rked moments of dang'er.

"What he said erbout me war true enough--an' ef ye admits what he all
but said erbout you--thet ye hain't no man--then _thet's_ true too."

The boy was crestfallen and a little impatient now. He had come to
recount an achievement which had plumed and reappareled a limping
self-respect and he had expected congratulation.

"What's ther use of faultin' me by mincin' words? I licked him, didn't
I? Set hit down ter anything ye likes."

Her voice still held that cold note of inflexible but quiet anger.
"Yes, ye licked him but hit looks like ter me ye picked yore man plum
keerful an' got ye an easy one. Wait hyar, I'm goin' atter my hat."

"What fer?"

"Were a'goin' over thar tergether--an' ye're goin' ter crave his
pardon."

"I wouldn't crave his pardon," burst out the boy violently, "ter save
his soul from torment. I'd be a laughing stock ef I did."

"Ye're agoin' ter do one of two things, Joe," she announced with
finality. "Ye're either agoin' ter ask his pardon, whilst I stands by
an' hears ye do hit or else ye're a'goin' ter tell him thet ye licked
him over ther wrong words--an' thet seein' ye blundered, ye're willin'
ter lick him afresh over ther right ones--him or anybody he names ter
fight in his place."

Joe hung his head for a moment, then the pricking of the old self-scorn
came with a turning tide.

"All right," he said. "Let's go."

It was an unmannerly, but a very astonished crew upon which they came
but at the sight of Alexander herself they all became sheepish and
discomfited of aspect.

"Sol," began the girl tersely, "Joe tells me thet him an' you hed a
fight jest now over somethin' ye said erbout he. I kin do my own
fightin', but Joe hes something ter tell ye on his own account."

So introduced, Joe spoke and this time it was the swimmer striking
boldly into deep water.

"Alexander 'lows I didn't hev need ter fight over loose talk erbout
her. But when airy feller says thar hain't no man in my household, so
long's I'm thar, I hev got ample cause ter fight. Ye've got ter tek
thet back right now. Ef so be ye hain't rested up yit, an' ye've got
any friend hyar thet ye'd like ter hev take yore place, I'm ready fer
him."

But Sol had had enough, for the present. Alexander's presence made
him, somehow, feel foolish, as if his thrashing were less of an
embarrassment than its cause.

"I war jest a-funnin,'" he protested. "I'm willin' ter take back
anything th