s--still alive," she added, resolutely, with a return of
self-control, "ther danger's done passed now. Hit would kill ye ter go
out in this storm, weak as ye be. Let's strive ter be patient."

Ten minutes later they heard a knock on the door and opened it to find a
man drenched with rain standing there, whose face anticipated their
questions.

"Me and old Caleb," he began, "was comin' home tergither ... we'd got es
fur as ther aidge of ther woods ..." he paused, then forced out the
words, "a limb blew down on him."

"Is he ... is he...?" The girl's question got no further, and the
messenger shook his head. "He's dead," came the simple reply. "The other
boys air fotchin' him in now."

CHAPTER XV

Into the grave near the house the rough pine coffin, which had been
knocked together by neighbour hands, was lowered by members of both
factions whose peace the dead man had impartially guarded.

No circuit-rider was available, but one or two godly men knelt there and
prayed and over the green valley, splendidly resurrected from the scorch
and thirst of the drought, floated untrained voices raised in the old
hymns.

Then as the crowd scattered along its several ways a handful of men
delayed their departure, and when the place had otherwise emptied itself
they led Cal Maggard to his front door where, without realization that
they were selecting a spot of special significance, they halted under
the nobly spread shade of the tree.

The walnut, with the blight of dry weeks thrown off, had freshened its
leafage into renewed vigour--and though its scar was fresh and raw, its
vital stalwartness was that of a veteran who has once more triumphed
over his wounding.

The few men who had remained were all Doanes, in clan affiliation if not
in name, and they stood as solemnly silent as they had been by the open
grave but with heads no longer uncovered and with a grimmer quality in
their sober eyes.

It was Hump Doane, the man with the twisted back, who broke the silence
as spokesman for the group, and his high, sharp voice carried the
rasping suggestion of a threat.

"Afore we went away from here," he said with a note of embarrassment,
"we 'lowed thet we hed need ter ask ye a few questions, Mr. Thornton."

"I'm hearkenin' ter ye," came the non-committal rejoinder, and the
hunchback went on:

"Ther man we've jest laid ter rest was ther leader of ther Harpers an'
ther Thorntons but over an' above thet he was ther frien