him being dignified in his red drawers, I was making the noise of a dozen hens. It was suddenly too much for the Virginian. He hastened into his room, and there sank on the floor with his head in his hands. The Doctor immediately slammed the door upon him, and this rendered me easily fit for a lunatic asylum. I cried into my pillow, and wondered if the Doctor would come and kill me. But he took no notice of me whatever. I could hear the Virginian’s convulsions through the door, and also the Doctor furiously making his toilet within three feet of my head; and I lay quite still with my face the other way, for I was really afraid to look at him. When I heard him walk to the door in his boots, I ventured to peep; and there he was, going out with his bag in his hand. As I still continued to lie, weak and sore, and with a mind that had ceased an operation, the Virginian’s door opened. He was clean and dressed and decent, but the devil still sported in his eye. I have never seen a creature more irresistibly handsome.

Then my mind worked again. “You’ve gone and done it,” said I. “He’s packed his valise. He’ll not sleep here.” The Virginian looked quickly out of the door. “Why, he’s leavin’ us!” he exclaimed. “Drivin’ away right now in his little old buggy!” He turned to me, and our eyes met solemnly over this large fact. I thought that I perceived the faintest tincture of dismay in the features of Judge Henry’s new, responsible, trusty foreman. This was the first act of his administration. Once again he looked out at the departing missionary. “Well,” he vindictively stated, “I cert’nly ain’t goin’ to run afteh him.” And he looked at me again.

“Do you suppose the Judge knows?” I inquired.

He shook his head. “The windo’ shades is all down still oveh yondeh.” He paused. “I don’t care,” he stated, quite as if he had been ten years old. Then he grinned guiltily. “I was mighty respectful to him all night.” “Oh, yes, respectful! Especially when you invited him to turn his wolf loose.” The Virginian gave a joyous gulp. He now came and sat down on the edge of my bed. “I spoke awful good English to him most of the time,” said he. “I can, yu’ know, when I cinch my attention tight on to it. Yes, I cert’nly spoke a lot o’ good English. I didn’t understand some of it myself!” He was now growing frankly pleased with his exploit. He had builded so much better than he knew. He got up and looked out across the crystal world of light. “The Doctor is at one-mile crossing,” he said. “He’ll get breakfast at the N-lazy- Y.” Then he returned and sat again on my bed, and began to give me his real heart. “I never set up for being better than others. Not even to myself. My thoughts ain’t apt to travel around making comparisons. And I shouldn’t wonder if my memory took as much notice of the meannesses I have done as of--as of the other actions. But to have to sit like a dumb lamb and let a stranger tell yu’ for an hour that yu’re a hawg and a swine, just after you have acted in a way which them that know the facts would call pretty near white--”

“Trampas!” I could not help exclaiming.

For there are moments of insight when a guess amounts to knowledge.

“Has Scipio told--”

“No. Not a word. He wouldn’t tell me.” “Well, yu’ see, I arrived home hyeh this evenin’ with several thoughts workin’ and stirrin’ inside me. And not one o’ them thoughts was what yu’d call Christian. I ain’t the least little bit ashamed of ’em. I’m a human. But after the Judge--well, yu’ heard him. And so when I went away from that talk and saw how positions was changed--”

A step outside stopped him short. Nothing more could be read in his face, for there was Trampas himself in the open door.

“Good morning,” said Trampas, not looking at us. He spoke with the same cool sullenness of yesterday.

We returned his greeting.

“I believe I’m late in congratulating you on your promotion,” said he.