houted, springing to meet him.

"Howdy do; howdy do." He seized Lyman and then shook hands with
Warren. "I jest thought I'd look in and see how Sammy was gettin'
along. And I promised mother that if he was busy I'd jest peep in and
then slip away. Sammy, you look as peart as a red bird."

"Sit down, Uncle Buckley," said Lyman. "Let me take off your
leggings."

"Jest let them alone where they are, Sammy," the old man replied. "I
haven't got long to stay, for I don't want to keep you from your work.
Jest put those saddle-bags over there on the table. No, wait a minute.
I've got something in 'em for you. Look here," he added, taking out a
package; "mother sent you some pickles."

"Oh, I'm a thousand times obliged to her," said Lyman, putting the
package and the saddle-bags on the table. "Tell her so, please."

"I'll do that. Lawd bless you, Sammy; I do reckon she knows what a man
needs. And she says to me, 'Pap, you shan't go one step toward that
fetch-taked town unless you agree to take Sammy some pickles made
outen the finest cucumbers that ever growd.' And I jest said, 'You do
up your pickles and don't you be askeered of me.' And she begins then
to fix 'em up, a-talkin' all the time fitten to kill herself. 'The
idea of a man bein' shet up there in that musty place, without any
pickles,' she says; 'it's enough to kill him, the Lord knows.' And I
wanted to sorter relieve her distress, and I 'lowed that mebby there
was pickles in town; and she turned about, lookin' like she wanted
to fling somethin' at me. 'Pap,' she says, and I begin to dodge back,
'for as smart a man as you are, I do think you can say the foolishest
things of anybody I ever seen. Pickles fitten to eat in a town where
if a person ain't dressed up he can't get into the churches on the
Lord's day; and where, if they do get in, the minister won't even so
much as cast his eye on 'em while he's a preachin' of his sermon!
Pickles indeed,' she says, and I kep' on a dodgin'. How are you
gettin' along, Sammy?"

[Illustration: a discussion]

"First rate."

"But what's this joke they've got on you about bein' married?"

"That's what it is, Uncle Buckley, a joke."

"I told Jimmy and Lige that it was only a prank. I knowed you weren't
goin' to throw yourself away on no one here, when the woods are full
of 'em out our way that would like to have you. Don't dodge, Sammy.
Stand right up to your fodder, for you know it's a fact. It made
mother powerful mad. S