direct and
personal vengeance; but, on making known their intentions, the pretty
bride again appeared, and, assaulting poor Williams with a whole battery
of tearful eyes, trembling lips, and eloquent appeals, vindicated once
more the superiority of woman's wiles to man's determination. An abject
apology from the colliers, and a decided intimation from the
"Regulators" of the consequences sure to follow any future incivility to
visitors, closed the affair, and the parties separated without further
hostilities.

The evening was so far advanced when the little party of fugitives were
once more _en route_, that a proposed visit to a working mine at some
little distance was given up, and at the door of the farm-house the
party dispersed to their respective homes.

The next day had been appointed for a visit to Oil City, the farthest
and most important station upon the Creek; and one object in visiting
the house was to engage Jamie, with his "team," for the expedition. It
fortunately happened that the old Scotchman and his wife were going to
Oil City on the same day, and it was arranged that the two parties
should unite.

At an early hour in the morning, therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, with
Miselle, once more climbed the mountain to the little log-house, and
found Jamie just harnessing a pair of fine black horses to a wagon,
similar to the "hack-carriage" of Schaeffer's Farm. In the bottom was a
quantity of clean hay, and across the sides were fastened two planks,
covered with bedquilts. Upon one of these were seated Mr. and Mrs.
Williams, while Miselle was invited to the post of honor beside Mrs.
Miller, and the old Scotchman shared the driver's seat with his son.

"Dinna ye be feared now, dearie. Our Jamie's a car'fu' driver, wi' all
his wild ways," said the old woman kindly, as the wagon, with a
premonitory lurch and twist, turned into the forest road.

Road! Let the reader call to mind the most precipitous wooded mountain
of his acquaintance, and fancy a road formed over it by the simple
process of cutting off the trees, leaving the stumps and rocks
undisturbed, and then fancy himself dragged over it in a springless
wagon behind two fast horses.

"Eh, then! It maks an auld body's banes ache sair, siccan a road, as
yon!" said the Scotchwoman, with a significant grimace, as the wagon
paused a moment at the foot of a perpendicular ascent.

"I reckon ye wad nae ken whatten the Auld Country roads were med for,
gin