me, and it must be washed out in blood.' Then I up with my we'pon and
shot him through the head."

"Sho!" said Joshua.

"I was sorry to do it, for he was my friend," said the Pike County
man, "but he disputed my word, and the man that does that may as well
make his will if he's got any property to leave."

Here the speaker looked to see what effect was produced upon his
listeners. Joe seemed indifferent. He saw through the fellow, and
did not credit a word he said. Joshua had been more credulous at
first, but he, too, began to understand the man from Pike County.
The idea occurred to him to pay him back in his own coin.

"Didn't the relatives make any fuss about it?" he inquired. "Didn't
they arrest you for murder?"

"They didn't dare to," said the Pike man proudly. "They knew me.
They knew I could whip my weight in wildcats and wouldn't let no man
insult me."

"Did you leave the corpse lyin' out under the trees?" asked Joshua.

"I rode over to Jack's brother and told him what I had done, and
where he'd find the body. He went and buried it."

"What about the deer?"

"What deer?"