The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1915-11-25
CHAPTER I.
-

hlo moNement OF whisper. Banks OF
rhododendron, breaking into a foam of
bloom, gave the seeming of green and
white capped waves arrested and SO.
lidifed by some sudden paralysis of
nature. Sound itself appeared dead,
save for hushed minors that only ac-
centuated the stiffness of the Cuuber-
land forest.
Now, as evening sent her warning
with gathering shadows that began to
Turk in the valleys, two mounted fig.
ures made no sound either save when
hoof splashed on a slippery surface
or saddle-leather creaked under the
patient scrambling of their animals.
In front rode a battered mountain
eer astride a rusty, brown mule.
The second figure came some yards
behind, carefully following in the
others wake on a mule which llmped.
This second mule bore a woman, rid
Ing astride. She was a young woman.
and If Just now her slender shoulders
also dropped a little, still even in
their droop they hiG.ed at a gallant
grace of carriage.
The girl was very slender and,
though conveyed by the drab mission.
ary, Good Anse" Talbot, riding
astride lame mount and accoutered
with saddlebags and blanket-roll, her
clothes were not OF mountain calico.
but of good fabric, skillfully tailored,
and she carried her head erect.
lndubitably this was a "furriner;"
a woman from the other world OF
down below" But who was she, and
why had she come? As to that, word
had gone ahead OF her and been duly
reported to the one man who knew
things hereabout; who made 1t a point
TO know things. and whose name stood
as a challenge to innovation in the
mountains.
When at morning she had started
out from the shack town at the end
Of the rails. bad Anse" Havey's in
formers had ridden not far behind her.
Later they had pushed ahead and re-
layed their message to their chief.
She had often heard the name of
Bad Anse Havey. The yellow press OF
the state, and even of the nation. was
fond of using 1t. Whenever to the law.
less mountains came a fresh upblazing
of feudal hatred and blood was let. 1t
was customary to say that the affair
bore the earmarks OF Bad Anses in
citement. Certain It was that in his
own territory this man was overlord
and dictator.
Like one OF the untamable eagles
that circled the windy crests OF his
mountains, he had watched with eyes
that could gaze unblinking into the
sun all men who came and went
through the highlands where his acTie
perched. Those whom he hated, un.
less they. too. we're of the eagle breed.
fierce and resourceful and strong OF
talon. could not remain there.
This slender young woman, astride
a mule, was coming as the avowed
outrider OF a new order. She meant
to make war on the whole fabric OF
illiteracy and squalid ignorance which
lay intrenched here. Consequently her
arrival would interest Bad Anse Ha-
vey.
Once, when they had stopped by a
wayside mill to let their mules pant at
the water trough. she had caught
scrap OF conversation that was not
meant FOR her ears: a scrap laughingly
tossed from bearded lip to bearded
lip among the hickory-shirted loiter.
ers at the mill door.
Reckon thet thars the fotched.in
woman what aims ter start a school
over on the head OF Tribulation,"
drawled one native. 81 heard tell OF
her t'other day"
With a somewhat derisive laugh an
other had contributed
"Mebby she hain't talked tibet pro-
jeck over with Bad Anse yit Hit
mought be right good idee fer thet
gal ter go on back down below. whar
she b'longs at"
The girl was thinking OF all this
now as she rode In the wake OF her
silent escort.
In a moment OF almost cringing de-
spair she wished indeed that she were
back thar down below whai she
b1onged at"
Then. almost fiercely. drawing back
her aching shoulders. she cast her
eyes about on the darkening scene
and raised her voice In anxious in.
quiry: How much farther do we have
to go?"
The man riding ahead did not turn
his face, but flung his answer apa-
thetically backward over his shoulder:
I'VE got to keep right on till we comes
ter dwellin''house. I'm amin fer
old man Fletch McNash's cabiu
leetle ther rise of mile frum hyar.
| low mebby he mought shelter US
till mornin'."
"And II he doesnt?"
'Ef he doesn't. we've got ter ride
on spell further"
The girl closed her eyes for a mo-
ment and pressed her lip between her
teeth.
At last n sudden turn In tba road