the wet earth was fragrant with freshened odors, wood-thrushes
were singing, and the upper air was drenched with liquid gold that
was darkening fast. The boy Jason was seated on the yard fence
with his chin in his hands, his back to the house, and his face
toward home. He heard the stranger's step, turned his head, and
mistaking a puzzled sympathy for a challenge, dropped to the
ground and came toward him, gathering fury as he came. Like
lightning the Blue-grass lad's face changed, whitening a little as
he sprang forward to meet him, but Jason, motioning with his
thumb, swerved behind the chimney, where the stranger swiftly
threw off his coat, the mountain boy spat on his hands, and like
two diminutive demons they went at each other fiercely and
silently. A few minutes later the two little girls rounding the
chimney corner saw them--Gray on top and Jason writhing and biting
under him like a tortured snake. A moment more Mavis's strong
little hand had the stranger boy by his thick hair and Mavis,
feeling her own arm clutched by the stranger-girl, let go and
turned on her like a fury. There was a piercing scream from
Marjorie, hurried footsteps answered on the porch, and old Jason
and the colonel looked with bewildered eyes on the little Blue-
grass girl amazed, indignant, white with horror; Mavis shrinking
away from her as though she were the one who had been threatened
with a blow; the stranger lad with a bitten thumb clinched in the
hollow of one hand, his face already reddening with contrition and
shame; and savage little Jason biting a bloody lip and with the
lust of battle still shaking him from head to foot.

"Jason," said the old man sternly, "whut's the matter out hyeh?"

Marjorie pointed one finger at Mavis, started to speak, and