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 carry a crop and hit him a crack if he goes to back over too steep a place. But I ain't a-goin' to hit him any other time. But I ain't a-goin' to hit anything else that ain't big and strong as I am. Laugh that off! I'm through!"

Jean Meredith turned on her heel, hitched up her trousers, and marched in the direction of the back porch. The Keeper of the Bees, leaning on the window sill, tightened his arm around the Storm Girl and studied the face of Jean as she came toward him. The lines of it were unalterably set.

"She means it! She'll stick!" said Molly Cameron.

And Jamie hugged her tight and said, "Amen!"