Judith of the Godless Valley

t without fear or favor; to sacrifice self that oth

v. Jame

me in nearly ten years there was to be a sermon preached in the vall

over the flanks with the knotted reins and when Buster slid on his haunches to the very doorstep, Swift brought her gnarled fore legs down on his sweeping tail and slid w

, "you keep that ornery cow-pony of yours

d without touching the stirrups leaped back in

aid complacently. "Even

er-"that if I rode over toward Day

Swift would like t

ith a withering glance. "That thing! L

r and this had a broken

whirled against the nerv

. "Take that back, you d

di

the girl. She eyed him fearlessly. The boy slowly lowered

le mare deserved some of the aspersions Douglas and his father daily cast upon her. She was a half-broken, half-fed little mare which Douglas' father had cast off. She did not look strong enough to bear even Judith's s

cause he could not be broken of bucking. Doug had begged his father for the horse, an

in the wind, and the modeling of his cheekbones showed markedly under his tanned skin. His sombrero, pushed back from his forehead, disclosed a thick thatch of bright yellow

itality. She had hung her cap on the pommel of her saddle and her curly black hair whipped across her face. She had a short nose, a large

aid finally and fiercely, "and I'

married a woman with an ornery b

e if you offered me a new pair of spurs! I'm going t

pproaching across the valley. The glory of the landscape made little impression on him. He had b

ow, with rarefied air below the zero mark, with sky the purest, most crystalline deep sapphir

Gorge, and half-way up its steep red front projected the wide ledge on which the schoolhouse stood. Dead Line Peak and Falkner's Peak abruptly closed the south end of the valley. From between these tw

f the picture Douglas m

e azure hue of the sno

nches. It gives no hint

Peaks, all blue and bron

ks, pure white, agai

nor the peacock blue sides of the Indian Range, clothed in wonder by the Forest Reserve. And finally, it

straight like a first-class fellow. But temper! Whew! Funny things, tempers! He himself always found it hard to let go of his rage. It smouldered deep and biting inside of him and hard to get out into words. He usually had to tell himself to hit back. Funny about that, when his father was always boiling over like Judith. He wondered if her temper would grow worse as she grew older, as his father's had. Funny things, tempers! People in a temper always looked and acted fools. The guy that could keep hold was the guy that won out. Lik

g rider leaped from the trail to the level before the schoolhous

said Douglas, wi

der and heavier than Douglas, freckled of face and s

e alone," thought Doug

the grinning rider. One after another now arrived, perhaps a dozen youngsters, varying in age from five to eighteen, each on his or her own lean, half-broken horse, each appearing with the same flying leap from the steep trail

, most of them very handsome, were dressed dowdily in mackinaws and anomalous foot covering. But the men were r

he mesa for fifty years. There probably was not a person in the crowd who had not gone to school there, who did not, like Judith, love every log in its ugly sides. Judith

ed, "I see the

ain't going to freeze to death!" exclaimed Grand

Let him build his own

rom her forehead to the bridge of he

way from the nursing bottle to get s

che," replied Doug, f

a stranger come to the hou

lmarm's job to build th

g go in and get that ol

an

ir horses, and amidst a general chuck

r of middle age, with a heavy black mu

elp me off of Abe. I ain't going to stay out here freezing till old Fowler

ely had remounted when the minister rode slowly up over the ledge. He dismounted at the door and greeted the youngsters. They replied wit

oug slid into a rear bench. His eyes were very bright and he watched the preacher with eager interest. Mr. Fowler dropped his overcoat o

o laughed me from this room. Help me to open their eyes that they may behold You! Show

pted Grandma Brown. "There you g

might as well quit now. None of us believe a word of it. We most of us think everything ends when the

ieve when I get to thinking about such things," he

ar Jefferson, rumpling his silvery ha

rleton Falkner, aren't you man enough to admit tha

n, wicked?" dem

girls go unguarded and that your young men are no better than wild horses. I mean that your little girls drink whisk

s to tell us, you'd better quit! That may do for foreigners and city slum

Mr. Fowler. "How mu

hat we fought the British in the Revolution and the rebels in the Civil War and the hombres in the Spanish-American War. It means that fif

e that showed even, tobacco stained teeth. "Jeff, t

hly subsided to the desk o

early history of America. This should be a valley of old Puritan ideals. A church should stand here besid

Brown, spoke. "I've deponed that many a time

ou are going to give us a regular Bible sermon, go a

a," suggested a slow voi

preach, preach," she

ppointed to Mountain City, before I preached my first sermon there, I came out here. You are going to have the Word of God preached to you to-day if you shoot me for it. And beware lest you

Bible from his poc

g were to issue from his bearded lips. The boy had a sudden conviction that Fowler was about to say something that would answer the

nto me, saying, Now thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou hi

. I am going to show you your abominations of crookednesses.

to the group of youngsters waiting for him. Then he urged Buster up the steps, through the door and up the aisle. The others followed him. A moment later, the schoo

the prancing legs. In a moment he was up, and again he raised both hands in a plea for silence. Douglas, laughing gaily, twirled his lariat, and

wed, Douglas halted and, still laughing,

er," he cried, "and don't come back till you

d him, and mounted his horse. Then he stood in his

for repentance, though y

repent?" dem

the bastard!" shou

and the threatening young rider. "L

, but before he could do more Judith cried, "Come on, everybody! Let's

whiskey," agreed Scott, tur

s and get some if Maud will g

to Rodman's,

ay was clear before leaving the school-yard, agreeing in the meantime that Judith and Maud should g

work on Peter," said Scott. "He's

or?" asked Jimmy Day. "

on the shoulder.

," said Douglas. "Come

drifts, the dogs barked, the girls squealed, the boys shouted. The post-office lay in the middle of the valley with neither tree nor house in its vicinity. It was a square log structure, two stories high, o

y man, yet somehow having more influence in the valley than any one save Grandma Brown. He showed no actual fondness for any particular person save Judith and his big mongrel wolf-hound, Sister, Sister being every inc

d snow flying, just as Maud and Judith lashed their horse

hen passed it on. Boys and girls alike took a drink, then Scott pocketed the bottle.

p straight from his forehead. His eyes were deep sunk in his head and a piercing, light blue. He possessed a belligerent chin below an

ng of the whiskey bo

ith. "Will you open the ha

horse, Jude?" demanded Peter, ey

thi

would draw tears out of a coyote. Starving 'em, beating 'em, running

eply to Peter. A great shaggy gray dog, exactly like a coyote except that she was much larger, now appeared in the d

he schoolhouse?" as

f; I suppose that's why you didn'

said Peter, "and I couldn't

im a chance to give us real talk but he could

happen. Poor Fowler!"

ied Judith, "I want

man. She was as thin as he and as straigh

now I love Swift and would

ifts like you do ruins 'em? No, don't try to soft-soap me, Judith! When you kids want

k into the building

e can all go over to In

ere?" dem

ys we can dance

oken after a moment by

ud

" exclaimed Maud. "Mak

ng so fussy about poor

here in a dance

r don't stop me, yours should

t boss a day-old calf!"

k my mother!" s

ther-" b

'll smack your mout

on't!" cr

says anything against

as pr

t Parsons. "Every time the crowd gets together, Jude has to start a scrap. It's getti

a dozen voices, and more

ways making trouble! I should

mother, or my horse, o

tossing

miss, and don't you forget it

he main trail which lift

after a pouting m

was setting as the two left the post-office. Lost Chief Range, on their right, was black against fire. The snow of the valley was as blue as indigo. A gentle but bitterly cold wind

scrappier than t

ging negligently from a co

to be, Doug,"

ook for trouble, all the t

ut for me?" demanded th

guard, do you? Besides, w

pens to me. I'm not your real sister

feeling of loneliness and longing which had been haunting him for months? H

e saddle. The lavendar twilight was gathering. White stars hung within hand touch. Pri

d, my husband would treat me like Dad does Mother, I'd never get marr

't worry about getting mar

d Judith. "I've got a r

you

N

girls, though,"

inking about m

think about m

lately. I don't know why. I think about that and I plan

like to mar

oug with sudden and overwhelming exaspera

n it's my mother your father's so ro

k a lot of her, but he d

n to stop knocking me a

run a

suppose," sniffed Douglas, "w

izzard," insisted Judith. "Wh

't think you would, too, Jude. Yo

d Judith, as dim buildings and a li

raid of Dad?" aske

thoughtfully, "but s

od old scout in spite of

st, I can see why so many women like him. He's awf

up!" mock

jumped from Swift, unsaddled her and turned her into the corral. Then she went hurriedly into the house

wding stock. It was so cold that by the time he had finished he scarcely

e air was heavy with smoke from frying beef. A tall, slender woman, with round shoulders, stood over the red-hot stove, stirring the potatoes. She was a very beautiful, very wor

uglas?" s

dded. "Whe

m. His tooth stil

e I'm late?" asked

s jerking of her breath. "He

which shed a pleasant light on a center table. Beds occupied three corners of the room. There were several comfortable rocking-chairs, a big mahogany bureau and a sewing-machine. Over the double bed hung an ancient saber and ove

from the nostril to the corner of the mouth. Beneath his eyes were faint pouches. The thick thatch of yellow hair had lost its yellow light and now was drab in tone. His f

u mean by coming in at th

nday afternoon to myself

ou are to have all Sunday night

es

e here by five o'c

es

ready!" ca

wder biscuits, and a pot of coffee steamed on the table. John did not speak until his first hunger had been satisfied. When

t Douglas, with a chuckl

re. John and Mary s

ves him right!" John wiped h

for the Pass!"

after that?" inqu

s have a dance, but there was nothing doing. He just

was the worst of

! Pick on me!

reful!" protes

as he watched the young girl. "She's kept out o

" said Judith with a little quiver i

hers l

de?" asked he

ce where fol

, Jude!" pr

ickly. "Why do you thra

, and you are as hard bi

o

uddenly rose from the tab

h! Don't!" ple

was not angry. He was eying

en try to kick me, I'

ess is. She's a very lonely person." He leaned forward and watched her

cks her. He hits her with a belt, maybe, when she doesn't get his horse quickly enough, and maybe he hits

you, Judith

was fourteen

wn!" John swept her with a look, the

bed, he unbuckled his spurs. John settled himself under th

ow and she has any woman in Lost C

e; then he said, with elaborate careless

ad you're still only a

ug

trousers and crawled into bed. Not long after, Mrs. Spencer came in, glanced at her husband, sighed wearily, then she too went to bed. Judith finished wiping the dishes, sauntered i

never going to lay

asp of surprise. "Wh

jove, you've grown to

I'm a homely, pu

a man like me that knows wo

r you," warn

or an hour. Give

I'm too sleepy and tire

ing "Bleak Hous

with a start. "W

" Judith retired to her own corn

mself. He never had been a real brother to Judith, never had looked out for her as if she had been his sister. And Jude's mother! Just tired and sweet and broken, about as well fitted to cope with her fiery daughter as with the unbroken Morgan colt which was John's pride. As for his father-! Douglas turned over with a deep breath. Let his father take heed! Judith! Judith with her glowing wistful eyes, her crimson cheeks, her dauntless cour