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We done it, and then peeped down the woods through the leaves.

Pretty soon a splendid young man come galloping down the road, setting his

horse easy and looking like a soldier. He had his gun across his pommel. I

had seen him before. It was young Harney Shepherdson. I heard Buck's gun

go off at my ear, and Harney's hat tumbled off from his head. He grabbed

his gun and rode straight to the place where we was hid. But we didn't

wait. We started through the woods on a run. The woods warn't thick, so

I looked over my shoulder, to dodge the bullet, and twice I seen Harney cover

Buck with his gun; and then he rode away the way he come -- to get his hat, I

reckon, but I couldn't see. We never stopped running till we got home. The

old gentleman's eyes blazed a minute -- 'twas pleasure, mainly, I judged -- then

his face sort of smoothed down, and he ssssssssss

says, kind of gentle: ssssssssss

"I don't like that shooting from be-

hind a bush. Why didn't you step into ssssssssss

the road, my boy?" ssssssssss

"The Shepherdsons don't, father.

They always take advantage." ssssssssss

Miss Charlotte she held her head up

like a queen while Buck was telling ssssssssss

his tale, and her nostrils spread and her ssssssssss

eyes snapped. The two young men ssssssssss

looked dark, but never said nothing. ssssssssss

Miss Sophia she turned pale, but the ssssssssss

color come back when she found the ssssssssss

man warn't hurt. ssssssssss

Soon as I could get Buck down by

the corn-cribs under the trees by our- ssssssssss

selves, I says: ssssssssss

"Did you want to kill him, Buck?"

"Well, I bet I did."

"What did he do to you?"

ssssssssss

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