The only response he received was the man wheeling square around, and bawling full into his face:
"And for bonnie Annie Laurie,
I'll lay me doon an' dee."
"Curse you all!" he cried. "You confounded idiots!" and in a rage he left the building and started for Perdue's store.
The sound of the last verse followed him into the darkness, and then silence. He stopped and listened. Presently there floated through the air the old, familiar tune of "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." All were singing it, he could easily tell that, and his men, too! He turned and shook his fist at the building.
"My time will come!" he cried. "You d— missionary! I'll get even with you! You may laugh at me now, but beware!"
CHAPTER XV
THE SUMMONS
The morning after the debate Constance was moving briskly about the little cabin she had assisted in erecting with her own hands. She was relating to her father, who was lying on a cot, the stirring scenes of the previous evening.
"Oh, it was so funny at first to listen to the strange things some of the men said. They were like a lot of school boys. But there was one old man who spoke so earnestly when he told about his past life that I could not keep back the tears from my eyes."