Turning again, he backed up to the scow's side and proceeded in a lower
voice:

"When they telled me she were dead, they had to set me in the jacket,
buckled so tight ye could hear my bones crack. The warden ain't got no
blame comin' from me, 'cause I smashed his face afore he'd done tellin'
me. And I felled the keeper like that!" He raised a knotty fist and
thrust it forth. "But it were all 'cause I wanted to be with her so,
'cause I couldn't stand the knowin' that she'd gone a callin' and a
callin' me!"

He was quiet so long that Eli Cronk drew his sleeve across his face to
break the oppressive stillness. Here, in the dead of night, his somber
brother had been transformed into another creature,--a passionate
creature, responding to the call of a dead woman, a man whose hatred
would carry him to fearful lengths.

The hoarse voice broke forth again:

"Midge darlin', dead baby, and all that ye had belongin' to me, I do it
for you! I'll steal his'n, and they'll suffer and suffer--"

He tossed up his great head with a jerk, crushing the sentiment from his
voice.

"But that don't make no matter now," he muttered. "I'm goin' to take his
kids! He's got two, an' he's prouder'n a turkey cock of 'em. I'll take
'em and I'll make of 'em what I be--I'll make 'em so damn bad that he
won't want 'em no more after I get done with 'em! I'll see what his