Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-07-04

opposed the secession movement in Ken
lucky. Hightower was a rabid advocate OF
separation, and, on one occasion, when he
and my father met at a political gathering,
they argued violently with each other, then
quarreled and then engaged in a fight A
number of friends interfered or there
would have been blood shed. As 1t was,
the combatants escaped with a few slight
bruises. Every one knew that the matter
would not be suffered to drop, and it was
evidentth hal the Hightower and Stark fam
lilies, with all their branches of kin and
twigs of connection, would be drawn into
the quarrel. Such proved to be the case,
for, within q week from the day OF the
sfalling out' the Starks and Hightowers,
numbering fifty or sixty men to a side, met
in the little town Of Haleburg and spent a
bloody afternoon. John Hightower and my
father were among the slain.
Ishall never forget what my brother said
to me when he had come home and told
us of the fight. 1 was about nine years old at
the time, but was so full Of q desire for High
tower blood that I sat nursing an old pep
per-box pistol, formidable-looking weapon,
but one that I am sure could not at o
distance Of ten PAGES bury a bullet in a
piece of soft pine. Mother sat sobbing,
holding little sister Lizzie close to her
plCdSp- bofNs Iiy L w NS
| and said:
"Howen, I am going into the Union army,
together with a number of our male rela-
tiyes. The Hightowers are going into the
Confederate army, so they pretend; but l
am afraid that they are going to hang
around here and do all the harm they can
to our people. want you to keep my re-
yolyer and my shot gun within easy reach,
and whenever q Hightower comes on the
place I want you to shoot him. Do you
hear?"
Did I heart Could a tree-toad crying for
ram hear it thunderl was stricken with
grief, but 1 felt the hot blood Of pride
tingling through my veins. / ran to mother,
put my arms around her neck and told her
that l would protect our home. At this mo-
ment I can sec her hallowed face-a face
that then bespoke a broken heart. She put
little Lizzie upon the trundle-bed, and sink
ing down on her knees stretched forth hel
trembling hands and prayed.
My brother did not return from the war
Three Of the HightoWers and two adherept!
to the Stark side of the feud came back, bu
they were all killed In O fight that occurred
early In 1866. By this time I was a "prett.
good chunk Of a boy" and was quite oil
enough to keep shrewd watch Of Zeb High
tower, the only remaining male member o
the family. He was Of about my age, On.
had acquired a knack, I had heard, of kill
ing birds with a revolver.
OF course I held in high disdain the re
ports of his wonderful craftsmanship an
l am sure that with the cause / had 70
hating him, I felt @ contempt for his re
puted courage. We were kept apart, ex
cepb on one occasion, when we met a
church. We fought. hardly know how ]
came about, but I know that I went hom
with much less hair than I had brough
with me that morning. For a number Q
l years / did not see Zeb, partly owing to til
fact that I spent the most Of my time at a
Eastern college, and partly accumulation b
2 the fact that I did not look for him. How
ever, one day shortly after I had been graz
, uated without honors, zeb and I met at
county fair. We exchanged several shot
|, and I went home with a bullet hole in m
left arm. Not a great while after this er
3 counter I met, at the house Of a friend, th
handsomest, loveliest girl I had ever seer
She was Zeb H~ightower's sister. When th
soft glow of her beauty fell upon me m
= pride was blotted out.
It was as though dewdrop had falle
; upon a black speck. don't know how "
thawed the frost of family bitterness, but