to-night, eh? Your desires is to git to the old lady onbeknownst like this evenin', eh!"

Billy said not a word, but after signs from Jack smiled, and nodded his head gayly.

"How do you fight?"

Billy, after looking at Jack for a few moments, made several mock strokes with his fists, imaginary grapplings with his arms, kickings with his legs, and then seized his own throat with one hand, and placed the thumb of the other into the corner of one of his eyes.

Oglethorpe Josh looked at these actions piercingly. Turning angrily upon Jack, he said: "Who's this you fotch here? What is he?"

"It's Billy Moon," answered a by-standerone of those chosen as stake-holder. "He's as respectable a man, sir, as any in this county, or anywheres else, exceptin' that he 's deef and dumb."

"Deef and dumb!" said Oglethorpe. "Ain't he a egiot?"

"Egiot! No, sir: no egiot; got much sense as you, or anybody else on this ground, and as much of a gentleman."

"Jes' so," said Jack Hall.

Oglethorpe scanned Billy over and over care.

fully. Scratching his head, he scanned him again. He looked down and reflected. After reflection he raised his head, but did not seem as if, even when he began to talk, he had reached a definite conclusion.

"Gentlemen-I shall-that is, I shall-notyes-no-in case, yes-that is-gentlemen-I -I shall-ah-I shall NOT fight it."

Oh, now! ah, now! yes, now! That did look like a fellow comin' all the way down from Oglethorpe and openin' a school for teachin' people how to fight!

Oglethorpe reflected again, looked at Billy's smiling face, and reflected yet again. Then he resolved for good and all. He said, firmly: "No, sirs. I shall not fight it, gentlemen; and, gentlemen, I'll give you my reasons. You see,

if me and it fights, one or t' other of us is got to git whipped, in the course o' time, more or less. Now, ef I whip it, it can't holler, and I sha'n't know it air whipped. That'll be onfair for it. Then, agin, gentlemen, and which I should n't by no means look for-but nobody, exceptin' the good Lord, know the futer, 'specially in things like it—then agin, I say, ef it should whip me, and I holler, it-it-it could n't hear me; and that, you see, gentle

men, would be onfair for me. Gentlemen, no; gentlemen, I shall not fight it."

After the explosion ensuing upon this determined refusal, and some discussion as to its import and most proper consequences, it was decided at last, with entire concurrence on the part of Oglethorpe Josh, that it would be fair to regard the money advanced, not exactly as won by Billy, nor as constituting a drawn bet, but that Billy-for Jack said it should be Billy's interest, and not his own-should have half the deposit of Oglethorpe Josh.

When Jack had communicated this decision to Billy, the brightness in an instant fled from his face, and he glanced around resentfully upon all. Then he looked upon the ground for a moment thoughtfully, putting his hand to his ear. Then he raised his head, his face putting on a conditional smile, looked at Oglethorpe, hugged himself, twisted his legs about, made a long mark upon the ground, struck his left forefinger with his right, and uttering several guttural sounds from his throat, looked at Jack as if he were not yet entirely through with giving expression to his ideas.

Oglethorpe watched Billy's actions with earnest and compassionate interest. Said he:

Ef it

"What do it want? Ain't it satisfied? ain't, let it take all the money. Sooner than worry the poor thing, I 'd let it have all I got. I 'd—”

"Jes' so, jes' so, I know," said Jack. "But that ain't what Billy 's arfter."

"Well, what is it arfter? I can't see from them doin's what it is arfter."

"Jes' so; but me and him 's neighbors, and always has been, and we understands one another same as ef Billy could talk. arfter a wrastle with you, stranger."

"A wrastle with me!"

Billy 's

"Jes' so; and he say ef you 'll give him a wrastle, jes' a friendly wrastle, you mind, you may have a dollar more o' your money, no matter which gits flung; and ef you don't he 'll have some more words to say to you."

"You

"Words!" ejaculated Oglethorpe. call them things words! Words! more words! Them things was its langwidges, was they?" Then Mr. Oglethorpe Josh Green grinned somewhat, and the iron in his frame seemed to begin to soften.

"Jes' so," answered Jack; "and Billy 's got more langwidges than you ever heerd of."

"More words, and in warious langwidges,"

said O. J. G., thoughtfully. "And they means it want a wrastle, and ef it can't git it, it'll have more words in more warious langwidges."

Then Mr. O. J. G. regarded Billy with the most intense scrutiny. It was evident that he was again doubtful, but seemingly to avoid the necessity of further remarks in other unknown tongues, he concluded to acquiesce in Billy's wishes.

"Very well, then," he said. "But, gentlemen, I 'm agin this thing, and I wants it onderstood that ef it git hurt, I ain't responchible." Everybody said that was right. Then they stripped themselves.

CHAPTER III.

"What hold do it want?" asked Mr. Oglethorpe Josh Green.

Billy, when the question was made known to him by Jack, raised and let fall first his right arm, then his left, shook his head contemptuously, then unwrapped from his finger an invisible rag, and threw it upon the ground.

"What kind o' words was them?" asked O. J. G.

"Them words," answered Jack, "them 's that Billy say he don't keer, not even to the