im down and rid him, and Jason he pult his Christmas knife out of his
pocket and jobbed it in Hiram's wrist, and maw she tuck atter him with a
hickory, and he run away."

I slid off Mandy, called for another hickory, sternly dragged down my
"darling child," and gave him, not only the punishment he escaped on
Thursday, but another on my own account; the bitterness of it being
doubled for him when all the Salyers, including Hiram, came out to see
it well done.

After a hasty dinner, we started on again,--I could not be satisfied to
tarry. Dark pictures rose before me all the way,--my dear boys drinking,
shooting, maybe killing one another--and I urged Mandy on, scarcely
feeling the cold wind that blew down from the snowy mountains.

It was past three when I reached the Blair home. Behind it rose a great
hollow, filled with dark hemlocks. I gazed up into it with a shudder,
remembering it was here that Killis's father died.

Mrs. Blair met me at the door, and in answer to my inquiries for the
boys, said, "They've been in and out all day; now they're up the branch
shooting."

"Have they been drinking much?" I asked.

"A sight!" she answered; then she continued smiling, "but what they've
drank won't hurt 'em much, I reckon. When Killis come home a-Wednesday,
he called for several jugs of liquor for the boys a-Saturday; and I told
him all right, for I don't never deny him nothing. But next day 'peared
like he was thoughtful in his mind, and come evening, he said if he had
something that weren't pure liquor, but would just sort of cheer the
boys, he would give 'em that, to please you. And I recollected there was
a barrel of cider left. So this morning, before they come, he drawed off
a kag of that, and being as it was pretty hard, poured in a couple of
gallon of water, so's they wouldn't get _too_ cheered; and all day they
been eating and drinking fit to burst, and then running out to shoot a
while, and then filling up ag'in."

"Anybody wounded?" I asked.

"None so far."

Relieved beyond expression, I sank into a chair and gave thanks to God.
A little later, Killis ran in the front door. "I never give them boys
nary drap but cider," he said; "I done it to please you!"

I threw my arms around him; yes, I even wept.

"And I watered the cider, too," he continued; "them boys thinks they are
drunk, and seeing a right Christmas, but they haint, but it does 'em
just as much good!"

The other boys followed;--all mine but