382 CHAMP. 



"On the evening that Champ was again my 

 property I hitched him to the best wagon in the shed 

 and invited Mary Pickle to go for a drive. She 

 jumped at the chance, and as we stepped down the 

 road she told me time and again that she would like 

 nothing better than to go on driving behind Champ 

 forever. 



" 'Then why not?' said I. 



" 'Of course/ said she, and a roguish twinkle came 

 into her eye when she twisted her head to look at me. 



' 'I suppose you would want to hold the reins/ 

 said I, as I took a good look at her out of the corner 

 of my eye. 



" 'Under no other conditions would I go/ said she, 

 as she looked off over the fields. 



" 'Then marry me/ said I, 'and you can have the 

 horse/ 



' 'I will do it/ said she, just as free and easy like 

 as if she were speaking a piece in school, but there 

 was a hug and a kiss that went with it to bind the 

 bargain. 



"We were engaged before we returned and mar- 

 ried in a week. That was speed for you, but Champ 

 did it. As you know, Lemuel Jenkins married Sarah 

 Leroy and now his son and my daughter are man and 

 wife. Our little war is over, but of all that were here, 

 I am the only one left to tell about it." 



