Nucky, the Salyers and the
Atkinses were there, and some neighbor boys--piling up guns and pistols
on the beds, and taking another round of pies and cider. Finding they
were not at all abashed to see me, I accepted pressing invitations to
spend the night, and we had a cheerful evening, with picking and
singing, until Philip, who has been visiting a boy friend on Powderhorn,
roused all my premonitions again by saying,

"I went up Trigger to fetch Trojan; but he couldn't come. He said Todd
and Dalt had give it out they would certainly take the fence and grease
their boots with Blant's brains before Christmas was over; and him and
Rich was a-keeping lookout every minute."

All my fears leaped into being again instantly. If I could, I would have
started for Trigger then and there. I cannot say how sinister the bright
moonlight appeared to me as it streamed in through chinks in the logs
during the night. This morning my panic seems excessive; still I am
going to Trigger at once with Philip to guide me.

XX

WAR AND WORSE ON TRIGGER

_Monday Noon._

Let me try to tell, if I can do so, the tale of these dreadful
twenty-four hours. We crossed over a high gap and down into the
head-waters of Powderhorn, and thence to the mouth of Trigger. Just as
we reached it, a man riding down looked intently at me. "You are one of
them school-women, haint you?" he inquired. I recognized him as Saxby,
Blant's neighbor who brought Nucky word of the election fight, and
replied, "Yes."

"I seed you when I was over," he continued. "I allow by your being here
you have heared the news from Trigger."

"What news?" I asked.

"Another engagement last night,--I hate to tell you the rest."

"What is it?" I demanded.

"Ever sence Blant defeated them at the fence a month gone, the Cheever
boys has been dogging his footsteps in secret, trying to git him
unbeknownst and unexpected. Though he haint seed hair nor hide of 'em,
two or three times bullets has whizzed by him when he was doing chores
round the house, or feeding the property. Of course he haint let the
little chap, Nucky, know nothing about it, and has stayed in and laid
low all he could, letting Rich tend to outside things for him. As
Christmas come on, Todd and Dalt got so deep in liquor they couldn't
keep their tongues from wagging, and they have bragged far and nigh that
they would both take the fence and grease their boots with Blant's
brains, before Christmas was o