he Cap'n
are interested. He'll be comin' here this evenin'. He'll be comin'
to court. Now, what are you goin' to do?"

There was an expression on Mr. Gammon's face that no one had ever
seen there before. His eyes were narrowed. His pointed tongue licked
his lips. His thin hair bristled.

"What are you goin' to do to him?"

"Lick him!" replied Mr. Gammon. It was laconic, but it sounded like
a rat-tail file on steel.

"You can do it!" said Hiram, cheerfully. "The Cap'n and I both have
done it, and it's no trouble at all. I was in hopes you'd say that!"

"Lick him till his tongue hangs out!" said Mr. Gammon, with bitterer
venom.

"That will be a good place to lay for him; right down there by the
alders," suggested the Cap'n, pointing his finger.

"Yes, sir, lick him till his own brother won't know him." And Mr.
Gammon clicked together his bony fists, as hard as flints.

"And that's another point!" said Hiram, hastily. "You've seen to-day
that I'm a pretty shrewd chap to guess. I've been round the world
enough to put two and two together. Makin' man my study is how I've
got my property. Now, Gammon, you've got that writin' by Squire
Alcander Reeves. When you said 'brother' it reminded me of what I've
been ponderin'. Bat Reeves has been making the Widder Orff matter
a still hunt. His brother wasn't on. When you went to the squire to
complain, squire saw a chance to get the Cap'n into a law
scrape--slander, trespass, malicious mischief--something! Them
lawyers are ready for anything!"

"Reg'lar sharks!" snapped the selectman.

"Now," continued Hiram, "after you've got Bat Reeves licked to an
extent that will satisfy inquirin' friends and all parties
interested, you hand that writin' to him! It will show him that his
blasted fool of a lawyer brother, by tryin' to feather his own nest,
has lost him the widder and her property, got him his lickin', and
put him into a hole gen'rally. Tell him that if it hadn't been for
that paper drivin' us out here northin' would have been known."

Hiram put up his nose and drew in a long breath of prophetic
satisfaction.

"And if I'm any judge of what 'll be the state of Bat Reeves's feelin's
in general when he gets back to the village, the Reeves family will
finish up by lickin' each other--and when they make a lawsuit out
of that it will be worth while wastin' a few hours in court to listen
to. How do you figger it, Cap'n?"

"It's a stem-windin', self-actin' proposition that