Her revery was broken by the plunging of a horse's hoofs in water, and the appearance of a horseman a short distance ahead. He rode straight down toward her, inquiring,-- "Did you strike a quick?" "Yes," she said. "You're the singer the women in the tents sont out for, hain't you?" "Yes." "I was sartain of hit. Where's Uncle Adam gone to?" "To get another team and some help." "He'll need hit," said the newcomer, surveying the wagon. He was young and extremely handsome, with large dark eyes, blue-black hair, and olive skin, and he sat his horse with perfect grace. Though he did not remove his wide black hat in speaking to Isabel, his manner otherwise was courtesy itself. "Hit'll take two teams every bit and grain of two hours to pull that wagon out," he said. "Better get up behind me and ride in." "Thank you," she said, "but Uncle Adam might wonder what had become of me." "That's a fact, too," he said. "Better wait till he gets back. I heared from the women you was on the way; and when the rain come up night before last, and again last night, I knowed there'd be tides, and you'd see trouble coming acrost. And this morning, knowing how mean the quicks is down Troublesome, I tuck a notion to ride down and see how things was." "You are very kind," she said. "Although we've had rather a bad time, I've enjoyed every minute of it. You see, I love adventure, and something different, and I've certainly found it." Her blue eyes shone, her hair blew about in golden-brown tendrils, her delicate skin was flushed. "I'm proud you come in," he said, "and the women on the hill, they'll be proud, and everybody will, for now we can have a sight more singing and good times. Not that we hain't had 'em ever sence they come," he added. "It must be very nice," she said. "Hit beats anything ever was heared of. You see, the young folks in this country never seed no pleasure before, less'n hit was mean pleasure. We never knowed there was right pleasure. Them women don't fully sense what they're a-doing for us." "I'm crazy to help them, and to see everything, and meet everybody. Life must be very interesting up here. I've read a lot, of course, about the feuds, and Uncle Adam tells me there is actually one right here on Troublesome Creek. Is that so?" The young man flashed a searching glance into her face before replying, carelessly, "There has been some little trouble in past times." "Do you know any of the people who carried it on?" "Yes," he replied, indifferently. "I do hope I shall meet them," she said; "it seems so romantic; just like living hundreds of years ago in _The Scottish Chiefs_, or some other old tale." "War's bad, wherever you take hit," he remarked; "but sometimes hit's necessary. I seed something of hit down in Cuby year before last--though, of course, that wasn't much of a fight." "Oh, you were there, were you?" "In what little there was. You live down in the Blue Grass, don't you?" "Yes."