s yere's all a pack of foolishness, ye
know--all a pack of foolishness. There aint no sense in it--it's jest
foolishness."

Rebecca cast a quick glance at the girl Lodusky. She leaned against the
wall just as she had done before; she was as cool as ever, though the
spark which hinted at exultation still shone steadily in her eye.

When the two ladies reached the log-cabin at which they had taken up
their abode, they found that the story of the event of the evening was
before them. Their hostess, whose habit it was to present herself with
erratic talk or information at all hours, met them with hospitable
eagerness.

"Waal now," she began, "jest to think o' them thar fool boys
a-lettin' into one another in thet tharway. I never hearn tell o' sich
foolishness. Young folks _is_ so foolish. 'N' they drord knives?" This
is in the tone of suggestive query.

"Yes," answered Miss Noble, "they drew knives."

"They did!" benignly. "Lord! What fools! Waal now, an' Dusk--what did
Dusk do?"

"She stood by and looked on," was the reply.

"Lord!" with the inimitable mountain drawl; "ye don't say so! But it's
jest like her--thet is. She's so cur'us, Dusk is. Thar aint no gettin'
at her. Ye know the gals ses as she's allers doin' fust one quare thing
'n' then another to get the boys mad at each other. But Lor', p'r'aps
'taint so! Dusk's powerful good-lookin', and gals is jealous, ye know."

"Do you think," questioned Miss Noble, "that they really would have
killed each other?"

"Lord! yaas," placidly. "They went to do it. Both Dan'l and Dave's
kinder fiery, 'n' they'd nuther on 'em hev give in with Dusk a-lookin'
on--they'd hev cut theirselves to pieces fust. Young folks _is_ so
foolish; gettin' mad about a gal! Lord knows gals is plenty enough."

"Not girls like this one," said Miss Noble, laughing a little.

"Waal now, she _is_ good-lookin', aint she? But she's cur'us, Dusk
is--she's a cur'us creetur."

"Curious!" echoed Rebecca, finding the term vague even while
suggestive.

"Yaas," she said, expansively, "she's cur'us, kinder onsosherble 'n'
notionate. Now Dusk is--cur'us. She's so still and sot, 'n' Nath Dunbar
and Mandy they think a heap on her,'n' they do the best they kin by
her, but she don't never seem to keer about 'em no way. Fur all she's so
still, she's powerful sot on fine dressin' an' rich folkses ways. Nath
he once tuk her to Asheville, 'n' seems like she's kinder never got over
it, but keeps a-broodin'