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〃If you do； come to me； 〃 he said lightly； 〃and I'll hide you in the barn till the storm blows over。 It wouldn't last long； I reckon。〃
〃Bless you； no； when he's scared I can do anything with him。 Why； he was as soft as mush after the horses ran away with me； though he'd threatened to thrash me if I touched the reins。 Oh； I say it's a shame we never had that 'possum hunt！〃
Christopher turned down his shirt sleeves and brushed the chaff from his face。
〃What do you say about to…night？〃 he inquired； with something like a sneer。 〃We couldn't go far； of course； and we'd have to borrow Tom Spade's houndsmine are tired outbut we might have a short run about midnight； get a 'possum or so； and be in our beds before daybreak。 Shall we try it？〃
The boy wavered； struggling between his desire for the chase and his fear of Fletcher。
〃Of course； if you're afraid〃 added Christopher slowly。
〃I'm not afraid；〃 broke out Will angrily。 〃I'm not afraid and you know it。 You be at the store by eleven； and I'll get out of the window and join you。 Grandpa will never know； and if he doeswell； I'll settle him！〃
〃Then be quick about it；〃 was Christopher's retort； and as the boy ran out into the darkness he followed him to the door and stood gazing moodily down upon the yellow circle that his lantern cast on the bare ground。 A massive fatigue oppressed him； and his hands and feet had become like leaden weights。 There was a heaviness； too； about his head； and his eyeballs burned as if he had looked too long at a bright light。 At the moment he felt like a man who； being bound upon a wheel； is whirled so rapidly around that he is dazed by the continuous revolutions。 What did it all mean； anywaythe boy； Fletcher； himself； and the revenge which he now saw so clearly before him？ Was it a great divine judgment or a great human cruelty？
Question as he would； the wheel still turned； and he knew that for good or evil he was bound upon it until the end。
CHAPTER X。 Powers of Darkness
October dragged slowly along； and Christopher followed his work upon the farm with the gloomy indifference which had become the settled expression of his attitude toward life。 Since the morning when he had seen Will drive by to the cross…roads he had heard nothing of him； and gradually； as the weeks went on； that last reckless night behind the hounds had ceased to represent a cause either of rejoicing or of regret。 He had not meant to goad the boy into drinkingof this he was quite sureand yet when the hunt was over and the two stood just before dawn in Tom Spade's room he had felt the devil enter into him and take possession。 The old mad humour of his blood ran high； and as the raw whisky fired his imagination he was dimly conscious that his talk grew wilder and that the surrounding objects swam before his gaze as if seen through a fog。 Life； for the time at least； lost its relative values； the moment loomed larger in his vision than the years； and he beheld the past and the future dwarfed by the single radiant instant that was his own。 It was as if he could pay back the score of a lifetime in that one minute。
〃Is it possible that what was so difficult yesterday should have grown so easy to…day？〃 he asked himself； astonished。 〃Why have I never seen so clearly before？ Why； until this evening； have I gone puling about my life as if such things as disgrace and poverty were sufficient to crush the strength out of a man？ Let me put forth all my courage and nothing is impossiblenot even the attainment of success nor the punishment of Fletcher。 It is only necessary to begin at onceto hasten about one's taskand in a few short years it will be accomplished and done with。 All will be as I wish； and I shall then be as happy as Tucker。〃
Following this came the questions； How？ When？ Where shall I begin？but he put them angrily aside and refilled his glass。 A great good…humour possessed him； and； as he drank； all the unpleasant things of lifeloss； unrest； heavy labourvanished in the roseate glow that pervaded his thoughts。
What came of it was not quite clear to him next day； and this caused the uneasiness that lasted for a week。 He had a vague recollection that Tom Spade took the boy home and rolled him through the window； and that he himself went whistling to his bed with the glorious sensation that he was riding the crest of a big wave。 With the morning came a severe headache and the ineffectual effort to remember just how far it had all gone； and then a sharp anxiety； which vanished when he saw Will pass on his way to school。
〃The boy was none the worse for it；〃 Tom Spade told him later； 〃he had a drop too much； to be sure； but his legs were as steady as mine； an' he slept it off in an hour。 He's a ticklish chap； Mr。 Christopher；〃 the storekeeper added after a moment； 〃an' I'd keep my hands from meddlin' with him； if I was you。 That thing shan't happen agin at my place； an' it wouldn't have happened then if I'd been around at the beginnin'。 You may tamper with yo' own salvation as much as you pleasethat's my gospel； but I'll be hanged if you've got a right to tamper with anybody else's。〃
Christopher wheeled suddenly about and gave him a keen glance from under his lowered eyelids。 For the first time he detected a lack of deference in Tom Spade's tone； and a suspicion shot through him that the words were meant to veil a reprimand。
〃Well； I reckon the boy's got as good a right to drink as I have；〃 he retorted sneeringly； and a moment afterward went gaily whistling through the store。 At the time he felt a certain pleasure in defying Tom's opinionin setting himself so boldly in opposition to the conventional morality of his neighbours。 The situation gave him several sharp breaths and that dizzy sense of insecurity in which his mood delighted。 It had needed only the shade of disapproval expressed in the storekeeper's voice to lend a wonderful piquancy to his enjoymentto cause him to toy in imagination with his hatred as a man does with his desire。 Before Tom spoke he had caught himself almost regretting the affairwondering； even； if his error were past retrievingbut with the first mere suggestion of outside criticism his humour underwent a startling change。
Between Fletcher and himself the account was still open； and the way in which he meant to settle it concerned himself aloneleast of all did it concern Tom Spade。
He was groping confusedly among these reflections when； one evening in early November； he went upstairs after a hasty supper to find Cynthia already awaiting him in his room。 At his start of displeased surprise she came timidly forward and touched his arm。
〃Are you sick； Christopher？ or has anything happened？ You are so unlike yourself。〃
He shook his head impatiently and her hand fell from his sleeve。 It occurred to him all at once； with an aggrieved irritation； that of late his family had failed him in sympathythat they had ceased to value the daily sacrifices he made。 Almost with horror he found himself asking the next instant whether the simple bond of blood was worth all that he had givenworth his youth； his manhood； his ambition？ Until this moment his course had seemed to him the one inevitable outcome of circumstancesthe one app