Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-01-14
CHAPTER !.

still and limp; no ghost Of breeze
found its way down there to stir them
into movement or 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 &C
%centuated the stiffness of the Cumber-
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
a hoof splashed on a slippery surface
or saddle-leather creaked under the
patient s%crambling 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 limped.
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 limited at a gallant
grace of carriage.
The girl was very slender and,
though conveyed by the drab mission
airy, Good Anse' Talbot, riding
astride a 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.
ri, Individually this was a "furriner;"
q 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 n man who knew
things hereabout; who made it a point
to know things. and whose anne 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-
iayed their message to their chief.
She had often heard the name of
Bad Anse Havey. The yellow press OF
khe 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 Anse's in
citement. Certain it wal that in his
W territory this man was overload
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 aerie
perched. Those whom he hated, un
less they, too, were 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 i%ntrenched here. Consequently hel
arrival would interest Bad Anse Ha
vey.
Once, when they had stopped by
wayside mill to let their mules pant al
the water trough, she had caught 6
scrap Of conversation that was moi
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 tibet thar's the fotched-ir
woman what aims ter start a schoo
over on the head of T%ribulation,
drawled one native. Il heard tell o
her t'other day"
With a somewhat derisive laugh an
other had contributed:
"Mebby she hain't talked thet pro
jock over with Bad Anse yit. Hi
mought be a right good idee fer the
gal ter go on back down below, wha'
she blongs at"
The girl was thinking of all thii
now as she rode in the wake of he
silent escort.
In a moment Of almost cringing de
SPAR she wished indeed that she wer'
"back thar down below whar sh'
b1onged at"
Then, almost fercely, drawing bacl
her aching shoulders. she cast he
eyes about on the darkening seen
and raised her voice in anxious in
curry: How much farther do we hav'
to go?"
The mar riding ahead did not turl
his face, but flung his answer apa
thetically backward over his shoulder
"We got to keep right or till we come
ter a dwellin:house. I'm amin fe
old man fetch McNash's cabin
leetle Their rise Of a mile frum hyal
I low mebby he mought shelter u
till mornin'."
And II he doesn't?"
EFF he doesn't. we've got ter rid
on a spell further"
The girl closed her eyes for a me-
ment and pressed her lip between he
teeth.
At last a sudden turn In the roa
brought to view a wretched patch
--Ia hp a diIa pfdofnd no