im. I laid down in the shade for a
snooze, but I hadn't much more than settled myself comfortably when
I heard a yell and somebody running. I jumped up just in time to see
Hammond come busting through the bushes, lickety smash, with Lobelia
after him, yelling like an Injun. Hammond wa'n't yelling; he was saving
his breath for running.

"They wa'n't in sight more'n a minute, but went smashing and crashing
through the woods into the distance. 'Twas too hot to run after 'em, so
I waited a spell and then loafed off in a roundabout direction toward
where I see 'em go. After I'd walked pretty nigh a mile I heard Hammond
whistle. I looked, but didn't see him nowheres. Then he whistled again,
and I see his head sticking out of the top of a palm tree.

"'Is she gone?' says he.

"'Yes, long ago,' says I. 'Come down.'

"It took some coaxing to git him down, but he come after a spell, and he
was the scaredest man ever I see. I asked him what the matter was.

"''Edge,' says he, 'I'm a lost man. That 'ere 'orrible 'Ankins houtrage
is either going to marry me or kill me. 'Edge,' he says, awful solemn,
'she tried to kiss me! S'elp me, she did!'

"Well, I set back and laughed. 'Is that why you run away?' I says.

"'No,' says he. 'When I wouldn't let 'er she hups with a rock as big as
my 'ead and goes for me. There was murder in 'er eyes, 'Edge; I see it.'

"Then I laughed more than ever and told him to come back to the shanty,
but he wouldn't. He swore he'd never come back again while Lobelia
'Ankins was there.

"'That's it,' says he, 'larf at a feller critter's sufferings. I honly
wish she'd try to kiss you once, that's all!'

"Well, I couldn't make him budge, so I decided to go back and get the
lay of the land. Lobelia was busy inside the shanty when I got there
and looking black as a thundercloud, so I judged 'twa'n't best to say
nothing to her, and I went down and finished the job on the schooner. At
night, when I come in to suppers she met me at the door. She had a big
stick in her hand and looked savage. I was a little nervous.

"'Now, Lobelia 'Ankins,' says I, 'put down that and be sociable, there's
a good girl.'

"'Course I knew she couldn't understand me, but I was whistling to keep
my courage up, as the saying is.

"''Ammond!' says she, p'inting toward the woods.

"'Yes,' says I, 'Hammond's taking a walk for his health.'

"''Ammond!' says she, louder, and shaking the stick.

"'Now, Lobelia,' says I, smiling