in' back to Sadler's," she replied. "Phil's goin', and I'm goin'.
He's jest told me that the cart's comin' back for the kitchen fixin's and
his things, and him and Bill Hammond is goin' to Sadler's with it; and if
he goes, I goes."

This speech had a very different effect upon its two hearers. Corona was
as nearly angry as her self-contained nature would permit; but, although
he did not allow his feelings to betray him, the bishop was delighted. Now
they must all go, and that suited him exactly.

"It is a positive and absolute breach of contract!" exclaimed Miss
Raybold. "You agreed to remain in my service during my stay in camp, and
you have no right to go away now, no matter who else may depart."

Mrs. Perkenpine grinned. "That sort of thing was all very well a week
ago," said she, "but it won't work now. I've been goin' to school to
myself pretty steady, and I've kept myself in a good deal, too, for not
knowin' my lessons, and I've drummed into me a pretty good idea of what I
be, and I can tell you I'm not a woman as stays here when Phil Matlack's
gone. I'm not a bit scary, but I never stayed in camp yet with all
greenhorns but me. When I find myself in that sort of a mess, it's my
nater to get out of it. Phil says he's goin' to start the fust thing this
afternoon, and that's the time I'm goin', and so, if you would like to go,
you can send word by that man in the cart to have you and your things sent
for, and we can all clear out together."

"Positively," exclaimed Corona, turning to the bishop, "this is the most
high-handed proceeding I ever heard of!"

"That's 'xactly what I think," said Mrs. Perkenpine; "it most takes my
breath away to think how high-handed I am. Before I knowed myself I
couldn't have been that way to save my skin. There didn't use to be any
individdlety about me. You might take a quart of huckleberries and ask
yourself what it was particular 'bout any one of them
huckleberries--'xceptin' it might be green, and it's a long time since I
was that way--and you'd know jest as much about that huckleberry as I
knowed about myself. Now it's different. It's just the same as if there
was only one huckleberry in a quart box, and it ain't no trouble to see
all around that."

"I think, Miss Raybold," said the bishop, "that this good woman has
prosecuted her psychical researches with more effect than any of us."

"Bosh!" exclaimed Miss Raybold. "Do you really think I must leave this
camp at the dictati