er, pale and shaken,
taking a sip of the blackberry cordial we always carry with us for
emergencies. I suggested that she drive the thing home, but she only
shook her head and muttered something about almost falling out of the
back end of the car when we leaped up out of the creek. She had, she
asserted, been clear up on the folded-back top, and had stayed there
until the jolt against the haystack had thrown her forward into the seat
again.

I daresay we would still be there had not a young man with a gun run
suddenly around the haystack. He had a frightened look, but when he saw
us all alive he relaxed. Unfortunately, however, Aggie still had the
bottle of blackberry cordial in the air. His expression altered when he
saw her, and he said, in a disgusted voice:

"Well, I be damned!"

Tish had not seen Aggie, and merely observed that she felt like that and
even more. She then remarked that I had broken her other arm, and her
nose, which had struck the wind shield. But the young man merely gave
her a scornful glance, and leaning his gun against the haystack, came
over to the car and inspected us all with a most scornful expression.

"I thought so!" he said. "When I saw you leaping that fence and jumping
the creek, I knew what was wrong. Only I thought it was a party of men.
In my wildest dreams--give me that bottle," he ordered Aggie, holding
out his hand.

Now it is Aggie's misfortune to have lost her own teeth some years ago,
owing to a country dentist who did not know his business. And when
excited she has a way of losing her hold, as one may say, on her upper
set. She then speaks in a thick tone, with a lisp.

"Thertainly not!" said Aggie.

To my horror, the young man then stepped on the running board of the car
and snatched the bottle out of her hand.

"I must say," he said, glaring at us each in turn, "that it is the most
disgraceful thing I have ever seen." His eyes stopped at Tish, and
traveled over her. "Where is your clothing?" he demanded, fiercely.

It was then that Tish rose and fixed him with a glittering eye.

"Young man," she said, "where my dress skirt is does not concern you.
Nor why we are here as we are. Give Miss Pilkington that bottle of
blackberry cordial."

"Blackberry cordial!" jeered the young man.

"As for what you evidently surmise, you are a young idiot. I am the
President of the local branch of the W. C. T. U."

"Of course you are," said the young man. "I'm Carrie Nation mysel