hee was
brought up in one of those country school "deestricts" where every boy
had to fight his way step by step to the respect of his associates, and
where it was the custom for the big scholars to attempt each winter to
thrash the teacher and throw him into a snowdrift. If so, I will warrant
that Withee was held in high respect.

Withee had a great idea of standing up for his rights, and for a long
time he was on the war-path, as he confided to me, in pursuit of a
surveyor who had cut down a small palm tree on his plantation. He didn't
know which individual of the survey corps it was who perpetrated the
"outrage," but if the old man found out, one of Chief Kelly's men was in
for a good licking. Of course, the surveyor was entirely innocent of any
intent to injure the property of Mr. Withee or anybody else, and cut the
tree while running a survey line. It was some months after this, in
September, that the spirit of Withee's revolutionary sires joined issue
with his fierce indignation, and produced fatal results--fatal to
several chickens that invaded his premises. A neighboring colonist, who
lived on the other side of the avenue, kept a large number of hens, and
allowed them free range. They developed a fondness for wandering across
the road, and feeding in Withee's well-stocked garden. They didn't know
Withee. The old man sputtered vehemently, and remonstrated with the
owner--but the chickens continued to come. Finally, Withee went to a
friendly colonist and borrowed his gun. Soon after his return home, one
of the detested hens wandered nonchalantly across the dead line, and
presently was minus a head. Another essayed the same feat, with the
result that there were two headless chickens in La Gloria. Withee's aim
was as good as when he used to shoot chipmunks in the Maine woods. The
owner of the hens heard the reports of the gun, and came over. He was
told to go home and pen up his poultry. Taking the two dead chicks, he
went to the Rural Guards and entered a complaint. While he was gone,
Withee reduced the poultry population of La Gloria by one more. The
owner of the hens returned, accompanied by Rural Guards, several
prominent Cubans, and a few colonists. They had come to take the gun
away from Withee. The old man stood the whole crowd off, and told them
to keep their feet clear of his place. They obeyed the order, but told
him he must kill no more chickens under penalty of arrest. He told them
to keep the chickens o