Von Rittenheim reached behind him and tapped something that gave forth a sound of earthenware.
Yarebrough stepped behind the stump, upon whose top the Baron swung around so as to keep his face in view.
Bud picked it up, disclosing a silver half-dollar upon which it had been resting. He looked at it as if afraid, and then glanced sheepishly at Friedrich.
"A half a gallon," remarked the German, dryly.
The mountaineer reddened and stooped for the coin.
"Wait!" commanded von Rittenheim. "Before you touch that, I want to ask you if you would be willing that your wife should know how you ear-rned that money?"
Yarebrough changed his weight uneasily from one foot to the other, and then sat down suddenly, as if his legs were not equal to his support.
"Well, Ah wasn' fixin' to tell M'lissy," he acknowledged.
"Know you not that that so good little woman would r-rather be hungr-ry than have you give her money that you gained by br-reaking the law?"
"Well, Ah wasn' fixin' to give hit to her."
"You weren't? What are you going to do with it?"
Unfortunately for the success of Friedrich's plan for Bud's moral regeneration, Yarebrough's affection for the Baron made him reticent on the fact of his debt to Pressley.
"For," he thought, sagely, "if Ah tell him Ah owe Pink, he'll go to lend me the money, 'n Ah know he cain' afford hit. Would he ever 'a' gone into sellin' blockade himself if he hadn' been as pore as a crow?"
His wit not being very ready, however, he offered no excuse, but said,--
Friedrich laid his hand on the young man's shoulder as he sat beside him on the ground.
"Think what it means, Bud, to do what now you do. You put yourself in the class of wr-rongdoers instead of in the r-ranks of those who do r-right. You will br-reak Melissa's heart if she finds it out, as certainly she will. And think of the baby. You want her to have an honest father, don't you?"
Bud was ground between the upper and the nether millstone. On one side of his weak will was his affection for his wife and child, and his desire to please the Baron. On the other was his fear of Pressley's sneers and his habit of submission to the older man's domination. And since his inclination towards good was not assisted by the mighty lever of a love of good for virtue's sake, the millstones clung close together, and the grinding still went on.