CHAPTER X.
It was known to Indian Spring, the next day, amid great excitement, that a serious fracas had been prevented on the ill-fated boundary by the dramatic appearance of Uncle Ben Dabney, not only as a peacemaker, but as Mr.Daubigny the bona fide purchaser and owner of the land.

It was known and accepted with great hilarity that "old marm McKinstry" had defended the barn alone and unaided, with--as variously stated--a pitchfork, an old stable-broom, and a pail of dirty water, against Harrison, his party, and the entire able posse of the Sheriff of Tuolumne County, with no further damage than a scalp wound which the head of Seth Davis received while falling from the loft of the barn from which he had been dislodged by Mrs.McKinstry and the broom aforesaid.
It was known with unanimous approbation that the acquisition of the land-title by a hitherto humble citizen of Indian Spring was a triumph of the settlement over foreign interference.

But it was not known that the school-master was a participant in the fight, or even present on the spot.

At Mrs.McKinstry's suggestion he had remained concealed in the loft until after the withdrawal of both parties and the still unconscious Seth.

When Ford had remonstrated, with the remark that Seth would be sure to declare the truth when he recovered his senses, Mrs.
McKinstry smiled grimly: "I reckon when he comes to know I was with ye all the time, he'd rather hev it allowed that I licked him than YOU.