The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-01-07

| OOSOA Az 6ASSAA AyOAs xAA sAOAA ACAlOA .
in thar who's been hyar tibet hain't
hyar now? Who is ther Teller tibet
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-
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
Il hain't got lothin' ter whisper
about" he proclaimed. 60 ak 'em
who hit war tibet 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 composed voice:
LET me talk to this Teller, Unc'
Spicer." The old man nodded and
Samson beckoned to the owner Of the
dogs.
1--WE haint sot nothin' ter say ter
them fellers with ye," he announced,
briefly. "Wo lain't AKIN 'em no ques-
tions, an we hain't answerin' none
Ye done come hyar with dawgs an
we hain't stopped We. We've done an
swered all the questions them dawgs
hes axed. We done treated you an
yore houns 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. 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. l reckon ye'd
better advise EN- ter move on"
The Lexington man went back. For
| 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 its voice and gave cry. That
baying afforded an excuse for leaving
and Jim HOLMAN seized it.
Go on" he growled. Lets 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. aThey 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, lich
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 rumor that Jesse Purvy
was dying, but always hard on its
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 a 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 rock, cloaked with glistening
rhododendron LEAKAGE, where Samson
had already crouched and become i'm
movable and noiseless. They had
been there only short time when
they saw another figure slipping qui.
city from tree to tree below them.
For time the mountain boy
watched the figure and the painter
saw his lips draw in a straight line |
and his eyes narrow with a CLINT Of
tense hate. Yet, moment later, with |
a nod to follow, the boy unexpectedly |
rose into view and his features were
absolutely expressionless.
"Mornin'. Jim," he called.
The sinking stranger whirled with
start and an instructive motion as
though to bring his rifle to his shout.
der. But. seeing Samson's peaceable
manner, he smiled and his own de-
meanor became friendly.
"Mornin', Samson"
"Kinder stranger in this country,
hain't We, 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.
Rafe6