The next morning was bright and warm after the hard frost of the night
before. Old Rover was asleep on the doorstep in the sun, and his
master stood in the yard, and saw neighbor Price come along the road in
her best array, with a gay holiday air.
"Well, now," she said eagerly, "you wa'n't out very late last night,
was you? I got up myself to let Tiger in. He come home, all beat out,
about a quarter past nine. I expect you had n't no kind o' trouble
gittin' the coon. The boys was tellin' me he weighed 'most thirty
pounds."
"Oh, no kind o' trouble," said Isaac, keeping the great secret
gallantly. "You got the things I sent over this mornin'?"
"Bless your heart, yes! I 'd a sight rather have all that good pork
an' potatoes than any o' your wild meat," said Mrs. Price, smiling with
prosperity. "You see, now, 'Liza Jane she 's given in. She did n't
re'lly know but 't was all talk of 'Bijah 'bout that dog's bein' wuth
fifty dollars. She says she can't cope with a huntin' dog same 's he
could, an' she 's given me the money you an' John York sent over this
mornin'; an' I did n't know but what you 'd lend me another half a
dollar, so I could both go to Dipford Centre an' return, an' see if I
could n't make a sale o' Tiger right over there where they all know
about him. It's right in the coon season; now 's my time, ain't it?"
"Well, gettin' a little late," said Isaac, shaking with laughter as he
took the desired sum of money out of his pocket. "He seems to be a
clever dog round the house."
"I don't know 's I want to harbor him all winter," answered the
excursionist frankly, striking into a good traveling gait as she
started off toward the railroad station.