"Who air ye, that wants ter bother a feller at sich a time o' ther mornin'?"
"Wade," came the reply.
"Oh!" exclaimed Peter. "Come on in, boy. What'n thunder brings ye at sich a hour as this?"
"Didn't you see the fire?" returned Wade.
"Sure. Did ye think I didn't know it would be?"
"I didn't know," replied Wade, "but I thought I'd tell you that Fred Conover has been killed, and——"
"Thunder, ye say!" interrupted Peter. "Thunder, ye say!" he repeated. "What do yer mean by tellin' me that, Wade; is it really true?"
"It is really true, Judson, and I thought I'd come by and get Tom to go over to Conover's with me to give the news."
"Ye needn't, Wade; they'll have it long afore ye kin git thar with it, an' besides ye cain't git Tom fer anything fer awhile. He's been shot through ther leg."
"What!"