posted off to Barrington, where a surprise, that
was not altogether an agreeable one, awaited him. He could not find any
of his friends, but every one on the street, with whom he exchanged a
word of greeting, seemed to know all about the adventures he had had
that day. Bud didn't mind being told that he had permitted a little old
man, who could not stand against a twelve-year-old boy, to scare him
with a revolver, for he was not the only one in that scrape. Four other
men had stood on the outside of the counter while Mr. Bailey talked to
them as he pleased; but when folks came to joke him for being walked out
of the yard by a preacher, it was more than he could endure.

"Jest let him get the grip on you that he got on me, an' he'll make the
best among ye walk turkey," Bud retorted sharply. "There aint a man in
town that's got any business with him, if he is a preacher. But let me
tell ye: He aint by no means heared the last of me yet."

Bud saw signs of suppressed excitement on all sides and in the face of
every man he met; but, conceited as he was, he could not believe that
the excitement was occasioned by the incidents of which he had been the
hero. They might have had something to do with the grave look he saw on
Mr. Riley's face as the latter hurried by him without speaking, but Bud
believed that there was something else in the wind of which he had not
heard. It had such a depressing effect upon him that he transacted his
business with as little delay as possible and went home.

"There's goin' to be doin's of some sort or another about yer, an'
before long, too," said he, as he handed his wife the articles he had
bought for her, and deposited the bag containing the meal and bacon on
the floor. "I don't know what's up, but Riley an' among 'em look sorter
uneasy. Mebbe that outbreak old woman, that's what's the matter, sure's
you're born. That outbreak's comin', an' who knows but it'll be here
this very night?"

"Good lands save us!" exclaimed Mrs. Goble, in alarm; and even her
husband looked as though he would have liked to go to a little safer
place than Barrington was, if he had only known where to find it.

"Yes, sir, that's jest what's the matter," repeated Bud. "Riley's
somehow got wind of it, an' that's what made him look so glum. Why
didn't he stop an' tell me all about it, I'd like to know. I'll jest
tell him he mustn't do that a-way no more, kase it aint right long's I
am workin' for that committee. Say