e went by him
and old man Broyles and Hawk and Chantry, we'd find ourselves in trouble
mighty shortly. They's but one way to toll Bonbright out to whar we want
him. We've got to send word that Unc' Jep will meet him at moonrise and
talk to him. The fool is plumb crazy about talkin' to folks, and looks
like he cain't get it through his head that Unc' Jep ain't his best
friend. It'll fetch him whar nothin' else will."

"And we've got to hunt up something else for you to ride, Blatch, ef Jim
Cal an' me takes the mules," Jeff remarked. "Jude mighty nigh tore up the
ground when she found we'd had Selim last night. She give it out to each
and every that nobody is to lay a hand on him day or night from this
on."

The girl outside heard Blatch's hateful laugh, and knew with a great
throb of rage who had ridden her horse the night before.

There was a stir among the men seated, Judith conjectured, on the
grain-room floor, and a little clinking, as the jug of corn whiskey was
once more brought into play by Blatch. Presently,

"All right," said Buck Shalliday. "I'll bring Lige's mule. And I'll have
a message got to Bonbright that Jephthah Turrentine wants to see and talk
with him out at Todd's corner at moonrise a-Monday night. Will that suit
ye?"

"Hit'll answer," returned Blatch. "Let's see," he calculated; "that'll be
about two o'clock. Ef he comes up to the scratch we'll git Mr. Man as he
goes by the big rock in the holler acrosst from the spring. That rock and
the bushes by it gives plenty of cover. They's bound to be light enough
to see him by, with the moon jest coming up, and I want to hear from
every man present that he'll shoot at the word. I don't want any feller
in the crowd that'll say he didn't pull trigger on Bonbright. Ef we all
aim and shoot, nary a one of us can say who killed him--and killed he's
got to be."

The listening girl hoped for some demur, but Blatch Turrentine and his
potent counsellor, the jug, dominated the assembly, and there came a
striking of hands on this, a hoarse murmuring growl of agreement. She
doubled low to avoid being seen against the sky and hurried back toward
the cabin as she heard the men preparing to leave the grain-room.

Brave as any one of them there, enterprising and full of the spirit of
leadership, Judith addressed herself promptly to saving Creed Bonbright.
She went straight to her uncle's cabin. No mountaineer ever raps on a
door. Judith shook the latch, at first gent