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At the bend where the trail crossed the shallow creek, and a stray razor-back wallowed at the roadside, Maggard saw a figure leaning indolently against the fence. "I suspicioned ye'd be right likely ter happen along erbout this time," enlightened Bas Rowlett as he waved his hand in greeting. "So I 'lowed I'd tarry an' santer along with ye."
"I made a soon start this mornin'," he enlightened: "ter git me some gryste ground, an' I didn't eat me no vittles save only a few peanuts. I'm sich a fool 'bout them things thet most folks round hyar calls me by ther name of 'Peanuts." "I reckon I kin convenience ye with some sort of snack," Maggard assured him. "Ef so be ye're hungry an' kin enjoy what I've got."
It was colour that changed and grew in splendour with ash of rose and purpled cloud border and glowing orange streamer. Against those fires the great tree stood with druid dignity, keeping vigil over the roof it sheltered. At length Maggard heard a rustle and turned his head to see the girl standing in the doorway.
As anxiously as Dorothy followed the rise and fall in the tide of her lover's strength it is doubtful if her anxiety was keener than that of Bas Rowlett, who began to feel that he had been cheated. Unless something unforeseen altered the trend of his improvement, Cal Maggard would recover.
"An' ye give one name when ye come an' tuck another atter ye'd been hyar a while, air thet true likewise?" Maggard stiffened but he bowed his head in assent. "All right, then I reckon ye kin see fer yorself thet ef we've got ter trust our business in yore hands tor'ds keepin' ther truce, we've jedgmatically got ter confidence ye.
Eyes, both shrewd and determined, gave the impression of missing nothing, but his voice was pleasant as he introduced himself. "My name's Bas Rowlett, an' I reckon you're Cal Maggard, hain't ye? I've done heered ye 'lowed ter dwell amongst us." Maggard nodded.
The miscreant's thoughts were in a vortex of doubt, fear, and perplexity but perhaps Maggard suspected "Peanuts" Causey, and Rowlett went on with an admirable bit of acting. "Name him ter me, Cal," he tensely demanded. "He shot at both of us. He's my man ter kill!"
Caleb Harper hain't long fer this life an' who's goin' ter take up his leadership onless hit be you?" Aaron laughed, but there was a grim complaisance in the tone that argued secret receptiveness for the idea. "'Peared like hit war give out ter us terday thet this hyar young stranger war denoted ter heir thet job." "Cal Maggard!"
"I hain't no damn fool, Sim," he reassured. "Thar don't nobody but jest me an' you know thet ye shot Cal Maggard but ye war sich a damn disable feller on ther job thet rightly I ought ter tell yore name ter ther circuit-rider." "What fer?" growled the hireling, sulkily, and the master laughed.
Then as Maggard lay insensible in the mud, Bas squatted on his heels beside him and wiped the sweat drench from his face with his shirt-sleeve. It was with unsteady eyes that he watched a lantern crawling toward him: eyes to which it seemed to weave the tortuous course of a purposeless glow-worm.
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