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

oak stood sentinel over the Watcn
tower OF rock. As he came over the
edge from one side his bare feet max
Ing no sound, he saw Sally sitting
there. with her hands resting on the
moss and her eyes deeply troubled
She was gazing fxedly ahead and her
lips we're trembling. At once Sam
sons face grew black. Some one had
been making Sally unhappy. Then he
saw beyond her a standing figure,
which the tree trunk had hitherto con
oealed. II was the loose-knitted figure
OF young Tamarack Splcer.
"In course" Splcer was saying. I'VE
don't low Samson shot Jesse Purvy,
but them Hollmans II 'spicion him, an
heered Just now thet them dawgs
was trackin' straight up hyar from the
mouth OF Misery. They'll git hyar
against sundown."
Samson leaped violently forward.
With one hand he roughly seized his
cousins shoulder and wheeled him
about.
"Shet up!" he commanded. "What
d-n fool stun hev ye been tellin'
Sally?"
For an instant the two clansmen
stood fronting each other. Samson's
face was set and wrathful. Tamarack's
was surly and snarling. "Hain't got
q license ter tell Sally the news?" he
demanded.
Nobody hain't got no license" re-
torted the younger man in the quiet
Of cold anger, ter tell Sally notbin'
thet1l fret her"
"She air bound ter know hit all
pretty soon. Them dawgs-"
Didn't tell ye ter shet up?" Sam.
son clenched his fists, and took a step
forward. "Ef ye opens yore mouth
again, I'm a-goin' ter smash hit. Now,
gitl"
Tamarack Spicer's face blackened,
and his teeth showed. His right hand
swept to his left arm-pit Outwardly
he seemed weaponless. but Samson
knew that concealed beneath the
hickory shirt was n holster. worn
mountain fashion.
What air ye a-reachin' after,
TamrackH" he inquired. his lips twist.
ing In amusement.
"Thet's my business"
well. git hit out-or git out yeself,
afore throws ye often the cliff"
Sally showed no symptoms of alarm.
Her confidence in her hero was abso.
Lutte. The boy lifted his hand, and
pointed off down the path. Slowly
and with incoherent muttering, Splcer
took himself away. Then only did
Sally rise. She came over, and laid q
hand on Samson's shoulder In her
blue eyes. the tears we're yelling.
Samson" she whispered "ef they're
after ye, come ter my house. | kin
hide ye out Why didn't ye tell me
Jesse Jurvey'd done been shot?"
"Hlt tain't nothin ter fret about,
Sally" he assured her. He spoke
Rwkwardly. for he had been trained to
regard emotion as unmanly. Thar
hain't no danger"
She ga2ed searchingly into his eyes.
and then, with short sob, threw her
arms around him. and buried her face
on his shoulder.
"Ef anything happens ter We, Sam.
son." she said, brokenly. "hit1l Jest
kill me. couldn't live withouten ye,
Samson. jest couldn't do hlt!"
The boy took her in his arms, and
pressed her close. His eyes we're gaz.
Ing of over her bent head. and his lips
twitched. He drew his features into
q scowl. because that was the only ex.
preston with which he could safe.
guard his feelings. His voice was
husky.
>'I reckon. Sally" he said. 81 couldn't
live wlthouten you. neither"
The party OF men who had started
at morning from Jesse Purdy's store
had spent hard day. The roads fol
lowed creek.beds, crossing and re-
crossing waterways in a fashion that
gave the bloodhounds hundred baf.
fling difficulties. often. their noses
lost the trail, which had at first been
so surely taken. Often. they clrcled
and whined, and halted in perplexity,
but each time they came to a point
where. at the end, one OF them again
raised his muzzle ,skyward. and gave
voice.
Toward evening, they we're working
up Misery along course less broken
The party halted for a moments rest
and, as the bottle was passed, the man
from Lexington, who had brought tLI
dogs and stayed to conduct the chase
put a question:.
what do you call this creek?"
Hits Misery"
Does anybody live on Misery that
--er-that you might suspect?"
The Hollmans laughed.
"This creek Is settled with Souths
thicker'n hops"
The Lexington man looked up. He
knew what the name OF South meant
to HOLMAN.
"Is there any special South. who
might have a particular grudge7"
"The Souths don't need no parti'lal
grudge. but thar's young Samson
South. He's a wildcat"
"He lives this way?"
"These dogs air a-makin' bee-llnt
far hia housev lin Holman Wai