"You won't think o'travelling in the night--will yer?" "Every moment is precious," replied Tom. "Well, husband," said she, "if the boy feels, under the circumstances, that he must go, it isn't in me to detain him. But it seems to me we orter do as we'd be did by, and help him onto his way a piece. Now, you jist go and harness the hoss into the waggin while I put up something to stay his stomach like till he gets to the fort. You could drive him there just as well as not, husband." "Pretty long drive," observed the man, looking out of the little window dubiously. "Well, but," she persisted, "you see the child's got to go all the way afoot, and it'll take so long that his folks'll be killed, murdered, tomahawked, and scalped, afore he can git there." Then, waxing warm, "an' if you an' I was in that perdicament, we'd want them as was going to help us not to aggervate our feelin's by coming to our rescue when it was too late." "Yes, yes," returned the little man, unable to reply to his wife's wordy reasoning. "Now, if you're not afeard--" "_Afeard!_" said he, bristling his hair, and reddening again. "Who's afeard? I was only thinking, if the Injuns should come whilst I'm gone, what would become of you, Barbery Jane." "Well," said she, looking aghast, and sinking into her chair anew, "I declare, if I hadn't forgot that!" But she was a person who "made it a point" to carry her point in all domestic arrangements and controversies with her lord; and partly on this principle, and partly, we hope, from a worthier motive, she rallied, and added,-- "But I'll risk it, if you will, James. An' I'm more in danger 'n you are, bein' I'm so fleshy. You can hide most anywhere in the woods, and they couldn't find ye any more 'n a needle in a haymow; an' I never could stand it to think on't that we'd been sich cowards--" "Cowards!" interrupted her husband, goaded by this; for on the matter of size and courage he was specially sore--a wound which his spouse took care to keep open. "Cowards!" and, bristling about, and striking his feet together, he bustled out, and, with commendable energy, soon had the horse in the buggy before the door. Tom sprang in, as the kind-hearted woman passed him a bountiful supply of provisions, saying, as she wiped her eyes with her apron,-- "I hope next time you come this way you'll be alive an' well; but I'm dreadful afeard the Injuns'll git ye." The latter remark seemed to have more effect upon her husband than Tom, for the flush disappeared from his cheeks again.