"I hope you ain't goin' to do any fightin' down to Deacon Mason's?" remarked Ezekiel. "Oh, no!" protested Strout, "it'll be kind o' quiet, underminin' work, as it were. Remarks and sayin's and side whispers and odd looks, the cold shoulder business, you know, that soon tells a feller that his company ain't appreciated." "Well, I don't think that's quite fair," said Ezekiel. "You don't like him, Mr. Strout, but I don't think the whole town will take it up." The Professor said sternly, "He has insulted me and in doing that he has insulted the whole town of Eastborough." A smothered laugh was heard. "By George! What was that?" cried Strout. Ezekiel was at a loss what to say, and before he could reply, Mandy's laughing had caused the hay to move. As it began to slide she clutched at Hiram in a vain effort to save herself, and the next instant a large pile of hay, bearing Hiram and Mandy, came down, falling upon Ezekiel and Strout and covering them from sight. When all had struggled to their feet, Ezekiel turned to Mandy and said sharply, "What were you doin' up there, Mandy?" "Looking for eggs," said she, as she ran out of the barn and started for the house. Hiram stood with his mouth distended with a huge smile. Strout turned towards him and said savagely, "Well, if you're the only egg she got, 'twas a mighty bad one." Hiram retorted, "I would rather be called a bad egg than somethin' I heard about you." Strout, in a passion, cried out, "Who said anything about me?" Hiram made for the barn door and then said, "heard a gentleman say as how there was only one jackass in Eastborough and he taught the singin' school." Strout caught up a rake to throw at him, but Hiram was out of sight before he could carry out his purpose. Turning to Ezekiel, Strout said, "I bet a dollar, Pettengill, it was that city feller that said that, and as I have twice remarked and this makes three times, this town ain't big enough to hold both on us." CHAPTER VIII. CITY SKILL VERSUS COUNTRY MUSCLE. Hiram Maxwell was not called upon to perform very arduous duties at Deacon Mason's. The Deacon had given up farming several years before, and Hiram's duties consisted in doing the chores about the house. He had plenty of spare time, and he used it by going down to the Pettengill place and talking to Mandy Skinner. The next morning after the adventure in the barn, Hiram went down as usual after his morning's work was done to see Mandy. "How do you find things, Mandy?" said Hiram, opening the kitchen door and putting his head in. "By looking for them," said Mandy, without looking up from her work. "You are awful smart, ain't you?" retorted Hiram. Mandy replied, "People's opinion that I think a good deal more of than yours have said that same thing, Mr. Maxwell." Hiram saw that he was worsted, so he changed the conversation. "Anybody to hum?" Mandy answered sharply, "Everybody's out but me, of course I am nobody." Hiram came in and closed the door.