The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-12-24


"Ye're plumb welcome ter turn them
dawgs loose. an let 'em ramble,
stranger. Nobody hain't a-goln ter
hurt 'em. sees some fellers out thar
with ye thet mustn't cross my fence.
I1f they does"-the voice rang nell
acingly-"hitll mean that they're
a.bustln' the truce--an' they won't
never 90 out agin. But you air safe
In hyar. gives yer my hand on thet
Ye're welcome, an yore dawgs Is well
come. haint got nothin 'gainst
dawgs thet comes on four legs. but !
shore bars the two.legged kind
There was murmur OF astonish-
ment from the road. Disregarding 1t.
Spicer South turned his face toward
the house.
You boys kin come out" he Stout
er, "an' leave yore guns inside"
The leashes we're slipped from the
dogs. They leaped forward. and made
directly for Samson, who sat as un-
moving as lifeless image on the top
step OF the stile. There was half-mo-
ment OF terrific suspense, then the
beasts clambered by the seated figure,
passing on each side and circled aim
lessly about the yard-thelr quest un'
ended. They shifted indifferently about
the trouser legs Of the men who saun.
tered indolently out OF the door. They
trotted into the house and out again.
and mingled with the mongrel home
pack that snarled and growled hos.
tility for this invasion. Then. they
came once more to the stile. As they
climbed out. Samson South reached
up and stroked tawny head. and the
bloodhound paused moment to wag
It's tail in friendship. before II jumped
down to the road, and trotted gingerly
onward.
'I'm obliged to you. SIR" said the
man from the Bluegrass, with a voice
OF immense relief.
The moment OF suspense seemed
past, and. in the relief OF the averted
clash, the master OF hounds forgot
that his dogs stood branded as false
trailers. But when he rejolned the
group In the road he found himself
looking into eurly visages, and the
features of Jim HOLMAN In particular
were black In their scowl OF smolder.
ing wrath.
why didn't ye AK him." growled
the klnsman OF the man who had been
shot, "whar the other feller's att"
What other fellow?" echoed the
Lexington man.
Jim Hollman's voice rose trucu.
lently, and his words drifted. as he
meant them TO, across to the ears OF
the clansmen who stood In the yard
OF Spicer South.
Them dawgs OF your'n come up
Misery a.hellin'. They hain't never
turned aside, an onless they're plumb
ornery, no-count ours thet don't know
their business. they come for some
reason. They seemed mighty inter.
ested In gittin' hyar. AK them fellers
in thar who's been hyar thet hain't
hyar now? Who is ther feller thet
got out afore we come hyar?"
At this yelled charge OF deceit the
faces OF the Souths again blackened
and the men near the door OF the
house drifted In to drift presently out
again, swinging discarded Winches-
ters at their sides. II seemed that,
after all, the incident was not closed.
The man from Lexington, finding him
self face TO face with new difficulty.
turned and argued in low voice with
the Holman leader. But Jim Holl-
man. whose eyes we're fixed on Sam
son. refused to talk in a modulated
tone, and he shouted his reply:
81 haln't got nothin' ter whisper
about" he proclaimed. GO AK 'em
who hit war thet got away from hyar."
Old Spicer South stood leaning on
his fence and his rugged countenance
stiffened. He started to speak, but
Samson rose from the stile and said,
in a composed voice:
Let me talk TO this feller, Unc'
Spicer." The old man nodded and
Samson beckoned to the owner OF the
dogs.
I'VE haln't got nothln' ter say ter
them fellers with ye,' he announced,
briefly. I'VE haint akin 'em no ques-
tlons, an we hain't answerin' none.
Ye done come hyar with dawgs an
we hain't stopped ye. We've done an
swered all the questions them dawgs
hes axed We done treated you an
yore houn's plumb friendly. Es fer
them other men, we hain't got nothin'
ter say to EN-. They done come hyar
because they hoped they could git me
in trouble. They done failed. Thet
road belongs ter the county. They
got license ter travel hit, but this
strip right hyar hain't the healthiest
section they kin find. ] reckon ye'd
better advise 'em ter move on"
The Lexington man went back. For
minute or two Jim HOLMAN sat
scowling down in indecsion from his
saddle. Then he admitted to himself
that he had done all he could do with
out becoming the aggressor. For the
moment he was beaten. He looked up
and from the road one of the hounds
raised its voice and gave cry. That
baying afforded an excuse for leaving
and Jim HOLMAN seized It.
Go on" he growled Let's see
what them id ours hes ter say
now"
Mounting, they kicked their mules
into Jog. From the men inside the
fence came no note of derision, no
hint of triumph They stood looking
out with expressionlees, masklike
faces until their enemies had passed
out of sight around the shoulder OF