“We was over on the long stretch of wood road between Trumet and Denboro, nice hard macadam, the mare—­her name was Celia, but Jonadab had re-christened her Bay Queen after a boat he used to own—­skimmin’ along at a smooth, easy gait, when, lo and behold you! we rounds a turn and there ahead of us is a light, rubber-tired wagon with a man and woman on the seat of it.  I heard Jonadab give a kind of snort.

“‘What’s the matter?’ says I.

“‘Nothin’,’ says he, between his teeth.  ’Only, if I ain’t some mistaken, that’s Tobe Loveland’s rig.  Wonder if he’s got his spunk with him?  The Queen’s feelin’ her oats to-day, and I cal’late I can show him a few things.’

“‘Rubbish!’ says I, disgusted.  ’Don’t be foolish, Jonadab.  I don’t know nothin’ about his spunk, but I do know there’s a woman with him.  ’Tain’t likely he’ll want to race you when he’s got a passenger aboard.’

“‘Oh, I don’t know!’ says he.  ’I’ve got you, Barzilla; so ’twill be two and two.  Let’s heave alongside and see.’

“So he clucked to the Queen, and in a jiffy we was astern of t’other rig.  Loveland looked back over his shoulder.

“‘Ugh!’ he grunts, ’bout as cordial as a plate of ice cream. ’’Lo, Wixon, that you?’

“‘Um-hm,’ begins Jonadab.  ’How’s that crowbait of yours to-day, Tobe?  Got any go in him?  ‘Cause if he has, I—­’

“He stopped short.  The woman in Loveland’s carriage had turned her head and was starin’ hard.

“‘Why!’ she gasps.  ‘I do believe—­Why, Jonadab!’

“‘Hettie!’ says the Cap’n.

“Well, after that ’twas pull up, of course, and shake hands and talk.  The widow, she done most of the talkin’.  She was so glad to see him.  How had he been all these years?  She knew him instantly.  He hadn’t changed a mite—­that is, not so very much.  She was plannin’ to come over to the Old Home House and stay a spell later on; but now she was havin’ such a good time in Orham, Tobias—­Mr. Loveland—­was makin’ it so pleasant for her.  She did enjoy drivin’ so much, and Mr. Loveland had the fastest horse in the county—­did we know that?

“Tobias and Jonadab glowered back and forth while all this gush was bein’ turned loose, and hardly spoke to one another.  But when ’twas over and we was ready to start again, the Cap’n says, says he: 

“’I’ll be mighty glad to see you over to the hotel, when you’re ready to come, Hettie.  I can take you ridin’, too.  Fur’s horse goes, I’ve got a pretty good one myself.’

“‘Oh!’ squeals the widow.  ’Really?  Is that him?  It’s awful pretty, and he looks fast.’

“‘She is,’ says Jonadab.  ‘There’s nothin’ round here can beat her.’

“‘Humph!’ says Loveland.  ‘Git dap!’

“‘Git dap!’ says Jonadab, agreein’ with him for once.

“Tobias started, and we started.  Tobias makes his horse go a little faster, and Jonadab speeded up some likewise.  I see how ‘twas goin’ to be, and therefore I wa’n’t surprised to death when the next ten minutes found us sizzlin’ down that road, neck and neck with Loveland, dust flyin’, hoofs poundin’, and the two drivers leanin’ way for’ard over the dash, reins gripped and teeth sot.  For a little ways ’twas an even thing, and then we commenced to pull ahead a little.