rather keep mine, if you don't mind."

"I guess so!" cried the barber. "Just think!"

The shaving of Bainbridge had arrived at a time of comparative liberty
for him. "I wonder what the doctor says to himself?" he observed. "He
may be sorry he made him live."

"It was the only thing he could do," replied a man. The others seemed
to agree with him.

"Supposing you were in his place," said one, "and Johnson had saved
your kid. What would you do?"

"Certainly!"

"Of course! You would do anything on earth for him. You'd take all the
trouble in the world for him. And spend your last dollar on him. Well,
then?"

"I wonder how it feels to be without any face?" said Reifsnyder,
musingly.

The man who had previously spoken, feeling that he had expressed
himself well, repeated the whole thing. "You would do anything on
earth for him. You'd take all the trouble in the world for him. And
spend your last dollar on him. Well, then?"

"No, but look," said Reifsnyder; "supposing you don't got a face!"

XV

As soon as Williams was hidden from the view of the old judge he began
to gesture and talk to himself. An elation had evidently penetrated to
his vitals, and caused him to dilate as if he had been filled with
gas. He snapped his fingers in the air, and whistled fragments of
triumphal music. At times, in his progress towards his shanty, he
indulged in a shuffling movement that was really a dance. It was to be
learned from the intermediate monologue that he had emerged from his
trials laurelled and proud. He was the unconquerable Alexander
Williams. Nothing could exceed the bold self-reliance of his manner.
His kingly stride, his heroic song, the derisive flourish of his
hands--all betokened a man who had successfully defied the world.

On his way he saw Zeke Paterson coming to town. They hailed each other
at a distance of fifty yards.

"How do, Broth' Paterson?"

"How do, Broth' Williams?"

They were both deacons.

"Is you' folks well, Broth' Paterson?"

"Middlin', middlin'. How's you' folks, Broth' Williams?"

Neither of them had slowed his pace in the smallest degree. They had
simply begun this talk when a considerable space separated them,
continued it as they passed, and added polite questions as they
drifted steadily apart. Williams's mind seemed to be a balloon. He had
been so inflated that he had not noticed that Paterson had definitely
shied into the dry ditch as they came to the point of ordinary