He paused, and at the mention of the walnut Dorothy clutched her hands to her breast and caught her breath, but the man went on: "Ye hain't no native-born man hyar, Thornton, albeit ye've done sought ter run ther country like some old-time king or lord beyond ther water.... Ye hain't nuthin' but a trespassin' furriner, nohow--an' we don't love no tyrant. This roof-tree hain't yourn by no better right then ther nest thet ther cuckoo steals from ther bird thet built hit...." Again he paused, then, added with a sneer: "We don't even grant ye ownership of thet old walnuck tree--but we aims ter loan hit ter ye long enough ter hang on." He halted and looked about the place, then with cheap theatricism demanded: "Who accuses this man? Let him stand ter ther front." Three or four dark figures moved unhurriedly toward the centre of the circle, but one who had not been rehearsed in his part stepped with a more eager haste to the fore, and that one was Bas Rowlett. "I don't know es I've rightly got no license ter speak up--amongst men that I kain't _ree_cognize," he made hypocritical declaration, "but yit, I kain't hardly hold my peace, because ye come in good season fer me--an' saved my life." After a momentary pause, as if waiting for permission to be heard, he went on: "This man thet I saved from death one time when somebody sought ter kill him laywayed me an hour or so back, an' atter he'd done disarmed an' maltreated me, he fotched me home hyar ter insult me some more in front of his woman--afore he kilt me in cold blood.... He done them things because I wouldn't censure an' disgust you men thet calls yoreself ther riders." Parish Thornton smiled derisively as he listened to that indictment, then he capped it with an ironic amendment. "We all knows ye're ther true leader of this murder-gang, Bas--ye don't need ter be bashful erbout speakin' out yore mind ter yore own slaves." Rowlett wheeled, his swarthy face burning to its high cheekbones with a flush that spread and dyed his bull-like neck. "All right, then," he barked out, at last casting aside all subterfuge. "Ef they h'arkens ter what I says I'll tell 'em ter string ye up, hyar an' now, ter thet thar same tree you an' yore woman sots sich store by! I'll tell 'em ter teach Virginny meddlers what hit costs ter come trespassin' in Kaintuck." He was breathing thickly with the excited reaction from his recent terror and despair. "Men," he bellowed, almost jubilantly, "don't waste no time--ther gallows tree stands ready. Hit's right thar by ther front porch." Dorothy had listened in a stunned silence. Her face was parchment-pale but she was hardly able yet to grasp the sudden turn of events to irremediable tragedy.