sn't a lamb in my flock to-day
that wouldn't grin if he was to hear the news."

"Well, what are you going to do with her, Adair?" inquired Butler;
"remember you are losing time here."

"Do with her!" ejaculated the woodman; "that's soon told: I will skin
the devil alive."

"I hope not," exclaimed Butler. "It would be an unnecessary cruelty.
Despatch her on the spot with your rifle."

"I wouldn't waste powder and ball on the varmint," replied Adair. "No,
no, the knife, the knife!"

"Then cut her throat and be done with it."

"You are not used to these hellish thieves, sir," said the woodman.
"There is nothing that isn't too good for them. By the old sinner, I'll
skin her alive! That's the sentence!"

"Once more, I pray not," said Butler imploringly.

"It is past praying for," returned Adair, as he drew forth his knife and
began to whet it on a stone. "She shall die by inches, and be damned to
her!" he added, as his eye sparkled with savage delight. "Now look and
see a wolf punished according to her evil doings."

The woodman stood over his captive and laughed heartily, as he pointed
out to his companions the quailing and subdued gestures of his victim,
indulging in coarse and vulgar jests whilst he described minutely the
plan of torture he was about to execute. When he had done with his
ribaldry, he slowly drew the point of his knife down the back-bone of
the animal, from the neck to the tail, sundering the skin along the
whole length. "That's the way to unbutton her jacket," he said, laughing
louder than ever.

"For God's sake, desist!" ejaculated Butler. "For my sake, save the poor
animal from this pain! I will pay you thrice the value of the skin."

"Money will not buy her," said Wat, looking up for an instant. "Besides,
the skin is spoiled by that gash."

"Here is a guinea, if you will cut her throat," said Butler, "and
destroy her at once."

"That would be murder out-right," replied Adair; "I never take money to
do murder; it goes agin my conscience. No, no, I will undress the old
lady, and let her have the benefit of the cool air in this hot weather.
And if she should take cold, you know, and fall sick and die of that,
why then, Mr. Butler, you can give me the guinea. That will save my
conscience," he added, with a grin that expressed a struggle between his
avarice and cruelty.

"Come, Galbraith, I will not stay to witness the barbarity of this
savage. Mount your horse, and let us take our chance