"Afore God," he murmured, "I believes ye're a _man_!" Then after a pause he added: "But nobody don't know ye well enough--an' afore a man kin be trusted ter give orders he's got ter prove hisself." Parish Thornton laughed. "Prove yoreself, then, Aaron," he challenged, "ye talks erbout yore hunger ter avenge yore dead boys--albeit they fell in a pitch-battle an' ye don't know who deadened 'em--an' ther fire of thet wrath's been coolin' fer a full score of ya'rs. Why did ye let hit simmer so long?" "Because I was pledged ter peace an' I wasn't no truce-buster. I sought ter remain steadfast and bide my time." "All right. Then ef fresh war-farin' kin be carcumvented, ye still stands beholden by thet pledge, don't ye?" "Ef hit kin be, yes--but how kin hit be?" "Thet's what I aims ter show ye. Ye talks erbout yore grievance. Now listen ter mine. Ther bullit wound hyar in my shoulder hain't healed yit--an' thar hain't no hotter fire in hell then my own hate fer whoever caused hit. So when ye talks ter me about grievances, ye talks a language I kin onderstand without no lingster ter construe hit." He paused a moment, unconscious that his term for an interpreter was one that Englishmen had used in Chaucer's day, and, save here, not since a long-gone time. Then he swept on, and Sim Squires listening to this man whom for hire he had waylaid felt an unmanning creep of terror along his spine; a fear such as he had not felt for any human being before. The sweat on his face grew clammy, but with a mighty effort he held his features mask-like. "But atter you an' me hed evened our scores--what then? Air ye willin' ter burn down a dwellin' house over ther heads of them inside hit, jest ter scorch out a feisty dog that's done molested ye? Is thet leadin' men forwards--or jest backwards like a crawfish?" "Ye talks," said Aaron Capper, sharply, "like es if I'd stirred up an' provoked tribulation. Them fellers air a-plottin' tergither right now over at old Hump Doane's house--an' hell's broth air a-brewin' thar." The younger man's head came back with a snap. "Ye says they're holdin' a council over thar at Hump Doane's?" he demanded. "Yes--an' hit's a war conf'rence. I've hed men find thet out--they're right sim'lar ter a swarm of hornets." Parish Thornton took a step forward. "Will ther Harpers stand to what ther two of us agrees on tergither in full accord--an' leave cavillin' an' wranglin' amongst ourselves fer a more seemly time?" Aaron nodded his head. "So long as us two stands agreed we kin handle 'em, I reckon." The young man nodded his head in a gesture of swift decision. "All right then! I'm goin' over thar ter Hump Doane's house--an' reason with them hotheads. I'm goin' ter advocate peace as strong es any man kin--but I'm goin' ter tell 'em, too, thet ther Harpers kin give 'em unshirted hell ef they disdains peace. I'm goin' ter pledge ourselves ter holp diskiver an' penitenshery ther man thet shot at old Jim Rowlett. Does thet suit ye?"