enance, and his smiling eyes became
steel-colored and flashed with something like anger; but it was only for
an instant.

"Halloo! that you out o' the woods, John Barker?" he called, in a
smooth, pleasant tone.

"'Pears tew be; 'n' yeou, Reube Wetherbee,--it seems yeou're eout er the
woods, tew."

"Of course I am; but then I don't hev ter travel twelve or fifteen miles
ter git ter the settlement. How about the dance to-morrow night? Your
camp goin' ter turn out?"

"Some o' the hands catilate ter go, I b'lieve."

"But a sober feller like you don't care for such kind er jollifications
much, I reckon."

"I was thinkin' o' goin'."

"Ah! 'n' that accounts for your journey to the settlement to-night.
Goin' to the tavern, of course. I say, man, we're bound there on the
same arrand. What's goin' to be done about it?"

"What do you mean, Reube Wetherbee?" exclaimed Barker, with a deep frown
upon his rugged features, which looked almost grotesque in the delicate
moonlight.

"Oh, you know what I mean, well enough, John, and you may as well take
it calmly. When two men take a farncy to the same woman there's likely
to be some sarse between 'em; but that's no use. Now, we're both got to
the same point on our way ter ask Drusy to go ter the dance. Your legs
may be a little longer'n mine, 'n' if we should try a race you might
reach the tavern a minute before me, 'n' you might not, for I'm pretty
nimble 'n' all-fired long-winded. So I say, let's have things fair 'n'
square. I've got a pack of cards in my pocket, 'n' I'm fur goin' into
Jones's old camp--it's only a few steps beyond here, in the edge of the
woods, you know--'n' playin' it out."

"I guess I kin resk it 'n' take my chances as they come," said Barker,
in a voice which sounded husky and strange. And he took great strides
along the crisp white road.

"Your chances! Why, you know, man, if I should get there first you
wouldn't have the ghost of a chance, 'n' if we should get there at the
same time do you s'pose she'd say yes to you 'n' no to me? To speak up
frank, she don't seem to set great store by neither of us, but she
favors me full as much as she does any other feller, that's certain. I
doubt whether she'd go to the dance even with me, though. There's
something the matter. Hang it if I don't sometimes think she's got
another feller down-river where she come from. Still, she's been to
Jones's pritty near a year now, 'n' he ain't put in an appearance, 'n'
sh