She sat down as coolly as though she had used the ham before, and broke the silence by saying:
“Mr. La Fitte, you know how it is when you have to trust to servants. I have that dish of ham for an ornament on the sideboard, but Betty had to place it on the table this evening. That is just like those girls. They do not know better.”
There was nothing for Barclugh to do now but to eat bread and butter, and fill up on tea and talk.
When a man is disappointed in his meal he begins to get ugly. So Barclugh arose from the table, went into the sitting-room and demanded his bill and declared that he would have to leave for the next stopping-place.
But Mrs. Puffer objected, by saying:
“Oh, no, Mr. La Fitte, you know that these roads are infested with ‘cow-boys’ and ‘skinners,’ and you may be captured and robbed.”
“Which party is it that you belong to, Mrs. Puffer?” asked Barclugh. “I should think that you belonged to the latter.”
From without the house loud shouts of “Hello!” “Hello!” were heard on the road.
Mrs. Puffer turned to Barclugh exclaiming:
“Some of those rascals are there now. You better hide yourself somewhere.”