breed, Pop. Love ain't going to spile their appetites and complexions,
give 'em nose-bleed, nor put a drop o' water into their eyes in all
their natural born days. That's wot makes me mad. Ef I thought that Loo
cared a bit for that child I wouldn't mind; I'd just advise her to make
him get up and get--pack his duds out o' camp, and go home and not come
back until he had a written permit from his mother, or the other baronet
in office."

"Looks sorter ef some one orter interfere," said the blacksmith,
reflectively. "'Tain't exackly a case for a vigilance committee, tho'
it's agin public morals, this sorter kidnappin' o' strangers. Looks ez
if it might bring the country into discredit in England."

"Well, don't YOU go and interfere and havin' folks say ez my nose
was put out o' jint over there," said Minty, curtly. "There's another
Englishman comin' up from 'Frisco to see him to-morrow. Ef he ain't
scooped up by Jenny Bradley he'll guess there's a nigger in the fence
somewhere. But there, Pop, let it drop. It's a bad aig, anyway," she
concluded, rising from the table, and passing her hands down her frock
and her shapely hips, as if to wipe off further contamination of the
subject. "Where's Richelieu agin?"

"Said he didn't want supper, and like ez not he's gone over to see that
fammerly at the Summit. There's a little girl thar he's sparkin', about
his own age."

"His own age!" said Minty, indignantly. "Why, she's double that, if
she's a day. Well--if he ain't the triflinest, conceitednest little limb
that ever grew! I'd like to know where he got it from--it wasn't mar's
style."