The Tempering

fence where Boone Wellver still sat perched in the deep preoccupation of his thoughts. These reflections focussed about the stranger who had lately rid

d he hed hangin' ter his saddle, an' did ye note all

nse. "But he 'lowed he'd done come from acrost ther waters-from

and uncurbed. "I've done read stories about kings an' sich-like, travellin' hither an' yon unbekn

ter go a'travellin' in." The dark eyes riffled for a moment into a hint of covert raillery. "Ye didn'

hot disclaimer of gullibility. "I hain't no plum, daft idjit. I didn't

nd for a while they talked of Victor McCall

big speakin' at Marlin Town. Ther Democrat candidate fer Governor aims ter s

oung cousin he hastened to make amends for the indulgen

nd endowed with a new ferocity ominously akin to war. The gathering storm centred and beat about the head of one man whose ambition for gubernatorial honours was the core and essence of the strife. He was, in the confident estimate of his adm

seemingly the weakest of three aspirants for the Democratic nomination

stood baldly clear that his name with an "ism" attached had become the single

s held slaves and established an aristocracy, the hillsmen living by the moil of their own sweat had hated alike slave and slave-holder and had remained solidly Republican. For them it was enough that William Goebel was

er of the audience which would troop in from creek-bed and cove and the branch-waters "back of beyon

close-packed battalions of listeners. Some there were who carried with them their rifles an

fluttering of flags and a brave showing of transparencies, and to Boone Wellver, aged fifteen, as he hun

two gentlemen who were clothed in the smoother raiment of

whispered, and his kinsm

a coal-mine boss-but I hain't ne

dewalk, the boy glimpsed also the mysterious stranger who had ri

ient frock coat stepped forward on the platform itself and raised it

rd of native Democratic leaders-leaders who were well-nigh without fo

icuous among the immobile and stolid faces of the unrespon

e Pelion of praise. "And now, men of Marlin," he shouted in his memorized peroration, "now I have the distinguished honour of presenting to you the man

e dispiriting emptiness of dead silence-unbroken by a single hand-clap-his face fell. For several moments that quiet hung

ly-even coldly, stepped a dark, smooth-shaven man, over whose stock

ps parted. A heavy lock of coal-black hair fell over his forehead, across almost disdainfully cold eyes went sooty lashes, and dark brows m

came calmly and moderately pitched, it went out cla

needs improved government it is hell, and if there is a state on this earth where a man might hope to qualify him

nciation untempered by any concession to time, place or condition, and though sc

Boone Wellver-trembling with excitement as a pointer puppy trembles with the young eagerness of t

ble Asa Gregory under his breath, "but

hundered out his final words of defiance: "The fight is on, a

nthusiasm on the platform at his back, he met wit

ommittee closed hastily and protectingly about the candidate, whose challenge seemed to have been accepted by some irresponsible gun-fighter, but he thrust them back with a face of unaltered

ing a hand for recognition, it called out in a full-chested voice: "Thet shot war fired by a feller thet war full of white licker-an' they're

e purpose that lay behind his coming was one which he had not felt called upon to explain, and though he had much to

g that here a man could lose himself from questions touching the past, so long as he answered frankly those of

ment that he was to have a "working" on the land he had bought, the community was present, armed with hammer and saw,

eer service to a neighbour. Cyrus had seen to it that the gathering at McCalloway's "house-raising" should not bear the prejudicial colour of pa

nion afforded or withheld labour, but every man was carpenter and ar

s rang in accompaniment to their homely jests, and the earnest whine of their saws w

ment for participation in the rough festivities of the "infare" with which the mountain gro

tings, they would go with craned necks, neither trusting the other to depart unwatched, but today the rude sanctuary of hos

ght that the simple code had not safeguarded and

dust and, until he remembered that the hill code of "fist and skull" bars neither

ft handed, at eyes which the other attempted to cover, his right hand whipped out a jack-knife which he sought to open with his teeth. Out of the commotion came an animal-like

for an instant heaving of breast and infuriated, then wrenching himself free from the detaining hand,

ls about the lids, came more slowly to his feet, his breath rasping with passion and exha

f ye hadn't 'a' bust in on me," he panted. "I'd done had him d

ed into the eyes of the man whose ru

e you but reinforcements-or surrender," he commented, and the heaving body

h a venomous disgust. "Thet feller war a Blair! Did ye eve

of his speech spoke not only individual animosity but generations of vendetta. So he let the lad have his say uninterrupted, and Boone's words ran freshet-like with the churn and tumble of his anger. "Ye jest misjudged he

with that unpatronizing gravity which carries an untold wei

e-but I didn't nuver aim

ighter by ha

, and he responded in a lowered voice. "I hain't nuver tuck part in no gun-battles yit-but when hit comes ter fist an'

doxically set in that wrath-enflamed face, wit

ould fight properly, I thought perhaps you'd like to talk to me about it s

was forgotten and the voice thrilled into earnest solicitation. "Would ye

. Civilized warfare. Th

r," disclaimed Boone, and his companion smile

I dare say you'll go out into the world beyond the hills and out there you'll find that gouging ey

individual, and he spoke from a wisdom and experience based on a lifetime of soldiering. A seed of dilemma had fallen into the fallow soil of the lad's questioning mind, and as he stood there in a swirl of perplexity he heard the other voice expl

reflection the boy

ar ye a'so

nd his tone sharpened. He had not meant to throw o

you mustn't ask too many questions," he sa

d with it a note of injured dignity. "I 'lowed ye proffered ter tell me things-an' even ef ye tol

t invited and then rebuffed a natural inquiry, and so he, in turn, spoke apologetical

e spoke again, with the a

more ter say," he contributed

u were spilling over

d the youthful clansman, "but they was all in ther manne

young eyes, and he caught too the untutored instinct of politeness, as genuine and unaffected

ected, "and I'll answer what I like and refuse

uver seed nothin' but jest these hyar hills-an' sometimes hit kinderly seems like ter me thet ef

y-and geography,

ar's a passel of thet book stuff thet a man

ks have y

"I've got a cousin thet's in ther army, though. He's in ther Philippines right now. Did you soldier in ther Philippines?" Abruptly Boone broke off, and then hastily he prompte

iered in the Philippines nor anywhere under the American flag.