tle whirlwinds. Their counterfeit of cheer and factitious courage
stood nakedly exposed to both of them, and the man's smile faded as
though it were too flippant for such a moment.

Dorothy caught his hand suddenly in hers and led him back into the yard
where the roots of the tree spread like star points which had their ends
under the soil and deep in the rock of which those mountains were built.

"Kneel down, Cal," she whispered, chokingly, and when they had dropped
side by side to postures of prayer, her voice came back to her.

"Lord God of Heaven an' y'arth," trembled the words on her bloodless
lips, "he hain't goin' so fur away but what Yore power still goes with
him ... keep him safe. Good Lord ... an' send him back ter me ergin ...
watch over him thar amongst his enemies ... Amen."

They rose after their prayer, and stood for a little while with their
hearts beating close in a final embrace, then Dorothy took out of her
apron pocket a small object and handed it to him.

"I nigh fergot ter give hit ter ye," she said, "mebby hit'll prove a
lucky piece over thar, Cal."

It was the small basket which he had carved with such neat and cunning
workmanship from the hard shell of a black walnut ... a trinket for a
countryman's watch chain--and intrinsically worthless.

"Hit's almost like takin' ther old tree along with ye," she faltered
with a forced note of cheer, "an' ther old tree hain't nuver failed us
yit."

Joe Bratton and his prisoner rode with little speech between them until
they came to those creek bottom roads that crossed at Jake Crabbott's
store, and there they found awaiting them, like a squad of cavalry,
some eight or ten men who sat with rifles across the bows of their
saddles.

Aaron Capper and Hump Doane were there in the van, and they rode as an
escort of friends.

When their long journey over ridge and forest, through gorge and defile,
came to its end at the border, the waiting deputation from Virginia
recognized what it was intended to recognize. East of the state line
this man might travel under strict surveillance, but thus far he had
come with a guard of honour--and that guard could, and would, come
further if the need arose.

CHAPTER XXVII

Parish Thornton had used all his persuasion to prevent Dorothy's going
with him to Virginia. He had argued that the solace of feeling her
presence in the courtroom would hardly compensate for the unnerving
effect of knowing that the batte