The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-22
THE ROAD BETWEEN.
A hit of Life and Death In the CUM
berIand Mountains.
From the Detroit Free Press.

berlnnd Mountains.
From the Detroit Free Press.
A cabin beside the rude trail leading up
the slope of a mountain-two or three
acres Of Authenticated ground-poverty
within and poverty without. An old and
half-starved mule wandering about-three
or four dogs lying in the sun-a noun
tainoer and his wife smoking their pipes
on the doorstep. II is ignorance in soii-
tude-contentment in poverty. II is half
an hour since the wife Joined her hus-
band, and yet not word has passed be-
tween them. She knits and smokes and
raises her eyes only at long intervals.
He smokes and thinks and his gaze Is on
the tree-tops across the road. Queer peo-
pie, these mountalneers OF the Cumber-
land. They are stoical. silent, wary mo-
rose. They are always thinking and think
ing. They seem suspicious even of each
other They come and gO-they live
they die, but as no other class of people
They have their ways, and their ways de-
scend from father to son. BY and by the
man speaks. without taking HIS eyes
from the tree-tops or the pipe from his
mouth he says:
'Joe's a-comin'."
Reckon he arr replies the wife with
out looking up.
A, quarter OF a mile down the trail is a
man walking slowly and carrying a rife
on his shoulder. Neither of those on the
doorstep have seen him, but their quick
ears have detected the sound of footsteps
among the stones. They do not look after
speaking. Their eyes are not fixed upon
him until he stands before them and lets
the butt Of his rifle fall 10 the ground
"Howdy? says the new arrival.
"Howdy?' answer man and woman I'm
powerful hot?''
Yes, powerful"
/ No more is said until Joe fills and lights
his pipe and takes a seat on nearby
stump. Then the woman, her eyes on mis-
feet, quietly asks:
Reckon him orter do IL, Joe?"
"Of cose him orter," replies Joe.
Yes, fur Shore" adds the husband
'Itl be the ole mann" said the woman
after a pause, lasting two minutes.
THE ole man, of co'se," added the hus-
band.
over and licked Joe's hand, and in re-
turn he patted the animals head In a
half-kind way. IT was five minutes before
anyone spoke again. The wife had grown
She Piled the needles. There was some
thing like anxiety in her tones as she
said:
II wish Jim wouldn't do it. don't like
this KILN"
"Hev TO Kill" replied Joe as he took the
dogs ear i'm his hand.
"Yes, heY to KILL" added the husband as
he arose and yawned and stretched his
limbs
Joe held the rifle out to him, and he took
il and hefted IL and examined its several
parts and nodded his head with satlsfac-
"Yo' kin drap him at forty rods" said
From thirty-fiye to forty" answered
jim as he brought the weapon up and
sighted along the barrel.
"Got to make suah work."
yes suah work. Come fur 1t to-mor-
row"
When the caller had gone his way the
husband. sat down and freshly filled his
pipe and made another examination Of
the rife. A long silence was broken by the
wifes query:
Same as befo'."
''The ole man Taylor and our two hogs?'
Yes. He wants damages, and 1 won't
"Gwine ter kill him."
Fur shore.
Wish yo'' wouldn't.
That ended the conversation. When he
had exhausted his pipe he knocked the
ashes out and rose up and entered the
and he helped himself to a drink. When
he reappeared at the door he stood for
moment, looking about. and the half
asleep dogs reused up and came gambok-
ing about his feet.
"Gwine nowT' queried the wife.
Eyes, gwine now.
up the trail. The woman sat with her
eyes on her work, and he cast no back
ward glance. The dogs followed for few
their dusty beds. Two miles up the trail
was Taylor's cabin. 1t was the same sort
Of a hovel-same poor acres grown up to
weeds-sarne poverty of pocket and intel
lect A woman sat smoking on the door
step, but she was alone. Her husband
had gone down the trail with his rifle on
his shoulder.
"Gwine 70 kill Jim Green?' she asked
as he was ready to go.
"Reckon So" he replied as he moved
away.
Two cabins-two wives on the doorsteps
two men with rifles on the trail between.
Al that hight above the sea sound travels
a lone distance Both women heard the
crack OF a rifle by and by, but both smoK-
I'd on. After an hour to two Taylor re-
turned home When he had lighted his
pine and taken n seat beside her, the wife
asked: -.
Leave him down thar"
Yes, let him down thar" was the re-
ply.