The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-04-14
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THROUGH THE ssCHINKING. -

THROUGH THE sCHINKING."
Not far from an abrupt precipice on
one of the Cumberland Mountain spurs
there stands in the midst of the red and
"mect'n n house." The nuts rattle
noisily down on its roof; sometimes dur
ing venin' preaching (which takes
place in the afternoons flying squirrel
frisks near the window. The hymns
echo softly. softly from the hazy sunlit
heights across the valley.
THAT air the doxol' gy,'' said Tom
Brent, pausing to listen among the
wagons and horses hitched outside. He
was about to follow home his father
mare that had broken loose and gal
loped off through the woods, but as he
glanced back at the church a sudden
thought struck him. He caught sight
of the end of little Jim Coggin's com
forter Haunting out through the "chink-
ing'--as the mOuntaineers call the
series OF short Stats which are set dag
onally in the spaces between the logs.
and on which the clay is thickly daubed
This work had been badly done, and in
many places the daubing had fallen
awar. Thus it was that as jim Coggin
sat within the church. the end OF his
comforter had slipped through the
chinking and was waving in the wind
outside.
Now Jim had found the weather still
too warm for his heavy jeans jacket, but
he was too cool without it, and he had
ingeniously compromised the difficulty
by wearing his comforter in unique
Misunderstanding it on his shoulders,
crossing it over the chest, passing it
under the arms, and tying it in a Knot
between the shoulder-blades. Tom re-
membered this with grin as he slyly
crept up to the house. and it was only
the work of a moment to draw that knot
through the chinking and secure it firm
ly to sumach-bush that grew near at
hand
1t never occurred to him that the re-
sounding doxology could fail to rouse
that small. tow-headed, freckled-faced
boy. or that the congregation might
slowly dispense without noticing him as
he sat motionless and asleep in the dark
shadow.
The sun slipped down into the red
west; the blue mountains turned pur-
pie; heavy clouds gathered, and within
three miles there was no other human
creature when Jim suddenly woke to
the darkness and the storm and the
terrible loneliness.
Where was he? He tried to rise he
could not move. Bewildered, he strug-
gled and tugged at his ''harness all
in vain. AS he realized the situation he
burst into tears.
Them home-folks o. mine won't
KEN hyar ter s'arch fur me-" he cried,
desperately. "kase I tole my mother
ez how war goin' ter dust down the
mounting ter Aunt Jerushy's house ez
soon ez meet'n' war out an stay all
night along o her bows"
Still he tried to comfort himself by
rejecting that it was not so bad as it
might have been. There was no danger
that he would have to starve and pine
here till next Sunday, for ''protracted
meeting" was in progress, service was
held every day, and the congregation
would return tomorrow, which was
Thursday.
His philosophy. however. was short
lived. for the sudden lightning rent the
clouds. and a terrific peal of thunder
echoed among the cliffs. -..
1.-The storm air a-comin' up the
mounting"' he exclaimed, in vivacious
protest. IAN eff this brief wind war
ter whurl the old meet n house off n
the bluff an down inter the valley
-would--I-be?'
All at once the porch cracked beneath
a heavy tread. A clumsy hand was
f,,y p,.t hn Sfvse 1srplSt =
said gruff voice without.
When lantern was thrust in, Jim
was about to speak. but the words froze
upon his lips for fear when man strobe
heavily over the threshold and he
caught the expression of his face.
1t was an evil face-red and bloatcd
and british. He had small, malicious,
twinkling eyes, and a shock of sandy
hair. A suit. of copper-colored jeans
hung loosely on his tall, lank frame, and
when he placed the lantern on bench
and stretched out both arms as if he
were tired, he showed that his left hand
was maimed-the thumb had been cut
of 1t the first joint. "a
A thick-set, short, staggering man
tramped in after him.
"Waal, Amos Brierwood," he said,
"it's safes fur us ter part. We oughter
be fur enough from hyar by day break.
Divide that thar travellers money
hey?" - ~ - u
They carefully closed the rude shut
tiers. barred the door, and sat down on
the "mourners' bench" Neither having
noticed the small boy at the other end
of the room. tf't
Poor Jim, his arms akimbo and half
covered by his comforter, stuck to the
wall like plaid bat--if such natural
curiosity is conceivable feverishly
hoping that the men might 60 without
seeing him at all.
For surely no human creature could
be more abhorrent, more incredibly
odious of aspect. than Amos Brierwood
as he sat there, his red british face
rcdder still with a malign pleasure, his
malicious eyes gloating over the rolls of
money which he drew from q pocket
book stolen from some waylaid traveller,
swapping his fingers in exultation when
= the amount of the bills exceeded his OK.
pectation. es's'h 80 AT. go
The leaves without were fitfu1ly astir,
and once the porch creaked suddenly.