f a mule whip in his voice, and
silence again prevailed up there and fell upon the room below.

Again the householder paused and after that he decided to throw aside
futile pretence.

"Come on back in hyar, men," he gave curt order. "Thar hain't no need of
our askin' no man's lieve ter meet an' talk nohow."

Slowly and somewhat shamefacedly, if the truth must be told, the room
refilled itself and the men who trooped heavily back through the two
doors, or slid down the lowered ladder, came rifle and pistol armed.

Parish Thornton had no trouble in identifying, by the malevolence on one
face, the man who had pleaded for permission to kill him, but the last
to saunter in--and he still stood apart at the far threshold with an air
of casual detachment--was Bas Rowlett.

"Now," began Hump Doane in the overbearing tone of an inquisitor, "we
don't owe ye no explanations as ter which ner whether. We've gathered
tergether, as we hev full right ter do, because you Harpers seems hell
bent on forcin' warfare down our throats--an' we aims ter carcumvent
ye." He paused, and a murmur of general approbation gave force to his
announcement, then he added, "But hit's right p'intedly seemly fer _you_
ter give us a reason why ye comes oninvited ter my house--at sich a time
as this."

It was to old Jim Rowlett that Parish Thornton turned now, ignoring the
spokesman who had addressed him, and his voice was clear and even:

"When I come hyar from Virginny," he declared, "I didn't never seek no
leadership--an' ther Thorntons in gin'ral didn't never press me ter take
over none--but thar was men hyar thet wouldn't look on me in no other
guise, an them men war _you Doanes_."

"Us Doanes," broke out the red-eyed Opdyke, explosively, "what hev we
got ter do with yore feisty lot?"'

"Yes, you Doanes," Thornton shot back at him with a stiffening jaw.
"When ther Harpers didn't want me, and I didn't want them, _you_ men
plum fo'ced me on 'em by seekin' ter hold me accountable fer all thar
doin's. Ef I'm goin' ter be accountable, I'm likewise goin' ter be
accounted _to_! Now we've done got tergither over thar an' they've
despatched me hyar ter give ye our message an' take back yore answer."

"Thet is ter say," amended the firebrand with significant irony,
"providin' _we_ concludes ter let ye take back _any_ message _atall_."

Thornton did not turn his head but held with his eyes the faces of old
Jim and Hump Doane and it was still to them that