the
sleeve of his shirt.

"Ther breeze is stirrin' tol'able fresh out hyar," suggested Aaron, "an
thet old walnuck tree casts down a right grateful shade. I'd jest es
lieve talk out hyar--ef hit suits ye."

So under the tree, where a light breeze stirred with welcome tempering
across the river, the four men squatted on their heels and lighted their
pipes.

"Thar hain't no profit in mincin' matters none," began old Aaron,
curtly. "I lost me three boys when they fit ther battle of Claytown
twenty y'ars back--an' now hit looks powerful like ther war's fixin' ter
bust out afresh. Ef hit does I aims ter take me full toll fer tha'r
killin'."

Parish Thornton--who had ten minutes before been planning a death
infliction of his own--raised his brows at this unsoftened bluntness of
announcement, but he inquired of Aaron Capper as he had done of Hump
Doane: "Why does ye come ter me?"

"We comes ter ye," Aaron gave him unambiguous answer, "because ef ther
Harpers hev got ter fight, that hain't no health in divided leaderships
ner dilatary delays.... Some men seems ter hold thet because ye wed with
Old Caleb's gal, ye're licensed ter stand in Old Caleb's shoes ...
whilst others seems plum resolved not ter tolerate ye atall an' spits ye
outen thar mouths."

"Which of them lots does _you_ men stand with?"

The question came soberly, yet something like a riffle of cynical
amusement glinted in the eyes of Parish Thornton as he put it.

"I hain't made up my mind yit. All I knows is thet some fellers called
on me ter head ther Harpers ... an' afore I give 'em any answer, I
'lowed thet hit become us ter hev speech with ye fust. We owed ye thet
much because ther Doanes'll pint-blank deem thet ther trouble started
when ye wed Bas Rowlett's gal--an' whatever _we_ does, _they'll_ hold ye
accountable."

The heir to Caleb Harper's perplexities stood leaning against the tree.
There were still moments when his strength seemed to ebb capriciously
and leave him giddy. After a moment, though, he smiled quietly and
glanced about the little group.

"When I come over hyar," he said, "I didn't ask nothin' but ter be left
alone. I married Dorothy, an' old Caleb confidenced me. I've got my own
affairs ter tend an' I'm satisfied ter tend 'em. So fur es frayin' an'
fightin' goes"--his voice mounted suddenly and the half-whimsical humour
died instantly in his eyes--"I've got some of my own ter study
erbout--an' I don't have ter meddle with other