“Well,” Scott said, as he rose to go, “I certainly shall appreciate your help, and if I can ever be of any service to you, please let me know.”
He left with the feeling that there was at least one man in the Wait tribe, and he marveled all the way home to think how this one individual had raised himself so far above all the others in spite of his surroundings. It made his own accomplishments seem small.
Then he thought of the lonely old man on the other mountain, just as good a man and just as intelligent as Sewall. With the leadership in the hands of two such men there surely ought to be a reasonable way out. He determined to try once more in spite of the old man’s request not to mention it.
When he came to the Morgan cabin it was unnecessary to shout. Jarred was sitting on the front steps and rose to welcome him. He even came part way to the gate.
“Well,” he said with a smile, “I see you found a way to keep the contract out of the hands of the feudists even if you had to thrash one of them to do it.”
Scott laughed at the old man’s humor. “It does seem like a strange way to keep neutral,” he admitted, “but it was forced on me.”
The smile left Jarred’s face and he looked at Scott gravely. “Yes, I know it was, and let me give you a warning. Keep your eyes open from now on. That fellow will shoot you in the back if he gets a chance.”
“I believe he would,” Scott agreed, “but I was talking to one of the Waits this morning who seemed to be altogether different.”
“Sewall?” Jarred asked quietly.
“Yes, I heard that he was the brains of the party and I went up to see him.”