u sent the horse," replied the
hunchback. "Dunk didn't drive them nails. They're beat over at the point
instead of being clinched. It's a slut job."

"I expect," said Jud, "it was his ganglin' son-in-law, Ab."

"That's the laddiebuck," said Ump, "an' he ought to be withed. That hind
shoe has pulled loose an' broke. We've got to git it put on."

"Then we shall have to try Christian," said I; "there's no other shop
this side of the Stone Coal."

"I know it," mused Ump, "an' when he goes to the devil, flat-nosed
niggers will never shovel dirt on a meaner dog."

Jud arose and began to bridle the Cardinal. "He's mighty triflin'," said
he; "he uses store nails, an' he's too lazy to p'int 'em."

Now, to use the manufactured nail was brand enough in the Hills. But to
drive it into a horse's foot without first testing the point was a piece
of turpitude approaching the criminal.

"Well," said I, "he'll drive no nail into El Mahdi that isn't home-made
and smooth."

"Then Ump 'ill have to stand over him," replied Jud.

"Damn it," cried the hunchback, striking his clenched right hand into
the palm of his left, "ain't I stood over every one of the shirkin'
pot-wallopers from the mountains to the Gauley an' showed him how to
shoe a horse, an' told him over an' over just what to do an' how to do
it, an' put my finger on the place? An' by God! The minute my back's
turned, he'll lame a horse with a splintered nail, or bruise a frog with
a pinchin' cork, or pare off the toe of the best mare that ever walked
because he's too damn' lazy to make the shoe long enough."

Ump turned savagely and went around El Mahdi to the Bay Eagle, put the
bit in her mouth and mounted the mare. I bridled El Mahdi and climbed
into the saddle, and we rode out toward the Valley River, on the way but
an hour ago taken by the lieutenants of Woodford. We had watched them
from the tavern door, Peppers riding between the other two, rolling in
his saddle and brandishing his fist. Both he and Malan rode the big
brown cattle-horses of Woodford, while Lem Marks rode a bay
Hambletonian, slim and nervous, with speed in his legs. The saddles were
all black, long skirted, with one girth,--the Woodford saddles.

We followed in the autumn midday. It might have been a scene from some
old-time romance--musketeers of the King and guards of his mighty
Eminence setting out on a mission which the one master wished and the
other wished not; or the iron lieutenants of Crom