Then as the crowd scattered along its several ways a handful of men delayed their departure, and when the place had otherwise emptied itself they led Cal Maggard to his front door where, without realization that they were selecting a spot of special significance, they halted under the nobly spread shade of the tree. The walnut, with the blight of dry weeks thrown off, had freshened its leafage into renewed vigour--and though its scar was fresh and raw, its vital stalwartness was that of a veteran who has once more triumphed over his wounding. The few men who had remained were all Doanes, in clan affiliation if not in name, and they stood as solemnly silent as they had been by the open grave but with heads no longer uncovered and with a grimmer quality in their sober eyes. It was Hump Doane, the man with the twisted back, who broke the silence as spokesman for the group, and his high, sharp voice carried the rasping suggestion of a threat. "Afore we went away from here," he said with a note of embarrassment, "we 'lowed thet we hed need ter ask ye a few questions, Mr. Thornton." "I'm hearkenin' ter ye," came the non-committal rejoinder, and the hunchback went on: "Ther man we've jest laid ter rest was ther leader of ther Harpers an' ther Thorntons but over an' above thet he was ther friend of every man thet loved peace-abidin' and human betterment." That tribute Cal acknowledged with a grave inclination of his head, but no word. "So long as he lived ther truce thet he'd done made endured. Now thet he's dead hit would be a right distressful thing ef hit collapsed." Maggard's candid eyes engaged those of the others in level glance as he inquired, "Is thar any self-respectin' man thet feels contrariwise, Mr. Doane?" "Thet's what we seeks ter find out. With Caleb dead an' gone, no man kin handily foretell what ther Thorntons aims ter do--an' without we knows we kain't breathe free." "Why does ye come ter me?" "Because folks tells hit thet ther old man named ye ter stand in his stead--an' ef ye does thet we hev need ter put some questions up ter ye." "I hain't said I sought no leadership--but speak right out fer yoreselves," invited Maggard. "All right. We knows thet ye come hyar from _somewhars_ else--an' we don't know whar from. Because ye're old Caleb's heir, what ye does an' what ye says gets ter be mighty pithy an' pertinent ter us." "I've done come ter kinderly reelize that, myself, hyar of late." "Ye comes from Virginny, folks says; air thet true?" "Thet's true." "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.