On reaching Hixon, Callomb apologized to Judge Smithers for his recent
outburst of temper. Now that he understood the hand that gentleman was
playing, he wished to be strategic and in a position of seeming accord.
He must match craft against craft. He did not intimate that he knew of
Samson's letter, and rather encouraged the idea that he had been
received on Misery with surly and grudging hospitality.

Smithers, presuming that the Souths still burned with anger over the
shooting of Tamarack, swallowed that bait, and was beguiled.

The Grand Jury trooped each day to the court-house and transacted its
business. The petty juries went and came, occupied with several minor
homicide cases. The Captain, from a chair, which Judge Smithers had
ordered placed beside him on the bench, was looking on and intently
studying. One morning, Smithers confided to him that in a day or two
more the Grand Jury would bring in a true bill against Samson South,
charging him with murder. The officer did not show surprise. He merely
nodded.

"I suppose I'll be called on to go and get him?" "I'm afraid we'll
have to ask you to do that." "What caused the change of heart? I
thought Purvy's people didn't want it done." It was Callomb's first
allusion, except for his apology, to their former altercation.

For an instant only, Smithers was a little confused.

"To be quite frank with you, Callomb," he said, "I got to thinking
over the matter in the light of your own viewpoint, and, after due
deliberation, I came to see that to the State at large it might bear
the same appearance. So, I had the Grand Jury take the matter up. We
must stamp out such lawlessness as Samson South stands for. He is the
more dangerous because he has brains."