countenance--cruel-like, thet is ter say."

Here spoke the estimate of partisanship, but Saul straightened in his
chair and his eyes took on a sinister glitter.

"Thet's ther identical thing thet brought me hyar ter ther hills. I come
ter bear tidin's ter upstandin' men like you. We're goin' ter need ye,
an' onlessen we all acts tergether our rights air goin' ter be
everlastin'ly trompled in ther dust."

Gregory crumpled a handful of "natural leaf" and filled his pipe-bowl.
His gesture was as lazy and easy as that of a purring cat. "Oh, pshaw,
Saul," he deprecated, "I don't take no master interest in politics
nohow. I always votes ther Republican ticket because I was raised up ter
do thet--like most everybody else in these mountings."

"But I'm a'tellin' ye this time thet hain't agoin' ter be enough ter
do!" The visitor leaned forward and spoke with impassioned tenseness.
"I've been dwellin' down thar amongst rich folks in ther flat Bluegrass
country an' I _knows_ what I'm sayin'. Ther Democrat air es smart es
Satan's circuit-rider. Y'ars back he jammed a crooked law through ther
legislater jest a'lookin' forward ter this time an' day. Now he's cocked
an' primed ter steal ther office, like he stole ther nomination, an'
human freedom will be dead an' buried for all time in ther State of old
Kaintuck."

Into Gregory's eyes as he listened stole an awakening light of interest
and indignation. Up here among the eyries of eagles the threat of
tyranny is hateful beyond words, and its invocation is a conjure spell
of incitement. But at once Asa's face cleared to an amused smile as he
inquired, "How does he aim ter compass all thet deviltry--ef ther people
votes in ther other feller?"

The momentum of his own philippics had brought Saul Fulton to his feet.
Down there where one party had been split in twain and the other had
slipped all leash of decorum's restraint, he had been virulently
inoculated with the virus of hate, and now, since his memory was
tenacious, he swept, without crediting quotations, into a freshet of
argument that echoed every accusation and exaggerated every warning of
that merciless campaign.

For a half hour he talked, with the fiery volubility of a prophet
inciting fanatics to a holy war, while his simple audience listened,
yielding by subconscious stages to his bitter text. At last he came to
the point toward which he had been progressing.

"Down thar ther purse-proud Demmycrats calls us folks b