Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-03

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! surroundings to restore his equilibrium.
Once Goree was seized with shaking
Mt, and almost came to a collapse. be
had to dlsmount and rest at the side of
the road. The colonel, foreseeing such
condition, had provided a small flask
of whisky for the journey but when it
was offered to him GOree refused it al.
most with violence, declaring he would
never touch it again. BY and by he vas
recovered, and went quietly enough for
a mile or two. Then he pulled up his
horse suddenly, and said:
| 81 lost $500 last night, playing poker.
Now, where did l get that money!"
Take 1t easy, Yancey. The mountain
ing, first thing, at the Pinnacle Falls.
| The trout are jumping there like bull
frogs. Wen take Stella and Lucy along,
| and have a picnic on Eagle Rock. Have
| you forgotten how a hickory-cure ham
sandwich tastes, Yancey, to a hungry
| fsherman?"
Evidently the colonel did not believe
the story Of his lost wealth; so Goree
retired again into broOding silence.
| By late afternoon they had Travelled
ten Of the twelve miles between Bethel
and Laurel. Half mile this side of
| Laurel lay the old GOree place; a mile
| or two beyond the village lived the Col
| francs. The road was now steep ana
! laborlous, but the compensations were
many. The tilted aisles of the forest were
! opulent with leaf and bird and bloom.
! The tonic air put to shame the pharma-
| copaeia. The glades were dark with
messy shade, and bright with shy rivu-
| let's winking from the ferns and laurels
! On the lower Side they viewed, framed In
the near foliage, exquisite sketches Of
| the far valley swooning in its opal haze.
/ COltrane was pleased to see that his
companion was yielding to the spell Of
the hills and woods. For now they had
but to skirt the base Of Painters Cliff;
to cross Elder Branch and mount the hill
J DeYOld. and lTOTee WOull have ia Tapa fha
sQuandered home Of his fathers. Every
rock he passed, every tree, every foot Of
Though he had forgotten the woods, they
Home"
They rounded the cliff, descended into
Elder Branch, and paused there TO let
the horses drink and splash in the swift
water. On the right was q rail fence
that cornered there, and followed the
road and stream. Enclosed by it was the
old apple orchard Of the home place the
house was yet concealed by the brow of
the steep hill Inside and along the
fence, pokeberries, elders, sassafras and
sumac grew high and dense. At a rustic
Of their branches, both GOree and Col
/ trane glanced up and saw a long, yellow.
wolhsh face above the fence, staring at
head quickly disappeared; there was a
violent swaying Of the bushes, and anun-
calmly figure ran up through the apple
/ orchard in the direction Of the house,
zigzagging among the trees.
That's Garvey." said CoItrane; 'the
man you sold out to. There's no doubt
send him IN for moOnshining once, sew
eral years ago, in spite of the fact that
/ believed him irresponsible. Why, what's
the matter, YanceyF"
Goree was wiping his forehead. and
his face had lost its color. DO / look
queer, too ?" he asked, trying to smile.
I'm Just remembering few more
( things" Some of the alcohol had evan
GRATED from his brain. 7 recollect now
where got that two hundred dollars
/ Don't think Of it." said ColtrR1e
eheerfully. Later on wen figure it all
They rode out of the branch, and when
they reached the foot Of the hill GOree
/ stopped again.
vain kind OF fellow, Colonel3" he asked.
sort OF foolish proud about appear
The coloneTs eyes refused to wander
/ TO the soiled, sagging suit of fax and the
faded SLOUGH hat
1T seems to me-" he replied, mysti-
/ fed, but humoring him, Il remember
| young buck about twenty with the tight
/ est coat, the sleekest hair, and the
/ prancingest saddle horse in the Blue
Ridge"
Right you are" said Gore eagerly.
/ And It's in me yet. though it don't
show; Oh. I'm as vain as turkey
Gobbler, and as proud as Lucifer. I'm
going to ask you to indulge this weak
ness OF mine in a little matter"
Speak out, Yancey. Well create you
/ Duke Of Laurel and Baron OF Blue Ridge,
/ II you choose; and you shall have a
feather out OF stellas peacocks TAN to
wear in you hat" 1s
I'm in earnest. In few minutes
Wen pass the house up there on the hin
where I was born, and where nv people
have lived for nearly a century. Strangers
live there now-and look at mel 1 am
/ about to show myself TO them ragged
and poverty stricken, q wastreI and
beggar. Colonel Col trane, I'm ashamed
TO do 1t. 1 want you to let me wear
your coat and hat until we are out Of
sight beyond. 1 know you think It a
foolish pride, but 1 want to make as
good showing as I can when I pass the
old place"
Now. what does this meant" said Col
| trane to himself. as he compared his
companions sane looks and quiet de-
meanor with his strange request. But he
was already unbuttoning the coat as
senting readily. as II the fancy were IN
no wise to be considered strange.
The coat and hat fitted Goree well
He buttOney the former about him with
a look Of satisfaction and dignity. He
and COltrane were nearly the same size
rather tall. portly, and erect. Twenty
five years were between them, but in APP
pearance they might have been brothers
GOree looked older than his age; his
face was puffy and lined: the colonel had
the smooth. fresh complexion Of a tenn
perate liver. He put on Goree's dis
reputable old fax coat and faded SLOUGH
hat.
Now" snid Goree, taking up ihe reina,
Il m I'll right. I want you to ride about
ten feet In the rear as we go by. Colonel,
so that they can get good look at me.
They'll see I'm no back number yet, by
any means. / guess I'll show up pretty
well to them once more, anyhow. Let's
ride on"
He set out up the hill at a smart trot,
the colonel following, as he had been
requested.
Goree sat straight in the saddle. with
head erect, but his eyes were turned to
the right, sharply scanning every shrub
and fence and hiding-place in the old
homestead yard. Once he muttered to
himself, viii the crazy fool try il, or
did 1 dream half Of it?"
1t was when he came opposite the
little family burying ground that he saw
what ne had been looking fora puff
of white smoke, coming from the thick
cedars in one corner He toppIed so
slowly to the left that Coltrane had time
to urge his horse to that side, and catch
him with one arm.
The squirrel hunter had not over
praised his aim. he had sent the bullet
where he intended, and where GOree had
expected It would pass-through the
breast Of Colonel Abner Coltrane's black
frock coat.
Goree leaned heavily against Coltrane,
but he did not fall The horses kept
kept him steady. The little white houses
Of Laurel shone through the trees, half
a mile away. Goree reached out one
hand and CROPPED until it rested upon .
COltrane's fingers, which held the bride
Good friend" he said, and that was
chus did Yancey Coree. as he rode past
his old home, make, considering all