"Hush children," said Aunt Polly blushing in vexation. "Of course not. And if you interrupt me I shall not tell my story at all." But she was not really angry. "And one day this brave handsome man was out making whisky and he had just sampled some when he looked up and what do you suppose he saw?" "Snakes," cried little Elmer whose father had often had delirium tremens, greatly to the delight of his children. "No, Elmer," said Miss Pinkwood, "not snakes." "Pink lizards," cried little Esther, Elmer's sister. "No," said Aunt Polly, with a hearty laugh, "he saw a--stranger. And what do you suppose the stranger had?" "A snoot full," chorused the Schultz twins. "He was pie-eyed." "No," replied Miss Pinkwood laughing merrily. "It was before noon. Guess again children. What did the stranger have?" "Blind staggers," suggested little Faith whose mother had recently been adjudged insane. "Come children," replied Aunt Polly. "You are not very wide awake this morning. The stranger had a gun. And when the brave handsome man offered the stranger a drink what do you suppose the stranger said?" "I know," cried little Prudence eagerly. "He said, 'Why yes I don't care if I do.' That's what they all say." "No, Prudence," replied Miss Pinkwood. "The stranger refused a drink." "Oh come now, Aunt Polly," chorused the boys and girls. "You said you were going to tell us a true story." And their little faces fell. "Children," said Miss Polly, "the stranger refused the drink because he was a Revenue Officer. And he pointed his gun at the brave handsome man and said he would have to go to jail because he had not paid the tax on his whisky. And the brave handsome man would have had to have gone to jail, too; but fortunately his brother came up just at the right time and--" "Shot the Revenuer dead," cried the children in glee. "Yes children," said Miss Polly. "He shot the Revenue Officer dead." "Oh goody goody," cried all. "Now tell us another story. Tell us about the time your father killed a Revenue Officer with an ax." "Oh you don't want to hear that again, do you children?" said Aunt Polly. "Oh yes--yes--please," they cried, and Aunt Polly was just going to begin when Jed the driver stopped his horses and said: "This hilltop is as good a place to shoot from as I know of, Miss Pinkwood. You can see both roads, and nobody can see you." "Thank you, Jed," said Aunt Polly giving him a kindly smile, and without more ado the children clambered out of the carryall and filled their guns with powder and bullets. "I get first shot," proudly announced Robert, the oldest boy, and somewhat of a bully.