ng to the
rescue, he came slowly along, carelessly shouldering his axe.
Perceiving his neighbour's difficulty, a new solution of the ox question
had entered his mind; and to the redoubled appeals for assistance, he
calmly replied--

"On one condition, neighbour!"

"What is it?" anxiously inquired the other.

"If I let you loose from the bar, you'll gi' me up your odd steer."

There was no help for it, and with a heavy sigh, the prisoner consented.
"Stop!" cried he, ere the axe could fall; "this old brute has half
plagued the life out o' me, and I'd like nothing better'n the
satisfaction o' killin' him myself. Jest you ketch hold here, and let
me give him his death-blow."

The second squatter, rejoicing beyond measure at having accomplished his
long-desired purpose, unsuspiciously agreed, dropped the axe, cautiously
grasped the sinewy shanks, and bent his strength to the momentary
struggle. To his utter dismay, he beheld his neighbour quietly shoulder
the axe, and walk away from the ground!

"Hold on!" he shouted; "ain't ye goin' to kill the bar?"

"Wal, not jest now, I fancy; I thought you might like to hang on a
while?"

The tables thus turned, the deluded squatter had no resource but to make
terms with his grimly gleeful neighbour, who at last consented to put an
end to the wild beast's life, if he might not only be released from the
bargain he had just made, but, in addition, be himself the recipient of
the odd ox. Sorely chagrined, the second squatter consented. But he
was a little comforted at the idea of a slight _revanche_ that had just
entered his head. Watching his chance, as the other approached to deal
the fatal blow, with a desperate effort he tore out the bear's claws
from the bark--setting the infuriated animal free--and then fled at full
speed to his cabin, leaving the two original combatants to fight it out
between themselves.

The particulars of the contest even tradition has not preserved--the
sequel to the narrative only telling that half an hour later the first
squatter, scratched and bloody, hobbled slowly up to the cabin,
remarking satirically as he threw down the broken axe:--

"Thar, neighbour; I'm afraid I've spiled yer axe, but I'm sure I've
spiled the bar. Prehaps you'd let one o' your leetle boys drive that
ere ox over to my house?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

After enjoying the hospitality of their planter friend for a few d