"The raiders they tied me; they're lookin' for Jed Bishop."
It was the work of an instant for Ephraim to get out his knife and to cut the thongs binding Elisha's hands and feet. But the prostrate man had not scrambled up before the revenue-officers were down upon them again. Ephraim snatched his gun, and leaped between Elisha and his foes.
"Get out of the way if you can!" he cried to his friend, and fired blindly at the officers.
Early the next morning, as Armindy sat on the entry steps engaged in sewing some patchwork together before the out-door occupations of the day began, a neighbor rode up and hailed her father.
"Heard about the raid last night?"
"No!" exclaimed Mr. Hudgins, hastening to the fence. "Who'd they get?"
"Nobody but Eph'um Hurd."
Armindy dropped her work, her face growing white, her lower lip caught between her clenched teeth.
"It seems they'd caught 'Lishy Cole, an' was lookin' for Jed Bishop, when Eph'um come up an' set 'Lishy free again. He hadn't more'n done it when up come the raiders, an' 'Lishy says Eph'um fit like old Satan hisself, shootin' at 'em tell 'Lishy cleared out."
"Well, well! that does beat all! He'd better 'a' looked out for hisself."