“Yes; Dannie.”

“Dannie who?”

“Dannie Pickett; Abner Pickett’s gran’son.”

“Is he in court?”

“I reckon he ain’t. He didn’t come yisterday; an’ I sh’d say he’d find it perty tough sleddin’ to git here to-day.”

“Now, then, did you or Dannie Pickett threaten those engineers with any harm?”

“Well, I reckon I told ’em it wouldn’t be healthy fer ’em ef Abner Pickett was on deck; an’ Dannie, he ’lowed ’at they wouldn’t no railroad run through his gran’pap’s graveyard; ho! ho! ho!”

The recollection of the circumstance seemed to amuse Gabriel very much.

“Funny, was it?” asked the lawyer.

“Funny ain’t no name fer it,” replied Gabriel.