rom Selim, and secure him
and both mules.

"Whar's the boys?" he inquired in a great, sonorous bass, the deep,
true-pitched voice promised by the contours of strong bony arches under
heavy brows and the strong nose-bridge.

"In jail," responded Judith laconically, turning to enter the gate. Then,
as she walked up the hard-trodden clay path between the tossing, dripping
heads of daffodils, "Uncle Jep, did you know Creed Bonbright's daddy?"

"In jail!" echoed Nancy Card, making a pretence of trying to suppress a
titter, and thereby rendering it more offensive. "Ain't they beginnin'
ruther young?"

Tall old Jephthah got to his feet, knocked the ashes from his pipe and
put it in his pocket.

"Who tuck 'em?" he inquired briefly, but with a fierce undernote in his
tones. "What was they tuck fer?"

"I never noticed," said Judith, standing on the step before them,
wringing the wet from her black calico riding skirt. "Nobody named it to
me what they was tuck fer. I was talkin' to Creed Bonbright, and he
'lowed to find out. He said that was his business."

"Creed Bonbright," echoed her uncle; "what's he got to do with it? He's
been livin' down in Hepzibah studyin' to be a lawyer--did he have Jeff
and Andy jailed?"

Judith shook her head. "He didn't have nothing to do with it," she
answered. "He 'lowed they would be held for witnesses against some men
Haley had arrested. But he's goin' to come back and live on Turkey
Track," she added, as though that were the only thing of importance in
the world. "He says we-all need law in the mountings, and he's a-goin' to
bring it to us."

"Well, he'd better let my boys alone if he don't want trouble," growled
old Jephthah but half appeased.

"I reckon a little touch of law now an' agin won't hurt yo' boys," put in
Nancy Card smoothly. "My chaps always tuck to law like a duck to water. I
reckon I ain't got the right sympathy fer them that has lawless young
'uns."

"Yo' Pony was arrested afore Andy and Jeff," Judith remarked suddenly,
without any apparent malice. "He was the first one I seen comin' down the
road, and Dan Haley behind him a-shootin' at him."

Jephthah Turrentine forebore to laugh. But he deliberately drew out his
old pipe again, filled it and stepped inside for a coal with which to
light it.

"Mebbe yo' sympathies will be more tenderer for me in my afflictions of
lawless sons after this, Nancy," he called derisively over his shoulder.

"Hit's bound to be a mis