anger?"

"Yes," replied Ralph. "I lived with him after--after----" he
hesitated, conscious of speaking too frankly.

"After a Vaughn killed him!" interposed the captain with emphasis, then
added: "Did you know my mother was a Vaughn, boy? And that a brother
of hers was killed in a duel by a cousin of your father's?"

"So--I have--heard," faltered Ralph, feeling that he was by no means
beyond the reach of that wretched feud yet.

"Finally, did you know that this brother of my mother was the man who
shot your father?"

"I--never knew until Aunt Dopples told me. I call her aunt."

"Yet, knowing this, they sent you to me. I like Dopples; would do
nearly anything for him I could. His wife was always rather distant.
If she is a Granger that accounts for it."

"She told me you might not like me if you knew who I was, but I--I am
so sick of that useless old feud, that I thought you might not remember
it against me. Down here it seems as if you have too much else to
think of to be always wanting to shoot somebody."

"Right you are, my boy." Captain Shard now shook Ralph's hand
cordially, though his eye held a rather sinister gleam. "What is the
use of forever brooding over old scores? Come round and see me.
Perhaps I can put you in the way of earning a living."

The captain patted Ralph on the shoulder, started off, but called back:
"If my uncle and your great uncle made fools of themselves by carving
each other up, that is no reason you and I should keep up the folly.
We are not in the mountains now--thank goodness!"

Though much relieved at Shard's apparently amicable way of taking
things, Ralph was not altogether comfortable.

"It was a close pull," he thought. "Suppose he had got mad when he
pumped out of me who I was? If Mr. Quigg goes on to the coast, I'll
stick by him. I'm going to get away from that old feud, if I have to
go to Jericho."

As he arrived at this vague geographical decision, he beheld Sam
approaching with a second load. While they were unloading, Mr. Quigg
came up on foot. He soon paid the darky off, then took a survey of
their surroundings.

"This is not a bad stand for a day or two," said he to Ralph. "We'll
put up the tent first; then, while I fix up things inside, you can go
about and stick up some posters. I'll put a few ads. in the newspapers
and, there you are--see?"

Ralph did not see except dimly, yet he assented readily and began to
feel quite an interest in his n