you'd tell Uncle Judd about the trouble in town to-day,"
he said, still looking fixedly at Hale.

"Certainly."

"Did you tell the Red Fox that day you seed him when you was goin' over
to the Gap last fall that you seed me at Uncle Judd's?"

"No," said Hale. "But how did you know that I saw the Red Fox that day?"
The boy laughed unpleasantly.

"So long," he said. "See you agin some day." The way was steep and the
sun was down and darkness gathering before Hale reached the top of the
mountain--so he hallooed at the yard fence of the Red Fox, who peered
cautiously out of the door and asked his name before he came to the
gate. And there, with a grin on his curious mismatched face, he repeated
young Dave's words:

"You've come back agin." And Hale repeated his:

"Yes, I've come back again."

"You goin' over to Lonesome Cove?"

"Yes," said Hale impatiently, "I'm going over to Lonesome Cove. Can I
stay here all night?"

"Shore!" said the old man hospitably. "That's a fine hoss you got
thar," he added with a chuckle. "Been swappin'?" Hale had to laugh as he
climbed down from the bony ear-flopping beast.

"I left my horse in town--he's lame."

"Yes, I seed you thar." Hale could not resist: "Yes, and I seed you."
The old man almost turned.

"Whar?" Again the temptation was too great.

"Talking to the Falin who started the row." This time the Red Fox
wheeled sharply and his pale-blue eyes filled with suspicion.

"I keeps friends with both sides," he said. "Ain't many folks can do
that."

"I reckon not," said Hale calmly, but in the pale eyes he still saw
suspicion.

When they entered the cabin, a little old woman in black, dumb and
noiseless, was cooking supper. The children of the two, he learned, had
scattered, and they lived there alone. On the mantel were two pistols
and in one corner was the big Winchester he remembered and behind it
was the big brass telescope. On the table was a Bible and a volume of
Swedenborg, and among the usual strings of pepper-pods and beans and
twisted long green tobacco were drying herbs and roots of all kinds, and
about the fireplace were bottles of liquids that had been stewed from
them. The little old woman served, and opened her lips not at all.
Supper was eaten with no further reference to the doings in town that
day, and no word was said about their meeting when Hale first went to
Lonesome Cove until they were smoking on the porch.

"I heerd you found some mighty fine co