"Why, it is nothing, only that horrible scout wanted to marry me. Did you ever hear anything so ridiculous?" said the girl, sitting up and made defiant by the idea. "Did he do anything?" and the Major again forgot his orders and rose truculently. "Benjamin!" said Mrs. Searles, with asperity; and he again subsided. Like most soldiers and sailors, he was imperfectly domesticated. "He wanted to marry you?" she continued with questioning insistence. "Yes, he said I must marry him; that God wanted me to, and he also said he had lost his mind--" "Well, I think he has," observed the mother, catching this idea, which was at least tangible to her. "Is that all, Katherine?" "Is that all, mother? Why, isn't that enough?" "I mean, he simply asked you to marry him--properly--he wasn't insulting--insistent beyond--" "No, he did nothing else, though he went about it in a most alarming way." "You said, No!" "I most emphatically did, mother." "What then?" "Then he began mumbling Indian and scared me nearly to death. I ran to Mary." "Dade an' she did, mum; an' I'm afther loosin' my sinses thinkin' thim rid-divils what do be ploughin' the land down be the river was devastating the cantonmint for to pass the time. An' ets only some bye afther wantin' to marry her--the swate thing." Mrs. Searles interposed, "Mary!" and the domestic retired to the sable silences of the rear steps, to split a joke with one Private O'Shane, should he venture to return. "The social savagery of this place is depressing. To think of my daughter living in a log-cabin, cooking bear meat for a long-haired wild man. In the future, Benjamin Searles, I trust you will not feel called upon to introduce your fantastic acquaintances to this house. You can sit on the corral fence to entertain them. That is where they belong. I suppose next, an out-and-out Indian will want to be my son-in-law." "I certainly will see that the man does not again obtrude himself. I do not understand his nerve in this matter. Lewis thinks the boy's ridgepole is crooked; but he is harmless and has done many good and gallant deeds. As for his proposing, I simply think he doesn't know any better. For my part, I think it is about time that the engagement to Mr. Butler is announced; it will put an end to this foolishness all round," added the father. "I am going out to see Lewis about this fellow now." "Ben Searles, I hope you are not going to do anything rash," pleaded the mother. "Of course not, my dear; the situation doesn't call for any temperature beyond blood-heat. I only want to put a cooling lotion on the base of that scout's brain. He must stop this dreaming habit." Having found Lewis at his quarters and seated himself, the Major began, "Now, Captain, what do you think of this Ermine of yours--is he crazy?" "Is he crazy? Why, what has he done now?"