"Caleb an' me," he said at last, "we didn't never succeed without we put by what we asked others ter forego. Yore wife's father was kilt most foully--an' Caleb looked over hit. My own boy fell in like fashion, an' my blood wasn't no tamer then thet in other veins--but yit I held my hand. Ye comes ter us now, frettin' under ther sting of a wrong done ter ye--an' I don't say yore wrath hain't righteous, but ye've done been vouchsafed sich a chanst as God don't proffer ter many, an' God calls fer sacrifices from them elected ter sarve him." He paused there for a moment and passed his knotted hand over the parchment-like skin of his gaunt temples, then he went on: "Isaac offered up Jacob--or leastways he stud ready ter do hit. Ye calls on us ter trust ye an' stand with ye, an' we calls on _you_ in turn fer a pledge of faith. Fer God's sake, boy, be big enough ter bide yore time twell ther Harpers an' Doanes hev done come outen this distemper of passion. I tells ye ye kain't do no less an' hold yore self-esteem." He paused, then came forward with his old hand extended and trembling in a palsy of eagerness, and despite the turmoil of a few minutes before, such a taut silence prevailed that the asthmatic rustiness of the old man's breath was an audible wheezing through the room. The young messenger had only to lift his hand then and grasp that outheld one--and peace would have been established--yet his one free arm seemed to him more difficult to lift in a gesture of compliance than that which was bandaged down. His own voice broke and he answered with difficulty: "Give me a leetle spell ter ponder--I kain't answer ye off-hand." Thornton's eyes went over, and in the lighted doorway fell upon Bas Rowlett sitting with his features schooled to a masked and unctuous hypocrisy, but back of that disguise the wounded man fancied he could read the satisfaction of one whose plans march toward success. His own teeth clicked together and the sweat started on his temples. He had to look away--or forget every consideration other than his own sense of outrage and the oath he had sworn to avenge it. But the features of old Jim were like the solace of a reef-light in a tempest; old Jim whose son had fallen and who had forgiven without weakness. If what Parish knew to be duty prevailed over the passionate tide that ran high in temptation, what then? Would he live to serve as shepherd when his undertaking under the private compact had been waived and the other man stood free to indulge his perfidy? Finally he laid his hand on the shoulder of the veteran. "Mr. Rowlett," he declared, steadily, "I've got ter ask ye ter give me full twenty-four hours afore I kin answer ye fer sartain. Will yore men agree ter hold matters es they stands twell this time termorrer?" Jim Rowlett glanced at Hump Doane and the cripple nodded an energetic affirmation. He was hard to convince but when convinced he was done with doubt.