The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-01-25
CHAPTER I.

found its way down there to stir them
into movement or whisper. Banks OF
rhododendron, breaking into foam OF
bloom. gave the seeming of green and
white capped waves arrested and so
liSified by some sudden paralysis OF
nature. Sound itself appeared dead,
ave 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
lurk 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 scrambling of their animals.
In front rode a battered mountain
eer astride 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
ary. Good Anse" Talbot riding
astride lame mount and accoutered
with saddlebags and blanket-roll, her
clothes we're not of mountain calico.
but of good fabric, skillfully tailored.
and she carried her head erect.
Indubitably this was a "furriner; ="
a 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 one man who knew
things hereabout: who made It a point
to know things. and whose name 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-
layed their message to their chief.
She had often heard the name OF
Bad Anse Havey. The yellow press OF
the state, and even of the nation. was
fond Of using it. Whenever to the law
less mountains came fresh upblaZing
of feudal hatred and blood was let. It
was customary to say that the affair
bore the earmarks of Bad Anse's in
citement. Certain 1t was that in his
own territory this man was overload
and dictator.
Like one OF the untamable eagles
that circled the windy crests of his
FMS hn hoI hnI vpif
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
q mule, was coming as the avowed
outrider of new order. She meant
to make war on the whole fabric OF
illiteracy and squalid ignorance which
lay intrenched here. Consequently her
arrival would interest Bad Anse Ha.
vey.
Once, when they had stopped by a
wayside mill to let their mules pant at
the water trough. she had caught a
scrap of conversation that was not
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 thet thar's the fotched-in
woman what aims ter start school
over on the head OF Tribulation,
drawled one native. 81 heard tell OF
her t'other day"
With n somewhat derisive laugh an.
other had contributed:
"Mebby she hain't talked thet pro
jeck over with Bad Anse yit. Hit
mought be right good idee fer thet
gal ter go on back down below. whar
she blongs at"
The girl was thinking OF all this
now as she rode in the wake of her
silent escort,
In a moment of almost cringing de
spair she wished indeed that she were
back thar down below whar she
b1onged at"
Then. almost iercely. drawing back
her aching shoulders. she cast her
eyes about on the darkening scene
and raised her voice in anxious in,
quiry: How much farther do we have
to go?"
The man riding ahead did not turn
his face, but flung his answer apa
thetically backward over his shoulder
I'VE got to keep right on till we comes
ter dwellin.house. I'm amin fer
old man Fletch McNash's cabin a
leetle ther rise of a mile frum hyar
low mebby he mought shelter us
It'll mornin'"
And II he doesn't?"
EFF he doesn't, we've got ter ride
on a spell further"
The girl closed her eyes for a mo
ment and pressed her lip between her