baby; his eyes filled with helpless tears, that could not
conceal the burning hatred he was born to bear them all. He was hot and
cold by turns; he stood staring, silent and defiant, motionless, sullen.
He heard the melodic measure of the river, with its crystalline,
keen vibrations against the rocks; the munching teeth of the old
mare--allowed to come to a stand-still that the noise of the sorghum
mill might not impinge upon the privileges of the quarrel; and the high,
ecstatic whinny of the little sister waiting on the opposite bank of
the river, having crossed the foot-bridge. There the Grinnell baby had
chanced to spy her, and had bounced and grinned and sputtered affably.
It was she who had made all the trouble yearning after the Grinnell
baby.

He would not stay, however, to be ignominiously beaten, for Grinnell had
turned away, and was looking about the ground as if in search of a thick
stick. He accounted himself no craven, thus numerically at a
disadvantage, to turn shortly about, take his way down the rocky slope,
cross the footbridge, jerk the little girl by one hand and lead her
whimpering off, while the round-eyed Grinnell baby stared gravely after
her with inconceivable emotions. These presently resulted in rendering
her cross; she whined a little and rubbed her eyes, and, smarting from
her own ill-treatment of them, gave a sharp yelp of dismay. The old dog
arose and went and sat close by her, eying her solemnly and wagging his
tail, as if begging her to observe how content he was. His dignity was
somewhat impaired by sudden abrupt snaps at flies, which caused her to
wink, stare, and be silent in astonishment.

"Waal, Job Grinnell," exclaimed Augusta, as her husband came back and
took the perforated gourd from her hand--for she had been skimming
the sorghum in his absence--"ye air the longest-tongued man, ter be so
short-legged, I ever see!"

He looked a trifle discomfited. He had deported himself with unwonted
decision, conscious that Augusta was looking on, and in truth somewhat
supported by the expectation of her approval.

"What ails ye ter say words ye can't abide by--ye 'low ye 'pear so
graceful on the back track?" she asked.

He bent over the sorghum, silently skimming. His composure was somewhat
ruffled, and in throwing away the scum his gesture was of negligent and
discursive aim; the boiling fluid bespattered the foot of one of the
omnipresent dogs, whose shrieks rent the sky and whose activ