back why I pestered ye with talk about betterment
in this hour of yore affliction. Hit's because I wants ye ter go on
fightin' fer thet dream--even ef hit's denied ye ter profit by hit. I
wants thet jest now with ther Stacys gatherin' in from back of beyond,
ye starts out leadin' 'em rightfully 'stid of wrongfully--fer whichever
way ye leads, ye'll go far."

Bear Cat Stacy rose from his seat. His chest still heaved, but his eyes
were aflame with a fire no longer baleful. In them was the thrilling
blaze of far-reaching vision. For a time he stood silent, then he
thrust out his hand.

"Brother Fulkerson, I've done been right close ter hell's edge
ter-night--but ye've brought me out. I hevn't put by my resolve ter
punish murder--if I can prove hit--but I've put by punishin' hit with
more murder. I aims ter make an end of blockadin'."

"Praise God," murmured Brother Fulkerson with the glowing face of an
old and wearied prophet who sees a younger and mightier rise before
him. Yet because his own long labors had taken heavy toll of weariness,
he knew the ashes of despair as well as the flame of ardor. Now he
found himself arguing the insurmountable difficulties. "But how does ye
aim ter persuade men ter forego blockadin'? Yore own kinfolks air
amongst 'em."

Bear Cat's excitement of resolve brought a tremor to his voice.

"By God, I don't aim ter persuade 'em over-much. I aims ter force 'em.
I aims ter rip out every still this side of Cedar Mounting--Stacys' and
Towers' alike, an' I don't aim ter sneak up on 'em, but ter march open
about ther business!"

It was to a campaign of persuasion, rather than abrupt coercion, that
the preacher had sought to guide his convert, and at this announcement
of audacious purpose he shook his head, and the hopefulness faded from
his pupils.

"The system hes hits roots set deep in ancient toleration, an' hooked
under ther rocks themselves. Afore ye alters hit by fo'ce, ye've got
ter shake, ter the bottom-most ledges, hills thet hain't never been
shuck afore."

But Bear Cat Stacy had within the hour become the crusader in spirit,
hot with a new-born purpose, and it would have been as possible to send
molten lava traveling uphill to go tamely back again into its bursted
crater, as to shake his purpose. He was in eruption.

"I knows thet, but I aims ter blast out the bed-rock hitself an' build
hit up anew.

"Hit seems ter me right now es ef I kin see ther picture of this land
in y'a