he left like that；〃 she said。
Measure gave her a little half…smile and looked at Pa。 〃You know； don't you； Pa？〃
〃Maybe；〃 he said。
Measure explained to his mother。 〃Them knives and that preacher； they can't be in this room with Al Junior at the same time。〃
〃But why not！〃 she said。 〃He was going to do the surgery！〃
〃Well； he sure ain't going to do it now；〃 said Measure。
The knife and the bone saw lay on the blanket。
〃Pa；〃 said Measure。
〃Not me；〃 said Pa。
〃Ma；〃 said Measure。
〃I can't；〃 Faith said。
〃Well then；〃 said Measure； 〃I reckon I just turned surgeon。〃 He looked at Alvin。
The boy's face had a deathly pallor to it that was even worse than the ruddiness of the fever。 But he managed a sort of smile； and whispered； 〃Reckon so。〃
〃Ma； you're going to have to hold back that flap of skin。〃
She nodded。
Measure picked up the knife and brought the blade to rest against the bottom line。
〃Measure；〃 Al Junior whispered。
〃Yes； Alvin？〃 Measure asked。
〃I can stand the pain and hold right still； iffen you whistle。〃
〃I can't keep no tune； if I'm trying to cut straight at the same time；〃 said Measure。
〃Don't want no tune；〃 said Alvin。
Measure looked into the boy's eyes and had no choice but to do as he asked。 It was Al's leg； after all； and if he wanted a whistling surgeon； he'd get one。 Measure took a deep breath and started in whistling； no kind of tune at all； just notes。 He put the knife on the black line again and began to cut。 Shallow at first； cause he heard Al take a gasp of air。
〃Keep whistling；〃 Alvin whispered。 〃Right to the bone。〃
Measure whistled again； and this time he cut fast and deep。 Right to the bone in the middle of the line。 A deep slit up both sides。 Then he worked the knife under the two corners and peeled the skin and muscle right back。 At first it bled more than a little bit； but almost right away the bleeding stopped。 Measure figured it must be something Alvin did inside himself； to stop the bleeding like that。
〃Faith；〃 said Pa。
Ma reached over and laid her hand on the bloody flap of skin。 Al reached out a trembling hand and traced a wedge on the red…streaked bone of his own leg。 Measure laid down the knife and picked up the saw。 It made an awful； squeaky sound as he cut。 But Measure just whistled and sawed； sawed and whistled。 And pretty soon he had a wedge of bone in his hand。 It didn't look no different from the rest of the bone。
〃You sure that was the right place？〃 he asked。
Al nodded slowly。
〃Did I get it all？〃 Measure asked。
Al sat for a few moments； then nodded again。
〃You want Ma to sew this back up？〃 Measure asked。
Al didn't say a thing。
〃He fainted；〃 said Pa。
The blood started to flow again； just a little； seeping into the wound。 Ma had a needle and thread on the pincushion she wore around her neck。 In no time she had that flap of skin right back down； and she was stitching away at it； making a fine tight seam。
〃You just keep on whistling； Measure；〃 she said。
So he kept right on whistling and she kept right on sewing； till they had the wound all bandaged up and Alvin was laying back sleeping like a baby。 They all three stood up to go。 Pa laid a hand on the boy's forehead； as gentle as you please。
〃I think his fever's gone；〃 he said。
Measure's tune got downright jaunty as they slipped on out the door。
Chapter Fourteen Chastisement
As soon as Elly saw him； she was sweet as could be； brushing snow off him； helping with his cloak； and never so much as whispering a question of how it happened。
Didn't make no difference how kindly she might be。
He was shamed afore his own wife； cause sooner or later she'd hear the tale from one of those children。 Soon enough the tale would be all up and down the Wobbish。 How Armor…of…God Weaver； storekeeper for the western country； future governor； got throwed right off a porch into the snow by his old father…in…law。 They'd be laughing behind their hands； all right。 They'd laugh him up and down。 Never to his face； of course； cause there was hardly a soul between Lake Canada and the Noisy River who didn't owe him money or need his maps to prove their claims。 e the time when the Wobbish country was made a state； they'd tell that story at every polling place。 They might like a man they laughed at； but they wouldn't respect him； and they wouldn't vote for him。
It was the death of his plans he was facing； and his wife just had too much of that Miller family look about her。 She was pretty enough； for a frontier woman； but he didn't care about pretty right now。 He didn't care about sweet nights and gentle mornings。 He didn't care about her working alongside him in the store。 All he cared about was shame and rage。
〃Don't do that。〃
〃You got to get that wet shirt off。 How'd you get snow clear down your shirt？〃
〃I said get your hands off me！〃
She stepped back； surprised。 〃I was just〃
〃I know what you 'was just。' Poor little Armor； you just pat him like a little boy and he'll feel better。〃
〃You could catch your death〃
〃Tell that to your pa！ If I cough my guts out； you tell him what it means to throw a man in the snow！〃
〃Oh no！〃 she cried。 〃I can't believe Papa would〃
〃See？ You don't even believe your own husband。〃
〃I do believe you； it just ain't like Pa〃
〃No ma'am； it's like the devil himself； that's what it's like！ That's what fills that house of yours up there！ The spirit of evil！ And when a body tries to speak the words of God in that house； they throw him fight out in the snow！〃
〃What were you doing up at the house？〃
〃Trying to save your brother's life。 He's no doubt dead by now。〃
〃How could you save him？〃
Maybe she didn't mean to sound so contemptuous。 It didn't matter。 He knew what she meant。 That him having no hidden power； there wasn't a thing he could do to help anybody。 After years of being married； she still put her faith in witchery； just like her kin。 He hadn't changed her a bit。 〃You're just the same；〃 he said。 〃Evil's in you so deep that I can't pray it out of you； and I can't preach it out of you； and I can't love it out of you； and I can't yell it out of you！〃 When he said 〃pray；〃 he shoved her a little； just to make his point。 When he said 〃preach；〃 he shoved her harder； and she stumbled back。 When he said 〃love；〃 he took her by the shoulders and gave her such a shake her hair broke right out of the bun she'd made of it； and fluttered around her head。 When he said 〃yell；〃 he knocked her back so far she stumbled down on the floor。
Seeing her falling； even before she hit the floor； he felt such a shame go through him； even worse than when her father threw him in the snow。 A strong man makes me feel weak； so I go home and shove around my wife； what a big man that makes me。 Here I been a Christian who never hit or hurt a man or woman； and I knock my own wife； flesh of my flesh； right down on the floor。
That was his thinking； and he was about to throw himself on his knees and bawl like a baby and beg forgiveness。 He would've done it； too； except that when she saw the look on his face； all twisted up with shame and rage； she didn't know that he was angry at himself； she just knew that he was hurting her； and so she did what e natural to a woman who grew up like she did。 She moved her fingers to make a fending； and whispered a word to hold him back。
He couldn't fall on his knees before her。 He couldn't take one step toward her。 He couldn't even think of taking a step toward her。 Her fending was so strong he staggered back； he headed for the door； he opened it and ran outside in just his shirt。 Everything he'd been afraid of came true today。 He probably lost his future in politics； but that was nothing pared to this： his own wife did witchery in his own home； and she did it against him； and he had no defense against it。 She was a witch。 She was a witch。 And his house was unclean。
It was cold。 He had no coat； not even his waistcoat。 His shirt was already wet； and now it clung to him and froze him to the bone。 He had to get indoors； but he couldn't bear to knock on anybody's