stol that uster belong to a Starbuck."

"Yes, and a way back yander it killed a Peters, I've hearn."

"Yes, Starbuck, with a three-inch slug. But that's nuther here nur thar,
jest now. I'm willin' to furgit the past."

Starbuck gave him a knife-thrust glance, and replied: "When a Peters
says he is, it's ten to one he ain't."

"You air still talkin' fust rate. But come to think of it, you an' me
ain't been very much at outs."

"That's so, Lije. I've slept all night many a time without dreamin' of
you."

"Yes. But I reckon I've been doin' a leetle mo' dreamin' than you have.
Yo' daughter--"

"Only a dream so fur as you air consarned."

"Do you mean to say she won't marry me if you tell her to?"

Starbuck left the table upon which he had been sitting, and moved over
closer to his visitor. "Look here: you know she can't love you, an'
don't you want her because you think I've got a little money? Hah, ain't
that it?" And slowly the old man went over to the fire-place, took down
his pipe, filled it and stood twisting a piece of paper. "When you git
right down to it, Lije, ain't that the reason--money?"

"Well," said Peters, shifting about, "if thar is money, I reckon I know
how you come by some of it." He put his foot on a chair and pulled at
his beard. "Yes, I reckon I know how you got a good deal of it.
Starbuck, I know an old feller about yo' size an' with gray ha'r that
has made a good deal o' licker when the sun wan't shinin'. And that
fetches me down to the p'int. I have applied fur appointment as Deputy
United States Marshal. Do you know what that means--if I git it?"

Starbuck leaned over and thrust the piece of paper into the fire,
turned about with it blazing in his hand and applied it to his pipe.

"Do you know what that means, Starbuck?"

The old man puffed at his pipe, drew the blazing paper through his hand,
put out the fire, removed his pipe, studied a moment and said: "Yes. It
means that I may have to kill you."

CHAPTER VI.

HADN'T LISTENED.

Not another word was spoken, and Peters went out, turning with a sullen
look as he reached the road. For a moment he stood there and then
skulked on away, met a dog in the road and kicked at him. When Margaret
re-entered the room Jasper was walking up and down with his hands behind
him. The old man began to tell a story: "Feller down in the bottoms
owned a calf that had wool on him like a sheep; uster ter shear him
every spring, and one time he