“As I said,” I continued, “I’m on!” And I looked about and spoke in a loud voice, while inwardly quaking, “Yes, I know all about it, and I want to drop just this one hint ... tell the boys they can come.  Tell them they’ll be welcome ...  So far I’ve had no trouble here ... everybody has been right decent with me,” affecting a Western, colloquial drawl, “and I’ve tried to treat everybody, for my part, like a gentleman,—­ain’t that true?”

“That’s true, Mr. Gregory” (it was suddenly “Mr. Gregory” now, not “Johnnie").  “As I was saying just the other day, there’s lots worse in the world than Mr. Gregory that ain’t found out.”

“I want to leave this message with you, Jim.  I’m from the West.  I’m a good shot.  I’ve got a six-shooter ready for business up at the cottage.  I’ve got a lot of extra bullets, too.  As I’ve said, I ain’t the kind that looks for trouble, but when anybody goes out of their way—­Well, as I said before, as soon as the boys begin getting rough—­I’ll begin to shoot ...  I’ll shoot to kill, and I’ll kill everybody I can get, till someone gets me.”

“Yes, Mr. Gregory!”

“Mind you, Jim, I’ve always considered you as my friend.  I mean what I say.  I’m a householder.  I’m in the right ... if the law wants me that’s another matter ... but no group of private citizens—­”

“Good-bye, Mr. Gregory.”

* * * * *

I walked rapidly back to the cottage.  I was thinking as rapidly as I walked.  For the space of a full minute I thought of packing off ignominiously with my little household.

But before I stepped in at the door something murky had cleared away inside me.

“Oh, Hildreth!  Darrie!”

The women came dragging forward.  But with them, too, it was a passing mood.

My indignation at the personal outrage of the impending mob incited me as them ... till I think not one of the three of us would have stepped aside from the path of a herd of stampeding elephants.

“The yokels,” and Darrie’s nostrils flared, her blue blood showing, “to dare even think of such an action, against their betters!”

* * * * *

We lit a roaring log fire.  We sat reading aloud from Shelley.  As the hours drew by ... eight ... nine ... ten ... eleven ... there is no doubt that our nerves grew to a very fine edge....

And at twelve o’clock—­

Far off, at a respectful distance, a carol of rough, humorous voices sang the song, “Happily Married”!

“H-a-double-p-y,” etc.

And we knew that my bluff had worked.

* * * * *

The next day we went through a let-down.

Hildreth was quite nerve-shaken, and so was Darrie.

But I strutted about with my chest out, the cock of the walk.

* * * * *

But, nevertheless, and despite their bravery and the fiasco of the mob’s attack, the hearts seemed to have left the bodies of both “my” women.