“Sho’, there wa’n’t no harm in Baldy!” said the squire, with heat.  “When that sheriff come along here looking for him, I told him p’inted that Baldy said he wouldn’t be arrested.  A more truthful man I never knowed, and if the damn fool had taken my word he’d be living yet!”

“But you-all know what trouble killing that sheriff made fo’ Baldy!” said Yancy.  “He told me often he regretted it mo’ than anything he’d ever done.  He said it was most aggravatin’ having to always lug a gun wherever he went.  And what with being suspicious of strangers when he wa’n’t suspicious by nature, he reckoned in time it would just naturally wear him out.”

“He stood it until he was risin’ eighty,” said Crenshaw.

“His, father lived to be ninety, John, and as spry an old gentleman as a body’d wish to see.  I don’t uphold no man for committing murder, but I do consider the sheriff should have waited on Baldy to get mo’ reasonable, like he’d done in time if they’d just let him alone—­but no, sir, he reckoned the law wa’n’t no respecter of persons.  He was a fine-appearin’ man, that sheriff, and just elected to office.  I remember we had to leave off the tail-gate to my cart to accommodate him.  Yes, sir, they pretty near pestered Baldy into his grave—­and seein’ that pore old fellow pottering around year after year always toting a gun was the patheticest sight I most ever seen, and I made up my mind then if it ever seemed necessary for me to kill a man, I’d leave the county or maybe the state,” concluded the squire.

“Don’t you reckon it would be some better to leave the state afo’ you. done the killing?” suggested Yancy.

“Well, a man might.  I don’t know but what he’d be justified in getting shut of his troubles like that.”

When Betty Malroy rode away from Squire Balaam’s Murrell galloped after her.  Presently she heard the beat of his horse’s hoofs as he came pounding along the sandy road and glanced back over her shoulder.  With an exclamation of displeasure she reined in her horse.  She had not wished to ride to the Barony with him, yet she had no desire to treat him with discourtesy, especially as the Ferrises were disposed to like him.  Murrell quickly gained a place at her side.

“I suppose Ferris is at the Barony?” he said, drawing his horse down to a walk.

“I believe he is,” said Betty with a curt little air.

“May I ride with you?” he gave her a swift glance.  She nodded indifferently and would have urged her horse into a gallop again, but he made a gesture of protest.  “Don’t—­or I shall think you are still running away from me,” he said with a short laugh.

“Were you at the trial?” she asked.  “I am glad they didn’t get Hannibal away from Yancy.”

“Oh, Yancy will have his hands full with that later—­so will Bladen,” he added significantly.  He studied her out of those deeply sunken eyes of his in which no shadow of youth lingered, for men such as he reached their prime early, and it was a swiftly passing splendor.  “Ferris tells me you are going to West Tennessee?” he said at length.