“I’ll be bound Mink war fairly skeered by them steam-kyars!” exclaimed Mrs. Sayles, with all the assumption of superior experience, although she herself had never had a glimpse of them. “Waal, I reckon not, from the way he kerried on ’cordin’ ter ’Lijah,” said Mrs. Jessup, clasping one knee as she talked, eying the fire. “’Lijah ’lowed he never seen sech a fool. Mink got ter talkin’ ter the gyards an’ dep’ty ’bout this hyar Jedge Gwinnan”—— “Needn’t tell me nuthin’ ’bout Jedge Gwinnan. ‘Jeemes’ air what they call him over yander in Kildeer County. An’ ‘Jim,’ too,” said Mrs. Sayles. “I knowed a woman ez knowed that man’s mother whenst he war a baby.” “Waal, he’s changed some sence then. He ain’t a baby now. Mink kep’ a-talkin’ ter his gyards ’bout Gwinnan, an’ swearin’ Gwinnan had spited him in the trial,—put Pete Rood on the jury an’ sent ’em ter jail, an’ tole the sher’ff ter look arter his prisoner or he’d escape the night Pete Rood fell dead, an’ tole ’em how ter keep the crowd from rescuin’ him, an’ all sech ez that. An’ what d’ ye reckon Mink ’lowed Gwinnan hed done it fur? ’Kase Gwinnan hed tuk a notion hisself ter Lethe Sayles, an’ ’lowed Mink warn’t good enough fur her.” The incongruity of the idea impressed none of them. They all looked silently expectant as Mrs. Jessup went on:— “Waal, Mink swore ez some day he’d git his chance, an’ he’d git even with Gwinnan, sure. An’ ’Lijah, he seen ez Mink war a-lookin’ at Jedge Gwinnan,—the jedge, he war a-goin’ down on the train ter Glaston, an’ then out ter wharever he war a-goin’ ter hold court, an’ he war a-smokin’ in the ‘smokin’-kyar,’ ’Lijah say they call it, whar they hed Mink. An’ ’Lijah say Mink looked at Gwinnan with his mouth sorter open, an’ his jaw sorter drapped, an’ his eyes ez set ez ef he war a wild beastis.” Once more the wind, tumultuous, pervasive, with all the vast solitudes given over to it, swept down the mountain with shrill acclaim. “Goin’ ter hev some weather arter this,—ye mind my words,” said Mrs. Sayles, listening a moment.