“Naw, it was too durn dark, but I hung him high up, so’s the hawgs won’t git at him. His skin ’ll fotch of’ bits down at Andalushy.”

“Ax ’em six, Jim, them big ones gittin’ kinda skeerce.”

Jim finished his supper in silence; the killing of the snake had provided more conversation than was usual during three meals among pine-woods people.

As Sally was clearing away the dishes, the yellow cat came through the door. Slinking close to the wall, it avoided the woman, and sprang upon the knees of its master. Jim grinned into the eyes of the beast and began stroking its coarse hair. The cat set up a grating purr.

Sally looked at the two for a moment in silence.

“Jim, you gotta kill that cat.”

Jim’s grin widened, showing his tobacco-stained teeth.

“Jim, I’m a-tellin’ you, you gotta kill that eat.”

“An’ I’m a-tellin’ you I won’t.”

“Jim, it sprung at me to-day, an’ would have hurt me somethin’ turrible if I hadn’t hit it over the haid with my shoe.”

“Well, you must ’a’ done somethin’ to make him. You leave him alone an’ he won’t pester you.”

The woman hesitated; she looked at the man as yet undecided; after a moment she spoke again.

“Jim Gantt, I’m axin’ you for the las’ time, which does you think more’n of, me or that snarlin’ varmint?”

“He don’t snarl at me so much as you does,” the man answered doggedly. “Anyway, I ain’t a-goin’ to kill him; an’ you gotta leave him alone, too. You jes’ min yer own business an’ go tote the mattress out on the trot. It’s too durn hot to sleep in the house.”

The woman passed behind him to the cupboard, reached up, opened wide the wooden door, and went out of the room.

Jim stroked the cat, its grating purr growing louder in the stillness.

A minute passed.

Into the dull eyes of the man a glitter came, and grew. Slowly he lifted his head. Farther and farther his chin drew up until the cords beneath the red skin of his neck stood out in ridges. The nostrils of his bony nose quivered, he sniffed the hot air like a dog straining to catch a distant scent. His tongue protruded and moved from side to side across his lips.

Standing in the darkness without, the woman smiled grimly.

Abruptly the man rose. The forgotten cat fell, twisted in the air, and lighted on its feet. Jim wheeled and strode to the cupboard. As his hand closed about the bottle, the gleam in his eyes became burning flames. He jerked the bottle from the shelf, threw his head far back. The fiery liquor ran down his throat. He returned to his seat; the cat rubbed its ribbed flank against his leg, he stooped and lifted it to the table. Waving the bottle in front of the yellow beast he laughed:

“Here’s to yer—an’ to’ad yer!” and swallowed half a tumblerful of the colourless liquid.