n expression of alarm. I thought that we had been attacked by a band of
Indians bent upon massacre. The clergyman, however, smiled. And Reverdy
left the side of his bride and went to the door.

He flung it open. And there burst upon my vision the wildest assemblage
of faces I had ever seen. Some were blacked to resemble the negro. Some
were painted to look like the Indian on the warpath. They were dressed
fantastically, in a variety of colors, with feathers in their hair or
hats or coon caps. They leered, grinned from ear to ear. They yelled,
and again began to beat their pans and kettles and to fire their rifles.
Sarah put her fingers to her lips in a gesture of terror, of violated
privacy. But after all this was but the frontier's hymeneal chant, the
festivities of the uninvited wedding guests. To quiet them it was
necessary to ask them to partake of the wedding delicacies.

They pushed and writhed into the room. Some of them were half drunk.
They trod upon each other. What they might have done if Reverdy had not
managed them out of the kindness of his heart and with a certain
adroitness is past conceiving. It seemed to me that a riot was on the
point of breaking loose at any minute. But having satisfied themselves,
they began to file out. Some lingered to wish the bride and groom a
happy life. Reverdy spoke with each one in such friendliness of voice
and manner, in which there was neither nervousness nor resentment. He
took it all as a matter of course. But Sarah was visibly distrait. I
could see that she was relieved as they began to depart. A few yells, a
few intermittent shots marked their going away. Then all was silent. The
guests now began to leave. And as I was going back to my hut for the
night I came to Reverdy and Sarah to bid them God-speed. I had never
seen Sarah look so charming. Her bridal dress was made of striped
calico. She had a bonnet to match. Reverdy had a new suit of blue jeans.
He looked handsome and strong. And he turned his eyes upon Sarah with a
look of protecting tenderness. I took their hands in mine to emphasize
my blessing with the closeness of affectionate contact. Sarah kissed me
on the cheek; and I left, bestriding my horse at the gate, and riding
through the darkness to my hut.

Zoe was to come to me the next morning.

CHAPTER XII

The next morning while I was sitting near the door, cleaning my rifle, I
heard the soft pounding of a horse's hoofs on the heavy sod, and look