"Peace, Elijah! You speak against the law."

In spite of himself, the glance of Elijah turned slowly and sullenly
until it rested upon Ruth Manning. David followed the direction of that
look and he understood. There stood the living evidence that he had
broken the law of the Garden at least once. He flushed darkly.

"The colt's gone," said Connor in a savagely-controlled murmur to the
girl. "That devil has made up his mind. His pride is up now!"

Elijah, too, seemed to realize that he had thrown away his last chance.

He could only stretch out his hands with the tears streaming down his
wrinkled face and repeat in his broken voice: "Mercy, David, mercy for
Timeh and Juri and Elijah!"

But the face of David was iron.

"Look at Juri," he commanded. "She is flawless, strong, sound of hoof
and heart and limb. And that is because her sire and her mother before
her were well seen to. No narrow forehead has ever been allowed to come
into the breed of the Eden Grays. I have heard Paul condemn a colt
because the very ears were too long and flabby and the carriage of the
horse dull. The weak and the faulty have been gelded and sent from the
Garden or else killed. And therefore Juri to-day is stout and noble, and
Glani has a spirit of fire. It is not easy to do. But if I find a sin in
my own nature, do I not tear it out at a price of pain? And shall I
spare a colt when I do not spare myself? A law is a law and a fault is a
fault. Timeh must die!"

The extended arms of Elijah fell. Connor felt Ruth surge forward from
beside him, but he checked her strongly.

"No use!" he said. "You could change a very devil more easily than you
can change David now! He's too proud to change his mind."

"Oh," sobbed the girl softly, "I hate him! I hate him!"

"Let Timeh live until the morning," said David in the same calm voice.
"Let Juri be spared this night of grief and uneasiness. If it is done in
the morning she will be less anxious until the dark comes, and by that
time the edge of her sorrow shall be dulled."

"Whose hand," asked Elijah faintly--"whose hand must strike the blow?"

"Yesterday," said David, "you spoke to me a great deal of the laws of
the Garden and their breaking. Do you not know that law which says that
he from whose household the faulty mare foal has come must destroy it?
You know that law. Then let it not be said that Elijah, who so loves the
law, has shirked his lawful burden!"

At this final blow poor Eli