hat, showed a bullet-hole in its rim, and returned lazily, "It's about
half an hour late, but them Harrisons reckoned I was fixed for 'em and
war too narvous to draw a clear bead on me."

The moment was evidently not a felicitous one for the master's purpose,
but he was determined to go on. He hesitated an instant, when his
companion, who seemed to be equally but more sluggishly embarrassed, in
a moment of preoccupied perplexity withdrew from his pocket his right
hand swathed in a blood-stained bandage, and following some instinctive
habit, attempted, as if reflectively, to scratch his head with two
stiffened fingers.

"You are hurt," said the master, genuinely shocked, "and here I am
detaining you."

"I had my hand up--so," explained McKinstry, with heavy deliberation,
"and the ball raked off my little finger after it went through my hat.
But that ain't what I wanted to say when I stopped ye. I ain't just kam
enough yet," he apologized in the calmest manner, "and I clean forgit
myself," he added with perfect self-possession. "But I was kalkilatin'
to ask you"--he laid his bandaged hand familiarly on the master's
shoulder--"if Cressy kem all right?"

"Perfectly," said the master. "But shan't I walk on home with you, and
we can talk together after your wound is attended to?"

"And she looked purty?" continued McKinstry without moving.

"Very."