`` What is it , lad ? '' asked Thorn , pausing in his tramp , as if willing to be drawn from the disturbing thought that made his black brows lower and his mouth look grim . `` Thinkin ' of my wife , and wishin ' she was here , bless her heart ! set me rememberin ' how I see her fust , and so I roared , as I always do when it comes into my head . '' `` How was it ? Come , reel off a yarn , and let 's hear houw yeou hitched teams , '' said Flint , always glad to get information concerning his neighbors , if it could be cheaply done . `` Tellin ' how we found our wives would n't be a bad game , would it , Phil ? '' `` I 'm agreeable ; but let 's have your romance first . '' `` Devilish little of that about me or any of my doin 's . I hate sentimental bosh as much as you hate slang , and should have been a bachelor to this day if I had n't seen Kitty jest as I did . You see , I 'd been too busy larkin ' round to get time for marryin ' , till a couple of years ago , when I did up the job double-quick , as I 'd like to do this thunderin ' slow one , hang it all ! '' `` Halt a minute till I give a look , for this picket is n't going to be driven in or taken while I 'm on guard . '' Down his beat went Thorn , reconnoitring river , road , and swamp , as thoroughly as one pair of keen eyes could do it , and came back satisfied , but still growling like a faithful mastiff on the watch ; performances which he repeated at intervals till his own turn came . `` I did n't have to go out of my own State for a wife , you 'd better believe , '' began Dick , with a boast , as usual ; `` for we raise as fine a crop of girls thar as any State in or out of the Union , and do n't mind raisin ' Cain with any man who denies it . I was out on a gunnin ' tramp with Joe Partridge , a cousin of mine , -- poor old chap ! he fired his last shot at Gettysburg , and died game in a way he did n't dream of the day we popped off the birds together . It ai n't right to joke that way ; I wo n't if I can help it ; but a feller gets awfully kind of heathenish these times , do n't he ? '' `` Settle up them scores byme-by ; fightin ' Christians is scurse raound here . Fire away , Dick . '' `` Well , we got as hungry as hounds half a dozen mile from home , and when a farmhouse hove in sight , Joe said he 'd ask for a bite , and leave some of the plunder for pay .
I was visitin ' Joe , did n't know folks round , and backed out of the beggin ' part of the job ; so he XXXXX ahead alone .
'm Thinkin began came died fired help popped see went