第4章
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  Gentlemen:Ireceivedyourletterto-daybypost,inregardtotheransomyouaskforthereturnofmyson。

  Ithinkyouarealittlehighinyourdemands,andIherebymakeyouacounter-proposition,whichIaminclinedtobelieveyouwillaccept。YoubringJohnnyhomeandpaymetwohundredandfiftydollarsincash,andIagreetotakehimoffyourhands。Youhadbettercomeatnight,fortheneighboursbelieveheislost,andIcouldn\'tberesponsibleforwhattheywoulddotoanybodytheysawbringinghimback。Veryrespectfully,EBENEZERDORSET。

  \"GreatpiratesofPenzance!\"saysI;\"ofalltheimpudent——\"

  ButIglancedatBill,andhesitated。HehadthemostappealinglookinhiseyesIeversawonthefaceofadumboratalkingbrute。

  \"Sam,\"sayshe,\"what\'stwohundredandfiftydollars,afterall?We\'vegotthemoney。OnemorenightofthiskidwillsendmetoabedinBedlam。Besidesbeingathoroughgentleman,IthinkMr。Dorsetisaspend-

  thriftformakingussuchaliberaloffer。Youain\'tgoingtoletthechancego,areyou?\"

  \"Tellyouthetruth,Bill,\"saysI,\"thislittleheewelambhassomewhatgotonmynervestoo。We\'lltakehimhome,paytheransomandmakeourget-away。\"

  Wetookhimhomethatnight。Wegothimtogobytellinghimthathisfatherhadboughtasilver-mountedrifleandapairofmoccasinsforhim,andweweregoingtohuntbearsthenextday。

  Itwasjusttwelveo\'clockwhenweknockedatEbene-

  zer\'sfrontdoor。JustatthemomentwhenIshouldhavebeenabstractingthefifteenhundreddollarsfromtheboxunderthetree,accordingtotheoriginalproposition,BillwascountingouttwohundredandfiftydollarsintoDorset\'shand。

  WhenthekidfoundoutweweregoingtoleavehimathomehestartedupahowllikeacalliopeandfastenedhimselfastightasaleechtoBill\'sleg。Hisfatherpeeledhimawaygradually,likeaporousplaster。

  \"Howlongcanyouholdhim?\"asksBill。

  \"I\'mnotasstrongasIusedtobe,\"saysoldDorset,\"butIthinkIcanpromiseyoutenminutes。\"

  \"Enough,\"saysBill。\"IntenminutesIshallcrosstheCentral,SouthernandMiddleWesternStates,andbeleggingittrippinglyfortheCanadianborder。\"

  And,asdarkasitwas,andasfatasBillwas,andasgoodarunnerasIam,hewasagoodmileandahalfoutofSummitbeforeIcouldcatchupwithhim。

  THEMARRYMONTHOFMAY

  PRITHEE,smitethepoetintheeyewhenhewouldsingtoyoupraisesofthemonthofMay。Itisamonthpresidedoverbythespiritsofmischiefandmadness。

  Pixiesandflibbertigibbetshauntthebuddingwoods:

  Puckandhistrainofmidgetsarebusyintownandcountry。

  InMaynatureholdsupatusachidingfinger,biddingusrememberthatwearenotgods,butoverconceitedmembersofherowngreatfamily。Sheremindsusthatwearebrotherstothechowder-doomedclamandthedonkey;linealscionsofthepansyandthechimpanzee,andbutcousins-germantothecooingdoves,thequackingducksandthehousemaidsandpolicemenintheparks。

  InMayCupidshootsblindfolded——millionairesmarrystenographers;wiseprofessorswoowhite-apronedgum-

  chewersbehindquick-lunchcounters;schoolma\'amsmakebigbadboysremainafterschool;ladswithladderssteallightlyoverlawnswhereJulietwaitsinhertrellissedwindowwithhertelescopepacked;youngcouplesoutforawalkcomehomemarried;oldchapsputonwhitespatsandpromenadeneartheNormalSchool;evenmarriedmen,grownunwontedlytenderandsentimental,whacktheirspousesonthebackandgrowl:\"Howgoesit,oldgirl:\"

  ThisMay,whoisnogoddess,butCirce,masqueradingatthedancegiveninhonourofthefaird閎utante,Sum-

  mer,putsthekiboshonusall。

  OldMr。Coulsongroanedalittle,andthensatupstraightinhisinvalid\'schair。Hehadthegoutverybadinonefoot,ahousenearGramercyPark,halfamilliondollarsandadaughter。Andhehadahouse-

  keeper,Mrs。Widdup。Thefactandthenamedeserveasentenceeach。Theyhaveit。

  WhenMaypokedMr。Coulsonhebecameelderbrothertotheturtle-dove。Inthewindownearwhichhesatwereboxesofjonquils,ofhyacinths,geraniumsandpansies。Thebreezebroughttheirodourintotheroom。

  Immediatelytherewasawell-contestedroundbetweenthebreathoftheflowersandtheableandactiveeffluviumfromgoutliniment。Thelinimentwoneasily;butnotbeforetheflowersgotanuppercuttooldMr。Coulson\'snose。Thedeadlyworkoftheimplacable,falseenchant-

  ressMaywasdone。

  AcrosstheparktotheolfactoriesofMr。Coulsoncameotherunmistakable,characteristic,copyrightedsmellsofspringthatbelongtothe-big-city-above-the-Subway,alone。Thesmellsofhotasphalt,undergroundcaverns,gasoline,patchouli,orangepeel,sewergas,Albanygrabs,Egyptiancigarettes,mortarandtheundriedinkonnews-

  papers。Theinblowingairwassweetandmild。Sparrowswrangledhappilyeverywhereoutdoors。NevertrustMay。

  Mr。Coulsontwistedtheendsofhiswhitemustache,cursedhisfoot,andpoundedabellonthetablebyhisside。

  IncameMrs。Widdup。Shewascomelytotheeye,fair,flustered,fortyandfoxy。

  \"Higginsisout,sir,\"shesaid,withasmilesuggestiveofvibratorymassage。\"Hewenttopostaletter。CanIdoanythingforyou,sir?\"

  \"It\'stimeformyaconite,\"saidoldMr。Coulson。

  \"Dropitforme。Thebottle\'sthere。Threedrops。

  Inwater。D——thatis,confoundHiggins!There\'snobodyinthishousecaresifIdiehereinthischairforwantofattention。\"

  Mrs。Widdupsigheddeeply。

  \"Don\'tbesayingthat,sir,\"shesaid。\"There\'sthemthatwouldcaremorethananyoneknows。Thirteendrops,yousaid,sir?\"

  \"Three,\"saidoldmanCoulson。

  HetookhisdoseandthenMrs。Widdup\'shand。Sheblushed。Oh,yes,itcanbedone。Justholdyourbreathandcompressthediaphragm。

  \"Mrs。Widdup,\"saidMr。Coulson,\"thespringtime\'sfulluponus。\"

  \"Ain\'tthatright?\"saidMrs。Widdup。\"Theair\'srealwarm。Andthere\'sbock-beersignsoneverycorner。

  Andthepark\'sallyallerandpinkandbluewithflowers;

  andIhavesuchshootingpainsupmylegsandbody。\"

  \"\'Inthespring,\'\"quotedMr。Coulson,curlinghismustache,\"\'ay——thatis,aman\'s——fancylightlyturnstothoughtsoflove。\'\"

  \"Lawsy,now!\"exclaimedMrs。Widdup;\"ain\'tthatright?Seemslikeit\'sintheair。\"

  \"\'Inthespring,\'\"continuedoldMr。Coulson,\"\'alivelieririsshinesupontheburnisheddove。\'\"

  \"Theydobelively,theIrish,\"sighedMrs。Widduppensively。

  \"Mrs。Widdup,\"saidMr。Coulson,makingafaceatatwingeofhisgoutyfoot,\"thiswouldbealonesomehousewithoutyou。I\'man——thatis,I\'manelderlyman——butI\'mworthacomfortablelotofmoney。Ifhalfamilliondollars\'worthofGovernmentbondsandthetrueaffectionofaheartthat,thoughnolongerbeatingwiththefirstardourofyouth,canstillthrobwithgenuine——\"

  Theloudnoiseofanoverturnedchairneartheporti鑢esoftheadjoiningroominterruptedthevenerableandscarcelysuspectingvictimofMay。

  InstalkedMissVanMeekerConstantiaCoulson,bony,durable,tall,high-nosed,frigid,well-bred,thirty-five,in-the-neighbourhood-of-Gramercy-Parkish。Sheputupalorgnette。Mrs。WidduphastilystoopedandarrangedthebandagesonMr。Coulson\'sgoutyfoot。

  \"IthoughtHigginswaswithyou,\"saidMissVanMeekerConstantia。

  \"Higginswentout,\"explainedherfather,\"andMrs。

  Widdupansweredthebell。Thatisbetternow,Mrs。

  Widdup,thankyou。No;thereisnothingelseIrequire。\"

  Thehousekeeperretired,pinkunderthecool,inquiringstareofMissCoulson。

  \"Thisspringweatherislovely,isn\'tit,daughter?\"

  saidtheoldman,consciouslyconscious。

  \"That\'sjustit,\"repliedMissVanMeekerConstantiaCoulson,somewhatobscurely。\"WhendoesMrs。Wid-

  dupstartonhervacation,papa?\"

  \"Ibelieveshesaidaweekfromto-day,\"saidMr。

  Coulson。

  MissVanMeekerConstantiastoodforaminuteatthewindowgazing,towardthelittlepark,floodedwiththemellowafternoonsunlight。Withtheeyeofabotanistsheviewedtheflowers——mostpotentweaponsofinsid-

  iousMay。WiththecoolpulsesofavirginofCologneshewithstoodtheattackoftheetherealmildness。Thearrowsofthepleasantsunshinefellback,frostbitten,fromthecoldpanoplyofherunthrilledbosom。Theodouroftheflowerswakednosoftsentimentsintheunexploredrecessesofherdormantheart。Thechirpofthesparrowsgaveherapain。ShemockedatMay。

  ButalthoughMissCoulsonwasproofagainsttheseason,shewaskeenenoughtoestimateitspower。Sheknewthatelderlymenandthick-waistedwomenjumpedaseducatedfleasintheridiculoustrainofMay,themerrymockerofthemonths。Shehadheardoffoolisholdgentlemenmarryingtheirhousekeepersbefore。Whatahumiliatingthing,afterall,wasthisfeelingcalledlove!

  Thenextmorningat8o\'clock,whentheicemancalled,thecooktoldhimthatMissCoulsonwantedtoseehiminthebasement。

  \"Well,ain\'tItheOlcottandDepew;notmentioningthefirstnameatall?\"saidtheiceman,admiringly,ofhimself。

  Asaconcessionherolledhissleevesdown,droppedhisicehooksonasyringeandwentback。WhenMissVanMeekerConstantiaCoulsonaddressedhimhetookoffhisbat。

  \"Thereisarearentrancetothisbasement,\"saidMissCoulson,\"whichcanbereachedbydrivingintothevacantlotnextdoor,wheretheyareexcavatingforabuilding。Iwantyoutobringinthatwaywithintwohours1,000poundsofice。Youmayhavetobringanothermanortwotohelpyou。IwillshowyouwhereIwantitplaced。Ialsowant1,000poundsadaydeliveredthesamewayforthenextfourdays。Yourcompanymaychargetheiceonourregularbill。Thisisforyourextratrouble。\"

  MissCoulsontenderedaten-dollarbill。Theicemanbowed,andheldhishatinhistwohandsbehindhim。

  \"Notifyou\'llexcuseme,lady。It\'llbeapleasuretofixthingsupforyouanywayyouplease。\"

  AlasforMay!

  AboutnoonMr。Coulsonknockedtwoglassesoffhistable,brokethespringofhisbellandyelledforHigginsatthesametime。

  \"Bringanaxe,\"commandedMr。Coulson,sardoni-

  cally,\"orsendoutforaquartofprussicacid,orhaveapolicemancomeinandshootme。I\'dratherthatthanbefrozentodeath。\"

  \"Itdoesseemtobegettingcool,Sir,\"saidHiggins。

  \"Ihadn\'tnoticeditbefore。I\'llclosethewindow,Sir。\"

  \"Do,\"saidMr。Coulson。\"Theycallthisspring,dothey?IfitkeepsuplongI\'llgobacktoPalmBeach。

  Housefeelslikeamorgue。\"

  LaterMissCoulsondutifullycameintoinquirehowthegoutwasprogressing。

  \"\'Stantia,\"saidtheoldman,\"howistheweatherout-

  doors?\"

  \"Bright,\"answeredMissCoulson,\"butchilly。\"

  \"Feelslikethedeadofwintertome,\"saidMr。Coulson。

  \"Aninstance,\"saidConstantia,gazingabstractedlyoutthewindow,\"of\'winterlingeringinthelapofspring,\'

  thoughthemetaphorisnotinthemostrefinedtaste。\"

  AlittlelatershewalkeddownbythesideofthelittleparkandonwestwardtoBroadwaytoaccomplishalittleshopping。

  AlittlelaterthanthatMrs。Widdupenteredtheinvalid\'sroom。

  \"Didyouring,Sir?\"sheasked,dimplinginmanyplaces。\"IaskedHigginstogotothedrugstore,andI

  thoughtIheardyourbell。\"

  \"Ididnot,\"saidMr。Coulson。

  \"I\'mafraid,\"saidMrs。Widdup,\"Iinterruptedyousir,yesterdaywhenyouwereabouttosaysomething。\"

  \"Howcomesit,Mrs。Widdup,\"saidoldmanCoulsonsternly,\"thatIfinditsocoldinthishouse?\"

  \"Cold,Sir?\"saidthehousekeeper,\"why,now,sinceyouspeakofititdoseemcoldinthisroom。But,out-

  doorsit\'saswarmandfineasJune,sir。Andhowthisweatherdoseemtomakeone\'sheartjumpoutofone\'sshirtwaist,sir。Andtheivyallleavedoutonthesideofthehouse,andthehand-organsplaying,andthechildrendancingonthesidewalk——\'tisagreattimeforspeakingoutwhat\'sintheheart。Youweresayingyesterday,sir——\"

  \"Woman!\"roaredMr。Coulson;\"youareafool。I

  payyoutotakecareofthishouse。Iamfreezingtodeathinmyownroom,andyoucomeinanddriveltomeaboutivyandhand-organs。Getmeanovercoatatonce。Seethatalldoorsandwindowsareclosedbelow。

  Anold,fat,irresponsible,one-sidedobjectlikeyouprat-

  ingaboutspringtimeandflowersinthemiddleofwinter!

  WhenHigginscomesback,tellhimtobringmeahotrumpunch。Andnowgetout!\"

  ButwhoshallshamethebrightfaceofMay?Roguethoughshebeanddisturberofsanemen\'speace,nowisevirginscunningnorcoldstorageshallmakeherbowherheadinthebrightgalaxyofmonths。

  Oh,yes,thestorywasnotquitefinished。

  Anightpassed,andHigginshelpedoldmanCoulsoninthemorningtohischairbythewindow。Thecoldoftheroomwasgone。Heavenlyodoursandfragrantmild-

  nessentered。

  InhurriedMrs。Widdup,andstoodbyhischair。Mr。

  Coulsonreachedhisbonyhandandgraspedherplumpone。

  \"Mrs。Widdup,\"hesaid,\"thishousewouldbenohomewithoutyou。Ihavehalfamilliondollars。Ifthatandthetrueaffectionofaheartnolonoerinitsyouthfulprime,butstillnotcold,could——\"

  \"Ifoundoutwhatmadeitcold,\"saidMrs。Widdup,leanin\'againsthischair。\"\'Twasice——tonsofit——

  inthebasementandinthefurnaceroom,everywhere。I

  shutofftheregistersthatitwascomingthroughintoyourroom,Mr。Coulson,poorsoul!Andnowit\'sMaytimeagain。\"

  \"Atrueheart,\"wentonoldmanCoulson,alittlewanderingly,\"thatthespringtimehasbroughttolifeagain,and——butwhatwillmydaughtersay,Mrs。

  Widdup?\"

  \"Neverfear,sir,\"saidMrs。Widdup,cheerfully。

  \"MissCoulson,sheranawaywiththeicemanlastnight,sir!\"

  ATECHNICALERROR

  Inevercaredespeciallyforfeuds,believingthemtobeevenmoreoverratedproductsofourcountrythangrapefruit,scrapple,orhoneymoons。Nevertheless,ifImaybeallowed,IwilltellyouofanIndianTerritoryfeudofwhichIwaspress-agent,camp-follower,andinaccessoryduringthefact。

  IwasonavisittoSamDurkee\'sranch,whereIhadagreattimefallingoffunmanicuredponiesandwavingmybarehandatthelowerjawsofwolvesabouttwomilesaway。Samwasahardenedpersonofabouttwenty-

  five,withareputationforgoinghomeinthedarkwithperfectequanimity,thoughoftenwithreluctance。

  OverintheCreekNationwasafamilybearingthenameofTatum。IwastoldthattheDurkeesandTatumshadbeenfeudingforyears。Severalofeachfamilyhadbittenthegrass,anditwasexpectedthatmoreNebuchad-

  nezzarswouldfollow。Ayoungergenerationofeachfamilywasgrowingup,andthegrasswaskeepingpacewiththem。

  ButIgatheredthattheyhadfoughtfairly;thattheyhadnotlainincornfieldsandaimedatthedivisionoftheirenemies\'suspendersintheback——partly,perhaps,becausetherewerenocornfields,andnobodyworemorethanonesuspender。Norhadanywomanorchildofeitherhouseeverbeenharmed。Inthosedays——andyouwillfinditsoyet——theirwomenweresafe。

  SamDurkeehadagirl。Ifitwereanall-fictionmagazinethatIexpecttosellthisstoryto,Ishouldsay,\"Mr。Durkeerejoicedinafianc閑。\"HernamewasEllaBaynes。Theyappearedtobedevotedtoeachother,andtohaveperfectconfidenceineachother,asallcouplesdowhoareandhaveoraren\'tandhaven\'t。Shewastolerablypretty,withaheavymassofbrownhairthathelpedheralong。Heintroducedmetoher,whichseemednottolessenherpreferenceforhim;soIreasonedthattheyweresurelysoul-mates。

  MissBayneslivedinKingfisher,twentymilesfromtheranch。Samlivedonagallopbetweenthetwoplaces。

  OnedaytherecametoKingfisheracourageousyoungman,rathersmall,withsmoothfaceandregularfeatures。

  Hemademanyinquiriesaboutthebusinessofthetown,andespeciallyoftheinhabitantscognominally。HesaidhewasfromMuscogee,andhelookedit,withhisyellowshoesandcrochetedfour-in-hand。ImethimoncewhenIrodeinforthemail。HesaidhisnamewasBeverlyTravers,whichseemedratherimprobable。

  Therewereactivetimesontheranch,justthen,andSamwastoobusytogototownoften。Asanincom-

  petentandgenerallyworthlessguest,itdevolveduponmetorideinforlittlethingssuchaspostcards,barrelsofflour,baking-powder,smoking-tobacco,and——lettersfromElla。

  Oneday,whenIwasmessengerforhalfagrossofcigarettepapersandacoupleofwagontires,IsawtheallegedBeverlyTraversinayellow-wheeledbuggywithEllaBaynes,drivingabouttownasostentatiouslyastheblack,waxymudwouldpermit。Iknewthatthisinfor-

  mationwouldbringnobalmofGileadtoSam\'ssoul,soIrefrainedfromincludingitinthenewsofthecitythatIretailedonmyreturn。Butonthenextafternoonanelongatedex-cowboyofthenameofSimmons,anold-

  timepalofSam\'s,whokeptafeedstoreinKingfisher,rodeouttotheranchandrolledandburnedmanycigar-

  ettesbeforehewouldtalk。Whenhedidmakeoration,hiswordswerethese:

  \"Say,Sam,there\'sbeenadescriptionofagalootmiscallin\'himselfBevel-edgedTravelsimpairingtheatmosphericairofKingfisherforthepasttwoweeks。

  Youknowwhohewas?HewasnototherwisethanBenTatum,fromtheCreekNation,sonofoldGopherTatumthatyourUncleNewtshotlastFebruary。Youknowwhathedonethismorning?HekilledyourbrotherLester——shothimintheco\'t-houseyard。\"

  IwonderedifSamhadheard。Hepulledatwigfromamesquitebush,cheweditgravely,andsaid:

  \"Hedid,didhe?HekilledLester?\"

  \"Thesame,\"saidSimmons。\"Andhedidmore。

  Herunawaywithyourgirl,thesameastosayMissEllaBaynes。Ithoughtyoumightliketoknow,soIrodeouttoimparttheinformation。\"

  \"Iammuchobliged,Jim,\"saidSam,takingthechewedtwigfromhismouth。\"Yes,I\'mgladyourodeOut。Yes,I\'mrightglad。\"

  \"Well,I\'llberidin\'back,Ireckon。ThatboyIleftinthefeedstoredon\'tknowhayfromoats。HeshotLesterintheback。\"

  \"Shothimintheback?\"

  \"Yes,whilehewashitchin\'hishoss。\"

  \"I\'mmuchobliged,Jim。\"

  \"Ikindofthoughtyou\'dliketoknowassoonasyoucould。\"

  \"Comeinandhavesomecoffeebeforeyourideback,Jim?\"

  \"Why,no,Ireckonnot;Imustgetbacktothestore。\"

  \"Andyousay——\"

  \"Yes,Sam。Everybodyseen\'emdriveawaytogetherinabuckboard,withabigbundle,likeclothes,tiedupinthebackofit。Hewasdrivin\'theteamhebroughtoverwithhimfromMuscogee。They\'llbehardtoover-

  takerightaway。\"

  \"Andwhich——\"

  \"Iwasgoin\'ontotellyou。TheyleftontheGuthrieroad;butthere\'snotellin\'whichforksthey\'lltake——

  youknowthat。\"

  \"Allright,Jim;muchobliged。\"

  \"You\'rewelcome,Sam。\"

  Simmonsrolledacigaretteandstabbedhisponywithbothheels。Twentyyardsawayhereinedupandcalledback:

  \"Youdon\'twantno——assistance,asyoumightsay?\"

  \"Notany,thanks。\"

  \"Ididn\'tthinkyouwould。Well,solong!\"

  Samtookoutandopenedabone-handledpocket-knifeandscrapedadriedpieceofmudfromhisleftboot。I

  thoughtatfirsthewasgoingtoswearavendettaonthebladeofit,orrecite\"TheGipsy\'sCurse。\"ThefewfeudsIhadeverseenorreadaboutusuallyopenedthatway。Thisoneseemedtobepresentedwithanewtreat-

  ment。Thusofferedonthestage,itwouldhavebeenhissedoff,andoneofBelasco\'sthrillingmelodramasdemandedinstead。

  \"Iwonder,\"saidSam,withaprofoundlythoughtfulexpression,\"ifthecookhasanycoldbeansleftover!\"

  HecalledWash,theNegrocook,andfindingthathehadsome,orderedhimtoheatupthepotandmakesomestrongcoffee。ThenwewentintoSam\'sprivateroom,whereheslept,andkepthisarmoury,dogs,andthesad-

  dlesofhisfavouritemounts。Hetookthreeorfoursix-

  shootersoutofabookcaseandbegantolookthemover,whistling\"TheCowboy\'sLament\"abstractedly。After-

  wardheorderedthetwobesthorsesontheranchsaddledandtiedtothehitching-post。

  Now,inthefeudbusiness,inallsectionsofthecountry,Ihaveobservedthatinoneparticularthereisadelicatebutstrictetiquettebelonging。Youmustnotmentionthewordorrefertothesubjectinthepresenceofafeudist。

  Itwouldbemorereprehensiblethancommentinguponthemoleonthechinofyourrichaunt。Ifound,lateron,thatthereisanotherunwrittenrule,butIthinkthatbelongssolelytotheWest。

  Ityetlackedtwohourstosupper-time;butintwentyminutesSamandIwereplungingdeepintothereheatedbeans,hotcoffee,andcoldbeef。

  Nothinglikeagoodmealbeforealongride,\"saidSam。\"Eathearty。\"

  Ihadasuddensuspicion。

  \"Whydidyouhavetwohorsessaddled?\"Iasked。

  \"One,two——one,two,\"saidSam。\"Youcancount,can\'tyou?\"

  Hismathematicscarriedwithitamomentaryqualmandalesson。Thethoughthadnotoccurredtohimthatthethoughtcouldpossiblyoccurtomenottorideathissideonthatredroadtorevengeandjustice。Itwasthehighercalculus。Iwasbookedforthetrail。Ibegantoeatmorebeans。

  Inanhourwesetforthatasteadygallopeastward。

  OurhorseswereKentucky-bred,strengthenedbythemesquitegrassofthewest。BenTatum\'ssteedsmayhavebeenswifter,andhehadagoodlead;butifhehadheardthepunctualthudsofthehoofsofthosetrailersofours,bornintheheartoffeudland,hemighthavefeltthatretributionwascreepinguponthehoof-printsofhisdappernags。

  IknewthatBenTatum\'scardtoplaywasflight——

  flightuntilhecamewithinthesaferterritoryofhisownhenchmenandsupporters。Heknewthatthemanpur-

  suinghimwouldfollowthetrailtoanyendwhereitmightlead。

  DuringtherideSamtalkedoftheprospectforrain,ofthepriceofbeef,andofthemusicalglasses。Youwouldhavethoughthehadneverhadabrotherorasweetheartoranenemyonearth。Therearesomesub-

  jectstoobigevenforthewordsinthe\"Unabridged。\"

  Knowingthisphaseofthefeudcode,butnothavingpractiseditsufficiently,Ioverdidthethingbytellingsomeslightlyfunnyanecdotes。Samlaughedatexactlytherightplace——laughedwithhismouth。WhenIcaughtsightofhismouth,IwishedIhadbeenblessedwithenoughsenseofhumourtohavesuppressedthoseanecdotes。

  OurfirstsightofthemwehadinGuthrie。Tiredandhungry,westumbled,unwashed,intoalittleyellow-pinehotelandsatatatable。Intheoppositecornerwesawthefugitives。Theywerebentupontheirmeal,butlookedaroundattimesuneasily。

  Thegirlwasdressedinbrown-oneofthesesmooth,half-shiny,silky-lookingaffairswithlacecollarandcuffs,andwhatIbelievetheycallanaccordion-plaitedskirt。

  Sheworeathickbrownveildowntohernose,andabroad-brimmedstrawhatwithsomekindoffeathersadorningit。Themanworeplain,darkclothes,andhishairwastrimmedveryshort。Hewassuchamanasyoumightseeanywhere。

  Theretheywere——themurdererandthewomanhehadstolen。Therewewere——therightfulavenger,accordingtothecode,andthesupernumerarywhowritesthesewords。

  Foronetime,atleast,intheheartofthesupernumerarythererosethekillinginstinct。Foronemomenthejoinedtheforceofcombatants——orally。

  \"Whatareyouwaitingfor,Sam?\"Isaidinawhisper。

  \"Lethimhaveitnow!\"

  Samgaveamelancholysigh。

  \"Youdon\'tunderstand;buthedoes,\"hesaid。\"Heknows。Mr。Tenderfoot,there\'saruleouthereamongwhitemenintheNationthatyoucan\'tshootamanwhenhe\'swithawoman。Ineverknewittobebrokeyet。

  Youcan\'tdoit。You\'vegottogethiminagangofmenorbyhimself。That\'swhy。Heknowsit,too。Weallknow。So,that\'sMr。BenTatum!Oneofthe\'prettymen\'!I\'llcuthimoutoftheherdbeforetheyleavethehotel,andregulatehisaccount!\"

  Aftersuppertheflyingpairdisappearedquickly-

  AlthoughSamhauntedlobbyandstairwayandhallshalfthenight,insomemysteriouswaythefugitiveseludedhim;andinthemorningtheveiledladyinthebrowndresswiththeaccordion-plaitedskirtandthedapperyoungmanwiththeclose-clippedhair,andthebuckboardwiththeprancingnags,weregone。

  Itisamonotonousstory,thatoftheride;soitshallbecurtailed。Onceagainweovertookthemonaroad。Wewereaboutfiftyyardsbehind。Theyturnedinthebuckboardandlookedatus;thendroveonwithoutwhippinguptheirhorses。Theirsafetynolongerlayinspeed。BenTatumknew。Heknewthattheonlyrockofsafetylefttohimwasthecode。Thereisnodoubtthat,hadhebeenalone,thematterwouldhavebeensettledquicklywithSamDurkeeintheusualway;

  buthehadsomethingathissidethatkeptstillthetrigger-fingerofboth。Itseemedlikelythathewasnocoward。

  So,youmayperceivethatwoman,onoccasions,maypostponeinsteadofprecipitatingconflictbetweenmanandman。Butnotwillinglyorconsciously。Sheisobliviousofcodes。

  Fivemilesfarther,wecameuponthefuturegreatWesterncityofChandler。Thehorsesofpursuersandpursuedwerestarvedandweary。Therewasonehotelthatoffereddangertomanandentertainmenttobeast;

  sothefourofusmetagaininthediningroomattheringingofabellsoresonantandlargethatithadcrackedthewelkinlongago。ThediningroomwasnotaslargeastheoneatGuthrie。

  Justaswewereeatingapplepie——howBenDavisesandtragedyimpingeuponeachother!——InoticedSamlookingwithkeenintentnessatourquarrywheretheywereseatedatatableacrosstheroom。Thegirlstillworethebrowndresswithlacecollarandcuffs,andtheveildrawndowntohernose。Themanbentoverhisplate,withhisclosecroppedheadheldlow。

  \"There\'sacode,\"IheardSamsay,eithertomeortohimself,\"thatwon\'tletyoushootamaninthecompanyofawoman;but,bythunder,thereain\'tonetokeepyoufromkillingawomaninthecompanyofaman!\"

  And,quickerthanmymindcouldfollowhisargument,hewhippedaColt\'sautomaticfromunderhisleftarmandpumpedsixbulletsintothebodythatthebrowndresscovered——thebrowndresswiththelacecollarandcuffsandtheaccordion-plaitedskirt。

  Theyoungpersoninthedarksacksuit,fromwhoseheadandfromwhoselifeawoman\'sgloryhadbeenclipped,laidherheadonherarmsstretcheduponthetable;whilepeoplecamerunningtoraiseBenTatumfromthefloorinhisfemininemasqueradethathadgivenSamtheopportunitytosetaside,technically,theobliga-

  tionsofthecode。

  SUITEHOMESANDTHEIRROMANCE

  FEWyoungcouplesintheBig-City-of-BluffbegantheirmarriedexistencewithgreaterpromiseofhappinessthandidMr。andMrs。ClaudeTurpin。Theyfeltnoespecialanimositytowardeachother;theywerecomfort-

  ablyestablishedinahandsomeapartmenthousethathadanameandaccommodationslikethoseofasleeping-

  car;theywerelivingasexpensivelyasthecoupleonthenextfloorabovewhohadtwicetheirincome;

  andtheirmarriagehadoccurredonawager,aferry-

  boatandfirstacquaintance,thussecuringasensationalnewspapernoticewiththeirnamesattachedtopicturesoftheQueenofRoumaniaandM。Santos-

  Dumont。

  Turpin\'sincomewas$200permonth。Onpayday,aftercalculatingtheamountsdueforrent,instalmentsonfurnitureandpiano,gas,andbillsowedtotheflorist,confectioner,milliner,tailor,winemerchantandcabcompany,theTurpinswouldfindthattheystillhad$200

  lefttospend。Howtodothisisoneofthesecretsofmetropolitanlife。

  ThedomesticlifeoftheTurpinswasabeautifulpicturetosee。Butyoucouldn\'tgazeuponitasyoucouldatanoleographof\"Don\'tWakeGrandma,\"or\"Brook-

  lynbyMoonlight。\"

  Youhadtoblinkwhenlookedatit;andyouheardafizzingsoundjustlikethemachinewitha\"scope\"attheendofit。Yes;therewasn\'tmuchreposeaboutthepictureoftheTurpins\'domesticlife。Itwassomethinglike\"SpearingSalmonintheColumbiaRiver,\"or\"Jap-

  aneseArtilleryinAction。\"

  Everydaywasjustlikeanother;asthedaysareinNewYork。InthemorningTurpinwouldtakebromo-

  seltzer,hispocketchangefromundertheclock,hishat,nobreakfastandhisdeparturefortheoffice。AtnoonMrs。Turpinwouldgetoutofbedandhumour,putonakimono,airs,andthewatertoboilforcoffee。

  Turpinluncheddowntown。Hecamehomeat6

  todressfordinner。Theyalwaysdinedout。Theystrayedfromthechop-housetochop-sueydom,fromterracetotabled\'h魌e,fromrathskellertoroadhouse,fromcaf?tocasino,fromMaria\'stotheMarthaWash-

  ington。Suchisdomesticlifeinthegreatcity。Yourvineisthemistletoe;yourfigtreebearsdates。YourhouseholdgodsareMercuryandJohnHowardPayne。

  Fortheweddingmarchyounowhearonly\"ComewiththeGypsyBride。\"Yourarelydineatthesameplacetwiceinsuccession。Youtireofthefood;and,besides,youwanttogivethemtimeforthequestionofthatsouve-

  nirsilversugarbowltoblowover。

  TheTurpinswerethereforehappy。Theymademanywarmanddelightfulfriends,someofwhomtheyremem-

  beredthenextday。Theirhomelifewasanidealone,accordingtotherulesandregulationsoftheBookofBluff。

  TherecameatimewhenitdawneduponTurpinthathiswifewasgettingawaywithtoomuchmoney。

  Ifyoubelongtothenear-swellclassintheBigCity,andyourincomeis$200permonth,andyoufindattheendofthemonth,afterlookingoverthebillsforcurrentexpenses,thatyou,yourself,havespent$150,youverynaturallywonderwhathasbecomeoftheother$50。

  Soyoususpectyourwife。Andperhapsyougiveherahintthatsomethingneedsexplanation。

  \"Isay,Vivien,\"saidTurpin,oneafternoonwhentheywereenjoyinginraptsilencethepeaceandquietoftheircozyapartment,\"you\'vebeencreatingahiatusbigenoughforadogtocrawlthroughinthismonth\'shon-

  orarium。Youhaven\'tbeenpayingyourdressmakeranythingonaccount,haveyou?\"

  Therewasamoment\'ssilence。Nosoundscouldbeheardexceptthebreathingofthefoxterrier,andthesubdued,monotonoussizzlingofVivien\'sfulvouslocksagainsttheinsensatecurlingirons。ClaudeTurpin,sittinguponapillowthathehadthoughtfullyplacedupontheconvolutionsoftheapartmentsofa,narrowlywatchedtheriante,lovelyfaceofhiswife。

  \"Claudie,dear,\"saidshe,touchingherfingertoherrubytongueandtestingtheunresponsivecurlingirons,\"youdomeaninjustice。Mme。Toinettehasnotseenacentofminesincethedayyoupaidyourtailortendollarsonaccount。\"

  Turpin\'ssuspicionswereallayedforthetime。Butonedaysoontherecameananonymouslettertohimthatread:

  \"Watchyourwife。Sheisblowinginyourmoneysecretly。Iwasasuffererjustasyouare。TheplaceisNo。345BlankStreet。Awordtothewise,etc。

  \"AMANWHOKNOWS\"

  Turpintookthislettertothecaptainofpoliceoftheprecinctthathelivedin。

  \"Myprecinctisascleanasahound\'stooth,\"saidthecaptain。\"Thelid\'sshutdownasclosethereasitisovertheeyeofaWilliamsburggirlwhenshe\'skissedataparty。Butifyouthinkthere\'sanythingqueerattheaddress,I\'llgotherewithye。\"

  Onthenextafternoonat3,TurpinandthecaptaincreptsoftlyupthestairsofNo。345BlankStreet。A

  dozenplain-clothesmen,dressedinfullpoliceuniforms,soastoallaysuspicion,waitedinthehallbelow。

  Atthetopofthestairswasadoor,whichwasfoundtobelocked。Thecaptaintookakeyfromhispocketandunlockedit。Thetwomenentered。

  Theyfoundthemselvesinalargeroom,occupiedbytwentyortwenty-fiveelegantlyclothedladies。Racingchartshungagainstthewalls,atickerclickedinonecorner;withatelephonereceivertohisearamanwascallingoutthevariouspositionsofthehorsesinaveryexcitingrace。Theoccupantsoftheroomlookedupattheintruders;but,asifreassuredbythesightofthecaptain\'suniform,theyrevertedtheirattentiontothemanatthetelephone。

  \"Yousee,\"saidthecaptaintoTurpin,\"thevalueofananonymousletter!Nohigh-mindedandself-respect-

  inggentlemanshouldconsideroneworthyofnotice。

  Isyourwifeamongthisassembly,Mr。Turpin?\"

  \"Sheisnot,\"saidTurpin。

  \"Andifshewas,\"continuedthecaptain,\"wouldshebewithinthereachofthetongueofslander?TheseladiesconstituteaBrowningSociety。Theymeettodiscussthemeaningofthegreatpoet。ThetelephoneisconnectedwithBoston,whencetheparentsocietytransmitsfrequentlyitsinterpretationsofthepoems。Beashamedofyersuspicions,Mr。Turpin。\"

  \"Gosoakyourshield,\"saidTurpin。\"Vivienknowshowtotakecareofherselfinapool-room。She\'snotdroppinganythingontheponies。Theremustbesome-

  thingqueergoingonhere。\"

  \"NothingbutBrowning,\"saidthecaptain。\"Hearthat?\"

  \"Thanatopsisbyanose,\"drawledthemanatthetelephone。

  \"That\'snotBrowning;that\'sLongfellow,\"saidTurpin,whosometimesreadbooks。

  \"Backtothepasture!\"exclaimedthecaptain。\"long-

  fellowmadethepacing-to-wagonrecordof7。53\'waybackin1868。\"

  \"Ibelievethere\'ssomethingqueeraboutthisjoint,\"

  repeatedTurpin。

  \"Idon\'tseeit,\"saidthecaptain。

  \"Iknowitlookslikeapool-room,allright,\"persistedTurpin,\"butthat\'sallablind。Vivienhasbeendroppingalotofcoinsomewhere。Ibelievethere\'ssomeunder-

  handedworkgoingonhere。\"

  Anumberofracingsheetsweretackedclosetogether,coveringalargespaceononeofthewalls。Turpin,suspicious,toreseveralofthemdown。Adoor,pre-

  viouslyhidden,wasrevealed。Turpinplacedaneartothecrackandlistenedintently。Heheardthesofthumofmanyvoices,lowandguardedlaughter,andasharp,metallicclickingandscrapingasiffromamultitudeoftinybutbusyobjects。

  \"MyGod!ItisasIfeared!\"whisperedTurpintohimself。\"Summonyourmenatonce!\"hecalledtothecaptain。\"Sheisinthere,Iknow。\"

  Attheblowingofthecaptain\'swhistletheuniformedplain-clothesmenrushedupthestairsintothepool-

  room。Whentheysawthebettingparaphernaliadistrib-

  utedaroundtheyhalted,surprisedandpuzzledtoknowwhytheyhadbeensummoned。

  Butthecaptainpointedtothelock-eddoorandbadethembreakitdown。Inafewmomentstheydemolisheditwiththeaxestheycarried。IntotheotherroomsprangClaudeTurpin,withthecaptainathisheels。

  ThescenewasonethatlingeredlonginTurpin\'smind。Nearlyascoreofwomen——womenexpensivelyandfashionablyclothed,manybeautifulandofrefinedappearance——hadbeenseatedatlittlemarble-toppedtables。Whenthepoliceburstopenthedoortheyshriekedandranhereandtherelikegaylyplumedbirdsthathadbeendisturbedinatropicalgrove。Somebecamehysterical;oneortwofainted;severalkneltatthefeetoftheofficersandbesoughtthemformercyonaccountoftheirfamiliesandsocialposition。

  AmanwhohadbeenseatedbehindadeskhadseizedarollofcurrencyaslargeastheankleofaParadiseRoofGardenschorusgirlandjumpedoutofthewindow。

  Halfadozenattendantshuddledatoneendoftheroom,breathlessfromfear。

  Uponthetablesremainedthedamningandincon-

  trovertibleevidencesoftheguiltofthehabitu閑softhatsinisterroom——dishafterdishheapedhighwithicecream,andsurroundedbystacksofemptyones,scrapedtothelastspoonful。

  \"Ladies,\"saidthecaptaintohisweepingcircleofprisoner\"I\'llnotholdanyofyez。SomeofyezIrecog-

  nizeashavingfinehousesandgoodstandinginthecommunity,withhard-workinghusbandsandchilderathome。ButI\'llreadyeabitofalecturebeforeyego。

  Inthenextroomthere\'sa20-to-1shotjustdroppedinunderthewirethreelengthsaheadofthefield。Isthisthewayyewasteyourhusbands\'moneyinsteadofhelp-

  ingearnit?Homewidyez!Thelid\'sontheice-creamfreezerinthisprecinct。\"

  ClaudeTurpin\'swifewasamongthepatronsoftheraidedroom。Heledhertotheirapartmentinstemsilence。Theresheweptsoremorsefullyandbesoughthisforgivenesssopleadinglythatheforgothisjustanger,andsoonhegatheredhispenitentgolden-hairedVivieninhisarmsandforgaveher。

  \"Darling,\"shemurmured,halfsobbingly,asthemoon-

  lightdriftedthroughtheopenwindow,glorifyinghersweet,upturnedface,\"IknowIdonewrong。Iwillnevertouchicecreamagain。Iforgotyouwerenotamillionaire。Iusedtogothereeveryday。Butto-dayIfeltsomestrange,sadpresentimentofevil,andIwasnotmyself。Iateonlyelevensaucers。\"

  \"Saynomore,\"saidClaude,gentlyashefondlycaressedherwavingcurls。

  \"Andyouaresurethatyoufullyforgiveme?\"askedVivien,gazingathimentreatinglywithdewyeyesofheavenlyblue。

  \"Almostsure,littleone,\"answeredClaude,stoopingandlightlytouchinghersnowyforeheadwithhislips。

  \"I\'llletyouknowlateron。I\'vegotamonth\'ssalarydownonVanillatowinthethree-year-oldsteeplechaseto-morrow;andiftheice-creamhunchistothegoodyouareItagain——see?\"

  THEWHIRLIGIGOFLIFE

  JUSTICE-OF-THE-PEACEBenajaWiddupsatinthedoorofhisofficesmokinghiselder-stempipe。Half-

  waytothezeniththeCumberlandrangeroseblue-grayintheafternoonhaze。Aspeckledhenswaggereddownthemainstreetofthe\"settlement,\"cacklingfoolishly。

  Uptheroadcameasoundofcreakingaxles,andthenaslowcloudofdust,andthenabull-cartbearingRansieBilbroandhiswife。ThecartstoppedattheJustice\'sdoor,andthetwoclimbeddown。Ransiewasanarrowsixfeetofsallowbrownskinandyellowhair。Theimperturbabilityofthemountainshunguponhimlikeasuitofarmour。Thewomanwascalicoed,angled,snuff-brushed,andwearywithunknowndesires。Throughitallgleamedafaintprotestofcheatedyouthunconsciousofitsloss。

  TheJusticeofthePeaceslippedhisfeetintohisshoes,forthesakeofdignity,andmovedtoletthementer。

  \"We-all,\"saidthewoman,inavoicelikethewindblowingthroughpineboughs,\"wantsadivo\'ce。\"ShelookedatRansietoseeifhenotedanyflaworambiguityorevasionorpartialityorself-partisanshipinherstate-

  mentoftheirbusiness。

  \"Adivo\'ce,\"repeatedRansie,withasolemnDod。

  \"We-allcan\'tgitalongtogethernohow。It\'slonesomeenoughfurtoliveinthemount\'inswhenamanandawomankeersfuroneanother。Butwhenshe\'sa-spittin\'

  likeawildcatora-sullenin\'likeahoot-owlinthecabin,amanain\'tgotnocalltolivewithher。\"

  \"Whenhe\'sano-\'countvarmint,\"saidthewoman,\"withoutanyespecialwarmth,a-traipsin\'alongofscalawagsandmoonshinersanda-layin\'onhisbackpizen\'ithco\'nwhiskey,anda-pesterin\'folkswithapacko\'hungry,triflin\'houn\'stofeed!\"

  \"Whenshekeepsa-throwin\'skilletlids,\"cameRansie\'santiphony,\"andslingsb\'ilin\'wateronthebestcoon-dogintheCumberlands,andsetsherselfagin\'cookin\'aman\'svictuals,andkeepshimawakeo\'nightsaccusin\'himofasightofdoin\'s!\"

  \"Whenhe\'sal\'aysa-fightin\'therevenues,andgitsahardnameinthemount\'insfurameanman,who\'sgwinetobeablefurtosleepo\'nights?\"

  TheJusticeofthePeacestirreddeliberatelytohisduties。Heplacedhisonechairandawoodenstoolforhispetitioners。Heopenedhisbookofstatutesonthetableandscannedtheindex。Presentlyhewipedhisspectaclesandshiftedhisinkstand。

  \"Thelawandthestatutes,\"saidhe,\"airsilentonthesubjeckofdivo\'ceasfurasthejurisdictionofthisco\'tairconcerned。But,accordin\'toequityandtheCon-

  stitutionandthegoldenrule,it\'sabadbarg\'inthatcan\'trunbothways。Ifajusticeofthepeacecanmarryacouple,it\'splainthatheisboundtobeabletodivo\'ce\'em。Thishereofficewillissueadecreeofdivo\'ceandabidebythedecisionoftheSupremeCo\'ttoholditgood。\"

  RansieBilbrodrewasmalltobacco-bagfromhistrouserspocket。Outofthisheshookuponthetableafive-dollarnote。\"Soldab\'arskinandtwofoxesfurthat,\"heremarked。\"It\'sallthemoneywegot。\"

  \"Theregularpriceofadivo\'ceinthisco\'t,\"saidtheJustice,\"airfivedollars。\"Hestuffedthebillintothepocketofhishomespunvestwithadeceptiveairofindiffer-

  ence。Withmuchbodilytoilandmentaltravailhewrotethedecreeuponhalfasheetoffoolscap,andthencopieditupontheother。RansieBilbroandhiswifelistenedtohisreadingofthedocumentthatwastogivethemfreedom:

  \"KnowallmenbythesepresentsthatRansieBilbroandhiswife,ArielaBilbro,thisdaypersonallyappearedbeforemeandpromisesthathereinaftertheywillneitherlove,honour,norobeyeachother,neitherforbetternorworse,beingofsoundmindandbody,andacceptsummonsfordivorceaccordingtothepeaceanddignityoftheState。

  Hereinfailnot,sohelpyouGod。BenajaWiddup,justiceofthepeaceinandforthecountyofPiedmont,StateofTennessee。\"

  TheJusticewasabouttohandoneofthedocumentstoRansie。ThevoiceofArieladelayedthetransfer。

  Bothmenlookedather。Theirdullmasculinitywasconfrontedbysomethingsuddenandunexpectedinthewoman。

  \"Judge,don\'tyougivehimthatairpaperyit。\'Tain\'tallsettled,nohow。Igottohavemyrightsfirst。I

  gottohavemyali-money。\'Tain\'tnokindofawaytodofuramantodivo\'cehiswife\'thoutherhavin\'acentfurtodowith。I\'ma-layin\'offtobea-goin\'uptobrotherEd\'suponHogbackMount\'in。I\'mboundfurtohevapa\'rofshoesandsomesnuffandthingsbesides。EfRancekinaffo\'dadivo\'ce,lethimpaymeali-money。\"

  RansieBilbrowasstrickentodumbperplexity。Therehadbeennoprevioushintofalimony。Womenwerealwaysbringingupstartlingandunlooked-forissues。

  JusticeBenajaWiddupfeltthatthepointdemandedjudicialdecision。Theauthoritieswerealsosilentonthesubjectofalimony。Butthewoman\'sfeetwerebare。

  ThetrailtoHogbackMountainwassteepandflinty。

  \"ArielaBilbro,\"heasked,inofficialtones,\"howmuchdidyou\'lowwouldbegoodandsufficientali-moneyinthecasebefo\'theco\'t。\"

  \"I\'lowed,\"sheanswered,\"furtheshoesandall,tosayfivedollars。Thatain\'tmuchfurali-money,butIreckonthat\'llgitmetoupbrotherEd\'s。\"

  \"Theamount,\"saidtheJustice,\"airnotonreasonable。

  RansieBilbro,youairorderedbytheco\'ttopaytheplain-

  tiffthesumoffivedollarsbefo\'thedecreeofdivo\'ceairissued。\"

  \"Ihain\'tnomo\'money,\"breathedRansie,heavily。

  \"IdonepaidyouallIhad。\"

  \"Otherwise,\"saidtheJustice,lookingseverelyoverhisspectacles,\"youairincontemptofco\'t。\"

  \"Ireckonifyougimmetillto-morrow,\"pleadedthehusband,\"Imoutbeabletorakeorscrapeitupsomewhars。Ineverlookedfortobea-payin\'noali-

  money。\"

  \"Thecaseairadjourned,\"saidBenajaWiddup,\"tillto-morrow,whenyou-allwillpresentyo\'selvesandobeytheorderoftheco\'t。Followin\'ofwhichthedecreesofdivo\'cewillbedelivered。\"Hesatdowninthedoorandbegantoloosenashoestring。

  \"WemoutaswellgodowntoUncleZiah\'s,\"decidedRansie,\"andspendthenight。\"Heclimbedintothecartononeside,andArielaclimbedinontheother。

  Obeyingtheflapofhisrope,thelittleredbullslowlycamearoundonatack,andthecartcrawledawayinthenimbusarisingfromitswheels。

  Justice-of-the-peaceBenajaWiddupsmokedhiselder-

  stempipe。Lateintheafternoonhegothisweeklypaper,andreadituntilthetwilightdimmeditslines。Thenhelitthetallowcandleonhistable,andreaduntilthemoonrose,markingthetimeforsupper。Helivedinthedoublelogcabinontheslopenearthegirdledpoplar。

  Goinghometosupperhecrossedalittlebranchdarkenedbyalaurelthicket。Thedarkfigureofamansteppedfromthelaurelsandpointedarifleathisbreast。Hishatwaspulleddownlow,andsomethingcoveredmostofhisface。

  \"Iwantyo\'money,\"saidthefigure,\"\'thoutanytalk。

  I\'mgettin\'nervous,andmyfinger\'sa-wabblin\'onthisheretrigger。\"

  \"I\'veonlygotf-f-fivedollars,\"saidtheJustice,pro-

  ducingitfromhisvestpocket。

  \"Rollitup,\"cametheorder,\"andstickitintheendofthisheregun-bar\'l。\"

  Thebillwascrispandnew。Evenfingersthatwereclumsyandtremblingfoundlittledifficultyinmakingaspillofitandinsertingitthiswithlesseaseintothemuzzleoftherifle。

  \"NowIreckonyoukinbegoin\'along,\"saidtherobber。

  TheJusticelingerednotonhisway。

  Thenextdaycamethelittleredbull,drawingthecarttotheofficedoor。JusticeBenajaWidduphadhisshoeson,forhewasexpectingthevisit。InhispresenceRansieBilbrohandedtohiswifeafive-dollarbill。Theofficial\'seyesharplyviewedit。Itseemedtocurlupasthoughithadbeenrolledandinsertedintotheendofagun-barrel。

  ButtheJusticerefrainedfromcomment。Itistruethatotherbillsmightbeinclinedtocurl。Hehandedeachoneadecreeofdivorce。Eachstoodawkwardlysilent,slowlyfoldingtheguaranteeoffreedom。ThewomancastashyglancefullofconstraintatRansie。

  \"Ireckonyou\'llbegoin\'backuptothecabin,\"shesaid,along\'iththebull-cart。There\'sbreadinthetinboxsettin\'ontheshelf。Iputthebaconintheb\'ilin\'-pottokeepthehoundsfromgittin\'it。Don\'tforgettowindtheclockto-night。\"

  \"Youaira-goin\'toyourbrotherEd\'s?\"askedRansie,withfineunconcern。

  \"Iwas\'lowin\'togetalonguptharaforenight。I

  ain\'tsayin\'asthey\'llpestertheyselvesanytomakemewelcome,butIhain\'tnowharelsefurtogo。It\'sarightsmartways,andIreckonIbetterbegoin\'。I\'llbea-sayin\'

  good-bye,Ranse-thatis,ifyoukeerfurtosayso。\"

  \"Idon\'tknowasanybody\'sahounddog,\"saidRansie,inamartyr\'svoice,\"furtonotwanttosaygood-bye——

  \'lessyouairsoanxioustogitawaythatyoudon\'twantmetosayit。\"

  Arielawassilent。Shefoldedthefive-dollarbillandherdecreecarefully,andplacedtheminthebosomofherdress。BenajaWiddupwatchedthemoneydisappearwithmournfuleyesbehindhisspectacles。

  Andthenwithhisnextwordsheachievedrankashisthoughtsranwitheitherthegreatcrowdoftheworld\'ssympathizersorthelittlecrowdofitsgreatfinanciers。

  \"Bekindo\'lonesomeintheoldcabinto-night,Ranse,\"

  hesaid。

  RansieBilbrostaredoutattheCumberlands,clearbluenowinthesunlight。HedidnotlookatAriela。

  \"I\'lowitmightbelonesome,\"hesaid;\"butwhenfolksgitsmadandwantsadivo\'ce,youcan\'tmakefolksstay。\"

  \"There\'sotherswantedadivo\'ce,\"saidAriela,speakingtothewoodenstool。\"Besides,nobodydon\'twantno-

  bodytostay。\"

  \"Nobodyneversaidtheydidn\'t。\"

  \"Nobodyneversaidtheydid。IreckonIbetterstartonnowtobrotherEd\'s。\"

  \"Nobodycan\'twindthatoldclock。\"

  \"Wantmetogobackalong\'ithyouinthecartandwinditfuryou,Ranse?\"

  Themountaineer\'scountenancewasproofagainstemotion。ButhereachedoutabighandandenclosedAriela\'sthinbrownone。Hersoulpeepedoutoncethroughherimpassiveface,hallowingit。

  \"Themhoundsshan\'tpesteryounomore,\"saidRansie。\"IreckonIbeenmeanandlowdown。Youwindthatclock,Ariela。\"

  \"Myhearthit\'sinthatcabin,Ranse,\"shewhispered,\"along\'ithyou。Iai\'nta-goin\'togitmadnomore。Le\'sbestartin\',Ranse,so\'swekingithomebysundown。\"

  Justice-of-the-peaceBenajaWiddupinterposedastheystartedforthedoor,forgettinghispresence。

  \"InthenameoftheStateofTennessee,\"hesaid,\"I

  forbidyou-alltobea-defyin\'ofitslawsandstatutes。

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