The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-07-04

ed the hill slopes that faced the
south and hung low upon the drowsy
valleys.
The undulant luster of the azaleas
illumined the banks of the limpid
streams like a cloth of gold with a
cord of silver running through it.
and rich clusters of gaudy golden
rod were tasseled along it's hem.
The raw places on the half titled
fallows where the wintry torrents
had swept were bathed in yellow &C.
centuated by tufts of butter weed of
a deeper orange.
1t was early morning among the
Cohuttahs, and the world was a
symphony in yellow.
Riding leisurely along the narrow
road that wound through the wood
lands, at a turn in the road / saw
just ahead one of those quaint old
apple wagons whose dingy yellow
cover matched the color of the pair
of sallow steers that drew it along
at a snail's pace, the slumberous
vehicle lurching from side to side
with the rocks and ruts.
Flooding alongside was a swarthy
mountaineer, whose tawny whiskers
and broad slouched hat concealed
the face which he hastily and fur
lively turned toward me as my horse
Numbered over a stone.
Now and then he would give the
wheel a lift as it sank in an unusual
ly deep rut or struck a protuberant
bowlder, SCARED with the marks of
wheeled travel.
Good afternoon" said L, as |
checked my horse.
How dye do?" drawled the
mountaineer.
Rather warn travelling"
'Yaas, purity hot, but I'ze used to
it.
Travelling far?"
Ponds on what luck l have, "he
answered, eying me askance after
the fashion of those people who are
rendered suspicious by being hunted
down for years and years by revenue
officers.
Just then l caught a glimpse of
the face of the driver, turned full
upon me, and from beneath her ex-
aggerated buff sunbonnet her blue
eyes shone with a wondering, Spec
ulative look, and her cheeks glowed
with the only bit of reddening color
in the sallow scene. She appeared
to be a girl of 16 or II, with a fair,
healthy face framed in a mass of
ruddy hair that matched in rides
cent splendor one of her own noun
tain sunsets. 1t was Nancy Lee, the
maiden moonshiner.
Are you emigrating?" I asked
the man, returning to the subject
and attempting to draw him out.
No, The said shortly, his bronzed
face growing dark because of his
misrepresentation of my query. I'm
from Rabun county, and I've got a
load of apples and cabbiges. That's
| what I'm doin."
Excuse me-" said hastily. 81
did not mean to inquire into your
business. | am prospecting through
the country and just thought
would pass the time in a chat as we
are travelling in the same direction.
oh" he replied in a tone of re
lief, Il didn't know. So many spies
and informers nowadays. Never
can't tell Bes' to be on a fellows
guard"
DO you sell many apples?"
Sometimes we strike a goo(
streak and sell out. Then again WE
halter drive thoo to Atlanta an(
then peddle them out on the street:
for nuthin almos', but we manage tt
come out bout even. Don't COS
any more to travel than hit do tt
stay at home. Neighbors don't
charge one mother nuthin fur a lit.
tie grub when they git tight run, an
there's alters er %grassfield handy
fur the steers this time a year."
1T is a good long drive to Allan
ta."
Eyes, fur a Teller that's in a hur.
ry. We take our time and kive1
the 200 miles 'thout feelin it.
'Bleeged to do sump'n, ye know.
We live 40 miles from the highest
railroad. an the miles is mighty long
thoo the Cohuttahs, whar it's uI
hill all the way thar and back" and
a feeble attempt at a smile gave his
wrinkled face a grotesque expires
sion.
Pretty hard to make a living I'm
der such circumstances, eh?"
Eyes, purity tough; but, ye see WE
don't need much. We raise a few
cattle in the mountains an our cab
biges an pertaters an our Gavin croI
but thar amt no money in GAVIN
How about making moonshine Of
it?"
81 don't know a cussed thing
bout that" he replied. his face
darkening again. EFF ye wantel
fin out anything bout blockade, g
to them blasted revenoo detecters