spring is that the folks thet lived yere got thar water
from?"

"Ef I don't disremember," said another, "this is the house where little
Pete Higgenbottom lived afore the country got ruther onhelthy fur him
on account of his partiality for other people's hosses. I made a little
trip up yere the time I loss thet little white-faced bay mar of pap's,
an I'm purty sure the spring's over thar in the holler."

"Lordy, how they must 've hankered arter the fun o' totin' water to 've
lugged hit clar from over tha. I'd've moved the house nigher the spring
afore I'd've stood thet ere a month, so I would."

"The distance to the water ortent to bother a feller thet gets along
with usin' ez little ez you do," growled the first speaker.

"A man whose nose looks like a red-pepper pod in August, and his shirt
like a section o' rich bottom land, hain't no great reason ter make
remarks on other folks's use o' water."

Jake plucked up some courage from the relaxation in the savage grimness
of his captors, which seemed implied by this rough pleasantry, and
with him such recuperation of spirits naturally took the form of brassy
self-assertion.

"Don't you fellers know," he began with a manner and tone intended to
be placating, but instead was rasping and irritating, "don't you fellers
know that the best thing you can do with me is to take me back to our
people, and trade me off for one of your fellers that they've ketched?"

"An' don't ye know thet the best thing ye kin do is to keep thet gapin'
mouth o' your'n shet, so thet the flies won't git no chance to blow
yer throat?" said the man whose nose had been aptly likened to a ripe
red-pepper pod, "an' the next best thing's fur ye to git inter that
cabin thar quicker'n blazes 'll scorch a feather, an' stay thar without
makin' a motion toward gittin' away. Git!" and he made a bayonet thrust
at Jake that tore open his blouse and shirt, and laid a great gaping
wound along his breast. Jake leaped into the cabin and threw himself
down upon the puncheon floor.

"Thar war none of our crowd taken," said another of the squad, who had
looked on approvingly. "They wuz all killed, an' the only way to git
even is ter send ye whar they are."

Jake made another earnest effort to recall one of the prayers he had
derided in his bad boyhood.

Leaving the red-nosed man to guard the prisoner, the rest of the Rebels
started for the hollow, in search of water to cool their burning thirst.

They had gai