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lend a han'. If a man had any heart he nachelly wouldn't be a banker."

"Naw, of course not."

"He'd go broke if he did."

"Nachelly."

"You kain't blame Perry for cuttin' Railroad Jones's th'oat if he can an' when he can."

"No, of course not."

"Railroad would his, I guess."

"Nachelly."

The two hillmen stood a moment staring at the windows of the jail after this exposition of finance as it was known to them.

"By the way, Abner," said Zed, gravely in one of those flares of intimacy which come at such moments as this, "when you see how your lan' claims air workin' out an' air certain to disaccommodate Perry Northcutt like they air shore to do, can you blame Perry for gittin' you flogged an' tryin to run you out o' the county? After all, Ab, a man's got to look after his investments the best he can."

"Shore, I'd thought of that. I guess it whets him the wrong way that the boys didn't hang me."

"'Magine so. After all, a man plays his han' fer what it's wuth."

"Nachelly. I've 'bout quit bearin' him any grudge."

After another moment Abner nodded at the room again.

"Him, was it losin' his money that made him?"

"I reckon so."

"It was Perry pinchin' Railroad that made Railroad pinch him?"

"Oh, I guess he'd uh pinched him anyway," suggested Mr. Parrum generously. "By the way, Abner, had you heard that Tug Beavers is a-preachin' now?"

"The hell he is!"

At this moment a voice from the sick room called out Zed's name.

"Want anything?" inquired the teamster.