"Mr. Sterne was not drunk, of course!" Madeline suggested, innocently.
"Well, no, I shouldn't say as how he was, though he might have been."
"Exactly. Now, between ourselves, Micah, how did the quarrel begin?"
"Well, Miss, just between you and me, it was this way," and Micah raised his head and looked cautiously around him.
"There's no one to hear what you are saying," Madeline said, encouragingly.
"One can never be too careful, Miss; but as I was saying, I went out to close the gate after the Captin, and he hadn't gone many yards, before I heard 'im shout out to somebody."
"Yes? What did he say?"
"Well. I don't remember his words exact. But there's no doubt he meant you, Miss."
"Me, Micah?"
Micah nodded and smiled. "I should have felt just the same, Miss."