impetuous outburst with the stoic's fine
tranquillity.

"When they tuck me afore," he said, "I left yore maw unprotected behind
me an' you was only a burden on her then. Now I kin go easy in my mind,
knowin' she's got you." The prisoner's voice softened. "She war a
mighty purty gal, yore maw, in them times. Right sensibly Blossom
Fulkerson puts me in mind of her now."

Lone Stacy broke off with abruptness and added gruffly: "I reckon ye'd
better be a-startin' home now--hit's comin' on ter be nightfall."

As Turner Stacy went out he turned and looked back. The cell was almost
totally dark now and its inmate had reseated himself, his shoulders
sagging dejectedly. "I'll do what he bids me now," Bear Cat told
himself grimly, "but some day thar's a-goin' ter be a reckonin'."

On his way to the livery stable he met Kinnard Towers on foot but, as
always, under escort. Still stinging under the chagrin of an hereditary
enemy's gratuitous intervention in his behalf and a deep-seated
suspicion of the man, he halted stiffly and his brow was lowering.

"Air these hyar tidin's true, Bear Cat? I've heerd thet yore paw's done
been jailed," demanded Kinnard solicitously, ignoring the coldness of
his greeting. "Kin I holp ye in any fashion?"

"No, we don't need no aid," was the curt response. "Ef we did we'd call
on ther Stacys fer hit."

Towers smiled. "I aimed ter show ye this a'tternoon thet I _felt_
friendly, Turner."

The manner was seemingly so sincere that the young man felt ashamed of
his contrasting churlishness and hastened to amend it.

"I reckon I hev need ter ask yore pardon, Kinnard. I'm sore fretted
about this matter."

"An' I don't blame ye neither, son. I jest stopped ter acquaint ye with
what folks says. This hyar whole matter looks like a sort of bluff on
Mark Tapper's part ter make a good showin' with ther govern_ment_. He
hain't hardly got nothin' but hearsay ter go on--unless he kin make
_you_ testify. Ef ye was ter kinderly disappear now fer a space of
time, I reckon nothin' much wouldn't come of hit."

"I'm obleeged ter ye Kinnard. Paw hes don' give me ther same counsel,"
said Bear Cat, as he hurried to the stable where he parted with Jerry
Henderson after a brief and earnest interview.

It was with a very set face and with very deep thoughts that Bear Cat
Stacy set out for his home on Little Slippery. He rode all night with
the starlight and the clean sweep of mountain wind in his face, and at
sunr