Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-08-25
A TENNESSEE VENDETTA.
Two Blood Thirsty Mountaineers Con.
clude to Forget all Their Grudges

One evening after hard days
climb in the Mountains beyond Ath-
ems, l came upon log cabin near the
road. / said "evening" because
everything after y is "evening" in
the south. 1t was about 5 o'clock in
the afternoon. A man sat on a log
at the door smoking and whiting,
three children were playing about
and a woman sat on the door sill
with elbows on her knees and her
face in her hands. AS l came near
the man looked up and said:
"Howdy, Stranger"
The woman slowly lifted face the
color of a sunhower, gazing at me
for half minute, and then added:
"Howdy ?"
The children sat down on the log
ina bashful way each sucking fin
ger, and the father pocketed his
knife, knocked the ashes from his
pipe and continued:
snake yerselfright to hum, strang-
er. Children, bring the gourd, and
you, Jen, hunt up bite to eat"
explained that all l asked was IA
drink of water and some information
about the route, but he spoke up
with considerable energy:
"YOu must stop with us tonight.
There's no other place for ten miles
whar they are fixed to take you in"
| demured and he insisted and l
finally sat down beside him. We had
scarcely begun conversation when
the woman looked up and drawled
"Say, HIP"
"Whatw
"Better get your gum"
"Whyw
wCause Robinson's coming"
The man rose up, passed the wO-
man, and the next moment came out
with q rifle in his hands. He stood
on the log and looked down the road,
and as / cast my eyes in that direc-
ton saw a man leave the road and
take to a tree.
eyes, that's Robinson" muttered
my host. stranger, you'd better
squat! Children, lay low! Jen, look
out fur yurself !"
sat down on the ground beside
the log, while the children took COW
er on the other side. The woman
never moved.
"Who is this Robinson and what
does he want 2" / finally asked.
olives down the creek and wants
to shoot me-" was the calm reply.
"He's gettin' yer range, Hi" re-
remarked rather than exclaimed the
woman.
Next moment bullet whistled
over my head and the report of Rob-
inson's rifle came to our ears.
"He couldn't hit barn at the end
of his gun"' muttered Hi, who stood
with rifle ready to raise to his face.
There was a long silence, and then
he stepped down and said:
"Guess we'd better go in, stranger.
Robinson's an ornery skunk, and
is probably creepin' up on us for
clusser shot. Jist don't mind us, but
make yerself to hum"
The door had not been shut to after
us as we entered the cabin when a
bullet struck it. This aroused the
spirit of the woman and she eXclaim-
ed:
"Thele, Hi Skivens, didn't | allus
say Robinson was coward?"
eyes, you allus did"
"And you have got. to wipe him
outw
eyes, l hev. Tain't no use buttin'
up with him no NOAH"
"Have you and Robinson been at
this very long," / asked, as l sat
down.
"Bout three years."
cts what they call feud, is it?"
"That's the name, guess. I'd
had him twice if my gun hadn't miss
ed fire, and he's hit me once"
"Only trihe, though" added the
woman, as if l would regard the
wound as a stain upon his honor.
"I'd like to see the man as could
kill popw exclaimed the Oldest
child, girl Of 10.
"G' long, Nancy, and take that
with your said the mother, as she
bestowed sound cuff on the ear.
Robinson now fired bullet
through the only front window and
uttered war whoop.
"Goin' to stand it?' quered the
I, L b. l.,