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"Bije turns up here, and you all scatter like a flock of crows. I'm tired of makin' complaints about that Brampton road, and to-day the hull side of it give way, and put me in the ditch. Sure as the sun rises to-morrow, I'm goin' to make trouble for Jethro." "What be you a-goin' to do, Lem?" "Indict the town," replied Lem, vigorously. "Who is the town? Jethro, hain't he?
"I ain't mistaken. Why, look here, Mr. Graves! There was a time when I'd have got down on my knees and crawled from here to New York to help 'Bije Warren. I lent him money to start in business. Later on him and I went into partnership together on a a fool South American speculation that didn't pan out for nothin'. I didn't care for that.
Every time they banged she says that 'Bije, his nerves bein' on edge the way they are, would pretty nigh jump the quilts up to the ceilin' and himself along with 'em. And his remarks got more lit up every jump. About five o'clock when somebody came poundin' he let out a roar you could hear a mile.
"H-how much did you git for your wool, Chester h-how much?" "Guess you hain't here to talk about wool, Bije," said Chester, red with anger. "Kind of neglectin' the farm lately, I hear," observed Bijah. "Jethro Bass sent you up to find out how much I was neglectin' it," retorted Chester, throwing all caution to the winds. "Thinkin' of upsettin' Jethro, be you?
"They say Nat never paid the least attention, no more'n if the chunk of wood had been a June bug buzzin' past. He just held that wheel hard down and that saved the packet. She come around and put her nose dead in the wind just in time. As 'twas, 'Bije says there was a second when the water by her lee rail looked right underneath him as he hung onto the deck with finger nails and teeth.
That was what first aroused our suspicions. Now, Captain Warren, do you understand?" Captain Elisha did not understand, that was evident. His look of wondering amazement traveled from one face to the others about the table. "A note!" he repeated. "'Bije put his note in the safe? A note promisin' to pay all he'd stole! And left it there where it could be found?
Guess the fight hain't as hot as we hear about. Jethro hain't had to call out his best men." "I'm a-goin' down if there's trouble," declared Jake, who consistently ignored banter. "Better git up and git," said Lem; "there's three out of the five railroads against Truro, and Steve Merrill layin' low. Bije Bixby's down there, and Heth Sutton, and Abner Parkinson, and all the big bugs.
"What did he say, Daddy?" asked Cynthia, as Wetherell stood staring after the flitting buggy in bewilderment. "I haven't the faintest idea, Cynthia," answered her father, and they walked on. "Don't you know who 'Bije' is? "No," said her father, "and I don't care."
"I sent 'em to 'Bije's because he was as far off as anybody I could think of. Pretty good idea, wasn't it?" The captain grinned. "Great!" he declared. "Fine! Wonderful! You wait till 'Bije comes to tell you how fine 'twas. He's in bed, laid up with neuralgia, and Emma J., his wife, says that every hour or less yesterday there was somebody bangin' at their door asking about you.
Now, Captain Warren, just how much do you know about your late brother's affairs?" "Except what Mr. Graves told me, nothin' of importance. And, afore we go any further, let me ask a question. Do you know why 'Bije made me his executor and guardian and all the rest of it?" "I do not. Graves drew his will, and so, of course, we knew of your existence and your appointment.
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