“That’s the way he’s going to look as he gets older,” thought Annie with a touch of prescience.  “He’s going to change into somebody else—­little by little.  This is the worst spell he’s ever had.  And all this mean blood’s going to live again in my child.  It goes on and on and on.”

She leaned against the porch seat and struggled against the sickness of it.

“I might stand it for myself,” she thought.  “I might stand it for myself; but I’m not going to stand it for my baby.  I’ll do something—­I’ll take him away.”

Her thoughts ran on hysterically, round and round in a coil that had no end and no beginning.

The silent fit was on Wes now.  Presently, she knew, he would get up and stalk away to bed without a word.  And in the morning——­

It was as she expected.  Without a word to her he got up and went inside, and she heard him going up the stairs.  She sat then a little longer, for the night was still and warm and beautiful, the stars very near, and the soft hush-h of the country solitude comforting to her distress.

Then she heard Unc’ Zenas and Dolcey talking at the kitchen door, their voices a faint cadenced murmur; and this reminded her that she was not quite alone.  She slipped round to them.

“Unc’ Zenas, Wes says he’s not going to cut the wheat; he’ll let it rot in the fields.  Seems Harrison won’t send his thresher up this far; wants us to haul to him instead.”

“Marse Wes say he ain’ gwine cut dat good wheat?  Oh, no Miss Annie, he cain’ mean dat, sholy, sholy!”

“He said it.  He’s got an awful spell this time.  Unc’ Zenas—­look—­couldn’t you ride the reaper if he wouldn’t?  Couldn’t you?  Once the wheat gets cut there’s some chance.”

“Befo’ my God, Miss Annie, wid deseyer wuffless ole han’s I cain’ ha’dly hol’ one hawss, let alone three.  Oh, if I had back my stren’th lak I useter!”

The three fell into hopeless silence.

“Are the bridges so bad?  Is it too hard to get the thresher up here?” asked Annie at last.  “Or was that just Harrison’s excuse?”

“No, ma’am; he’s got de rights.  Dem ole bridges might go down mos’ any time.  An’ dishyer road up yere, it mighty hard to navigate foh er grea’ big hebby contraption lak er threshin’ machine en er engine.  Mos’ eve’y year he gits stuck.  Las’ year tuk er day en er ha’f to git him out.  No’m; he’s got de rights.”

“Yes, but, Unc’ Zenas, that wheat mustn’t be left go to waste.”

Aunt Dolcey spoke up.  “Miss Annie, honey, go git your res’—­mawnin’ brings light.  Maybe Marse Wes’ll come to his solid senses een de mawnin’.  You cain’ do nuffin’ ternight noway.”

“No, that’s so.”  She sighed hopelessly.  “Unc’ Zenas, maybe we could hire somebody else to cut the wheat if he won’t.”

“Miss Annie, honey, eve’ybody busy wid his own wheat—­an’, moreover, Marse Wes ain’ gwi’ let any stranger come on dis place an’ cut his wheat—­you know he ain’.”