"Don't let
him know that his son has married our daughter. He would think we was a
beggin'."

"Mrs. Starbuck," the Judge kindly spoke, "will you please retire until
we have concluded this examination?"

"Yes, suh, but let me tell you about him, Jedge. I was po' an' I didn't
have no home an' I was almost starvin' an' he married me, an'--you do
love me, don't you, Jasper?"

"Yes, now go on as the Jedge tells you. Go on an' it will be all right
an'--"

"You'll come too, won't you?"

"Yes, I'll be there putty soon. That's right, now, go on."

At the door she halted, and before going out, summed up all her
arguments--a pitiful courtesy.

"Mr. Starbuck," said the Judge, "I am told that in resisting arrest you
so badly injured a deputy that he is not able to be here to-day. I am
inclined in every way to favor you, but that, as you must know, is a
very serious charge."

"Jedge, that ain't true. I didn't resist arrest. Let me tell you about
that man Peters. I have had mo' than one cause to kill him in
se'f-defense, but I didn't want to do that. A man that has seed as much
blood as you an' me has, don't want to kill nobody if he kin help it.
Jedge, he is a hound. I had surrendered to the law and was standin' with
my hands up, an' he come a runnin' to kill me with a knife, an' I
smashed his infernal countenance. No, I didn't resist arrest."

Foster stepped forward. "Will your honor please permit me to speak a
word. I was in charge of the expedition and the old man tells the truth.
Deputy Peters did try to kill him."

"Captain," solemnly remarked the Judge, "issue an order for the arrest
of Deputy Peters, and my word for it, Mr. Starbuck, he shall be dealt
with severely. And now, old man, I may be exceeding my authority, but I
have not the heart to send you to prison. Promise me that if I permit
you to go home you will not--"

"Jedge, my granddaddy an' my daddy didn't have to make no sich promises
to the gover'ment they help to save."

The Judge walked up and down the room. "Captain, I haven't the heart to
send him to prison--I cannot. And Mr. Starbuck, if the marshal does not
see you, walk out."

"Judge," the marshal spoke up, turning his back, "my old eyes are so bad
I can't see anything."

Both men stood with their faces turned away. Jasper looked at them. Then
came Margaret's voice, calling, "Jasper, Jasper."

"I'm a comin' Margaret, I'm a comin'," and slowly he walked toward the
door. But at that moment th