he breaking twigs
and resisting branches.

Sydney still was intent on the lessening sounds when the old man's keen
blue eyes withdrew themselves from the wood and scrutinized her face,
pitiably drawn and colorless.

"H'm," he grunted, and added, mentally, "Hard lines for Bob."

The sound of his ejaculation reached the girl's dulled ears. She turned
to him with a touch of distrust, and yet a look of question that seemed
to implore her old friend for an explanation that might save him to her
as an honest man. The Doctor was touched by it. He nodded in the
direction in which the Baron had disappeared.

"Crazy, plumb crazy," he averred.

Sydney's dry lips formed a soundless "Why?"

"He's got some notion in his head that Ah've done him an injury--you
heard him?"

She nodded.

"Ah swear to you, Sydney, Ah haven't any idea what he means, but he
harps on it, and he sent me a challenge, as Ah suppose you know, or you
wouldn't be here."

"Yes. Bob brought me."

"Ah bluffed him off fo' three days. Ah hoped Ah might think of
something that would get him out of that vein without hurting his
foreign feelings, but Ah couldn't think of anything, so Ah 'lowed to
pretend to play up to his game, and in some way turn it into a joke."

"The bird-shot was the joke?"

The Doctor colored dimly under his tan.

"Well, Ah must confess that it seemed to me mo' humorous when Ah was
loading up the guns at home than when the Baron was discoursing about
it."

"I should think so. I should think----"

Sydney bit her sentence in two. She felt too uncontrolled to allow
herself to comment upon the Doctor's conduct.

"Ah certainly believe he's crazy or going to have a fever, and Ah'll
find some way of watching him. Ah suppose he won't let me on his place
now; Ah'll have to see Bud. Where's yo' horse?" he asked, suddenly.

Sydney pressed her hand to her head confusedly.

"I don't know. Back there somewhere."

"Come, we must hunt him. You seem tired to death, child. Did you ride
hard?"

"It was about an hour and ten minutes to the foot of the bald."

She was dragging herself wearily up to the chestnut-trees.

"An hour and ten minutes to the foot of the bald? From where?"

"From home."

"From Oakwood? Holy Smoke! What did Bob let you do such a fool thing
fo'?" he ejaculated, angrily. "Where is Bob, anyway?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since--I think it was--I don't know
where it was," she ended, weakly, and with distres