like her speech.

"You ought to send her to the same place," he said, but the old
fellow shook his head.

"I couldn't git along without her."

The little girl's eyes began to dance suddenly, and, without
opening "Mother Goose," she began:

"Jack and Jill went up a hill," and then she broke into a laugh
and Hale laughed with her.

Abruptly, the boy opposite rose to his great length.

"I reckon I better be goin'." That was all he said as he caught up
a Winchester, which stood unseen by his side, and out he stalked.
There was not a word of good-by, not a glance at anybody. A few
minutes later Hale heard the creak of a barn door on wooden
hinges, a cursing command to a horse, and four feet going in a
gallop down the path, and he knew there went an enemy.

"That's a good-looking boy--who is he?"

The old man spat into the fire. It seemed that he was not going to
answer and the little girl broke in:

"Hit's my cousin Dave--he lives over on the Nawth Fork."

That was the seat of the Tolliver-Falin feud. Of that feud, too,