med to him more difficult to lift in a gesture of compliance than
that which was bandaged down.

His own voice broke and he answered with difficulty: "Give me a leetle
spell ter ponder--I kain't answer ye off-hand."

Thornton's eyes went over, and in the lighted doorway fell upon Bas
Rowlett sitting with his features schooled to a masked and unctuous
hypocrisy, but back of that disguise the wounded man fancied he could
read the satisfaction of one whose plans march toward success. His own
teeth clicked together and the sweat started on his temples. He had to
look away--or forget every consideration other than his own sense of
outrage and the oath he had sworn to avenge it.

But the features of old Jim were like the solace of a reef-light in a
tempest; old Jim whose son had fallen and who had forgiven without
weakness.

If what Parish knew to be duty prevailed over the passionate tide that
ran high in temptation, what then? Would he live to serve as shepherd
when his undertaking under the private compact had been waived and the
other man stood free to indulge his perfidy?

Finally he laid his hand on the shoulder of the veteran.

"Mr. Rowlett," he declared, steadily, "I've got ter ask ye ter give me
full twenty-four hours afore I kin answer ye fer sartain. Will yore men
agree ter hold matters es they stands twell this time termorrer?"

Jim Rowlett glanced at Hump Doane and the cripple nodded an energetic
affirmation. He was hard to convince but when convinced he was done with
doubt.

"I'd ruther heer Mr. Thornton talk thetaway," he declared, crisply,
"then ter hev him answer up heedless an' over-hasty."

With his knee brushing against that of old Jim Rowlett, Parish Thornton
rode away from that meeting, and from the sentinels in the laurel he
heard no hint of sound.

When he had come to the place where his pistol lay hidden he withdrew it
and replaced it in his pocket, and a little farther on where the creek
wound its way through a shimmering glade and two trails branched, the
veteran drew rein.

"I reckon we parts company hyar," he said, "but I feels like we've done
accomplished a right good day's work. Termorrow Hump an' me'll fare over
ter yore house and git yore answer."

"I'm obleeged," responded the new chief of the Thorntons, but when he
was left alone he did not ride on to the house in the river bend.
Instead he went to the other house upon whose door his first letter of
threat had been posted, and