before noon, and have already stayed too long at Big Jerry's."

"Yo' hev," was the prompt and surly reply.

"What the devil do you mean by that?" snapped Donald, with rising ire.

"What I says, goes," was the reply. "This hyar place air a powerful good
one fer yo' ter keep erway from, stranger."

"Indeed? Well, you don't own it."

The younger man's color heightened, and his lean jaws clamped together.

"I warns ye fair," he said, after a brief pause.

"And I don't accept such a warning from any one," shot back Donald,
momentarily growing more angry. "It's no business of yours, whether I go
or stay."

"I makes hit my business," replied the other sullenly. "Big Jerry air
growin' old an' foolish, I reckon; but I seen what I seen, an' thar
haint no city man ergoin' ter come up hyar an' make trouble fer a gal uv
our'n."

"Judd, it's you who are the fool. I don't admit your right to discuss
this, or any matter, with me, but Rose is nothing to me but a very good
friend. Besides, she's only a child."

"She's nigh onter old ernough ter wed," was the uncompromising answer.
"An' ef she haint nothin' ter ye, the more shame on ye fer tryin' ter
make her love ye, an' mayhaps break her heart."

"But I haven't tried to make her love me," broke in Donald impatiently.

"Then fer what did yo' put yer arms erbout her an' kiss her, like I seen
ye through the winder awhile back, I wants ter know?" demanded the
other, as he hastily frustrated Donald's attempt to step by him.

The man felt his own face flush hotly, and was angry over this visible
display of feeling.

"I tell you she's only a child. I kissed her as I would any little girl
of whom I was fond."

"Yo' love her, an' yo' haint the man ter say hit."

"Very well, then. Supposing I admit that I love her, what is it to you?"
replied Donald, with a flash of heat.

"I loves her, too. I've loved her since she come ter these hyar
mountains, a leetle baby; an' I don't calkerlate ter hev yo', er any
city man, make a plaything uv her. Hit's man ter man, now. Air yo', er
haint yo', a-goin' ter leave hyar, an' keep erway?"

"As I told you before, it's none of your business," replied Don shortly.

"An' es I told ye before, hit air. Now I tells ye thet yo' haint
a-comin' back."

"That ... remains to be seen," Donald answered wrathfully as he stepped
past Judd, this time unimpeded.

He had not gone more than a score of swinging strides, keeping the
bristling dog close bes