of Sheba!" exclaimed Miles Pulliam, laughing
loudly, in spite of his bruises; "only last sale day you mighty nigh
jolted the life out of Bill-Tom Saunders, with the big end of a hickory
stick."

"That's so," said Walthall reflectively; "but did I follow him up to do
it? Wasn't he dogging after me all day, and strutting around bragging
about what he was going to do? Didn't I play the little stray lamb till
he rubbed his fist in my face?"

The others laughed. They knew that Jack Walthall wasn't at all lamblike
in his disposition. He was tall and strong and handsome, with pale
classic features, jet-black curling hair, and beautiful white hands that
never knew what labor was. He was something of a dandy in Hillsborough,
but in a large, manly, generous way. With his perfect manners, stately
and stiff, or genial and engaging, as occasion might demand, Mr.
Walthall was just such a romantic figure as one reads about in books, or
as one expects to see step from behind the wings of the stage with a
guitar or a long dagger. Indeed, he was the veritable original of
Cyrille Brandon, the hero of Miss Amelia Baxter's elegant novel entitled
"The Haunted Manor; or, Souvenirs of the Sunny Southland." If those who
are fortunate enough to possess a copy of this graphic book, which was
printed in Charleston for the author, will turn to the description of
Cyrille Brandon, they will get a much better idea of Mr. Walthall than
they can hope to get in this brief and imperfect chronicle. It is true,
the picture there drawn is somewhat exaggerated to suit the purposes of
fictive art, but it shows perfectly the serious impression Mr. Walthall
made on the ladies who were his contemporaries.

It is only fair to say, however, that the real Mr. Walthall was
altogether different from the ideal Cyrille Brandon of Miss Baxter's
powerfully written book. He was by no means ignorant of the impression
he made on the fair sex, and he was somewhat proud of it; but he had no
romantic ideas of his own. He was, in fact, a very practical young man.
When the Walthall estate, composed of thousands of acres of land and
several hundred healthy, well-fed negroes, was divided up, he chose to
take his portion in money; and this he loaned out at a fair interest to
those who were in need of ready cash. This gave him large leisure; and,
as was the custom among the young men of leisure, he gambled a little
when the humor was on him, having the judgment and the nerve to mak