"How's grandpap?"

"Right porely I heerd," said the old woman. "The doctor's thar,
an' he said that if the bullet had 'a' gone a leetle furder down
hit would 'a' killed him."

"Whar's Mavis?"

Again the two old people looked confused, for it was plain that
Jason did not know all that had happened.

"I hain't seed her, but somebody said she went by hyeh on her way
home about an hour ago. I was thinkin' about goin' up thar right
now."

The boy's eyes were shifting now from one to the other and he
broke in abruptly:

"Whut's the matter?"

The old man's lips tightened.

"Jason, she's up thar alone. Yo' mammy an' Steve have run away."

The lad looked at the old man with unblinking eyes.

"Don't ye understand, boy?" repeated the old man kindly. "They've
run away!"