nd March was whipping on his boots,
when Shotwell, coming up by leaps, waved them back into the room. "It's
all ova, Mr. Fair. Po' Proudy's gone, John. He fi-ud an' missed, and got
Garnet's first bullet in his heart an' the othe's close to it. Garnet's
locked himself into Tom Hersey's private room an' sent for Fatheh Tombs,
to----"

"Fair!" interrupted March, "go! Go tell her he's safe and will not
be--interfered with! I'll make your word good; go, Fair, go!"

But Fair answered with hardly less emotion, "I cannot, March! It isn't a
man's errand! It isn't a man's errand!"

"Take Mrs. Ravenel!" cried March, and read quick assent in his friend's
face. "But make her go dressed as she is; you've got to outrun rumor!
Captain, go tell Tom to give him Firefly, won't you? She's mine, Fair,"
he continued, following to the stairs; "she's the mare I cured for
Bulger; perfectly gentle, only--Fair!--don't touch her with the whip!"

"If you do," drawled Shotwell to Fair, as they hurried down into the
lamplight, "you'll think the devil's inside of her with the jimjams.
Still, she's lovely as long as you don't. Ah me! this is no time to
jest! Po' Proudfit! He leaves a spotless characteh!"

Through the unnatural bustle, amid which Crickwater at the door of the
closed office stood answering or ignoring questions and showing his
intimates where Proudfit's wild shot had chopped out a large lock of his
hair, they went to Hersey's door and so on to the stable. "Garnet's the
man to pity, Mr. Fair. I couldn't say it befo' March, who's got family
reasons--through his motheh--faw savin' Garnet whateveh he can of his
splendid reputaation, but I'm mighty 'fraid they won't be a rag of it
left, seh, big enough for a gun-wad! Mr. Fair, you've got a hahd drive
befo' you, seh, an' if you'll allow me to suggest it, seh, I think it
would be only wise, befo' you staht, faw us to take a drink, seh."

"Thank you," said the Northerner, "I hardly think--Do you suppose Major
Garnet's firing those last two shots after----"

"Will ruin him? O Lawd, not that! We all know, and always have, that
he's perfectly cra-azy when he's enra-aged. No, my deah seh, Miz
Proudfit has confessed! She says----"

"Are you not surprised that Major Garnet was armed?" Fair interrupted.

"O! no, seh, Colonel Proudfit was too much of a gentleman to be lookin'
faw a man, with a gun, an' not send him word! And, besides, Miz
Proudfit's revela-a-tions----"

But the horse and bugg