As they were about to rise from the table a shadow crossed the front door and the odd little figure of the old gatekeeper entered the hall, and in such a plight that his appearance was greeted with a general exclamation from the company present; but before any one could ask a question the old man walked up to the new overseer and said meekly: “If yer please, Marster John, Mr. Comical, as he passed out de gate yes’day, tole me to come up here dis mornin’ and help yer to get righted, and show you t’rough de Red Wing, case you couldn’t find your own way.” “Thank you, ’Si; your help will be very acceptable. But, man alive, what’s happened to you?” inquired John, gazing with surprise and pity on the battered veteran who stood there with his clothes torn to ribbons, his eye black, his nose swelled, and his scalp bleeding from where a lock of hair had been pulled out by the roots. “He looks as if he had been blowed up by a steam-boiler!” said Tom. “Or run over by a locomotive,” added Ned. “He looks to me more as if he had had an interview with a wild cat,” suggested Em., half in pity, half in humor. “But what on earth _is_ the matter with you, man?” repeated John. “Well, ver see, marster, Sereny has been performin’ on me,” quietly replied ’Sias. “_What?_” demanded John. “Sereny has been performin’ on me, sar. Dancin’ of a war-dance over me, marster; it is Sereny’s little way she has, Marster John. Only, dis time ’pears like she has scalp’ me worse ’an I ebber was scalp’ since I was a boy, and dat was a hundred and fifty years ago, marster, more or less, more or less, sar.” “But who the mischief is Sereny?” “My young wife, marster; dat young yaller gal yer might see at de gate-house any time passing,” meekly replied old ’Sias. “But what on earth did she abuse you for?” demanded John. “Marster, yer know dat dollar yer see Mr. Comical gib me?” “Yes.” “Well, marster, dat Sereny hab got a nose like a rat-terrier for smellin’ out things. Jes’ ’cause Mr. Comical come on a visit to de place, and I went up to pay my dispects to him; Sereny suspicioned him gibbin’ me money, an’ soon’s ever he was gone she up an’ ’cuse me ob it to my face, an’ tell me to ’liber dat money up to my lawful wife. I didn’t want to gib all dat money, ’cause I knowed she’d heabe it all away on finery, an’ sich trash, first chance she got, so I wouldn’t ’fess as I had any. An’ den she tried to sarch me, an’ I ’sisted her, an’ den she began to perform on me an’ dance a war-dance round me, an’ tomahawk an’ scalp me, an’ bein’ so much youngern stronger’n I am, she got the better o’ me an’ took all my money——” “And left you in this condition?” “Yes, sar; which it’s a little way Sereny’s had ebber since I married of her.” “But what in the world tempted an old man like you to take a young wife?”