e free?"

The Judge did not speak or look up. He hunted on the ground for chips.

"Why don't you sell some land and send him?"

"Oh, Mr. Ravenel, we can't. We just can't! It's the strangest thing in
the world, sir! Nobody wants it but lumbermen, and to let them, faw a
few cents an acre, sweep ove' it like worms ove' a cotton field--we just
can't do it! Mr. Ravenel, what _is_ the reason such a land as this can't
be settled up? We'll sell it to any real sett'ehs! But, good Lawd! sir,
where air they? Son an' me ain't got no money to impote 'em, sir. The
darkies don't know anything but cotton fahmin'--they won't come. Let me
tell you, sir, we've made the most flattering offers to capitalists to
start this and that. But they all want to wait till we've got a good
gov'ment. An' now, here we've got it--in Clearwateh, at least--an' you
can see that these two men ain't satisfied!"

"What do you reckon's the reason?"

"Mr. Ravenel, my deah sir, they can't tell! The fat one can't and the
lean one won't! But politics is at the bottom of it, sir! Politics keeps
crowdin' in an' capital a-hangin' back, an'----"

"Johnnie doesn't get his schooling," said Ravenel.

The response was a silent gesture, downcast eyes, and the betrayal of an
emotion, not of the moment, but of months and years of physical want and
mental distress.

"We all get lots of politics," said Ravenel.

"Not son! not fum me, sir. Oh, my Lawd, sir, that's one of the worst
parts of it! I don't dare teach him mine, much less unteach him his
mother's. She's as spirited as she's gentle, sir."

"Whatever was is wrong," drawled the young man. "That's the new creed."

"Oh, sir, a new creed's too painful a thing fo' jest. Ow South'n press,
Mr. Ravenel, is gett'n' a sad facility fo' recantin'. I don't say it's
not sincere, sir--least of all ow _Courier_ since it's come into the
hands of you an' President Garnet!"

"Garnet! Oh, gracious!" laughed Jeff-Jack. "Sincere--Judge, if you won't
say anything about sincerity, I'll tell you what I'd like to do for
John, sir. I'll take your note, secured by land, for the money you need
to put John through Rosemont, and you needn't pay it till you get ready.
If you never get ready, I reckon John'll pay it some day."

The moment the offer began to be intelligible, Judge March tried to
straighten up and look Jeff-Jack squarely in the face, but when it was
completed his elbows were on his knees and his face in his slender brown
ha