at he passed with colors flying.

But the school task done, he turned down the old leaf, pasting it firmly
in place. Telegraphing his father to meet him, on the morning of the
third day following, at the station in South Tredegar, he allowed
himself a few hours for a run up the North Shore and a conference with
the Michigan iron king; after which he turned his face southward and was
soon speeding to the battle-field through a land by this time shaking to
its industrial foundations in the throes of the panic earthquake.

XIX

ISSACHAR

In accordance with Tom's telegram, Caleb Gordon met his son at the
station in South Tredegar, and they went together to breakfast in one of
the dining-rooms of the Marlboro. Tom's heart burned within him when he
saw how the late stress of things had aged his father, and for the first
time in his life he opened a vengeance account: if the Farleys ever came
back there should be reckoning for more than the looting of Chiawassee
Consolidated. But this was only the primitive under-thought. Uppermost
at the moment was the joy of the young soldier arrived, fit and
vigorous, on his maiden battle-field.

"You don't know how good it seems to get back home again, pappy," he
said, over the bacon and eggs. "I've been grinding pretty hard this
year, and now it's over, I feel as if I could whip my weight in
wildcats, as Japheth used to say. By the way, how is Japheth?"

Caleb Gordon smiled in spite of the corroding industrial anxieties.

"Japheth's going to surprise you some, I reckon, son; he's gone and got
religion."

Tom put down his knife and fork.

"Why, the old sinner!" he laughed. "How did that happen?"

"Oh, just about the way it always does," said Caleb slowly. "The spirit
moved your Uncle Silas to come out to Little Zoar and hold a protracted
meetin', and Japhe joined the mourners and was gathered into the fold."

"Pshaw!" said Tom, in good-natured incredulity. "Why, the very meat and
marrow of his existence is his horse-trading; and who could swap horses
and tell the truth at the same time?"

"I don't know," was the doubtful reply. "But Brother Japheth allows
that's about what he aims to do. It's sort o' curious the way it works
out, too. About a week after the baptizin', Jim Bledsoe came down from
Pine Knob with a horse to swap. 'Long about sundown he met up with
Japhe, and struck him for a trade on a piebald that the Major wouldn't
let run in the same lot with the Deer