"Have you visited the Clarks yet, George?" he asked after a pause. "Yes!" "And what did you find there?" "Discord," I answered. "So you know all about it, eh!" "You are a minister of God, Mr. Auld; you have influence with such a man as Andrew Clark. Surely you can move him from the damnable position he has taken up?" "I would to God I could," he said fervently. "For ten years, I have preached to him, scolded him, cajoled him, threatened him with hell-fire and ever-lasting torment; yes! I have even refused to dispense the sacrament to him unless he relented, but I might as well have expended my energies on The Ghoul Rock out there at the opening to the Bay." "But he professes to be a good Christian, Mr. Auld," I put in. "Yes! and no man on the coast tries to live a good life more than he does. I am sure, every moment of his life he deeply regrets the rash vow he made, but he believes, in the sight of God, he is doing right in keeping to it. He is obsessed. "Now, George,--what is there left for me to try?" "Physical force," I exclaimed angrily. "George,--" he said, almost horrified, "it is not for a minister of the gospel to think of violence." "Why not?" I went on. "Andrew Clark is slowly torturing his wife to death. Surely, if there ever was an occasion,--this is it! A few days' violence may save years of torture to both and, maybe, save his eternal soul besides." He sat in silence for a while, then he startled me. "Come, boy! You have a scheme in your head. Tell me what it is, and,--may God forgive me if I do wrong,--but, if it appeals to me as likely to move that old, living block of Aberdeen granite, or even to cause a few hours' joy to his dear, patient wife, Margaret, I'll carry it through if I can." I unfolded what had been in my mind. "What do you think of it?" I asked. He shook his head dubiously. "It is dangerous; it is violent; it is not what a minister is expected to do to any of his flock;--and it is only a chance that it will effect its purpose." "Where would you put him?" I asked, as if he had agreed. He smiled. "Oh!--there is the log cabin at the back of the farm, where he keeps nothing but an incubator. It has a heavy door and only a small window. "Man,--if we could inveigle him in there!" The Rev. William Auld positively chuckled as he thought of it. I knew then that he was not so very far away from his schoolboy days, despite his age and experiences. "When can we start in?" He thought a little. "The sooner the better," he said. "Joe is busy towing booms this week and there is no possible chance of his coming home. I am not too busy and can spare the part of three or four consecutive days for the job. "If we can only get Margaret and Rita to agree." "I can guarantee Rita," I said. "And I can coerce Margaret," he put in. "We'll arrange with the women folks to-morrow sometime, and we'll tackle poor old Andrew the following afternoon."