Well, of course, them days ther wasn’t no law o’ no account, and nothin’ was ever done about it.  So Steve and me got our grindin’, and talked the matter over with Ezry and the boys.  Ezry said he was a-goin’ to do all he could far Bills, ’cause he was a good hand, and when he wasn’t drinkin’ ther wasn’t no peaceabler man in the settlement.  I kind o’ suspicioned what was up, but I said nothin’ then.  And Ezry said furder, as we was about drivin’ off, that Bills was a despert feller, and it was best to kind o’ humor him a little.  “And you must kind o’ be on your guard,” he says, “and I’ll watch him and ef anything happens ’at I git wind of I’ll let you know,” he says; and so we put out far home.

Mother tuck on awful about it.  You see, she thought she’d be’h the whole blame of it, ’cause the Sunday afore that her and Steve had went to meetin’, and they got there late, and the house was crowded, and Steve had ast Bills to give up his seat to Mother, and he wouldn’t do it, and said somepin’ ‘at disturbed the prayin’, and the preacher prayed ’at the feller ‘at was a-makin’ the disturbance might be forgive; and that riled Bills so he got up and left, and hung around till it broke up, so’s he could git a chance at Steve to pick a fight.  And he did try it, and dared Steve and double-dared him far a fight, but Mother begged so hard ‘at she kep’ him out of it.  Steve said ’at he’d a-told me all about it on the way to Ezry’s, on’y he’d promised Mother, you know, not to say nothin’ to me.

* * * * *

Ezry was over at our house about six weeks after the fight, appearantly as happy as you please.  We ast him how him and Bills was a-makin’ it, and he said firstrate; said ‘at Bills was jist a-doin’ splendid; said he’d got moved in his new house ’at he’d fixed up far him, and ever’thing was a-goin’ on as smooth as could be; and Bills and the boys was on better terms ’n ever; and says he, “As far as you and Steve ’s concerned, Bills don’t ’pear to bear you no ill feelin’s, and says as far as he ’s concerned the thing ’s settled.”  “Well,” says I, “Ezry, I hope so; but I can’t he’p but think ther ‘s somepin’ at the bottom of all this;” and says I, “I do n’t think it’s in Bills to ever amount to anything good;” and says I, “It’s my opinion ther ’s a dog in the well, and now you mark it!”

Well, he said he wasn’t jist easy, but maybe he ’d come out all right; said he couldn’t turn the feller off—­he hadn’t the heart to do that, with that-air pore, dilicate woman o’ his, and the baby.  And then he went on to tell what a smart sort o’ woman Bills’s wife was,—­one of the nicest little women he ’d ever laid eyes on, said she was; said she was the kindest thing, and the sweetest-tempered, and all—­and the handiest woman ’bout the house, and ‘bout sewin’, and cookin’, and the like, and all kinds o’ housework; and so good to the childern, and all; and how they all got along so well; and how proud she was of her baby,