lay dar in de road wid his head mashed. I wuz er
lookin' at de po' thing when up come deze men an' 'cuzed me er killin'
him; but old marster, let me tell you suthin': dar's mighty few niggers
dat eber kills er dog, caze de dog an' de nigger so close ter de yearth
da's friends. I didn't kill de dog."

"Mister," said Sanderson, "I mout come yo' way a thousand times and I
never would interfere with you, and my advice to you now is, don't
interfere with me. You spoke of me not knowin' you. Wall, you don't know
me, nuther."

"Jasper," Margaret exclaimed, "that's a threat, an' don't you let the
fack that us women folks air here stand in yo' way."

"No," cried Mrs. Mayfield, "we will all fight to protect this poor
creature."

Something gleamed in Lou's hand. It was a penknife. She said nothing,
but she stepped forward, the spirit of vengeance come out of the night;
but the old man touched her on the arm and said: "Little sweetheart, you
can't find no wild vines to dig up here with yo' knife."

"No," said Tom, "let me take it," and whispering, he added, "One word
from you and I will cut his throat. But you must be still."

She smiled at him and replied: "I will, because you say so," and again
the shy girl, trembling in the presence of one who loved her, she shrank
back and was a graceful shadow in the dusk.

"Mr. Stranger," said Jasper, "I am waitin' fur you ter untie that po'
old nigger."

"Thank you, Mr. Stranger," said the North Carolina man, "and I will when
we git through with him. He wanted to kill my dog so as he could steal
suthin', and a thief ought to be punished. That's a law I take with me
wharever I go."

"Good law," Jasper replied. "And thar's a law that's allus in force whar
I live and it's this here: when a thief is accused there must be some
proof befo' he is punished."

Jim spoke for the first time. He had stood with folded arms, and
sometimes his lips moved as if he were muttering a prayer. And now his
voice was as solemn as a benediction: "The poor Ethiopian was lead down
into the waters of forgiveness and baptized. In the sight of the Savior
the color of his skin had not made him a sinner. About the weak and the
wretched the gospel threw its protecting arm, and to-night it is here
to do the same. I represent the gospel, and as the gospel, I ask you to
liberate that man."

"Hah, preacher," replied Sanderson. "And what if I don't pay no
attention to the gospel?"

And Jim's voice was deep and