"I've been a-stayin' down in Hepzibah," she observed abruptly. "My man, he's about to be out of the pen, and him and Flent Hands had dealings that--well, that's what Charlie was sent up for." "Your man?" echoed Callista; and Lance smiled as she had not seen him for long. "Yes, Charlie Massengale, my man," Ola repeated. "Heap o' folks around here didn't know I had one. We was wedded in the Territory when I was fo'teen, and he got into trouble in the Settlement--this here trouble that Flent was mixed up in--and Pappy 'lowed that as long as 'yo' old man was in the pen you better not name anything about him.'" She was smoothing the baby's garments, making ready, with evident reluctance, to surrender him to them. Ajax the Second shouted inarticulately at his mother, but kept a fairly apprehensive eye upon the man who rode beside her. "Well, young feller," said Ola finally, lifting the baby and holding him toward his parents, "I [392] reckon I've got to give you up, jest like I had to give up yo' pappy afore ye." She laughed a little hardily, and looked with a sort of dubious defiance at Callista, who paid no attention, but pushed her mule close in beside Cindy. "They say that Flenton Hands is--is--Did you go to Flenton's funeral, Ola?" asked Callista fearfully, as the women negotiated the exchange of the baby. Ola laughed again, and more loudly. "I say funeral!" she exclaimed. "Flenton Hands has got a powerful lot more davilment to do in this world before they put him un'neath the ground. I--Pappy--they--well, you know I was down there when this all happened, and somehow, I thest got the notion in my head that Flent wasn't so mighty awful bad hurt; and when I heared how Beason was a-carryin' on, I went to their house to see Flent. I named to him that Charlie's time was 'bout to be up an' he'd be out, and that what Charlie had stood for him was a plenty. I axed him didn't he want to send a writin' up to Beason and stop this foolishness up here on Turkey Track, and after I'd talked to him for a little spell he 'lowed he did." Callista, hearkening in silence, caught the child in so strained a grasp that he made a little outcry, half scared, half offended. Ola pulled from the bosom of her dress a letter which she flung over to [393] Lance with the uncouth yet generous gesture of a savage. "'Course Flent could hang on and make you a little trouble--but he ain't a-goin' to," she said sturdily. "I reckon he's called off his dogs in that writin'. Hit's to Dan Beason." With the words she wheeled her horse and would have gone, but Callista, at the imminent risk of dropping Ajax, caught at Cindy's bridle rein. "I've got a heap to thank you for, Ola Derf," she said in a voice shaken with deep feeling. "You ain't got a thing in the world to thank me for, Callista Gentry," declared the little brown girl, and drew her black brows at Lance's wife. But Callista's whole nature melted into grateful love.