Wile McCager came to the mill door, as she rode up, and lifted the
sack from her horse.
"Howdy, Sally?" he greeted.
"Tol'able, thank ye," said Sally. "I'm goin' ter get off."
As she entered the great half-lighted room, where the mill stones
creaked on their cumbersome shafts, the hum of discussion sank to
silence. The place was brown with age and dirt, and powdered with a
coarse dusting of meal. The girl nodded to the mountaineers gathered in
conclave, then, turning to the miller she announced: "I'm going to send for Samson."
The statement was at first met with dead silence, then came a rumble
of indignant dissent, but for that the girl was prepared, as she was
prepared for the contemptuous laughter which followed.
"I reckon if Samson was here," she said, dryly, "you all wouldn't
think it was quite so funny."
Old Caleb Wiley spat through his bristling beard, and his voice was a
quavering rumble.
"What we wants is a man. We hain't got no use fer no traitors thet's
too almighty damn busy doin' fancy work ter stand by their kith an' kin."
"That's a lie!" said the girl, scornfully. "There's just one man
living that's smart enough to match Jesse Purvy--an' that one man is
Samson. Samson's got the right to lead the Souths, and he's going to do
it--ef he wants to."
"Sally," Wile McCager spoke, soothingly, "don't go gittin' mad. Caleb
talks hasty. We knows ye used ter be Samson's gal, an' we hain't aimin'
ter hurt yore feelin's. But Samson's done left the mountings. I reckon
ef he wanted ter come back, he'd a-come afore now. Let him stay whar
he's at."
"Whar is he at?" demanded old Caleb Wiley, in a truculent voice.
"That's his business," Sally flashed back, "but I know. All I want to
tell you is this. Don't you make a move till I have time to get word to
him. I tell you, he's got to have his say."
"I reckon we hain't a-goin' ter wait," sneered Caleb, "fer a feller
thet won't let hit be known whar he's a-sojournin' at. Ef ye air so
shore of him, why won't ye tell us whar he is now?"
"That's my business, too." Sally's voice was resolute. "I've got a
letter here--it'll take two days to get to Samson. It'll take him two
or three days more to get here. You've got to wait a week."