“Gone—destroyed—wiped off the earth—trampled out by cattle,” she said dully, “every blade—every stalk—root, stem and branch!”
“My Lord A’mighty!” gasped Mrs. Allison, and the words were not blasphemy.
“Cattle Kate!” cried Bud. “Oh, damn her soul to hell!”
“Oh, Bud—don’t, don’t!” said Nance, her lips beginning to quiver, “‘He who—who is guilty of damn—and damnation—shall be in danger—danger of hell fire.’”
But the boy’s blue eyes were blazing and he did not even hear her. He jerked his sagging shoulder up, for a moment, in line with its mate and shut his hands into straining fists.
“Gimme a gun——” he rasped, “Pappy’s gun——”
But the mother spoke.
“No guns, Bud—I’ve seen feud—in Missouri. There’s land an’ sunlight in other places beside Nameless. With life we can——”
The boy shook his head with a slow, savage motion.
“Not for us,” he said, “I’d die first.”