Chapter 17

THE TALL TIMBERS OF OLD HARPETH

Is it that there comes to the world an hour in the twenty and four in which it lays aside the mortality of the earth and clothes itself in an immortality of a very great awe? I think that it is so; and it was out into the whiteness of that hour that I stepped when I had successfully passed from my room to the garden of the home of my Uncle, the General Robert, which is also the home of my American ancestors. A command for my presence had come to me from the loved Gouverneur Faulkner and it was needful that I make all possible haste; but it seemed to me that all of the beautiful faded flowers of my dead grandmammas in that garden rose up around me for beguilement and gave to me a perfume that they had kept in saving for the Roberta, some day to come across the waters to them. And all of their little descendants, the opening blossoms of spring, also gave perfume to me in a mist in the white moonlight, while a few fragrant rose vines bent to detain me as I left that home of my grandmothers to go out into that sleeping city, alone. I had a great fear, but yet a great devotion drew me and in a very few minutes I had driven my Cherry from the garage and was on my way through the silent streets to--I did not know what.

At the door of the Mansion I was admitted by my good Cato, who was attired in a very long red flannel sleeping garment, with a red cap also of the flannel tied down upon the white wool of his head.

"Has you got dat hoodoo, little Mas'?" he demanded of me as I passed into the hall beneath the candle in a tall stand of silver which he held high over my head.

"Yes, good Cato," I made answer to him and I was indeed glad that I had now of a habit put his gift under the heel of my left foot. It gave me great courage.

"De Governor is up in his room and you kin go right up. I never heard of no such doings as is going on in dis house dis night with that there wild man with a gun five feet long, coming and going like de wind. Go on up, honey, and see what you kin do to dem with dat hoodoo." With which information good Cato started me up the stairs. "First door to the right, front, and don't knock," he called in a whisper that might have come from his tomb in death as he slowly retired into the darkness below with his candle.

For a very long minute I stood before that door in the dim light that came through one of the wide windows from the moon without.

"What is this madness that you perform, Roberta, Marquise of Grez and Bye?" I made demand of myself while my knees trembled in the trousers of heavy gray worsted.

"Robert Carruthers goes to his chief in an hour of need and he is descended of that Madam Donaldson who had no fear of the Indian or the bear when there was danger to her beloved," I made answer to myself and softly I turned the handle of that door and entered the room of the Gouverneur Faulkner.

"Is that you, Robert?" came a question in his voice from a large table over by the window. The room was entirely in shadow, except for the shaded light upon the table, under whose rays I remarked the head and shoulders of that Gouverneur Faulkner, at whose bidding I had come out into the dead of the night. "Come over here and walk softly, so as not to stir up Jenkins," he commanded me and I went immediately to his side, even if I did experience a difficulty in the breath of Roberta, Marquise of Grez and Bye.

"What is it that you wish, my Gouverneur Faulkner?" I asked as I looked down upon him as he sat with a paper in his hand regarding it intently. And as I looked I observed that he, as well as I, had not entirely disrobed after that very brilliant reception. He had discarded his coat of the raven and also what is called a vest in America, and he was very beautiful to me in the whiteness of his very fine linen above which his dark bronze hair with its silver crests, that I had always observed to be in a very sleek order, was tossed into a mop that resembled the usual appearance of my own. His eyes were very deep under their heavy lashes but of the brilliancy of the stars in the blackness of a dark night.

"Sit down here under the light beside me," was his next command to me, and he reached out one of his slender and powerful hands and drew me down into a chair very close beside him.

"What is it?" I asked as my head came so close to his that I felt the warmth of his breath on my cold cheek.

"Hold these two fragments of paper together and translate the French written upon them literally," he said to me as he handed me two small pieces of paper upon which there was writing.

And this is what I discovered to be written:

"Honored Madam:

"The one at the head of all has sent me to this place to inspect grazing lands and make report. I send in a report of what is not here and the signing of the papers by your Gouverneur Faulkner must be done quickly in blindness before a discovery of what is not--"

"It is written to a woman," I said very quietly as I made a finish of reading.

"Yes, boy, to a woman. I have made my last fight to--to hold an old belief, which in some way seemed to be--be one of my foundation stones. The General is right: they are all alike, the soft, beautiful, lying things. The truth is not in them, and their own or a man's honor is a plaything. That piece of paper was sent me by a man up in the mountains of Old Harpeth, who loves me with the same blood bond that I love you, boy, all on account of a gun struck up in the hands of his enemy. Here's the note he sent with it.

"Bill, we cotched a furren man fer a revenue up by the still at Turkey Gulch and this was in his pocket. I made out to read yo name. I send it. The man is kept tied. What is mules worth? Send price and what to do with this man critter by son Jim. Hell, Bill, they ain't no grazing fer five thousand mules on Paradise Ridge, but I know a place. Jim Todd."

"What is the significance of this paper, my Gouverneur Faulkner?" I asked after I had made the attempt to translate to myself the very peculiar writing he had given to me.

"I do not know just exactly myself, Robert," answered my Gouverneur Faulkner as he dropped his head upon his hands while he rested his elbows on the polished table among its scattered papers. "I am convinced now that this mule contract business is the plot against my honor that the General believes it to be and has been trying to get to a legal surface. In some way Jim Todd has got hold of one end of the conspiracy. It has been hard for me to believe that a woman would sell me out. If I take it to her in the morning I'll perhaps get an explanation that will satisfy me. The men who are in with Jeff Whitworth are the best financiers in the State and it is impossible to believe that--"

Very suddenly it happened in my heart to know what to compel that very large man beside me to do for the rescue of his honor. He must see the matter, not through the lies of that beautiful Madam Whitworth, the instrument of that very ugly husband, but he must look into the matter with his blood friend, that Mr. Jim Todd.

"You must go immediately to that Mr. Jim Todd and his prisoner to discover truth, Your Excellency," I said with a very firm determination as I looked straight into his sad eyes that had in them almost the look of shame for dishonor.

"It's twenty-four hours on horseback across Old Harpeth from Springtown, boy. The trip would take three days. I can't do it with these guests here, even if they are robbers. I'll have to stay and dig down to the root of the matter here. I may find it in the hearts of my friends," he answered me with a look of great despair.

"The root of the matter is that man who is a prisoner, my Gouverneur Faulkner. I say that you go; that you start while yet it is night and while no man can advise you not to take that journey. It can be done while this entertainment to the farm of the Brices is made for the inspection of mules and also the running of horses. It is necessary!" As I spoke to him in that manner a great force rose in me that I poured out to him through my eyes.

"Great Heavens, boy, I believe I'll do it. I could never get anything if I went when they knew I was going, but I might find out the whole thing if I went to it in secret. If I go now they'll not have time to get their breath before I am back. I'll be able to think out there is those hills and I'm--a--man who needs to think--with a vision unobscured." For a long minute my Gouverneur Faulkner sat with his head bowed in his hands as he rested his elbows on that table, then he rose to his feet. "Let's get away while it is still the dead of night, Robert. I'll leave a note with Cato to tell the General that I've taken you, and nobody except himself must know where I have gone or why. He'll put up the right bluff and we'll be back before they get anything out of him. It's three o'clock and we must be far out on the road by daybreak. We'll take your car and leave it in hiding at Springtown, where by sunup we'll get horses to cross the mountains."

"Is it that I must go for three days out into those mountains with you, my Gouverneur Faulkner?" faltered that ridiculous and troublesome Roberta, Marquise of Grez and Bye.

"Why, no, Robert, unless--unless--Oh, well, I suppose this prisoner of Jim's can speak English as they all can. I rather wanted you--but perhaps it is best for me to fight it out alone. Will you help me pack a bag? Get the one from my dressing room while I take a plunge."

"Quick, Robert Carruthers, make an excuse to that Roberta, Marquise of Grez and Bye, who is of such a foolishness, that you must go with your beloved Gouverneur Faulkner for his aid," I said to myself.

"It is necessary that your foreign secretary accompany you to deal with that gentleman of France who is in prison, my Gouverneur Faulkner," I said with decision as I rose from the side of the table with a great quickness. "I must return home for a few necessities of my toilet for those three days, but I will be back in what that good Kizzie says to be a jiffy, when speaking of cooking that is delayed."

"Good," answered me my beloved Gouverneur Faulkner. Then he laid his hand upon my shoulder as we stood together in the dimness out from the rays of the light. "There is something in your eyes, Robert, that renews my faith in the truths of--of life. I'm going out into the wilderness on a grave mission whose result may shake down some houses of--of cards, but because of your being with me I feel as if I were starting off on a picnic or a day's fishing at the age of ten. Now, I'll hurry." And as he spoke my Gouverneur Faulkner made a start in the direction of his room for the bath.

"Is it that I may begin the packing of your bag for you, Your Excellency, before I go for those necessities of my own?" I asked of him.

"Won't be time for you to go home, boy," he answered me, looking at a clock upon the mantel over his large fireplace. "You are still in your evening clothes, I see. But that's easy: you climb into that pink coat and a pair of those corduroy trousers of mine you see hanging in my dressing room. I haven't hunted for two years but they are still there. Put linen in that saddlebag on the shelf for us both out of the drawers in the old chest over there. Take heavy socks to go under the leggings. You'd better put on a flannel shirt, too, and take an extra one for both of us. We'll travel light. I'll only be in the bath a couple of minutes." With which assurance he entered the room of the bath and closed the door upon me.

"_Mon Dieu_, Roberta, Marquise of Grez and Bye!" was all that I allowed myself to exclaim as I made a very quick rush for that dressing room, switched on the light, flung off my coat, seized a pair of corduroy riding breeches that hung in a corner beside another pair, discarded my own of broadcloth and struggled with both of my legs the same moment into them. Then in a hurry as great as I shall ever know I discovered a gray flannel shirt in a drawer of the very tall old mahogany chest and inserted myself into that with an equal rapidity. A wide leather belt made the two very large garments secure around my waist and I again allowed breath to come into my lungs. I then opened a very queer bag which I knew to be for a saddle, that was upon a shelf in the dressing room, and began to put things into it according to directions of the Gouverneur Faulkner. The other pair of those riding breeches I laid with another of the flannel shirts in a great conspicuousness upon a chair in the bedroom directly in front of the door from the dressing room.

"We're going to make a record get-away, boy," said that Gouverneur Faulkner to me as in a few minutes he came, clothed in those riding trousers and that flannel shirt, to the door of his dressing room, where I was just making a finish of putting needful clothing into his bag. "You'll find the other things we need in the bathroom. Put it all in while I get together a few papers I want. We can start now in two minutes."

"All is ready now, my Gouverneur Faulkner," I made the announcement after a wading into that very wet room of the bath and a return.

"Here, give me the bag, and you go ahead with this electric torch. Quiet now," admonished that Gouverneur Faulkner to me as we took our departure through the dark hall.

"This is the maddest escapade that a Governor of this ancient State has ever undertaken, and the weight of years has slid from me, boy," said that Gouverneur Faulkner to me as the Cherry made a long glide from the city out into the open road.

The day was just beginning to come with its light from behind the very large and crooked old mountain that is called Old Harpeth, when my Gouverneur Faulkner made me to turn my good Cherry from off the main road into a little road, of much narrowness and of beautiful brown dirt the color of the riding trousers that I wore, and stop beside a very humble, small house, which was covered with a vine in beautiful bud, and around which many chickens hovered in waiting for a morning breakfast. Behind the small house was a large barn and as I made a nice turn and stop beside the white gate a man in a blue garment that I now know is called overalls, came to the door of the barn.

"Hello, Bud. Are Lightfoot and Steady in good condition for a trip across to Turkey-Gulch?" called my Gouverneur Faulkner as he alighted from the car.

"Fit as fiddles, Governor Bill," answered the man as he came to the gate to shake hands with the Gouverneur Faulkner. "'Light and come in to breakfast. Granny has got a couple of chickens already in the skillet. And say, I want you to see what Mandy have got in the bed with her. Ten pounds, Gov."

"Congratulations, Bud; that is some--boy?" said my Gouverneur Faulkner with a question as he again grasped the hand of the large man.

"Naw, Gov; we didn't have no luck this first shot but I tells Mandy that we've got about a dozen more chanstes if she does as well by me as she oughter. Anyway what's the matter with a gal child?" And the nice young father of the poor little female made a bristle of his disposition in defense of his daughter.

"Not a thing on earth, Bud; except that the whole sex are the unknown quantity. This is my secretary, Robert Carruthers, the General's nephew. Come in, Robert, and you'll have one square meal in your life if you never get another. Get me the usual food wallet together, Bud, please, and let me have it and the horses the very moment I've swallowed the last bite of my drum bone, will you? We've got to ride fast and far to-day and I want nobody on my trail. Understand?"

"Yep, Gov," was the answer that good Bud man made as my Gouverneur Faulkner and I took our way through many chickens into the low little house.

"God bless my soul, if here ain't the Governor come for a bite with Granny Bell this fine morning!" exclaimed a very nice old lady from above a stove, which was steaming with food of such an odor as to create a madness in my very empty stomach.

"More than any bite, Granny," answered my Gouverneur Faulkner as he came beside the stove to shake hands with the nice hostess.

"I'd like to feed you some gold, fried in silk. Governor Bill, fer that mercy to my nephew Timms. I can't say what I feels and finish this cream gravy the right color for you," and as she spoke the fine old friend of my Gouverneur Faulkner wept as she shook a steaming sauce in a black pan and turned with the left hand a golden piece of bread upon another part of the stove.

"I don't need anything more than your 'well done,' Granny," answered my Gouverneur Faulkner as he laid a gentle hand on the trembling shoulder of the nice old lady. "This youngster here got the word from Mary and you can give him both of the liver wings if you want to show your gratitude to him."

"God bless you, young gentleman, and you shall have anything that Granny Bell has to give you in gratitude. Now draw up two chairs and fall to, boys," and as she spoke she set the dishes of a beautiful odor upon a very clean table beside the stove.

"Is it that I may wash the grease stains of the car from my hands before eating, dear Madam?" I asked of her.

"Back porch, you'll find the bucket and pan and towel, youngster. I can't wait for you," made answer my Gouverneur Faulkner as he laughed and began upon the repast that must of necessity be a hurried one.