Christmas Eve on Lonesome and Other Stories

of yellow cheese. "Flitter Bill" Richmond waddled from behind his counter, and out on the little platform in front of his cross-roads store. Out there was a group of

other until he came to one powerful young fellow loosely bent over a wagon-tongue. Even

o Virginia to get Flitter Bill's store, for they were mountain Unionists and Bill was a valley rebel and lawful prey. It was past belief. So long had he pros

d Mountains. "Callahan's Nose," a huge gray rock, showed plain in the clear air, high above the young fo

had shouldered Confederate muskets and gone to the war. Those who had stayed at home were, like Bill, Confederate in sympathy, but they lived in safety down the valley, while Bill traded and fattened just opposite the Gap, through which a wild road ran over into the wild Kentucky hills. Therein Bill's danger lay; for, just at this time, the Harlan Home Guard under Black Tom, having cleared those hills, were making ready, like the Pict and Scot of olden days, to descend on the Virginia valley and smite the lowland rebels at the mouth of the Gap. Of the "stay-at-homes," and the deserters roundabout, there were many, very many, who would "stand in" with any man who would keep their bellies full, but they were well-nigh worthless even with a leader, and, without a leader, of no good at all. Flitter Bill must find a

th erect dignity and perfect ease. His bearded mouth showed vanity immeasurable, and suggested a strength of will that his eyes-the real seat of power-denied, for, while shrewd and keen, they were unsteady. In reality, he was a great coward, though strong as an ox, and whipping with

', gent

n', Ma

the wagon-tongue, who stopped whittling, and m

m to come and hitch his horse. Flitter Bill had reappeared on the stoop with a piece of white

iled-Hence Sturgill grinned. Mayhall stared, and Bill's left eye closed and opened with lightning quickness in a most portentous wink. Mayhall straighte

say yo' new uniform has not arrived yet. I am expecting it

ed speech. "My men are comin' in fast, and you can hardly realize er-er what it means

cky, and the Harlan Home Gyard over th

ll la

ap-right hyeh in the Gap. Let 'em come on-let 'em come on!" Mayhall began to rub his hands together as though the conflict were close at hand, and the mountaineer slapped o

Wells?" s

apologetic laugh. A few minutes later both Mayhall and Flitter Bill saw him shaking his head, as he started homeward tow

ne and manner, "I am afeerd I ain't goin' to be able to pay you that

"as betwixt friends, as have been pussonal friends fer nigh onto twenty year, I

gill out thar says as how he hee

"Captain" in so short a time-"yestiddy is not to-day, is it? And to-day is not to-morrow? I axe you-have I said one word about that little

l turn

e you hev plainly-and if my ears do not deceive me, an' they never hev-you have plainly called me 'Captain Wells.' I knowed yo' littl

was strangely sweet to Mayhall's wondering

Mayhall, ruffling a little

d he handed over the paper

ked it up and down helplessly-

alley, authorizing Mayhall Wells to form a company to guard the Gap and to protect the property of Confederate citizens in the valley; and a commission of captaincy in the said company for the said Ma

ointed silently to the name tha

lled out

rembled as he pulled them away, as though to

in, and kept it there. He straightened his shoulders, and kept them straight. He paced the floor with a tread that was martial, and once he stopped before the door with his right han

new that-that he could get together every loafer between the county-s

oo

the property of the Confederate citizens of the va

nod

way, I opine. Whar-I axe you-air we to git somethin

ke keer

lls rubbed

iot-you can afford to feed 'em as a slight retur

dryly, and with a proph

d for volunteers then and there. There was dead silence for a moment. Then there was a smile here, a chuckle there, an incredulous laugh, and Hence Sturgill, "bully of the Pocket," rose

turgill, that you a

said, contemptuously, but he was surprised a

all Wells, ef

ce, and Captain Wells descended wit

again, but not nip and tuck for long. Captain Mayhall closed in. Hence Sturgill struck the earth like a Homeric pine, and t

oug

eathed hard an

ain W

t the captain's huge fist was

espectful, and Hence Sturgill staggered to one side, as though beaten in spirit, strength, and wits as

authority of Jefferson Davis and the Confederate States of

inked at the astounding d

." And he didn't, but rose and made his way towa

The negro almost paled, and then, with a look at a

uh-'deed I ain

wondering Flitter Bill and the gaping crowd a military salute and started for the yawning mouth of the Gap-r

Jefferson Davis and the Confederate States of America to Mayhall Wells of Callahan, and went