ce more with the great hunters and
scouts who fought for the fair land of Kain-tuck-ee. His imagination
was so vivid that it required only a touch to stir it into life, and the
aspect of the mountains, wild and lonely and clothed in snow, heightened
the illusion.

"I s'pose from what you tell us that you'll have the chance to use it,
Mr. Reed," said the sergeant.

"I reckon so," replied the mountaineer emphatically. "'Bout five miles
up this pass you'll come to a cove in which Jim Johnson's house stood.
Some uv them gorillers attacked it, three nights ago. Jim held 'em off
with his double-barreled shotgun, 'til his wife an' children could git
out the back way. Then he skedaddled hisself. They plundered the house
uv everythin' wuth carryin' off an' then they burned it plum' to the
groun'. Jim an' his people near froze to death on the mounting, but
they got at last to the cabin uv some uv their kin, whar they are now.
Then they've carried off all the hosses an' cattle they kin find in
the valleys an' besides robbin' everybody they've shot some good men.
Thar is shorely a good dose uv lead comin' to every feller in that band."

The mountaineer's face for a moment contracted violently. Dick saw that
he was fairly burning for revenge. Among his people the code of an eye
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth still prevailed, unquestioned, and
there would be no pity for the guerrilla who might come under the muzzle
of his rifle. But his feelings were shown only for the moment. In
another instant, he was a stoic like the Indians whom he had displaced.
After a little silence he added:

"That man Slade, who is the brains uv the outfit, is plum' devil.
So fur ez his doin's in these mountings are concerned he ain't human at
all. He hez no mercy fur nuthin' at no time."

His words found an echo in Dick's own mind. He remembered how venomously
Slade had hunted for his own life in the Southern marshes, and chance,
since then, had brought them into opposition more than once. Just as
Harry had felt that there was a long contest between Shepard and himself,
Dick felt that Slade and he were now to be pitted in a long and mortal
combat. But Shepard was a patriot, while Slade was a demon, if ever a
man was. If he were to have a particular enemy he was willing that it
should be Slade, as he could see in him no redeeming quality that would
cause him to stay his hand, if his own chance came.

"Have you any idea where the guer