The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1915-02-18

ID tNdI WHO uStf ~ d' ChN' oeAh
hyar now Who is Their 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 dried in to drift presently out
again, Swinging discarded Winches'
tiers at their sides 1t seemed that.
after all. the incident was not closed.
The man from Lexington, finding him
self face to lace with a new difficulty,
turned and argued in low voice with
the HOLMAN leader. But Jim HoIl.
man. whose eyes were fixed on Sam
SON. refused to talk in a modulated
tone. and Inc shouted his reply:
Il haiut cot 4othin ter whisper
about" he proclaimed Go ak EN-
Who hit war tibet got away from hyar.'
Old Spjcor South stood leaning on
lis fence and his rugged countenance
stifened. He started to speak, but
Samson rose from the stile and said,
in a composed voice:
LET me talh to this Teller, unc'
Spicer." The old man nodded and
Samson beckoned to the owner Of the
dogs.
We haint .;ot nothin ter say ter
them iellers with ye," he announced,
briefly. "Wo lain't akin 'em no ques-
tons. an we haint answerin' none.
Ge done 'ome hyar with dawgs an
we hain+ stopped We. We've done an
swered ali 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 EN- They done come hyar
because ,hey hoped they could git me
in trouble They done failed. Thet
road belongs ter the county. They
got a 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
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
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 a 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 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 kinsmon dispersed to their scat
tered coves and cabins. Now and
again came a rumor that Jesse Purvy
was dying but always hard on its
heels came another to the effect that
he
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 a 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 a rock, cloaked with glistening
rhododendron LEAKAGE, where Samson
had already crouched and become i'm
movable and noiacless, They had
been thcr only a 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, a moment later, with
a nod to follow, the boy unexpectedly
rose into view and his features we're
absolutely e&prcssiouless.
"Mornin' jim" he called.
The sinking stranger whirled with
a start and IN Instructive motion as
though to bring his rife to his shout.
der. Put, seeing Sameons peaceable
mannc", he smiled and his own de-
meanor became friendly.
IN rnin, 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-
safed
q reckon ye'd find the wagon road
more handy" suggested Samson,
Some folks might epicion ye fer
stealth long through the timber"