sometimes he seemed to be on the point of going to him,
but he shrank inexplicably when the time for leaving came.

Isom started into the mill now without a word, as usual. Old Gabe
noticed that his feet were unsteady, and with quick remorse began to
question him.

"Kinder puny, hain't ye, Isom?"

"Well, I hain't feelin' much peert."

"Hit was mighty keerless," old Gabe said, with kindly reproach,
"swimmin' the crick atter a fresh."

"Hit wasn't the swimmin'," he protested, dropping weakly at the
threshold. "Hit was settin' out 'n the woods. I was in Hazlan t'other
night, Und' Gabe, to hear the new rider."

The miller looked around with quick interest. "I've been skeered afore
by riders a-tellin' 'bout the torments o' hell, but I never heerd
nothin' like his tellin' 'bout the Lord. He said the Lord was jes as
pore as anybody thar, and lived jes as rough; thet He made fences and
barns n' ox-yokes 'n' sech like, an' He couldn't write His own name when
He started out to save the worl'; an' when he come to the p'int whar His
enemies tuk hol' of Him, the rider jes crossed his fingers up over his
head 'n' axed us if we didn't know how it hurt to run a splinter into
a feller's hand when he's loggin' or a thorn into yer foot when ye're
goin' barefooted."

"Hit jes made me sick, Uncl' Gabe, hearin' him tell how they stretched
Him out on a cross o' wood, when He'd come down fer nothin' but to save
'em, 'n' stuck a spear big as a co'n-knife into His side, 'n' give Him
vinegar, 'n' let Him hang thar 'n' die, with His own mammy a-stand-in'
down on the groun' a-cryin' 'n' watchin' Him. Some folks thar never
heerd sech afore. The women was a-rockin', 'n' ole Granny Day axed right
out ef thet tuk place a long time ago; 'n' the rider said, 'Yes, a long
time ago, mos two thousand years.' Granny was a-cryin', Uncl' Gabe, 'n'
she said, sorter soft, 'Stranger, let's hope that hit hain't so'; 'n'
the rider says, But hit air so; n' He fergive em while they was doin'
it.' Thet's whut got me, Uncl' Gabe, 'n' when the woman got to singin',
somethin' kinder broke loose hyeh"--Isom passed his hand over his thin
chest--"'n' I couldn't git breath. I was mos' afeerd to ride home. I jes
layed at the mill studyin', till I thought my head would bust. I reckon
hit was the spent a-work-in me. Looks like I was mos' convicted, Uncl'
Gabe." His voice trembled and he stopped. "Crump was a-lyin'," he cried,
suddenly. "But hit's wuss, Und' Gabe; hit's w