f the
arm. Throwing away his whip Pete rushed upon Bud furiously, intending to
overpower him, but Bud slipped quickly to one side and let Jones pass
down the hill, and as Jones came up again Means dealt him one crushing
blow that sent him full length upon the ground. Nothing but the leaves
saved him from a most terrible fall. Jones sprang to his feet more angry
than ever at being whipped by one whom he regarded as a boy, and drew a
long dirk-knife. But he was blind with rage, and Bud dodged the knife,
and this time gave Pete a blow on the nose which marred the homeliness
of that feature and doubled the fellow up against a tree ten feet away.

Ralph came in sight in time to see the beginning of the fight, and he
arrived on the ground just as Pete Jones went down under the well-dealt
blow from the only remaining fist of Bud Means.

While Ralph examined Bud's disabled left arm Pete picked himself up
slowly, and, muttering that he felt "consid'able shuck up like," crawled
away like a whipped puppy. To every one whom he met, Pete, whose
intellect seemed to have weakened in sympathy with his frame, remarked
feebly that he was consid'able shuck up like, and vouchsafed no other
explanation. Even to his wife he only said that he felt purty
consid'able shuck up like, and that the boys would have to get on
to-night without him. There are some scoundrels whose very malignity is
shaken out of them for the time being by a thorough drubbing.

"I'm afraid you're going to have trouble with your arm, Bud," said Ralph
tenderly.

"Never mind; I put in my best licks fer _Him_ that air time, Mr.
Hartsook." Ralph shivered a little at thought of this, but if it was
right to knock Jones down at all, why might not Bud do it "heartily as
unto the Lord?"

Gideon did not feel any more honest pleasure in chastising the
Midianites than did Bud in sending Pete Jones away purty consid'able
shuck up like.

CHAPTER XVII.

A COUNCIL OF WAR.

Shocky, whose feet had flown as soon as he saw the final fall of Pete
Jones, told the whole story to the wondering and admiring ears of Miss
Hawkins, who unhappily could not remember anything at the East just like
it; to the frightened ears of the rheumatic old lady who felt sure her
ole man's talk and stubbornness would be the ruin of him, and to the
indignant ears of the old soldier who was hobbling up and down,
sentinel-wise, in front of his cabin, standing guard over himself.

"No, I won't leav