plied Poteet; "they uv bin a mighty sight er printin' gwino
on sence the war, so I've heern tell. Ef you'd a drappod in at Atlanty,
you mought er seed my name mixt up in a warrant."

"How is that?" Woodward asked.

"Bekaze I bin a-bossin' my own affa'rs."

Poteet had straightened himself up, and he looked at Woodward with a
steadiness which the other did not misunderstand. It was a look which
said, "If you've got that warrant in your pocket, it won't be safe to
pull it out in these diggm's."

Squire Pleasants recognised the challenge that made itself heard in
Teague Poteet's voice.

"Yes, yes," he said, in a cheerful tone, "our folks is seen some mighty
quare doin's sence the war; but times is a-gittin' a long ways better
now."

"Better, hell!" exclaimed Sid Parmalee.

What he would have said further no one can know, for the voluminous
voice of Cohen broke in--

"Tlook ow-ut, t'ere, Sid! tlook ow-ut! t'at pad man kedge you!"

This remarkable admonition was received with a shout of laughter.
Good-humour was restored, and it was increased when Woodward, shortly
afterward, drinking with the boys at Nix's saloon, called for three
fingers of Mountain Dew, and washed it down with the statement that it
tasted just as nice as liquor that had been stamped by the Government.
In short, Woodward displayed such tact, and entered with such
heartiness into the spirit of the people around him, that he disarmed
the trained suspicions of a naturally suspicious community. Perhaps
this statement should be qualified. Undoubtedly the marshal, could he
have made a personal inspection of Woodward and his surroundings, would
have praised his subordinate's tact. The truth is, while he had
disarmed their suspicions, he had failed utterly to gain their
confidence.

With a general as well as a particular interest in the direction of Hog
Mountain, it was natural that Deputy-Marshal Woodward should meet or
overtake Miss Poteet as she rode back and forth between Gullettsville
and the grey notch in the mountain known as Poteet's. It was natural,
too, that he should take advantage of the social informalities of the
section and make her acquaintance. It was an acquaintance in which
Woodward, and, presumably, the young lady herself, became very much
interested; so that the spectacle of this attractive couple galloping
along together over the red road that connected the valley with the
mountain came to be a familiar one. And its effect upon th