The vidette., 1915-11-04

fell and died.
That afternoon one Of Hollman's
henchmen was found lying in the road
with his lifeless face in the water of
the creek. The next day, as old Spicer
South stood at the door of his cabin,
a rife barked from the hillside, and he
| fell, shot through the left shoulder by
bullet intended for his heart. All
this while the troops were helplessly
camped at Hixon. They had power
and inclination to go out and get men.
but there was no man to get.
The Hollmans had used the soldiers
as far as they wished; they had made
them pull the chestnuts out Of the
fire and Tamarack Spicer out of his
stronghold. They now refused to
swear out additional warrants.
A detail had rushed into Hollman's
store an instant after the shot which
killed Tamarack was fred. Except for
a woman buying card of buttons and
a fair-haired clerk waiting on her, they
found the building empty.
Back beyond, the hills were impene-
trable, and answered no questions.
Old Spicer South would ten years
ago have put bandage on his wound
and gone about his business, but now
he tossed under his patchwork quilt,
and Brother Spencer expressed grave
doubts for his recovery. With his
counsel unavailable Vile McCager, by
common consent, assumed something
like the powers Of regent and took
upon himself the duties to which Sam
son should have succeeded.
That a HOLMAN should have been
able to elude the pickets and penetrate
the heart of South territory'to Spicer
South's cabin was both astounding and
alarming. The war was on without
question now, and there must be coun.
Gil. Vile McCager had sent out a sum-
mons for the family heads to meet
that afternoon at his mill 1t was Sat.
urday-"mill day"-and in accordance
with ancient custom the lanes would
be more Travelled than usual.
Those men who came by the wagon
road afforded no unusual spectacle,
for behind each saddle sagged sack
| of grain. Their faces bore no stamp
of unwonted excitement, but every
man balanced a rife across his pom
mel. None the less. their purpose was
grim, and their talk when they had
gathered was to the point.
Old McCager himself sorely per-
| picked, voiced the sentiment that the
others had been too courteous to ex-
| press. With Spicer South bedridden
and Samson a renegade, they had no
adequate leader. McCager was solid
man of intrepid courage and honesty,
but grinding grist was his vocation,
not strategy and tactics. The enemy
| had such masters of intrigue as Purvy
and Judge HOLMAN.
Then a lean sorrel mare came jog
ging into view, switching her fly-bitten
| tail, and on the mares back, urging
him with a long, leafy switch, sat
woman. Behind her sagged the two
| loaded ends of corn sack She was
1.-THE and slim. and her violet evas
were profoundly serious, and her lips
were as resolutely set as Joan of Arcs
might have been, for Sally Miller had
| tOihC OAiy OhtSHolDiI W lt1NC htl SOAh II
ground to meal. She had really come
to speak for the absent chief, and she
knew that she would be met with deri.
sion. The years had sobered the girl,
but her beauty had increased, though
1t was now a chastened type, which
gave her strange and rather exalted
refinement of expression.
| -
as she rode up and lifted the sack
from her horse.
"Howdy, Sally?" he greeted
"Tol'able, thank ye," said Sally. I'm
goin ter get off"
AS she entered the great half-lighted
room, where the mill stones creaked
on their cumbersome shafts, the hum
of discussion sank TO silence. The
girl nodded to the mountaineers gath
cred in conclaye, then, turning to the
miller, she announced:
''Tm going to send for Samson"
The statement was at first met with
dead silence, then came a rumble of
i indignant dissent, but for that the
girl was prepared, as she was prepared
for the contemptuous laughter which
4 followed
Il reckon If Samson was here" she
said, dryly, you all wouldn't think it
was quite so funny"
Old Caleb Wiley spat through his
bristling beard, and his voice was a
quavering rumble.
What we wants is man. We hain't
got no use fer no traitors thet's too al
mighty damn busy doin' fancy work
ter stand by their kith an kin"
That's liei" said the girl, scorn-
fully. There's just one man living
that's smart enough to match Jesse
Puryy-an' that one man is Sam
son. Samsons got the right to lead
the Souths, and he's going to do it-ef
he wants to-"
Sally Vile McCager spoke, sooth-
ingly, don't go gittin' mad, Caleb
talks hasty. We knows ye used ter
be Samsons gal, an we hain't amin
ter hurt yore feelin's. But Samson's
done left the mountings. / reckon
eff he wanted ter come back, he'd
a-come afore now. Let him stay whar
he's at"
"Whar is he at?" demanded old Ca
leb Wiley, in truculent voice.
That's his business" Sally flashed
| hack "hut I kpNur x-opt IN