e different parts of
our bodies. Big Jerry had sent a command to his finger, ordering it to
pull the trigger, and the muscles had started to obey. The second
message countermanding the first--quick as it was--came too late to halt
the purely muscular action; that is all."

"Another good evening, my friends," came a cheery voice, and the
mountain minister approached out of the shadows, and joined them. "I am
just back from a journey into the wilderness, like John the Baptist's,
and ... Why, what's wrong? Do I see the ghost of a sorrow sitting amid
this group, which should be so happy?"

"Oh, Mr. Talmadge," cried Rose, jumping up and stepping to his side as
he paused. "Many ghosts are here to-night. I think that you took God
away with you on your journey, for His spirit has not been in Webb's Gap
this afternoon."

"Tell me, what has happened, my dear?" he answered quietly, as he seated
himself within the circle.

Then, step by step, the whole unhappy story was haltingly poured into
his ears, save only that Smiles consciously refrained from mentioning
the cause which Judd had--by implication--given for the quarrel and
Donald kept his promise and made no allusion to his finding of the
still. Since the minister asked no questions and made no comment
concerning the cause, it is fair to assume that he guessed the truth and
wisely held his own counsel. When he had brought the patchwork recital
to an end, the doctor laughed with a bitter note.

"You see how much good the brief glimpse which I had last night of the
eternal light did me! Before one full day has elapsed, I sound a lower
depth in primitive, brutal passion then I ever had before in my life. I
am sick at heart when I think how quickly and easily I could forget
everything which goes to make up civilization. There was no excuse for
it--that's the worst part. I was infinitely more to blame than Judd,
even leaving out of consideration the fact that a greater degree of
self-restraint and forbearance should reasonably have been expected of
me, a city-bred man, than of him, a more primitive son of the hills."

Donald placed his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands
with a stifled sound, which might have been groan or curse, and very
gently Smiles' hand stole up in the darkness and stroked his tumbled
hair, until the man's own fumblingly sought and held it close, to find
mute comfort in her warm clasp.

"Perhaps I understand better than you think the re