The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-02-22
brother vas more soiemnly 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 when
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 had climbed up the
path to the poplar to look over her
battlefield and renew her VOWS, saw
job sturdily plodding his way in long,
resolute strides through the woods
toward the mill, heavy sack upon his
shoulders and a rifle swinging at his
| side,
That day chance had 1t that no one
else had come to 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
wicked light as he listened.
"Ye looks like a right stand-up sort
NJ hnv Ioh 1nd
eater who had set more than a few
couples at each others throats. "An'
l 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"
u won't bide mine no longer than
what l has ter" snapped the boy.
"Apse 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.
81 reckon Anse Havey'll take his lei
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 ye
mean by thet, Uncle Bob?"
"Mebby i don't mean nothin' much.
Then ergin mebby l could give ye
pretty good idee who kilt yore pap.
Mebby l could tell ye bout feller-
a feller thet haint fur removed from
Old Milt hisself-thet went snoopin'
crost ther ridge ther same day yore
pap died with = rihe-gun 'crost his
cartridges"
who war hef" 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 q
drunken fashion.
EFF Bad Anse Havey don't low ter
tell ye. son." he artfully demurred. Il
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
silsntly while the sack was being tied.
thea, putting 1t 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 We whar ye stands"
Uncle Bob laughed. He had meant
all the while to impart that succulent
Bit of Information, which was no infor
oil h,,t ,to, y, tot =
picion. He had held off only to infu-
riate and envenom the boy with the
cumulative force of climax.
"Hit warnt nobody but" After a
pause he went on. but old Milt Nc
Briar's own son. Young Milt."
"Thets ALL" said Jeb soberly: I'm
obleeged ter ye.'
He went out with the sack on his
shoulders and the rifle under his arm.
but when he had reached a place in
the woods where blind trail struck
back he deposited his sack carefully
under ledge of overhanging rock for
the clouds were mounting and banking
now in a threat OF rain and 1t was not
his own meal. so he must be careful
OF its safety.
Then he crossed the ridge until he
| came to a point where the thicket
grew down close and tangled to the
road. He had seen Young Milt going
west along that road this morning and
by nightfall he would be riding back.
The gods of chance were playing into
his hands.
So he lay down, closely hugging the
earth, and cooked his rifle. For hours
he crouched there with unspeakable
patience, while his muscles cramped
| and his feet and hands grew cold un-
der the pelting of rain which was
strangely raw and chilling for the sea-
SON The sun sank in an angry bank