"Not at all," said his friend, springing up; "I am ready for you; but I want other game than woodcock just now, I confess."
They walked along in silence, and had near reached the extremity of the table-land, which, towards the end of the valley, descended into ground of a lower level covered with woods; when Mr. Carleton, who was a little ahead, was startled by Fleda's voice, exclaiming, in a tone of distress, "Oh, not the robins!" and turning about, perceived Mr. Rossitur standing still with levelled gun, and just in the act to shoot. Fleda had stopped her ears. In the same instant, Mr. Carleton had thrown up the gun, demanding of Rossitur, with a singular change of expression "what he meant!"
"Mean?" said the young gentleman, meeting with an astonished face the indignant fire of his companion's eyes "why, I mean not to meddle with other people's guns, Mr. Carleton. What do you mean?"
"Nothing, but to protect myself."
"Protect yourself!" said Rossitur, heating as the other cooled "from what, in the name of wonder?"
"Only from having my word blown away by your fire," said Carleton, smiling. "Come, Rossitur, recollect yourself remember our compact."
"Compact! one isn't bound to keep compacts with unearthly personages," said Rossitur, half sulkily and half angrily; "and besides, I made none."
Mr. Carleton turned from him very coolly, and walked on.
They left the table-land and the wood, entered the valley again, and passed through a large orchard, the last of the succession of fields which stretched along it. Beyond this orchard the ground rose suddenly, and on the steep hill-side there had been a large plantation of Indian corn. The corn was harvested, but the ground was still covered with numberless little stacks of the cornstalks. Halfway up the hill stood three ancient chestnut-trees; veritable patriarchs of the nut tribe they were, and respected and esteemed as patriarchs should be.
"There are no 'dropping nuts' to-day, either," said Fleda, to whom the sight of her forest friends in the distance probably suggested the thought, for she had not spoken for some time. "I suppose there hasn't been frost enough yet."