s when he come thar," he said,
deliberately. "Some enemy laywayed him an' I saved his life ... but he
wedded ther gal I aimed ter marry ... an' then he tuck up false
suspicions ergin me outen jealousy ... so long es he lives over thar, I
kain't feel no true safety."

"Why hain't ye nuver dealt with him yoreself, then?" inquired Turk, and
the other shook his head with an indulgent smile.

"Things hain't always as simple es they looks," he responded. "Matters
air so shaped up, over thar in my neighbourhood, thet ef I had any fray
with him, hit would bring on a feud war. I'm bounden in good conscience
ter hold my hand, but I hain't got no sartainty he'll do ther like.
Howsomever----" Bas rose and took up his hat, "I writ ter ye because I
'lowed a man ought ter aid ther law ef so be he could. Es fer my own
perils, I hain't none terrified over 'em. I 'lowed I mout be able ter
holp ye, thet's all."

"I'm obleeged ter ye," said Turk again, "ye've already holped me in
givin' us ther word of his wh'arabouts. I reckon I don't need ter tax ye
no further. I don't believe he'll ever come back ter pester nobody in
Kaintuck ergin."

But both the Virginian and the Kentuckian had gathered more of meaning
than had been put into words, and the impression was strong on Turk that
the other wished to kill Parish in Virginia, if need be, because he
dared not kill him in Kentucky. In that he had only an academic interest
since he trusted his own agencies and plans, and some of them he had not
divulged to Rowlett.

As he rose to take leave of his new acquaintance he said abstractedly:

"I'll keep ye posted erbout ther trial when co'te sots so thet afore hit
eends up ye'll hev knowledge of what's happenin'--an' ef he _should_
chance ter come cla'r, ye'll know ahead of time when he's startin' back
home. A man likes ter kinderly keep tabs on a feller he mistrusts."

And that was all Bas needed to be told.

One day during Rowlett's absence Parish met young Pete Doane tramping
along the highway and drew him into conversation.

"Pete," he suggested, "I reckon ye appreciates ther fact thet yore
pappy's a mouty oncommon sort of man, don't ye?"

The young mountaineer nodded his head, wondering a little at what the
other was driving.

"Folks leans on him an' trusts him," went on Thornton, reflectively.
"Hit ought ter be a matter of pride with ye, Pete, ter kinderly foller
in his footsteps."

The son met the steady and searching gaze of his