SPARE THE OTHER

Mrs. Hutto sat placidly in her house, having decided not to go to the doin's. Not knowing, therefore, of the stranger's pronouncement that her son had returned, she was flabbergasted when the Forresters unceremoniously burst in on her. But she recovered her wits quickly.

"What do you want here?! You git right outta here!"

"Where is he?!" Lem loomed menacingly over her in her rocking chair.

"What? Who...? Oliver??"

"Who else?!"

"Well, how should I know?! Boston! I think."

Buck said civilly, "We got word he's back, Mis' Hutto."

"What??" She paled. Shaken at the fear that he might suddenly walk in here, amid the enemy, she said, "I don't know nothin' 'bout it. He ain't here." She rallied her courage. "Now you-all git right outen here! You got no right bustin' in here!" She knew that she must get rid of them quickly, in case Oliver did show up suddenly. Young and reckless as he was, he wouldn't have sense enough to see the Forresters' horses outside and flee; he would burst in here in bravado to protect her.

Lem sneered, "You 'spect us to b'lieve he'd come back to Volusia, but not come straight to you?!"

Testily, she retorted, "I don't much keer what you devils b'lieve!"

Not appreciating the insult, Mill-wheel moved closer to her as well. "Lem's right. Tell us where he is, and we'll leave you be. We don't wanta have to hurt a ol' woman."

Momentarily angered beyond sense, herself, she snapped, "You jest go right ahead! Even iffen I knowed where my boy was, I'd never hand him over to you butchers!"

Even milder-mannered Buck raised his brows at that, and took a step closer.

Snidely, Lem commented ominously, "We ain't butchered him...yit."

Mrs. Hutto's eyes flashed back at him, until she caught the dangerous gleam in Lem's eyes, and knew that he was deadly serious. Then, almost pleadingly, she said, "Why must you still be after my boy?! Ain't you hurted him enough?! Why cain't you leave him be?!"

"He stole my gal!"

She snorted. "What, you figger he forced her to go?!"

Lem spat. "No!"

"Then, mebbe she was never your gal to begin with!" she crowed triumphantly.

Lem stepped aggressively close and raised his hand to her as if to slap her. Oliver's mother flinched, but she refused to look away, and she glared as if daring him to hit her.

Buck moved hastily and caught Lem's arm. "Come on! You don't wanta hit a ol' woman!" To her, he added, "You would hafta be a hotheaded fool like your son!"

Mill-wheel agreed, "Ain't you learnt none from his mistake with us? He learnt the hard way what happens when you take us on; ain't you paid attention? Surely you seed what we left of him."

She had. Her eyes raked him vilely, with loathing. She hissed, "Savages!"

Lem struggled against Buck to get at her, but Mill-wheel hastened to help Buck, and together they restrained him.

Arch commented sharply, "Well, we ain't seed what our brothers left of him, but we're hopin' for a repeat tonight, and then we'll see it this time! Hell, we'll he'p do it to him this time!"

Pack remarked ominously, "And much more outta you, and we'll give you the same treatment, woman or not!"

Lem's eyes lit at the support.

Buck told her urgently, "You best be right keerful! You rile enough of us that they outnumber those of us tryin' to protect you, and we'll not be able to stop 'em."

Mill-wheel nodded. "You wanta feel what Oliver felt? No? Then you best behave."

Mrs. Hutto allowed her fear to show for the first time, and choked back a sob. "I...I'll behave."

Arch was smug. "That's smart. Iffen I had your brittle ol' bones, I'd watch it, too."

She lowered her eyes and stared at her lap. Then, to the Forresters' astonishment and discomfort, she put her face in her hands and burst into tears, sobbing loudly.

The men stared at her in stunned silence for a moment. Then, Mill-wheel said awkwardly, "Well, now, Mis' Hutto..., you don't gotta cry like that. We'll not hurtcha. Look, see, even Lem ain't tryin' to git at you no more. See? Me and Buck has even let go of him, and he's jest standin' here."

She raised her tear-streaked face to their stunned faces."It ain't for myself I'm cryin'. Please!" She reached out and took one of Lem's hands in both of her wet ones. He looked even more shocked. "Please don't kill my baby!" She slid from the chair and dropped to her knees at his feet. "I cain't bear the thought o' life without Oliver! Please, he's all I got in this world!" Lem frowned and moved to disengage his hand, but she hung onto him. "Leave him go and take me instead! Do anythin' you want with me; I don't keer! Please! Spare my only child!"

Acutely uncomfortable by now, all six Forresters exchanged guilt-ridden, misery-laden glances.

Buck reached out to her in dismay. He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. "Now, now, Mis' Hutto, calm down. He ain't here; that's clear. And I b'lieve you when you say you didn't even know he was back."

She turned her teary gaze to him, and her eyes glittered with unspilled moisture. "Thank you for that. I'll admit I wondered iffen he might come now, hit bein' Christmas and all. But I never know; he never tells me in advance. He jest surprises me." Her lower lip began to tremble. "I miss him so! I live for when he comes home to me! I was hopin' to see my angel for Christmas! But now I'm so afraid! Now I have to hope he'll stay away!" Tears welled and spilled again, and she bowed her head and sobbed piteously.

Pack mumbled, "I think we liked you better when you was feisty."

Lem was still trying half-heartedly to free his hand.

And that was when Oliver walked in the door.

The blond stared, stricken, at the scene: the sight of his mother on the floor, with the powerful, brutal Forresters clustered around her. "Ma!" he cried. Then, he regarded the bearded men more in horror and pleading than in anger. "What've you done to her?!"

"No, no, no!" she hastened to assure him. "They ain't hurted me!" She struggled clumsily to her feet, her eyes only on her son, her concern only for him, that he not do anything rash from jumping to wrong conclusions.

Feeling acutely self-conscious, Buck helped her to her feet. It drew her attention to him momentarily. "Don't hurt him!" she begged. "Oh please don't hurt him! Let me go to him!" She pulled free and rushed into his arms. They held each other urgently, each worried mainly for the other.

"Oh, Sweetheart! Angel! I'm so scared for you!" She went back to addressing the Forresters, "Oh, don't hurt him; don't hurt him!"

They looked at Oliver, and Oliver looked at them. His expression was scared, grief-stricken, and tragic. Their expressions were doubtful, confused, and hesitant.

"Um...," Lem faltered. "Where's Twink?" But there was not much energy in the question; he seemed to ask it almost out of duty, rather than from passion.

"At...at the doin's," Oliver stammered. "We goed there thinkin' Ma'd be there. Then, when we learnt she wa'n't, and that you-all had goed out after me, I left her there and rushed back here to check on Ma. I was terrified you woulda...mighta...!" He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. "Oh please, fellers, don't do nothin' to Ma! Leave her go!"

"No!" she cried, clinging to him desperately. "Don't hurt my baby! He's the one that matters!"

Oliver regarded them all humbly. "Fellers, I takened on more'n I could handle when I dared cross you. I made a turrible mistake. I wish I could undo it. Won't you please leave me back down? I swear, I'll never dare cross you-all agin!"

The Forresters studied the two. Their bearded faces reluctantly revealed compassion, and the fire had gone out of their eyes. Somehow, none of them could bear the thought of dragging the two away from each other, nor could they stomach pulverizing one while the other watched in anguish.

The Forresters departed without laying a hand on either one. They left the two of them there in each other's arms.