grind me ter no powder."

He paused, and the girl had moved forward until she stood at his side
with her outstretched hand resting against the bark of the old tree in a
reverent touch of caress. She ignored the others and spoke to her
husband.

"Back thar in ther beginnin's, Cal," she said, clinging to the name by
which she had first known him, "our foreparents planted this tree--an'
founded this country--an' held hit erginst ther Injuns. They was leaders
then--afore any man hed ever heered of Cappers an' Squireses an' ther
like. I reckon ef men needs a leader now, hit runs in yore blood ter be
one ... but a leader fer betterment--an' one thet gives orders 'stid of
takin' 'em."

She turned then, and with her chin regally high, she left them, and a
brief silence held after her going.

"I reckon I couldn't hardly hev said hit thet well, myself," announced
Parish Thornton, quietly, "but yit hit erbout sums up my answer ter ye."

"Whatever ye says from now on, erbout takin' me er leavin' me, ther
_enemy's_ done picked me out es ther head man of ther Harpers--an' what
they'd love best would be ter see ye all cavillin' amongst yoreselves.
Caleb Harper picked me out, too. Now I aims ter stand by his
choosin'--an' I aims ter be heeded when I talks."

Aaron and Parish stood eye to eye, searching and measuring each other
with gazes that sought to penetrate the surface of words and reach the
core of character. The older man, angry, and insulted though he felt
himself, began to realize about his heart the glow of that unwilling
admiration which comes of compulsion in the presence of human mastery
and pays tribute to inherent power. The quiet assurance of this
self-announced chieftain carried conviction that made argument idle--and
above all else the Thorntons needed an unchallengeable leader.

"Afore God," he murmured, "I believes ye're a _man_!" Then after a pause
he added: "But nobody don't know ye well enough--an' afore a man kin be
trusted ter give orders he's got ter prove hisself."

Parish Thornton laughed.

"Prove yoreself, then, Aaron," he challenged, "ye talks erbout yore
hunger ter avenge yore dead boys--albeit they fell in a pitch-battle an'
ye don't know who deadened 'em--an' ther fire of thet wrath's been
coolin' fer a full score of ya'rs. Why did ye let hit simmer so long?"

"Because I was pledged ter peace an' I wasn't no truce-buster. I sought
ter remain steadfast and bide my time."

"All right. Then ef