comin' back, she pined away an'
died--an' when I come home a bleedin', there was a grave under the tree
where we had seed her a standin' jest befo' we went down beyant the
hill. I--"

"Mr. Starbuck--"

"Wait a minit, Jedge, I ain't through yit. What did I know how to do
when I got back to work? What had my grandaddy an' my daddy done? I went
to raisin' of my co'n an' a makin' of my licker, an' still the
gover'ment never said a word. But atter a while I hearn it was ag'in the
law, an' I says, 'me an' all my folks have been a sheddin' of our blood
for our country, an' some of them fellers that makes the laws never done
that.' But I stopped sellin' the licker. I made it whenever I wanted to,
somehow jest for a old time's sake, an' I sent it to sick folks--sent
some of it to our ripresentative in Congress, right into the heart of
the gover'ment an' not a word was said."

"Old man--"

"I ain't quite through yit, Jedge. The neighbors knowd that I made
licker when I wanted to an' they never said nuthin', but lately a
scoundrel took it into his head to give me trouble. Fust he wanted to
marry my daughter an' then he threatened that unless I'd give him a
thousand dollars--but, Jedge, I'd seen him in hell fust!"

"You must not use such language, Mr. Starbuck. You are before the law."

"Excuse me, suh, excuse me. Wall, an' they brought me down here, an'
here I am. That's all, Jedge."

The Judge arose. "Old man, you are a patriot, from a race of patriots,
and in my heart, I can hardly--"

There came a rap at the door. Foster opened it and Margaret rushed into
the room.

"Jasper!" she cried, running to him.

He put his arm about her. "Margaret, how did you get away down here?"

"Mr. Starbuck," the Judge began, but with a pleading gesture the old man
cut him off. "Please don't say nothin' mo' while she's in here."

[Illustration: "JEDGE, FOR THE LORD'S SAKE DON'T HANG HIM"]

"I come a ridin' an' a walkin' the best I could," Margaret moaned,
looking about, "an' Jasper, I watered the flowers down there under the
tree befo' I come, because I knowd it would please you. An' if they hang
you, they've got to hang me, too. Jedge, there ain't no better man than
he is, an' for the Lord's sake don't hang him." She sank upon her knees;
but Jasper quickly lifted her to her feet. "There, you must never do
that."

"Madam," said the marshal, "Judge Elliott wouldn't--"

"Jedge Elliott!" she gasped, and Jasper whispered in her ear: