The Call of the Cumberlands

ung corn rows. It was a field stood on end, and the hoed ground was uneven; but with no seeming of weariness

er and meant some day to marry her she knew, and counted herself the most favored of women. The young men of the neighboring coves, too, knew it, and respected his proprietary rights. If he treated her with indulgent tolerance instead of chivalry, he was merely adopting the accepted attitude of the mountain man for the mountain woman, not unlike that of the red warrior for his squaw. Besides, Sally was still almost a child

in casual fashion, it was because such was the requirement of his stoic code. And to the girl who had been so slow of utterance and

Hurry, Samson, an' git yore mule. I've done give

the heavy lock upward from his for

f lookin' fe

description, the young

ted with," he objected. In the mountains, any time is the time to take

girl. "He's hurt. We kain't

d recreant to the mission of reprisal in which he was biding his time, yet the coming of the day when the truce must end haunted her thoughts. Heretofore, that day had always been to he

. "What air hit, Samson? What fer he

reassured. "Hit hain't nothin' fer a gal ter fret hers

n in a tense, deep-breathed whisper, and th

s like hit's right smart cracked. I reckon, though,"

he bethought herself

"He 'pears ter be more like a gal than a man. He's real puny. He's go

e description advanced, but at the last words a glow

hers? How do

and busted his arm. It's shore es beautiful es-" she broke of

own from the fence, and

left wher

marked a cabin a quarter of a mile below. Ten minutes later, his bare feet swung against the ribs of a gray mule, and h

ill sat propped against the mossy rock. As Lescott looked up, he clos

t. "Just thirty-three minutes. I

ingrained dictates of the country's hospitable code kept out of his eyes

uspiciously: "What mout yer busin

Hixon and ridden through the country, sketching where the mood prompted an

a sudden hardening of the voice, and, when he was affirmatively answer

e put up l

t the mouth of Meeting House

reply w

hit all

mind began piecing together fragments of conversation he had

tabooed by others-notable among them his host of last night. It now dawned on him that he was cr

til I was benighted, and asked for lodging. They were very kind

lanation failed to satisfy him

ye up on thet old mule," he said

scott clambered astride the mo

e. If you'll bring them down here, I'll show you how to pack the easel, and, by the way," h

ender care of which his rough hands would have seemed incapable, and stood stock still, presenting an anomalous figure in his rough clothes as his eyes grew almost idolatrous. Then, he brought the landscape over to its creator, and, though no word was spoken, there flashed betwee

protecting top of the box. Then, while Sally turned and strode down creek in search of Lescott'

in't askin' too much, will ye let m

was the pr

boy adde

t hit ter none of these

e peaks, which in a broader light had held their majestic distances, seemed with the falling of night to draw in and huddle close in

the end of some minutes' silent ploddi

of portent. Some sat their horses, with one leg thrown across the pommel. Others stood in the road, and a bottle of white liquor was passing i

n old man's voice, which was

Spicer!" re

ached the group, revealing that besides the boy ano

ravely; then again they fell silent, and

briefly. "He fell offen a rock, an' got hurt.

hat to him the others deferred as to a commanding officer. The cortege remounted and rode

ere was ye

my bus

h no resentment, but deep gravity. "We've been po

oy put the questio

was shot soon

ouchsafed

ts from the laurel.... Purvy hain't died yit.... Some say

began to smol

slowly, "he didn't gi

f the Souths, but so long es I'm a-runnin' this hyar fam'ly, I keeps my word ter friend an' foe alike

and took on a shrill crescendo of ex

has done busted th

h gazed searchin

umb full of liquor, an' 'lowed he'd seed Jesse an' Jim Asberry a-talkin' tergether jest afore yore pap was kilt." He broke off abruptly

hot them shoots from the laur

Purvy's folks will 'low hit. They're jest a-holdin' yore life like

ch was now drawing rein at Spicer South's yard f

o had listened in

, ef ye did do hit, we hain't a-blamin' ye-much. But I reckon them dawgs don'

oaded the saddlebags and kit, and laid them on the top step of the stile, and, while he

oting of Jesse Purvy, and that others believed him innocent, yet none the less in danger of the enemy's vengeance. Bu

gid, and his eyes flashed with deep passion. His hands, hanging at the seams of his jeans breeches, clenche

... Jesse Purvy hired somebody ter kill him ... an' I promised my pap that I'd find out who thet man was, an' thet I'd git 'em both-s

hand on hit.... Ef them dawgs comes hyar, they'll find me hyar, an' ef they hain't liars, they'll go right on by hyar. I d

. Then, the older man nodded wit

ow, Samson," he said, slowl