ping itself on
his lips, but his eyes met those of his sister who rose from her place
against the wall as her name was spoken and he read in them a
contentment that gave him pause and an unspoken plea for silence.

Answering to the restraining hand of his own lawyer on his elbow he sank
back into his seat with a swimming head and heard the calm, almost
purring voice from the bench directing, "Mr. Clerk, let the order be
entered." After that, astonishment mounted to complete dumfounding as he
saw standing in the aisle Will Turk, the backbone and energy of the
entire prosecution--and heard his voice addressing the judge:

"May it please your Honour, I'd love ter be tuck on Sally Turk's bond
when ther time comes. I've done satisfied myself thet she kilt my
brother in self _dee_fence."

CHAPTER XXIX

Outside on the straggling streets clumps of perplexed men gathered to
mull over the seven days' wonder which had been enacted before their
eyes.

Slowly they watched the Kentuckians troop out of the court house, the
late prisoner in their midst, and marvelled to see Will Turk join them
with the handshaking of complete amity. Many of these onlookers
remembered the dark and glowing face with which Turk had said yesterday
of the man upon whom he was now smiling, "Penitenshery, hell! Hit's got
ter be ther gallows!"

Public amazement was augmented when Kenneth Thornton and his wife went
home with Will Turk and slept as guests under his roof.

"Ye needn't hev no fear erbout goin' on home, Ken, an' leavin' Sally
hyar," said Turk when he and Thornton sat over their pipes that night.
"I gives ye my hand thet she's goin' ter go free on bond an' when her
case is tried she'll come cl'ar."

Kenneth Thornton knew that he was listening to the truth, and as his
fingers, groping in his pocket for a match, touched the small
walnut-shell basket, he drew it out and looked at it. Then turning to
Dorothy, who sat across the hearth, he said seriously: "Ther luck piece
held hits charm, honey."

But an hour later, when Kenneth had gone out to see to his horse in the
barn and when Lindy was busied about some kitchen task, Will Turk rose
from his seat and standing before Dorothy began to speak in a
low-pitched and sober voice:

"Ye seems ter me like a woman a man kin talk sense ter," he said, "an'
I'm goin' ter tell ye somethin' either you or yore man ought ter know.
Ken hain't plum outen danger yit. He's got an enemy over thar in
K