Passaic City record., 1893-01-14


'1nauve. Warm. low gusts of wind
came at intervals from the southwest
and drove loose, crisp brown leaves, that
had clung to the oaks all through the
winter, in gently whirling fight before
them.
! Old Claybank cropped ruminatingly
at the messy roots hidden under the last
years leaves. The other two horses
were fain to forego such refreshment,
since the men standing beside them kept
firm hand on their brides. One of
these men was quite white under his
tanned skin. He was powerful young
fellow whose straight-featured, appar.
emily impassive face held latent sugges-
tlons of possible insubordination to those
privileged to read character from subtle
indications. His eyebrows were sharply
drawn together now above his uneasy
eyes.
! ssThey hev got to KEN by this hyar
road" he said, as if answering some
doubt that had arisen in his companions
mind. "They amt no other. And it
air powerful quare thing eff they don't
KEN along mighty quick now."
+ "Wal," drawled the younger he was
scarcely more than boy-lugubrlously,
A.I low that ye know yer own bizness,
Rufe. But don't seem to git my own
consent nohow to this hyar what we'uns
hev undertook ter do this aft"
Snow, shet up" said the elder
brother, scowling, aaame with impor-
tance and the imminence of the deed of
desperate recklessness. "You knows
an knows thet thar amt hair o the
gals head what's goin' ter be tetchedl
She'll be ez safe down to ther cabin as
eff she war with her ma thet's dead. But
a-havin' her marry that thar dad-burned
Budd Wayne, all along O. the jawin' and
the compellin' o. them two brothers o.
hern, air what amt a-goin' to STAN!
Eff ye want to holp, ez ye promised, yell
hev yer chance inside mint. An ef
yer don't, why, take yer horse and go!
I'LL git shet o. this job without'n no holp
frum nobodYl"
= The younger Pierson made no reply.
He was destitute of personal volition in
momentous affairs and even in minor
ones was won't to defer to his brother.
On the mountain he was considered al
together 'sno count critter." Spite
of his fiery temper, his stubbornness and
rashness, the same judgment had never
been passed on Rufus Pierson. People
who had grievance even against him
were apt to let him alone. They found
it more comfortable.
He had scarcely finished speaking
when there came in sight at some dis
tance along the hard clay road that
wound downward from the further
heights team of mules and a long, low
wagon with limp canvas stretched to
form tent-like cover over successive
hoops of wood. The body of the wagon
was painted sickly and dust-stained
green, and low in the centre as it was,
and rising up at either end as it did, it
had a shape which most strongly sug-
gested boat on wheels. 1t and the
ssbeastises" were not to be mistaken.
Here was what the brothers had been
waiting for. s
Slowly this mountain variety of the
ssprairie schooner" came nearer. Rufe
Pierson threw one glance at the clay
bank. Then he vaulted into his saddle.
His brother-still dolorously, unenthus-
iastically acquiescent-followed the ex-
ample.
The sun, which had been sinking un-
noticed, meantime hung above the
Western ridge like child's very much
Inflated crimson balloon. The smoky
mist was deepening here and there into
violet.
A gigantic clump Of rhododendrons, a
congregation Of hardy little tender green
pine shrubs made sequestering hsdge.
together with few little white-barked
beech saplings and some young naples
tasseled all with red, behind which the
Piersons and their mounts escaped de-
lection. But from his own vantage
point Rufe could see clearly through the
low opening of the approaching wagon
and his eyes convinced him that he had
not laid bis plans absortively.