Among the old settlers in the vicinity to which Robert Davis and
his wife moved was Peter Newby and his family. They were of the old
pioneer type--rugged, honest, frugal, but they also were headstrong,
stubborn, with very little give and take in their make-up. Peter
claimed to know the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. He could
tell the names of the cities and creeks of the Holy Land from Dan to
Beersheba, and name the kings of Israel either backward or forward.
He had the books of the Bible at the tip of his tongue, and could name
the apostles and prophets without hesitation. He was a noted
debater or arguer, and met all opponents, large or small, with equal
confidence. When reason and logical argument failed him, he relied on
a stentorian voice and his power to bewilder. Few were able to hold
their own with him in religious discussion. Most men feared his biting
sarcasm and insinuating irony. In fact, Mr. Newby had silenced nearly
every opponent, and he stood out as the champion religious debater of
the community, at the time of our narrative. He had vanquished all his
foes, and now gloried in his supremacy.

But, Robert Davis did not know all of this. He regarded Peter Newby
as a good citizen, and probably a good Christian. The next few months,
however, put an entirely different face on the matter, especially on
the latter point.

Besides Peter Newby and his wife, there were three grown sons of
theirs, of whom Jake, and also his wife, figure in this narrative.

Jake Newby was a typical money-grubber, turning everything in the
way of financial deals to his own favor. He owned a piece of property
which Robert Davis finally decided he would buy. After considerable
negotiation, a deal was made, Jake reserving the right to move certain