ry sobs that come in wrenching incoherence from deep in his chest.

He reeled and rocked on his feet under the tempest of tearless
weeping--and like a blind man staggered back and forth, until the
preacher, with a hand on each shoulder, had soothed him, as a child is
soothed. At last he found the power of speech.

"Fer God's sake, Brother Fulkerson, fergive me ... ef ye kin.... I
don't know what I'm doin'.... I'm seein' red." Again his voice vaulted
into choleric transports. "Ye says I mustn't call ther Stacys ter
bloodshed. Ye're right. Hit's my own private job--an' I'm goin' back
thar ter kill him--now! But es fer _you_, I wouldn't hev treated ye
with sich disrespect fer no cause in ther world--ef I hadn't been
well-nigh crazed."

"Son, I forgives ye full free ... but ye jest suspicions these other
matters. Ye hain't dead sure--and ye hain't ther man ter go out killin'
without ye _air_ plumb sartain.... Now will ye set down an' give me
leave ter talk a spell?"

The boy dropped upon the edge of the porch and jerked with a palsy of
wretchedness, and as he sat the old preacher pleaded.

For a while Bear Cat's attention was perfunctory. He listened because
he had promised to listen, but as the evangelist swept on with an
earnestness that gave a fire of eloquence to his uncouth words, his
congregation of one was heeding him because of the compulsion of
interest. He saw a bigger enemy and one more worthy of his warfare
behind the malign individual who was, after all, only its figure-head
and coefficient.

"Ef them ye loves hed been struck ter death by a rattlesnake--and hit
war feasible fer ye, 'stid of jest killin' ther snake, ter put an end
ter ther pizen hitself--fer all time--would ye waste strength on a
single sarpent?" The eyes of the speaker were glowing with ardor. "Men
like Kinnard air snakes thet couldn't do no harm save fer ther pizen of
ther copper worms. Hit's because they pertects them worms thet ther
lawless stands behind sich men--an' ther law-abidin' fears 'em. Wipe
out ther curse itself--an' ye wipes out ther whole system of meanness
an' murder." He paused, and for the first time since his outburst Bear
Cat spoke soberly.

"Over thar--at ther Quarterhouse--whar they sought ter git
Henderson--they warn't nothin' but a yelpin' pack of mad dogs--all
fired ter murder with white licker."

Brother Fulkerson nodded.

"I said ye hed power, an' I don't want ter see ye misuse hit.

"Ye asked me a spell