IV + 

Jim Hammer caught his breath. + 

“Well,” the sheriff concluded, “we’ll be gittin’ along. Obadiah was a mighty fine boy. Ef they was all like him⁠—. I’m sorry, Annie. Anything I c’n do let me know.” + 

“Thank you, Mistah Lowndes.” + 

With the sound of the door closing on the departing men, power to move came back to the man in the bedroom. He pushed his dirt-caked feet out from the covers and rose up, but crouched down again. He wasn’t cold now, but hot all over and burning. Almost he wished that Bill Lowndes and his men had taken him with them. + 

Annie Poole had come into the room. + 

It seemed a long time before Obadiah’s mother spoke. When she did there were no tears, no reproaches; but there was a raging fury in her voice as she lashed out, “Git outen mah feather baid, Jim Hammer, an’ outen mah house, an’ don’ nevah stop thankin’ yo’ Jesus he done gib you dat black face.” + 