Chapter 17 Summary

Lena's child is born the following morning. Six hours after leaving Hightower's, Byron finds himself there, again, to ask a large favor. He breaks in and makes his way through the darkened house, led as if by an unseen force, directly to Hightower. Byron thinks ironically that both Lena and Hightower would believe he was being led, but Lena would say by God, and Hightower would say by the devil. Byron experiences remorse for involving Hightower, but wakes him regardless and asks him to take his medical book to the cabin to deliver the baby. Before Hightower can even reply, Byron is gone, again trusting to Hightower's innate sense of responsibility to his fellow man.

Byron walks through the town of Jefferson, thinking rapidly. He curses himself for not having arranged for a doctor to be on hand. He knows now that he...