The Call of the Cumberlands

"I suppose I'll be called on to go and get him?" "I'm afraid we'll

have to ask you to do that." "What caused the change of heart? I

thought Purvy's people didn't want it done." It was Callomb's first

allusion, except for his apology, to their former altercation.

For an instant only, Smithers was a little confused.

"To be quite frank with you, Callomb," he said, "I got to thinking

over the matter in the light of your own viewpoint, and, after due

deliberation, I came to see that to the State at large it might bear

the same appearance. So, I had the Grand Jury take the matter up. We

must stamp out such lawlessness as Samson South stands for. He is the

more dangerous because he has brains."

Callomb nodded, but, at noon, he slipped out on a pretense of sight-

seeing, and rode by a somewhat circuitous route to the ridge. At

nightfall, he came to the house of the clan head.

"South," he said to Samson, when he had led him aside, "they didn't

want to hear what you had to tell the Grand Jury, but they are going

ahead to indict you on manufactured evidence."

Samson was for a moment thoughtful, then he nodded.

"That's about what I was expecting."

"Now," went on Callomb, "we understand each other. We are working for

the same end, and, by God! I've had one experience in making arrests at

the order of that Court. I don't want it to happen again."

"I suppose," said Samson, "you know that while I am entirely willing

to face any fair court of justice, I don't propose to walk into a

packed jury, whose only object is to get me where I can be made way

with. Callomb, I hope we won't have to fight each other. What do you

suggest?"

"If the Court orders the militia to make an arrest, the militia has no

option. In the long run, resistance would only alienate the sympathy of

the world at large. There is just one thing to be done, South. It's a

thing I don't like to suggest, and a thing which, if we were not

fighting the devil with fire, it would be traitorous for me to

suggest." He paused, then added emphatically: "When my detail arrives

here, which will probably be in three or four days, you must not be

here. You must not be in any place where we can find you."