason. Dragging the dog with him, the boy slipped into the brushand a moment later Barr Whitney appeared.
He was fishing, too, but instead of a willow stringer he carried abuckskin creel into which he slipped trout as he caught them. Dan heldhis breath and at the same time did his best to control his rising rage.He wished mightily that he had brought the shotgun, but so far there hadbeen no indication that he would need it. Watching Barr come nearer, hemade himself very small.
If he did not move, maybe Barr wouldn't see him. But when the man cameopposite Dan, he swerved and splashed across the creek. Trousersdripping, seeming like some wet monster that emerged from the water, hehad only a glance for the growling Pal. But he thrust a hand inside hisshirt and the boy knew that he had a weapon of some sort concealedthere. Dan quieted the growling Pal by gently stroking him.
"What be ye doin' here, boy?"
Dan glared. "I don't talk to no blamed Whitneys!"
Barr's eyes clouded. "Mind your tongue, boy."
"I won't mind it! But one of you Whitneys will wish you'd mindedyourselves when Jeff and me find out who killed my pop!"
"We will?"
"Yes, you will! And me and Jeff are on the track."
"You be?"
Jeff's image came to stand beside Dan, so that he no longer felt small,alone and so terribly frightened. With his friend beside him, he coulddo anything. "Ha!" he exploded. "You think Jeff's a peddler, but he'snot." Dan cast desperately for an apt description and thought of themost awesome image his mind could conjure up. "He's a policeman. A realpoliceman. Now he's gone into Ackerton for more policemen, and soon's hegets some, they'll get every one of you darned Whitneys. You wait!You'll be sorry, Jeff said so!"
"So-o," Barr Whitney purred. "So-o."
"Aren't you--Aren't you going to do anything to me?"
"Can't think of ary I'd do, 'cept mebbe string you on the hook an' useyou for bait."
No longer interested in fishing, Barr Whitney splashed back across thecreek and disappeared in the forest. Immensely gratified, Dan watchedhim go.
He'd told those Whitneys.
* * * * *
Except that the fluffy kitten did not like the bird cage and expressedhis dislike with frequent far-carrying "_miaouws_" that attracted theattention of everyone else in the day coach, Jeff's trip from Ackertonto Delview was almost routine. It was not entirely so because twice theconductor threatened either to take the kitten into the baggage car orthrow Jeff and his luggage off the train. Both times a chorus of dissentrose from the six other passengers in the car. The train did not make asmany stops as the one from Delview to Ackerton had, but it was equallyslow and the kitten provided diversion.
When they finally reached Delview, the kitten stood erect and glared ateverything in sight. Obviously he was a creature of great character andhe would fit in perfectly on Granny's hill.
Pack on his back and the caged kitten dangling from his right hand, Jeffstrode down Delview's main street. He had decided, as he usually did, toguide himself by whatever circumstances seemed to require. If he felttoo tired, he would put up at one of Delview's two hotels overnight. Butthe events of the day, particularly his astounding success with Granny'stapestries, had roused him to a pitch of enthusiasm so high that he wasnot at all tired. The star-lighted night was ideal for walking and Jeffmade up his mind to go right through to Smithville. He should get theresome time in the early morning hours. He was anxious to see Dan againand to watch Granny's eyes when he told her what he had done with hertapestries.
He was hungry, but the first cafe he entered was one of Delview'sexclusive eating places and the late diners who still lingered therestared in horror at the caged kitten. A waiter asked him to leave, andJeff did not feel like arguing the point. The second cafe, not sopretentious and presided over by a fat man with a completely bald headand a clean apron, was less particular. Jeff laid his pack down, put thecage on a chair and ordered,
"Steak, fried potatoes and coffee. Heavy on all three and a saucer ofmilk for the kitten."
"Sure, bud, sure."
The fat man poked a pudgy finger at the kitten, who crouched in the cageand evidently imagined himself unseen. He sprang suddenly, and when heleaped against the cage's door, it burst open. The kitten slitheredthrough, jumped to the table, gave everything in the restaurant ahaughty look, scrambled to Jeff's shoulder and began to purrcontentedly.
"Cute lil' feller!" the fat man said admiringly. "Why do you keep himcaged?"
Jeff saw opportunity. The cage had been only a means for getting thekitten from Ackerton to Granny's. But if the kitten preferred Jeff'sshoulder, he was welcome to ride there. The fat man was obviouslyinterested in the cage.
"Usually I don't," Jeff admitted. "I got the cage to bring him throughfrom Ackerton." He added, as though it were an afterthought, "Darn'thing cost me two dollars."
"_Hmm._ Need the cage any more?"
"I don't know."
"My wife's been lookin' for such. She keeps birds. What'll you take forit?"
Jeff forsook bargaining. His pack was full, and since the kitten seemedhappy on his shoulder, he did not want to carry the cage to Smithville.
"Swap for the dinner."
"It's a swap."
The fat man, who apparently was also the cook, went into the kitchen. Hecame back with a platter containing a huge steak and an ample supply ofpotatoes. He also had a mug of coffee that held at least a pint. Thekitten scrambled from Jeff's shoulder to the table top, turned up hisnose at the saucer of milk placed before him, and looked appealingly atJeff's steak.
Jeff grinned. This kitten knew what he wanted and was willing to try forit. Jeff fed him a small piece of steak, then another, and a third. Onlywhen Jeff firmly refused to give him any more did he turn and lap upevery bit of the milk. When it was time to go, he climbed back on Jeff'sshoulder and pressed his naked nose and pads against his friend's neck,where they would stay warm.
Jeff walked swiftly through the cool night, stopping every hour or so torest. He enjoyed every second of it.
Dawn was faint in the sky when they came to Smithville, and rising andstretching on Jeff's shoulder, the kitten greeted it with a hearty_miaouw_.
"Who's there?" It was the constable, Bill Ellis.
"Jeff Tarrant," Jeff called.
"I've been waiting for you."
Even though the constable was only half-seen, there was about him agreat hesitation that was mingled with a certain furtiveness as he camethrough the darkness. Jeff waited, more than a little surprised.
Bill Ellis came nearer and whispered, "Where you been?"
"Why--Ackerton."
The kitten miaouwed again and Bill Ellis took a backward step. "What'sthat?"
"Just a kitten that I'm bringing to Granny Wilson."
There was vast urgency in Bill Ellis' voice as he said, "Don't go there.Turn around and get out of the hills. Don't come back."
"Why?"
"Never mind why. Just go."
"I'm going to Granny's."
Bill Ellis' shrug was more sensed than seen. "You got a gun?"
"Why--no."
"Where is it?"
"At Granny's. By the way, here's the letter from the school."
He took the letter from an inside pocket and handed it over. Bill Ellisaccepted it, but it seemed unimportant.
"If you won't run," he said, "get to Granny's and get your gun whiledarkness lasts. Don't go anywhere again without it."
"But--"
"Do as I say and--" there was a definite note of fear in Bill Ellis'voice--"don't tell anybody I told you."
He turned and walked swiftly away, as though the peddler had suddenlybecome an outcast or tainted being with whom he must not have furthercontact. Jeff stood a moment, completely bewildered. Why this unexpectedwarning? What had come into the hil
ls since he'd left for Ackerton? Whywas Bill Ellis afraid?
Jeff called softly, "Bill."
The constable waited. Jeff trotted to him.
"Tell me some more."
"I've told you enough. Don't go out unless you can protect yourself. Ican do nothing for you, and the best thing you can do is run."
"Nobody would gun down an unarmed man."
"Don't be a fool."
"I see. Bill, did Johnny Blazer have a gun when he was found?"
"No. Leave me now. It's growing lighter."
Jeff resumed his journey up the road, and the kitten stretched all fourpaws against his neck. Shaking his head uncertainly, he did not turnaside when he came to Johnny Blazer's cabin. Bill Ellis had told him toget to Granny's and arm himself--before daylight. He'd better do it.
The sun was just rising when Jeff came to Granny's green hill, and heheard Pal's happy roar of welcome. He quickened his steps, and even onthis hill of peace he had an uncomfortable feeling that he was watchedby furtive eyes. Johnny Blazer had been shot down in cold blood.
At the door, he composed himself. Granny and Dan must not be worried.When he entered the cabin, an ecstatic Pal flung himself forward andJeff tickled the big dog's ears. He turned to meet Granny, who alwaysrose with the sun.
"Hiya, Granny!" He plucked the kitten from his shoulder. "I brought youa present!"
"Oh, the love!"
Granny cuddled the kitten against her cheek. Knowing experienced handsand instantly liking Granny almost as much as she loved him, the kittenlicked her cheek with a pink tongue and fell to purring. Rubbing sleepyeyes, pajama-clad Dan came from his bedroom.
"Jeff!"
"Hi, Dan!"
"My land!" Granny's eyes sparkled like sunshine on dewdrops. "I'll makesome breakfast right away."
"What'd you see in Ackerton?" Dan asked eagerly. "What'd you see inAckerton, Jeff."
"Hang on to your horses!" Jeff laughed. "I'll tell you in good time.Granny, I sold your tapestries."
"Did you now?"
"Couldn't get what they're worth, though," Jeff said sadly.
"Land! Had no idea they were worth anything."
"I got two hundred dollars."
"Jeff!" Granny almost dropped the kitten.
"I did, Granny. Four times as much as I told you I'd get."
"But--"
"And there's a place for more."
Granny stroked the kitten and there was a look of near sadness in hereyes. After a moment she said gently, "It seems almost sinful, that muchfor aught so small."
"It's not," Jeff assured her. "The man who bought them from me will makea profit, too."
"He can do that and welcome he is. Land! Who would have thought it? Twohundred dollars! Half would do me for a year."
"All would do you for two years."
Granny shook her head. "No, Jeff. For sixty-four years I've abided hereand never had a hundred dollars all at once. Never missed it, either,'cept when Enos was sick. I might have paid a doctor for him. If yousee fit to give me half, I'll take it should I have need of aught thatis not at my hand. Half is yours."
Jeff hesitated. He worked for profit, but somehow it hadn't seemed rightto make any on Granny. Still, as far as she was concerned, a hundreddollars was a vast sum and obviously she had gone as far as she intendedto go.
Granny laughed. "We'll leave it that way and I'll have more ta--Oh,hang! I keep forgettin' the name. More cloths the next time you go. Itseems a mort of pay for what pleasures me so dear. Now I'll rouse upsome eatables."
She baked delicious pancakes, fried a heaping platter of sausage and putthem on the table. Granny and Dan listened intently, prompting him if heomitted the smallest detail, as Jeff told everything about his trip toAckerton.
When he had finished, he looked pointedly at Dan, declaring, "Andfinally, I arranged for you to go back to school in September."
"I'm not going," Dan said firmly.
"You must go," Jeff urged. "Dan, you and I can build up a good businesshere, but unless we always want to carry peddlers' packs, one of us hasto know business methods. The place to learn them is in school."
"I want to carry a pack."
"You'll have your chance; it isn't going to work that fast. Think of tenor maybe even fifteen years from now. Imagine a trading post inSmithville and a store in Ackerton with BLAZER AND TARRANT ENTERPRISESin gold letters a foot high across both of 'em." Jeff grinned. "Wecould cut out the Ltd. If we were partners, we wouldn't be limited anymore."
Dan said stubbornly, "I can't go."
"Could you if--if you were satisfied about your pop?"
Dan hesitated. "You promise, Jeff?"
"I promise."
"Before I go?"
"Before you go."
"Then," Dan sighed, "I reckon I can go back."
"Good," Jeff said quickly. "Now I want you to stay here and keep Palwith you. I'm going away for a little while."
"Where you going, Jeff?"
"Into Smithville and I'm taking the shotgun."
"I'm going with you."
"Not this time. I have to go alone."
"But--"
"It's wisdom he speaks," Granny said softly. "You bide here, Dan."
"Well--When you coming back, Jeff?"
"I don't know exactly. But I will be back."
"You take a care."
"Now don't be fretting about me." Jeff grinned.
But he was not grinning when, with the shotgun in his right hand and thepaper-loaded shells in his pocket, he left Granny's house and hit thetrail back to Smithville. The time for a showdown was here.
Jeff planned as he walked. He had always known that he would stopwandering and settle down when and if he found a place he liked wellenough, and he liked these hills. Though he'd never been able to imaginehimself confined to any one small spot, the hills were not small. Theypresented a challenge he liked. The fact that he'd have to fight for hisright to be here, and that there were problems to be solved, was notextraordinary. He'd always had to fight and there'd always beenproblems.
Jeff knew suddenly what he had never known before, his whole life hadbeen almost desperately lonely. He hadn't thought of it in such a lightbecause there had been no fair basis for comparison. Never having beenanything except lonely, he could not know what it was to be otherwise.Now he had Dan, Granny, Pal, and a genuine love for all three. They werehis, and having them was good.
He had no illusions about becoming very rich, for he saw no great wealthin the offing. There would be a comfortable living, with always enoughvariety so that there would be continual zest. The hill people neededwhat the outside world could offer, but without someone to act asintermediary, they had almost no chance of getting it. Those of theoutside world delighted in the products of the hills, and they had themoney to pay for them. Nobody would be cheated.
Jeff put these thoughts behind him. First things must always be first,and before he did anything else he had to meet, and fight, whoever wasgunning for him. For Dan's sake, and his own conscience, he must bringto justice whoever had shot Johnny Blazer. He could do neither withwords, for it had come to guns. But before he could use the shotguneffectively, he had to have live ammunition for it. He wished mightilythat he had left at least one shell loaded.
Wanting only to see if anything had been disturbed there, Jeff swungaside when he came to Johnny Blazer's cabin. He entered.
Inside, each man armed with a rifle that swung at once to cover Jeff,were Pete, Barr, Yancey, Grant and Dabb Whitney.