f. I only wanted to jest call to
your notice 'at the BIRDS are protected on this farm."

"I have no intention of interfering with your precious birds, I assure
you," replied the hunter. "And if you require an explanation of the
gun in June, I confess I did hope to be able to pick off a squirrel for
a very sick friend. But I suppose for even such cause it would not be
allowed on your premises."

"Oh pshaw now!" said Abram. "Man alive! I'm not onreasonable. O'
course in case o' sickness I'd be glad if you could run across a
squirrel. All I wanted was to have a clear understandin' about the
birds. Good luck, an' good day to you!"

Abram started across the field to Nancy, but he repeatedly turned to
watch the gleam of the gun-barrel, as the hunter rounded the corner and
started down the river bank. He saw him leave the line of the fence
and disappear in the thicket.

"Goin' straight for the sumac," muttered Abram. "It's likely I'm a
fool for not stayin' right beside him past that point. An' yet--I made
it fair an' plain, an' he passed his word 'at he wouldn't touch the
birds."

He untied Nancy, and for the second time started toward the sumac. He
had been plowing carefully, his attention divided between the mare and
the corn; but he uprooted half that row, for his eyes wandered to the
Cardinal's home as if he were fascinated, and his hands were shaking
with undue excitement as he gripped the plow handles. At last he
stopped Nancy, and stood gazing eagerly toward the river.

"Must be jest about the sumac," he whispered. "Lord! but I'll be glad
to see the old gun-barrel gleamin' safe t'other side o' it."

There was a thin puff of smoke, and a screaming echo went rolling and
reverberating down the Wabash. Abram's eyes widened, and a curious
whiteness settled on his lips. He stood as if incapable of moving.
"Clang! Clang!" came Maria's second warning.

The trembling slid from him, and his muscles hardened. There was no
trace of rheumatic stiffness in his movements. With a bound he struck
the chain-traces from the singletree at Nancy's heels. He caught the
hames, leaped on her back, and digging his heels into her sides, he
stretched along her neck like an Indian and raced across the corn
field. Nancy's twenty years slipped from her as her master's sixty had
from him. Without understanding the emergency, she knew that he
required all the speed there was in her; and with trace-chains rattling
and beat