The state herald., 1915-06-04

walls Of truce. lives had been snufYed
out in the flercely burning hate Of
these men whose ancestors had been
comrades.
Old Spicer South and his nephew
Samson were the direct lineal descen-
dants of the manner of Misery. Their
kinsmen dwelt about them: the Souths.
the Jaspers. the Spicers. the Wileys.
the Millers and McCagers. Other fam
lilies. related only by marriage and
close association, were. in feud align
ment. none the less "Souths." And
over beyond the ridge, where the
springs and brooks flowed the other
way to feed Crippleshin, dwelt the
Hollmans, the Purvlses. the Asberries,
the Holllses and the Daltons-men
equally strong in their vindictive
fealty to the code Of the vendetta.
BY mountain standards old Spicer
South was rich. His lands had been
claimed when tracts could be had for
the taking. and. though he had to make
his cross mark when there was a con-
tract to be signed. his instructive mind
was shrewd and far seeing The tinkle
Of his cowbells was heard for long
distance along the creek bottoms. His
hillside fields were the richest and his
coves the most fertile In that country.
Some day. when railroad should bur-
row through his section. bringing the
development Of coal and timber at the
head OF the rails, q sleeping fortune
would yawn and awake to enrich him.
There were black outcroppings along
the cliffs, which he knew ran deep in
veins Of bituminous wealth. But to
that time he looked with foreboding.
for he had been raised to the stand
ards OF his forefathers and saw In the
coming OF new regime curtailment
OF personal liberty. For new-fangled
ideas he held only the aversion of
deep-rooted prejudice. He hoped that
he might live out his days and pass
before the foreigner held his land and
the law became power stronger than
the individual or the clan. The law
was his emery, because II said to him.
Thou shalt not" when he sought to
take the yellow corn which bruising
labor had coaxed from scattered rock
strewn fields to his own mash vat and
still. 1t meant, also. tyrannous
power usually seized and administered
by enemies, which undertook to forbid
the personal settlement OF personal
quarTels. But his eyes. which could
not read print. could read the signs
of the times. He foresaw the inev-
table coming of that day. Already he
he had given up the worm and mash
vat. and no longer sought to make or
sell Illicit liquor. That was a conces.
sion to the federal power. which could
no longer be successfully fought. State
power was stu largely a weapon in
factional hands, and In his country
the Hoilmans were the office holders
To the Hollmans he could make no
concessions. In Samson. born to be
the fighting man. reared to be the
fighting man. equipped by nature with
deep hatreds and tigerish courage,
there had cropped out from time to
time the restless spirit OF the philos-
opher and a hunger for knowledge.
That was a matter In which the old
man found his bitterest and most Sc.
cret apprehension.
1t was at this house that George
Lescott, distinguished landscape paint.
er OF New York and the world at large.
arrived in the twilight.
Whatever enemy might have to be
met tomorrow. old Spicer South rec.
ognized as more immediate call
upon his attention the wounded guest
OF today. One of the knsmen proved
to have rude working knowledge OF
bone setting, and before the half hour
had passed Lescott's wrist was In a
splint. and his injuries as well tended
as possible. which proved to be quite
well enough.
While Spicer South and his cousins
had been sustaining themselves or
building up completeness by tilling
their soil the leaders OF the other fac.
ton were basing larger fortunes on
the profits OF merchandise and trade.
SO. although Spicer South could mel.
ther rend nor write. his chief enemy,
Micah HOLMAN. was to outward seem.
Ing an urbane and fairly equipped man
OF anairs. Judged by their heads. the
clansmen were rougher and more nit.
crate on Misery. and In closer touch
with civilization on Crippleship. A
deeper scrutiny showed this seeming
TO be one OF the strange anomalies OF
the mountains.
Micah HOLMAN had established him.
self at iiiSon. that shack town which
had passed OF late years from ieudnl
county seat TO the sections one point
OF contact with the outside world; n
town where the ancient and modern
orders brushed shoulders: where tho
new was tolerated. but dared not be
come aggressive. Directly across the
street from the courthouse stood an
ample frame building. ON whose side