The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-12-25

vey went every few days over to the
desolated cabin and often persuaded
the boy to ride home with him and
spend part OF the time in his larger
brick house. She did not know that
Bad Anse was coming nearer to lying
than he had ever before come in with.
holding his strong suspicious from the
boy because of his unwillingness to
incite another tragedy.
SO when one day a McBriar hench.
man by the name of Luke Thixton had
left the mountains and gone west, Anse
hoped that this man would stay away
for a long while, and he refrained from
mentioning TO Jeb that now, when
the bird had flown, he knew definitely
Of his guilt.
While Dawn. under the guidance Of
her preceptress, was making the ac-
quaintance of q new and sweeter life,
whose influences fed her imagination
and fired her quick ambition, ner
brother was more solemnly being
nodded by the Havey chief.
The water-mill of old Bob McGreegor
was the nearest spot to the dwelling of
Bad Anse Havey where grist could be
ground to meal, and sometimes wnen
Jeb came over to the brick house he
would volunteer to throw upon his
shoulders the sack of corn and plod
with it up across the ridges. He would
sit there in the dusty old mill while
the SLOW wheel groaned and creaked
and the cumbersome millstones did
their slow stint OF work.
So one day, toward the end of Au.
gust, Juanita, who mad climbed up the
path to the poplar to look over her
battlefield and renew ner vows, saw
Jeb sturdily plodding his way in long,
resolute strides through the woods
toward the mill, heavy sack upon mis-
shoulders and rifle swinging at his
side.
That day chance had it that no one
else had come 20 mill and Bob Nc.
Greegor had persuaded the boy to
drink from the "leetle blue kag" until
his mind was ripe for mischief. While
the mill slowly ground out his meal
Jeb McNash sat on pile of rubbish
in the gloomy shack, nursing his
knees in interlocked fingers. Old Bob
drank and stormed and cursed the in
ertia OF the present generation. The
lads lean fingers tautened and gripped
themselves more tensely and his eyes
began to smolder and blaze with a
wicked light as he listened.
"Ye looks like a right stand.up sort
OF boy, Jeb." growled the old fire.
eater who had set more than a few
couples at each others throats. "An'
reckon hits all right, too, fer fell
Ter ter bide his time, but hit pears ter
me like ther men of these days don't
do nothin' but bide thar time"
II won't bide mine no longer than
what l has ter" snapped the boy
"Anse lows ter tell me when he finds
out who hit war thet got my pap
Thet's all needs ter know"
Old Bob shook his head knowingly
and laughed in his tangled beard. =
Il reckon Anse Haveyll take his lei.
sure. He's got other fish to fry. He's
a-thinkin' bout bigger things than yore
grievance, son."
The boy rose, and his voice came
very quietly and ominously from sud-
denly whitened lips. What does We
mean by thet, Uncle Bob?"
"Mebby I don't mean nothin' much.
Then ergin mebby could give ye
pretty good idee who kilt yore pap.
Mebby l could tell ye bout a feller-
a feller thet hain't fur removed from
Old Milt hisself-thet went snoopin'
crost ther ridge ther same day yore
pap died with rifie-gun 'crost his
elbow and his pockets strutty with
cartridges"
Who war he?" came the tense de-
mand with the sudden snap of rifle.
fire. "Who war thet feller?"
Old Bob filled and lighted his pipe
with fingers that had grown unsteady
from the ministration of the "leetle
blue kag." He laughed again in a
drunken fashion.
III BAD Anse Hayey don't low ter
tell We, son." he artfully demurred, 81
reckon hit wouldn't hardly be becomin'
fer me ter name his name"
The boy picked up his battered hat.
"Give me my grist," he said shortly.
He stood by, breathing heavily but
silently while the sack was being tied,
then, putting it down by the door, he
wheeled and faced the older man.
Now ye're a-goin' ter tell me what
| needs ter know" he said quietly. "or
I'm a-goin' ter kill ye whar ye stands"
Uncle Bob laughed. He had meant
all the while to impart that succu)ent
bit OF information. which was no infOr-
nation at all, but mischief-making sus-
picion. He had held off only to infu-
riata and pnvapom tho how With tho