Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1911-07-18
A Feud.
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thought of the consequences of dis
covery both to him and herself.
who was it, she asked, that call
ed Tom TO his door in the middle of
the night and shot himY'
Couldn't tell nobody that"
Not meT
Again he took her hand and, looking
at her with strong emotion, said:
I'm tell you, little girl, If yoll keep
the secret"
Il will"
ut was my young brother SAM"
There was a silence, which the girl
broke.
"Why don't he come out with itg'
Were tryin' to git him away befo'
it's found out. He don't know I'm
standin' In his place"
There was a look in her eyes that
drew the young mans arm toward her
and around her waist. A kiss sealed
the compact between them, compact
which If discovered would make her
an outcast from her people Then,
hearing mems voices at the house be-
low, they parted, she to go to her home,
he TO his hiding place on Collins hill.
That night there was meeting or
the Hoskinses at the house. and the girl.
Eliza Hoskins, listened to all that was
said. They believed that Jim Green
was hiding in the neighborhood and
formed plan to divide the territory
into n number of districts, each dis
trict to be thoroughly searched by per-
sons designated for the purpose. The
hunt was to begin the next morning
ut sunrise and continue till the sus-
pected region had been explored. Ii
Green was found he was to be shot
down at once without word. Having
laid their plan Of campaign, those who
lived elsewhere went home and those
who lived in the house to bed
When all were asleep Eliza reached
under her bed and. taking up bun
die she had prepared, went to her WIN
dow. The little space in which she
slept was simply partitioned off from
two other compartments. the cabin be-
ing but one story. Eliza stepped
stealthily out of the window and NOV
ed away The moon was rising, but
she did not need it to guide her TO the
ravine. Approaching it she coughed
Green. who was lying on some branch
es he had cut off the trees trying to
sleep, heard her and sat up. She
coughed again. Going to her, he clasp
ed her in his arms.
She told him of the Hoskinses' plan
for the morrow and, unrolling her bun
die, showed him a calico dress, sun
bonnet and some corn pone and salt
pork. He was to put on the woman's
apparel and thus disguised endeayor
to save himself. But even as wo-
man 1t would be difficult for him to
get away, for the Hoskins faction ex-
tended for miles in all directions, and
he had not even razor to shave his
face. The only hope was in conceal
ing it at critical moments by means of
the sunbonnet, which extended far for
ward.
Eliza having given him the articles
and he having disguised himself, the
two made their exit from the ravine.
Coming to place where their routes
diverged. they stood clasped in each
others arms, then parted. But Green
had not gone far before, hearing twigs
breaking behind him, he turned and
saw the girl approaching.
"One more kiss?' he said.
mo, I'm goin' with yo'."
He begged her not to bring down
the curse of her, people upon her by
this open aid to their enemy. His
pleadings were in vain. At last,
dreading to lose time, he consented,
and the two set out together to run
the gantlet.
In the morning EliZa's father and
brothers were off before she was sup
posed to be up, and they did not
know that she was missing. During
the day they saw two girls walking
on a distant road. One of them they
thought resembled Eliza in general
appearance. They struck across coun-
try to ask the girls if they had seen
any one, but before the men reached
them they had disappeared. Not
dreaming that one of the girls was a
man and the man they wanted, they
did not make a search. In the even
ing reports came in at the cabin from
the different parties that Jim Green
had not been found.
ELIAS mother told of her daughters
disappearance. She told, too. of the
taking of the only other dress the girl
owned and the sunbonnet Some
freshly baked corn pone also was
missing. Then for the first time arose
in the minds of her family suspi-
cion that the two girls seen during
the search had something to do with
the fugitive. Jim Green.
The mystery was not cleared up till
a week later, when note mailed
from town north of the Ohio river
was received from Eliza confessing
that she had helped Green to escape
and that she was now his wife. She
also informed her people that 1t was
Horace Green, boy of seventeen. and
not Jim. who had shot Tom Hoskins.
Horace was beyond their reach. Jim
was beyond their reach, ana Eliza was
Jim's wife.
There was a consultation among the
Hoskins faction. at which the situa-
ton was discussed. Considerable feel
iDg-that is, fos participants in a feud
was manifested at their escape from
having killed the wrong man Indeed,
there was more to make them asham-
ed Of their work in this than regret
at the successful fight of both the
Green brothers. But the crowning
influence was Eliza's keeping them
from shooting an innocent man. After
a long discussion that was extended
over many days all were brought into
an agreement to drop the feud and in
vite the fuGitives to return. The in
yitation was accepted. and the feud
ended.