288 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
half the luxury which we secure at Four Oaks, 
or give half the enjoyment to my family or my 
friends. Don’t you see that it makes little dif- 
ference what we call our expenses out here, so 
tong as the farm pays them and gives us a sur- 
plus besides? The investment is not large for 
one to get a living from, and it makes possible 
a lot of things which would be counted rank 
extravagance in the city. Here’s one of them.” 
A cavalcade was just entering the home lot. 
First came Jessie Gordon on her thoroughbred 
mare Lightfoot, and with her, Laura on my 
Jerry. Laura’s foot is as dainty in the stirrup 
as on the rugs, and she has Jerry’s consent and 
mine to put it where she likes. Following them 
were Jane and Bill Jackson, with Jane’s slender 
mare looking absolutely delicate beside the big 
brown gelding that carried Jackson’s 190 pounds 
with ease. The horses all looked as if there had 
been “something doing,” and they were hurried 
to the stables. The ladies laughed and screamed 
for a season, as seems necessary for young ladies, 
and then departed, leaving us in peace, Jackson 
filled his pipe before remarking : — 
“I’ve been over the ridge into the Dunkard 
settlement, and they have the cholera there’ to 
beat the band. Joe Siegel lost sixty hogs in three 
days, and there are not ten well hogs in two miles. 
What do you think of that ?” 
« That means a hard ‘fight mit Siegel,’ ” said 
Kyrle. 
“ee 
