d of every man
thet loved peace-abidin' and human betterment."

That tribute Cal acknowledged with a grave inclination of his head, but
no word.

"So long as he lived ther truce thet he'd done made endured. Now thet
he's dead hit would be a right distressful thing ef hit collapsed."

Maggard's candid eyes engaged those of the others in level glance as he
inquired, "Is thar any self-respectin' man thet feels contrariwise, Mr.
Doane?"

"Thet's what we seeks ter find out. With Caleb dead an' gone, no man kin
handily foretell what ther Thorntons aims ter do--an' without we knows
we kain't breathe free."

"Why does ye come ter me?"

"Because folks tells hit thet ther old man named ye ter stand in his
stead--an' ef ye does thet we hev need ter put some questions up ter
ye."

"I hain't said I sought no leadership--but speak right out fer
yoreselves," invited Maggard.

"All right. We knows thet ye come hyar from _somewhars_ else--an' we
don't know whar from. Because ye're old Caleb's heir, what ye does an'
what ye says gets ter be mighty pithy an' pertinent ter us."

"I've done come ter kinderly reelize that, myself, hyar of late."

"Ye comes from Virginny, folks says; air thet true?"

"Thet's true."

"An' ye give one name when ye come an' tuck another atter ye'd been hyar
a while, air thet true likewise?"

Maggard stiffened but he bowed his head in assent.

"All right, then--I reckon ye kin see fer yorself thet ef we've got ter
trust our business in yore hands tor'ds keepin' ther truce, we've
jedgmatically got ter confidence ye. We seeks ter hev ye ter tell us why
ye left Virginny an' why ye changed yore name. We wants ter send a man
of our own pick an' choosin' over thar an' find out fer ourselves jest
what yore repute war in yore own home afore ye come hyar."

Cal could feel the tingling of antagonism in a galvanic current along
his spine. He knew that his eyes had flashed defiance before he had
quelled their impulse and controlled his features, but he held his lips
tight for a rebellious moment and when he opened them he asked with a
velvety smoothness:

"Ye says nobody didn't mistrust Caleb Harper. Why didn't ye ask him,
whilst he war still a-livin', whether he'd made an heir outen a man thet
couldn't be confidenced?"

"So long es he lived," came the hunchback's quick and stingingly sharp
retort, "we didn't need ter ask no questions atall an' thar warn't no
prophets amongst us ter foresay he was goin