ngry. He must
force the people to sell. He must trick the people. He saw me. 'You,'
he said, 'I need you.'

"_Mon Pere_, that man owned me. On the point of my knife, like a pinch
of salt, he held my life. Never a moment when I could say, I will do
this, I will do that. Always I must do his bidding. For him I lied to
my own people. For him I tricked my friends. For him I nearly killed
the young Whiting. Always I must do as he told. He called and I came.
He bade me do and I did.

"M'sieur does not know the sin of hate. It is the wild beast of all
sins. And fear, too, that is the father of sin. For fear begets hate.
And hate goes raging to do all sin.

"So, after fear, came hate into my heart. Before my eyes was always
the face of this man, threatening with that knife of mine.

"Yesterday, in the morning came a message that I must meet him at the
railroad. He would come to the end of the rail and we would go up into
the high hills. I knew what was to be done. To myself, I rebelled. I
would not go. I swore I would not go. A girl, a good girl that loved
me, begged me not to go. To her I swore I would not go.

"I went. Fear, _Mon Pere_, fear is the father of all. I went because
there was that knife before my eyes. I believe that good girl followed
into the high hills, hoping, maybe, to bring me back at the last
moment. I do not know.

"I went because I must go. I must be there in case any one should see.
If any of us that went was to be caught, I was to be caught. I must be
seen. I must be known to have been there. If any one was to be
punished, I was that one. Rogers must be free, do you see. I would
have to take the blame. I would not dare to speak.

"Through the night we skulked by Bald Mountain. We were seven. And of
the seven I alone was to take the blame. They would swear it upon me.
I knew.

"Never once did Rogers let me get beyond the reach of his tongue. And
his speech was, 'You owe me this. Now you must pay.'

"In the first light the torches were got ready. We scattered along the
fringe of the highest trees. Rogers kept me with him. A moment he went
out into the clearing. Then he came running back. He had seen other
men watching for us. I ran a little way. He came running behind with a
lighted torch, setting fire as he ran. He yelled to me to light my
torch. Again I ran, deeper into the wood. Again he came after me, the
red flare of the fire running after him.

"Mon Dieu! The red flare of the fire in th