there might be. Who was it?"

Again the look and then: "I--I ain't goin' to tell."

Con laughed once more. "You bet she ain't," he exclaimed. "She can't.
The whole yarn's a lie. Don't pay no attention to it, Pop."

Shadrach turned sharply in his direction. "I'M payin' attention to it,"
he snapped, "and that's enough. So you ain't goin' to tell, Mary-'Gusta,
eh? Remember now, if you do tell it'll prove your story's true and
David'll come out on top. Think it over."

Evidently Mary-'Gusta was thinking it over. Her eyes filled with tears,
but she shook her head.

The Captain looked down at her. "Keepin' mum, eh?" he said. "Well,
that's all right. I cal'late we're pretty good guessers, some of us,
anyway. Jim," with a sudden look straight at the youngest member of
his neighbor's family, who was fidgeting with his spoon and acting
remarkably nervous, "what have you got to say? Have a good time in that
parlor playin' pirates, did you?"

Jimmie gasped. The suddenness of the attack knocked his defenses flat.
He gurgled, stammered, and then broke into a wail of distress.

"I--I didn't mean to," he sobbed, wildly. "'Twas her. She said do it; I
never. I--I--"

"Why, Jimmie Bacheldor!" exclaimed Mary-'Gusta, shocked into protest by
her fellow culprit's distortion of the truth. "How can you say so! What
a story! You know--"

"I guess he knows," broke in Shadrach. "And I cal'late I know, too.
Now then, Jim, what time was it when you looked at the clock? Shut up,
Abner, let the boy answer. Tell us, Jim; nobody'll hurt you."

"It--it was four o'clock," hollered Jimmie, in agony. "I--I never done
it a purpose. I won't do so no more."

"No, I don't cal'late you will. Cal'late you won't have a chance. Well,
Ab, I guess we've proved our client's case. Next time you go out cat
shootin' you better be sure you're gunnin' for the right one. Come on,
Mary-'Gusta."

Con Bacheldor sprang to his feet.

"Pop," he shouted, "be you goin' to let 'em go this way? And that cat
stealin' our chickens right along. Ain't you goin' to tell 'em you'll
kill the critter next time he comes on our land?"

Abner was silent. He seemed oddly anxious to see the last of his
visitors. It was the Captain who spoke.

"No, Con," he said, crisply, "he ain't goin' to tell me that. And you
listen while I tell YOU somethin'. If that cat of ours gets hurt or
don't show up some time I'll know who's responsible. And then--well,
then maybe I'LL go gunnin'. Good