ideout thar below Foeman's
Bluff, not more'n a hour ago. I'll bet he aims to layway you, ef he
cain't git ye hung for murderin' of him. You got to git out o' here. It
was as much as my life was worth to come over and tell ye. I'm afraid to
go back. I'm goin' right on down to Hepzibah and stay thar."

"Come up closeter to the fire," commanded Nancy, who had watched the girl
keenly throughout her recital. "Doss, put some sticks on and git a little
blaze so she can dry herself. Huldy, you're a good girl to come over and
warn Creed--when was you aimin' to go to Hepzibah?" She looked up from
the hearth where she knelt with the frankest inquiring gaze.

"To-night--right now," half whimpered Huldah. "I'm scared to go back. I'm
scared to be here on the mountain at all."

"And did ye aim to have Creed go along of ye?" old Nancy questioned
mildly.

"Yes--yes--he'd better," agreed Huldah hysterically. "Hit's the onliest
way for him now."

Nancy caught Creed's eye above the girl's drenched head, and shook her
own warningly. Leaving Doss to look after the newcomer, she drew the
young justice into the kitchen.

"Whatever ye do," she warned him hastily, "don't you put out with that
red-headed gal in the dark. Things may be adzackly as she says--looks to
me like she thinks she's a-speakin' the truth; but then agin the
Turrentines might a' sent her for to draw you out. They wouldn't like to
shoot ye in my cabin, 'caze they know me and my kinfolks would be apt to
raise a fuss; but halfway down the mountain with this sweetheart of
Wade's--huh-uh, boy; I reckon they could tell their own tale then, of how
you come by yo' death. Don't you go with her."

"I wasn't aiming to, Aunt Nancy," said Creed quietly. "As soon as I heard
that Blatch Turrentine was alive, I intended to go right over and have a
talk with old Jephthah. He's a fair-minded man, and if he is informed
that his nephew is living I think he and I can come to terms."

"Fa'r-minded man!" echoed Nancy contemptuously. "Jephthah Turrentine a
fa'r-minded man! Well, Creed, ef I hadn't no better eye for a fat chicken
than you have for a fa'r-minded man, you wouldn't enjoy yo' dinner at my
table as well as you do. I say fa'r-minded! This thing has got into a
feud, boy, and in a feud you cain't trust nobody--_nobody_!"

Creed went back into the room, and Nancy reluctantly followed him. Huldah
was getting dry and warm, and that fluent tongue of hers was impatiently
silent. As soon