e
ditches as far up as the big meadow. And if you don't run across it
there--" The door slammed, and Jack laughed with his eyes fast shut and
three dimples showing.

Evadna sank listlessly into her chair and regarded him and all her
little world with frank disapproval.

"Upon my WORD, I don't see how anybody can laugh, after what has
happened on this place," she said dismally, "or--WHISTLE, after--" Her
lips quivered a little. She was a distressed Christmas angel, if ever
there was one.

Wally snorted. "Want us to go CRYING around because the row's over?" he
demanded. "Think Grant ought to wear crepe, I suppose--because he ain't
on ice this morning--or in jail, which he'd hate a lot worse. Think we
ought to go around with our jaws hanging down so you could step on 'em,
because Baumberger cashed in? Huh! All hurts MY feelings is, I didn't
get a whack at the old devil myself!" It was a long speech for Wally to
make, and he made it with deliberate malice.

"Now you're shouting!" applauded Gene, also with the intent to be
shocking.

"THAT'S the stuff," approved Clark, grinning at Evadna's horrified eyes.

"Grant can run over me sharp-shod and I won't say a word, for what he
did day before yesterday," declared Jack, opening his eyes and looking
straight at Evadna. "You don't see any tears rolling down MY cheeks, I
hope?"

"Good Injun's the stuff, all right. He'd 'a' licked the hull damn--"

"Now, Donny, be careful what language you use," Phoebe admonished, and
so cut short his high-pitched song of praise.

"I don't care--I think it's perfectly awful." Evadna looked
distastefully upon her breakfast. "I just can't sleep in that room, Aunt
Phoebe. I tried not to think about it, but it opens right that way."

"Huh!" snorted Wally. "Board up the window, then, so you can't see the
fatal spot!" His gray eyes twinkled. "I could DANCE on it myself," he
said, just to horrify her--which he did. Evadna shivered, pressed her
wisp of handkerchief against her lips, and left the table hurriedly.

"You boys ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" Phoebe scolded
half-heartedly; for she had lived long in the wild, and had seen much
that was raw and primitive. "You must take into consideration that
Vadnie isn't used to such things. Why, great grief! I don't suppose the
child ever SAW a dead man before in her life--unless he was laid out in
church with flower-anchors piled knee-deep all over him. And to see
one shot right before her ve