sees Polly Ann and Tom
and the children on the floor poking a 'possum. 'Ah,' says he, in his
softest voice, 'a pleasant family scene. And this is Mr. McChesney?'
'I'm your man,' says Tom. Then he praised the mill site and the land all
over again. 'Tis good enough for a farmer,' says Tom. 'Who holds under
Henderson's grant,' I cried. 'Twas that you wished to say an hour ago,'
and I saw I had caught him fair."

"By the eternal!" cried Colonel Clark, bringing down his fist upon the
table. "And what then?"

I glanced at Major Colfax, but for the life of me I could make nothing
of his look.

"And what did your man say?" said Colonel Clark.

"He called on the devil to bite me, sir," I answered. The Colonel put
down his gourd and began to laugh. The Major was looking at me fixedly.

"And what then?" said the Colonel.

"It was then Polly Ann called him a thief to take away the land Tom
had fought for and paid for and tilled. The man was all politeness once
more, said that the matter was unfortunate, and that a new and good
title might be had for a few skins."

"He said that?" interrupted Major Colfax, half rising in his chair. "He
was a damned scoundrel."

"So I thought, sir," I answered.

"The devil you did!" said the Major.

"Tut, Colfax," said the Colonel, pulling him by the sleeve of his
greatcoat, "sit down and let the lad finish. And then?"

"Mr. Boone had told me of a land agent who had made off with Colonel
Campbell's silver spoons from Abingdon, and how the Colonel had ridden
east and west after him for a week with a rope hanging on his saddle. I
began to tell this story, and instead of the description of Mr. Boone's
man, I put in that of Mr. Potts,--in height some five feet nine, spare,
of sallow complexion and a green greatcoat."

Major Colfax leaped up in his chair.

"Great Jehovah!" he shouted, "you described the wrong man."

Colonel Clark roared with laughter, thereby spilling some of his toddy.

"I'll warrant he did so," he cried; "and I'll warrant your agent went
white as birch bark. Go on, Davy."

"There's not a great deal more, sir," I answered, looking apprehensively
at Major Colfax, who still stood. "The man vowed I lied, but Tom laid
hold of him and was for hurrying him off to Harrodstown at once."

"Which would ill have suited your purpose," put in the Colonel. "And
what did you do with him?"

"We put him in a loft, sir, and then I told Tom that he was not
Campbell's thief at all. B