"Do such things often happen at the North?" asked the Pike County man.

"Not so often as out here and down South, I guess," said Joshua.
"It's harder to get off. Sometimes a man gets hanged up North for
handlin' his gun too careless."

"Did you ever kill anybody else?" asked the Pike man, eying Joshua
rather uneasily.

"No," said Mr. Bickford. "I shot one man in the leg and another in
the arm, but that warn't anything serious."

It was hard to disbelieve Joshua, he spoke with such apparent
frankness and sincerity. The man from Pike County was evidently
puzzled, and told no more stories of his own prowess. Conversation,
died away, and presently all three were asleep.




CHAPTER XXVIII

THE EVENTS OF A NIGHT

The Pike County man was the first to fall asleep. Joe and Mr.
Bickford lay about a rod distant from him. When their new comrade's
regular breathing, assured Joe that he was asleep, he said:

"Mr. Bickford, what do you think of this man who has joined us?"