y was to
Mammy's t'other day."

"I didn't know ye'd been to Ithacy?" Lem made the statement a question.

"Yep, I went to see Mammy, and she says as how Scraggy's pappy were
dead, and as how the gal's teched in here." His words were low, and he
raised his forefinger to his head significantly.

"She ain't allers a stayin' in the squatter country nuther," he pursued.
"She takes that damn ugly cat of her'n and scoots away for a time. And
none of 'em up there don't know where she goes. Hones' Injun, don't she
never come about this here scow, Lem?"

"Hones' Injun," replied Lem laconically, without looking up from his
work.

Presently Eli continued:

"Mammy says as how the winter's comin', and some 'un ought to look out
for Scraggy. She goes 'bout the lake doin' nothin' but hollerin' like a
hoot-owl, and she don't have enough to eat. But she's been gone now
goin' on two weeks, disappearin' like she's been doin' for a few years
back. Scraggy allers says she has bats in her head."

"So she has bats," muttered Lem, "and she allers had 'em, and that's why
I made her beat it. I didn't want no woman 'bout me for good and all."

Lem Crabbe lifted his head and glanced toward the small window
overlooking the dark canal. He had always feared the crazy
squatter-woman whom he had wrecked by his brutality.

"I says that I don't want no woman round me for all time," he repeated.

The third man raised his right shoulder at that; but sank into a heap
again, working more assiduously. The slight trembling of his body was
the only evidence he gave that he had heard Crabbe's words. Snip, snip,
snip! went the bits of gold into the kettle, until Eli spoke again.

"Ye can't tell me that ye ain't goin' never to get married, Lem?"

Crabbe lifted his hooked arm viciously. "I ain't said nothin' like that.
I says as how Scraggy can keep away from my scow."

"Don't she never come here no more?" asked Eli in disbelief.

"Nope, not after them three beatin's I give her. She kept a comin', and
I had to wallop her. I'd do it again if she snoops 'bout here."

"Ye beat her up well, didn't ye, Lem? And she telled Mammy that yer brat
were drowned one night in the river. Were it, Lem?"

There was an expectant pause between his first and last questions, and
Lem waited almost as long before he grunted:

"Yep."

"Did ye throw it in when ye was drunk?"

"Nope, he jest fell in--that's all."

"I guess that last beatin' ye give Scraggy made her bat