way and said: "'Twixt you an' me an' yon pine,
you hain't got no furder to go fer to strike up wi' Hightower. I'm the
man you er atter."

Chichester regarded him with some degree of amazement.

"My dear sir," he exclaimed, "why should you desire to play the sphinx?"

"Spinks?" said Abe, with something like a grimace; "the Spinks famerly
lived furder up the mounting, but they er done bin weeded out by the
revenue men too long ago to talk about. The ole man's in jail in Atlanty
er some'rs else, the boys is done run'd off, an' the gal's a trollop. No
Spinks in mine, cap', _ef_ you please!"

Chichester laughed at the other's earnestness. He mistook it for
drollery.

"I let you know, cap'," Abe went on, "you can't be boss er your own
doin's an' give ever' passin' man your name."

"Well, I'm very glad to meet you," said Chichester heartily; "I'll have
a good deal of business in this neighborhood first and last, and I'm
told there isn't anything worth knowing about the mountain that you
don't know."

"That kind er talk," Abe replied, "kin be run in the groun', yit I
hain't a-denyin' but what I've got a kind er speakin' acquaintance wi'
the neighborhood whar I'm a-livin' at. Ef you er huntin' my house, thes
drive right on. I'll be thar ag'in you git thar."

Chichester found a very cordial welcome awaiting him when he arrived at
Hightower's house. Even the dogs were friendly, and the big cat came out
from its hiding-place to rub against his legs as he sat on the little
porch.

"By the time you rest your face an' han's," said Abe, "I reckon
breakfast'll be ready."

Chichester, who was anxious to give no trouble, explained that he had
had a cup of coffee at Peevy's before starting up the mountain. He said,
moreover, that the mountain was so bracing that he felt as if he could
fast a week and still fatten.

"Well, sir," Abe remarked, "hit's mighty little we er got to offer, an'
that little's mighty common, but, sech as 'tis, you er more'n welcome.
Hit's diffunt wi' me when the mornin' air blows at me. Hit makes me
wanter nibble at somepin'. I dunner whar you come from, an' I ain't
makin' no inquirements, but down in these parts you can't spat a man
harder betwixt the eyes than to set back an' not break bread wi' 'im."

Mr. Chichester had been warned not to wound the hospitality of the
simple people among whom he was going, and he was quick to perceive that
his refusal to "break bread" with the Hightowers would be tak