Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-08-16
The Hero of Flint Hill.


 Jed Parker had been courting Mary Stevens for q year when he went to her father to ask the usual quest ion. Jed was young and worthy farmer living at the top of Golden hill, and JiEe Stevens. as he was familiarity call ed, lived in the village at the foot Of the hill and was q contractor His work was in the country around more than in the village. He was well liked. but people said lie had some odd ideas. Jed Parker bumped up against one of those odd ideas as soon as he had stated his ease to the father
 Look here, Jeu," was the reply. of course I know that you have been hanging around here q good deal and 1 reasoned it out that Mary was the attraction. You are spoken of as il fine young man, and I have no objec- tiOn to you as a son-in-law l cannot say yes, however until you have done something to distinguish yourself. had killed mad dog, shot at horse thief and licked lightning rod man before I was your age. like you, Jed, but I want a hero fog q son-in- law, and the sooner you toe the mark the sooner you and Mary can get mar ried."
 Jed didn't kick over the traces and raise TOW, but came to the house as usual. Things were ill statu quo when December and the snow and ice came {I0lIpn St the road winding up was half q mile long. In winter. when the road was slippery, teams went mile around rather than go up or down. Such of the village boys as had the ambition to drag their slcds to the top came down with such momentum that they were carried through the village and to the foot of q hill on the other side
 Mir. Stevens had in his employ as contractor gang of Italians. As win ter came on they were just finishing up grading the highway three miles away There was some misunderstanding about the pay for overwork They made threats. but the contractor re- fused to be bulldozed. They hung about the village, muttering and men, acing, and finally decided te take the law into their own hands At o'clock one evening deputation called at Ste, venss house and captured him before he knew what was up. He was taken out on the street and told that he must either pay or hang The villagers gath cred, but they were not strong enough to interfere It vas then that Mary sent boy speeding up the long hill to bear the news to Jed.
 GO as fast as you can,' she said Hell Jed that they are going to hang father. Tell him to come to the res cue. Tell him that sent you TeIi him it's his chance to be a hero Run as you never ran before, and Ill give you dollar"
 "What's hero?"
 Never mind, but fy!''
 The road was packed with snow and ice on top of that, but the boy got there.
 By gosh!' was Jed's only reply, and he began to hustle.
 He had been drawing up wood that afternoon. and the bobsleds were in iron, of the house. He got his over. coat and fur cap and the family din ner horn. and as he dragged the sled down to the highway he said to the boy:
 ''.Tim, we are going down the hill a-kiting You sit in front and begin blowing the horn as soon as we start. Blow. blow. blow. Hang on and blow. I'll sit behind and steer Now, then. we're off,
 The contractor was man with sand. Even when he saw the ropes in t!ie hands of the excited and determin- ed gang he would not give in. They led him over the bridge to the foot of tie hill. and as he vas still obstinate they prepared to hang him to q handy tisz4A In fact, thc5, did hang hiW. '...,':e were th"ty in the gang. and while so:*r kopt back the yiIager, l.,.ith their knives the others pulled on tie rope and made it fast. Just as there was every prospect that the lTnchin@ business would be an un qualified success the blare of a horn was heard up the hill, accompanied by screcches and yells. Jed and the boy and the bobsleds were coming They cane like q runaway locomotive. The crowd hadn't time to take in the situa tion when the sled was upon them. It ploWed through them like a shovel four It ran over some; it flung others twenty feet away; it sent others sky high There was scarcely