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In reply to Mr. Kenyon’s question, Mrs. Johns, sitting on the extreme edge of a chair and fanning herself with a pink calico sun-bonnet, talked about her husband, and a misery in his side and in his back, and how he felt it ‘a-comin’ on nigh on ter a week ago. "Mr. Kenyon expressed sympathy, and was surprised by the announcement that Mrs. Johns considered her husband’s illness ‘a blessin’, ‘kase ef he war able ter git out ‘n his bed, he ‘lowed ter go down ter Harrison’s Cove ter the dancin’ party, ‘kase Rick Pearson war a-goin’ ter be thar, an’ hed said ez how none o’ the Johnses should come.”

"What, Rick Pearson, that terrible outlaw!” exclaimed Mrs. Darley, with wide open blue eyes. She had read in the newspapers sundry thrilling accounts of a noted horse thief and outlaw, who with a gang of kindred spirits defied justice and roamed certain sparsely-populated mountainous counties at his own wild will, and she was not altogether without a feeling of fear as she heard of his proximity to the New Helvetia Springs, – not fear for life or limb, because she was practical-minded enough to reflect that the sojourners and employès of the watering- place would far outnumber the outlaw’s troop, but fear that a pair of shiny bay ponies, Castor and Pollux, would fall victims to the crafty wiles of the expert horse thief.

"I think I have heard something of a difficulty between your people and Rick Pearson,” said old Mr. Kenyon.’Has a peace never been patched up between them?”

"No-o,” drawled Mrs. Johns; "same as it always war. My old man’ll never believe but what Rick Pearson stole that thar bay filly we lost ’bout five year ago. But I don’t believe he done it; plenty other folks around is ez mean ez Rick, leastways mos’ ez mean; plenty mean enough ter steal a horse, ennyhow. Rick sayhe never tuk the filly; say he war a-goin’ ter shoot off the nex’ man’s head ez say so. Rick say he’d ruther give two bay fillies than hev a man say he tuk a horse ez he never tuk. Rick say ez how he kin stand up ter what he does do, but it’s these hyar lies on him what kills him out. But ye know, Mis’ Darley, ye know yerself, he never give nobody two bay fillies in this world, an’ what’s more he’s never goin’ ter. My old man an’ my boy Kossute talks on ’bout that thar bay filly like she war stole yestiddy, an’ ‘twar five year ago an’ better; an’ when they hearn ez how Rick Pearson hed showed that red head o’ his’n on this hyar mounting las’ week, they war fightin’ mad, an’ would hev lit out fur the gang sure, ‘ceptin’ they hed been gone down the mounting fur two days. An’ my son Kossute, he sent Rick word that he had better keep out’n gunshot o’ these hyar woods; that he did’nt want no better mark than that red head o’ his’n, an’ he could hit it two mile off. An’ Rick Pearson, he sent Kossute word that he would kill him far his sass the very nex’ time he see him, an’ ef he don’t want a bullet in that pumpkin head o’ his ‘n he hed better keep away from that dancin’ party what the Harrisons hev laid off ter give, ‘kase Rick say he’s a-goin’ ter it hisself, an’ is a-goin’ ter dance too; he ain’t been invited, Mis’ Darley, but Rick don’t keer fur that. He is a-goin’ ennyhow, an’ he say ez how he ain’t a-goin’ ter let Kossute come, ‘count o’ Kossute’s sass an’ the fuss they’ve all made ’bout that bay filly that war stole five year ago, – ‘t war five year an’ better. But Rick say ez how he is goin’, fur all he ain’t got no invite, an’ is a-goin’ ter dance too, ‘kase you know, Mis’ Darley, it’s a-goin’ ter be a dancin’ party; the Harrisons hev determinated on that. Them gals of theirn air mos’ crazed ’bout a dancin’ party. They ain’t been a bit of account sence they went ter Cheatham’s Cross-Roads ter see thar gran’mother, an’ picked up all them queer new notions. So the Harrisons hev determinated on a dancin’ party; an’ Rick say ez how he is goin’ ter dance too; but Jule, shesay ez how she know thar ain’t a gal on the mounting ez would dance with him; but I ain’t so sure ’bout that, Mis’ Darley; gals air cur’ous critters, ye know yerself; thar’s no sort o’ countin’ on ’em; they’ll do one thing one time, an’ another thing nex’ time; ye can’t put no dependence in ’em. But Jule say ef he kin git Mandy Tyler ter dance with him, it’s the mos’ he kin do, an’ the gang’ll be no whar. Mebbe he kin git Mandy ter dance with him, ‘kase the other boys say ez how none o’ them is a-goin’ ter ax her ter dance, ‘count of the trick she played on ’em down ter the Wilkins settlemint – las’ month, war it? no, ‘t war two month ago, an’ better; but the boys ain’t forgot how scandalous she done ’em, an’ none of ’em is a-goin’ ter ax her ter dance.”