or does ye aim ter fight goin' back? Hit's jest a
matter of time either way--but ye've got the privilege of choosin'."

The man he had come after was carefully folding the warrant of arrest
along its folded lines as though it were important to preserve the exact
creasing of the paper.

"Does I keep this hyar thing, Jake," he asked, "or give hit back to ye?"

"Keep hit," replied the sheriff, with an equal gravity. "Hit b'longs ter
_you_."

There was a brief silence after that then Thornton said:

"This is a right grave matter ter me, Jake. Afore I decides what ter do
I've got ter hev speech with some of my neighbours."

The foreign official inclined his head.

"I hain't drapped no hint ter no man es ter what business brought me
hyar," he volunteered. "I 'lowed ter talk with ye in private fust. I
knows full well I'm amongst yore friends over hyar--an' I've got ter
trust myself in yore hands. This hain't no welcome task, Ken, any way ye
looks at hit."

"I gives ye my hand, Jake," the accused reassured his accuser, "no harm
hain't goin' ter come ter ye. Come on indoors and sot ye a cheer."

Parish Thornton stood under the black walnut again that afternoon and
with his jackknife he was carving a small basket out of one of the
walnuts that had fallen at his feet. About him stood a group including
the custodian of "the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Virginia"
and the man who held like responsibility for the state of Kentucky.

Between the two, unexpressed but felt, lay the veiled hostility that had
grown up through generations of "crossing the border" to hide out; the
hostility of conflicting jurisdictions.

Hump Doane and Jim Rowlett were there, and Aaron Capper and Lincoln
Thornton--a handful who could speak with the voice of public opinion
thereabouts, and while he carved industriously at his watch-charm
basket, Parish Thornton glanced at the cripple.

"Mr. Doane," he said, "once, standin' on this identical spot, ye asked
me a question thet I refused ter answer. This man hes come over hyar,
now, ter answer hit fer me. Jake, tell these folks what brought ye
hither."

The sheriff cleared his throat and by way of preface remarked: "I didn't
come of my own choosin', gentlemen. Ther state of Virginny accuses
Parish Thornton of ther wilful murder of John Turk. I'm high-sheriff
over in Lee County whar hit tuck place."

A grave restraint prevented any expression of surprise, but all the eyes
were turned