and called on Hertford in
them furrin' parts and Hertford he gave to grandfather a mighty
precious bottle of stuff to bring back home to a big merchant down
Lynchburg way. What happened the Lord only knows, Sandy, but when the
merchant opened the bottle there wasn't nothing but water in it! No
one ever spoke out in grandfather's day--they dassent. He was a mighty
proud and upperty man, but a whisper and a nudge can do the work, and
little by little grandfather was pushed down and out. In my father's
time they spoke louder--they don' said how grandfather had sold the
precious stuff before he came back; Lord, Sandy, I leave it to you,
son, would he have come if he had done that low-down, mean trick?"

"No!" Sandy breathed the word like a hiss, and in the darkness and his
weakness he felt the poison of the lie stealing into his thought, but
he flung his head up proudly. "No! No!" he repeated clearly and
defiantly; "No!"

"But they-all never trusted none of us again."

Sandy recalled his first visit to the Walden back door and his courage
rose--they had learned to trust him even in Lost Hollow!

"Grandfather tried to rise up and failed. Father had his hope, but it
was killed; I strove, Sandy, I sho' did, God knows! but you see how it
has been with me. There's no use, son, we-all is damned!"

"I am--going to succeed!"

Sandy's voice struck through the gloom and stillness like a tangible
blow. Martin started and gave a nervous laugh.

"Come home!" he said; "come home and bring your money with you. It
will buy peace and pardon--them's better than any fool idees. And just
remember this, Sandy Morley, we-all may be dastards and hard drinkers
and what not, but we sho' don't desert women and children. They, down
there, belong to us, son, and I expect you and me belong to them!"

Martin rose hurriedly and dropped the whip in the underbrush.

"Come on home, son!"

But Sandy did not move.

"It's come with me or I go alone, Dad."

The child was master of the man!

"You mean it? You mean you dare to disobey--me?"

"I'm going to--take my chance, Dad, out among--folks!"

"You--will--obey--me!" But even as the words were spoken, Martin felt
how impotent they were.

"It's good-bye, Dad?"

It was good-bye. Both man and boy realized it. The night closed them
in and the protecting trees sheltered them for a moment more.

"You po' little lad! you mean it?"

"Yes, Dad. Will you come?"

Martin turned