Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-12-04
MART DODSONSS RISE.

Among the Red Knobs of the Tennes-
see Valley the people are mostly of the
poorer class of small farmers. Along the
railroad a cred Knobber," is known by
the purple hue of his boots, usually we'll
stained by the hematitic dust of his patri-
monial acres. Lying at the foot of the
Chilhowee Mountains, the rocky fast
nesses behind them were long the con-
den toll and trouble.
Little Mart Dodson had peddled "wild-
cat whisky" from the time he became
able to take three gallon keg along the
country roads after dark. He had been
arrested, bound over before commission
ers, tried, released or convicted so many
times that the varied phases of Federal
justice or leniency had long lost the spice
and novelty, under monotonous convic-
ton of their tyranny and general futility
as related to moonshining in general and
little Mart in particular.
But one summer there came lady and
her daughter from Chattanooga to board
at Hawk Cliff, ragged spur of the Chill
howees, where a mineral spring or two
dubbed out from beneath the preciplces.
Mrs. Baird needed some pure whisky
for medicinal purposes. Following the
instructions of the "Widder Green"
with whom they boarded, Agnes, the
daughter of the former, left some money
one night in a cleft of large rock, called
the ''Dcvil's Anvil" On going back
the next morning, she found the money
gone and the bottle filled with amount in
dew"
''Little Mart air always up ter time"
SAID Widow Green. 'tHe gifts to that
thar rock every Chusd'y night ez regular
as clockwuk."
There was no society in a social sense
at Hawk Cliff, and Agnes, lively girl
not yet out Of her teens, when not read
ing to or waiting upon her mother, found
herself at some loss to pass the time.
There was no one to dress for or f1irt with,
and the country folk, ever suspicious of
social superiority, were shy and evasive.
She sought solace in long rambles over
the mountains, and though warned
against the danger of getting lost, ven
tured farther and farther with feminine
perversity, until one day she found her
self IN that unenviable predicament.
A thunder-cloud had yelled the sun,
the blue sky was vanishing, and the
very depths of the mountains seemed to
moan softly as though the earth was
feverish and in dread. Agnes stood at
the junction of several winding ravines,
all equally wild and misleading, with
great forest trees frowning over her, and
without definite idea as to her proper
course.
''Wal, miss. air you sure huff lost, or
what air the matter?"
The sound of any human voice was
welcome in that solitude. Turning, she
saw before her short, stout, freckle-
faced young man, having a sack swung
over his shoulder with keg in each end
of it. In few hurried words she ex-
planned who she was and that she was
lost.
"Yo're good three mile from the
Widder Green's" he said, '''n' I was a.
goin the yuther way"
Agnes instantly suggested pecuniary
inducement as a reason for guiding her
home, but the young fellow looked at
the clouds ard said hurriedly:
"You ies wait hyur minute"
Then he disappeared round huge
bowlder before Agnes could demonstrate.
In two minutes he reappeard, minus his
sack and kegs, with the remark:
"Now, miss, we mus hurry ter get
ter the Hangin' Rock afore that shower
vets u.s."
They plunged into wild gorge-the
very one Agnes would not have taken if
left to herself-and soon came upon
trail that wound here and there among
the ridges, over the rocks, through shad-
owy laurel brakes, and across several
small brooks. The rain approached, and
the guide kept increasing his speed, until
Agnes, painting and stumbling, was
about to ask him to go slower. But at
this junction a sudden turn around a
beetling crag brought them out on a
rocky platform, fronting the valley lying
along the foot of tho mountain.
Overhead the cliffs projected, so that
they were sheltered from the drops al
ready falling. The young man brought
her drink from spring near by, and
she sat down to survey in security the
solld wall of gray rain now sweeping
over the distant knobs and up the inter
vening valley.
~ don't believe know your name,"
she remarked, as he stood awkwardlY