it, lad?" asked Thorn, pausing in his tramp, as if willing to
be drawn from the disturbing thought that made his black brows lower
and his mouth look grim.

"Thinkin' of my wife, and wishin' she was here, bless her heart! set
me rememberin' how I see her fust, and so I roared, as I always do
when it comes into my head."

"How was it? Come, reel off a yarn, and let's hear houw yeou hitched
teams," said Flint, always glad to get information concerning his
neighbors, if it could be cheaply done.

"Tellin' how we found our wives wouldn't be a bad game, would it,
Phil?"

"I'm agreeable; but let's have your romance first."

"Devilish little of that about me or any of my doin's. I hate
sentimental bosh as much as you hate slang, and should have been a
bachelor to this day if I hadn't seen Kitty jest as I did. You see,
I'd been too busy larkin' round to get time for marryin', till a
couple of years ago, when I did up the job double-quick, as I'd like
to do this thunderin' slow one, hang it all!"

"Halt a minute till I give a look, for this picket isn't going to be
driven in or taken while I'm on guard."

Down his beat went Thorn, reconnoitring river, road, and swamp,
as thoroughly as one pair of keen eyes could do it, and came back
satisfied, but still growling like a faithful mastiff on the watch;
performances which he repeated at intervals till his own turn came.

"I didn't have to go out of my own State for a wife, you'd better
believe," began Dick, with a boast, as usual; "for we raise as fine a
crop of girls thar as any State in or out of the Union, and don't mind
raisin' Cain with any man who denies it. I was out on a gunnin' tramp
with Joe Partridge, a cousin of mine,--poor old chap! he fired his
last shot at Gettysburg, and died game in a way he didn't dream of the
day we popped off the birds together. It ain't right to joke that way;
I won't if I can help it; but a feller gets awfully kind of heathenish
these times, don't he?"

"Settle up them scores byme-by; fightin' Christians is scurse raound
here. Fire away, Dick."

"Well, we got as hungry as hounds half a dozen mile from home, and
when a farmhouse hove in sight, Joe said he 'd ask for a bite, and
leave some of the plunder for pay. I was visitin' Joe, didn't know
folks round, and backed out of the beggin' part of the job; so he went
ahead alone. We'd come out of the woods behind the house, and while
Joe was foragin', I took a reconnoissance. The view