by this time, and listened
intently, tall Creed, the little grey-haired woman clinging to him and
restraining him, Doss with his light eyes goggling, and Little Buck and
Beezy hand in hand, studying their grandmother's face, not their
father's.

"Who is it?" quavered Nancy. "I'm all alone in here, and I'm scared to
let wayfarers in."

"It's me--Huldy Spiller--Aunt Nancy," called back the voice in the rain.

"Well, I vow! You know how things air, Huldy--what do ye want, chile?"

"I want Creed Bonbright. I've got something to tell him."

"Thar--ye see now," breathed the old woman, turning toward Creed. Then
she raised her voice.

"He ain't here, honey," she lied unhesitatingly.

"Why don't ye go to his office--that's whar he stays at."

"Oh, for the Lord's sake--Aunt Nancy!" came back the girl's shrill,
terrified tones. "I've done been to the office; I know in reason Creed
ain't there, or he'd a-answered me. Please let me in; I'm scared some of
the Turrentines'll come an' ketch me."

At this Creed strode to the door, Nancy dragging back on his arm and Buck
and Beezy seconding her with all their small might, while Provine
spluttered ineffectually in the background.

"Hit's a lie," hissed Nancy. "She's a decoy. Ef you open that thar do'
with the light on ye, they'll shoot ye over her shoulders. Hit was did to
my man thataway in feud times. Don't you open the do' Creed."

"Why, Aunt Nancy," remonstrated Creed, almost smiling, "this isn't like
you. There's nothing but a girl there in the rain. Keep out of range if
you're scared. I'm sure going to open that door."

[Illustration: "They stood in the lighted cabin and listened intently."]

As he made ready to do so Nancy flew back to the table and blew out the
light, and the next minute Huldah Spiller, dripping like a mermaid, was
standing in the middle of the darkened room, and Doss Provine, breathing
short, was barring the door behind her.

"Who's here?" gasped the girl peering about the gloom. "What air you-all
a-goin' to do to me?"

Nancy relighted the lamp and set it on the table, and Huldah discovered
with a long-drawn sobbing sigh of relief that there was no one save the
immediate family present.

"I came quick as I could," she began in the middle of her story, grasping
Creed by the arm and shaking him in the violence of her emotion and
insistence. "Blatch Turrentine's alive. Andy and Jeff have got him hid
out. I seed him myse'f with my own eyes, in a h