“Why, what for?” asked Doctor Gordon.  “I guess I have made a good trade, Aaron.”

“You mark my words, there’s somethin’ out,” said Aaron dogmatically.

“I guess you’re wrong this time,” said Doctor Gordon, laughing.  “Come, Elliot, it is time for breakfast, and we have to drive to Wardville afterward for that fever case.”

James followed Gordon into the dining-room.  Clemency said good morning almost rudely, then she hid her face behind the coffee-urn.  Gordon glanced at her and smiled tenderly, but the girl did not see it.  James never looked her way at all.  She turned the coffee with apparent concentration.  She did not dare look at either of the two men.  She had never felt so disturbedly happy and so shy.  She had not slept all night, she was so agitated with happiness, but this morning she showed no traces of sleeplessness.  There was an unwonted color on her little fair face, and her blue eyes were like jewels under her drooping lids.

They were nearly through breakfast when the door which led into the kitchen was abruptly thrown open, and Aaron stood there.  In his hand he flourished dramatically a great streaming mass of black.  “Told you so,” he observed with a certain triumph.  The others stared at him.

“What on earth is that?” asked Gordon.

“That new horse’s tail; it comes off,” replied Aaron with brevity.  Then he chewed.

“Comes off?”

Aaron nodded, still chewing.

Gordon rose from the table saying something under his breath.

“That ain’t all,” said Aaron, still with an air of sly triumph.

“What else, for Heaven’s sake?” cried Gordon.

“Well, he cribs,” replied Aaron laconically.  Then he chewed.

“That was why he didn’t want to take the bridle off?”

Aaron nodded.

Gordon stood staring for a second, then he burst into a peal of laughter.  “Bless me if I ever got so regularly done,” said he.  “Say, Aaron, that was a smart chap.  He has talent, he has.”

“Aren’t you going to try to find him?” asked James.

“Well, we’ll keep a lookout on the way to Wardville,” said Gordon; “and,
Aaron, you may as well put the chestnut in the old buggy and drive
Stanbridge way, and see if you can get sight of him.”

“He’s had a half-hour’s start,” said Aaron.  “You might track a fox, but you can’t him.”

“I guess you are about right,” said Gordon, “but we’ll do all we can.  However, I think I’ll try to get even with Sam Tucker.  It’s a good chance.  I’ll drive the new horse to Wardville.  Aaron, you just tie that tail on again, and fasten it up so as to keep it out of the mud.”

Aaron grinned.  “Goin’ to get even for that white horse?”

“I’m going to try it.”

Gordon was all interest.  James regarded him as he had done so many times before with wonder.  That such a man should have such powers of assimilation astounded him.  He was actually as amused and interested in being done, as he called it, and in trying in his turn to wipe off some old score, as any countryman.  He seemed, to the young man, to have little burrows like some desperate animal, into which he could dive, and be completely away from his enemies, and even from himself, when he chose.