Joshua had been more credulous at first, but he, too, began to understand the man from Pike County.
The idea occurred to him to pay him back in his own coin.
"Didn't the relatives make any fuss about it ?" he inquired.

"Didn't they arrest you for murder ?" "They didn't dare to," said the Pike man proudly.

"They knew me.
They knew I could whip my weight in wildcats and wouldn't let no man insult me." "Did you leave the corpse lyin' out under the trees ?" asked Joshua.
"I rode over to Jack's brother and told him what I had done, and where he'd find the body.

He went and buried it." "What about the deer ?" "What deer ?" "The deer you killed and your friend claimed ?" "Oh," said the Pike man, with sudden recollection, "I told Jack's brother he might have it." "Now, that was kinder handsome, considerin' you'd killed your friend on account of it." "There ain't nothin' mean about me," said the man from Pike County.
"I see there ain't," said Mr.Bickford dryly.

"It reminds me of a little incident in my own life.