Down the Ravine

appreciate it, that this change began one day shortly after he had learned of Nate's departure. As he went mechanically about his work, he was pondering futilely upon his friend's mysterious

Birt hev a day off," said the

hev laid off ter attend. Ef ye want ennybody ter bide with the tanyard, an' keer fu

mbre and austere. He seemed, if possible, a little slower than was his wont. H

he old woman; ye couldn't count out how ye air kin ter

ers. Being ill, and an extremely old woman, she was supposed to be lying at

ter hev the mule in the wagon, an' he can't grind ba

e," said the obdurate Byers. "Ye kin bide with the tanyard an'

be thar, an' I wants ter see the fol

sh this job. It don't lie with me ter gin him a day off

ly unkind speech, and B

" he said, hotly, "I'd make ye divide

and looked steadily across the pit at Bi

me down, do ye?" he sneered. "Waal, I'll take the will f

the top. The operation was almost complete before Jubal Perkins received the news of his relative's precarious condition. He had no doubt that Birt was able to finish it properly, and the boy's conscientio

ers exchanged no more words with him, and skillfully combined a curt and crusty manner toward him wit

He spoke as if she were already dead. "A

ar old, an' kep' a sharp tongue in her head ter the las'

speculative eyes, and gazed fixedly into the preternaturally solemn

gainst his toes, and Byers, suddenly turning, ran quite over him. Rufe had not far to fall, but Byers was a tall man. His arms swayed like the sails of

e struggled to his feet. "G'way from

fter the men had started on their journey he sat down on a

'ble mean man,

ad no mind to talk

ufe, doughtily. "It tak

beam of the wooden horse, when Birt glanced up and came hastily to the rescue. Rufe was disposed to further investigate the appliances of the tanyard left defenseless at his mercy, but at last Birt prevailed on him t

he space above with a thicker layer, ten or fifteen inches deep, and put the boards securely across the top of

-oak, hard by, dappled the floor. Lying there was an old Mexican saddle, for which there was no use since the horse had died. Tennessee was mounted upon it, the reins in her hands, the headstall and bi

doubtless, where all the winds blow fair, and sparkling waters run, and jeopardy delights, and fancy's license prevails -

is impossible to say. She halted suddenly when her attent

re a large wooden chest. He had lifted the lid, and kept it up by resting it upon his

ith indignant surprise gat

own frames. She resented the sacrilege of Rufe's invasion of that chest. She turned on the saddle and looked around with an air of appeal. Her mother, however, was down the hill beside the spring, busy boiling

served so many other useful purposes - for the gymnastic exhibition involved in standing on it; for his e

s roused within Tennessee. She found

e exclaimed, guttural

chest resting upon it. He fixed a solemn stare on Tennessee, and drawing one hand from

g off the floor of the passage and down upon the ground; but at last she was fairly on her way to the spring to convey an account to her mother of the outlaw in the chest. In fact, she was not far from the scene of the soap-boiling

e bit and bridle. He was rarely so accommodating, as he preferred the role of driver, with what he called "a pop-lashee!" at command. She forgot her tell-tale mission. She turned with a gurgle o

e axe. No one took special notice of Rufe's movements in the interval before supper. He disappeared for a time, but when the circle gathered around the table he w

eemed only to reveal the loneliness of the forests, and to give new meaning to the solemnity of the shadows. The heart was astir with some responsive thrill that jarred vaguely, and was pain. Yet the night had its melancholy fascination, and they were all awake

d heeded the summons of the sick woman. For she still lay in the same critical condition, and his mind was full of dismal forebodings as he toiled along the road on the mountain's brow. The dark woods were veined with shimmering silver. The mists, hovering here and there, showed now a blue and now an amber gleam as the moon's rays c

s, was the figure of an old woman - a small-sized woman, tremulous and bent. It looked like old Mrs. Price! As he paused amazed, with starting eyes and failing limbs, the wind flut

the old woman had died since he had left her house,

he test. With a piercing cry he sprang past, and fled

ling hand, and sat shivering over them. His wife, willing enough to believe in "harnts"* as appearing to other people,

hos

gran'chill'n, an' then she'd bounce out'n her cheer, an' jounce round the room after thar daddy or mammy, whichever hed boxed the chill'n. That fursaken couple always hed ter drag thar chill'n out in the woods, out'n earshot of the house, ter whip 'em, an' then threat 'em ef they dare let thar granny know they hed been

nt down and the day was slowly breaking, he took his way, with a vacillating inten

rone upon the ground. And there, close to the edge of the road, as if she had stepped aside to let him pass, was the figure of a little, bent old woman - nay,

-way of a road led only to his own house, and this image of a small and bent old woman had doubtless been de

to him in the plaid of the shawl - even in the appearance of the bonnet, although it was now limp and damp. He saw

eeth together. An angry flush f

minine idiosyncrasies, but it does not require much wisdom to know that on no account whatever does a woman's

e me divide work mo' ekal, an' ez good ez said he'd knock me down ef he cou

taken revenge, because he was kept at wor

he garments home, and conceal his share in the matte

tick, an' I'll gin him a larrupin' ez he won't fu

ory sprout. He did not at once find one of a size that he considered appropriate to the magn

ly adapted for vengeance. He was stealthy in returning, keeping behind the trees, and slipping softly from bole to

e of me, an' skeer him off afore

d through the interlacing roots he peered out furtively at it.

thed only in its own scant and rusty leaves. A w