er as to her sweet-heartin'--an' ef ye won her fa'r an'
above-board, I reckon Turner kin be fa'r-minded, too. I was thinkin' of
somethin' else, though. From what ye tells me hit looks like es ef all
these things, my jailin' an' yore lay-wayin', is jest pieces of one
pattern. Hit looks like _I_ was brought down hyar so thet Kinnard
Towers could git _you_. Ef I'd a-knowed erbout his warnin' ye off thet
night ye came, I mout hev guessed hit afore now."

He rose and paced the floor of the room where prisoners were permitted
to receive guests bearing special permits--under the chaperonage of a
turnkey. Suddenly he halted and his eyes flared, though his voice
remained low and tense.

"I'm a Christian an' a man of peace," he said ominously, "but ef what I
suspicions air true I don't aim ter submit ter hit. Does ye want ter go
back thar ter Little Slippery?"

"I do, indeed," replied Henderson eagerly. "And soon!"

"All right then. Ther Stacys hev still got some power acrost Cedar
Mounting an' they aims ter exercise hit. I'll straightway send a letter
ter my brother, Joe Stacy. Ef ye gits offen ther train in Marlin Town
one week from terday, he'll be thar ter meet ye--an' he'll hev enough
men thar with rifle-guns ter see ye through safe--an' hold ye safe,
too."

"Joe Stacy," repeated Henderson, "I've never met him, have I?"

"I don't hardly believe ye hes. He dwells on Skinflint, but he'll know
_you_ when he sees ye."

Later that same day the turnkey, who had from time to time received
certain courtesies from Mark Tapper, repeated the conversation to that
officer, and within forty-eight hours a messenger relayed it verbally
to Kinnard Towers.

"Ef thar's any way ter head off thet letter ter Joe, now," reflected
the backwoods master of intrigue, "an' thet bodyguard don't show up--I
reckon we kin still compass what we failed in, ther first time."

* * * * *

To the house in Virginia where Bear Cat was temporarily established
came Lew Turner, a distant kinsman on an enterprise of cattle trading.
The meeting was a coincidence though a natural one, since their host
was a man who had migrated from Little Slippery and had long been known
to both. Shortly the two sat alone in conversation, and Bear Cat
demanded news from home.

"Wa'al thar hain't no welcome tidings ter give ye. They keeps puttin'
off yore paw's trial jest ter frazzle him out, fer one thing," began
the newcomer lugub