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Clem felt the ground with his feet until he had located the other singletree. He stooped down and got it. Raising it, he did not try to hit Arch, but held it in front of him so he could ward off Arch’s blows at his head. He continued to stand his ground, not giving Arch an inch.

“Drop that singletree,” Arch said.

“I won’t stand here and let you beat me like that,” Clem protested.

“By God, that’s all I want to hear,” Arch said, his mouth curling.”Nigger, your time has come, by God!”

He swung once more at Clem, but Clem turned and ran towards the barn. Arch went after him a few steps and stopped. He threw aside the singletree and turned and ran back to the house.

Lonnie went to the fence and tried to think what was best for him to do. He knew he could not take sides with a Negro, in the open, even if Clem had helped him, and especially after Clem had talked to Arch in the way he wished he could himself. He was a white man, and to save his life he could not stand to think of turning against Arch, no matter what happened.

Presently a light burst through one of the windows of the house, and he heard Arch shouting at his wife to take her up.

When he saw Arch’s wife go to the telephone, Lonnie realized what was going to happen. She was calling up the neighbors and Arch’s friends. They would not mind getting up in the night when they found out what was going to take place.

Out behind the barn he could hear Clem calling him. Leaving the yard, Lonnie felt his way out there in the dark.

“What’s the trouble, Clem?” he said.

“I reckon my time has come,” Clem said.”Arch Gunnard talks that way when he’s good and mad. He talked just like he did that time he carried Jim Moffin off to the swamp—and Jim never came back.”

“Arch wouldn’t do anything like that to you, Clem,” Lonnie said excitedly, but he knew better.

Clem said nothing.

“Maybe you’d better strike out for the swamps till he changes his mind and cools off some,” Lonnie said.”You might be right, Clem.”

Lonnie could feel Clem’s eyes burning into him.

“Wouldn’t be no sense in that, if you’d help me,” Clem said.”Wouldn’t you stand by me?”

Lonnie trembled as the meaning of Clem’s suggestion became clear to him. His back was to the side of the barn, and he leaned against it while sheets of black and white passed before his eyes.

“Wouldn’t you stand by me?” Clem asked again.

“I don’t know what Arch would say to that,” Lonnie told him haltingly.

Clem walked away several paces. He stood with his back to Lonnie while he looked across the field towards the quarter where his home was.

“I could go in that little patch of woods out there and stay still they get tired of looking for me,” Clem said, turning around to see Lonnie.

“You’d better go somewhere,” Lonnie said uneasily.”I know Arch Gunnard. He’s hard to handle when he makes up his mind to do something he wants to do. I couldn’t stop him an inch. Maybe you’d better get clear out of the country, Clem.”

“I couldn’t do that, and leave my family down there across the field,” Clem said.

“He’s going to get you if you don’t.”

“If you’d only sort of help me out a little, he wouldn’t. I would only have to go and hide out in that little patch of woods over there a while. Looks like you could do that for me, being as how I helped you find your pa when he was in the hog pen.”

Lonnie nodded, listening for sounds from the big house. He continued to nod at Clem while Clem was waiting to be assured.

“If you’re going to stand up for me,” Clem said, “I can just go over there in the woods and wait till they get it off their minds. You won’t be telling them where I’m at, and you could say I struck out for the swamp. They wouldn’t ever find me without bloodhounds.”

“That’s right,” Lonnie said, listening for sounds of Arch’s coming out of the house. He did not wish to be found back there behind the barn where Arch could accuse him of talking to Clem.