nd his eyes flamed.

"No," he exclaimed in a voice that filled the room. "I'd be a damn
hypocrite ef I claimed thet. I swore thet night, whilst I lay thar, thet
thet man belonged ter me ter kill, an' I hain't altered thet resolve no
fashion, degree ner whipstitch. But thet's a thing thet's separate an'
apart from ther war...."

He paused, realizing the difficulty of making clear so complicated and
paradoxical a position, while an outburst of derisive laughter fell on
the pause as he reached his period. Then someone made ironic comment:
"Hit's all beginnin' ter come out now. Ye aims ter hev everybody else
fergive thar enemies an' lay down like lambs tergither--atter ye gits
teetotally done with yore own shootin' an avengin'."

But Hump Doane seized the hickory staff that leaned against old Jim's
chair and pounded with it on the table.

"Silence!" he roared; "suffer ther feller ter git through!"

"I don't aim ter bushwack ner layway nobody," went on Thornton,
obdurately. "Hit wouldn't content me ef I wasn't facin' my enemy when I
sottled with him--an' hit's a private business--but this other matter
te'ches everybody. Hit denotes y'ars of blood-spillin' an' murder--of
women an' children sufferin' fer causes thet hain't no wise th'ar fault
ner doin'."

The cripple still stood regarding the man by the hearth with a brow knit
in absorption, and so tense was his expression that it seemed to bind
the others to a brief, waiting silence until Hump himself slowly broke
the tension.

"I said I aimed ter give ye a chanst ter hev yore say out.... Hev ye got
fur enough ter let me ask ye a question?"

The nodded head of assent gave permission and Doane inquired briefly:

"Does I onderstand ye ter plead fer ther Harpers an' ther Doanes ter
'bide by ther old truce--an' yit ter seek ter stand free yore own self
an' kill yore own enemy?"

Old Jim Rowlett leaned forward gripping his staff head with eyes of
incredulity, and from the chest of the others sounded long-drawn
breaths, inarticulate yet eloquent of scorn and sneering repudiation.

But Parish Thornton retained the earnest and resolute poise with which
he had spoken before as he made his answer.

"I means thet I don't aim ter suffer no craven betrayal an' not hit
back. I means thet ther feller thet sought my murder is _my man ter
kill_, but I aims ter kill him in f'ar combat. Hit jest lays between him
an' me an' hit hain't no Harper-Doane affair, nohow."

Hump Doane s