he front of the cabin, the young girl had
glided back into the doorway; and no suspicion appeared to be
entertained by either, of the clandestine visit just paid me.

On rounding the corner, the stranger stopped. The squatter continued to
advance, until within a few paces of where I stood. Then halting, he
erected his gigantic form to its full height; and, for a moment,
confronted me without speaking. I noticed that his countenance no
longer bore signs of angry passion; but, on the contrary, betrayed some
traces of a softer feeling--as of regret and contrition.

"Strenger!" said he at length, "I've two things to propose to ye; an' ef
you'll agree to them, thur's no need why you an' I shed quarrel--leest
of all plug one another wi' bullets, as we wur agwine to do a minnit
ago."

"Name your conditions!" rejoined I, "and if they are not impossible for
me to accept, I promise you they shall be agreed to."

With Lilian in my thoughts, they would be hard indeed if I could not
square with whatever terms he might propose.

"They ain't unpossible--neyther o' 'em; thur only just an' fair."

"Let me hear them; and believe me, Hickman Holt, I shall judge them most
liberally."

"Fust, then, you called me a coward. Do you take that back?"

"Willingly I do."

"So fur good; an' now for tother proposal I hev to make. I don't
acknowledge yur right to this clarin'. I've made it; an' call it my
own, as a sovereign citizen of these United States; an' I don't care a
cuss for pre-emption right, since I don't believe in any man's right to
move me off o' the groun' I've clared. But I ain't so durned pertickler
'bout this hyur bit. Another 'll answer my bizness equally as well--
maybe better--an' ef ye'll pay me for my _improvements_, ye can take
both clarin' an' cabin, an' hev no more muss about it. Them's my
proposals."

"How much do you expect for these improvements? At what sum do you
value them?"

I trembled as I awaited the answer. My poor purse felt light as it lay
against my bosom--far lighter than the heart within: though that had
been heavier but an hour before. I knew that the sack contained less
than two hundred dollars, in notes of the Planters' Bank; and I feared
that such a sum would never satisfy the expectations of the squatter.

"Wal, stranger," replied he, after a pause, "thur worth a good wheen o'
dollars; but I shan't valley 'em myself. I'll leave that part o' the
bizness to a third individooal--m