‘a’ died if I hadn’t took him.” She paused and wiped away a tear that trickled down the furrow of her thin cheek. “If hit war lef’ to us women fer to stir ‘em up, I reckon thar wouldn’t be no feuds, fer hit’s hard on we-uns when we’re friendly, an’ Ferd like my own boy that-a-way.”

“But perhaps — ” David spoke musingly — ”perhaps it was a woman who stirred up the trouble between them.”

The widow looked a moment with startled glance into his face, then turned her gaze away. “I reckon not. The’ is no woman far or near as I evah heern o’ Frale goin’ with.”

Still pondering, David rose to go, but quickly resumed his seat,