The Huttig news., 1914-12-26

hyar now? Who is tier teller 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. 1t seemed that, after all, the incident was not closed The man from Lexington, finding him. self face to race with new difficulty, turned and argued in a low voice with the Holman leader But Jim Holl- man, whose eyes were fixed on Sam son, refused to talk in a modulated tone, and he shouted his reply:
 "I hain't got Iothin' ter whisper about" he proclaimed. "Go ax 'em who hit war thet got away from hyar."
 Old Spieer South stood leaning on his fence and his rugged countenance stiffened. He started to speak, but Samson rose from the stile and said, in composed voice:
 Let me talk to this feller, Inc Spicer" The old man nodded and Samson beekoned to the owner of the dogs.
 We hain't ssot nothin ter say ter them fellers with ye" he announced, briefly. fWe laint axin' 'em no ques- tions, an we hain't answerin' none Ye dcne come hvar 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 nouns plumb friendly Els fer them other men, We hain't got nothin' ter say to 'em. They done come hyar because they hoped they could git me in trouble. They done failed. Thot road belongs ter the county. They got license ter travel hit, but this strip right hyar haint the healthiest section they kin find reckon ye'd better advise ,em ter move on
 The Lexington man went back For a minute or two Jim Holman sat scowling down in indecision 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 it's voice and gave cry. That i baying afforded an excuse for leaving and Jim Holman seized it.
 "Go on," he growled. Lets see what them d-d CUTS 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 expressionless, masklike faces until their enemies had passed out of sight around the shoulder of the mountain. The Souths had met and fronted an accusation made after the enemy's own choice and method. A jury of two hounds had acquitted them It was not only because the dogs had refused to recognize in Sam son a suspicious character that the enemy rode on grudgingly convinced, but also, because the family, which had invariably met hostility with hos tility, had so willingly courted the acid test of guilt or innocence.
 Days passed uneventfully after that. The kinsmen dispersed to their scat tered coves and cabins Now and again came a rumor that Jesse Purvy was dying but always hard on it's heels came another to the effect that the obdurate fighter had rallied though the doctors held out small en- couragement of recovery
 One day Lescott, whose bandaged arm gave him much pain. but who WAS able to get about, was strolling not far from the house with Samson. They were following narrow trail along the mountain side, and, at a sound no louder than the falling of walnut. the boy halted and laid a silencing hand on the painters shoulder. Then followed an unspoken command in his companions eyes. Lescott sank down behind a rock, cloaked with glistening rhododendron leafage, where Samson had already crouehed and become inn movable and noiseless. They had been thero only short time when they saw another figure slipping qui- etly from tree to tree below them.
 For a time the mountain boy watched the figure and the painter saw his lips draw in a straight line and his eyes narrow with a glint of tense hate. Yet, moment later, with nod to follow, the boy unexpectedly rose into view and his features were absolutely expressionless.
 'Mornin'. Jim," he called.
 The sinking stranger whirled with a start and an instinctive motion as though to bring his rife to his shoul- der. Put, seeing Samson's peaceab @ manner, he smiled and his own de- meanor became friendly.
 "Mornin, Samson"
 "Kinder stranger in this country, hain't ye, Jim?' drawled the boy who lived there, and the question brought a sullen flush to the others cheek bones.
 Jest a-passin' through he vouch- safed
 'I reckon ye'd find the wagon road more handy" suggested Samson. Some folks might 'epicion ye fer