sense of the becoming, and he talked of what lay near his heart in
disjointed phrases.
"That young man to-day jes' jumped on me! He told me I'd plagued them
cattle half to death, and I'd acted lies and cheated Ramsdell out of
three hundred dollars. 'Twas all true. I s'pose I did plague the cattle,
though I've often been as thirsty as they were--after eatin' salt pork
and workin' all day in the sun. I didn't think of hurtin' them when I
salted the floor. But I did act to deceive Ramsdell, and I reckon I made
nigh on three hundred dollars out of the deal. 'Twas wrong. But, O
God!"--and unconsciously the old man's voice rose--"You know all my
life. You know everythin'. You know I never lied or cheated any one fer
myself. I've worked hard and honest fer more'n forty years, and always
been poor. I never troubled about it, and I don't now, but fer Loo.
"She's so pretty and young. Jes' like a flower wants sunshine, she wants
pleasure, and when she don't git it, she feels bad. She's so young and
soft. Now she wants a pile of money and a pianner, and I couldn't git it
fer her no other way. I had to cheat.
"O Lord, ef I could kneel down hyar and say I repented with godly
repentance fer sin and determination never to sin agen, I'd do it, and
ask you to pardon me for Jesus' sake, but I kain't repent--I jes'
kain't! You see my heart, O God! and you know I'll go on cheatin' ef
that'll get Loo what she wants. An' so I've come down hyar to say that
Loo ain't with me in the cheatin'; it's all my sin. I know you punish
sin. The stiff-necked sinner ought to be punished. Wall; I'll take the
punishment. Put it right on to me--that's justice. But, O Lord! leave
Loo out; she don't know nothin' about it. That's why I've come down hyar
into the water to show I'm willin' to bear what you send. Amen, O Lord
God! In Jesus' name, Amen."
And he rose quietly, came out of the creek, wiped his dripping limbs
with his hand as well as he could, let down his night-shirt, and
prepared to climb the bank. Needless to say, Bancroft had slipped
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