The Red Debt

ed, down toward the startling night-cry of the bell which they knew emanated from the new church on Hellsfork. That choking, desperate bell-scream had raked across their senses lik

-clover with their blood, and die there in the chu

the forefront, spouting soft-nosed bullets from his hot rifle! The ringing of the bell inspired those on-coming loyal mountain h

eapons of all sorts, descended on the church

ied people. Belle-Ann knelt beside him, bathing his wounds and uttering i

ed out of the lantern light like a

ttered about the church. The shaggy band stood around gazing at their dead leader. Cr

held them back. He climbed upon the altar, and little Bud scrambled up

ir leader, the Moon mountain men crowded

ched on the first bench. He raised his bruised, torn face upward; then, in a voice that was terrible in its calmn

d' an' put t' shame, fo' they hev privily laid thar net t' destroy me withouten a cose-even withouten a cose hev they made a pit fo' my soul. Let th' sudde

ibrant amens rose from

dead father. All through the discourse little Bud kept close to his brother on the pulpit, steadying the lon

deserted him at the end, and his voice soared to a frenzied pitch tha

ones. "Not a bein' o' yo'-all darst lift a han' t' harm the

boy whut stan's heah frontin' his pap's daid body, a callin' on yo'-all t' see jestu

t his breast. Bud beat his own thin chest and wrenched his

with their dead-waited for the saddest of all days; a day cr

rning was charged with a sepulchral mist, impinging upon the senses like s

-the venerable sire that begot it. The dawn-breath floated down from the

amidst the chanting of spirit-voices. The tumultuous cry of the cascade, wont t

ng the gospel-house, and a dolorous ring-dove mourning on the pinnacle of a dead syc

tion had been discussed throughout the mountains. Hour after hour the rock-strewn highways of the hills were traversed by trav

e-back, in buck-boards. They ca

lay hands upon their infirmities and implore the merciful God to alleviate their suffer

ormal arms, and ape-like visage, carried his helpless offspring eighteen

and by high noon the clearing was filled with a multi

le in amazement. As young Sap McGill stood on a crag and watched, his ey

r wielded by old Cap Lutts throughout his lifetime. The dead monarch had always ruled his followers through strength and love. Fear had nev

neath a tree in the church clearing. And hundreds of eager hands hurried into the byways of the vale and returned with arms heaped

from the church and laid him in this lau

ng a tall figure garbed in black, and the voices were h

pened an aisle leading to the mammoth bier, where smiling death reposed, cradled a

When his anguished eyes rested upon the still form, a great sob convulsed him; and like an echo the pent-up

e parson; on the other sat Lem and Bud and Belle-Ann. Little Bud crouched like a shrunken

he sat staring over the heads of the people, and on his bruised and swolle

d there they laid him beside Maw Lutts. Old Cap Lutts, monarch of Moon mountain, had passed out of feu