The Man Thou Gavest

ne left at last, but he was not aware of it, and then, just as the darkness outside cau

on the engineer come mighty nigh forgetting-he generally does at the en

. Yes: some one will meet me." Truedale did not r

u can come back with us after we load up with the wood. I live down the track five mil

fuel for the return trip and, dejectedly, Truedal

ttracted his attention and to his surprise he saw, not a dozen feet away, a tall lank man leaning against a tree in an attitude so adhesive that he might have been a fungus growth or s

o, fr

of the glowing pipe bowl, Trued

ing for J

ame through the dark

appen to

rte

-get me to

hat's what I

t on ahead; perhaps

you ride behind me on the mare

Truedale felt as if he were living a bit of anti-war romance as he jogged along behi

lose by the trail, the lights of a cabin shone c

!" Truedale was worn to

n dismounted and stood r

old Doc McPherson sends here

oaring fire of pine knots and cones. It was a fierce and furious fire but the night was sh

o the blaze; it was as steady as that of a statue! He had walked ten miles that day and felt exhilarated. Nigh

here, Jim?" he asked

onic he was often inwardly bursting with desire for

her people in this mountain

except in small doses. Why"-here Jim put the gun down upon the table-"five mile back, up on Lone Dome, is the Greyson's, and it ain't ni

le knew his man fairly well by that time; at least he thought he did. Again Jim took up his gun and Con thought l

Now old Doc McPherson was like a shadder when he headed this way-but he took longer gatherin', owin' to age an' natural defects o' build

volition his discourse flowed on until hunger or weariness overtook him.

hated ter take my eyes off yo' fearin' yo' might slip out, but Gawd!

This was a n

ected of bein' nigh, an' my duty as sheriff consarnin' him hittin' me in the face, I've studied it out that it will be a mighty reasonable trick fur

his chair abou

ere? You give me a mental cramp. Why, I thought you and I had these hills to ourselves; instead we're threatened on every side,

ks up here, though they don't knock elbows like what they do where you cum fro

he seething mass of humanity portrayed by White, as the one pr

aises the devil, then he just naturally floats off. But he nearly always comes back. Since the

had drawn near the fire. He ran his hand through his crisp, gray hair until it stood on end and gave him a peculiarly bristling appearance. He was about to enjoy hims

gan, "it's a plain sign of yo' gettin' on. I writ the same to old Doc McP

uredly. "Oh! I'm on the

ccounts fur the difference in his goin's-on; but once he's sober, he's quality-is Pete. Pete's got two darters-Marg an' Nella-Rose. Old Doc McPherson use' ter call 'em types, whatever that means. Marg is a type, sure and sartin, but Nella-Rose is a little no-count-that's what I say. But blame it all, it's Nella-Rose as has set the mountains goin', so far as I can see.

's delight; this was a dangerous state for White, he was like

barrin' her, he hangs to Marg so as ter be nigh Nella-Rose in any case. And right here Burke Lawson figgers. Burke's got two naturs, same as old Sat

at's the Second Coming?" h

xplained huffily. "Gawd, man! do your own t

. Well, go

ure. Jed meant to get Burke out o' the way so he could have a clear space to co't Nella-Rose, so he aimed to shoot one o' Burke's feet just enough to lay him up-Jed is the slow, calculatin' kind and an almighty sure shot. He reckoned Burke couldn't walk up Lone Dome with a sore foot, so he laid for him, meanin' afterward to say he was huntin' an' took Burke for a 'possum. Well, Burke got wind of the plot; I'm thinkin' Marg put a flea in his ear, anyway he set a trap just by the path

tle no-count; did she re

sheriff, will yo'? Knowing what I do, I can't jail either o' them chaps with a cl'ar conscience. Gawd! I'd like to

now,

r, moonlight evenin' with somethin' under her little, old shawl. 'Jim' she says-wheedlin' and coaxin'-'I want yo' to keep this here hen fo' me. I'll bring its keep, but I love it, and I can't see it-killed!' That gal don't never let tears fall-they jest wet her eyes and make 'em shine. With that she let loose the most owdacious white bantam and scattered some corn on the floor; then she sat down and laughed like an imp when the foo

ng; "the young brute! And th

she don't forget. I tell yo', young feller, bein' a sheriff in this settlement ain't no jo

hed himself, "yo' won't go

part of the way with y

o o' the

ly projected into a crowd with human problems smashing into each other for all they're worth. You ca

Doc McPherson's orders was agin perlite conversation. Get a

on was full and flooded the open space with a radiance which contrasted sha

nd Truedale started. He smiled grimly and thought of the little no-count and the tragedy of the white bantam. In the shining light around him he seem

Jim tapped on Truedale

' fur

doors and windows of his cabin after him, he joined White on the leaf-str

sociably. "I'll write to old D

will tha

ce I take ter the woods there ain't no sayin'. I'll fetch fodder when I cum,

ded, but with White unhobbled in the deep woods, how was he to fill the time? He determined to force himself to study. He had wedged one solid volume in his trunk, unknown to

t. He would get out the play and try to breathe life into it, now that he himself was living. Lynda had said, when last they had discussed his work, "It's beautiful, Con; you shall not belittle it. It is beautiful like a cold, stone thing with rough edges. Sometime you must smooth it and polish it, and then you must pray over it and believe in it, and I really think

n he stopped short. He was positive that he had closed windows and doors-the caution of the city still clung to him-but now both doors and

e rear of the cabin and to a low, sliding window through