d. "Didn't
they arrest you for murder?"

"They didn't dare to," said the Pike man proudly. "They knew me.
They knew I could whip my weight in wildcats and wouldn't let no man
insult me."

"Did you leave the corpse lyin' out under the trees?" asked Joshua.

"I rode over to Jack's brother and told him what I had done, and
where he'd find the body. He went and buried it."

"What about the deer?"

"What deer?"

"The deer you killed and your friend claimed?"

"Oh," said the Pike man, with sudden recollection, "I told Jack's
brother he might have it."

"Now, that was kinder handsome, considerin' you'd killed your friend
on account of it."

"There ain't nothin' mean about me," said the man from Pike County.

"I see there ain't," said Mr. Bickford dryly. "It reminds me of a
little incident in my own life. I'll tell you about it, if you
hain't any objection."

"Go ahead. It's your deal."

"You see, the summer I was eighteen, my cousin worked for dad hayin'
time. He was a little older'n me, and he had a powerful appetite,
Bill had. If it wasn't for that, he'd 'a' been a nice feller enough,
but at the table he always wanted more than his share of wittles.
Now, that ain't fair, no ways--think it is, stranger?"

"No! Go ahead with your story."

"One day we sat down to dinner. Marm had made some apple-dumplin'
that day, and 'twas good, you bet. Well, I see Bill a-eyin' the
dumplin' as he shoveled in the meat and pertaters, and I knowed he
meant to get more'n his share. Now, I'm fond of dumplin' as well as
Bill, and I didn't like it. Well, we was both helped and went to
eatin'. When I was half through I got up to pour out some water.
When I cum back to the table Bill had put away his plate, which he
had cleaned off, and was eatin' my dumplin'."

"What did you say?" inquired the gentleman from Pike, interested.

"I said: 'Bill, you're my cousin, but you've gone too fur.' He
laffed, and we went into the field together to mow. He was just
startin' on his swath when I cum behind him and cut his head clean
off with my scythe."

Joe had difficulty in suppressing his laughter, but Mr. Bickford
looked perfectly serious.

"Why, that was butchery!" exclaimed the Pike man, startled. "Cut off
his head with a scythe?"

"I hated to, bein' as he was my cousin," said Joshua, "but I couldn't
have him cum any of them tricks on me. I don't see as it's any wuss
than shootin' a man."

"What did you do with hi