Sydney's dry lips formed a soundless "Why?"
"He's got some notion in his head that Ah've done him an injury—you heard him?"
She nodded.
"Ah swear to you, Sydney, Ah haven't any idea what he means, but he harps on it, and he sent me a challenge, as Ah suppose you know, or you wouldn't be here."
"Yes. Bob brought me."
"Ah bluffed him off fo' three days. Ah hoped Ah might think of something that would get him out of that vein without hurting his foreign feelings, but Ah couldn't think of anything, so Ah 'lowed to pretend to play up to his game, and in some way turn it into a joke."
"The bird-shot was the joke?"
The Doctor colored dimly under his tan.
"Well, Ah must confess that it seemed to me mo' humorous when Ah was loading up the guns at home than when the Baron was discoursing about it."
"I should think so. I should think——"