By becoming lax in a lawless land, Blane had broken a cardinal rule. Now, he was caught in the open and he was unarmed.
Blane was certain the two men before him would react violently at the first provocation. He decided, therefore, not to threaten them in any manner. At the same time, he knew he must “test the spirits,” that is, he must satisfactorily answer for himself whether the two before him were sheep or wolves.
With a smug smile, the first one asked, “Did we scare ya?”
Blane knew not to lie. “You scared me a little; surprised me a lot. My mind was on the sick boy inside. I came out to fetch some water to boil. I didn’t hear you ride up.”
The first one bowed his head momentarily. The brim of his hat blocked Blane’s view of the stranger’s eyes and lips. Blane, however, heard the man mutter something to his partner.
The second man had held his gaze steady on Blane. When he heard his partner’s words, his gaze fell to Blane’s side, precisely where Blane’s gun should have been. With a slow blink, his gaze came up, steady on Blane’s eyes.
A long moment passed. Blane felt the tension of the silence. The still, small voice within him, however, told him not to speak.
The first man raised his head so that now both strangers watched him. Blane stood calmly. He was careful not to return their stares but also he did not look away.
Blane knew that men in this country, especially outlaws, were savvy at reading another man’s intentions. A careless word, a wrong gesture, or a bead of sweat could betray hostility or fear. Unlike God, however, the devil cannot read minds. Blane would not communicate his sense of foreboding as long as he showed no fear. He would stand and wait for the strangers to make the first move.
In reality, what seemed like hours was only a few passing moments. But Blane knew these moments were crucial. Eventually, he must get to his gun. First, however, he must pass this test without getting shot. As suspicious as Blane figured the strangers were, he had presented no reason for them to react. Blane also figured the next stranger to speak would be the leader.
Another moment passed.
Finally, the second man said, “Mind if we water our horses and trouble ya for a meal?”
“You’re welcome to water your horses. I’ll have to ask about the meal. This is not my land.”
“Whose land is it?”
“A farmer owns this land. I’m expecting him to come in from the fields anytime now.”
The two dismounted and walked their horses to the water trough.
“I’m Parson Blane.”
“You’re a preacher?” the second stranger asked with surprise.
“Yes sir, I am.”
“I knew something was different about you. I just didn’t know what.”
In a gentle voice, Blane said, “If you don’t mind my asking, who might you be?”
“I’m Wade,” the second man said. “This here is Clem. You say you got a sick boy inside? He ain’t got nothin’ that’s catchin’, does he?”
“No,” Blane replied, “his leg is broken and the wound got infected.”
Wade grunted.
While the two let their horses drink from the trough, Blane pumped fresh water into a bucket. With quick glances that did not arouse suspicion, Blane tried to learn as much as he could about the two strangers.
Wade was the taller of the two, standing perhaps six feet. A scar on his left jaw was only partially covered by his scraggly beard. On his right hip, he wore a Colt .44 Open Top, the same model six-shooter that Blane owned. On his left hip, he wore a bowie knife. An 1860 Henry rifle hung in its scabbard on his horse.
Blane noticed that Clem, a husky man, walked with a waddle, gingerly placing each foot in front of the other.
During his glimpse of the man, Blane decided Clem was either lame or that his feet hurt. Clem’s weapon of choice was a Colt Model 1860 Army revolver that he wore on his right hip. On his horse, Clem carried a Sharps .44 rifle in its scabbard. Blane also noticed an unsheathed Winchester that Clem had tied to the saddle.
Blane continued to pump water into the bucket until it was full. Then he turned to walk to the cabin.
“Where ya goin’?” Wade asked.
“I’m taking this water to boil.”
“I’ll go with ya,” Wade said.
“It’s best you wait here. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“No,” Wade said, “I’ll go in with ya.” He turned to Clem, “Take care of the horses.”
Walking toward the cabin, Blane thought quickly. He did not want these men to have access to the cabin. He decided to gamble. With Wade walking right behind him, Blane stopped abruptly and turned on his heel.
“Whatcha doin’?” Wade asked.
“I can’t allow you to come in. This is not my home. We must ask permission first.”
The words made so much sense that Wade hesitated, as if searching for a way to insist upon going inside. Just as Wade had found words and was about to speak, Blane asked, “What’s the matter, Wade? Don’t you trust me?”
After a long moment, Blane saw resignation come to Wade’s eyes. He had decided to wait outside. Just then, however, the door opened and Faye walked out onto the porch. “Who are you talking to?”
“Well,” Wade said in a drawn-out tone, “who do we have here?”
Blane turned toward Faye. “These two men asked to water their horses.”
Faye glanced at Wade and then looked past him to Clem at the water trough. Without moving, Blane glared at Faye, trying to catch her attention in order to communicate danger.
Before Blane and Faye could make eye contact, Wade stepped from behind Blane. He took off his hat and said, “Ma’am, me and Clem has ridden a far piece on only beans and jerky. Could you find it in your heart to fix us a meal?”
“I guess that would be alright,” Faye said. “My husband isn’t in from the fields yet, but I’m expecting him shortly. Two more for lunch should be no problem.”
Exasperated, Blane lowered and shook his head. His plan to get his gun had failed. He felt sure that making these men feel welcome was like offering shelter to the devil!
XV.
Faye stood at the window, looking out toward the fields. She was worried about Claude. He should have been home by now.
“Where is that man?” she said.
Wade and Clem sat at the table, burying their faces in the plates of food Faye had prepared for them. Blane sat at the fireplace, watching the kettle of water he had hung over the fire. Now and then, he would glance at his gun belt that hung on a hook by the door.
When Blane stood up, Wade turned his head, watching him intently.
“Is that your pistol hanging by the door?” Wade asked with his mouth full.
Blane nodded, “Yes, it is.”
Wade grunted and shoveled another mouthful of food. Still, he carefully watched Blane.
Blane took a step toward Faye at the window to test Wade’s reaction. As soon as he did, Wade straightened in his chair. Still chewing his food, Wade let his right hand drop to his side.
Blane stopped. In as casual of a tone as he could manage, he asked Faye, “You said Claude was supposed to be back around noon?”
“Yes,” she said without turning.
“Maybe he just forgot about the time,” Blane offered.
“No,” she said. “That’s not like him.”
“Maybe he found work that needed to be done and decided it couldn’t wait.”
“That’s possible,” Faye said. “Sam, sit down and eat your food. It’s getting cold.”
“I’m not hungry, Faye. Thanks all the same.”
Wade glanced at the extra plate on the table. “Mind if me and Clem splits your food? This pretty lady sure makes some fine cookin’.”
“Go ahead,” Blane replied.
Wade said to Clem, “Grab that plate and scrape half off for me.” All the while, Wade kept watching Blane.
Blane sat back down on the chair by the fireplace. He could not make a move without arousing Wade’s suspicions.
When the water finally began boiling, Blane removed the kettle from the fireplace and sat it on the floor. For a brief moment, he felt the impulse to lob boiling water onto the two at the table and make a dash for his gun. But the move would be too risky with Faye so close by. Also, the two, so far, had done nothing to warrant radical action. His sense of foreboding, however, had not abated.
XVI.
After Blane changed Andy’s bandages, he sat and talked with the boy for a few moments.
“Who are those men?” Andy asked.
Almost in a whisper, Blane said, “I think they’re a couple of saddle tramps who could cause a lot of trouble.”
“You think they’re outlaws?” Andy asked with wide eyes.
“Shh. Keep your voice down, son. I don’t know if they’re outlaws or not. But I have a bad sense about them. How are you feeling?”
“I feel pretty good, but my leg is stiff.”
“You’re doing real good, son. It will take some time for your leg to heal. You can be patient for that long, can’t you?”
“Yes, sir, I can wait.”
“Good. Now, you get some rest.”
Blane had just stood up when he heard the front door close. He walked into the outer room. Faye was sitting at the table.
“Where did they go?”
“They said they were tired and wanted to take a nap in the barn.”
When Blane turned to retrieve his gun, he stopped short. His gun belt was gone!
“Where’s my gun?”
“They took it.”
Blane drew in a deep breath and exhaled. “Where’s Claude’s rifle?”
“He took it with him this morning.”
“Do you keep any other guns in the cabin?”
“Why?”
“Don’t you see, Faye? They took my gun!”
“Wade said he was going to clean his gun. As a favor for the hospitality, he said he would clean yours, too.”
Blane sat down next to her. “Faye, my gun is always clean. They took it to keep me unarmed.”
Faye was confused. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying those two are dangerous. We should never have invited them in!”
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?”
“I tried, but didn’t have the chance. Faye, we have to get rid of them right away. The longer they stay here the more trouble they will cause.”
“They seemed harmless enough. Maybe Wade really does want to clean your gun.”
Blane shook his head but said nothing.
Watching him, Faye felt a sudden, sharp spasm of fear.
TO BE CONTINUED
* * * * *
Comment on Faith (Part 5)
When one has been blessed with faith, he serves God. Those outside the faith serve themselves. The motives, therefore, of sheep and wolves are opposite. God’s flock of believers is right with God in their vertical relationship. In obedience to God’s Word, their horizontal relationships are built upon love and service toward others. Those outside the faith are not right with God and their horizontal relationships are built upon competitive self interests.
It is true that a Christian may fail and act selfishly. But God’s children recognize such misbehavior as sin for which they should seek forgiveness while resolving to do better. Their “new birth” instinct is to bring glory, not dishonor, to their heavenly Father.
One outside the faith feels no such compunction. One’s “civil righteousness” is based upon gratification of self. The unconverted will perform good works (in the estimation of men, not God) for as long as it serves their personal interests. They refrain from misbehavior, because they fear penalty under law, or because they fear damaging relationships from which they receive personal gratification.
Jesus made a profound distinction between those who are believers and those who are not:
John 8:42-45 (NIV)
42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.
43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
As we live our daily lives, it is crucial that we maintain Christ at the forefront of our consciousness. Otherwise, as happened to Blane in the story, strangers who are wolves may catch us in the open and unarmed.
