n' into the blood He was puttin' in his veins.

"To my mind, ain't no better way to love an' worship God, 'an to
protect an' 'preciate these fine gifts He's given for our joy an' use.
Worshipin' that bird's a kind o' religion with me. Getting the beauty
from the sky, an' the trees, an' the grass, an' the water 'at God made,
is nothin' but doin' Him homage. Whole earth's a sanctuary. You can
worship from sky above to grass under foot.

"Course, each man has his particular altar. Mine's in that cabin up at
the bend o' the river. Maria lives there. God never did cleaner work,
'an when He made Maria. Lovin, her's sacrament. She's so clean, an'
pure, an' honest, an' big-hearted! In forty year I've never jest durst
brace right up to Maria an' try to put in words what she means to me.
Never saw nothin' else as beautiful, or as good. No flower's as
fragrant an' smelly as her hair on her pillow. Never tapped a bee tree
with honey sweet as her lips a-twitchin' with a love quiver. Ain't a
bird 'long the ol' Wabash with a voice up to hers. Love o' God ain't
broader'n her kindness. When she's been home to see her folks, I've
been so hungry for her 'at I've gone to her closet an' kissed the hem
o' her skirts more'n once. I've never yet dared kiss her feet, but
I've always wanted to. I've laid out 'at if she dies first, I'll do it
then. An' Maria 'ud cry her eyes out if you'd a-hit the redbird. Your
trappin's look like you could shoot. I guess 'twas God made that shot
fly the mark. I guess--"

"If you can stop, for the love of mercy do it!" cried the hunter.

His face was a sickly white, his temples wet with sweat, and his body
trembling. "I can't endure any more. I don't suppose you think I've
any human instincts at all; but I have a few, and I see the way to
arouse more. You probably won't believe me, but I'll never kill
another innocent harmless thing; and I will never lie again so long as
I live."

He leaned his gun against the thorn tree, and dropped the remainder of
his hunter's outfit beside it on the ground.

"I don't seem a fit subject to `have dominion,'" he said. "I'll leave
those thing for you; and thank you for what you have done for me."

There was a crash through the bushes, a leap over the fence, and Abram
and the Cardinal were alone.

The old man sat down suddenly on a fallen limb of the sycamore. He was
almost dazed with astonishment. He held up his shaking hands, and
watched them w