where it most narrowed—the pursuing stranger overtook the moodily-wandering countryman. He stopped him in his progress till he could come up with him by a friendly hail; and, freely approaching him, tendered him his open hand in a cordial salutation. The other grasped it with honest pleasure.
"Master Davis, for such I believe is your name," said the stranger, frankly, "I owe you many thanks for so readily, though I must say rashly, taking up my quarrel. I understand that your brush with that soldier-fellow was on my account; and though, like yourself, I need nobody to fight my battles, I must yet thank you for the good spirit which you have shewn in this matter."
"No thanks, stranger. I don't know what name to call you—"
"No matter; names are unnecessary, and the fewer known the better in these doubtful times. I care not to utter mine, though it has but little value. Call me what you please." The other looked surprised, but still satisfied, and replied after this fashion—
"Well, stranger, as I said, you owe me no thanks at all in this affair; for though I did take up the matter on your hook, it was because I had a little sort of hankering to take it up on my own. I have long had a grudge at that fellow, and I didn't care much on whose score it began, so it had a beginning."
"He has done you wrong?" half affirmatively, half inquiringly, said his companion.
"Reckon he has, squire, and no small wrong neither; but that's neither here nor there, seeing there's little help for it."
"How! no help for it! What may be the nature of this injury, for which a man with your limbs and spirit can find no help?"
The countryman looked at the speaker with a curious expression, in which a desire to confide, and a proper hesitancy in entrusting his secret thoughts to a stranger, were mingled equally. The other beheld the expression, and readily defining the difficulty, proceeded to remove it.
"This man has wronged you, friend Davis: you are his match—more than his match; you have better make and muscle, and manage your club quite as well as he his broadsword:—why should you not have justice, if you desire it?"
"If I desire it!" cried the other, and his black eye sparkled.
