So hit's the gun, is hit, Sherd Raines?

The crowd turned, and Raines shrank a little as the girl faced him
with flashing eyes. "So hit's the gun, is hit? Hit is a good gun, but
ye ought to be ashamed to take all the credit 'way from me. But ef
you air so sartain hit's the gun," she continued, "I'll shoot yourn, 'n'
y'u kin hev mine ef I don't beat ye with yer own gun."

"Good fer you, Easter!" shouted the old mountaineer.

Raines had recovered himself, and was looking at the girl
seriously. Several of his companions urged him aloud to accept
the challenge, but he paid no heed to them. He seemed to be
debating the question with himself, and a moment later he said,
quietly:

"'N' you kin hev mine ef I don't beat you."

This was all he said, but he kept his eyes fixed on the girl's face;
and when, with a defiant glance, she turned toward the mountain
women, he followed and stopped her.

"Easter," Clayton heard him say, in a low, slow voice, "I was tryin'
to git ye a chance to shoot, fer ye hev been winnin' so much that
it's hard to git up a match when ye air in it." The hard look on the
girl's face remained unchanged, and the mountaineer continued,
firmly:

"'N' I told the truth; fer ef ye pin me down, I do think hit is the