s forehead. Well, this was one of the joys of
democracy, doubtless, and he was in for the rest of them. These people
had got the upper hand certainly, as Aunt Kesiah had complained.

"If you think I'll tamely submit to open robbery by such insolent
rascals as you, you're mistaken, young man," he returned.

The next instant he sprang aside and knocked up Archie's gun, which had
been levelled at him. The boy's face was white under his sunburn, and
the feathers on the partridges that hung from his shoulder trembled as
though a strong wind were blowing.

"Rascal, indeed!" he stammered, and spat on the ground after his words
in the effort to get rid of the taste of them, "as if the whole county
doesn't know that you're another blackguard like your uncle before you.
Ask any decent woman in the neighbourhood if she would have been seen in
his company!"

His rage choked him suddenly, and before he could speak again the other
struck him full in the mouth.

"Take that and hold your tongue, you young savage!"

Then as he stooped for his gun, which he had laid down, a shot passed
over his head and whizzed lightly across the meadow.

"The next time I'll take better aim!" called Archie, turning away. "I'll
shoot as straight as the man who gave your uncle his deserts down at
Poplar Spring!"

Whistling to his dogs, he ran on for a short distance; then vaulting the
rail fence he disappeared into the tangle of willows beside the stream
which flowed down from the mill.

While he watched him the anger in Gay's face faded slowly into disgust.

"Now I've stirred up a hornet's nest," he thought, annoyed by his
impetuosity. "Who, I wonder, was the fellow, and what a fool--what a
tremendous fool I have been!"

With his love of ease, of comfort, of popularity, the situation appeared
to him to be almost intolerable. The whole swarm would be at his head
now, he supposed; for instead of silencing the angry buzzing around his
uncle's memory, he had probably raised a tumult which would deafen his
own ears before it was over. Here, as in other hours and scenes, his
resolve had acted less as a restraint than as a spur which had impelled
him to the opposite extreme of conduct.

Still rebuking his impulsiveness, he shouldered his gun again, and
followed slowly in the direction Archie had taken. The half bared
willows by the brook distilled sparkling drops as the small red sun rose
higher over the meadows, and it was against the shimmering b