336 THE LUKE LIGHTWOOD LEGACY. 



fronting the peddler, who had escaped miraculously 

 from his adventure with but trifling injuries, and had 

 been endeavoring vainly to make his egress from the 

 crowd, which hemmed him in on all sides, as by a liv- 

 ing wall, "now, what did you git in my horse's path 

 for? Don't tell me about not meaning anything; 

 you was hired to do it — hired ! You'd risk anything 

 for money ! You needn't to look around, fur I'm 

 gwine to have a settlement in full, ole feller, before 

 you leave this ground. I jest wonder what's keeping 

 me from chewin' you rite up now, instead ov givin' 

 you any chance to say a word fur yourself. You don't 

 remember ov cheatin' my ole woman in a passel ov 

 rotten cap truck last week? Oh, no, ov course not; 

 you are are awful — frightful. Gentlemen," said the 

 Colonel, suddenly elevating his voice to a shriek — ad- 

 dressing the crowd that was thickening fast around 

 them — "you wouldn't believe that that outlandish, 

 aig-sucking, cent-shavin', black-bearded furrier, which 

 they're all gwine about eatin' out the intruls of the 

 country, cheated a poor grass widder, 'Betsey Still- 

 water,' as lives on the crick below me, an's got a whole 

 houseful of yearlin' children to support, outen a dollar 

 an' a half, in changin' money fur some of his cussed 

 stole goods." The reminiscence was too much for the 

 pure-minded Pierch ; he forthwith attacked the ped- 

 dler, tooth and nail, being stimulated thereto and en- 

 couraged therein by the shouts of the bystanders, who 

 made the welkin ring with cries of "give it to him, 

 Pierch," "under-handed licks," "follow him up," etc. 

 The gallant Colonel, having, at length, by a well- 

 directed blow, felled his antagonist to the earth, and 

 presently getting astride of his body, proceeded to 



