g away my manners, Dave," he went on, "but folks is
gittin' to be mighty funny these days. A man's obleeged to s'arch his
best frien's 'fore he kin find out the'r which aways. Dave, what sort
of a dockyment is you got ag'in' me?"

"I got a warrant, Abe," said the sheriff, pleasantly.

"Well, Dave, hit won't fetch me," said Abe.

"Oh, yes!" said the sheriff. "Yes, it will, Abe. I bin a-usin' these
kind er warrants a mighty long time, an' they fetches a feller every
whack."

"Now, I'll tell you what, Dave," said Abe, patting his rifle, "I got a
dockyment here that'll fetch you a blame sight quicker'n your
dockyment'll fetch me; an' I tell you right now, plain an' flat, I
hain't a-gwine to be drug aroun' an' slapped in jail."

The sheriff leaned carelessly against the rail fence in the attitude of
a man who is willing to argue an interesting question.

"Well, I tell you how I feel about it, Abe," said the sheriff, speaking
very slowly. "You kin shoot me, but you can't shoot the law. Bang away
at me, an' thar's another warrant atter you. This yer one what I'm
already got don't amount to shucks, so you better fling on your coat
saddle your horse, an' go right along wi' me thes es neighborly ez you
please."

"Dave," said Abe, "if you come in at that gate you er a goner."

"Well, Abe," the sheriff replied, "I 'lowed you'd kick; I know what
human natur' on these hills is, an' so I thes axed some er the boys to
come along. They er right down thar in the holler. They ain't got no mo'
idea what I come fer'n the man in the moon; yit they'd make a mighty
peart posse. Tooby shore, a great big man like you ain't afeard fer ter
face a little bit er law."

Abe Hightower hesitated a moment, and then went into the house. In a few
minutes he issued forth and went out to the gate where the sheriff was.
The faces of the two men were a study. Neither betrayed any emotion nor
alluded to the warrant. The sheriff asked after the "crap"; and Abe told
him it was "middlin' peart," and asked him to go into the house and make
himself at home until the horse could be saddled. After a while the two
rode away. Once during the ride Abe said:

"I'm mighty glad it wa'n't that feller what run ag'in' you last fall,
Dave."

"Why?" asked the sheriff.

"Bekaze I'd 'a' plugged him, certain an' shore," said Abe.

"Well," said the sheriff, laughing, "I wuz a-wishin' mighty hard thes
about that time that the t'other feller had got 'lected."

The w