The Devils Backbone

The Shack

Meanwhile back across the River Levicy looked at Cotton in confusion. "why'd Chyna send ya' over here?" Levicy asked. Cotton twisted his body from side to side, his hands clasped in front of him nervously. Trying his best to keep the secret. "you can't be mad, aunt Levicy" he said shyly. Levicy merely nodded and focused her stern attention upon him. " Chyna went ahead of Pa and Anse to buy Johnse some more time" Cotton said. Levicy gasped silently and looked about "so she tol' me to come over here until she comes back" Cotton added. Levicy nodded and ushered Cotton into Johnse's room. up the stairs. She watched him go up before turning her head to gaze out the window.

Tolbert clicked back the trigger and aimed it for Chyna and Johnse. "wait, Tolbert. she's right, h-he ain't worth all the trouble this'll cause!" Calvin said taking a few steps forward. "yeah maybe we can just get him to eat some poison" Palmer offered up. "now why in the hell would I do a thing like that?" Johnse asked. "to hell with this!" Tolbert shouted taking a large step forward he raised the gun higher, far above Chyna's head to Johnse's forehead. 

"guns down!" Anse's voice run out through the trees, Tolbert nearly froze, as the sound of a small cavalry could be heard approaching fast, through the leaf-littered ground. Both Johnse and Chyna exhaled in relief. "Now!" Anse commanded as he dismounted his horses, Tom Skunk hair following at his side.

Tolbert turned his eyes to Anse but refused to lower his gun, in turn, Anse lifted his rifle and took aim. "I said now".

As more and more Hatfields appeared on the scene, Jim, Palmer, and Calvin all lowered their guns to the ground. moving slowly and carefully.  "do what he says before I scatter your brains all over this place!" Jim called out in a warning. Chyna's eyes scanned the scene around her. Half of Anse's workers were there. Her eyes locked with Cap as he rode up and dismounted his horse, then traveling to Ellison who sat atop his horse with shocked eyes. 

While Tolbert was distracted by Anse who was carefully approaching him, Chyna reached out and pulled the pistol from his lowered hands, taking it in hers, she quickly handed it over to Johnsey. Anse jabbed Tolbert in the jaw with a butt of his rifle causing him to fall to the ground.  Chyna cautiously looked Anse in the eyes as she moved away from Johnse and made her way over to Ellison. 

As she walked past Palmer, Jim and Calvin she received a small frown from Cap who was advancing towards the boys, pistol raised with Tom. Chyna cast her eyes to the ground and hurried past them, standing at the side of Ellison's horse. He wanted to question her and scold her. but now wasn't the time or place. 

Cap scowled at Calvin as his eyes followed Chyna as she walked, a pained glimmer in the back of dark eyes.  Cap clicked back the hammer of his pistol and leered at them. The light metallic noise caused Calvin to bring his attention back to Cap and Tom.

Anse stepped towards Johnse and made sure his boy was ok before shoving him off to his kin and slipping tolberts pistol away from Johnse's hands. Johnse stopped walking just behind Cap and Tom. "you three get down there and kneel next to your brother" Anse said in a very calm voice, Chyna watched him in wonder and mild fear as any other man would be in a rage. "and pray as if your lives depended on it, on a'count'uh they do" Anse advised. once again pointing his rifle towards the boys in an almost aloof way.

Chyna stepped closer to Ellison's side and in the dark wrapped her arm around his leg. Her ankles felt weak and her knees shaky as the realization of what she had done finally sank in. Ellison reached down and brushed the top of her head two times to comfort her, but never took his eyes away from the McCoy boys. Palmer and Calvin quickly got to their knees while Jim, Randal's eldest stood tall.