The Flag on the Hilltop

Chapter III: Which Throws Alec Somewhat Suddenly Into The Hands Of His Friends

CHAPTER III WHICH THROWS ALEC SOMEWHAT SUDDENLY INTO THE HANDS OF HIS FRIENDS SECRET service was taking a form for which Alec was not prepared, and he needed time to think. He drew his face away from the opening through the rocks, for fear of being seen, but he might have saved himself the trouble, for the men beyond the partition in the cave were too intent upon one another and felt too completely secure in their retreat to be on the alert. Even in war time, when people hold consultations half a mile underground, they are not afraid that the walls have either eyes or ears. A voice at once answered the speaker who had said that it was time to act against Doctor Ford. " I tell you," said this new man, " there are some lengths to which I am not THE FLAG ON THE HILLTOP 43 prepared to go. Oh, yes, I know the vows I 've taken and the penalty of breaking them. Haven't I sworn in new members and held the ' shameful death' over their heads? I'm perfectly aware that any of you five, by reporting me at the temple, can turn the whole order against me as a renegade ; but you know very well that I'm not any more a renegade than the rest of you are. The fact is this : We six control the organization in this township, and the township pretty much runs the county; and it's no use for us to get by ourselves to discuss policy unless we say what we think. You can turn against i£ " me you want to - " Pshaw, now, Hutchins!" expostulated a third voice, and Alec recognized the gentle, illiterate drawl of Hiram Jeemes; "you-uns don't need to get so excited. It's onderstood that what passes betwixt us six is betwixt us six. If you-uns get up an' says the same thing at the temple, it 's your own lookout ; but it won't get thar from us." 44 THE FLAG ON THE HILLTOP " What I want to have understood," said Hutchins, less excitedly, " is that nothing could be worse policy than to interfere with Doctor Ford. There are people here, our own people, that would rise right up if he was touched, to say nothing of the way that all the people who are too cowardly to take sides would get scared and call on the army for protection. No, sir, we can elude Doctor Ford, but we can't afford to :fight him ; and what's more, if we could afford to, I wouldn't do it. There are some personal debts that can't be forgotten for the general good, and there's not a family in this county that doesn't owe some such to the doctor." Some one brought his foot down on the stones with an impatient stamp. "Nobody wants to hurt him," said still another voice. " All that's needed is to raid his house, capture him an' T. D., an' put 'em where they can do no harm." There was a laugh. "I'd like to see Doctor Ford captured without being hurt!" THE FLAG ON THE HILLTOP 45 somebody declared.; " he 'd fight like ten men. He 'd sooner be taken dead than alive!" " .Either way would answer for us." Alec could not be sure whether the voice that said this was or was not the voice of the first speaker, but he was very sure that he would know it if he heard it again. Then Hiram Jeemes spoke. " I 'lowed I 'd let you~uns all free your minds," he said, " but 'pears like you don't come to much conclusion, so mebbe you 'd like to know some news. Doc Ford's got a nephew come to live with him. I've seen the boy an' talked to him. He's a right pert youngster, an' he comes from Tennessy, an' hates Yankees." "What's he here for, then?" some one asked. "His father died, an' he had nowhar else to go," Jeemes explained; "but I tole him when he got wore out with seein' his own side plotted ag'inst, I'd be mighty proud to 46 THE FLAG ON THE HILLTOP have him come an' stay with me. He 'lowed he would n't come, but hoped he could do me a favor...