set wan stone 'pon another to make a wall or
to keep the blasted rabbits out the young wheat."

"Your attitude is one-sided, Will," said Martin Grimbal gently;
"besides, remember this is a cross. We're dealing with a relic of our
faith, take my word for it."

"Faith be damned! What's a cross to me? 'Tisdoin' more gude wheer't is
than ever it done afore, I'll swear."

"I hope you'll live to see you're wrong, Blanchard. I've met you in an
evil hour it seems. You're not yourself. Think about it. There's no
hurry. You pride yourself on your common sense as a rule. I'm sure it
will come to your rescue. Granted this discovery is nothing to you, yet
think what it means to me. If I'd found a diamond mine I couldn't be
better pleased--not half so pleased as now."

Will reflected a moment; but the other had not knowledge of character to
observe or realise that he was slowly becoming reasonable.

"So I do pride myself on my common sense, an' I've some right to. A
cross is a cross--I allow that--and whatever I may think, I ban't so
small-minded as to fall foul of them as think differ'nt. My awn mother
be a church-goer for that matter, an' you'll look far ways for her
equal. But of coourse I knaw what I knaw. Me an' Hicks talked out
matters of religion so dry as chaff."

"Yet a cross means much to many, and always will while the land
continues to call itself Christian."

"I knaw, I knaw. 'Twill call itself Christian long arter your time an'
mine; as to bein' Christian--that's another story. Clem Hicks lightened
such matters to me--fule though he was in the ordering of his awn life.
But s'pose you digs the post up, for argeyment's sake. What about me, as
have to go out 'pon the Moor an' blast another new wan out the virgin
granite wi' gunpowder? Do'e think I've nothin' better to do with my time
than that?"

Here, in his supreme anxiety and eagerness, forgetting the manner of man
he argued with, Martin made a fatal mistake.

"That's reasonable and business-like," he said. "I wouldn't have you
suffer for lost time, which is part of your living. I'll give you ten
pounds for the stone, Will, and that should more than pay for your time
and for the new post."

He glanced into the other's face and instantly saw his error. The
farmer's countenance clouded and his features darkened until he looked
like an angry Redskin. His eyes glinted steel-bright under a ferocious
frown; the squareness of his jaw became much marked.

"You da