"He had to."

"How did it come out?"

"I shot him through the heart," said the man from Pike County
fiercely. "His bones are bleaching in the valley where he fell."

"Sho!" said Joshua.

The Pike County man looked from one to the other to see what effect
had been produced by his blood-curdling narration. Joshua looked
rather perplexed, as if he didn't quite know what to think, but Joe
seemed tranquil.

"I think you said it happened last week," said Joe.

"If I said so, it is so," said the Pike man, who in truth did not
remember what time he had mentioned.

"I don't question that. I was only wondering how his bones could
begin to bleach so soon after he was killed."

"Just so," said Joshua, to whom this difficulty had not presented
itself before.

"Do you doubt my word, stranger?" exclaimed the Pike man, putting his
hand to his side and fingering his knife.

"Not at all," said Joe. "But I wanted to understand how it was."