initial commit of ebook 28454HEADmain

22 files changed, 22310 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/28454-8.txt b/28454-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..676c2aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7052 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Heart of the Blue Ridge, by Waldron Baily
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Heart of the Blue Ridge
+
+Author: Waldron Baily
+
+Release Date: March 30, 2009 [EBook #28454]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Heart of the Blue Ridge
+
+
+
+
+The Illustrations Shown in this Edition are Reproductions of Scenes
+from the Photo-Play of "Heart of the Blue Ridge," with Clara Kimball
+Young as the Heroine, Under the Direction of Lewis J. Selznick, to whom
+The Publishers Desire to Express Their Thanks and Appreciation for
+Permission to Use the Pictures.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+PLUTINA.]
+
+
+
+
+HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE
+
+BY
+
+WALDRON BAILY
+
+ILLUSTRATED WITH SCENES FROM THE PHOTOPLAY,
+WITH CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG AS THE HEROINE,
+UNDER THE DIRECTION OF LEWIS J. SELZNICK
+
+[Illustration]
+
+NEW YORK
+
+GROSSET & DUNLAP
+
+PUBLISHERS
+
+
+
+
+Copyright, 1915, by
+
+W. J. WATT & COMPANY
+
+
+
+
+TO
+
+Irving Bacheller
+
+WITH THE APPRECIATION OF THE AUTHOR
+
+
+
+
+Heart of the Blue Ridge
+
+
+
+
+HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+
+Where the trail bent over a knoll, Zeke halted, and put down from his
+shoulder the hickory cudgel with its dangling valise of black
+oilcloth--total of baggage with which he was faring forth into the
+world. Then, he straightened himself, and looked back over the way he
+had come.
+
+There, to the east, the dusk of night still lay somberly, hardly
+touched by the coming dawn. Through the shadows, the mountain masses
+loomed formidable and mysterious, vaguely outlined against the deeper
+gloom of valleys. The melancholy of the scene seemed a fit setting for
+the cottage that rested invisible within the forest, a half-mile
+distant from him. In imagination, he saw the withered old woman, his
+mother, still standing on the threshold, looking toward him, even as
+he looked toward her, her heart warm with love, her every thought a
+prayer for his happiness. It was borne in on Zeke once again that she
+would be very lonely in her desolate home, where death had spared to
+her only this son.... And, now, he was gone from her! A poignant
+sorrow welled in him.
+
+Zeke thrust the emotion away, lest it unman him. He faced about,
+drearily enough, and stood with downcast, unseeing eyes, in anxious
+pondering. And then, presently, assuagement was granted him. He lifted
+his gaze, and behold! here was another world, all of soft splendors,
+of throbbing radiance.
+
+The eager beams of the unrisen sun shimmered above the mountain ranges
+of the horizon, and streamed toward the zenith in a panoply of
+harmonious hues, colorful promise of the May morning's joyous mood. Of
+a sudden, under the soothing influence, the watcher became listener as
+well. His ears noted with delight the glad singing of the birds in the
+wood around about. His glance caught the white gleam of the tiny
+belled blossoms that clustered on a crooked sour-wood by the path, and
+the penetrant perfume of them stirred to life a new and subtler
+emotion. A flame of tenderness burned in the clear hazel of his eyes,
+as he stared out over the trail before him. Under the increasing light
+his gaze could distinguish the line of the valley a mile further on,
+in which the Siddon cottage lay hidden. His firmly-set lips relaxed
+abruptly into a smile of wistful softness. He swung stick and bag
+across his shoulder once again, and set off briskly down the slope of
+the knoll. His thoughts were no longer gray over the mother who
+mourned his going: they were roseate with anticipations of beholding
+the girl he loved. Now, the mood of the morning danced in his blood.
+The palpitant desire of all nature in the spring thrilled through his
+heart. His mind was filled with a vision of her gracious young
+loveliness, so soon to be present before him at their meeting....
+Their meeting--their parting! At thought of that corollary, a cold
+despair clutched the lad, a despair that was nothing like the sedate
+sorrow over leaving his mother, a despair that was physical sickness,
+wrenching, nauseating, but passed beyond the physical to rack the
+deeps of being. For the first time, jealousy surged hideous in him,
+born of the realization that she must be left exposed to the wooing of
+other men--she, the utterly desirable! In a fierce impulse of mingled
+fear and rage, he stopped short, and cried out:
+
+"I'll be damned if they kin steal her! She's mine. She done told me
+so, and Plutiny wouldn't lie!"
+
+From an ambush of laurel bushes close beside the path, a tall, slender
+form stood forth, the lissome figure of a girl in the budding charm of
+womanhood. There was a lithe, curving beauty in the lines that the
+scant homespun gown outlined so clearly. The swift movement by which
+she revealed herself was instinct with grace. As she rested
+motionless, with arms extended in a gesture of appeal, there was a
+singular dignity in the pose, a distinction of personality that was in
+no wise marred by bare feet and shapeless gown; not even by the
+uncouthness of dialect, when she spoke. And winsomeness of form and
+bearing was crowned by the beauty of her face, in which the insipidity
+of regular features was redeemed by exquisite coloring of rose and
+white, and by the dusk brilliance of the eyes. The tender lips were
+wreathed to playful reproach, as she addressed the lover for whom she
+thus waited at the dawn:
+
+"Zekie--oh, Zekie! Ye hain't a-cussin' o' me, be ye?"
+
+The young man, surprised, started, and regarded the girl in confusion.
+The red that had suffused his tanned cheeks deepened to a burning
+blush of embarrassment, as he realized that his outburst had been
+overheard by her who had been the cause of it. But his eyes met her
+quizzical glance with candid directness. After a moment, he spoke. All
+the harshness was gone from his voice; its soft drawl was vibrant with
+tenderness.
+
+"No, Honey, I hain't a'cussin' o' you-all. I was jest a-mentionin'
+some folks. But I hain't a-feared. Nobody hain't a-goin' to steal yer
+love from me."
+
+"Nobody--never, Zeke!" the girl answered, simply. There was an
+infinite honesty, an unalterable loyalty, in the curt words.
+
+As he listened, the flush died from the lover's face; contentment
+shone in his expression.
+
+"I knowed hit, Honey--I knowed hit all the time. I know when I come
+back I'll find ye waitin'."
+
+"Ye'll come back, I reckon, with fool idees 'bout what yer women-folks
+ought to wear, like them furriners down below." Her face relaxed into
+a genial smile, which brought a dimple to shadow the pink bloom of her
+cheek. But there was a trace of pensiveness; the vague hint of
+jealousy in the slow tones:
+
+"Yes, I'll be a-waitin' till ye come, Zekie. An' if the wearin' o'
+shoes an' stockin's 'll make ye any happier, why, I guess I kin stand
+'em--an' them ladies' straighteners, too. Yep, I'd wear 'em, if they
+did squeeze me fit to bust."
+
+Since Plutina had thus come to meet him, there was no need that he
+should follow further the trail toward the Siddon cabin, which lay out
+of his course. At the girl's suggestion that she should accompany him
+a little way on the first stage of his journey out into the world, the
+two turned back toward the broader path, which led to the southwest
+until it met the North Wilkesboro' road. The two walked side by side,
+along this lovers' lane of nature's kindly devising. They went
+sedately, in all seeming, for the mountain folk are chary in
+demonstrations of affection. Yet, beneath the austere mask imposed by
+convention, their hearts were thrilling with the rapture each found in
+the near presence of the other. The glamour of romance was like a
+golden mist over all the scene, irradiating each leaf and flower,
+softening the bird-calls to fairy flutings, draping the nakedness of
+distant rugged peaks, bearing gently the purling of the limpid brook
+along which the path ran in devious complacence. Often, indeed, the
+lovers' way led them into the shallows, through which their bare feet
+splashed unconcerned. The occasional prismatic flash of a leaping
+trout in the deeper pools caught their eyes. So, presently, the girl
+was moved to speak--with visible effort, very shyly, for the
+expression of her love in words was a thing unfamiliar, difficult.
+
+"I sha'n't have nobody to make flies fer now," she said dully. "I jest
+hain't a-goin' arter the trout fer fun no more till ye comes back."
+
+Zeke would have answered, but he checked the words at his lips, lest
+the trembling of his voice might betray a feeling deemed inconsistent
+with manliness. They went forward in silence, a-quiver with desire
+each of the other, yet mute with the forced repression of custom. Now,
+too, the sorrow of the parting so close at hand, colored their mood
+more and more, so that the golden glamour first dimmed and then
+changed into a sinister pall which overhung all the loveliness of the
+morning. At a turn in the path, where it topped a rise, before
+descending a long slope to the highway, Zeke came to a standstill. The
+girl paused obediently beside him. He fumbled in a pocket awkwardly,
+and drew forth a tiny square of coffee-colored stone, roughly lined,
+which he held out toward his companion. The tracery of the crystal
+formed a Maltese cross. The girl expressed no surprise. She accepted
+the token with a grave nod as he dropped it into her palm, and she
+remained gazing down at it with eyes hidden under the heavy white lids
+and long, curving lashes of shadowy brown.
+
+Zeke spoke, very earnestly:
+
+"Hit's fer good luck, Tiny--fer good luck to he'p ye while we're
+apart. Mebby, hit 'll git in hits work by softenin' the hardness o'
+yer gran'pap's heart agin me."
+
+In truth, the concentration of his thought on the fragment of stone
+had been enough of itself to give a talisman occult potence. That
+concentration of desire for the girl's well-being was not merely of
+this moment. It had been with him constantly during long hours of
+tedious clambering yesterday, when he followed the channel of Garden
+Creek through its tortuous course among the ravines of the Blue Ridge,
+through the narrow defile of the Devil's Garden, sunless, strewn with
+rubble of boulders, with a chaos of shattered rock masses--débris,
+superstition said, of cataclysm--of the Crucifixion, when the mountain
+crests tore themselves asunder, and cast their pinnacles into the
+abyss for rage and grief. The searcher had climbed on and on, until he
+reached the nook sacred to the crystals. For concerning these, also,
+the superstition had its say, and told that the little pieces of
+stone, with the cross marked on each, were, in fact, the miraculously
+preserved tears shed by the fairies of these fastnesses in the dread
+hour of the Saviour's anguish. The lover had sought long for a crystal
+that should be perfect. Now that it lay within the girl's hand, he was
+content of his toil. Surely, whatever the truth concerning its origin,
+it was a holy thing, for the emblem it bore. It would serve to shield
+her against aught evil that might threaten--even the grandfather's
+enmity against him, which set a barrier between them and happiness.
+The crystal would abide with her in sign of his love's endurance,
+strong to save her and to cherish her against any ill. He sighed with
+relief, when she raised the crystal, and dropped it within her
+bosom.
+
+Still, as always, fearful of showing emotion too openly, Zeke hastened
+to introduce a new topic. He took from a pocket a book of twelve
+two-cent postage stamps, to secure which he had trudged the four miles
+from his mother's cabin to the Cherry Lane post-office. The book, in
+its turn, was proffered to Plutina, who accepted it in mild
+bewilderment.
+
+The lover explained:
+
+"Honey," he said, without any embarrassment over the fact, "ye knows
+my ole mammy hain't edicated, an' I want ye to write for her once a
+month, arter I write to tell ye whar I'll be."
+
+The girl nodded tacit acceptance of the trust, and consigned the
+stamps to a resting place alongside the crystal. And then, after a
+little, she spoke heavily:
+
+"I reckon as how you-all better be a-joggin', Zeke."
+
+For answer, the lad caught the girl in his arms, and gave her a kiss
+on either cheek--the hearty, noisy smacks of the mountaineer's
+courting. But, in the next instant, he drew her close in an embrace
+that crushed the two warm bodies to rapture. His lips met hers, and
+clung, till their beings mingled. Afterward, he went from her
+voicelessly. Voicelessly, she let him go.... There could be no words
+to comfort the bitterness of such parting.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+
+When he was come within view of Joines' mill and store on Roaring
+River, Zeke halted again for a final look back toward the wild home
+land, which he was now leaving for the first time. The blackness of
+his mood after parting with the girl had passed, though melancholy
+still made him its own. The resilience of youth was turning his
+spirits again toward the hopes that had inspired this going forth from
+his own familiar little wilderness into the vast and unknown
+wilderness of the world beyond. As he stared out at the scattered
+peaks, reared like conning towers over the sprawling medley of ridge
+and valley, a throb of fondness shook his heart. It was not sprung
+from esthetic appreciation of the wild and romantic landscape, though
+this had been sufficient to justify the stir of feeling. His
+sensibility was aroused by the dear friendliness of all the scene,
+where hollows and heights had been his constant haunts through all the
+days of childhood and adolescence until this hour. Of a sudden, he
+realized as never before a profound tenderness for this country of
+beetling crags and crystal rivers, of serene spaces and balsamic
+airs. Hitherto, he had esteemed the neighborhood in some dull,
+matter-of-course fashion, such as folk ordinarily give to their native
+territory. But, in this instant of illumination, on the eve of
+separating himself from the place, love of it surged within him. This
+was his home, the dwelling of his dear ones. He felt toward it a quick
+reverence as for something strangely sacred. His eyes went to the
+great bulk of Stone Mountain, which jutted just before him to the
+east, its league of naked rock lying like some monstrous guardian of
+the place. Somehow, the dignity of the massive curving cliffs soothed
+him, heartened him anew. The immutability of the huge mound of stone
+was a prophecy. Through the ages, it had maintained its ward
+steadfastly. So it would remain. A gush of confidence washed away the
+last of the watcher's depression. He could go on his way undismayed.
+These things here that were so dear to him would abide his return. The
+old mother and Plutina would rest secure against his homecoming. The
+time, after all, would not be long. Meantime, there was the great
+adventure. Zeke whirled, and trudged blithely onward.
+
+Opportunity had come to Zeke Higgins, and he had not hesitated to
+seize it. His desire for a larger life than that of the tiny, scrabbly
+mountain farm had been early excited; it had persisted; it had
+increased steadily, though the possibility of its realization had
+seemed remote. Stark poverty demanded that he remain to coax a scant
+living from the soil for his mother. Yet, his determination was fixed.
+He got some smattering of education, along with Plutina, from a kindly
+Quaker who came among the "Boomers" of the Blue Ridge as a missionary
+school-teacher. Thus, Zeke learned surprisingly much. His thirsty
+brain took up knowledge as a sponge takes up water. So great was his
+gratitude to this instructor that, when the stranger was revealed as a
+revenue officer questing illicit stills, Zeke, despite inherited
+prejudice, guided the hunted man by secret trails over the mountains
+into Virginia, and thereby undoubtedly saved a life. Indeed, the
+disappearance of the officer was so well contrived that the
+mountaineers themselves for a time did not suspect the fact of the
+escape. There is a great basin in the rock on the north side of Stone
+Mountain. It has been hollowed out through centuries by the little
+stream that comes leaping madly down the ledges. The cauldron has a
+sinister repute. It is deemed the sepulchre of more than one spy, cast
+down into the abyss from the mountain's brim. It was generally
+believed that the false school-teacher was of the number.
+
+Somehow, long afterward, report had it that the man was alive. Rumor
+implicated Zeke as having had a share in the fellow's escape. Old
+Dick Siddon, Plutina's grandfather, heard. He had hated the
+"revenuers" always. Since the death of his only son at their hands,
+his hatred had become a mania. He was a strong man, fierce in anger.
+When he bade his grandchild dismiss her favored suitor, she feigned
+obedience. She, and Zeke as well, knew the futility of fighting the
+old man's prejudices. But, with the optimism of youth, the lovers
+hoped for happiness. A little older, they might at least defy the
+hostile guardian. In the meantime, Zeke was determined to attain
+material prosperity during the period of waiting.
+
+Then, Richard Sutton came into the mountains of the Blue Ridge. He
+chanced on Zeke, made use of the lad as a guide. Soon mutual liking
+and respect developed. Sutton was a manufacturer of tree-nails--the
+wooden pins used in ships' timbers. Here in the ranges was an
+abundance of locust timber, the best for his need. And there was much
+talk of a branch railway to come. His alert business imagination saw
+that a factory located at the source of supply would be advantageous.
+He saw, too, the capacity for development in his young friend. Zeke's
+familiarity with the region might be valuable--more valuable still his
+popularity and the respect accorded him in the community. Sutton
+suggested to the young man that he should come to New York presently,
+there to learn the details of manufacture, with the prospect of
+return, later on, to manage the business in the mountains. Naturally,
+the project was splendid to Zeke's ambition. His only fear had been
+lest his departure be delayed by lack of money, for pride would not
+let him confess his extremity to Sutton. There must be some cash in
+hand for his mother's support, until he should be able to send her
+more. Then, as he fretted, opportunity favored him anew, for a
+surveying party came to run a railroad branch north to Stone Mountain.
+He was employed as ax-man and assistant cook. His wages solved the
+difficulty, so far as his mother's need was concerned. For the rest,
+he took only a small sum to his own use, since he was minded to work
+his way north on shipboard from Norfolk. It was in accord with such
+high hopes that this May morning found him tramping, barefooted, into
+Joines' store, with the black oilcloth valise slung from his
+shoulder.
+
+The halt here was a necessary feature in Zeke's itinerary. On a
+previous visit to the store, he had purchased a pair of serviceable,
+if rather ungainly, shoes. Since he would have no occasion for their
+use at home, he had saved himself the trouble of carrying them to and
+fro.
+
+"I reckon I'll take them-thar shoes o' mine," he said to the grizzled
+proprietor, after an exchange of friendly greetings with the few
+loungers present. These were well aware of his planned departure,
+though ignorant of his definite aims.
+
+"Ye hain't a-goin' to put 'em on yit, be ye?" the storekeeper
+inquired, solicitously.
+
+"Not till I git to North Wilkesboro'," Zeke answered, to the obvious
+relief of the assembly, as he opened the bag. While he was busy
+stowing the shoes, the onlookers commented cynically on the follies of
+fashion.
+
+"An' I've hearn tell," one concluded, "that durn-nigh everybody done
+war shoes in the city, all year roun'."
+
+Perhaps the young man felt a pleasant glow of superiority in
+reflecting on the fact that such following of city fashion would soon
+distinguish him. But his innocent vanity was not to be unduly
+flattered.
+
+"Ca'late to stay away till ye've made yer fortin, in course, sonny?"
+one of the older men suggested. He enjoyed some local reputation as a
+wag, the maintenance of which so absorbed his energies that his wife,
+who had lost whatever sense of humor she might once have had, toiled
+both indoors and out.
+
+"Why, yes, o' course," Zeke replied unsuspectingly.
+
+"Better kiss we-uns good-by, sonny," was the retort. "You-all 'll be
+gone quite some time."
+
+The sally was welcomed with titters and guffaws. Zeke was red to the
+ears with mortification and anger, as he shut the valise, shouldered
+it, and strode to the door. But even in the time of that passing, he
+mastered his mood in a measure. He had no wish to make his farewell to
+these neighbors in bitterness of spirit. So, at the door, he turned
+and grinned amiably on the group.
+
+"I want pleasant things to remember hyarabouts, all thet-thar long
+time I got to be away," he said, with a quizzical drawl; "so I kain't
+be a-kissin' o' ye none. My stomick hain't none so strong nohow," he
+added, with the coarseness that usually flavored the humor of the
+countryside.
+
+Then, abruptly, the smile left his lips; the lines of his face
+hardened; the hazel eyes brightened and widened a little. His low,
+slow voice came firmly, with a note of tense earnestness. It was as if
+he spoke to himself, rather than to the slouching men, who regarded
+him curiously.
+
+"I hain't leavin' all this-hyar 'cause I don't love hit," he declared.
+"I do love hit, an' I aim to come back by-an-bye--I shore do!"
+
+Forthwith, embarrassed anew by this unmeditated outburst, he hurried
+off, amid an astonished silence which was broken at last by the
+storekeeper.
+
+"Thet-thar Zeke Higgins," he ventured, somewhat indistinctly through
+his matting of whiskers, "I swow if he hain't got right feelin's, fer
+all he's so durn peart." And his cronies nodded assent.
+
+As he pressed onward, the adventurer quickly regained his poise. The
+novelty of the situation thrilled him agreeably. His thoughts were
+crowded with imaginings of the strange things to come. Ambitious
+vision of himself successful among the city's throngs made his pulses
+beat faster. He felt that he had within him the power to achieve
+something worth while in the world. Certainly, he would not fail for
+lack of striving. But no triumph elsewhere could ever wean him from
+his love for the Blue Ridge--for his home country. Yes, it was as he
+had said there in the store: He would come back. He would come back to
+the cabin in the "cove" under the shadows of Stone Mountain--back to
+the old mother, back to Plutina. A warmth of exquisite tenderness
+vibrated through him, as his hope leaped to that homecoming, to the
+time when once again the girl should rest clinging on his bosom. And a
+great peace lay under all his joy of anticipation. His love knew no
+doubt. She had given her heart to him. Through his every wandering,
+whatever might betide, her love would be with him, to comfort him in
+sorrow, to crown him in happiness. A bird's song recalled the lilt of
+her laughter. He saw again the tremulous curving of her mouth, red
+against the fine warm pallor of her face at parting. Passion welled in
+him. He halted yet once again, and stood with face suffused, gazing
+back. It was as if he were swayed by a sudden secret sense that
+warned him of her misery in this hour of his exaltation--her misery
+where she lay prone under the tangle of laurel by Garden Creek,
+sobbing out that anguish which is the penalty woman must pay for
+love.
+
+Zeke's eyes fastened anew on the rounded bulk of Stone Mountain's
+cliffs. The immutability of them, and the majesty, relieved the
+tenseness of his mood. He resumed his way serenely.... But Plutina
+wept on, unassuaged.
+
+When he drew near to North Wilkesboro', where he proposed to make a
+first essay in railway journeying, Zeke seated himself under the shade
+of a grove of persimmon-trees by the wayside, there painfully to
+encumber his feet with the new shoes. As he laced these, he indulged
+in soliloquy, after a fashion bred of his lonely life, on a subject
+born of his immediate surroundings.
+
+"I hain't noways superstitious," he mused complacently, "but this
+grove ain't no nice place, bein' as it must be a nigger cemetery.
+Uncle Dick Siddon says they's always niggers buried whar they's
+persimmon-trees, an' he says the niggers come first. An' Uncle Dick,
+he ought to know, bein' he's eighty-odd-year old. Anyhow, it seems
+reasonable, 'cause niggers do swaller the stuns when they eats
+persimmons, an' so, o' course, jest nacher'ly the trees 'll spring up
+where the niggers git planted. So they'd be ha'nts like's not. But I
+hain't superstitious--not a mite. Mr. Sutton, he said such things as
+ha'nts an' witch-doctors an' such was all plumb foolishness. Still, my
+mammy has seen--"
+
+He fell silent, recalling old wives' tales of fearsome things seen and
+heard of nights. The shoes adjusted, he took from the black bag a
+holster, which sheltered a formidable-appearing Colt's revolver.
+Having made sure that the weapon was loaded and in perfect order, Zeke
+returned it to the holster, which he put on snugly under the left
+arm-pit. These final preparations complete, he got up, and hastened
+into the town.
+
+One bit more of his musings he spoke aloud, just before he entered the
+main street:
+
+"No, I hain't superstitious. But, by crickey! I'm plumb tickled I giv
+Plutiny thet fairy cross. They say them stones is shore lucky."
+
+At the railway station, Zeke asked for a ticket to Norfolk.
+
+"Want a return-trip ticket?" the friendly station-agent suggested. He
+supposed the young mountaineer was taking a pleasure excursion to the
+city.
+
+But Zeke shook his head defiantly, and spoke with utter forgetfulness
+of his experience in Joines' store.
+
+"No," he declared stoutly, "I hain't a-comin' back till I've made my
+fortin."
+
+"You'll be a long time gone from this-here State o' Wilkes," the agent
+vouchsafed dryly. He would have said more, but his shrewd eyes saw in
+this young man's expression something that bade him pause, less
+sceptical. The handsome and wholesome face showed a strength of its
+own in the resolute curving nose and the firmly-set lips and the
+grave, yet kindly, eyes, with a light of purposeful intelligence
+glowing within their clear deeps. The tall form, broad of shoulder,
+deep of chest, narrow of hip, though not yet come to the fulness of
+maturity, was of the evident strength fitted to toil hugely at the
+beck of its owner's will. The agent, conscious of a puny frame that
+had served him ill in life's struggle, experienced a half-resentment
+against this youth's physical excellence. He wondered, if, after all,
+the boast might be justified by the event.
+
+"Train in ten minutes," he said curtly, as he pushed out the ticket.
+
+So, presently, Zeke, found himself seated for the first time on the
+red plush seat of a railway carriage. The initial stage of his journey
+was ended; the second was begun.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+
+The right of way from North Wilkesboro' to Greensboro' runs through a
+region where every vista delights the eye with wild and romantic
+scenes. The rails follow the course of the upper reaches of the Yadkin
+River, with swift succession of vicious curves and heavy grades. The
+twistings of the road-bed, so advantageous for presenting the varied
+loveliness of the wilds, were by way of being a real torture to the
+young adventurer, who sat in seeming stolidity near the rear door of
+the smoking-car, with the black bag between his feet. Even experienced
+travelers found the lunges of the train trying to their nerves as it
+shot at speed around "hairpin" bends, or hurled itself to the fall of
+a steeper descent. To Zeke, who for the first time knew the roar and
+jolt of such travel, this trip was a fearsome thing. To sit movelessly
+there, while the car reeled recklessly on the edge of abysses, was a
+supreme trial of self-control. The racking peril fairly sickened him.
+A mad impulse of flight surged in him. Yet, not for worlds would he
+have let anyone guess his miserable alarm.
+
+Nevertheless, one there was who apprehended in some measure the ordeal
+through which the mountaineer was passing--happily, a kindly observer.
+An elderly man, across the aisle from Zeke, regarded his fellow
+passenger with particular intentness. It seemed to him that, in some
+vague way, the clean-cut face was familiar. His curiosity thus
+aroused, he perceived the tenseness of expression and attitude, and
+shrewdly suspected the truth. It was with benevolent intent, rather
+than for the gratification of inquisitiveness, that he finally got up
+and seated himself in the vacant place alongside the younger man.
+
+Zeke's perturbation caused him to start nervously at this advent of a
+stranger, but a single glance into the wrinkled, yet hale, face of the
+man reassured him. The visitor's amiable character showed plainly in
+his dim blue eyes, which twinkled merrily. Moreover, there was a sure
+witness of worth in the empty sleeve, pinned to his left breast, on
+which showed the cross of honor. The humor lurking in the eyes was
+grotesquely manifested in his first address:
+
+"This-hyar railroad hain't no fitten one fer beginners," he announced,
+with a chuckle. "Hit's plumb likely to make a squirrel into a nut."
+
+Zeke smiled, somewhat ruefully. He understood the play on words since
+"boomer," the mountaineers' own name for the red squirrel, is often
+applied to themselves. But the distraction afforded by the garrulous
+veteran was a relief. A new spur was given to their mutual interest
+when, after telling his name, it was discovered that his father had
+been a company-mate with Seth Jones, the veteran, in the Twelfth North
+Carolina Volunteers. The old man's curiosity was highly gratified by
+this explanation of the inherited likeness that had puzzled him, and
+he waxed reminiscent and confidential. The diversion was welcome to
+his listener, where doubtless many another might have found the
+narrative of by-gone campaigns tedious in this prolix retelling.
+Ultimately, indeed, the youth's sympathies were aroused by Jones' tale
+of misfortune in love, wherein his failure to write the girl he left
+behind him had caused her first to mourn him as dead, and eventually
+to marry her second choice.
+
+"But I've jest got scrumptious news," he exclaimed, his rheumy eyes
+suddenly clear and sparkling. "Seems as how Fanny's a widder. So, I'm
+a-goin' to try my luck, an' no shelly-shallyin', now I've got her
+located arter a mighty lot o' huntin'. Yes, sir, sonny," he concluded,
+with a guffaw, "old as I be, I'm a-goin' a-courtin'. If I ever see ye
+ag'in, I'll tell ye how it comes out. I s'pose I seem plumb old fer
+sech foolishness to a boy like you be, but some hearts keep young till
+they stop. I'm pretty spry fer my age, too, if I do say so as
+shouldn't."
+
+Zeke was not so surprised by the old man's hopes as he might have
+been, were it not for the example of Plutina's grandfather, who,
+somewhat beyond four-score, was still scandalously lively, to the
+delectation of local gossip. But, though after the departure of Jones
+at a junction, Zeke reflected half-amusedly on the rather sere
+romances of these two ancient Romeos, he was far from surmising that,
+at the last, their amorous paths would cross.
+
+There was still further harrowing experience for Zeke after reaching
+the Southern Railway's terminal on the pier at Pinner's Point, in
+Virginia, for here he was hurried aboard the ferry-boat, and was
+immediately appalled by the warning blast of the whistle. Few bear
+that strident din undismayed. This adventurer had never heard the
+like--only the lesser warning of locomotives and the siren of a
+tannery across twenty miles of distance. Now, the infernal belching
+clamor broke in his very ears, stunning him. He quivered under the
+impact, stricken to the soul for seconds of shock. But the few
+careless eyes that chanced to scan the mountaineer noted no faltering
+in face or form. He stood to all appearance serenely, easily poised,
+his attitude replete with the grace of physical power, his mouth
+firmly closed, his widely-set eyes unwavering. Even the cudgel, and
+the black bag still dangling from it, could not offset a certain aloof
+dignity that masked distress by stern effort of will.
+
+Nothing further occurred for a little to afflict the traveler's
+unaccustomed nerves, and he soon found himself pleasurably absorbed in
+contemplation of the novel surroundings. The boat was nearing the
+Norfolk landing when his eyes fell on a dog, held in leash by a young
+woman. Both the beast and its mistress commanded his instant
+attention, in which wonder was the chief emotion. The dog itself was a
+Boston bull-terrier, which was a canine species wholly strange to the
+mountaineer's experience, limited as it had been to hounds and
+mongrels of unanalyzable genealogy. The brute's face had an uncanny
+likeness to a snub-nosed, heavy-jowled "boomer" whom Zeke detested,
+and he eyed the creature askance by reason of the resemblance.
+
+"Hit's plumb man-faced," was his verdict. "I shore prefer 'em jest
+plain dawg." His eyes went then from the leash to the girl holding it,
+and he hardly restrained a gasp, in which admiration was mingled with
+amazement. The ordinary observer would have seen only a pretty girl,
+of the fluffy blond type, smartly tailored in blue serge, with the
+skirt decorously slit. But Zeke saw a vision from another world than
+that of the slatternly mountain women, whose toil left them neither
+opportunity nor ambition for nicety in dress, which, indeed, was
+finally prohibited by ignorance as well as poverty. This girl stood
+out in startling relief, marvelous revelation from the new world he
+was entering. Slowly, with concentration, the young man scrutinized
+the vision, noting every detail, from the natty turban with its
+swaying feather wand to the daintily pointed ties, above which were to
+be glimpsed trim silk-clad ankles. Yet, the novel charm of her failed
+utterly to disturb the loyalty of his heart. His hungry soul found
+exquisite satisfaction in the spectacle of feminine refinement thus
+presented for the first time, but his devotion to the roughly garbed
+mountain girl was in no wise imperiled. On the contrary, his
+imagination busied itself with an effort to picture Plutina thus
+splendidly arrayed.
+
+"I 'low she's plumb handsome," he meditated. "But, shucks! Tiny beats
+her holler. In them duds, she'd have her skun a mile.... But thet-thar
+man-faced dawg! I'd shore hate like pizen to be found daid along with
+thet ornery pup."
+
+As he mused, no hint came out of the future as to the time when, in
+very truth, he would be close to death, and that same dog an actor in
+the drama, one to be deeply esteemed, not contemned. But that time was
+not yet. In fact, the immediate future was not destined to remove his
+prejudice against the bull-terrier. On the contrary!
+
+The fixity of Zeke's staring penetrated the girl's consciousness. She
+turned abruptly, and her blue eyes met his in a cool glance that
+seemed to pass through him and on, as if he were something quite
+invisible, altogether beneath notice. Zeke felt the rebuke keenly,
+though innocent of intentional offense. The instincts of gentlemanly
+blood from which he was somewhere distantly descended made him realize
+his fault in manners, though he had had no guidance from experience.
+The ready blush burned hot on brow and cheeks; he dropped his gaze
+confusedly to the dog.
+
+Even the beast, he perceived, reprobated his conduct. It was staring
+up at him fiercely from red eyes, and the hackles stood erect, though
+it did not growl. Evidently, it resented undue attention to its
+mistress.
+
+There was a movement forward of the passengers, as the ferry-boat drew
+into its slip. Zeke advanced with the others, following close behind
+the girl and the dog, which strained at the leash in order still to
+stare menacingly at the young man. Then, without warning, the action
+became swift and violent. The ferry-boat crashed against the yielding
+walls of the slip. Zeke, unprepared for the shock, was thrown from his
+balance. One of the heavy new shoes smashed down on a paw. The dog
+sprang and snapped. The jaws missed, because the girl tugged at the
+leash in the same second. Zeke instinctively kicked at the brute in
+self-defense. His foot took the animal fairly in the jaw, and lifted
+it from the floor, just as the girl turned. She cried out in shrill
+anger at this rough stranger's wanton attack on her pet, for so she
+interpreted the event. She maintained her hold on the leash bravely,
+lest worse follow. But her strength was insufficient to restrain the
+creature of fighting breed. It lunged forward with such suddenness
+that both its mistress and its enemy were taken unawares. The girl was
+dragged in tow. Zeke would have leaped aside, but he was too late to
+escape the encounter, though he mitigated it. The iron jaws clanged
+shut, but in the slack of the victim's sturdy jeans, instead of in the
+flesh. The massive mouth was locked vise-like. Because of the cloth's
+sturdiness, the dog swung clear of the floor. The girl still strove
+frantically, though vainly, at the leash, shrieking commands which
+were unheeded. Zeke, confused, chagrined, ashamed, wrathful, shook
+himself violently to be free, without avail. The other passengers
+scurried forth, with a panic cry of "Mad dog!"
+
+Zeke's wrath mounted. He had had little training in self-restraint,
+and his passions were of the primitive sort. Now, abruptly, the lesser
+emotions were overwhelmed by the might of his rage. He was conscious
+only of the humiliating fact that this hideous man-faced dog had
+fastened itself on him, and there hung. Zeke bent and twisted, his two
+hands on the creature's jaws. Then he set himself to wrench them
+apart. His strength, great as it was availed nothing against that
+remorseless grip. The resistance goaded him to fury. He gave over the
+effort to prise the teeth apart, and put all his might into a frenzied
+pull. There were instants of resistance, then the hissing noise of
+rending cloth. A huge fragment of the stout jeans was torn out bodily.
+Zeke hurled the animal violently from him. The leash was snapped from
+the girl's hands. The dog's body shot across the cabin, hurtled
+against the wall. The indomitable brute tumbled to the floor, and lay
+there stunned. But even in defeat, he carried down with him between
+rigid jaws the blue-jeans banner of victory.
+
+With a bound, the girl crossed the space, and fell on her knees beside
+the inert form, crooning over it pitifully. In the same moment, the
+gust of anger in Zeke ended. He stood motionless, except for his
+quickened breathing, with eyes fast on the girl. Remorse stabbed him
+as he realized her distress, for which he was responsible. He went
+toward her hesitatingly, forgetful of bag and stick, which had fallen
+at the outset of the męlée. He ventured to address her, stammering
+confusedly.
+
+"I 'low he hain't daid, nor nothin' like thet," he said; "jest takin'
+a nap-like." His wrath gave a final flicker, as he looked down at the
+ugly face cushioned within the girl's hands. "An ornery critter like
+thet-thar pup ought to be kept shet-up," he concluded spitefully.
+
+The girl lifted a face in which blue eyes were flaming.
+
+"It's you ought to be shut up, you horrible man!" she cried. "And you
+will be. I'll see to that."
+
+"Now, don't be plumb foolish," Zeke expostulated. "The varmint hain't
+hurt none--not a mite, ma'am."
+
+"Beast!" the girl ejaculated, concisely.
+
+Zeke retorted with high indignation.
+
+"I jest nacher'ly hain't a-goin' to stand still an' say 'Thank ye!'
+while I'm bein' et up piecemeal by no dawg--specially one with a face
+like his'n."
+
+He would have said more, but paused with mouth agape, eyes widening,
+his expression horror-stricken. For, just then, the bull-terrier
+snorted loudly, and unclosed its red eyes. The clenched jaws, too,
+relaxed. Thus released, the broad strip of jeans fluttered to the
+floor. Its movement caught Zeke's gaze. He recognized the cloth. The
+ghastly truth burst in his brain. In an agony of embarrassment, he
+clasped his hands to that portion of his person so fearfully
+despoiled. Moved by his sudden silence, impressed perhaps by some
+subtle impact of this new and dreadful emotion on his part, the girl
+looked up. She, too, had noted subconsciously the fall of the cloth
+from the dog's jaws. Now as she saw the young man's face of fire and
+observed his peculiar posture, she understood. Her own crimson cheeks
+rivaled those of the afflicted one. She turned and bent low over her
+reviving pet. Her shoulders were shaking, Zeke was shuddering.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+
+The conventions of dress are sometimes pestilential. If any doubt this
+truth let him remember the nightmares wherein his nudity made torment.
+And, while remembering the anguish such lack of clothing has
+occasioned in dreams, let him think with pity on the suffering of Zeke
+whose plight was real. It was in sooth, a predicament to strain the
+_savoir faire_ of the most polished courtier. Perhaps, the behavior of
+the mountaineer was as discreet as any permitted by the unfortunate
+circumstances, and could hardly have been improved on by the Admirable
+Crichton himself. He simply retained an immobile pose, facing the
+girl, with his whole soul concentrated in desire that the earth should
+split asunder to engulf him. The tide of his misery was at its flood,
+so that it grew no worse when some deck-hands thrust the forward doors
+open, and a policeman bounded into the cabin, drawn revolver in hand.
+
+But the bull-terrier was to escape the fate unjustly inflicted on so
+many of its fellows. The girl, crouching over the dog, barred the
+policeman's purpose.
+
+"Get away from him, miss," the officer directed. "He ain't safe, even
+if he's quiet. I know mad dogs. A bullet's the only medicine."
+
+"Chub isn't mad in the least," the girl snapped; "though he's been
+through enough to make him crazy--and so have I. If you're so anxious
+to do your duty, officer," she added, bitterly, "why don't you arrest
+that horrid, hulking man over there?" She pointed a neatly gloved,
+accusing finger at the motionless Zeke, who was staring fixedly at the
+point where he hoped the abyss might yawn.
+
+"What's he done?" the policeman inquired gruffly. He was miffed over
+this lost opportunity. The slayer of a mad dog is always mentioned as
+a hero in the newspapers.
+
+The girl stood up. The dog, at the end of the leash, also stood up,
+and shook itself. It had, to all seeming, recovered fully. It regarded
+Zeke intently from its red eyes. But it did not growl. It was plain
+that the bull-terrier was thinking deeply, and that Zeke was the
+center around which thought revolved. But, if the dog did not growl,
+its mistress showed no lessening of hostility. She explained
+succinctly to the representative of the law:
+
+"He assaulted my dog--with his feet and his hands."
+
+"And maybe he bit him, too!" the policeman suggested, with heavy
+sarcasm. He could not forgive this pretty girl for foiling his
+heroism.
+
+The girl did not heed. Her white brow was wrinkled in a frown. She was
+recalling, with an effort, her somewhat meager knowledge of legal
+terms.
+
+"I shall charge him with homicidal assault," she announced firmly.
+
+"I hope you'll tell that to the sarge," the officer chuckled, his
+pique forgotten in appreciation of the girl's naďve announcement.
+"I'll take this chap to the station-house. You'll appear against him,
+miss?" The girl nodded emphatically. He turned on Zeke, frowning.
+"Come on quiet, young feller, if you know what's good for ye." His
+practiced eye studied the young mountaineer's physique respectfully.
+
+Zeke made no movement, nor answered nor lifted his eyes. The policeman
+attributed this demeanor to recalcitrancy. He put the revolver in his
+pocket, drew his club and took a step forward. Yet, he sensed
+something unfamiliar in the situation; the stiff posture of the arms
+and hands of the culprit attracted his attention. He felt vaguely that
+something of a painful nature was toward. He stopped short, puzzled,
+and spoke:
+
+"What's the matter with ye, anyhow?" he demanded fiercely. "Hain't ye
+got any tongue?"
+
+Then, at last, Zeke raised his eyes. They went first to the forward
+door, to make sure that the girl had vanished. There were only two
+mildly interested deck-hands in the cabin, beside the policeman,
+though soon the place would be filled with newly arriving passengers.
+He looked at the officer squarely, with despair in his expression:
+
+"Hit ain't my tongue--hit's my pants!" he said huskily. "Hit's the
+seat of my pants. Hit's--hit's thar!" He nodded toward the strip of
+jeans left on the floor by the dog.
+
+The policeman stared at the fragment of cloth, then his gaze returned
+appreciatively to the victim's hands. He threw his head back and
+bellowed with laughter, echoed raucously by the deck-hands. Zeke
+waited grimly until the merriment lessened a little.
+
+"I hain't a-stirrin' nary a step to no jail-house," was his morose
+announcement, "unless somebody gits me some pants with a seat to
+'em."
+
+The policeman liked his ease too well to fight needlessly, and he had
+an idea that the thews and sinews of the boomer might make a good
+account of themselves. Moreover, he was by way of being a kindly soul,
+and he apprehended in a measure the young man's misery.
+
+"Can you dig up a pair of jumpers?" he asked the deck-hands. "You can
+have 'em back by calling at the station to-morrow."
+
+In this manner, the difficulty was bridged. Clad in the dingy and
+dirty borrowed garment, the burning shame fell from Zeke, and he was
+once again his own man. Nevertheless, he avoided looking toward the
+piece of torn cloth lying on the floor, as he went out with the
+policeman. He only wished that he might with equal ease leave behind
+all memory of the lamentable episode.
+
+Zeke's tractability increased the favorable impression already made on
+the officer by the mountaineer's wholesome face and modest, manly
+bearing. It was evident that this was no ordinary rake-helly boomer
+come to town. There was, too, the black bag to witness that the
+prisoner was an honest voyager. On the way to the station, the
+constable listened with unusual patience to Zeke's curt account of the
+misadventure, and the narrative was accepted as truth--the more
+readily by reason of some slight prejudice against the dog, which had
+failed as an exploiter of heroism. In consequence, the policeman grew
+friendly, and promised intercession in his captive's behalf. This was
+the more effective when, on arrival at the station-house, it was
+learned that the girl with the dog had not appeared. Nor was there
+sign of her after a period of waiting. The sergeant at the desk
+decided that there could be no occasion to hold the prisoner. But he
+frowned on the deadly weapon, which the usual search had revealed.
+
+"'Twon't do for you to go totin' that cannon promiscuous," he
+declared. "You shore don't need a gun--you shore do need breeches.
+What's the answer?... Hock the gun, and buy some pants."
+
+Thus simply did an alert mind solve all difficulties of the
+situation.
+
+So in the end, Zeke issued safely from his first bout with mischance
+and found himself well content, for his dress now was more like that
+of the men about him. The new trousers were full length, which the
+jeans had not been, and the creases down the legs were in the latest
+style. The salesman had so stated, and Zeke observed with huge
+satisfaction that the stiffness of the creases seemed to mark the
+quality of the various suits visible in the streets. And his own
+creases were of the most rigid! Zeke for the first time in his life,
+felt that warm thrill which characterizes any human integer, whether
+high or low, when conscious of being especially well dressed.
+
+Followed an interval of loitering. The sights of the town formed an
+endless panorama of wonder to the lad's eager vision. Though he was a
+year past the age of man's estate, this was his first opportunity of
+beholding a town of any size, of seeing face to face things of which
+he had heard a little, had read more. His fresh, receptive mind
+scanned every detail with fierce concentration of interest, and
+registered a multitude of vivid impressions to be tenaciously retained
+in memory.
+
+And ever with him, as he roamed the streets, went a tall slender girl,
+barefooted, garbed in homespun, with great dark brown eyes that looked
+tenderly on him from beneath the tumbled bronze masses of her hair. No
+passer-by saw her, but the mountaineer knew her constant presence, and
+with her held voiceless communion concerning all things that he
+beheld. His heart exulted proudly over the bewildering revelations of
+many women, both beautiful and marvelously clad in fine raiment--for
+this girl that walked with him was more radiantly fair than any
+other.
+
+It was late afternoon when, finally, Zeke aroused himself to think of
+the necessities of his position. Then, after a hasty and economical
+meal at a lunch counter near the water-front, he made haste to the
+pier, where his attention was at once riveted on an Old Dominion
+Liner, which was just backing out into the river. He watched the great
+bulk, fascinated, while it turned, and moved away down the harbor, to
+vanish beyond Sewall's Point, on its way toward Hampton Roads.
+Immediately afterward, his attention was attracted to a much smaller
+steamer, which drew in on the opposite side of the wharf. There
+chanced to be no one else near, and, as the boat slid into the slip, a
+man in the bow hurled a coil of rope toward Zeke, with an aim so
+accurate that it fell across Zeke's shoulder.
+
+"Don't dodge it, you lubber!" the man roared, in answer to the
+mountaineer's instinctive movement. "Haul it in, an' make fast to the
+punchin'."
+
+Zeke obeyed readily enough, hauled in the hawser, and made the loop
+fast over the piling. At the same moment, he saw two negroes, blacker
+from soot and grime than nature had made them, who leaped down from
+the deck, and scampered out of sight. He heard the captain in the
+pilot-house shouting down the tube.
+
+"There go your----nigger stokers on the run."
+
+Zeke could both see and hear the man in the engine-room, who vowed
+profanely that he would ship a pair of white men, to sail before ten
+that night. It seemed to the listener that the situation might develop
+to his advantage. When, presently, the captain descended to the dock,
+Zeke made bold to accost that red-faced and truculent-appearing
+person. Much to his surprise, his request for work met with an amiable
+reply. The captain verified what Zeke already knew, that the engineer
+had need of men, and bade the inquirer get aboard and offer himself.
+
+In the engine-room, the harried chief scowled on the intruder.
+
+"What the devil do you want?" he cried harshly.
+
+But Zeke's purpose was too earnest to be put down by mere
+ungraciousness.
+
+"Work," he replied with a smile.
+
+Something in the applicant's aspect mitigated the engineer's
+asperity.
+
+"Ever fire a boiler?" he questioned, more affably.
+
+"Yes, an' no," Zeke answered; "not any real steam b'iler. But, when
+hit comes to keepin' a hick'ry fire under a copper kittle, an' not
+scorchin' the likker, wall, I 'lows as how I kin do hit. An' when it
+comes to makin' o' sorghum m'lasses, I hain't never tuk off my hat to
+nobody yit. Fer the keepin' o' proper temp'rature folks says, I'm
+'bout's good's anybody in Wilkes."
+
+"Humph!--boomer," the engineer grunted, and there was silence for a
+moment. When next he spoke, his manner was kindly.
+
+"Those niggers of mine skedaddled 'cause they're lazy and worthless.
+But the stoke-hole is hell, all right. It ain't no place for a
+youngster like you. I'll hustle round to the gin-mills an' get hold of
+a pair of tough guys. But there's something else," he went on, as
+Zeke's face fell. "If you can make sorghum molasses and moonshine
+without scorchin' 'em, you'll fill the bill, I reckon. We cruise off
+the coast for menhaddin--fat backs--for the oil in 'em. We carry
+steam-jacket kettles. I've got a green man now who's no good. I'll
+fire him and take you on. Thirty a month and your board--more
+by-and-by, if you suit."
+
+Zeke, elated at this opportunity, felt, nevertheless, that honesty
+required of him some further explanation. But the engineer dismissed
+consideration of the future.
+
+"A month will give you enough for your fare to New York. If you ain't
+pressed for time, a voyage will do you good. But don't let the captain
+get a sight of that black bag, or it'll go overboard. Sailors are
+afeared of 'em," he chuckled. "_The Neuse_, my old ship, ran into _The
+Blanche_ off Creek Beacon, in a fog, and sunk her. We rescued officers
+and crew, but the captain--Smith, his name was--couldn't stop cussin'
+'cause he'd allowed a nigger mammy to go aboard as a passenger along
+with her old black bag, which was the why of the wreck, 'cording to
+his way of thinking. Took his friends nigh onto a year, to convince
+him that _The Neuse_ was to blame for the collision. I suspect he'll
+always have it on his conscience that he did finally collect damages
+off our owners." The engineer chuckled again. "Stow your bag under
+your bunk in the fore peak before the captain comes aboard."
+
+_The Bonita_ was a stanchly built and seaworthy craft with a draft of
+less than twelve feet under full cargo, which made possible her use of
+the shorter and smoother inland water-way from Norfolk to Beaufort,
+North Carolina, where was the factory. Zeke, who would remain idle
+until the first catch of fish, went early to his bunk the first
+evening aboard, wearied by the long and exciting day. He had, indeed,
+scarce time to contemplate a guardian vision of Plutina ere his senses
+were locked in slumber, and his next consciousness was of a dim
+morning light struggling into the gloom of the stuffy peak, and the
+jolting rhythm of the engine, which announced that the voyage was
+begun. When he hurried on deck, he was at first disappointed to learn
+that the boat was still some distance from the open sea, for which he
+longed with all an inlander's curiosity over the mystery of endless
+waters. _The Bonita_ was now working forward slowly through the old
+Dismal Swamp Canal, to reach the Pasquotank River and Albemarle Sound.
+Zeke's astonished eyes perceived in every direction only the level,
+melancholy expanse of the swamp. His sensitive soul found,
+nevertheless, a strange charm and beauty in the scene. There was space
+here, even as in the mountains. Yet this calm was not of strength, he
+felt vaguely, like that he had known, but the tranquillity of nature
+in another, a weaker, less-wholesome mood, apathetic, futile. The
+thickly dotting cypresses and junipers, bedecked with streaming
+draperies of Spanish moss, touched the vistas with a funereal aspect.
+The languid movement of the festoons under the breeze was like the
+sighings of desolation made visible. The dense tangle of the
+undergrowth stretched everywhere, repellent, unrelieved by the vivid
+color flashes of the mountain blossoms. Stagnant wastes of amber-hued
+water emphasized the dreariness.
+
+Zeke's spirits were too exultant to suffer more than a fleeting
+depression from this first survey of the waste. He realized how unjust
+his impressions might be when he learned that this seemingly filthy
+water was highly esteemed. The deck-hand, filling the water barrel
+from a pail let over the ship's side, explained the swamp water's
+virtues.
+
+"All the capens fill their barrels with it. Juniper water cures chills
+an' fever, an' keeps 'em off if ye hain't got 'em. Some says it's
+better 'n gin for the kidneys." But the deck-hand looked doubtful.
+
+Zeke, still suspicious because of the unlikeness of this liquid to the
+crystal-clear element of the mountains, essayed an experimental
+swallow, then spat disgustedly.
+
+"Hit may be all right fer med'cine, or yarb tea," was his verdict,
+"but it needs real water to wash it down."
+
+The progress was tediously slow, for a strong southwest wind had come
+on, which lowered the water in the canal, so that _The Bonita_ often
+went scraping along the bottom, and betimes stuck fast in the mud.
+When they were come to the Lake Drummond region, Captain Lee decided
+to tie up until a change or falling of the wind, with its consequent
+rise of water in the channel. At the point where they finally made
+fast to the bank, there was an old trail, a woods road long abandoned,
+running off into the jungle. Zeke promptly set off to explore this,
+and almost at once espied a wild turkey; a plump gobbler, feeding in
+the path before him. There could be no doubt as to the acceptability
+of such food aboard and Zeke hastened back to _The Bonita_, where the
+captain gladly loaned him a rifle. Thus equipped, Zeke returned to the
+wilderness trail. He was not surprised to find that the turkey had
+vanished, nor disheartened, for he was sure that a little patience
+would bring him in sight of game, and there was leisure a plenty since
+an interval must elapse after a change in the wind before the
+deepening of the water. Within a half-hour, he shot a turkey from its
+perch in a cypress. With much satisfaction, Zeke swung the gobbler,
+which was big and fat, over his shoulder, and set out to return.
+Almost at once, however, his steps were arrested by the faint baying
+of a hound. As he listened, the sound grew louder, as if the dog drove
+its quarry toward him. The instinct of the chase dominated the
+mountaineer. He cast down the turkey, and waited, hopeful that a deer
+or bear might cross the path within range.
+
+Soon, he heard a noisy crackling of underbrush a little to his right,
+but near at hand. With the rifle in readiness Zeke peered from the
+concealment of a cypress trunk. But it was neither the lithe leaping
+form of a deer, nor the uncouth shambling bulk of swamp bear that
+broke from the cover a moment later. Instead, there lurched into view
+a huge negro. The fugitive's clothing hung in shreds, witness of the
+cat's-briar claws; his face, from the same cause, was torn and
+bleeding. The breath wheezed loudly through the open mouth; the sweat
+ran in streams from the face; the eyes rolled whitely. There was
+terror in his expression. He carried a thick club. Now, as he came to
+a halt, it was plain to the watcher that the runner's fear had at last
+driven him to make a stand, when he could flee no further. Zeke had no
+difficulty in understanding the situation sufficiently well. The negro
+was undoubtedly a criminal who had fled in the hope of refuge from the
+law in the swamp's secret lurking places. Now trailed by the dog, he
+was brought to bay. Zeke determined, as a measure of prudence, to
+remain inactive until the issue between man and dog should be
+adjusted. Otherwise, he might find himself engaged against both man
+and beast with only a single bullet to his aid.
+
+The querulous cries of the dog here and there showed that the scent
+had been lost where the negro had splashed through some pool. Then,
+abruptly, a sharp volley announced recovery of the track. A minute
+later a huge black-and-tan body catapulted from the thicket into the
+open space of the trail. From his cover, Zeke watched excitedly. The
+negro, who had stood with club swung back ready for the blow, was
+caught at disadvantage by the pursuer's emergence at an unexpected
+point. The branches of the thicket projected to prevent a blow. The
+dog, silent now, hurled itself straight at the man's throat. But the
+negro, alert to the peril, avoided the charge by a swift spring to the
+side. Zeke heard the great jaws of the beast click shut as it shot
+harmlessly past its foe; he heard the savage growl with which it
+whirled to renew the attack. As it leaped a second time the negro's
+club fell true in a mighty stroke--caught the creature fair on the
+skull, stopped it in midair, dropped it dead to the ground.
+
+Zeke's turn in the action was come, at last. Even as the negro stood
+gloating over his victory, the mountaineer, with leveled rifle,
+stepped from the concealment of the cypress, and cried a sharp
+command:
+
+"Drop thet-thar club, an' stand still whar ye be, if ye don't want to
+be kilt!"
+
+The effect on the exultant negro was almost pitiful. Where had been
+the assurance of final escape was now the certainty of capture. The
+shock of contrasting emotions was too much for the fellow's strength,
+coarse-fibered and hardened as he was. He stared at Zeke with
+protruding eyes, his face grown gray. His thrilling joy in the slaying
+of the dog was lost in the black despair of defeat. The club fell from
+the trembling fingers, and in the next moment the man himself sagged
+to the ground and crouched whimpering, whining, in a child-like
+abandon to fatigue and grief. Then, presently, while the captor
+watched in some perplexity, the moaning ceased. In its stead came a
+raucous rhythm--the sleep of utter exhaustion.
+
+A sound of footsteps on the path caught Zeke's ear. He turned, and saw
+close at hand a short, stockily built, swarthy-complexioned man of
+middle age, who came swinging forward at a lope. The newcomer halted
+at sight of the mountaineer.
+
+"Seen anything of a big nigger or a hound passing this way?" he
+demanded.
+
+Zeke nodded, gravely.
+
+"Ye'll find the two of 'em right thar." He raised the rifle, which
+the other man now observed for the first time, and with it pointed to
+where, beyond the cypress-tree, the negro huddled, breathing
+stertorously, beside the dead body of the dog.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+
+Dun clouds of tragedy, crimson-streaked with sinister romance, shadow
+the chronicles of the forty-mile square that makes the Dismal Swamp.
+Thither, aforetime, even as to-day, men fled into the labyrinthine
+recesses to escape the justice--or the injustice--of their fellows.
+Runaway slaves sought asylum within its impenetrable and uncharted
+mazes of thicket and quaking earth, of fetid pool and slithering
+quicksands. Such fugitives came no more after the emancipation.
+Instead of slaves, there were black men who had outraged the law, who
+fled into the steaming, noxious waste in order to evade the penalty
+for crime. For a time, these evil-doers were hunted through the
+tortuous trails in the canebrakes with blood-hounds, even as their
+predecessors had been. But the kennels of the man-hunting dogs were
+ravaged by the black tongue, soon after the ending of the Civil War.
+Poisoners, too, took toll of the too intelligent brutes. The strain
+rapidly grew less--became extinct. Whereat, the criminals of Dismal
+Swamp rejoiced in unholy glee. Their numbers waxed. Soon, they came to
+be a serious menace to the peace and safety of the communities that
+bordered on the infested region.
+
+One sufferer from these conditions so resented the depredations of
+marauders that he bought in England two splendid stag-hounds, keen of
+scent, intelligent, faithful to their task, strong enough to throttle
+their quarry, be it deer or man. By the aid of these creatures, many
+criminals were captured. Their owner, by the intrepidity of his
+pursuit, was given a nickname, "Cyclone" Brant. The speed and force
+and resistlessness of him justified the designation. Together with his
+dogs, Jack and Bruno, he won local fame for daring and successful
+exploits against the lurking swamp devils. It was this man who now,
+canvas-clad, with rifle in hand, looked in the direction indicated by
+Zeke. He was dripping wet, plastered with slime of the bogs. For a few
+seconds, he stood staring in silence. Then a little, gasping cry broke
+from his lips. He strode forward, and fell to his knees beside the
+body of the dog. He lifted the face of the hound gently in his two
+hands, and looked down at it for a long time.
+
+There was a film of tears in Brant's eyes when, at last, he put the
+head of the dog softly back on the earth, and stood up, and turned
+toward the mountaineer. He made explanation with simple directness.
+The negro was a notorious outlaw, for whose capture the authorities of
+Elizabeth City offered a reward of five hundred dollars. Half of this
+sum would be duly paid to Zeke.
+
+This news stirred the young man to the deeps. To his poverty-stricken
+experience, the amount was princely. The mere mention of it made
+privations to vanish away, luxuries to flourish. He had roseate
+visions of lavish expenditures: a warm coat for the old mother,
+furbelows for Plutina, "straighteners" even, if she would have them.
+The dreamer blushed at the intimacy of his thought. It did not occur
+to his frugal soul that now he need not continue on _The Bonita_, but
+might instead go easily to New York by train. He was naďvely happy in
+this influx of good fortune, and showed his emotion in the deepened
+color under the tan of his cheeks and in the dancing lights of the
+steady eyes.
+
+"I'm shore plumb glad I kotched him," he said eagerly, "if thar's a
+right smart o' money in hit. If he's as right-down bad as ye says he
+is, I'm powerfully sorry I didn't wing 'im 'fore he got yer dawg."
+
+Brant shook his head regretfully.
+
+"It's my fault," he confessed. "I oughtn't to have taken the chance
+with Bruno alone. I should have had Jack along, too. With more than
+one dog, a man won't stand against 'em. He'll take to a tree." He
+shook off the depression that descended as he glanced down at the
+stiffening body of the beast. There was a forced cheerfulness in his
+tones when he continued: "But how did you get into the swamp? I take
+you to be from the mountains."
+
+Zeke's manner suddenly indicated no small pride.
+
+"I'm a sailor, suh," he explained, with great dignity. "I'm the
+cookin' chief on the fishin' steamer, _Bonita_."
+
+Brant surveyed the mountaineer with quizzically appraising eyes.
+
+"Been a sailor long?" he questioned, innocently.
+
+"Wall, no, I hain't," Zeke conceded. His voice was reluctant. "I was
+only tuk on las' night. I hain't rightly begun sailorin' yit. Thet's
+how I c'd come arter thet gobbler." He pointed to the bird lying at
+the foot of the cypress. Abruptly, his thoughts veered again to the
+reward. "Oh, cracky! Jest think of all thet money earned in two
+minutes! Hit's what I come down out o' the mountains fer, an' hit
+'pears like I done right. I'd shore be tickled to see all thet-thar
+money in dimes an' nickels, n' mebby a few quarters thrown in!"
+
+"You're tied up near here?" Brant inquired.
+
+"'Bout a mile over," was the answer. "Will ye take yer nigger thar
+first?"
+
+"Yes, I know Captain Lee. He'll give me a chance at your gobbler, and
+then passage to Elizabeth City."
+
+That same afternoon, _The Bonita_ continued her voyage. The captain
+obligingly made a landing at Elizabeth City, where Brant lodged his
+prisoner, and where the gratified Zeke stowed in his wallet ten times
+as much money as he had ever before possessed at one time. Naturally,
+he was in a mood of much self-complacency, for, in addition to the
+money gain, his adventure had notably increased his prestige aboard
+ship, where Brant's praise for his prompt and efficient action was
+respectfully accepted. Yet, despite his contentment, the mountaineer
+found himself strangely troubled as he lay in his bunk, after the ship
+had got under way. It may be that his perturbation had a physical
+cause, at least in part, for there was more movement now as the vessel
+slid through the waves of Pamlico Sound. It was while he tossed
+restlessly, troubled over this unaccustomed inability to sleep, that
+there came a memory of the black bag:
+
+"I plumb fergot the dum hoodoo!" Zeke muttered, in huge disgust. "An'
+the chief said I must git another the first chance." Then he grinned
+vaingloriously into the darkness of the fore-peak. "But I reckon hit
+hain't put no cuss on me yit--seein' as how I got a job an' a peck o'
+money right smack off." Presently, however, his nervous mood suggested
+a sinister possibility. "P'rhaps, it don't work on land--only jest on
+the sea, or mebby jest whar it happens to be at. Hit wa'n't 'long
+with me when I ketched the nigger. I 'low I ought to 'a' got rid o'
+the pesky thing like the chief said."
+
+Zeke realized that sleep was not for him. If he had had any hope
+otherwise, it was ended when the fog-horn of _The Bonita_ wound its
+melancholy blasts, and other trumpetings began to sound over the waste
+from near and far. Already, by dint of many inquiries, Zeke had
+acquired enough information to know that the mournful noise was the
+accompaniment of a fog. Curious to see, he rose, and felt his way to
+the small port-hole, through which he sought to peer out into the
+night. His vision compassed no more than a few fathom's distance;
+beyond, all was blackness. The port was open, and the cold mist
+stealing in chilled him. Zeke shivered, but an inexplicable
+disturbance of spirit kept him from the warmth of the blankets. He
+chose rather to slip on his trousers, and then again to gaze blindly
+out into the mysterious dark of this new world. He found himself
+hearkening intently for the varied calls of warning that went wailing
+hither and yon. The mellow, softly booming, yet penetrant notes of the
+conch-shells blown by the skippers of smaller craft, came almost
+soothingly to his ears. All the others, harsher, seemed tocsins of
+terror.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+THE LOVERS ON STONE MOUNTAIN.]
+
+Standing there at the port, with the floating drops of mist drenching
+his face, Zeke fell into a waking dream. He was again clambering over
+the scarped cliffs of Stone Mountain; beside him Plutina. His arm was
+about her waist, and their hands were clasped, as they crept with
+cautious, feeling steps amid the perils of the path. For over the
+lofty, barren summit, the mist had shut down in impenetrable veils.
+Yet, through that murk of vapor, the two, though they moved so
+carefully, went in pulsing gladness, their hearts singing the old,
+old, new, new mating song. A mist not born of the sea nor of the
+mountain, but of the heart, was in the lad's eyes while he remembered
+and lived again those golden moments in the mountain gloom. It seemed
+to him for a blessed minute that Plutina was actually there beside him
+in the tiny, rocking space of the fore-peak; that the warmth of her
+hand-clasp thrilled into the beating of his pulses. Though the
+illusion vanished swiftly, the radiance of it remained, for he knew
+that then, and always, the spirit of the girl dwelt with him.
+
+The mountaineer's interval of peace was rudely ended. A wild volley of
+blasts from _The Bonita's_ whistle made alarum. Bells clanged
+frantically in the engine-room close at hand. A raucous fog-horn
+clamored out of the dark. To Zeke, still dazedly held to thought of
+the mountains, the next sound was like the crashing down of a giant
+tree, which falls with the tearing, splitting din of branches beating
+through underbrush. An evil tremor shook the boat. Of a sudden, _The
+Bonita_ heeled over to starboard, almost on her beams' ends. Zeke
+saved himself from falling only by a quick clutch on the open port.
+From the deck above came a contusion of fierce voices, a strident
+uproar of shouts and curses. Then, _The Bonita_ righted herself,
+tremulously, languidly, as one sore-stricken might sit up, very
+feebly. The sailors in the fore-peak, with a chorus of startled oaths,
+leaped from the bunks, and fled to the deck. Zeke followed.
+
+Clinging to a stanchion, the mountaineer could distinguish vaguely, in
+the faint lights of the lanterns, the bows of a three-masted schooner,
+which had sheared through the port-side of _The Bonita_. The bowsprit
+hung far over the smaller ship, a wand of doom. The beating of the
+waves against the boat's side came gently under the rasping, crunching
+complaint of timber against timber in combat. The schooner's sails
+flapped softly in the light breeze. Zeke, watching and listening
+alertly, despite bewilderment, heard the roaring commands of a man
+invisible, somewhere above him, and guessed that this must be the
+captain of the schooner. He saw the crew of _The Bonita_ clambering
+one after another at speed, up the anchor chain at the bow of the
+destroyer. He realized that flight was the only road to safety. But,
+even as he was tensed to dart forward, he remembered his treasure of
+money under the bunk pillow.
+
+On the instant, he rushed to the fore-peak, seized the wallet and the
+black bag, and fled again to the deck. At the moment when he
+reappeared, a gust of quickening breeze filled the schooner's sails.
+The canvas bellied taut. The grinding, clashing clamor of the timbers
+swelled suddenly. The schooner wrenched herself free, and slipped,
+abruptly silent, away into the night and the mist. Ere Zeke reached
+the rail in his leap, the schooner had vanished. For a minute, he
+heard a medley of voices. Then, while he stood straining his eyes in
+despair, these sounds lessened--died. The mountaineer stood solitary
+and forsaken on the deck of a sinking ship.
+
+Finally, Zeke spoke aloud in self-communion. The words rang a little
+tremulous, for he realized that he was at grips with death.
+
+"Hit's what I gits fer fergittin'," was his regretful comment. "I
+reckon, if so be I'd ever got onto thet-thar schooner with this-hyar
+damn' bag, she'd 'a' sunk, too. Or, leastways, they'd have chucked me
+overboard like Jonah, fer causin' the hull cussed trouble with this
+pesky black bag o' mine."
+
+Zeke perceived that the doomed vessel was settling by the head. He
+surmised that time was short. Nevertheless, he took leisure for one
+duty he deemed of prime importance. With all his strength in a vicious
+heave, he cast the black bag from him into the sea.
+
+"I hain't superstitious," he remarked, sullenly; "thet is, not
+exzackly. An' I reckon I'm gittin' rid o' that conjure satchel a mite
+late. I guess hit's done hit's damnedest a'ready."
+
+Inquiries during the leisurely voyaging through the canal had given
+Zeke knowledge concerning the life-belts. Now, he buckled one of them
+about his body hastily, for even his ignorance could not fail to
+interpret the steady settling of the vessel into the water. The strain
+of fighting forebears in the lad set him courageous in the face of
+death. But his blood was red and all a-tingle with the joy of life,
+and he was very loath to die. His heart yearned for the girl who loved
+him. His desire for her was a stabbing agony. The thought of his
+mother's destitution, deprived of him in her old age, was grievous.
+But his anguish was over the girl--anguish for himself; yet more for
+her. The drizzle of the fog on his cheeks brought again a poignant
+memory of the mist that had enwrapped them on the stark rocks of the
+mountain. A savage revolt welled in him against the monstrous decree
+of fate. He cried out roughly a challenge to the elements. Then, in
+the next instant, he checked the futile outburst, and bethought him
+how best to meet the catastrophe.
+
+The instinct of flight from the rising waters led Zeke to mount the
+pilot-house. The lanterns shed a flickering light here, and the youth
+uttered a cry of joy as his eyes fell on the life-raft. The shout was
+lost in the hissing of steam as the sea rushed in on the boilers. All
+the lights were extinguished now, save the running lamps with their
+containers of oil. Quickly, the noise from the boiler-room died out,
+and again there was silence, save for the occasional bourdoning of the
+horns or the mocking caress of the waves that lapped the vessel's
+sides--like a colossal serpent licking the prey it would devour
+betimes. In the stillness, Zeke wrought swiftly. He wasted no time
+over the fastenings. The blade of his knife slashed through the hemp
+lashings, and the raft lay clear. He made sure that it was free from
+the possibility of entanglement. Then, as the boat lurched
+sickeningly, like a drunken man to a fall, Zeke stretched himself face
+downward lengthwise of the tiny structure, and clenched his hands on
+the tubes. There was a period of dragging seconds, while _The Bonita_
+swayed sluggishly, in a shuddering rhythm. Came the death spasm. The
+stern was tossed high; the bow plunged for the depths. Down and
+down--to the oyster rocks of Teach's Hole, in Pamlico Sound. As the
+vessel sank, the raft floated clear for a moment, then the suction
+drew it under, buffeted it--spewed it forth. It rode easily on the
+swirling waters, at last. As the commotion from the ship's sinking
+ceased, the raft moved smoothly on the surface, rocking gently with
+the pulse of the sea. Zeke, half-strangled, almost torn from his place
+by the grip of the water in the plunge, clung to his refuge with all
+the strength that was in him. And that strength prevailed. Soon, he
+could breathe fully once again, and the jaws of the sea gave over
+their gnawing. After the mortal peril through which he had won, Zeke
+found his case not so evil. The life was still in him, and he voiced a
+crude phrase of gratefulness to Him who is Lord of the deep waters,
+even as of the everlasting hills.
+
+Near Teach's Hole, Ocracoke Inlet offers a shallow channel between the
+dunes from Pamlico Sound to the open sea. Here the varying tides rush
+angrily, lashed by the bulk of waves behind. To-night, the ebb bore
+with it a cockle-shell on which a lad clung, shivering. But the soul
+was still strong in him for all his plight. He dared believe that he
+would yet return safe to the mountains, to the love that awaited him
+there.
+
+Once the castaway smiled wryly:
+
+"I hain't superstitious none--leastways, I dunno's I be," he muttered,
+doubtfully. "But hit's plumb lucky I got rid o' thet-thar dum black
+bag jest as I did, or I'd 'a' been a goner, shore!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+
+The days dragged heavily for Plutina, after the departure of her
+lover. She endured the period of tense waiting as best she might,
+since endure she must, but this passive loneliness, without a word
+from the man of her heart, was well-nigh intolerable. She did not
+weep--after that single passionate outburst while yet her lips were
+warm from his kiss. She was not of the weak fiber to find assuagement
+in many tears, nor had she nerves that needed the chemical soothing of
+flooded eyes. She had, indeed, strength sufficient for the trial. She
+bore her sorrow bravely enough, but it pierced her through and
+through. She knew her lover, and she knew herself. Because of that
+knowledge she was spared the shameful suffering of a woman who fears,
+with deadly fear, lest her lover be untrue. Plutina had never a doubt
+as to the faith of the absent one. A natural jealousy sometimes leaped
+in her bosom, at thought of him exposed to the wiles of women whom she
+suspected of all wantonness. But she had no cowardly thought that the
+fairest and most cunning of them could oust her from the shrine of
+Zeke's heart. Her great grief lay in the failure of any word from the
+traveler. The days became weeks; almost a month had gone since he held
+her in his arms, and still no message came. This was, in truth,
+strange enough to justify alarm. It was with difficulty that she drove
+back a temptation to imagine evil happenings. She went oftener the six
+miles to the Cherry Lane post-office.
+
+When she descended the trail toward Thunder Branch this morning, she
+saw Zeke's mother standing in the doorway of the cabin on the far side
+of the stream. The bent figure of the old woman rested motionless,
+with one hand lifted to shade her eyes from the vivid sunlight, as she
+watched the girl's approach.
+
+"Mornin', Tiny," she said tenderly, as the girl crossed the clearing.
+"On yer way to the Lane, I reckon?"
+
+"Mornin', Mis' Higgins," came the cheery answer. "Yes, I 'lowed as how
+ye'd love to hear, an' I c'd git away. The corn's laid by; the sorghum
+cane's done hoed. Alviry's gone to he'p Gran'pap with a bee-tree.
+Hit's a big yaller poplar, up 'twixt Ted Hutchins' claim an' the ole
+mine-hole. Gran'pap 'lows as how hit 'll have to be cut an' split, an'
+wuth hit--over a hundred pounds, all sour-wood honey, 'cept 'bout ten
+pounds early poplar. Gran'pap's right-smart tickled. I told Alviry to
+watch out he don't go an' tote half of it up to thet-thar Widder
+Brown. You-all must come over an' git what ye kin use o' the honey,
+Mis' Higgins, afore the widder gits her fingers in the jar."
+
+"Ye don't opine thet-thar gran'pap o' your'n aims to git hitched ag'in
+at his age, do ye, Tiny? Hit'd be plumb scand'lous--an' him eighty
+past. At thet age, he's bound to have one foot in the grave, fer all
+he's so tarnation spry an' peart in his carryin's on."
+
+"Lord knows what he'll do," the girl replied, carelessly. "He's allers
+been given credit fer havin' fotchin' ways with women. I hope he
+won't, though. They say, folks what marry upwards o' eighty is mighty
+short-lived."
+
+The topic led Zeke's mother to broach apprehension of her own:
+
+"Tiny, ye don't have no idee thet our Zeke's gone daffy on some o'
+them Evish-lookin' critters down below, like ye showed me their
+picters in the city paper oncet?"
+
+"Naw, no danger o' thet," was the stout assurance. "Zeke's got too
+much sense. Besides, he hain't had no time to git rich yit. The paper
+done said as how them kind's arter the coin."
+
+As she went her way, the girl's mind reveled in thoughts of the days
+to come, when Zeke should be rich in sooth, and his riches for her.
+She swung her sun-bonnet in vigorous slaps against her bare legs, to
+scatter the ravenous mosquitoes and yellow flies, swarming from the
+thickets, and she smiled contentedly.
+
+"P'r'aps, them women's got more edication 'n me," she mused aloud,
+complacently, "but I kin fill them silk stockin's plumb up." Her face
+grew brooding with a wistful regret in the sudden droop of the tender
+red lips. "I 'low I jest orter 'a' swung onto thet-thar neck o' his'n
+an' hollered fer Parson, and got spliced 'fore he went." She shook her
+head disconsolately. "Why, if he don't come back, I'll be worse nor
+the widders. Humph, I knows 'em--cats. They'll say: 'Tiny Siddon
+didn't never have no chance to git married--her disperzition an' her
+looks wa'n't compellin' 'nough to ketch a man.'"
+
+The great dark eyes were clouded a little with bitter disappointment,
+when, two hours later, the girl came swiftly down the steep slopes
+from Cherry Lane, for once again there had been no letter for her.
+Despite her courage, Plutina felt a chill of dismay before the mystery
+of this silence. Though faith was unshaken, bewilderment oppressed her
+spirit. She could not understand, and because she could not
+understand, her grief was heavy to bear. Then, presently, she chanced
+upon a new mystery for her distraction--though this was the easier to
+her solving.
+
+As she descended into a hollow by Luffman's branch, which joins
+Thunder Branch a little way above the Higgins' clearing, Plutina's
+alert ears caught a sound that was not of the tumbling waters. Through
+all the noises of the stream where it leaped and sprayed in miniature
+falls over cluttering bowlders and fallen pines, she could distinguish
+the splashing of quick footsteps in the shallows. Some instinct of
+caution checked the girl's advance. Instead of going forward openly,
+she turned aside and approached the bank where crowding alders and ivy
+formed a screen. Here, she parted the vines stealthily, and peered up
+the water-course.
+
+A man was descending the run with hurried strides, wading with bare
+feet, or springing from rock to rock where were the deeper pools. A
+Winchester nestled in the crook of his left arm; two huge bear-traps,
+the jaws wickedly fanged, were swung from a rope over his right
+shoulder; a short-helved ax was thrust within his belt. He wore only a
+cotton shirt open at the neck, dirty throughout, patched jeans
+trousers, and a soft hat, green from long use. Beneath the shading
+brim showed a loutish face, the coarse features swollen from
+dissipation, the small black eyes bleared, yet alert and penetrating
+in their darting, furtive glances. It was Dan Hodges, a man of
+unsavory repute. The girl, though unafraid, blessed the instinct that
+had guided her to avoid a meeting.
+
+There were two prime factors in Plutina's detestation of Hodges. The
+first was due to his insolence, as she deemed it, in aspiring for her
+favor. With little training in conventional ideas of delicacy, the
+girl had, nevertheless, a native refinement not always characteristic
+of her more-cultured sister women. There was to her something
+unspeakably repugnant in the fact that this bestial person should dare
+to think of her intimately. It was as if she were polluted by his
+dreaming of her kisses, of her yielding to his caresses. That he had
+so aspired she knew, for he had told her of his desire with the coarse
+candor of his kind. Her spurning of the uncouth advances had excited
+his wrath; it had not destroyed his hopes. He had even ventured to
+renew his suit, after the news of an engagement between Plutina and
+Zeke had gone abroad. He had winced under the scourge of the girl'
+scorn, but he had shown neither penitence nor remorse. Plutina had
+forborne any account of this trouble to her lover, lest, by bad blood
+between the two men, a worse thing befall.
+
+The second cause of the girl's feeling was less direct, though of
+longer standing, and had to do with the death of her father. That
+Siddon, while yet in his prime, had been slain in a raid on a still
+by the revenue officers, and that despite the fact that he was not
+concerned in the affair, save by the unfortunate chance of being
+present. Plutina, though only a child at the time, could still
+remember the horror of that event. There was a singular personal
+guiltiness, too, in her feeling, for, on the occasion of the raid, her
+grandfather had been looking out from a balcony, and had seen the
+revenue men urging their horses up the trail, the sunlight glinting on
+their carbines. He had seized the great horn, to blow a warning to
+those at the secret still on the mountain above. Plutina could
+remember yet the grotesque bewilderment on his face, as no sound
+issued--then the wrath and despair. The children, in all innocence,
+had stuffed the horn with rags. The prank had thus, in a way, cost two
+lives--one, that of "Young" Dick Siddon. The owner of the raided still
+had been Dan Hodges, and him Plutina despised and hated with a
+virulence not at all Christian, but very human. She had all the
+old-time mountaineer's antipathy for the extortion, as it was
+esteemed, of the Federal Government, and her father's death had
+naturally inflamed her against those responsible for it. Yet, her
+loathing of Hodges caused her to regret that the man himself had
+escaped capture thus far, though twice his still had been destroyed,
+once within the year.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Claudia Kimball Young under the direction of Louis J. Selznick._
+A MOUNTAIN "STILL."]
+
+A high, jutting wall of rock hid the stream where it bent sharply a
+little way from Plutina's shelter. Presently, she became aware that
+Hodges had paused thus beyond the range of her vision, and was busy
+there. She heard the blows of the ax. General distrust of the man
+stirred up in her a brisk curiosity concerning the nature of his
+action in this place. On a previous day, she had observed that the
+limpid waters of the brook had been sullied by the milky refuse from a
+still somewhere in the reaches above. Now, the presence of Dan Hodges
+was sufficient to prove the hidden still his. But the fact did not
+explain his business here. That it was something evil, she could not
+doubt, for the man and his gang were almost outlaws among their own
+people. They were known, though unpunished, thieves, as well as
+"moonshiners," and there were whispers of more dreadful things--of
+slain men vanished into the unsounded depths of the Devil's Cauldron.
+The gorge of the community--careless as it had been of some laws in
+the past, and too ready to administer justice according to its own
+code--had risen against the vicious living of the gang that accepted
+Hodges as chief. It seemed to Plutina that duty conspired with
+curiosity to set her spying on the man.
+
+The espionage, though toilsome enough, was not otherwise difficult.
+Toward the bend, the banks rose sharply on both sides of the stream,
+forming a tiny cańon for the channel. The steep slope on the east
+side, where the girl now ascended, was closely overgrown with laurel
+and little thickets of ground pine, through which she was hard beset
+to force her way--the more since she must move with what noiselessness
+she might. But her strength and skill compassed the affair with
+surprising quickness. Presently, she came to the brim of the little
+cliff, and lying outstretched, cautiously looked down. Already, a
+hideous idea had entered her mind, but she had rejected it with
+horror. What she now saw confirmed the thought she had not dared to
+harbor.
+
+Within this bend of the brook, the lessening volume of the channel had
+left a patch of rich soil, heavily overgrown with lush grasses and
+clusters of flowering weeds. A faint trace of passing steps ran across
+the bit of dry ground, the path of those that followed the stream's
+course. Fair in this dim trail, near the center of the plot, a stake
+had been driven deep. At the moment, Hodges was driving into the
+ground a similar stake, a yard further down. It was evident that the
+stakes had been previously left here in readiness, since he had not
+carried them in his descent, and the iron rings bound to them must
+have been attached in a forge. The two massive traps were lying
+half-hidden in the luxuriant growth close by. As Plutina watched with
+affrighted intentness, the man finished driving the second stake. He
+lifted one of the traps, and carried it to the upper stake. With the
+aid of a stone for anvil, he succeeded in clumsily riveting the trap's
+length of chain to the ring on the stake. The like was done with the
+other trap at the lower stake. Then, the man undertook the setting of
+the traps. The task was accomplished very quickly for both, though the
+strength of the jaws taxed his muscles to their utmost. Finally, he
+strewed leaves, and bent grass, until no least gleam of metal betrayed
+the masked peril of the trail. Plutina, sick with the treacherous
+deviltry of the device, heard the grunt of satisfaction with which
+Hodges contemplated his finished work. Forthwith, he picked up his
+rifle, thrust the ax-helve within his belt, and set off up the gulch.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+
+There could be no doubt. Those massive traps, with their cruel teeth
+of steel, meant by the makers for the holding of beasts, had been set
+here by Hodges for the snaring of men. The contrivance was fiendishly
+efficient. From her coign of vantage on the cliff top, Plutina could
+see, on a height above, the brush-covered distillery. A thin, blue
+column of smoke rose straight in the calm air, witness that the kettle
+was boiling over hickory logs, that a "run" of the liquor was being
+made. Plutina recalled that, in a recent raid against Hodges, the
+still had been captured and destroyed though the gang had escaped.
+Such loss was disastrous, for the new copper and worm and fermenters
+meant a cost of a hundred dollars, a sum hard to come on in the
+mountain coves. Usually, the outfit is packed on the men's backs to
+hiding in the laurel, afterward shifted to another obscure nook by
+running water. It was plain that Hodges had grown more than ever
+venomous over the destruction of his still, and had no scruples as to
+the means he would employ to prevent a repetition of such
+catastrophe. No need now to fear lest sentinels be not alert. The
+natural path to the still was along the course of the stream. The
+unwary passer over the tiny stretch of greensward on which the girl
+looked down, would follow the dim trail of footsteps, and so
+inevitably come within the clutch of the great jaws, which would hurl
+themselves together, rending and crunching the flesh between. The
+victim's shrieks of anguish under the assault would be a warning to
+the lawless men above. They would make ready and flee with their
+possessions, and be lost in the laurel once again. Yes, the device was
+simple, diabolically simple, and adequate. It required only that its
+executant should be without bowels of compassion.
+
+Plutina, strong-nerved as she was, found herself shuddering as she
+realized the heinousness of this thing. The soft bloom of the roses in
+her cheeks faded to white; the dark radiance of the eyes was dimmed
+with horror; the exquisite lips were compressed harshly against their
+own quivering weakness. For Plutina, despite strength of body and sane
+poise of soul, was a gentle and tender woman, and the brutal project
+spread before her eyes was an offense to every sensibility. Then, very
+soon, the mood of passive distress yielded to another emotion: a lust
+for vengeance on the man who would insure his own safety thus,
+reckless of another's cost. A new idea came to the girl. At its first
+advent, she shrank from it, conscience-stricken, for it outraged the
+traditions of her people. But the idea returned, once and again. It
+seemed to her that the evil of the man justified her in any measure
+for his punishment. She had been bred to hate and despise a spy, but
+it was borne in on her now that duty required of her to turn informer
+against Dan Hodges. There was more even than the inflicting of
+punishment on the outlaw; there was the necessity of safeguarding the
+innocent from the menace of those hidden man-traps. Any "furriner"
+from down below might wander here, whipping the stream; or any one of
+the neighborhood might chance on the spot. The Widow Higgins' heifers
+sometimes strayed; the old woman might come hither, seeking them.
+Plutina shuddered again, before the terrible vision of the one who was
+like a mother to her, caught and mangled by the pointed fangs waiting
+amid the grasses below.
+
+The question as to her right conduct in the affair remained with the
+girl, as she descended from the cliff, and made her way slowly
+homeward. She temporized by a precautionary measure. At the widow's
+cabin, she secured the old woman's promise not to go beyond the
+clearing in quest of the cattle. But the difficulty as to her course
+was not abated. Inclination urged her to advise the authorities
+concerning the locations of still and traps, and inclination was
+reinforced by justice. Yet, over against this, there were the powerful
+influence of her upbringing, the circumstances of her environment, the
+tragedy of her father's death, the savage resentment of her
+grandfather, already virulent against her lover--all forces to inspire
+enmity against the representatives of a law regarded as the violation
+of inalienable rights. True, there was growing an insidious change in
+the sentiment of the community. Where all had once been of accord, the
+better element were now becoming convinced that the illicit
+liquor-making cursed the mountains, rather than blessed. Undoubtedly,
+some effect of this had touched the girl herself, without her
+knowledge, else she had never thought to betray even such a miscreant
+as Hodges. There was, however, an abiding hate of the informer here,
+as always among decent folk, though along with it went reprobation of
+the traffic in moonshine. Plutina felt that she could never justify
+her action in the sight of her people, should she bring the revenue
+men into the mountain. Her own grandfather would curse her, and drive
+her forth. His feeling had been shown clearly in the case of Zeke. So,
+in her period of uncertainty and stress, there was none of whom the
+girl could take counsel. But, in the end, she decided that she must
+give warning to the United States marshal. The task demanded care. On
+absolute secrecy depended, in all likelihood, her very life.
+
+The trove of honey had come opportunely, since the sale of a portion
+afforded Plutina plausible excuse for her trip to Joines' store.
+There, a telephone had been recently installed, and it was the girl's
+intention to use this means of communication with the marshal. That
+the danger of detection was great, she was unhappily aware, but, she
+could devise no plan that seemed less perilous. So, early in the
+morning of the day following her discovery, she made her way along the
+North Wilkesboro' road, carrying twenty pounds of the sour-wood honey.
+At the store, she did her trading, and afterward remained loitering,
+as is the custom of shoppers in the region. The interval of waiting
+seemed to her interminable, for trade was brisk. There was always
+someone near enough the telephone to overhear, for it was unprotected
+by a booth. But, finally, the customers lessened. The few remaining
+were in the front of the store, at a safe distance from the instrument
+which was on a shelf at the back. Plutina believed that her
+opportunity was come. She knew the amount of the toll, and had the
+necessary silver in her hand to slip into the box. Then, just as she
+was about to take down the receiver, her apprehensive glance, roving
+the room, fell on Ben York, who entered briskly, notwithstanding his
+seventy years, and came straight toward her. Plutina's lifted hand
+fell to her side, and dread was heavy on her. For Ben York was the
+distiller in Hodges' gang.
+
+The old man had a reputation almost as notorious as that of Hodges
+himself. The girl felt a wave of disgust, mingled with alarm, as she
+caught sight of the face, almost hidden behind a hoary thicket of
+whiskers. The fellow was dirty, as always, and his ragged clothes only
+emphasized the emaciation of his dwarfed form. But the rheumy eyes had
+a searching quality that disturbed the girl greatly. She knew that the
+man was distinguished for his intelligence as well as for his general
+worthlessness. In the experience of years, he had always escaped the
+raiders, nor had they been able ever to secure any evidence against
+him. He was, in fact, as adroit of mind as he was tough of body. He
+had lived hard all his days, either in drunken carouse or lying out in
+the laurel to escape the summons of the courts. Where, alas! a holier
+man might have been broken long ago, the aged reprobate thrived, and
+threatened to infest the land for years to come. Now, he greeted the
+girl casually enough, made a purchase, and took his departure. He
+seemed quite unsuspicious, but Plutina felt that his coming on her
+thus was an evil omen, and, for a moment, she faltered in her
+purpose.
+
+A hand went to her bosom, and touched the tiny leather bag that hung
+from a cord about her neck inside the gown. Within it was the fairy
+crystal. The touch of it strengthened her in some subtle fashion. It
+was as if to her weakness there came miraculously something vital,
+something occultly helpful in her need, from the distant lover. The
+superstition, begotten and nourished always in the fastnesses of the
+heights, stirred deeply within her, and comforted her. Of a sudden,
+courage flowed back into her. She took down the receiver.
+
+After all, nothing was accomplished. The marshal was not in his
+office, but absent somewhere in the mountains. Plutina would not risk
+giving information to any other than the officer himself, whom she
+knew, and respected. Disconsolate, she abandoned the attempt for the
+time being, and set out to get a bag of wheat flour from the mill
+close by, on the other side of Roaring River.
+
+As Plutina, with the bag of flour on shoulder, was making her way back
+from the mill, across the big sycamore trunk that serves as a foot
+bridge, a horse splashed into the ford alongside. The girl looked up,
+to see the very man she sought. Marshal Stone called a cheery
+greeting, the while his horse dropped its head to drink.
+
+"Howdy, Plutina?"
+
+"Howdy, Mr. Stone," she answered. Her free hand went again to the
+talisman in her bosom. Surely, its charm was potent!
+
+"All's well as common, at home?" Stone continued. His critical eyes
+delighted in the unconscious grace of the girl, as she stood poised
+above the brawling stream, serene in her physical perfection; and
+above the delicately modeled symmetry of form was the loveliness of
+the face, beautiful as a flower, yet strong, with the shining eyes and
+the red lips, now parted in eagerness. The marshal wondered a little
+at that eagerness. He wondered still more at her hurried speech after
+one quick glance to make sure that none could overhear:
+
+"I mustn't be seed talkin' to ye, but I got somethin' to say 'll he'p
+ye arn yer pay. Kin ye meet me in an hour by the sun, at the ole gate
+on the east end o' Wolf Rock?"
+
+The marshal's answer wasted no words:
+
+"Go on, gal--I'll be there."
+
+Wolf Rock, a huge, jutting mass of barren cliff, though tiny beside
+the bulk of Stone Mountain, which overshadows it, lies between Garden
+Creek and Thunder Branch, a little to the north of where these streams
+flow into Roaring River. Its situation, nearly midway between the mill
+and the Siddon Cabin, made it a convenient point for the meeting
+between Plutina and the officer. Its loneliness lessened the element
+of danger. Both were prompt to the rendezvous. Well under the hour,
+man and girl were standing together within a bower of newly blossoming
+rhododendrons. Above them, the naked rock bent sharply, its granite
+surface glistening in the hot noonday sun. They had withdrawn some
+score of yards from the old wooden gate that barred the lane here,
+lest a chance passer-by see them together. Plutina opened her mind
+without hesitation. The decision once made, she had no thought of
+drawing back.
+
+"I 'low I kin trust ye, Mister Stone," she said simply, and the
+sincerity of the lustrous eyes as they met his confirmed her words.
+"Afore you-all's time in the revenue service, raiders done kilt my
+daddy. I kain't never fergive them men, but they's out o' the service
+now, er I wouldn't have come to ye. Gran'pap says they's a better lot
+o' revenuers now 'n what used to be an' he says as how Marshal Stone
+don't do no dirt. Thet's why I'm a-trusting ye, so's ye kin kotch the
+pizen-meanest white man a-makin' likker in the hull Stone Mountain
+country--him an' his gang an' his still."
+
+The marshal's eyes sparkled.
+
+"I reckon you're talking about Dan Hodges," he interjected.
+
+Plutina nodded her head in somber acquiescence.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+JOINES' MILL.]
+
+"Then you needn't have any scruples about giving information," Stone
+continued, urgently. "He and his gang are a menace to the peace of the
+settlement. I'll keep you out of it, of course, to save you
+embarrassment."
+
+"Ye'd better," Plutina retorted, "to save my life. I don't know's I
+mind bein' embarrassed so much, but I don't feel called to die yit."
+
+"No, no; there won't be anything like that," the marshal exclaimed,
+much disconcerted. "I'll see no trouble comes to you. Nobody'll know
+your part."
+
+"'Cept me!" was the bitter objection. "If 'twas anybody but that
+ornery galoot, I wouldn't say a word. Ye know that."
+
+"I know," Stone admitted, placatingly.
+
+In his desire to change her mood, he blundered on:
+
+"And there's the reward for getting the 'copper'--twenty dollars for
+you Plutina. If we get Hodges, I'll give you another fifty out of my
+own pocket. That'll buy you a nice new dress or two, and a hat, and
+some silk stockings for those pretty legs of yours."
+
+Plutina flared. The red glowed hot in her cheeks, and the big eyes
+flashed. The mellow voice deepened to a note of new dignity, despite
+her anger.
+
+"I hain't come hyar to gas 'bout rewards, an' money outten yer pocket,
+Mister Stone, or 'bout my clothes an' sech. I'm an engaged woman.
+When I wants to cover my legs with stockin's Zeke Higgins' money'll do
+the payin', an' he won't need no he'p from no damned revenuer."
+
+Stone, realizing too late the error in his diplomacy, made what haste
+he could to retrieve it. His smile was genial as he spoke. He seemed
+quite unabashed, just heartily sympathetic, and his manner calmed the
+girl's irritation almost at once.
+
+"Oh, you little mountain hornet! Well, you are telling me news now.
+And it's the kind to make any old bachelor like me weep for envy.
+Lucky boy, Zeke! I guess he knows it, too, for he's got eyes in his
+head. About the money--why, you've a right to it. If Dan Hodges and
+his gang ain't rounded up quick, they'll be killing some good
+citizen--like me, perhaps."
+
+Plutina had recovered her poise, but she spoke no less firmly:
+
+"No, suh, I won't tech the money. I kin show ye how to kotch the hull
+gang, but not fer pay, an not fer love o' no revenuer, neither. Hit's
+jest fer the good o' this country hyarbout. Dan Hodges has done sot
+b'ar-traps to kotch you-all. An' anybody might walk plumb into 'em,
+but not if I kin he'p hit."
+
+Forthwith, she made the situation clear to her eager listener.
+
+"Kin you-all meet me, an hour by the sun in the mornin', on the trail
+to Cherry Lane post-office jest beyond the Widder Higgins' clearin'?
+I'll take ye to the place, whar ye kin see the still, an' the traps."
+
+"I'll have to move lively," the marshal answered, with a somewhat
+rueful laugh. "Twenty miles' ride to North Wilkesboro', and back. But
+I'll do it, of course. I wouldn't miss it for a good deal. I'll have
+my men waiting at Trap Hill. If things shape right, I'll make the raid
+to-morrow night."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+
+Marshal John Stone was a mountaineer of the better sort, who had the
+respect and admiration of the law-abiding citizens in his district,
+and the hate of the evil-doers. He stood full six feet in his socks,
+and he was broad and muscled in proportion. His gray eyes were of the
+sort to harden to steel against an enemy, to soften wonderfully for a
+friend. The mouth, half-hidden by the thick mustache, was very firm,
+yet prone to smiles. To an excellent intelligence had been added a
+fair amount of education. Since he respected both himself and his
+work, and had developed a veritable passion for the capture of
+malefactors, he was more than usually successful. His zeal, tempered
+with discretion, had won the appreciative attention of official
+superiors. There could be no doubt that promotion would shortly remove
+him to a higher plane of service. The fact would have been most
+agreeable to Stone, but for two things. He desired beyond all else,
+before going from the mountains, to capture Dan Hodges, who had so
+persistently flouted the law, and himself, its representative; the
+second unsatisfied ambition was to come on the long-lost Burns'
+still.
+
+The Scottish poet's poverty was almost equal to his genius. On that
+account, Robert Burns was glad to secure the stipend of fifty pounds a
+year to which he became entitled on his appointment as exciseman in
+1788. It may be that his convivial habits made his official position
+particularly acceptable, since doubtless his perquisites included the
+keeping of his own jug filled. And there were moonshiners among the
+Scottish hills in those days, as perhaps there are to-day. On
+occasion, the poet made a gift of a captured still to some discreet
+friend. One recipient emigrated to America, and bore into the
+wilderness that has become North Carolina the kettle and cap of copper
+on which Burns had graven his name, and the date, 1790. Afterward, as
+the years passed, the still knew many owners, mostly unlawful. It won
+fame, and this saved it from the junk-heap of its fellows, when seized
+by the Federal officers. Three times, it was even placed on public
+exhibition. As many, it was stolen by moonshiners. For years now, it
+had remained in secret. Marshal Stone yearned to recapture the Burns
+still. There was no reason whatsoever for believing it to be in the
+possession of Hodges, yet it might as easily be with that desperado as
+with another. There was at least the possibility. The marshal, as he
+rode north before the dawn next morning, felt a new kindling of hope.
+It seemed to him almost certain that the opportunity was at hand to
+satisfy one ambition at least by putting Hodges behind the bars. For
+the other, it was on the lap of the gods.
+
+The officer was at pains to use every precaution to avoid being
+observed while in company with the girl, whom he duly met at the
+appointed place while the sun was yet low on the eastern horizon. The
+two made their way with what quiet they could through devious paths to
+Luffman's Branch. The dew lay heavy on the laurel leaves of the
+thickets, and the breeze was perfumed with the penetrant fragrance of
+many blossoms. The day was thrilling with the matins of the birds. The
+balsamic air was a wine of life. The rugged mountain peaks seemed to
+stand as an impregnable barrier against the confusions and evils of
+the larger world. But the man and the girl recked nought of these
+things as they went forward, with cautious steps and watchful eyes.
+They knew that the tranquil scene masked wickedness close by them,
+which would not hesitate to destroy. The discovery of the marshal in
+that vicinity would mean for him the bullet of an assassin from out
+the screen of leaves, and the same fate--or worse--for his companion.
+The corpses would be lost in the Devil's Cauldron. Men would whisper
+grim surmises, and whisper low lest the like come upon them. And that
+would be all.
+
+They reached the cliff top overlooking the little cańon, and Plutina
+pointed out the location of the traps on the strip of dry ground
+below, and the huddles of brush that disguised the buildings of the
+still. Then, the girl went her way. She had done her part. The man
+remained to study the scene above for hours through his glasses, and
+to map out the night's campaign into the enemy's country.
+
+A delicate moonlight fell over the mountains, when, in the evening,
+Stone led his men from the rendezvous at Trap Hill. The six were
+heavily armed and well mounted. Their course at the outset led them
+along the Elkin road to Joines' store, where they swung into the trail
+over which Zeke and Plutina had walked the day of their parting. The
+cavalcade rode swiftly. There was no conversation; only the pounding
+of hoofs and the jangling of accoutrements. When, at last, they
+reached the edge of the Widow Higgins' clearing, they turned sharply
+to the eastward, following the path toward the Cherry Lane
+post-office. Presently, at a low word of command from the leader, they
+halted and dismounted. The horses were left to the care of one man in
+a near-by thicket, and the remainder of the party continued the
+advance on foot.
+
+The marshal, during his watch on the still that day, had planned his
+attack in every detail. He hoped to make his capture of the gang
+without unnecessary casualties, for in this particular he had achieved
+an enviable record, on which he prided himself. At first, he had
+thought of ascending along the course of Luffman's Branch, after
+springing the traps, but had given over the plan as one offering more
+chance of the raiders being discovered prematurely. Instead, he had
+decided on taking his men up the mountainside by a round-about route,
+likely to be free from watchers. His men were already instructed in
+every point, so now they followed him rapidly and almost noiselessly,
+as he forced his way through the thick growths of the wooded slopes.
+The darkness added to the difficulties of the progress, but the posse
+were inured to hardships, and went onward and upward resolutely.
+Despite the necessities of the detour, they came surprisingly soon to
+a height from which they looked across a small ravine to the level
+space where the still perched by the stream. A few whispered words
+from the leader, and the company crept with increased care across the
+ravine. From the ridge beyond, three of the men passed forward to make
+ambush--one above, and one below, and one on the far side of the
+still. Stone and a single companion remained, hiding behind the
+clumps of rhododendrons.
+
+It was with huge satisfaction that the marshal recognized Hodges
+himself, plainly revealed by the firelight. The "kettle" was running
+at full blast. The seasoned hickory logs, in the rough stone furnace
+beneath the kettle, were burning fiercely, and the blue and gold of
+their flames lighted all the scene into vivid relief against the
+background of shadows. Stone, even at his distance, could see
+distinctly the tiny stream of colorless mountain-corn whiskey, as it
+flowed out from the worm into the keg placed to receive it. The leader
+of the gang was seated at ease on a stool just outside the brush
+enclosure that masked the buildings. The villain was evidently in a
+mood of contentment, untainted by remorse over the havoc his traps
+might wreak on any passing through the gorge below. Rather, doubtless,
+the memory of those sinister sentinels gave him a sense of safety, on
+which his serenity was founded. In his lap was a banjo which he
+thrummed vigorously, with rhythmic precision, if no greater musical
+art, and head and body and feet, all gave emphasis to the movement. At
+intervals, his raucous voice rumbled a snatch of song. It was evident
+that the moonshiner was mellow from draughts of his own potent
+product.
+
+Others of the gang were busied here and there, bulking grotesquely as
+they moved about the fire, seeming disheveled demons of the pit. Like
+some master imp torturing a pigmy over the flames, old Ben York was
+kneeling close beside the blaze, holding to the coals a hickory stick,
+which served as spit for the roasting of a squirrel. The brilliance
+shone full on the frowsy gray whiskers, and, above them, the blinking,
+rheumy eyes, so intent on the proper browning of the game. None of the
+outlaws had a weapon in his grasp--a fact noted with satisfaction by
+the chief of the raiders, who knew that these men would not scruple
+against bloodshed to escape arrest. There were arms at hand, of
+course; Hodges' rifle was visible, leaning against a ground pine
+within his reach. But Stone hoped that the surprise would be such that
+the gang could not avail themselves of their weapons.
+
+Hodges had just completed a strident rendering of "Cripple Crick," and
+had thumped out the opening bars of "Short'nin' Bread," when the
+marshal gave the signal for attack--a single flash of his electric
+torch. In the same second, the raiders' rifles crashed out. The big
+bullets struck true to aim in the ground of the open place before the
+fire. A shower of dirt and pebbles spat back viciously. Some of the
+flying fragments struck the men, terrifying them with the thought of
+bullet wounds. Hodges, as the reports sounded, felt the bruise of
+stones on his bare legs, and shrieked in panic fear. His instinctive
+recoil carried him over backward, from the stool to the ground. The
+banjo jangled discordant triumph over his fall. When, dazed by the
+suddenness of it all, he would have struggled up, he found himself
+fast in the clutches of two raiders, who locked manacles on his
+wrists. Stone grunted joyously as he surveyed the captive. The others
+of the gang, except Ben York, had contrived to slip away into the
+laurel, whither it would avail nothing to follow them, save useless
+risk of being killed from ambush. But the marshal cared little for the
+escape of the lesser malefactors. He had succeeded in taking prisoner
+the most notorious criminal of the mountains.
+
+Ben York had failed to effect his usual flight, because of being at a
+disadvantage on his knees. Before he could scramble up for a plunge
+into the thickets the enemy was upon him. Yet, even in this moment of
+shock, the old scoundrel's cunning sought and found a ruse. He stood
+swaying for seconds, and then tumbled limply headlong to the ground,
+in a drunkard's fall, familiar to his muscles by experience through
+three-score years. So he lay inert, seemingly sodden from the kettle's
+brew. His captors, if resolved to hold him prisoner, would be forced
+to the arduous task of carrying him through the dark, down the rough
+slopes. It would be strange, he mused complacently, if in the course
+of the journey, their vigilance did not relax a little. And a very
+little would suffice him! Then, though to all appearance in a drunken
+stupor, he sighed. He was unhappily aware that the revenue men would
+not be gentle in their efforts to arouse him to consciousness. Whether
+they believed him shamming or not, they would use no doubtful
+measures. But, whatever might come, he must endure it for the sake of
+escape.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+AFTER THE RAID.]
+
+The raiders realized the need of haste, for they must be done with
+their work here, and down the steeps of the mountain into the open
+road, ere the fugitives should have time to arm themselves, and waylay
+the posse from the thickets. So, with due watchfulness of the two
+prisoners, the men set about that task of destruction which their duty
+required. The fermenters, huge tubs holding the mixture of meal, malt
+and water making ready for the still, received first attention. Since
+York had fallen before these, the men rolled him roughly to one side,
+without arousing him to any sign of consciousness. Stone knew the man
+to be shamming, since there had been no show of even incipient
+drunkenness before the moment of the raid. He resolved to try a test
+at least, for he was alert to the hindrance the limp form would prove
+in the descent of the mountain. He thrust the body forward with his
+foot, close to one of the great "stands" of the mixture, and bade an
+appreciative assistant apply the ax to the slippery-elm hoops that
+bound the staves. As the bands fell and the great volume of liquid
+gushed forth, the raiders leaped aside from the flood. But York never
+stirred. The down-rushing tide fell fairly on him, engulfed him. He
+made no movement, no outcry. Even Stone himself was led to a
+half-remorseful wonder whether he had been deceived concerning the
+fellow's state. Then, after a few seconds, the bald head rose,
+glistening from the pool of the "beer." The thin wisps of gray hair
+hung in dank strings; the jungle of beard seemed strangely thin; there
+was something curiously unlike Ben York in the lineaments. The marshal
+guessed that the metamorphosis was wrought by the swirling mess, which
+had scrubbed the weazened face almost clean for the first time in the
+memory of living man. As the dilapidated head emerged, it showed the
+grotesque caricature of a Neptune, whose element was not the waters of
+ocean, but the shattered hogsheads of "beer." Even now, however, Ben
+clung to his rôle. Once his face was clear, he continued to sit
+placidly, though the surface of the viscous pool was at his neck. For
+better effect, he blinked vacuously, and gurgled. Perhaps, memory of a
+bath in infancy inspired him. He had had none since. He beat his
+scrawny hands in the "beer," and cackled. It was admirable art, but
+wasted.
+
+The eight fermenters were broken and emptied, the whiskey stores, both
+"singlin's" and "doublin's," were poured out on the ground, which
+drank them as thirstily as did ever law-scorning "boomer." Then, the
+raiders turned to the chief spoils, kettle, cap and worm. Stone and
+his men took the copper worm from the cooling barrel, removed the cap,
+drew the fire from the furnace, and finally pulled down the kettle. In
+the varied excitement of the night, the marshal had almost forgotten
+his second great ambition, in the accomplishment of his first. Almost,
+not quite. Now, the memory of it jumped within him. He thrust the cap
+where the glow of the fire would light it clearly, dropped to his
+knees, and peered closely. His stern face relaxed abruptly to
+joyousness.
+
+"By the Lord, boys," he shouted, "it's the Bobbie Burns' still!"
+
+Nevertheless, Stone wasted no time in exultation. He merely ordered
+his men to carry the copper utensils along, instead of destroying them
+on the spot. Then, he addressed Ben York, who grinned idiotically from
+toothless gums, where he crouched in the diminishing puddle. The
+marshal's voice rasped.
+
+"You're going with us, Ben. It's for you to say how. If we have to,
+we'll carry you all the way. We'll snake you down the mountains
+without being too almighty careful of that rum-tanned hide of yours,
+and then we'll sling you across the roughest-gaited horse we've
+got--face down across the saddle and roped snug. That's the way you'll
+do twenty-odd miles, Ben, if we have to tote you down a single rod.
+Make up your mind--now! It'll be too late to change it, in a minute.
+You're plumb sober, and I know it. Get up, you old fox!"
+
+And Ben York, shivering in his sticky, drenched rags, recognized the
+inevitable, and scrambled to his feet, snarling curses.
+
+"Hit was thet-thar damned gal!" he mumbled venomously. But none
+heard.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+
+It is a far cry from the savagery of the illicit mountain still to
+that consummate luxury of civilization, an ocean-going steam yacht.
+Yet, in actual space, the distance between these two extremes was not
+great. _The Josephine_, all in snowy white, save for the gleam of
+polished brass-work, and flying the pennant of the New York Yacht
+Club, glided forth from Norfolk Harbor in serene magnificence on the
+same day that _The Bonita_ chugged fussily over the same course. The
+yacht was setting out on the second stage of her leisurely pleasure
+voyage to Bermuda. The skipper had been instructed to follow the coast
+southward as far as Frying Pan Shoals, for the sake of rounding
+Hatteras. Afterward, since the weather grew menacing, the craft
+continued down the coast to Cape Lookout, where anchor was dropped in
+the Harbor of Refuge.
+
+The island that lies there is a long, narrow, barren strip of sand,
+dotted thickly with dunes. Only a coarse marsh grass grows, with
+dwarfed pines and cedars. In this bleak spot live and thrive droves of
+wild ponies, of uncertain ancestry. It was these creatures that just
+now held the attention of two persons on the yacht.
+
+Under the awning in the stern, two girls were chatting as they dawdled
+over their morning chocolate. The younger and prettier of these was
+Josephine Blaise, the motherless daughter of the yacht-owner; the
+other was Florence Marlow, her most intimate friend.
+
+"Dad told me I could have the runabout ashore," Josephine was saying,
+with a sudden access of animation. "We'll go along the beach, as long
+as the going's good, or till we scare up the ponies."
+
+"I do hope we'll see them digging holes in the sand, so as to get
+fresh water," Florence exclaimed.
+
+But Josephine was quick to dissent:
+
+"They don't dig for water," she explained, with a superior air. "They
+dig the holes in the beach when the tides out, and then the tide comes
+in and fills the holes, of course. When it ebbs, the ponies go around
+and pick out the fish, and eat them."
+
+Florence stared disbelievingly.
+
+"Oh, what a whopper!" she cried.
+
+"Captain Hawks told me himself," Josephine asserted, with confidence.
+"He knows all about them--he's seen them wild on the island and tame
+on the mainland."
+
+"Same ones, probably!" was the tart retort. "I thought the doctor
+lied ably, but he's truth itself compared with that hairy skipper of
+yours."
+
+Josephine tossed her head.
+
+"We'll run 'em down and observe their habits, scientifically, and
+convince you."
+
+A glance shoreward showed the car awaiting them. As they descended the
+ladder to the launch, a yelp sounded from the deck, and a bull-terrier
+came charging after. Florence regarded the dog without any evidence of
+pleasure.
+
+"Does the pest go, too?" she asked, resignedly.
+
+Josephine pulled the terrier's ears fondly, as it cuddled close
+against her skirt.
+
+"Chubbie deserves an outing after the bump he got from that horrid man
+yesterday," she said.
+
+The girls exchanged glances, and laughed over some secret joke. When,
+presently, they were seated together in the runaabout, with Josephine
+at the wheel, the bull-terrier squatted in dignity on the small back
+seat. The level sand formed a perfect roadway, and the car darted
+smoothly and swiftly between the twin barren spaces of land and sea.
+As they swept forward, the girls watched alertly for a glimpse of the
+ponies among the dunes, but there was nowhere any sign of a living
+thing, save the few hurrying gulls. They had gone perhaps twenty
+miles, and were beginning to fear disappointment, when, without
+warning, a drove of the horses came galloping over the crest of a
+little rise, a half-mile beyond. As the car ran forward, along the
+ribbon of sand below the higher ground, the ponies suddenly perceived
+it, and halted with the precision of a troop of cavalry. Near at hand,
+now, the girls could note details, and both observed with interest the
+leader, which stood a little in advance of his troop, at the end near
+the approaching machine. He was a handsome creature, with lines as
+suavely strong as an Arabian's. He stood with head held high, tail
+streaming, a fore-hoof pawing challengingly at the sand. Only the
+thick, shaggy bay coat showed the barbarian, rather than the
+thoroughbred. The mares, a score of them in one orderly rank behind
+him, were crowding and lashing out nervously, as they watched the
+strange monster racing so fast on the ocean's edge. Some of them
+nickered curiously. But the stallion rested silent, until the
+automobile halted, hardly fifty yards away. Then he tossed his head
+proudly, and blared a great trumpet-note of defiance. Josephine
+instinctively answered with the horn. The mechanical cry broke
+harshly, swelled and wailed. The eerie response terrified the mares;
+it perplexed and alarmed their lord. But he showed no dismay. For a
+moment still, he remained motionless. His noisy challenge rang forth
+once again. Since the invader on the sands below kept silence, nor
+made any movement toward attack, the leader seemed to feel that his
+prestige was safe enough; that prudence were now the better part. He
+sounded a low call, and set off at a gallop along the ridge top. The
+rank of mares pounded obediently at his heels.
+
+"Oh, after them, Josie!" Florence cried.
+
+In a moment, the car shot forward. The horn clamored again. The
+fleeing horses looked back, then leaped to new speed before the
+monster that threatened them with unknown terrors. As the car
+increased its pace, the ponies strove the harder. Their strides
+lengthened, quickened. The stunted marsh grass beat on the low
+bellies. Despite their desperate striving, the runabout drew closer
+and closer, reached abreast of them. The excitement of the chase was
+in the sparkling eyes of the girls. The dog, scrambling up and falling
+in its seat, yelped madly. Here, the beach broadened to a sharper
+ascent of the ridge. Josephine shifted the wheel. The car swung in a
+wide curve and drove straight toward the panic-stricken troop, as if
+it would soar up to them. Fear took pride's place in the leader's
+heart. He sounded a command. The flying drove veered, vanished from
+the ridge top. The muffled thudding of hoofs came faintly for a minute
+against the sea wind. Then, as the car came to a standstill, the girls
+listened, but heard no sound.
+
+"It was bully fun!" Josephine said. "I'm sorry it's over."
+
+"After that run, they may be thirsty enough to dig for water,"
+Florence suggested, with a laugh. "Let's climb up, and take a look
+round from the ridge."
+
+But a glance from this point of advantage made it clear that the
+peculiarities of the ponies in drinking or fishing were not to be
+explained to-day. They were visible still, to be sure, but a mile off,
+and the rapidity with which the moving mass diminished to the eye was
+proof that they were still in panic.
+
+"We might as well get back to the yacht," was Josephine's rueful
+comment. "There's not another single thing to see, now they're gone."
+She ran her keen gaze over the dreary waste of the island with a
+little shiver of distaste. Then her glance roved the undulant expanse
+of sea. She uttered a sharp ejaculation of surprise.
+
+"There is something, after all," she called out, excitedly. "See--over
+there!"
+
+Florence looked in the direction marked by the pointing finger.
+
+"It's a canoe," she hazarded, as her eyes fell on the object that
+bobbed lightly in the surf, two hundred yards from the shore. "I can
+see the man in it. He's lying down. Funny!"
+
+But Josephine, wiser from much experience on shipboard, now saw
+clearly, and the sight thrilled.
+
+"It's a life-raft," she declared, with a tremor in her voice; "and
+there's a man on it. It's a--real--castaway. Come!"
+
+With that, she set off running down the steep slope of the ridge
+toward the sea. Behind her came Florence, startled and alarmed. The
+dog barked exultantly once, then leaped ahead, only to return and
+circle the slower playfellows joyfully. They came to the water's edge,
+and halted, perforce. Josephine saw the raft, as it rode on a breaking
+wave. It was perceptibly nearer. She dared hope it might be brought
+within reach. With deft motions, the flannel skirt was tucked within
+her belt, leaving her legs free. Florence, somewhat reluctantly, made
+the like adjustment. The bull-terrier, disheartened by this
+immobility, sat on its haunches, and regarded the two doubtfully,
+perhaps prudishly disapproving. From time to time the raft showed for
+a few seconds; only to vanish again behind the screen of spume. But it
+advanced shoreward, steadily. The body of the man was distinct--prone,
+motionless. The girls watched and waited in palpitant eagerness. The
+dog, sensing the tension of the moment, began to hasten to and fro,
+snuffing and whining. Suddenly, the two cried out in the same moment.
+They saw the raft floating fast and smoothly toward them on the crest
+of a breaker. They dashed forward, knee-deep, to meet the charge. The
+huge mass of the wave pounded upon them, almost swept them from their
+feet. The angry waters boiled about them. It was up to their waists
+now. The flying spray lashed their faces and blinded them. When, at
+last, their vision cleared, the raft had vanished. They caught sight
+of it again, presently. It was floating from them, already fifty yards
+distant.
+
+Nevertheless, the girls, though discouraged, did not give over their
+hope of rescue. Not even when another wave thrust the raft fairly upon
+them, so that their hands clutched the tubes, then tore it ruthlessly
+from their puny grasp, and flung it afar. The dog, accustomed to
+sporting in the surf with its mistress, rushed to seize this flotsam,
+but the powerful jaws could find no hold. As the dog approached,
+swimming, Josephine put her hand to its collar, and so supported it
+while they waited anxiously for the raft's return.
+
+It came more quickly than before. It was, indeed, as if fate finally
+relented, for the raft was borne this time on a smaller wave, almost
+with gentleness, as it seemed. Yet, the gentleness of appearance was
+only mockery. When the two girls laid hands on it with all their
+strength it swerved violently, wrested itself from their clutch.
+Josephine cried out in despair. She saw the dog, released by her
+effort, plunging forward. A rope dragged in the raft's wake, a remnant
+of the lashings. The dog lunged viciously, and its jaws locked on the
+rope. Immediately, then, the bull-terrier began swimming toward the
+shore. There was no progress. But the going of the raft was
+momentarily stayed. Josephine saw the opportunity and shrieked to
+Florence. The two sprang, and caught the raft again. It rested
+passively in the grasp of the three. The dog continued swimming, its
+face set resolutely shoreward. The girls, up to their breasts in
+water, stepped forward, tugging lustily. The three advanced slowly.
+The raft moved with them.
+
+It was a struggle that taxed the strength of each to the uttermost.
+Those three puny creatures fighting against the might of the ocean for
+the body of a dead man! Dead the man seemed, at least, to the girls,
+who, after one glance into the drawn and ghastly face of their burden,
+dared not look again. The undertow writhed about their legs, jerked at
+them wrathfully. Waves crashed upon them with shattering force. Once,
+Florence was hurled from her footing, but her hands held their grip on
+the raft. The wrenching shock was sustained by Josephine and the dog.
+They gave a little, but with fierce, stubborn resistance. Florence
+regained her feet. The rout was stayed. The pitiful combat between
+pigmies and Titans was on again. There was good blood in the three. A
+fighting ancestry had dowered them with the courage that does not know
+defeat when it is met. Their strength was exhausted. Yet, they battled
+on. A great comber smashed against them. It snatched the raft from the
+weakened hold of the girls, threw it far up on the sand. The dog shot
+in a wide arc through the air. They could hear its grunt as it fell.
+But the jaws were still locked. In the same instant, the beast was
+firmly set, hauling at the rope. The raft was held for a little by the
+dog alone, against the waters as they sucked back. Then, the girls
+tottered to aid. They fell to their knees in the shallows, and clung
+frantically. The waves hissed away from them.
+
+They feared the coming of a larger breaker to undo their work.
+Josephine perceived to her astonishment that the man was not fastened
+to the raft, except by the vise-like gripping of his big hands. And,
+too, she saw now that he was living. She guessed that he was stupefied
+by exhaustion, yet not swooning. She shrieked to him to unclench his
+fingers. It may be that his dulled brain understood in a measure; it
+may be that he was come to the very end of his strength. Anyhow, as
+she put her fingers to his, there was no resistance. The grasp that
+had withstood the sea's fury, yielded at once to the soft pressure of
+her touch. The two girls summoned new energy to the task. The dog let
+go the rope, and, whining curiously, caught a trouser leg between its
+teeth, and aided. Somehow, the three contrived to roll and push and
+pull the inert form to a point of safety. Then, they sank down,
+panting.
+
+Josephine stirred first. With a gasping sigh, she struggled to a
+sitting position. The dog at once stood up, and shook itself with
+great violence. The drops splashed over the face of Florence, and she,
+in turn, opened her eyes, groaned deeply, and sat up, with a wry smile
+of discomfort.
+
+"What'll we do with the corpse?" she inquired, in an undertaker's best
+manner.
+
+The funereal suggestion, so sincerely offered, provoked Josephine to a
+weak peal of laughter.
+
+"Better wait to worry over that till he's dead," she answered briskly,
+if somewhat incoherently. "And he will be, if we don't watch out.
+There should be a flask in the motor. Run and get it, Flo. I'll chafe
+his hands."
+
+"Run!" the other exclaimed. "If I can crawl it, I'll be proud."
+Nevertheless, she got to her feet, stiffly, but readily enough. "And
+sprinkle water on his face," she called over her shoulder. "It might
+cheer him anyhow, after having had it all over him by the ton." Both
+girls in the first reaction from the stress of their war against
+death were brimming with joyousness, notwithstanding fatigue.
+
+While Josephine rubbed the rough hands as strongly as she could
+between her own tender ones, the dog drew near. When the girl looked
+up, she saw that her pet was licking the man's face. She called out in
+sharp rebuke. At the same moment, the castaway's eyes unclosed. For
+long seconds, he stared, unblinking. Then, abruptly, his voice sounded
+in a low drawl of wonder:
+
+"Hit's thet-thar damned man-faced dawg!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+
+The castaway's gaze went to the girl kneeling beside him.
+
+"An' the furrin woman!" he muttered.
+
+Florence came running with the flask, which was full of brandy.
+
+"Quick!" Josephine urged. "He's better, but he's raving crazy. Thinks
+I'm a foreigner."
+
+But, as Florence could have filled the cup of the flask, Zeke
+interposed, with more animation than he had hitherto shown.
+
+"If so be that's likker, an' ye 'lows to give hit to me, if hit don't
+make no p'tic'lar diff'rence to you-all, I'd like to drink hit right
+smack outen thet-thar new-fangled bottle, jest as we be a-used to
+doin' in the State o' Wilkes."
+
+"As you wish, of course," Florence replied, soothingly. "It will make
+a new man of you."
+
+Zeke promptly sat up and put his lips to the mouth of the flask, and
+held them there while the rhythmic movement of his adam's apple
+visibly witnessed thirstiness. The girls regarded him with
+astonishment, which quickly merged in dismay, for they could not
+guess the boomer's capacity for fiery drink. As a matter of fact,
+Zeke, while he drank, lamented the insipidity of the draught, and
+sighed for a swig of moonshine to rout the chill in his veins with its
+fluid flames. He, in turn, was presently to learn, with astonishment,
+that a beverage so mild to the taste had all the potency of his
+mountain dram, and more. Chilled as he had been by the long hours of
+exposure to the night air of the sea, while drifting the fifteen miles
+from Ocracoke Inlet, and worn in body and mind by the peril of his
+situation, Zeke found himself almost at once strengthened and cheered
+by the generous spirit. He was, in fact, another man than the
+exhausted castaway, as the girl had promised; he was himself again. He
+was still weak and shaken; but his splendid vitality was asserting
+itself. The gray, drawn face was colored to golden tan; the clear eyes
+were shining with new appreciation of the joy of life. He had not
+thought much after the very first, during those long, racking hours of
+tossing on the sea. His brain had become numb. His fancies had run to
+tender memories of moments spent with Plutina. Often, he had felt her
+presence there with him, in the dark spaces of the sea. But the idea
+that most dominated his mind had sprung from the lusty instinct of
+self-preservation; he must cling to the raft. It had been the one
+thing that he could do toward safety. His whole will had centered in
+the clutch of his hands on the tubes.
+
+Seeing the man thus recovered, the girls withdrew toward the runabout
+to adjust their clothing, and to find some garment for the man, since
+he wore only shirt and trousers. But the bull-terrier, for a wonder,
+did not follow its mistress. Instead, it sat on its haunches close to
+the mountaineer, and muzzled his hand. Zeke pulled the dog's ears
+gently.
+
+"That thump I gin ye must 'a' struck plumb down to yer heart, an' made
+a right-smart change in yer affections. Ye wa'n't so dummed friendly
+when ye tuck thet-thar hunk out o' my pants."
+
+The dog whined an answer, and crept fawningly into the mountaineer's
+lap, where it nestled contentedly. It was thus that the girls,
+returning with a rain-coat, found the two, and they stared in
+surprise, for the bull-terrier was none too amiable with strangers.
+
+"I never knew Chubbie make friends like that before," Josephine
+exclaimed. She looked in fresh curiosity upon the wholesome face with
+the regular features, rather stern in repose, but now softened by a
+smile. "It must be because he helped us pull you out. We couldn't have
+done it without him. That makes you belong to him, in a way."
+
+Zeke stared at the dog, with new respect.
+
+"The darned son of a gun!" he ejaculated, gravely. "I reckon," he
+continued after a meditative pause, "the little cuss felt like he owed
+me somethin' fer sp'ilin' my jeans. That crack I gin him put the fear
+o' God into his bosom, so to speak. 'The more ye beat 'em, the better
+they be.'"
+
+Josephine started at his words. Without a hat, the dark curls had
+given a look so different to the face that, until now, she had not
+recognized the man of the ferry-boat.
+
+"Why," she cried, "you are the one!" She turned to the bewildered
+Florence. Her blue eyes were flashing; her voice was hard. "He's the
+creature that almost killed Chubbie. And to think we troubled to save
+him!"
+
+"That hell-fired pup o' your'n took a holt on me first," Zeke
+protested wrathfully, forgetful of his reconciliation with the dog.
+Then, a plaintive whine recalled him. He smiled whimsically, as he
+patted the bull-terrier's head, which was lifted toward him fondly.
+The anger died out of his face, and he smiled. "I've hearn these-hyar
+dumb critters git things 'bout right by instinct, somehow. Yer dawg's
+done fergive me. Won't you-all, mum?"
+
+Josephine hesitated. The ingenuous appeal touched her. Only pride held
+her from yielding.
+
+"An', besides," Zeke went on, "ye was a-sayin' as how the dawg kind o'
+felt I belonged to him like, bein' he he'ped pull me out o' the
+ocean, an' so he had to like me. Thet-thar argyment goes fer you-all,
+too, mum. So, I 'low ye gotter fergive me--specially kase yer dawg
+begun hit."
+
+Josephine relaxed with a ripple of laughter. The mountaineer both
+interested and pleased her. To her inevitable interest in one whom she
+had helped to save from death, there was now added a personal
+attraction. She perceived, with astonishment, that this was by no
+means the hulking brute she had deemed him when her pet had suffered
+at his hands. The dog's attitude toward him impressed her deeply.
+Moreover, she saw that he was intelligent, as well as naďve. She
+perceived that he had humor and quickness of feeling. His
+responsiveness to the dog's advances pleased her. She was greedy of
+experience and knowledge, easily bored by familiar things, likely to
+be vastly interested, for a brief season, in the new and strange. She
+realized that here, ready to her hand, was a type wholly novel. She
+felt that it was her prerogative to understand something of the nature
+of this singular being thus cast at her feet by fate. Certainly, it
+would be absurd to cherish any rancor. As he had said, the dog's
+action sufficed. Besides, she must be friendly if she would learn
+concerning this personality. Every reason justified inclination. She
+rebelled no longer. Her blue eyes gleamed with genuine kindliness, as
+she spoke:
+
+"I'll take Chubbie's word for it." Her voice became authoritative.
+"Now, if you feel equal to standing up, we'll have this rain-coat on
+you, and then run you down to the yacht. We'll attend to landing you
+somewhere after you've rested and had something to eat."
+
+Already Josephine's brain was busy, scheming to her own ends, but of
+this she gave no hint.
+
+Zeke pushed away the reluctant dog, and rose up stiffly. The
+stimulation of the brandy stood him in good stead.
+
+"I 'low I'm havin' a right-smart lot of experience," he remarked,
+chuckling. "What with steam-cars, an' boats, an' wrecks, an' now one
+o' them ornery devil-wagons. I hain't a-feared none," he added,
+musingly, "but I hain't a-pinin' neither. I reckon I kin stand
+anythin' what gals an' a dog kin. I'm plumb nervous or hungry--I don't
+know which. Both, like's not!"
+
+He rejected the offer of support, and walked firmly enough to the
+machine, which he eyed distrustfully. Florence took the rear seat, and
+Zeke established himself beside Josephine, the dog between his feet.
+After the first few minutes, he found himself delighting in this
+smooth, silent rush over the white sands. In answer to Josephine's
+question, he gave a bare outline of his adventures in the three days
+of his absence from the mountains.
+
+"I was a-hankerin' arter experience," he concluded, "an' aimin' to
+make my everlastin' fortin. I been doin' pretty peart, so fer."
+
+"You've certainly had more than your share of experience in the time,"
+Josephine agreed; "though I don't know about the fortune."
+
+"Started right-smack off at the rate of more'n seventy-five thousand
+dollars a year," Zeke rejoined, complacently. He laughed joyously at
+the bewildered face the girl turned to him.
+
+"I done figured hit out las' night, not havin' much of anythin' to do
+on thet-thar raft, 'cept to stick." He gave an account of the capture
+of the negro outlaw, for which he had received a reward. "I'm only
+a-jokin', of course," he went on with new seriousness. "I hain't
+pinin' fer no foolishness. All I want is enough so's not to be
+hog-pore. An' I got a chance to learn somethin', an' to make
+somethin', an', arter all, go right on livin' in my own country. An'
+that's what Plutiny wants, too. An' I'll have enough to buy her
+straighteners, if she wants 'em, by cracky!"
+
+"Oh--straighteners?" Josephine repeated, mystified. Vague memories of
+a visit to a hospital suggested an explanation. "Then, this person you
+speak of, Plutina, is deformed?"
+
+"Deformed!" For an instant, Zeke could only repeat the word,
+helplessly.
+
+"A curvature of the spine, I suppose," Josephine continued, without
+interest. She had her eyes on the ribbon of sand now, and guessed
+nothing as to her companion's disturbance, until his voice came in a
+burst of protest that made her jump.
+
+"Plutiny--deformed!" he exclaimed, harshly. Then, his voice softened
+wonderfully, though it shook with the tensity of his feeling. "Why,
+Plutiny's better'n anybody else in all the world--she is, an' she
+looks hit. Plutiny--deformed! Why, my Plutiny's straight as thet-thar
+young pine tree atop Bull Head Mounting. An' she's as easy an'
+graceful to bend an' move as the alders along Thunder Branch. There
+hain't nary other woman in all the world to ekal my Plutiny.
+Plutiny--deformed! Why, mum, you-all talk plumb foolish."
+
+The girl was too astonished before this outburst to take offense.
+
+"But you spoke about straighteners for her," she protested.
+
+Zeke stared for a moment, then grinned understandingly.
+
+"Thet's what we-uns call 'em," he said. "You-all call 'em corsets."
+
+Yet, the effect of this conversation reached beyond the humorous. In
+some subtle fashion, it provoked the girl to keener interest in the
+young man. She was perhaps, though she would have denied the
+suggestion hotly, a little piqued by the exaltation with which he
+praised his rustic sweetheart. Josephine was an exceedingly attractive
+young woman, and she was accustomed to having men show their
+appreciation of the fact. It was new to her thus essentially to be
+ignored, and not quite agreeable. There could be no tender interest
+between herself and this handsome barbarian. The idea even of
+flirtation was quite inconceivable. Nevertheless, it was strange that
+he should be so imperceptive of her charms. Doubtless, his eyes were
+blind to the refinements of beauty. They should be opened. It would be
+dreadful if the fellow should grow away from the girl who was waiting
+for him. And yet--Josephine checked her thoughts, and blushed a
+little. But a plan matured.
+
+That plan was followed diplomatically when she secured a private
+interview with her father, after the return on board the yacht.
+
+"Daddy, dear," she said, with a manner as casual as she could
+contrive, "let's keep this Mister Higgins on board. He's bound for New
+York, but in no particular hurry. We'll get him there in about ten
+days."
+
+Mr. Blaise, who was a plethoric, fussy little man, adamant to all the
+world save his only child, regarded her now in perplexity, his shrewd
+eyes a bit mischievous.
+
+"I don't imagine it's to be the stereotyped romance, just because you
+dragged him out of the sea," he said. "The chap has the makings of
+considerable of a man in him, and he's good-looking enough to catch a
+girl's fancy; but he's not your sort. So, why?"
+
+"Besides," Josephine retorted, smiling, "Florence has the same right
+in him as treasure trove. That would make the romance too
+complicated."
+
+"Why?" Mr. Blaise repeated.
+
+"I've never met anyone like him," the girl explained, with truth, if
+not all the truth. "He's unique. I want to study him. Such knowledge
+is broadening--better than books."
+
+"Bosh!" was the comment. "You mean, he's just a freak to you, and
+you'd like to look him over a little longer. There's no harm in that,
+if it amuses you. But don't be silly about broadening yourself." He
+regarded his daughter critically. "And leave out the deserts. They're
+too broadening, if you like. You're getting plump."
+
+Josephine accepted this meekly, in her satisfaction over having her
+way as to the new guest.
+
+"I'll go and invite him, right away," she exclaimed. "He'll liven us
+up."
+
+But her father wrinkled his brows in doubt.
+
+"What about the effect on the young fellow, himself?" he demanded.
+"It can't do him any good, Josie. That sort of thing's unsettling, you
+know."
+
+Josephine attempted no reply, as she went on her way. Her father could
+not see the flush that touched her cheeks.
+
+Through such devious ways did it come to pass that the mountaineer
+entered a world of which he had never even dreamed. His own complete
+ignorance of social conditions prevented him from appreciating the
+marvel wrought by fate in his behalf. In the simplicity of his
+character, he accepted the change as a perfectly natural event in the
+world that he had set out to explore. It was this simplicity, which
+kept him from undue self-consciousness, that carried him safely
+through what must otherwise have been an ordeal. He accepted what had
+befallen thankfully, and sought to learn what he best might from the
+novel environment. His interest was conspicuously in others, not in
+himself. He was greedy of information, lavish in liking. By a benign
+miracle, there were no snobs in the yachting party, which included
+also two young men, and two of the owner's age, besides Josephine's
+aunt. This chaperon was a motherly soul, and, in sheer kindliness of
+heart did much to make the situation easy. The informality of the
+party, too, was a tremendous advantage to the young man, though he
+never guessed it. On the contrary, he accepted things as they were
+enthusiastically, with never a thought of dismay. In flannels loaned
+him by the largest guest, which fitted too snugly, he presented an
+appearance so excellent that Mr. Blaise was moved to pinch his
+daughter's ear, while reminding her of the stereotyped romance.
+
+Such was the cause of Plutina's wearisome waiting for the letter that
+did not come. Zeke found, to his distress, too late that an interval
+of a week or more must elapse before a letter posted in Bermuda could
+possibly reach the mountains. But, beyond that, there was nothing to
+disturb the girl who loved him. The heart of the lad amid the luxuries
+of life on the yacht was unchanged in its devotion. It was, indeed, as
+if he saw all things as a frame for her. He was forever thinking how
+Plutina would look here or there, in connection with this or the
+other. The gowns of the three women, were viewed critically in
+relation to the mountain girl. He would imagine her loveliness
+enhanced by the sheen of silk, by the films of lace, by the lusters of
+jewels. Josephine thought once when she appeared in a dainty evening
+frock, not too daring, that she had penetrated his armor of aloofness,
+for he blushed hotly as his eyes went to her neck, and his gaze fell.
+She was deceived. He remembered in that moment, how he had once kissed
+the soft whiteness of Plutina's throat, where the homespun gown lay
+open. Now, memory of the warm bliss of that kiss sent the blood
+racing and tingling.
+
+That self-deception was as near as Josephine ever came to triumph.
+
+Florence understood, to some extent, at least, the mood that
+influenced her friend. A feminine intuition inspired in her a like
+ambition to pierce this young savage's reserve. Through her own
+feeling, she readily divined that of Josephine. Thus, the two became
+unconfessed allies in the employment of their wiles against an
+unsuspecting victim. It was, indeed, the lack of suspicion on his part
+that irritated them to the point of exasperation. He was so utterly
+innocent of their manoeuvers against his peace! Both of the girls were
+attractive beyond the average. Josephine, a plump blonde, ingenuous of
+manner, sophisticated, capricious, yet not spoiled, egotistic, but
+winsome, full of electric vitality; Florence, taller and darker, with
+an air more sedate, yet doubtless capable of deeper and more enduring
+emotions. Each possessed excellent features, and the fascinations of
+radiant health, sufficient culture, and the most exquisite refinements
+of personal detail. They deserved the humble admiration of any man.
+They expected tender adulation from most, and from most they received
+it. At the outset a certain impassivity on the part of this wild
+mountaineer excited their astonishment, then, quickly, their
+dissatisfaction. They were moved to a caprice against his calm,
+against this indifference that was an affront. They had no wish to
+work him serious harm, but his disregard was intolerable. Since the
+heart of neither was engaged, there was no jealousy between them in
+the affair. Since each was secretly ashamed of her motives, there was
+no confidence between them.
+
+Their failure, in the lazy days and evenings of voyaging and of
+rambling in the Bermudan islands, was undeniable. It was the more
+aggravating since the young man patently admired them. Even, his
+admiration was excessive, almost reverential, at times. Yet, it was
+altogether impersonal. They came eventually to know that this
+mountaineer regarded them with warm friendliness, with a lively
+gratitude, with a devoted respect, with a certain veneration. But that
+was all. No dart from their quiver of charms touched to the passionate
+heart of him--nor ever could. From whichever side the shafts were
+thrown, always they were shattered against a white shield, and fell
+harmless. That shield was Plutina.
+
+One night, as the yacht neared New York, Josephine and Zeke sat
+together, watching the scud of clouds across the moon. The mountaineer
+spoke softly, after an interval of silence.
+
+"The clouds is runnin' thar jest as I've seen 'em lookin' out across
+the valley from Stone Mounting--with Plutiny." There was a caress in
+his voice.
+
+Josephine checked an ejaculation of impatience. The savage was
+incorrigible--quite! Him, and his everlasting Plutina! Perverse
+curiosity overcame discretion. Perhaps, too, after all, he only needed
+guidance. She tried to believe, though vainly, that only shyness
+prevented him from improving an opportunity any other man would have
+coveted.
+
+"Tell me," she said softly, with a sympathetic lure in her tones, "is
+Plutina so very beautiful?"
+
+The lure was effective. Zeke turned to her with the hazel eyes darkly
+luminous in the moonlight.
+
+"Tiny's beautiful," he answered tenderly; and there was music now in
+the slow drawl. "I 'low she's the most beautiful woman in the world."
+
+"I'm afraid you're prejudiced," Josephine objected, with a disarming
+laugh. "Of course, you ought to think so, but, really you know, you
+haven't quite seen all the beautiful women in the world. Now, have
+you?"
+
+"All I need to," was the confident assurance. "Why," he continued with
+an apologetic smile for his boldness. "I done seen you-all, Miss
+Blaise, an' I reckon you-all are about as beautiful as a woman kin
+be--'ceptin' Plutina."
+
+The tribute was potent from its very unexpectedness. It eased the
+chagrin from which vanity had suffered. Evidently, her charms were not
+disregarded. It was simply that this lover had given his heart, and
+that he was loyal. The girl sighed a little enviously at the
+realization. She knew too well that many, perhaps most, in her world
+were not loyal, even when their hearts were given. She wondered if, in
+truth, there awaited her the boon of a like faithfulness. Yet she
+persevered in her probing.
+
+"Out in the world," she said musingly, "where things are so different
+from up in your mountains, you may change. It may be you won't want to
+go back, to the hills--to Plutina."
+
+A flush of wrath burned in Zeke's cheeks, visible in the gloom.
+
+"Hit ain't fittin' fer you-all to say no such thing, Miss Blaise. But
+I kin fergive ye, kase ye hain't seen our mountings. They hain't no
+other place more beautiful. Mister Sutton done told me so, an' he's
+been all over the hull world. An', besides, hit's home. A man what
+don't love his home country better'n any other--why, mum, he's jest a
+plain skunk.... An' Plutiny, she's the best part o' home. There
+hain't no land so beautiful, nor no woman. No, mum, I sha'n't
+change--never! I kain't!"
+
+And Josephine knew that it was so, and once again she sighed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+
+Uncle Dick, as he was universally known in the mountains, had
+celebrated his eightieth birthday before his granddaughters, Plutina
+and Alvira, by leaping high in the air, and knocking his heels
+together three times before returning to the ground. There was, in
+fact, no evidence of decrepitude anywhere about him. The thatch of
+coal-black hair was only moderately streaked with gray, and it
+streamed in profuse ringlets to his shoulders. His black eyes were
+still keen; the leathery face, with its imperious features, was ruddy.
+He carried his six-foot-three of bone and muscle lightly.
+
+As of the body, so of the heart. The springs of feeling in him showed
+no signs of drying up. On the contrary, they threatened to gush forth
+in a new flood over the Widow Brown, on whose plump prettiness, hardly
+dimmed by her three-score years, he looked with appreciative and
+ardent eyes. Indeed, his conduct justified the womenfolk of his
+household in apprehensions, for witness to the seriousness of the
+affair was afforded the morning after the raid on Dan Hodges' still.
+He demanded of Alvira that she burn the grease from an old skillet
+with great care.
+
+"If they's a mite of hit, hit makes a scum, an' floats off the gold on
+hit," he explained.
+
+The sisters regarded each other in consternation, but forebore
+questioning. When he had mounted his mare, and ridden away, Plutina
+spoke with bitterness:
+
+"I reckon Mis' Higgins done hit the nail on the haid 'bout Gran'pap
+an' the Widder Brown."
+
+Alvira nodded.
+
+"Yep. Hit means business, shore, if he's a-gallavantin' over to
+Pleasant Valley to pan gold. Hit means he's aimin' to marry her." She
+waxed scornful, with the intolerance of her sixteen years. "Hit's
+plumb ridic'lous--at his age."
+
+"Seems like he was 'most ole enough to git sense," Plutina agreed.
+
+"Mebby we're mistook 'bout his intentions," Alvira suggested,
+hopefully. "O' course, he git's a heap of enjoyment settin' to Widder
+Brown. But he hain't got to be plumb foolish, an' marry her. I guess
+as how hit's fer you-all he's arter the gold kase Zeke'll be comin'
+home by-'n'-bye."
+
+Plutina shook her head dubiously. It was the custom of the lover
+himself to seek, in the gold-bearing sands of the tiny mountain stream
+to the west, for the grains from which to fashion a ring for his
+sweetheart. Many a wife of the neighborhood wore such proudly on
+forefinger or thumb. The old man was not fond enough of toil to
+undertake the slow washing out of gold there unless for a selfish
+sentimental reason. And her fears were confirmed that afternoon by
+Zeke's mother whom she visited.
+
+"They hain't nary chance to save him no more," the old woman averred,
+lugubriously. "Hit's allus been said hyarbouts as how a feller allus
+gits his gal shore, if he pans her a ring in Pleasant Valley."
+
+"Huh--girl!" quoth Plutina.
+
+Yet this amorous affair was of small moment just now to the
+granddaughter, though she voluntarily occupied her thoughts with it.
+She hoped thus to keep in the background of her mind the many fears
+that threatened peace, by reason of her part in the night's work. She
+knew that she could trust the secrecy of Marshal Stone, but there was
+the possibility of discovery in some manner unforeseen. There was even
+the chance that suspicion against her had been aroused in Ben York.
+She could not bear to contemplate what must follow should her betrayal
+of the still become known. It was a relief to be certain that the two
+men she chiefly dreaded would be in jail, and unable personally to
+wreak vengeance. It was improbable, she thought, that persons so
+notorious and so detested could secure bail. But, even with them out
+of the way, the case would be disastrous on account of her
+grandfather's hatred of the revenue officers, and more especially, of
+those among his own people guilty of the baseness of informing. Should
+her deed come to his knowledge, it would mean tragedy. She dreaded the
+hour when he should hear of the raid, and was glad that he had gone
+away, for in all likelihood he would have the news before his return
+and the first shock of it would have passed.... So it fell out.
+
+Uncle Dick rode briskly toward the little stream that tumbles down the
+mountain west of Air Bellows Gap, where long ago men washed for gold
+in feverish desire of wealth. Now, none sought a fortune in the branch
+grit, where a day's labor at best could yield no more than a dollar or
+two in gold. Only devoted swains, like himself, hied them there to win
+wherewithal for a bauble with which to speed their wooing. Uncle Dick
+chose a favorable spot, and washed steadily until the blackened old
+copper skillet itself shone like the flecks of gold he sought. When he
+ceased he had a generous pinch of the precious dust carefully disposed
+in a vial. He hid the skillet to serve another day, and set out on his
+return. Before he crossed Garden Greek, a neighbor, whom he met on the
+trail, told him of the raid. Eager for all particulars, Uncle Dick
+turned his mount into the high road, and hurried to Joines' store.
+The single-footing mare carried him quickly to this place of assembly
+for neighborhood gossip, where he found more than the usual number
+gathered, drawn by excitement over the raid. The company was in a
+mixed mood, in which traditional enmity against the "revenuers" warred
+against personal rejoicing over the fate fallen on Dan Hodges, whom
+they hated and feared. From the garrulous circle of his acquaintance,
+Uncle Dick speedily learned the history of the night. The account was
+interrupted by the coming of a clerk to the store door. He waved his
+hand toward the group on the steps to command attention.
+
+"You, Uncle Dick!" he called. "No'th Wilkesboro' wants ye on the
+telephone."
+
+Wondering mightily at the unexpected summons, the old man hurried to
+the instrument.
+
+"Hello! Hello!" he roared, in a voice to be heard across the miles.
+
+"Be that you-all, Uncle Dick?" the question came thinly.
+
+"Yep. Who be you?"
+
+"Hit's Dan Hodges. I reckon you-all done hearn 'bout last night."
+
+"Yep. I shore have hearn a heap," Uncle Dick acquiesced, sourly. "I
+tole ye to quit, the officers air gittin' so a'mightly peart. They
+hain't no more chance fer a good set o' men to make a run--to say
+nothin' of a wuthless gang like your'n.... What ye want o' me?"
+
+The reply was explicit enough.
+
+"The hearin' 's to-morrer 'fore the United States Commissioner.
+Marshal Stone says the bail'll be two thousand dollars, cash or land.
+They hain't nobody kin put hit up, 'cept you-all, Uncle Dick. An', if
+ye don't, Ben an' me'll have to lay in jail till Fall. If ye'll he'p
+me, Uncle Dick, ye know Dan Hodges won't never fail ye."
+
+"That's what I'm afeared on," Uncle Dick retorted, glumly. "I 'most
+know 'twas you-all an' yer gang kilt thet-thar heifer o' mine in cold
+blood. Now, the ole man ye've treated dirt is yer las' chance. Wall,
+cuss ye! I'll come down t'-morrer an' bail ye out--not kase I love ye
+any, but kase I'm again the revenuers. An' listen 'ere! I'm some old,
+but I'm some spry yit, ye bet! You-all stop round these parts whar I
+kin keep an eye on ye till Fall Cote. If ye don't, damn ye!--wall, my
+ole rifle's bright an' 'iled, an' I'll git ye! Jest remember thet, Dan
+Hodges: I'll git ye!" And with this grim warning, Uncle Dick slammed
+the receiver on its hook, and stalked out of the store.
+
+On the following day, he journeyed duly to North Wilkesboro', where,
+despite the protest of his lawyer, he put up his land as security for
+the appearance of the two malefactors. Uncle Dick was a consistent
+conservative. Had the accident of birth made him an English squire, he
+would have been a stanch Tory, would have held the King's commission
+on the bench of justices, and would have administered the penalties of
+the law with exceeding severity against poachers. Having been born in
+the Blue Ridge Mountains, he staked his property in behalf of two
+scoundrels, for the sake of an inherited feud against the Federal
+authority.
+
+Nevertheless, his personal distrust of the men he had thus relieved
+was made manifest when, immediately after the commitment of the two
+before the Commissioner, he betook himself to a hardware store, where
+he bought a forty-one caliber Colt's revolver, with a holster and a
+box of cartridges. He had given up the habitual carrying of weapons on
+his seventy-fifth birthday, as unseemly and unnecessary for one of his
+patriarchal years. Now, he reverted to the use as a measure of
+prudence.
+
+"The damned dawg's done me dirt, an' he hain't above doin' hit ag'in,"
+he muttered, as he strapped the holster beneath his left arm.
+
+To his womankind, Uncle Dick spoke of the affair casually, concealing
+his apprehensions. Neither of the granddaughters ventured
+remonstrance, though Alvira's pretty face was mutinous, and Plutina
+felt a sickening sense of calamity rushing upon her. It seemed to her
+the irony of fate that her own relation should thus interfere to
+render abortive the effect she had risked so much to secure. She
+realized, with a shrinking misery, that the sufferers from her act
+were now at liberty to inflict vengeance upon her, should suspicion be
+born in them. For the first time in her life, Plutina experienced a
+feminine cowardice, bewailing her helplessness. There was none to whom
+she might turn for counsel; none, even, in whom she might confide. It
+was no mere chimera of fear that beset her. She was far too sensible
+and too strong for hysterical imaginings. But she knew that her peril
+was real and grave. In the face of it, she felt suddenly a new longing
+for the absent lover. Hitherto, her fondness had been tender and
+passionate, touched with the maternal protectiveness that is
+instinctive in every woman. Now, a new desire of him leaped in her.
+She yearned for rest on his bosom, secure within the shelter of his
+arms, there to pour forth all the story of her trouble, there to hear
+his voice of consolation, there to be at peace. She touched the fairy
+crystal that lay between her breasts, and she smiled, very sadly, and
+very wistfully.
+
+"Zeke will shorely come," she whispered, "if I need him--bad enough."
+
+There was a tremor in her voice, but it was not of doubt.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+
+Early in the morning following his trip to North Wilkesboro' Uncle
+Dick Siddon rode off to Pleasant Valley, there to prosecute his
+sentimental labors for the pleasuring of the Widow Brown. Alvira fared
+abroad on some errand to a neighboring cabin. Plutina, her usual
+richness of coloring dimmed by a troubled night, was left alone. In
+the mid-forenoon she was sitting on the porch, busy over a pan of
+beans, which she was stringing for dinner. As she chanced to raise her
+eyes, she saw Dan Hodges coming up the path. At sight of the evil
+lowering face, repulsion flared hot in the girl. The instinct of
+flight was strong, but her good sense forbade it. She felt a stirring
+of unfamiliar terror in the presence of the man. She scorned herself
+for the weakness, but it persisted. Her very fear dictated the
+counsels of prudence. She believed that in dissimulation lay her only
+possibility of safety. The thought of any intercourse with the
+moonshiner was unspeakably repugnant, yet she dared not risk needless
+offense. Nevertheless, the first effect of her resolve was a
+self-contempt that moved her to wrath, and made her opening speech
+more venomous even than it had been otherwise.
+
+"Howdy, my little honey?" Hodges called out as he shambled to a halt
+before her. His coarse features writhed in a simper that intensified
+their ugliness. His coveting of this woman was suddenly magnified by
+sight of her loveliness, flawless in the brilliant light. The
+blood-shot eyes darted luxuriously over the curving graces beneath the
+scant homespun garment.
+
+The girl sensed the insult of the man's regard. It, rather than the
+insolent familiarity of address, provoked her outburst.
+
+"Shet yer mouth, Dan Hodges," she snapped. "I've done told ye afore,
+ye kain't 'honey' me. If ye wants to pass the time o' day, jest don't
+fergit as how hit's Miss Plutiny fer you-all."
+
+Hodges gaped bewilderedly under the rebuke. Then he growled
+defiantly.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+BAD BLOOD BETWEEN RIVALS.]
+
+"Wall, I'll be dogged! Quite some spit-fire, hain't ye? Reckon I know
+what's a-bitin on ye. Ye're mad kase Uncle Dick tuk the mounting land
+ye gals look to heir to, to bail me and Ben." He stared at the girl
+ominously, with drawn brows. His voice was guttural with threatening.
+"So be ye mout hev to eat them words o' your'n. Mebby, when I've done
+tole ye a thing er two, ye'll be a-askin' of me to call ye 'honey.'
+Mebby, ye'll want to hover yer ole 'hon,' arter I let's ye know a
+thing or two 'bout the doin's o' you-all an' thet damned little runt,
+thet reportin' dawg sweetheart o' your'n--Zeke Higgins."
+
+The girl was stricken. She understood the outlaw's reference. Somehow
+he had gained certain knowledge of Zeke's part in saving the
+Quaker-school-teacher spy. She realized that the criminal gang would
+not hesitate at the murder of one who had thus foiled them. For the
+moment, she gave no heed to the danger that menaced herself as well.
+Her whole concern was for her lover. The single comfort came from the
+fact of his absence. Much as she had been longing for his coming, her
+prayer now was that he should not return until these men were
+imprisoned.
+
+With a fierce effort toward bravery in the face of catastrophe,
+Plutina stood up, and drew herself proudly erect. Her dark eyes
+flashed wrathfully. She spoke with disdain:
+
+"Ye wouldn't dast say that to Zeke Higgins' teeth. Mebby, he hain't so
+thick through as you-all, and he hain't so thick-headed, nuther. An'
+he hain't no runt, as ye'd find quick 'nuf, if so be's ye dast stand
+up to him, man to man, 'stid o' with a gun from the laurel. He's a
+man--what you-all hain't. He hain't the kind to layway from the
+bushes, ner to be a-stealin' his neighbor's cattle an' hawgs. An'
+what's more Dan Hodges, ef ye say as how Zeke ever reported ary still,
+ye're a hell-bustin' liar!"
+
+Her jibes were powerless against the coarse-fibered brute. He grinned
+malevolently as he jeered at her.
+
+"Thar, now! Hain't it a pity to have a sweetheart what hain't brave
+'nuf to stand 'is ground, an' runs off, an' leaves 'is gal to fit fer
+'im." Then, abruptly, the moonshiner's expression changed to one meant
+to be ingratiating. "Wall, now, Miss Plutiny, I shore likes the way ye
+stan's up fer the pore cuss. But, arter all, hes' done up and left ye.
+An' he hain't comin' back. Hit wouldn't be healthy fer him to come
+back," he added, savagely. "An' what's more, ye hain't a-gwine to jine
+'im whar he's at. The Hodges' crowd won't stan' fer no sech! He's been
+writ, Zeke Higgins has, with the sign o' the skull an' the cross--the
+hull thing. Ye know what thet means, I reckon."
+
+Plutina blenched, and seated herself again, weakly. It was true, she
+knew the fantastic rigmarole, which made absurd the secret dictates of
+these illiterate desperadoes. But that absurdity meant death, none the
+less--death for the one she loved. In her misery, she listened almost
+apathetically as Hodges went on talking in his heavy, grating voice.
+
+"Zeke Higgins knows as how the Allens give us the word 'bout 'is
+crossin' Bull Head with the spy. He knows thet, if 'e shows up in
+this-hyar kentry ag'in, the Devil's Pot'll have 'im fer a b'ilin'. An'
+thet's 'nuf fer Zeke's case. Now, we'll jest chin a mite 'bout
+your'n."
+
+There was a little interval of silence, in which the girl stared
+unseeingly toward the splendors of the blossoming rhododendrons that
+fringed the clearing. The apathy had passed now, and she listened
+intently, with self-control to mask the despair that welled in her
+heart. It seemed to her that here was the need for that dissimulation
+she had promised herself--need of it for life's sake, however hateful
+it might be, however revolting to her every instinct. So she listened
+in a seeming of white calm, while the flames shriveled her soul.
+
+The man straightened his great bulk a little, and regarded the girl
+with new earnestness. Into his speech crept a rude eloquence, for he
+voiced a sincere passion, though debased by his inherent bestiality.
+
+"Plutiny Siddon, I've knowed ye, an' I've craved ye, this many year.
+Some way, hit just seemed as how I couldn't he'p hit. The more ye
+mistreated me, the more I wanted ye. Hit shames me, but hit's true as
+preachin'. An' hit's true yit--even arter seein' yer bare futprint
+tracks thar on the Branch, alongside them of a man with shoes--the
+damned revenuer what got us. Ye showed 'im the place, Plutiny
+Siddon--cuss ye, fer a spy!... An' I craves ye jest the same.... An'
+I'll have ye--right soon!"
+
+At this saying, terror mounted high in the girl. The thing she so
+dreaded was come to pass. She forgot, for a few moments, the threats
+against her lover. Despair crushed her in the realization of
+discovery. Her treachery was known to the man she feared. The peril
+she had voluntarily risked was fallen upon her. She was helpless, at
+the mercy of the criminal she had betrayed--and she knew that there
+was no mercy in him. She shrank physically, as under a blow, and sat
+huddled a little, in a sudden weakness of body under the soul's
+torment. Yet she listened with desperate intentness, as Hodges went on
+speaking. She cast one timid glance toward him, then dropped her gaze,
+revolted at the grotesque grimaces writhen by the man's emotions.
+
+"Harkin to me, Miss Plutiny!" he pleaded, huskily. "Harkin to me! I
+knows what I'm a-doin' of. They hain't nothin' ye kin do to stop me.
+Kase why? Wall, if ye love yer gran'pap, ye'll hold yer tongue 'bout
+all my talk. Yep! He's done pledged his land to keep me an' Ben out o'
+the jail-house till cote. If ye tells 'im I'm a-misusin' o' ye, he'd
+cancel the bond, an' try to deliver me up. I knows all thet. But he
+wouldn't cancel no bond, an' no more he wouldn't do any deliverin' o'
+me up. Kase why? Kase he'd jest nacherly die fust. Thet's why. The
+land'd be good fer the bond jest the same till Fall. Thet'd give me
+an' Ben a heap o' time to git ready to light out o' this-hyar kentry.
+They hain't nary pusson a-goin' to bother us none. They knows hit's
+healthier a-mindin' their own business. I been dodgin' revenuers
+fifteen year, an' I'll dodge ag'in, an' take my savin's along, too.
+An' they's quite some savin's, Plutiny."
+
+Hodges paused, as if to give greater impressiveness to the conclusion
+of his harangue. His voice as he continued held a note of savage
+finality.
+
+"So, ye understand, Plutiny, I hain't afeared none arter what I done
+told ye'll happen, if so be ye talk. I knows ye love yer gran'pap, an'
+hain't a hankerin' fer 'im to be murdered. Now, I'm gwine to leave ye
+till t'-morrer, to git kind o' used to the idee as how ye're gwine to
+leave this-hyar kentry with me arter I pays yer gran'pap the money fer
+the bail. If you-all is so plumb foolish as to say no, hit 'll jest
+leave yerself an' yer kin in the hands o' we boys to reckon with. Do
+as I'm a-sayin' on, an' I'll shore fergit 'bout yer reportin' the
+still. I'll jest 'low to myself as how ye was only a gal, an' used
+damn' poor jedgment. I hold hit were powerful unkind o' you-all,
+seein' as how we-uns hain't never wronged ye none. I suspicion ye had
+hit figgered out as how Zeke could come back 'ere a'gin if ye had me
+kotched. Wall, little missy, Dan Hodges air jest a mite too cunnin'
+fer ye." The boaster gloated over his cowering victim, malice
+sparkling in his lustful eyes.
+
+It seemed to the girl that she was in truth hopelessly ensnared by
+fate. Her harried thoughts ran in a circle, dizzily. She could find no
+loophole for escape from the net. The mesh of the outlaw's deviltry
+was strong; her flutterings were feeble, futile. She found one ray of
+comfort in Zeke's absence. She forgot it in distress for the danger to
+her grandfather. Then, horror for herself beat upon her spirit. But a
+memory of her first resolve came to her. From stark necessity, she put
+her whole reliance on an effort to temporize. She felt that her only
+recourse in this emergency must lie in deceiving the ruffian who thus
+beset her. Much as she abhorred him, she had no choice. There was none
+to whom she could appeal for succor. She must depend absolutely upon
+her ability to beguile him. She must hide the revulsion inspired by
+his mere presence. She must arm herself with the world-old weapons of
+her sex, and by wiles blind him to the truth of her feeling, gain time
+for--something, anything! At least here was room for hope, uncertain,
+absurd even, yet hope. A little color crept to her pallid cheeks. If
+she could but manage the deceit to secure delay until the Fall.
+
+She raised her eyes furtively toward the adversary, an appraising
+glance, as if to judge his gullibility. The brutish passion of the man
+showed in the pendulous lower lip, thrust forward a little, in the
+swinish lifting of the wide-flaring nostrils, in the humid glowing of
+the inflamed eyes. A nausea of disgust swept over her. She fought it
+down. Then, with hypocrisy that amazed herself, she met his ardent
+stare boldly, though with a pretense of timidity. She spoke with a
+hesitant, remonstrant voice, as if in half-hearted protest,
+
+"Hit's dangerous to talk hyar, Dan," she said. She assumed a pose of
+coquetry. "If I agrees to save Gran'pap an' 'is land, an' takes ye,
+have ye got money 'nough fer us to git along among the furriners down
+below?" A pleased smile showed. "An' could ye buy me purty clo's an'
+sech-like? Don't ye dast lie to me, Dan Hodges, fer a woman wants
+plenty o' nice fixin's. An' if ye means hit all, like ye says, I'll
+meet ye at Holloman Gate t'-morrer at twelve, an' give ye yes er no."
+
+The moonshiner received with complacence this evidence of yielding on
+the girl's part. He had, indeed, the vanity that usually characterizes
+the criminal. It was inconceivable to his egotism that he must be
+odious to any decent woman. Plutina's avaricious stipulation
+concerning money pleased him as a display of feminine shrewdness. He
+was in nowise offended. The women of his more intimate acquaintance
+did not scruple to bargain their charms. From such trollops, he gained
+his estimate of the sex. The sordid pretense by Plutina completed his
+delusion. The truckling of familiars had inflated conceit. He swelled
+visibly. The finest girl in the mountains was ready to drop into his
+arms! Passion drove him toward her.
+
+Plutina raised her hand in an authoritative gesture. She could feign
+much, but to endure a caress from the creature was impossible.
+Somehow, by some secret force in the gesture, his advance was checked,
+he knew not why.
+
+"Not now, Dan," she exclaimed, sharply. She added a lie, in
+extenuation of the refusal: "Alviry's in the house. Besides, I got to
+have time to think, like ye said. But I'll be at the gate t'-morrer."
+
+Hodges accepted her decree amiably enough. He was still flattered by
+her complaisant attitude toward his wooing.
+
+"Ye're talkin' sense, Plutiny--the kind I likes to hear. I'll be thar,
+waitin' fer ye, ye kin bet on thet." Then his natural truculence
+showed again in a parting admonition: "An' don't you-all try fer to
+play Dan Hodges fer a fool. If so be ye does, ye'll wish to God ye
+hadn't."
+
+With the threat, he turned and went lumbering down the path, to vanish
+quickly within the shadows of the wood.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+
+After his day of toil in Pleasant Valley, Uncle Dick Siddon sprawled
+at ease on the porch, smoking his pipe, and watching with mildly
+sentimental eyes the rosy hues of the cloud masses that crowned Stone
+Mountain. His mood was tranquilly amorous. The vial in his pocket was
+full of golden grains. Presently, he would fashion a ring. Then,
+heigh-ho for the parson! He smiled contentedly over his vision of the
+buxom Widow Brown. Her placid charms would soothe his declining years.
+A tempestuous passion would be unbecoming at his age. But the
+companionship of this gentle and agreeable woman would be both fitting
+and pleasant. Really, Uncle Dick mused, it was time he settled down.
+One should be sedate at eighty. But he sighed.
+
+A horseman appeared over the brow of the hill. The horse traveled
+slowly, as if wearied by many miles. A single glance at the erect,
+soldierly figure made known to Uncle Dick that this was a stranger,
+and he watched intently. As the rider came nearer, he hesitated, then
+guided his mount toward the clearing. Uncle Dick perceived, of a
+sudden, that the left sleeve of the stranger's coat, which was pinned
+across the breast, was empty. At the sight, a great sadness fell on
+him. He guessed the identity of the horseman. His soul was filled with
+mourning over a shattered romance. He fairly winced as the rider drew
+rein before him, with a cheery, "Howdy?"
+
+There was a curious constraint in Uncle Dick's voice, as he made
+hospitable answer.
+
+"Howdy, yerse'f, Stranger? 'Light, an' come in."
+
+"I hain't time to 'light," the traveler declared. "Jones is my name.
+What mout your'n be?"
+
+Uncle Dick descended the steps, regarding the visitor intently. There
+was a perceptible aloofness in his manner, though no lack of
+courtesy.
+
+"My name passes fer Siddon. I 'low ye hain't familiar round these-hyar
+parts?"
+
+"I'm right-smart strange, I reckon," was the admission. "But I was
+borned forty-mile south o' here, on the Yadkin. My father owned the
+place Daniel Boone lived when he sickened o' this-hyar kentry, kase it
+wa'n't wild 'nough. I'm kin ter Boone's woman--Bryant strain--raised
+'twixt this-hyar creek an' Air Bellows."
+
+"Wall, say ye so!" Uncle Dick exclaimed, heartily. "Why, I knowed ye
+when ye was a boy. You-all's pap used to buy wool, an' my pap tuk me
+with 'im to the Boone place with 'is Spring shearin'. Thet makes
+we-uns some sort o' kin. Ye'd better 'light an' take a leetle
+breathin' spell. A drink o' my ole brandy might cheer ye. An' ye
+know," he concluded, with a quick hardening of his tones, "hit's
+customary to know a stranger's business up in these-hyar mountings."
+
+The horseman took no offense.
+
+"I rid up to the balcony jest to make inquiry 'bout a friend what I
+hain't seed in a right-smart bit, an' who I learnt was a-livin' a
+lonely widder's life on Guarding Creek. Could you-all direct me to the
+abode o' one Widder Brown? I hev some private an' pussonal business
+with the widder. Hit's a kind what don't consarn nary human critter
+but me an' her."
+
+Uncle Dick sought no further for information, but issued the requested
+direction, and moodily watched the horseman out of sight. Then, with a
+sigh that was very like a groan, he moved away toward a small
+outbuilding, in which was a forge. Here when he had set the forge
+glowing, he took from his pocket the vial of gold dust, and emptied
+the contents into a ladle. When the metal was melted, he poured off
+the dross, and proceeded to hammer the ingot into a broad band.
+Eventually, he succeeded in forming a massive ring of the virgin
+gold. But, throughout the prosecution of the task, there was none of
+that fond elation which had upborne him during the hours while he
+gathered the material. On the contrary, his shaggy brows were drawn in
+a frown of disappointment. He cursed below his breath from time to
+time, with pointed references to one-armed veterans, who dast come
+back when they hadn't orter. He was still in a saddened and rebellious
+mood, when he returned to the porch, where he found his granddaughters
+seated at some sewing. His face lightened a little at sight of them.
+
+"Guess I got my han's full 'nough o' women-folks, anyhow," he
+muttered. "Fine gals they be, too!" He regarded them attentively, with
+a new pride of possession. "I 'low I hain't a-kickin' much of any. I
+reckon like 'nough I be settled down right now, only I didn't know
+'nough to know it." He chuckled over this conceit, as he seated
+himself, and became uncommonly sociable, somewhat to the distress of
+Plutina, who found it difficult to conceal her anxiety.
+
+Dusk was falling when the horseman reappeared. This time there was no
+hesitation, as he turned from the road into the clearing. Uncle Dick
+rose, and shouted greeting, with labored facetiousness.
+
+"Wall, Mister Jones, I 'lowed as how ye mout be the tax-collector,
+arter the widder's mite, seein' how long ye was a-hangin' on up thar.
+Me an' the gals'd feel a right-smart consarn to lose Fanny Brown fer a
+neighbor, if she was pushed too hard fer her debts."
+
+"Mister Siddon, suh," the stranger answered promptly. "I opine you-all
+hain't half-bad at a guess. I be a tax-collector, so to speak, a
+debt-collector. Hit's a debt contracted fifty-year agone. Fanny Brown
+done tole me as how you-all been good neighbors o' her'n, so I don't
+mind tellin' ye she's willin' fer me to collect thet-thar debt o'
+mine." There was an expression of vast complacency on the veteran's
+face, as he stroked the tuft of whisker on his chin, and he smiled on
+his three auditors half-triumphantly, half-shamefacedly. "I got
+cheated o' her oncet by being too slow. I hain't goin' to do no sech
+foolishness ag'in. T'-morrer, if the clerk's office is open, I'll git
+the satisfaction piece an' Preacher Roberts'll tie the knot good and
+proper--amen!"
+
+Uncle Dick sighed audibly at the announcement, but his chagrin was
+given no further expression as he invited the victorious rival to
+dismount and partake of his hospitality. Alvira received the news with
+bubbling delight, which showed gaily in her sparkling black eyes and
+dimpling cheeks. Even Plutina was heartened by the discovery that her
+grandfather's folly, as she deemed it, must end, though there could
+be no gladness in her by reason of the fear.
+
+It was after the supper was done, when the visitor's horse stood at
+the door, that Uncle Dick took a sudden resolve.
+
+"Alviry," he ordered, "you-all come hold this-hyar hoss, a leetle
+minute, whilst me an' 'im has a confab."
+
+He led the puzzled veteran to a bench beneath a locust, out of earshot
+of his granddaughters, who regarded the proceeding curiously, and not
+without apprehension since they knew the violent temper of the old man
+when thwarted. They were relieved to perceive that his demeanor
+remained altogether peaceable.
+
+"Hit's jest this-away, Seth Jones," Uncle Dick began at once, after
+the two were seated side by side on the bench. "Ye see, I knew
+you-all, an' yer name an' yer business, soon's I sot eyes on ye. Hit
+were thet-thar danglin' sleeve o' your'n as ye rid up the path what
+done hit. I knowed then as how my fate was sealed, s' fur's the Widder
+Brown's consarned. Fanny done told me about you-all an' yer
+disapp'intment. She allers said, arter her man died, as how ye'd be
+a-comin' 'long, though I was hopin' ye wouldn't--cuss ye! Excuse
+me--no offense intended. The widder an' me has been clost friends, an'
+I told her from the first as how I respected the claims of this-hyar
+Jones galoot, if so be he turned up afore we got hitched. An' now hyar
+ye be--dang hit!"
+
+The veteran cleared his throat apologetically. His own happiness made
+him exaggerate the injury thus wrought by his reappearance. He
+ventured no remark, however. He could not say that the woman in the
+case was hardly worth troubling over, and, for the life of him, he
+could think of nothing else in the way of consolation. He discreetly
+cleared his throat a second time, and maintained a masterly silence.
+But the garrulous old man at his side needed no encouragement. He
+quickly resumed his discourse, with a certain unctuous enjoyment,
+distinctly inconsistent with his love-lorn pose.
+
+"Seth Jones," he announced solemnly, "if you-all an' me was young
+ag'in, an' fired by the passion o' youth, thar wouldn't be no
+love-feast hyar jest now like this un. No, sirree! Hit'd shore be war
+a-twixt we-uns--with hell a-poppin' at the end on't fer one, mebby
+both. But my blood don't git het up now the way hit use' to did. I'm
+thinkin' fer the widder's sake hit's good ye're younger ner me, an'
+got more years to give 'er. So, Mr. Jones, when all's said an' done,
+I'm glad ye come to Guarding Creek."
+
+Then, Uncle Dick, in his turn, displayed some slight symptoms of
+embarrassment, and cleared his throat in a manner to shock a
+drawing-room.
+
+"An' now I got jest one leetle favor to ax o' ye, Seth Jones. You-all
+knows as how the gals in this-hyar kentry air partic'lar proud to have
+a weddin' ring made from the gold washed out o' the soil in Pleasant
+Valley by their sweetheart. Wall, I talked a heap 'bout hit to Fanny,
+an', when she showed signs like she'd give in to me, I went an' panned
+the gold fer the ring. Fanny'd be right-smart disapp'inted not to have
+a lover-made ring, I reckon. So, bein' as you-all only got one arm, I
+wants ye to take this-hyar ring, an' wed her proper with the blessin'
+an' best wishes o' Uncle Dick Siddon."
+
+He offered the ring, which was gratefully accepted, and the two old
+men parted on excellent terms.
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+At eleven o'clock the next morning, Uncle Dick was sitting on the
+porch, when he saw a horse passing over the trail toward the south. In
+the saddle was the erect, spruce figure of the one-armed veteran, Seth
+Jones. And, on a blanket strapped behind the saddle to serve as
+pillion, rode a woman, with her arms clasped around the man's waist.
+It was the Widow Brown, dressed all in gala white.
+
+It was, indeed, heigh-ho for the parson!
+
+Uncle Dick stared fixedly until the two had vanished beyond the brow
+of the hill. Then, at last, he stirred, and his eyes roved over his
+home and its surroundings wistfully. He sighed heavily. But he himself
+would have been hard put to it to tell whether that sigh held more of
+regret, or of relief.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+
+While her grandfather was still on the porch, and her sister was out
+of the house, Plutina possessed herself of the new revolver, with its
+holster, which, after slipping down her gown from the shoulder, she
+attached under the left arm-pit. The looseness of the ill-fitting
+garment concealed the weapon effectually enough. For ready access, the
+upper buttons to the throat were left unfastened, in seeming relief
+against the heat of midday. Thus equipped, the girl stole out through
+the back way, unobserved by her relations, to keep tryst with the
+desperado.
+
+As she followed a blind trail that shortened the distance between the
+Siddon cabin and the Holloman Gate to a short two miles, Plutina was
+torturing a brain already overtaxed in the effort to devise some means
+whereby she might wreck the projects of the villain, without at the
+same time bringing ruin on herself, or those she loved. Always,
+however, her thoughts went spinning toward the same vortex of
+destruction. She could, indeed, contrive nothing better than the
+policy of cajolery on which she had first determined, and to this
+course, as it seemed to her, she must cling, though her good sense was
+well advised of its futility. She knew that a scoundrel of Hodges
+unrestrained passions could not long be held from his infamous
+purposes by any art of hers. At the best, she might hope perhaps to
+delay the catastrophe only by hours. In her discouraged state, she
+admitted that it would be quite impossible to restrain him until the
+law should come to her aid. She was determined none the less to employ
+every resource at her command, in order to postpone decisive action.
+One thing was at once her chief reliance and her chief source of fear:
+the outlaw's passion for her. In his brutal fashion, the man loved
+her. That fact gave her power over him, even while it exposed her to
+the worst peril at his hands.
+
+The presence of the revolver comforted her mightily. From time to
+time, she moved her right hand stealthily across her bosom, to
+reassure a failing courage by feeling the stiff leather of the holster
+under the gown. She was experienced in the use of weapons. Her rifle
+had often contributed to the cabin larder. Muscles that knew no tremor
+and a just eye had given her a skill in marksmanship much beyond the
+average, even in this region where firearms were forever in the hands
+of the men, and familiar to the women. Once, her moving fingers felt
+the little bag hanging from its leathern thong about her neck, in
+which was the fairy crystal. The hardness of her expression vanished
+on the instant, and in its stead was a wonderful tenderness. A world
+of yearning shone in the dark lustres of the eyes, and the curving
+lips drooped in pathetic wistfulness. Her soul went out toward the
+distant lover in a very frenzy of desire. She felt the longing well in
+her, a craving so agonized that nothing else mattered, neither life
+nor death. Had the power been hers then, she would have summoned him
+across the void. The loneliness was a visible, tangible monster,
+beating in upon her, crushing her with hideous, remorseless strength.
+Her man must come back!
+
+It was the mood of a moment, no more. Even as she thrilled with the
+anguished longing she lifted her eyes, and halted, aghast at the scene
+before her. There, close at hand to the southeast, Stone Mountain
+upreared its huge and rugged bulk. It loomed implacable, with the
+naked cliffs staring grotesquely. It overhung her like immutable fate,
+silent, pitiless. There was sinister significance in its aspect, for
+just before her lay the cavernous shadows of the Devil's Cauldron. The
+girl's gaze went to the verge of the precipice far above. It followed
+down the wild tumblings of the little stream, fed from lofty springs.
+It descended in the last long leap of the waters into the churning
+pool. And she had a vision of the man she loved, bound, and
+helpless--dead perhaps, shot from behind--and now thrust out from the
+verge into the abyss, to go hurtling into the mist-wreathed depths....
+No, Zeke must not come back. The hardness crept again into her face,
+as she went forward. She held her eyes averted from that gruesome
+cavern high in the mountain's face.
+
+The girl came soon to the Holloman Gate, which swung across the trail
+near the west end of the mountain. Tall poplars and spruce made an
+ample shade, but a glance toward the sun showed it at the zenith. She
+was prompt to the rendezvous; it was the lover who was laggard. She
+wondered a little at that, but with no lightening of her mood. She was
+sure that he would come all too speedily. She stood waiting in misery,
+leaning listlessly against the fence, her gaze downcast. The geranium
+blossoms touched the sward richly with color; the rhododendrons
+flaunted the loveliness of their flowering round about the spot. A
+delicate medley of birds' songs throbbed from out the thickets; a tiny
+stream purled over its pebbled bed in the ravine that entrenched the
+trail. Plutina gave no heed. She saw and she heard, but, in this hour,
+she was without response to any charm of sight or of sound. Yet, that
+she was alert was proven presently, for her ear caught the faint
+crackle of a twig snapping. It was a little way off--somewhere along
+the line of the brush-grown fence, on the same side of the trail. She
+peered steadily in the direction of the noise. When her eyes became
+accustomed to the shadows, she made out the figure of a man, crouched
+in a corner of the fence, behind the screen of a bush. He was no more
+than three or four rods from her. She was sure even that she
+recognized him--Gary Hawks, one of the most vicious of the Hodges
+gang, but notorious for cowardice. She was puzzled for only a moment
+by the presence of the fellow. Then, she realized that he doubtless
+was acting under his leader's orders. It was another menace against
+her own safety. The fingers of her hand went once again for
+encouragement to the holster beneath her arm.
+
+Plutina gave no sign that she had discovered the lurking man's
+presence. But, after a minute, she retraced her steps a little way
+along the trail, until she came to a point where there was a clear
+space on either side, which was out of hearing from the fence line.
+She had scarcely reached the place, when Hodges appeared, his bare
+feet trudging swiftly. His head, too, was bare. In the hollow of his
+left arm lay the long rifle. He was approaching from the east, and
+halted at the gate, without having observed the girl beyond it. He
+whistled a soft note as a signal if she should be anywhere about.
+
+Plutina called out softly in answer.
+
+"Hyar, Dan!" As he looked toward her, she beckoned him to approach.
+
+Hodges shook his head in dissent, and, by a gesture, bade her come to
+him. But, when she showed no sign of obeying, he moved forward,
+scowling, ferociously. The girl seemed undaunted. She spoke curtly in
+rebuke:
+
+"'Pears to me, Dan Hodges, like ye hain't very prompt, seein' as how
+I've been a-waiting hyar a quarter-hour fer ye. When a man loves a
+gal, he gen'rally gits to the place sot ahead o' her. Ye hain't
+a-startin' right to win me, Dan, an' so I'm a-tellin' ye fair."
+
+"You-all orter have more sense than hang out hyar in the sun. Come
+back to the gate, under the shade o' the sarvis bushes." He turned
+away, but paused as the girl made no movement to follow. "What in
+hell's the matter on ye?" he demanded, angrily. "This place in the rud
+hain't fitten fer talk, nohow."
+
+"Hit's fitten 'nough fer me," Plutina retorted, quietly. A mellow
+laugh sounded. "Seems to me this-hyar bright sunshine orter warm yer
+love up some, Dan. We'll stay hyar, I reckon. I'm afeared o' snakes
+an' eavesdroppers an' sech critters thar in the shade."
+
+The man was racked by many emotions. He had come swiftly under the hot
+sun, and the haste and the heat had irritated him. The sight of the
+girl moved him to fierce passion of desire. He was aflame with
+eagerness to take her within his arms, there where were the cool
+shadows. Her indifference to his command exasperated him; her final
+refusal infuriated him. In the rush of feeling he lost what little
+judgment he might otherwise have had. He had meant to placate her by a
+temporary gentleness, to be offset by future brutalities. Now, in his
+rage, he forgot discretion under the pricking of lawless impulse. He
+reached out and dropped a huge hand on Plutina's shoulder, and twisted
+her about with a strength she was powerless to resist. The clutch of
+his fingers cut cruelly into her flesh, firm though it was, and she
+winced. He grinned malevolently.
+
+"Git back thar as I done tol' ye," he rasped; "afore ye git wuss."
+
+With a deft twist of the body, Plutina stood free. The face, which had
+paled, flushed darkly. The eyes blazed. The head was uplifted in
+scorn. Her aspect awed the man, and he hesitated, gaping at her. Yet
+her voice was very soft when she spoke. The tone surprised her
+listener, rendered him strangely uneasy, for some reason he could not
+understand.
+
+"Thet ten minutes ye was late was more'n I had need fer, Dan Hodges,"
+she said. "I promised ye yer answer hyar, an' I'm a-goin' to give hit
+to ye right now."
+
+She lifted an arm, and pointed to where the Devil's Cauldron blotched
+the cliffs of the mountainside ... It was her left arm that she
+lifted.
+
+"Look, Dan! See thet-thar big hole in the wall. I been a-lookin' at
+hit, Dan. I 'low you-all don't dast look at hit. Mebby ye're afeared
+o' seein' the bones o' them hit holds--bones o' dead men--what you-all
+an' yer gang hev kilt an' slid into the pot, to lie hid till Jedgment.
+Hit's thar ye're aimin' to put my Zeke. Why, a haar o' his head's wuth
+more'n the hull caboodle of sech murderers as yew be."
+
+She stepped closer to the outlaw, and spoke with unleashed hate. He
+flinched at the change.
+
+"I was skeered o' ye back thar on the piazzy yist'-day, an' I lied to
+ye, kase I was skeered. I wasn't a-likin' the look in them pig eyes o'
+your'n. An' I was a-feared o' Gran'pap's hearin' how I reported the
+still. Wall, now I hain't skeered no more. I promised ye yer answer at
+the gate. We'll move over thar, an' I'll keep my promise."
+
+Before he could guess her purpose, before he could shift the rifle
+from the hollow of his arm, the fingers of Plutina's right hand had
+slipped within the open bodice. The Colt's flashed in the sunlight.
+The level barrel lay motionless, in deadly readiness. For the girl,
+though not yet quite sure, was almost sure that she would kill Dan
+Hodges.
+
+The idea had not come to her until this meeting. In all the racking
+hours of thought, this simple solution of the difficulty had never
+entered her mind. Now, at its coming, she welcomed it with infinite
+relief. It offered a means of escape so simple and so sure--escape for
+herself and for those she loved. It was the touch of the man that had
+wrought the miracle of revolt. She had felt herself polluted by the
+contact. On the instant, the hypocrisy of cajoling was no longer
+possible. But there was more in the effect than that. The savagery of
+the outlaw aroused the savagery in her. She became, in the twinkling
+of an eye, the primitive woman. There was little in the sentiment of
+her people to dam the outburst. Her kin had followed the lex talionis.
+They had killed their fellows for the sake of their proper pride. The
+blood-feud was familiar to her, and she knew no shame in it. Why
+should she not slay this creature who outraged her self-respect, who
+threatened her every hope? Her finger on the trigger of the revolver
+tensed ever so slightly.
+
+The man felt the vibration of her impulse and cringed. He was in a
+daze before this violence of attack, where he had expected only supine
+yielding. In his creed, the beating of women marked manliness. The
+drabs he had caressed crept and fawned under his blows, like whipped
+curs. He could not realize this challenge by the girl with his own
+method of might. But he saw clearly enough through the haze of fear
+that the blue barrel was trained exactly upon him, that the slim hand
+held it rigid, and he knew that, in this instant, he was very, very
+close to death. The red of his face changed to a mottled purple. He
+felt himself trembling.
+
+Plutina perceived the abject terror of the man. It mitigated her wrath
+with scorn, and so saved him for the moment. She cried out to him
+fiercely, her voice rough with abhorrence.
+
+"To the gate fer yer answer, ye cowardly houn'. Move quick, er I'll
+drap ye in yer tracks, ye murderin' wolf. Do as I say!"
+
+She moved another step toward him. Her voice rose shrill:
+
+"Drap thet rifle-gun!"
+
+The weapon slipped from Hodges' nerveless fingers, and fell on the
+turf with a soft thud.
+
+"Put up yer han's!"
+
+Cowed, the man thrust his long arms to their length above his head.
+
+"Now, turn round, an' march to the gate!"
+
+There was no faltering in the obedience.
+
+The hulking bully knew that he was in mortal peril. For his life's
+sake, he dared neither word nor gesture of resistance to the girl's
+will. His only hope was that the hidden ally might somehow come to his
+aid. But the hope was feeble. He knew the other's craven spirit.
+
+Plutina, too, knew it. As she drove her captive to the gate, she
+peered, and saw the crouching figure still in the shadows behind the
+bush. The Colt's cracked. Even as Hodges shuddered, imagining the
+tearing of the bullet through his own flesh, there came a shriek of
+pain from beyond him. The hidden man leaped forth, his right arm
+dangling clumsily. He scrambled into the cover of the spruces and
+vanished. The noises of his flight lessened, died.
+
+"I've scotched a snake," Plutina said, malignantly. "Hit's about time
+to kill the dawg, I reckon. Turn round." Then, when he had obeyed, she
+went on speaking. "Now, hyar at the gate, I'll tell ye somethin'.
+You-all 'lowed ye could git me with money. If ye had all they is in
+the world, hit wouldn't be enough. An' ye thought I tuk money fer
+reportin' the still. Wall, I didn't. I reported thet-thar still o'
+your'n kase I seed ye a-settin' b'ar-traps fer humans, an' hit made
+me hate ye even wuss 'n I done hated ye afore."
+
+Somehow, the flame of her fury was dying. The girl felt this, and
+bitterly resented it, yet she was powerless. It seemed to her that
+with all the strength of her nature she was desirous of killing this
+enemy. He stood cowering before her in dread. Her finger on the
+trigger needed only the slightest flexing to speed the death he
+merited. And, for some occult reason, the will to slay failed her. She
+was enraged against her own weakness of resolve. Nevertheless, she was
+helpless. Her mood had reached its climax in the impulsive wounding of
+the other man. Now, her blood was losing its fever. With the slowing
+pulse, the softer instincts prevailed to thwart her purpose. Despite
+an anguished eagerness, she could not kill this trembling wretch. She
+loathed her frailty, even as she yielded to it. She must let him go
+unscathed, a foe the more dangerous after this humiliation. Of no use
+to threaten him, to extort promises. There was no truth in him. He
+must be left free to work what evil he would. Oh, if only the wrath in
+her had not died too soon!
+
+"Put yer han's down, an' march up the trail," she commanded,
+presently. Her voice was lifeless. The man drew new hope from the
+quality of it. He ventured no resistance to the command, but went
+padding softly through the dust. Behind him, Plutina followed, her
+bare feet padding an echo. Her right hand hung at her side, but it
+retained the revolver, ready for instant use. As she came to Hodges'
+rifle, she picked it up, and threw it far down into the ravine. At the
+clattering noise of its fall, the outlaw started, but he did not pause
+in his stride, or turn. The girl's whole soul was convulsed with
+longing that he should make some effort of revolt--anything. Then, she
+would shoot and kill--oh, so gladly!
+
+But the instinct to live guided the man. He trudged meekly. There was
+no excuse against him. So, they came at last near to the Siddon
+clearing, where a little path ran through the wood toward the house.
+Here, Plutina paused, without a word. She was ashamed of herself,
+grievously ashamed of this softness of fiber that had spared a life.
+Without a word, she watched him pass along the trail, up the slope,
+and out of sight beyond. Her face was drawn and white, and the great
+eyes were brooding with bitterness, when, finally, she stirred, and
+moved forward in the path. She slipped the revolver into its holster.
+Then, her fingers went to the bag that held the fairy cross to her
+breast. She fondled it tenderly. She was longing as never before for
+the giver of the talisman.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+
+Plutina had no sleep the night following her encounter with Dan
+Hodges. Throughout the dragging hours, she was tortured by sinister
+imaginings. She exhausted her brain in futile strivings for some means
+of escape from the mesh of circumstance. It was not until the gray
+twilight of dawn shone through the curtains that a possibility of
+relief stirred in her mind. It was out of desperation that the idea
+sprang. She felt herself so utterly forlorn and helpless in her
+loneliness that the despair was overpowering. It was then, at last,
+that the inspiration came to her: She would confess everything to her
+grandfather!
+
+Though she quailed before the prospect, she rejoiced as well. The old
+man was strong and resourceful. He would know how to meet and overcome
+the outlaw's villainy. Moreover, now that her decision had been made,
+Plutina was surprised to find her alarm over such confession greatly
+lessened from what she had supposed possible. She began to realize
+that some intangible change in her grandfather himself was responsible
+for this. She became convinced that the new gentleness had had its
+origin in the unselfish abandonment of his marital hopes. It was as if
+that renunciation had vitally softened him. Perhaps, in this strange
+mood, he would be less intolerant of her fault in turning informer.
+His prejudice could find no excuse for her treachery, she knew, yet
+the peril in which she had involved herself, and him, might arouse his
+pity. Assuredly, he would be moved to instant action for both their
+sakes. For that reason alone, if for no other, she must tell him her
+story without a moment of unnecessary delay.
+
+In the course of the morning, Plutina took advantage of an
+opportunity, whilst her sister was busy in the garden, and went to her
+grandfather, who was taking his ease on the porch. She was encouraged
+by the mild and benignant expression on the old man's face, which had
+been more often fierce, as she remembered it through the years. She
+seated herself quietly, and then proceeded immediately to confession.
+There was no attempt at palliation of her offense, if offense it were.
+She gave the narrative of events starkly, from the moment when she had
+first seen Hodges descending Luffman's Branch to the time of her
+separation from him at the clearing, on the yesterday.
+
+Throughout the account, the listener sat sprawled in the big willow
+rocker, his slippered feet resting on the porch rail. The huge body
+was crumpled into an awkward posture, which was never changed, once
+the history was begun. The curved wooden pipe hung from his lips,
+black against the iron gray cascade of beard, but he did not draw at
+it again, after the opening-sentences from his granddaughter's lips.
+Plutina, looking down, perceived that the folded hands, lying in his
+lap, were clenched so strongly that the knuckles showed bloodless.
+Yet, he made no movement, nor offered any word of comment or of
+question. When the girl had made an end, and sat waiting distressedly
+for his verdict, he still rested mute, until the silence became more
+than she could endure, and she cried out in pleading:
+
+"Kain't ye fergive me, Gran'pap?"
+
+Uncle Dick turned, and looked reproachfully at the distraught girl. A
+great tenderness shone from the black eyes, in which age had not
+dimmed the brilliance. As she saw the emotion there, a gasp of
+rapturous relief broke from Plutina's lips. The stern restraints of
+her training were broken down in that moment. She dropped to her knees
+by the old man's side, and seized his hands, and kissed them, and
+pressed them to her bosom. He released one of them presently, and laid
+it gently on the dusk masses of his grandchild's hair in silent
+blessing. His voice, when at last he spoke, was softer than she had
+heard it ever before.
+
+"Why, Tiny, ye mustn't be afeared o' yer ole gran'pap. I thinks a heap
+o' my kin, an' ye're the clusest. I loves ye gal--more'n anythin' er
+anybody else in the world, though I wouldn't want Alviry to hear thet.
+I hain't mindin' what ye done none. I'd stan' by ye, Tiny, if he had
+the hull cussed Gov'ment at yer back. I hain't got no likin' fer
+revenuers, but I got a heap less for Dan Hodges."
+
+He paused for a moment and lifted his hand from the girl's head to
+stroke the gray beard thoughtfully, before he continued:
+
+"I been thinkin' a right-smart lot o' things jest lately. I 'low I'm
+a-gittin' old, mebby. An' I opine as 'tween the revenuers and Dan
+Hodges, I hain't so much agin the Gov'ment as I was."
+
+Again, he fell silent, as if in embarrassment over an admission so at
+variance with the tenets of a lifetime. Then he spoke with sudden
+briskness:
+
+"But ye'd orter a-killed the critter then an' thar, Tiny!"
+
+"I jest somehow couldn't, Gran'pap. I'm shore sorry." The girl felt
+poignant shame for the weakness thus rebuked.
+
+"I 'low I hain't likely to have no sech feelin's a-holdin' o' me
+back," Uncle Dick remarked, drily. "Hit's my foolishness bailin' 'im
+out got us in the pizen mess. I 'low I'll cancel the bond. But, fust,
+I'd have to take the skunk to the jail-house, dead er alive. He'll
+stan' some urgin', I reckon."
+
+"Ye'll be keerful, Gran'pap," Plutina exclaimed anxiously, as she
+stood up.
+
+"Now, don't ye worrit none," Uncle Dick ordered, tartly. His usual
+rather dictatorial manner in the household returned to him. "You-all
+run along. I want to think."
+
+The girl went obediently. The reaction from despair brought
+joyousness. Of a sudden, she became aware of the blending perfumes of
+the wild flowers and the lilting of an amorous thrush in the wood. Her
+lids narrowed to dreamy contemplation of the green-and-gold traceries
+on the ground, where the sunlight fell dappled through screening
+foliage. Fear was fled from her. Her thought flew to Zeke, in longing
+as always, but now in a longing made happy with hopes. There might be
+a letter awaiting her from New York--perhaps even with a word of
+promise for his return. She smiled, radiant with fond anticipations.
+Then, after a word of explanation to Alvira, she set off at a brisk
+pace over the trail toward Cherry Lane.
+
+The girl went blithely on her way, day-dreaming of the time when Zeke
+should be come home to her again. She stopped at the Widow Higgins'
+cabin, to receive felicitations over the escape of Uncle
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+"WHEN ZEKE COMES HOME AGAIN."]
+
+Dick from Fanny Brown. Plutina was not minded to harass the older
+woman with the tale of Dan Hodges. The outlaw's threats against Zeke
+would only fill the mother's heart with fears, against which she could
+make no defense. Otherwise, however, the tongues of the two ran busily
+concerning the absent one. And then, soon, Plutina was again hurrying
+over the trail, which the bordering wild flowers made dainty as a
+garden walk. Once, her eyes turned southward, to the gloomy grandeur
+of Stone Mountain, looming vast and portentous. The blur of shadow
+that marked the Devil's Cauldron touched her to an instant of
+foreboding, but the elation of mood persisted. She raised her hand,
+and the fingers caressed the bag in which was the fairy crystal, and
+she went gaily forward, smiling.
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+Uncle Dick, meantime, was busy with sterner thoughts, and his task was
+harmonious to his musings, for he was cleaning and oiling his rifle
+with punctilious care. He did not hasten over-much at either the
+thinking or the work. The shades of night were drawing down when,
+finally, he hung the immaculate weapon on its hooks. He ate in
+solitary silence, served by Alvira, who ventured no intrusion on this
+mood of remoteness with which she was familiar from experience. The
+old man had determined to go forth and seize, and deliver to the
+custody of the law, the person of Dan Hodges. At the best, he would
+surprise the outlaw, and the achievement would be simple enough; at
+the worst, there would be a duel. Uncle Dick had no fear over the
+outcome. He believed himself quicker and surer with the rifle than
+this scoundrel of half his years. At grips, of course he would have no
+chance. But the affair would not come to grips. He would see to that.
+He went to bed contentedly, and slept the peaceful sleep of wholesome
+age, undisturbed by any bickerings of conscience.
+
+It was while he was dressing, next morning, that a measure of prudence
+occurred to Uncle Dick. During the period of his absence, it would be
+well for Plutina to avoid risk by keeping in the cabin, with her rifle
+at hand. There was no telling how audacious the moonshiner might
+become in his rage over the ignominy to which the girl had subjected
+him.
+
+At the breakfast-table, he spoke sharply to Alvira, as she placed the
+plate of fried ham and eggs before him.
+
+"Tell Tiny, I'm a-wantin' her."
+
+"Tiny hain't hyar yit," was the answer. "Hit's time she was."
+
+"Whar's she gone!" Uncle Dick demanded, gruffly. He detested any
+interruption of his plans.
+
+"Tiny stayed over to the Widder Higgins's las' night," Alvira
+explained. "Hit's time she come back."
+
+Uncle Dick snorted with indignation.
+
+"She didn't say nothin' to me 'bout stayin' over thar," he said
+crossly.
+
+"Nor to me, nuther," Alvira declared. "She never does beforehand. When
+the Widder Higgins kind o' hangs on, Tiny jest stays, an' comes back
+in the mornin'. She orter been 'ere afore now."
+
+Uncle Dick pushed away the plate of food, half-eaten. Dread had fallen
+on him suddenly. He tried to thrust it off, but the weight was too
+heavy for his strength of will. Perforce he yielded to alarm for the
+girl's safety. A great fear was upon him lest it be too late for the
+warning he had meant to give. He growled a curse on his own folly in
+not guarding against immediate attack by the outlaw. It was with small
+hope of finding his apprehensions groundless that he set forth at
+once, rifle in hand, for the cabin of the Widow Higgins. There, his
+fears were confirmed. The old woman had seen nothing of Plutina, since
+the short pause on the way to the post-office. Uncle Dick groaned
+aloud over the fate that might have come on the girl. He told enough
+to give the Widow Higgins some understanding of the situation, and
+bade her go to his own house, there to remain and to comfort Alvira.
+For himself, he would first search over the Cherry Lane trail for any
+trace of his vanished granddaughter, and thereafter raise the
+hue-and-cry to a general hunt through the mountains for the capture or
+killing of the villain, and the recovery of the girl, dead or alive.
+Not for an instant did the old man doubt that Hodges had done the
+deed.
+
+Uncle Dick had no more than passed Luffman's Branch on his way over
+the Cherry Lane Trail, when a joyous hail caused him to lift his eyes
+from their close scrutiny of the beaten earth. Descending the trail, a
+little way in front of him, appeared the slender, erect form of the
+one-armed veteran. The bridegroom moved with a jaunty step, and his
+wrinkled features radiated gladness. But, as he came near, his face
+sobered at sight of the other's expression. His voice was solicitous.
+
+"I 'low somethin' air wrong," he ventured.
+
+Uncle Dick in his distress welcomed the note of sympathy. Somehow, he
+felt curiously drawn to this successful rival, and he was sure that
+his feeling was returned. Between the two men there was a curious
+mutual respect, as if each relied on the entire good sense of one who
+had loved Fanny Brown. The older man craved a confidant; he was avid
+for counsel and every possible assistance in this emergency. He told
+the facts as concisely as possible, while Seth Jones, wedded raptures
+forgot, listened in growing sorrow and dismay. At the end, he spoke
+simply:
+
+"I'll take a look 'long with ye, Mister Siddon. I done a heap o'
+trackin' in my time, out West. Perhaps, I kin he'p ye some."
+
+Uncle Dick put out his hand, and the two palms met in a warm clasp,
+witness of friendship's pact. Forthwith, they gave themselves to
+minute examination of the trail for any sign of the missing girl.
+
+For a time, their patient search went unrewarded. But, about a
+half-mile beyond Luffman's Branch, they came on an area still affected
+by one of the small showers so frequent in the mountains. Here, the
+veteran's alert eyes distinguished a footprint outlined in the damp
+dust.
+
+"Yer gal was barefut, I reckon," he said. He pointed to the imprint
+just before where he was standing.
+
+"Yep," Uncle Dick answered. There was a little mist over his eyes, as
+he glanced down. "Yep; hit's her'n."
+
+The veteran went forward confidently now.
+
+"She was a-steppin' plumb brisk," he declared; "feelin' pretty peart,
+I 'low; feet kind o' springy-like."
+
+Uncle Dick shivered at the words. He had a ghastly vision of Plutina
+moving at this moment with painfully dragging steps somewhere afar in
+the fastnesses of the mountains. But he said nothing of the worst
+fears to his companion. He only followed on, watching closely lest
+something escape the other's survey. Almost, he found himself hoping
+they might come on the girl's dead body. Death is not the worst of
+evils.
+
+After a mile, or a little less, the area of the shower was passed.
+Uncle Dick could hardly distinguish any sign of the footprints in the
+heavy dust of the trail, but he accepted without question the
+veteran's assertion that they were easily perceptible to the trained
+sight. Suddenly, Seth Jones halted, and peered intently, stooping low.
+Uncle Dick, too, bent to look, but the faint markings in the dirt were
+without significance to him. The veteran moved to the roadside and
+searched on hands and knees over the yard of grass between the trail
+and a thicket. When he stood erect again, he regarded his companion
+inquiringly.
+
+"They seem to be the tracks o' some mighty-big, hefty cuss, what come
+out o' these-hyar bushes, an' tuk along arter her. Kin ye make a guess
+who hit mout be, Mister Siddon?"
+
+Uncle Dick's face grew black with a rage that was the more frightful
+because it had no object on which to vent itself.
+
+"Hit's him!" he mumbled thickly, choking over the effort for
+self-control. Abruptly, he abandoned the attempt. His big voice
+boomed forth in a torrent of blasphemous imprecations. When, finally,
+he rumbled into silence, and stood panting for breath, the veteran,
+who had appeared to listen with great interest and perhaps some
+pleasure, spoke soothingly:
+
+"You-all was shore some eloquent, an' I 'low the ornery critter
+deserves every mite on hit. An', anyhow, I reckon ye done saved
+yerse'f a stroke. Ye was a-lookin' like ye'd bust, but ye let off the
+steam a-cussin' 'im out. Now, let's see." He went back to the trail,
+and advanced very slowly, for the markings were faint even to his
+skilled eyes. Uncle Dick, trembling a little from the violence of his
+outburst, followed faithfully, but he could no longer detect traces of
+the passing of either man or girl.
+
+Thus, in slow progress, they came at last to the fork of the trail.
+This is at the extreme easterly slope of Bull Head Mountain, which
+rises from the north side of the valley as if in sullen rivalry of
+Stone Mountain below. In the division of the trail here, one branch
+ascends toward Glade Creek, across the mountain, while the other keeps
+on straight to Cherry Lane. Within the fork of the trails lies a
+fallen giant of the coves, a huge yellow poplar, almost hidden along
+its length by the embowering thickets. Toward this, in an advance
+tediously slow, the veteran made his way. When, finally, he was come
+up to the great bole, he stood quietly for minutes, gazing everywhere
+round about. Uncle Dick, emulating his companion, peered earnestly,
+and soon he, too, perceived the evidences that something out of the
+ordinary had occurred just here. Over a considerable space next the
+trunk there were signs of a struggle. Broken branches showed on some
+of the bushes; leaves from the poplar shoots were lying on the grass;
+the turf was freshly torn here and there. The veteran bent over, and
+picked up an object from the ground, which he held out. Uncle Dick
+gave one glance, and uttered a cry of despair. He recognized it as a
+button from the dress Plutina had been wearing the day before.
+
+The further search of the veteran achieved little. He was able only to
+make sure that the footprints led off through the forest toward the
+south. But, now, the impressions were no longer of one following the
+other. Instead, it was revealed that the two walked side by side.
+Uncle Dick groaned as his companion told him of this. Plutina had been
+attacked; she had fought; she had been overcome--and she was still
+alive!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+
+With the news of the event, a flame of wrath swept through the coves.
+Everywhere, the men gathered in parties, to hunt, rifle in hand, for
+some trace of the outlaw. There was none to give him favor, save the
+outcasts numbered among his dependants. The usual sympathy for the
+illicit distiller ceased utterly, destroyed by hatred for the
+criminal's final offense. For the first time in the history of the
+mountains, there was no voice raised to protest--nor any rifle pointed
+in the laurel--against the Federal officers, who wandered at will in
+the wild places. In execration of Dan Hodges for his sin against the
+peace and dignity of the community, the people forgot for the nonce
+their ancient enmity against the Government. With one accord, the folk
+of the mountains joined in abhorrence of Hodges, sullenly anxious to
+bring about his punishment, to avenge his victim at least, if too late
+to save her.
+
+Seth Jones turned from the joys of the belated honeymoon to give every
+aid in his power. His counsel and the comfort of his presence were
+boons to Uncle Dick. The veteran had learned from his bride
+concerning the disfavor in which Zeke was held, and the reason for it.
+It seemed to him the part of wisdom, in this crisis, to feign
+ignorance, and he blandly suggested, on the return of the two from the
+fallen poplar, that they should ride to Joines' store in the evening,
+there, over the telephone, to dispatch a telegram to Zeke in New York.
+It was the psychological moment for success. There was not even a
+flicker of resentment aroused. Uncle Dick remembered that the Quaker
+school-teacher spy had been saved by Zeke from Dan Hodges. In his new
+mood, that fact was enough to overcome all rancor against the lad.
+Moreover, he realized the tragedy of Plutina's fate to her lover, and
+he was moved to compassion. He accepted the veteran's suggestion
+without a word of remonstrance.
+
+It was Seth Jones, too, who broke down the old man's last prejudice by
+persuading him to summon Marshal Stone. Uncle Dick yielded with an odd
+mingling of emotions--shame and relief: shame over such trafficking
+with the "revenuers," whom he had consistently fought and despised
+through three generations; relief that he had gained the strong arm of
+the law to his side. He had been greatly heartened when Stone answered
+over the wire that he would set out with a posse at midnight for the
+Siddon cabin, so that, after a conference there, the active work of
+searching could be begun promptly at dawn.
+
+Thus, it came about that, for the first time in history, Uncle Dick
+Siddon welcomed the sound of hoofbeats pounding up the trail through
+the darkness. Where, aforetime, he would have leaped to wind a blast
+of warning to the moonshiners above against the coming of the
+"revenuers," the old man now hastened to the cabin door, and flung it
+wide, and went forth on the porch to give grateful greeting.
+
+When a council had been held, three parties set forth. Seth Jones was
+the guide for one, which went to the northeast, through the Bull Head
+Mountain region, whither, in all likelihood, the outlaw would make his
+way, if he meant to escape out of the country. The marshal, with one
+companion, skirted Stone Mountain. Uncle Dick led two of the posse to
+the yellow poplar where the struggle had occurred, after which they
+would follow the general direction of the tracks. The marshal expected
+to make a circuit of the mountain rapidly enough to effect a junction
+with Uncle Dick's party by noon, at the Woodruff Gate. The veteran and
+his two men, who would have by far the roughest going, were not to
+report until sundown at the Siddon cabin.
+
+From the poplar, Uncle Dick and the deputies were able, with great
+difficulty, to follow the tracks of the outlaw and his prisoner toward
+the south for a full mile. But at this point, an expanse of
+outcropping rock baffled them completely. Search as they would, there
+was no least sign of footsteps anywhere. After an hour of futile
+questing, they gave up in despair, and hurried to the rendezvous at
+the Woodruff Gate.
+
+The marshal and his men had already reached the gate, and Stone had
+wherewith to give the distraught grandfather new hope.
+
+"I came on their tracks a mile below where you lost them," he
+explained. "They still keep to the south. We followed as far as the
+sand bar below Sandy Creek Falls."
+
+"Come on!" Uncle Dick cried, fiercely. "Let's arter 'im this-yer
+minute."
+
+The marshal shook his head at the old man's enthusiasm.
+
+"We're not much better off yet," he declared. "We found the place
+where he camped last night. 'Twasn't far. I reckon the girl made his
+going as slow as she could. She naturally would." Uncle Dick nodded
+somberly. "But the trouble is, the trail ends at the sand bar--ends
+absolutely."
+
+"We'll find hit ag'in," Uncle Dick exclaimed, stoutly. "We jest got to
+find hit. Come on!"
+
+The marshal urged the other to rest in preparation for the hard
+climb--down the ridge, and then up the sharp slopes and ledges of the
+mountainside. But the old man would have none of it. So, straightway,
+the two moved off, leaving the others, less hardy, to repose, and in
+due time they came to the bar below Sandy Creek Falls.
+
+High among the embattled cliffs of Stone Mountain's eastern end, Sandy
+Creek races in tumultuous course. The limpid stream cascades in
+vertical sheen of silver from ledge to ledge. It writhes with
+ceaseless noisy complainings through the twisting ways of
+bowlder-strewn gorges. Here and there, in some placid pool, it seems
+to pause, languid, resting from its revels of flight. Such a pool lay
+at the foot of the longest fall. A barrier of sand circled from the
+cliff as the brim for this bowl of the waters. To this point, Marshal
+Stone and Uncle Dick were now come. The tracks were plainly
+discernible in the sand, along the edge of the pool. There were the
+huge misshapen outlines of the outlaw's bare feet, deep-sunken from
+the heavy weight of the man. Beside them showed the slender prints
+made by the captive, lightly pressed. These tracks followed the
+curving bar, along the water's edge. They reached to the foot of the
+cliff, close to where was the outer edge of the cataract. There they
+ceased.
+
+The marshal, already familiar with the mystery, and baffled by it,
+searched again perfunctorily. Uncle Dick hunted hither and yon with
+feverish activity, at first confidently, then doubtfully, finally in
+despair. He, in his turn, could find no further clue. He gave over his
+efforts eventually, and stood silent beside the marshal, staring
+bewilderedly. About the amphitheatre formed by the pool, pines grew in
+a half-circle, save where the narrow channel of the stream descended.
+But between the barricade of the trees and the basin of water lay the
+smooth stretch of sand, slightly moist from out-flung spray of the
+falls. Upon that level surface, the tracks showed forth--undeniable,
+inexplicable. They marched without deviation straight to the base of
+the great cliff. There, within a little space, they grew confused, as
+from much trampling. But they did not return; they did not go
+elsewhere. There was a clear distance of a rod over the sand to the
+rocky ground where the trees grew. On the other side lay the deeps of
+the pool. Before them reared the impassible wall of the precipice. And
+there the tracks ended.
+
+Uncle Dick knew the place well, and on that account the mystery was
+the greater. He could find no possible explanation, however wildly
+improbable, of that disappearance. The broad sheet of the falls fell
+close to the cliff's face. The rock was unworn by the torrent, without
+recess or cavern. And that precipice, twice the pool's width, mounted
+sheer a hundred feet, the height of the cascade. The front was
+unbroken save by tiny rifts and narrow ledges, where dwarfed ground
+pines clung precariously. With a muttered curse, the old man turned
+from his vain contemplation of the cliff, and let his troubled eyes
+rest on the pool. Suddenly, he started. He remained motionless for a
+moment, then, with nervous haste threw off his shirt, and trousers.
+Marshal Stone, chancing to look that way, was astonished to see his
+companion naked, poised at the water's edge. He had time to note with
+admiration the splendid figure, still supple and strongly muscled
+despite the four-score years. Then Uncle Dick leaped, and dived. It
+was long seconds before he reappeared, only to dive again. He paid no
+attention to the marshal's remonstrances. Only when he was convinced
+of the uselessness of further search in the pool's depths, did he give
+over the task, and cast himself down on the sand to rest, panting and
+trembling a little from fatigue.
+
+"They hain't thar," he said, with grim conviction. Then he voiced the
+question that hammered in his brain: "Whar be they?"
+
+But the marshal had no answer.
+
+As they made their way drearily back toward the Woodruff Gate, the
+officer broke a long silence:
+
+"Only a blood-hound can trail them!"
+
+The gloom of Uncle Dick's expression did not lighten.
+
+"They hain't nary one in the mountings," he answered, heavily.
+
+"None nearer than Suffolk, Virginia," the marshal said. "Cyclone Brant
+has a couple of good ones. But it would cost a lot."
+
+The old man flared.
+
+"Fer God's sake, git thet-thar feller an' his dawgs. I hain't axin'
+what hit 'll cost. Hit was my money got thet-thar damned cuss out o'
+the jail-house. I hain't likely to begrudge anythin' hit 'll cost to
+git him kotched. An' Plutiny!--why, money don't matter none, if I can
+save Plutiny!"
+
+"I'll send for Brant to-night," the marshal promised, with new
+cheerfulness. "Let's hope he's not off somewhere. They send for him
+all over the country. If the dogs start day after to-morrow, they'll
+still find the scent."
+
+Uncle Dick groaned.
+
+"An' her a-lyin' out with thet-thar wolf all thet while," he mumbled,
+in despair. "Mebby, this very minute, she's a-screamin'--callin' to
+her ole gran'pap to save her. My Plutiny!" He walked with lagging
+steps; the tall form, usually so erect, was bowed under the burden of
+tormenting fears. The marshal, understanding, ventured no word of
+comfort.
+
+It was late afternoon when the dispirited searchers reached the Siddon
+clearing on their return from the fruitless day's work. There, they
+were astonished to see the Widow Higgins come down the path toward
+them, at a pace ordinarily forbidden by her rheumatic joints. She
+waved a paper in her hand.
+
+"Hit's a telegraph," she called shrilly. Her voice held something of
+the awe with which remoter regions still regard that method of
+communication. But there was a stronger emotion still that thus sent
+the old woman dancing in forgetfulness of her chronic pains. It was
+explained in her next sentence, cried out with a mother's exultation
+in the homecoming of her beloved. Almost, in joy over seeing her son
+again, she forgot the misery that was bringing him.
+
+"Hit's from Zekie! Zekie's comin' home!"
+
+Uncle Dick could not share the mother's delight. The lover's coming
+could hardly avail anything toward saving the girl. Nevertheless, he
+took the sheet of paper, which carried the message sent on by
+telephone from North Wilkesboro' to Joines' store. He read it aloud,
+that the marshal might hear:
+
+                                                      Suffolk, Va.
+
+    Richard Siddon,
+        Joines' Mill, N. C.,
+            Via Telephone from North Wilkesboro'.
+        Arrive to-night with bloodhound.
+
+                                                          Ezekiel.
+
+Uncle Dick's voice faltered a little in the reading. The black eyes
+were glowing with new hope beneath the beetling white brows, as he
+lifted his gaze to the mountain peaks. For the first time, he felt a
+thrill of jubilation over the young man whom he had rejected, whom now
+he accepted--jubilation for the fresh, virile, strength of the lad,
+for the resourcefulness that this message so plainly declared. The old
+man's lips moved in vague, mute phrases, which were the clumsy
+expressions of emotions, of gratitude to Providence for the blessing
+of another's energy, on which to lean in this time of trial. There had
+been desperate need of haste in getting the hounds on the trail. Now,
+they were coming--to-night. Zeke was bringing them. Perhaps, after
+all, an old man's declining years would know the fond tenderness of a
+daughter's care--and a son's. Thank God that Zeke was coming!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+
+Zeke, in his new life, found little leisure for loneliness, though
+nightly he fell asleep with an ache of nostalgia in his heart, longing
+for the mountains of home and the girl who dwelt among them. But his
+days were filled with various activities that held his whole
+attention. With a mind keen and apt to receive impressions, and hungry
+for knowledge, he gave himself joyously to learning the details of
+Sutton's tree-nail manufacture. The processes were, in fact, simple,
+and he mastered them with ease. Then, he was instructed more broadly
+in business methods, with the purpose of making him competent when he
+should become a manager of the projected factory in the Blue Ridge
+region. His time was thus so fully occupied that he had neither
+opportunity nor inclination for social pleasures.
+
+He spent a week-end in his employer's Long Island home, and surprised
+that gentleman mightily by the propriety of his manners, which he had
+acquired on the yacht. On this occasion, Sutton spoke definitely of
+his plans. The railroad branch north from the main line was now a
+certainty, and the construction would soon start. At that time, Zeke
+would return to North Carolina, and set about securing options on the
+best available timber. A mill would be built, and the manufacture of
+tree-nails carried on. Zeke, in addition to an adequate salary, would
+receive a certain share of the profits. The prospect was one to
+delight any ambitious young man, and Zeke appreciated it to the full.
+But most of all he rejoiced that his success should come to him in the
+place he loved, where the girl waited.
+
+Zeke had a companion, who shared with him the tiny hall-room, and kept
+at his side in long evening rambles through the city streets. It came
+about in this wise:
+
+It was one afternoon when he had been in New York for a week, that a
+visitor entered, unannounced, the office where he was listening
+intently to Sutton's crisp explanations of business routine. Zeke
+looked up at the sound of the opening door. Then, his jaw dropped, his
+eyes widened. Next moment, he sprang to his feet, his face radiant
+with welcome. His phrases, in the excitement of this meeting, were the
+mountaineer's idioms, which new associations were beginning to modify
+in his ordinary speech.
+
+"Why, hit's shorely Miss Josephine!" he cried, as he advanced upon
+her, with outstretched hand. He saw the dog, straining toward him on
+the leash. "An' thet-thar man-faced dawg!"
+
+There was a little interval of confusion, while greetings were
+exchanged amid the demonstrative antics of the bull-terrier. Sutton
+was called away presently, and then the girl explained the object of
+her visit.
+
+"You never noticed it," she said somewhat pettishly; "but one time on
+the yacht, I came up on deck with Chubbie. You were over by the rail.
+You snapped your fingers to him. I ordered him to stay with me. He
+wouldn't mind. He went to you. Well, I decided right then what I'd
+do."
+
+"Why, shucks, Miss Josephine!" Zeke exclaimed, in much distress. "He
+jest nacherly didn't mean nothin' by thet."
+
+"He showed something by it, though," was the retort. "He showed that
+he belonged to you, and not to me. So, here he is." She held out the
+leash to Zeke, who took it doubtfully, only half-comprehending. As he
+was about to speak, a gesture checked him.
+
+"I'm not really a bit generous in giving him to you. My dog must like
+me better than anyone else in the world. That's why I really don't
+want Chubbie any longer. You're first in his heart, and I'm second.
+And, though I'm quite selfish about it, I know I'm doing him the
+greatest favor in the world--that is, if you're willing to take him."
+
+"I'd shore be tickled to death to have him," Zeke admitted. "But it
+don't seem right."
+
+"Providence seems to have arranged it that way, anyhow," Josephine
+declared, airily. "Perhaps, if a surgeon operated on him for the dent
+you put in his skull, he might cease loving you. But nothing else
+seems likely to stop him."
+
+The dog, thrusting its cold muzzle against Zeke's palm, whined assent.
+Josephine regarded her disloyal pet a little regretfully.
+
+"He's a good dog," she said, softly. "He deserves to be happy."
+
+"Plutiny'll be plumb tickled to see the critter I've wrote sech a heap
+about," Zeke remarked. His eyes were suddenly grown dreamy.
+
+"You and your Plutina!" she railed. But her voice was very kindly.
+When she had learned of the young man's prospects and the nearness of
+his return home, she uttered a remark that puzzled Zeke.
+
+"You don't need to envy anyone." There was a light almost of jealousy
+in the blue eyes.
+
+"Why, I never thought o' sech a thing!" he answered indignantly. "Why
+should I?"
+
+"Why, indeed?" Josephine repeated, and she sighed. She sighed again on
+taking leave, when she observed that the bull-terrier made no
+movement to accompany her, but stood steadfastly by Zeke's side.
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+Into the happy, busy routine of Zeke's life in New York, Uncle Dick's
+telegram came with the crash of catastrophe. It was merely with
+innocent wondering that he opened the yellow envelope, which a
+messenger delivered in Sutton's office on a pleasant summer afternoon.
+It was the first missive of the sort in Zeke's experience, yet he felt
+no slightest chill of apprehension. His mood was too firmly joyous to
+be easily shaken. He merely wondered, and felt no fear whatever, as he
+pulled out the sheet of flimsy paper, and unfolded it, while his
+employer sat looking on curiously, himself already suspicious of
+trouble. Zeke read the typewritten words through stupidly, under the
+first shock uncomprehending. Then, he repeated the message aloud, as
+if challenging its meaning.
+
+"Plutina been stolen," ran the summons. "Dan Hodges done it. Need
+help."
+
+The name of Richard Siddon as the sender in itself told how desperate
+must be the situation, else Uncle Dick would not have summoned the
+suitor he had rejected. Zeke stared pitifully at Sutton. His eyes had
+the pathos of a stricken animal's. For a little, he seemed dazed by
+the unexpectedness of this evil. Then, very soon, rage mounted
+blackly. Sutton, listening, could not repress a shudder before the
+deadly hate in Zeke's voice.
+
+"I'll kill Dan Hodges!" was the promise. The voice was low and even,
+but it roared in the ears of the listener. There was something
+terrifying in the stark savagery that showed in the mountaineer's
+tones and in the drawn, pallid face.
+
+But, after the one outburst, Zeke maintained an appearance of
+hypocritical calm. Only in the tremulousness of his voice when he
+thanked Sutton did he betray the depth of his feeling.
+
+In truth, he had new reason for gratitude in this emergency to the man
+who already had so befriended him.
+
+"You'll want to start at once, of course," Sutton said.
+
+Zeke nodded assent.
+
+"Well, I think I'll go with you. Perhaps, I might help. It'll be
+better for you with somebody along."
+
+Zeke offered a protest, but it was disregarded.
+
+"I know Plutina," Sutton said, earnestly, "and I know you, Zeke. I
+want to help. Now, I wonder--"
+
+He fell silent for a space, thinking deeply. When he spoke again it
+was with curt decisiveness:
+
+"It's hurrying things a bit, but not too much. I'll have you stay down
+there, Zeke, and get after the timber as soon as you have Plutina
+back."
+
+Then, as the young man regarded him in bewilderment, he explained
+fully:
+
+"I've just heard a rumor that Grearson and Company are going to send a
+man down there. I'll beat them to it. I meant to start you off in a
+month or so. But you've learned all you need to here, and it's better
+to hurry, so as not to run any risk of my competitors getting in
+ahead. We'll get away on the train to-night."
+
+So it came about that the two reached Norfolk late in the afternoon of
+the following day, after what had seemed to the tortured lover an
+eternity of listless crawling toward the mountains. Now Zeke felt no
+longer dismay over the rapid flight of the train, as in his first
+journeying, but only a fierce longing to cover the miles more swiftly.
+For he appreciated how great was the crisis. Plutina had written him
+of her part in the raid on Hodges' still, and she had expressed in
+some degree the apprehensions she felt. Zeke was sure that, somehow,
+Plutina's betrayal of the still had become known to the outlaw, and on
+this account the man had sought vengeance. The lover sickened at the
+thought of the form that brutal vengeance might take. Often, Sutton,
+covertly watchful, averted his glance that he might not see the
+despair on the mountaineer's face.
+
+The two travelers were on their way to the ferry in Norfolk, when
+inspiration came to Zeke: He bethought him of Cyclone Brant, and the
+stag-hound, Jack. A few words sufficed for explanation of the matter
+to Sutton, who welcomed the idea of securing such assistance for the
+search.
+
+"I kin git 'im, if he's home," Zeke declared, eagerly. "He lives in
+Suffolk, 'bout twenty miles toward Wilkes. I'll try an' git 'im on the
+'phone."
+
+In this, he was successful, and he was greatly cheered by the anxiety
+displayed by Brant to be of assistance. But the detective was
+distressed over the delay of twelve hours that must ensue before they
+could get a train to North Wilkesboro'. Sutton removed this difficulty
+by ordering a special, which should be made up at once, and should
+stop at Suffolk to take on Brant and his dog. So, within the hour, the
+three men and the hound were rushing at rocking speed along the
+tortuous river course that led into the mountains. Instructions had
+been sent ahead, by Brant's suggestion, to have an automobile and
+driver in readiness for the arrival of the party at the North
+Wilkesboro' station.
+
+The three men talked but little during the trip. The tenseness of
+suspense held them in thrall, and, for the most part, they sat in grim
+silence, staring out of the windows at the swiftly flitting panorama
+of moonlit landscape, wherein the fertile level areas changed to
+narrowing valleys, and these, in turn, to wild gorges, where the
+river ran in bellowing riot beneath lofty ramparts of stone. Sutton's
+thoughts veered from pity for his young friend to keen calculation of
+profits to come from the locust timber of the slopes. Cyclone Brant
+mused on his past adventurings in these wilds. From time to time, he
+pulled at the ears of the stag-hound, which sat on its haunches in the
+aisle, balancing its big bulk elastically against the erratic joltings
+of the car, and regarding its master with patient adoration in the
+reddened eyes.
+
+Zeke, too, had the single comfort of a dog's faithful fondness. The
+bull-terrier crouched on the seat beside its master. The
+squat-featured face was thrust forward, with the heavy jaw resting on
+Zeke's lap. Often, the dog whined, with a soft, whimpering note. It
+was as if the creature knew its master's grief, and wished to tell its
+sympathy. There was a curious help to the young man's courage in the
+eager, caressing thrusts of the cold nose against his palm. And he had
+need of every help, even the least, for, in this period of inactivity,
+the spirit within him was near to fainting. Because he knew fully the
+depraved nature of Hodges, he could not blind himself to the frightful
+peril of Plutina in the outlaw's power. The girl's plight was one to
+inspire horror in any decent breast; to the lover, worshiping her as
+something ineffably holy, the possibility of her pollution by the
+brute who had stolen her away was a thing too monstrous for belief,
+yet not to be denied. He strove to drive the hideous thought from his
+mind, but, ever, it crept again into his consciousness. The sickness
+of his soul found its only relief in bursts of fury against the cause
+of this wickedness. His manhood asserted itself in a primitive lust to
+torture and to destroy.
+
+There were intervals of softer emotion, when he lived again the sweet
+raptures of hours alone with Plutina in the mountain solitude. But the
+moods of retrospection were short, perforce. They weakened him too
+greatly. The very heart seemed to flow from him like water, as
+memories crowded. The contrast of the present was too hideous for
+endurance. Again, the ghastly despair--the black rage, the whining of
+the dog, and the thrust of the cold muzzle to distract for a moment.
+Then, once more, the agonizing round.
+
+The grinding of brakes, as the train drew to a standstill at North
+Wilkesboro', came as a poignant relief to the three travelers. Even
+the dogs seemed to relax from strain, and a covert hostility, which
+had marked their first meeting, vanished while they sniffed at each
+other in inquisitive, friendly fashion.
+
+The automobile was in waiting. Zeke jumped in beside the driver. The
+bull-terrier was held firmly between his legs. Sutton, Brant and the
+hound established themselves in the tonneau. Within a minute after
+the stopping of the train, the car was rolling rapidly over the
+highway toward Joines' mill. The chauffeur made the best speed
+possible under Zeke's urging, and the run was short.
+
+Beyond the mill, the trail branching off the main road was rough and
+narrow, traversed only by horsemen and the clumsy vehicles of the
+mountaineers. No automobile had ever passed over it, and the party had
+planned to secure mounts at the mill, and to continue the journey on
+horseback. Zeke, however, realized the advantage in continuing by
+machine, were this possible, and he suggested it to the driver. The
+man was doubtful, but, too, he was an enthusiast in his work, and the
+opportunity of thus climbing the mountains, where no other car had
+been, appealed strongly to his ambition. In the end, he consented,
+with a prudent stipulation concerning possible damages. So, without
+pause, the automobile shot forward past mill and store, and went
+clambering along the trail toward the northern coves. The driver ran
+cautiously enough, despite Zeke's impatience, but, at the best, the
+trip was a strain on the men and on the mechanism that bore them, for
+the car lurched and bounced over the uneven surface, and more than
+once was near to being overturned. Their ultimate safety was due, in
+great measure, to Zeke himself. Familiar with every foot of the way,
+he was able to advise the chauffeur of the more dangerous points.
+Neither Sutton nor Brant had uttered a word of protest against
+undertaking the perils of this final stage, but both breathed a sigh
+of relief, when, at last, the car stopped in the clearing before the
+Siddon cabin, and the journey was safely done.
+
+The wooden wheels of the poplar clock in the cabin were whirring for
+the striking of midnight, when their noise was overborne by the
+grotesque, unfamiliar honkings of an automobile horn. With the second
+of the three blasts, the cabin's door swung open, and in the light of
+it was silhouetted the tall form of Uncle Dick.
+
+"Zeke!" he called; and his voice was a little broken.
+
+Then, with instinctive delicacy of feeling, he stepped aside, as the
+young man sprang up the steps, and he stood silent, while mother and
+son were folded in each other's arms, murmuring endearments. But, when
+Zeke at last turned to face the old man, Uncle Dick's hand went out to
+a powerful clasp that told how profoundly he was moved.
+
+"I'm glad ye've come, boy," he said, simply. And Zeke knew that the
+old distrust and suspicion were gone forever, and in their stead were
+come affection and faith.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+
+Zeke was astounded when he looked around the living-room and
+recognized Marshal Stone, together with the members of the posse. He
+suddenly became aware that the change in Uncle Dick was even greater
+than he had supposed. There had been a radical readjustment of the old
+man's' attitude toward life, which disposed him not only to acceptance
+of Zeke with affection and confidence, but also to toleration of, and
+alliance with, the "revenuers," whom he had so consistently hated
+through a long lifetime. Zeke refrained however, from any open
+expression of his amazement, and at once joined the other men in
+devising a plan of operations to be begun at dawn.
+
+It was decided that Uncle Dick should accompany the marshal and Brant,
+with the stag-hound, to the tracks of Hodges and Plutina on the north
+face of Stone Mountain, near Sandy Creek, where the dog could take up
+the scent, in the hope of solving the mystery that had baffled the
+human searchers.
+
+Then Uncle Dick interposed a suggestion that suited Zeke well.
+
+"If so be," he exclaimed abruptly, "as how Dan Hodges is atop
+thet-thar mounting, an' he gits the dawg nigh the precipice, he might
+throw the critter over. He's powerful strong, Dan is, an' desprit."
+
+"Yes, the fellow's capable of it," Stone agreed.
+
+"I'm a-thinkin' as hit mout be well fer Zeke to git atop the mounting
+fust off," Uncle Dick continued, "an' watch out fer Hodges. Hit's
+pretty open up thar, and easy to waylay a body."
+
+"I'll go," Zeke declared, with eagerness.
+
+The marshal directed the men of the posse to scatter to various points
+on the railway lines.
+
+"Hodges'll probably try to get out of the country, the minute he hears
+the hound after him," Stone explained. "All of my men have seen him,
+and they'll be able to stop him, if he manages somehow to cover his
+scent from the dog, and get off."
+
+Sutton, much against his will, was forced to remain inactive at the
+cabin as he was not physically fitted for the hard tramping over the
+mountains.
+
+Zeke was the prey of emotions too deep to permit much interest in a
+stranger, but he had a friendly, if wan, smile for the veteran, whom
+he remembered from their single meeting. He attempted a display of
+attention on hearing of the marriage so recently achieved, but the
+effort failed pitifully. Seth Jones, however, took no offence, since
+he understood how great must be the young man's misery. On the
+contrary, his sympathies were deeply stirred, and he essayed a few
+words meant to comfort.
+
+"An' I reckon I'll go 'long with you-all, Zeke, in the mornin'," he
+concluded.
+
+But Zeke shook his head at the offer.
+
+"I got to cross over home fer my rifle-gun," he explained, vaguely.
+
+"I clean fergot to tell ye," Uncle Dick cried. "Yer rifle-gun's hyar,
+Zeke. I done fotched it over fer ye."
+
+"Thank ye, Uncle Dick," was the grave response. But the young man did
+not rescind his refusal of the veteran's company.
+
+Uncle Dick offered a share of his bed to Brant and the marshal, but it
+was refused by both. There were blankets spread for the men on the
+floor of the porch, where the smoke gushed from a smudge kettle to
+keep off the mosquitoes. There, presently, the company stretched
+themselves for the brief dreamless sleep won by the day's fatigues.
+
+Even Zeke fell into a sound slumber, with the bull-terrier nestled at
+his breast. He had not thought to sleep, only to lie quiet for a
+little rest, and then, long before the dawn, to issue forth alone.
+Nevertheless, his repose was profound for two hours, or more. Perhaps,
+the stirring of the dog awoke him; perhaps, his own determination,
+subconsciously exerted. Anyhow, he straightened up suddenly, and
+stared about him stupidly, reluctant to believe that he had actually
+slept thus, while Plutina cried out for succor. He was relieved when
+he perceived that there was not yet even a trace of dawn in the east.
+He realized that it was as well, for though he had lost little time,
+he felt vitally refreshed, with new vigors to battle in behalf of the
+girl he loved. It was but the work of a minute noiselessly to possess
+himself of his rifle, and to descend the steps. The bull-terrier kept
+close at his heels. With the dog still following, Zeke, pressed
+forward through the darkness toward Stone Mountain.
+
+The other sleepers were aroused by Uncle Dick as the first gray light
+was flushing to the rose of dawn over the eastern mountains. There was
+some astonishment at finding Zeke already gone, but it subsided
+quickly, for all understood how great must be his anxiety. The men of
+the posse duly took their departure for the railway points designated
+by the marshal. Seth Jones set out in pursuit of Zeke. Stone, with
+Uncle Dick and Brant, made ready for the actual hunting of the
+outlaw.
+
+"I've seen Jack more than once pick up a cold trail three days old,"
+the hound's master declared, with a manifest pride in the creature's
+prowess; "and run down his man. Can we get hold of something to give
+him the scent--an old shoe, or cap--anything?"
+
+"Got jest the thing fer ye," Uncle Dick replied, leading the way from
+the cabin toward one of the out-buildings. "Hit's an ole coat. Dan
+left hit one hot day when he stopped in at my forge, to tinker the
+rivets to the cap o' the still. Hit was dum hot thet day, an' he left
+'is coat. 'Twa'n't wuth comin' back fer. I 'low the smell's about all
+thet's left to hit."
+
+Brant showed the tattered garment to the stag-hound, and bade the
+animal smell it. The dog sniffed obediently a few times, sneezed as if
+in disgust of the odor, regarded its master understandingly, and then
+walked away.
+
+"That's all that's necessary," Cyclone Brant declared. "The dog and I
+are ready."
+
+Forthwith, the three men, with the hound, set forth toward the
+southeast, to cut the track of the outlaw near Sandy creek. They
+followed the trail to a point some distance beyond the Woodruff Gate,
+and then left it to ascend the precipitous slopes near the eastern end
+of Stone Mountain. They were not far from Sandy Creek Falls, when the
+marshal halted, and pointed out the remains of a camp-fire.
+
+"This is where Hodges stopped to cook his supper the first night," he
+explained. "I followed the tracks on to the creek, and up it to the
+falls, where I lost them. Now, it's up to the dog."
+
+A growl from the hound caused the three to look up, startled. There
+was an exclamation from Uncle Dick, and the rifle leaped to his
+shoulder.
+
+"No, no--don't shoot!" Stone ordered. He, too, had seen and recognized
+Garry Hawks, as the fellow, evidently disconcerted by their presence
+there, slipped stealthily into the laurel. "He'll be more useful to us
+alive presently," he explained to Uncle Dick, who had obeyed
+protestingly.
+
+"Thet's so, likely," the old man conceded grudgingly. Then he chuckled
+harshly, for the first time since Plutina's disappearance. "Got his
+right wing slung up! Did ye see hit? Tiny done hit--pore gal! Purty
+peart at shootin', Tiny is. Thet-thar--"
+
+"There's a fresh track here made by Hodges," the marshal exclaimed,
+interrupting. He pointed to a plain imprint on the dirt covering of a
+flat rock.
+
+Brant brought his dog to the spot, pointed to the footprint, and
+slipped the leash. The hound lowered its head, snuffed at the ground,
+and gave tongue. In the same second, it was off at speed, running with
+muzzle low, with the continuous whining yelps that told of a warm
+scent. It did not vanish into the coverts as all had expected, but
+followed through the open place that led to the northward, skirting
+the wood. As the men hurried after, they caught a final glimpse of the
+dog two hundred yards beyond, just disappearing over a ridge. They
+followed the sound of its baying with what haste they might, yet
+slowly, by reason of the difficult going. The dog's cries guided them,
+much to the surprise of Uncle Dick and the marshal, straight toward
+Sandy Creek Falls, whither the first tracks of the outlaw and the girl
+had led, and where they had been so mysteriously lost. As the three
+scrambled up a steep ascent, scarcely a hundred yards from the
+sand-bar, there came to their ears from the hound a high, melancholy
+howl.
+
+"It means that Jack is at fault, somehow," Brant explained in answer
+to a grunt of inquiry from Uncle Dick. "Something puzzling him for a
+minute."
+
+The two listeners looked at each other with grave faces. Was it
+possible, they wondered, that the hound would be baffled, even as they
+had been, there at the pool? But their expression lightened the next
+moment, for two sharp, harsh barks came from the dog, which was
+evidently still in the neighborhood of the falls, and its master
+interpreted:
+
+"Jack's treed his game, sure's you're born!"
+
+The three topped the ridge, and broke into a run down the slope, their
+rifles at the ready. Within the minute, they leaped from the thicket
+into the open place below the falls. Then, with one accord, they
+stopped short and stood staring bewilderedly.
+
+The hound continued its deep-chested baying. It stood erect on its
+hind legs, almost to a man's height. It was supported by its fore-paws
+extended as far up as they would reach against the wall of the
+precipice, a little to the left of the waterfall. As it barked, the
+dog held its muzzle pointed straight upward. There could be no doubt,
+if the sensitiveness of the brute were to be relied on, that its
+quarry had, in some incomprehensible fashion, contrived to mount the
+sheer surface of the cliff. That the hound was sure, was made plain by
+the rigidity of its posture, by the fierce, challenging ululations,
+which pealed forth incessantly.
+
+The three men went forward presently, their gaze wandering aloft from
+the dog, over the inaccessible expanse of vertical cliffs. They came
+down to the sand-bar, and followed it around the pool, still in
+silence, and still with their puzzled eyes roving hither and yon for
+some clue to understanding of this thing. But, of a sudden, Uncle Dick
+shouted:
+
+"I see how 'tis! I shorely kotch on. Looky thar!"
+
+The marshal and Brant followed the direction of his pointing arm, but
+they saw nothing to make the matter clear--only a tiny ledge, fifty
+feet above them, along which grew a few bushes and clumps of ground
+pine. It offered no hiding-place for a child even, hardly footing for
+the outlaw's heavy bulk. But Uncle Dick shook his head to rebuke their
+lack of comprehension, then explained:
+
+"Dan's a keen un, all right," he said, with grudging admiration. "But
+this-hyar time he's done left 'is mark fer my ole eyes to see. Now,
+you-all jest throw yer eyes o' vision up the side o' the cliff ag'in.
+If ye looks cluss, ye kin see a streak o' dampness on the rock. Hit's
+jet as if a mounting rattler mout 'a' dove down the rock right thar.
+But 'twa'n't thet. Thet-thar streak is the mark of a wet rope--er
+mebby a grape-vine. Thet's the way them devils git up an' down. I'll
+bet every stick o' my mounting timber them cusses got a cave up thar,
+offen the ledge. P'rhaps Garry Hawks jest got up, since we-uns seen
+'im. An' the rock hain't had time to dry from the rope, er vine,
+a-gittin' wet in the falls. Dan Hodges thought he had a mighty cute
+place to lay out in. But he's kotched jest the same--damn 'im!... Good
+dawg!" The change in Uncle Dick's voice as he spoke the last two words
+was startling.
+
+The two listeners accepted the old man's solution, but they did not
+share his enthusiasm. On the contrary, they were very grave, for the
+task before them appeared formidable, if not impossible, of
+achievement. As they continued silent, gazing upward with frowning
+faces, Uncle Dick regarded them at first in perplexity, then in
+rapidly-mounting apprehension.
+
+"What's a-bitin' on ye?" he demanded, at last.
+
+The marshal replied.
+
+"There's no way of getting them out of there. They're armed and not
+particular about murder. They can hold that fort till kingdom-come.
+Dan could alone. There's nothing for it but to starve 'em out--if
+they're there."
+
+"And the trouble about that is," Brant added, "that they've got the
+girl for hostage. It seems to me that this Dan Hodges has the
+whip-hand."
+
+For a little, Uncle Dick, who had paled under the tan, stood silent,
+looking helplessly from one to the other of his companions. Then he
+groaned aloud. But in the next instant, he straightened to his full
+height. His face grew convulsed with rage, as he faced the cliff, and
+his great voice volumed above the clamor of the cataract:
+
+"God A'mighty damn ye, Dan Hodges! Damn ye--damn ye!"
+
+And then again:
+
+"Damn ye, Dan Hodges, ferever an' ferever!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+
+Plutina's treatment of Hodges had had a curious effect on that lawless
+character. The humiliation to which he had been subjected had indeed
+filled him with vicious rage, but, too, it had inflamed his passion
+for the girl. Her scorn and her fierce mastery of him had made her
+more than ever desirable. He was fascinated by the strength and
+courage she had displayed. Brutal and evil as he was, Hodges was
+strong physically, and, in his own wicked way, strong of will. Because
+he was stronger than his fellows, he ruled them. Strength was, in
+fact, the one thing that he could admire. The revelation of it in
+Plutina at once set her apart from all other women, and gave to his
+craving for her a clumsy sort of veneration. But that veneration was
+strangely modified by resolve to be avenged for the insult she had put
+upon him. Thus, it had come about that he planned to satisfy his
+varied feelings toward the girl by the abduction. He swore to master
+her, to change her insolence to fawning submission, to abject
+fondness.
+
+Hodges wasted no time. His sluggish brain began its scheming the
+moment a turn in the trail hid him from view, after the ignominious
+march from the Holloman Gate. At sunrise, next morning, he was lurking
+on the borders of the Siddon clearing, spying on the movements of the
+family. He even witnessed Plutina's confession to her grandfather, of
+which he guessed the purport, and at which he cursed vilely beneath
+his breath. When Plutina set forth for the Cherry Lane post-office, he
+followed, slinking through the forest at a safe distance from the
+trail. He was not quite certain as to where or when he should attack
+the girl, but he meant to seize the first favorable opportunity,
+whether it came sooner or later. It came, as a matter of fact, very
+soon, and it was given by Plutina herself.
+
+There at the fallen poplar, the girl found a comfortable nook on the
+big trunk, where her back was supported by a limb. The serenity of the
+scene soothed her over-wrought nerves. The sense of relief that had
+come from confession to her grandfather was less vivid now. In its
+stead was a blessed peacefulness. She watched lazily the visible
+details of forest life around about her. Her attention centered
+finally on a yellow-hammer, which was industriously boring the trunk
+of a dead chestnut. From the nest near-by, the callow young thrust
+naked heads, with bills gaping hungrily. Then, in a twinkling, birds
+and forest vanished, and she was standing on the mist-strewn steeps
+of Stone Mountain, and Zeke's arm was about her, and her hand was
+clasped in his. So, she slept, and smiled a little in her dreams, for
+the touch of the breeze on her cheek seemed the caress of her lover's
+lips. From his lair in the laurel, Dan Hodges, watching, knew that his
+opportunity was come. The outlaw laid down his rifle, and drew from a
+pocket a stout leash of cowhide, a yard long. Glancing from time to
+time at his intended victim, to see that she still slept, he hastily
+fashioned a slip-noose at either end of the thong. This done, he began
+moving forward with the utmost caution, taking advantage of the cover,
+that he might remain invisible should the girl awake. He held the
+leash in his two hands ready for instant action. A slight detour
+brought him around the stump of the poplar, just behind Plutina.
+Advancing with even increased carefulness now, he approached until the
+girl was easily within his reach. As she reclined on the tree-trunk,
+her left hand hung at length on the side next to him. The right arm
+was bent along the supporting branch, and the hand pillowed her cheek.
+After a moment of doubt, Hodges decided that he would attempt to
+secure the free wrist in a noose of the leash without awakening her.
+It would be easy then to catch and bind the other wrist. In the
+confusion of sudden rousing from sleep, she would make no effective
+resistance. The capture would be very simple.
+
+It was, in truth, tragically simple, yet not so simple as the outlaw
+had anticipated. From dreams of tenderness, Plutina was suddenly
+started to hateful realization by the scarcely perceptible touch of
+this being so repugnant to her every instinct. She was confused,
+indeed, but not too confused for frantic resistance. It needed no more
+than recognition of the man's brutal face so close to hers to inspire
+her. She fought him with every ounce of her strength. The left hand
+was useless, held down by his on the thong, with the noose drawn taut
+about the wrist. But the outlaw, though he contrived to get the other
+noose over her right hand, failed somehow to tighten it at once. She
+was able to strike at him again and again. Her blows fell on his face,
+and they were sturdy blows. Hodges made no effort to avoid them, nor
+struck back--only busied himself with the effort to tighten the noose.
+It was evident that he disdained her attack. A certain virile pride
+forbade defense against this onslaught of a girl. Finally, he brought
+his left hand to aid in adjusting the second noose. In the few seconds
+of liberty, Plutina abandoned blows, and resorted to savage clawing at
+the evil face. Her ten nails streaked the coarse features with blood.
+But still he seemed absolutely indifferent to such wounds as she
+could inflict. Then, the noose slipped to tightness. The girl's hands
+were brought close together behind her back, where she stood beside
+him. He knotted the slack of the leash, and holding the loop, grinned
+triumphantly at his captive. His bloody face was a mask of malice.
+
+"Ye damned little wildcat," he growled, yet with an unmistakable note
+of admiration in his voice, "if I sarved ye 'cordin' to yer earnin's,
+I'd shorely tap ye over thet-thar purty haid o' your'n, an' pitch ye
+over into the Devil's Kittle, to wait fer yer runt lover to come arter
+ye." He twisted her about viciously. Despite her strength, unusual in
+a woman, Plutina was powerless in his grip. Holding her close, face to
+face, he contemplated the girl's pitiable distress with gloating eyes
+in which there was no faintest suggestion of pity. The prisoner met
+the malignant gaze for an instant. Then, her eyes fell, and she stood
+trembling. She was panting, partly from terror, partly from the
+violence with which she had struggled. Hodges chuckled, well content
+over the impression he had made. He would show her how a woman should
+be tamed! But the thing must be done in full accord with a plan he had
+made. Now that the captive had duly learned her first lesson in
+submissiveness, he might relax a little from his severity for a time.
+Besides, too much fright might leave her helpless on his hands, which
+would be highly inconvenient, since there was a rough journey on foot
+before them. When he next spoke, he tried, without much success, to
+make his voice conciliatory.
+
+"Thar hain't no call fer ye to be so dum skeery--leastways, not yit. I
+hain't a-hurtin' ye none--not yit--only jest a-tyin' yer han's to keep
+'em out o' mischief. But I reckon as how ye'll hev to eat them words
+ye spoke to me at the gate yistiddy. I 'low ye done forgot the warnin'
+I gin ye 'bout playin' Dan Hodges fer a fool. Ye're lookin' mighty
+sorry ye ever tried hit." He chuckled again, as he meditated a
+humorous effort: "Ye know thet pore feller what ye winged yistiddy?"
+He shook his head reprovingly. "You-all shore hadn't orter never 'ave
+done no sech thing. Garry wa'n't a-bitin' on ye none. He's hurt bad,
+Garry is, an' he needs a nuss the worst way, Garry does. An' so I come
+an' got ye." He guffawed over his wit. "If ye'll behave I'll let loose
+o' ye a mite, an' we'll stroll along a matter of a few mile to whar
+Garry's waitin' awful impatient."
+
+Suddenly, unreasoning fear surged up in Plutina, brimmed over in a
+torrent of pleading words. She knew the uselessness of appeal to this
+callous wretch. But the instinct of terror in her horrible situation
+mastered the girl, so that she forgot pride, and besought his mercy.
+She was ghastly pale, and the dilated eyes were almost black, with a
+stricken look in their clouded depths. Her voice was shaking.
+
+"Lemme go Dan--lemme go. Ye've done got even with me now fer yistiddy.
+Lemme go--I ax it of ye, Dan. I done ye dirt yistiddy, 'cause I was
+scared o' ye. An' I'm scared o' ye now, Dan. Lemme go home, an' I
+won't never tell nobody how ye kotched me."
+
+She had raised her eyes beseechingly. Now, as she saw the smug mockery
+on her captor's face, she fell silent. The futility of any pleading
+was too plain. Her eyes shifted to the ground again. But the first
+wild fear was past, and she began to think with some clearness. At
+once, it occurred to her that she must guard her strength jealously.
+She had already wasted too much in vain physical struggling and in
+vainer emotional outbursts. She must save her energies henceforth both
+of body and of mind, that she might have wherewith to contrive, escape
+and wherewith to accomplish it, or wherewith to fight against a
+lustful brute to the very death.
+
+Hodges spoke approval.
+
+"Ye're gittin' sense. Better save yer breath to cool yer porrich, stid
+o' wastin' hit a-whinin' to me. But I shore admire fer to hear ye
+squawk. Ye hain't quite so damned uppitty as ye was yistiddy."
+
+"I 'low I must do what ye says," Plutina agreed, listlessly. She felt
+very weary, now that the reaction was upon her. At whatever cost, she
+must have an interval in which to recover from this weakness.
+
+"Thet's the ticket!" Hodges exclaimed, with a jovialty meant to be
+winning. He went behind her, and loosened the knot he had last tied,
+so that her wrists, although still fast bound, had a little play. The
+length of the loop allowed him to move by her side with it over his
+arm. "You-all jest mosey acrost to thet-thar birch clump," he
+directed, pointing. "I got a rifle-gun yender, what I kain't noways do
+without."
+
+Plutina walked obediently at his side in the direction indicated, and
+stood passively while he picked up the weapon. Then, in response to
+his command, she set off with him through the tortuous forest paths to
+the southward.
+
+For the time being, Plutina's dominant emotion was a vast depression.
+It bore down on her like a physical burden, under which she had hardly
+the power to go forward with slouching steps. It was as if the end of
+the world were come, with the loss of everything good and clean and
+happy. The only reality was this foul creature to whom she was bound,
+from whom there was no escape, who had but to speak and she must obey,
+who had the authority to compel obedience. She was sick with horror
+of the man's nearness. She felt defilement from the avid eyes, which
+moved over her in wanton lingering from head to foot, and back again.
+But she had no resource against him. She could only endure for the
+present, awaiting the return of strength. She could see no glimmer of
+hope anywhere. Yet, she strove numbly against this enveloping despair.
+She told herself again and again that, somehow, relief would come
+before the dreaded crisis. The words were spiritless; they brought no
+conviction. Nevertheless, she kept repeating them mutely to herself,
+as she trudged drearily beside Hodges toward Stone Mountain.
+
+"I'll git clar o' him somehow--I will, I will! Gran'pap'll kill 'im!
+Zeke'll come! He will!"
+
+It was incredible that her lover could come, that he could even know
+of the evil, until too late to save her. Yet, the thought of his
+coming subtly cheered her. It persisted in defiance of all reason. And
+the affrighted girl clung to it with desperate tenacity, as a drowning
+man to the life line. She kept repeating to herself, "Zeke'll come! He
+will, he will!" as if the phrases were a spell for the soothing of
+terror. She wished that her hands were free to touch the fairy crystal
+in her bosom.
+
+The outlaw, after uncouth efforts at conversation, which met with no
+response, relapsed into sullen silence, and he mended the pace until
+the girl was hard put to it to keep up with his stride. On the first
+slopes of Stone Mountain, he halted, evidently at a spot where he had
+camped on other occasions, for presently he produced a skillet and
+coffee-pot and materials for a rude meal from their concealment in the
+bushes. But his first care was to place the prisoner on a log, where a
+sapling at her back served for attaching the loop of the leash. He
+then busied himself with making a fire and preparing the food, from
+time to time jeering at the helpless girl, who watched him with
+smouldering hate in her eyes.
+
+"Hit's you-all orter be a-doin' these-hyar chores," he declared, with
+a grin. "An' they's a good time a-comin' when ye'll be plumb tickled
+to death to wait on yer Danny boy. A good time comin', cuss ye!"
+
+He devoured his food ravenously, washing it down with the coffee.
+Finally, he brought slices of bread and bacon to Plutina, and laid
+them in her lap. He loosened her right hand and so permitted her to
+feed herself. It was her impulse to refuse the offering, but she
+resisted the folly, knowing the necessity of food, if she would have
+energy for the ordeal before her. So, she gulped down the bread and
+meat, and drank from the dipper full of coffee. Then, her bonds were
+tightened again, and the two renewed their march.
+
+The going was harder here, up and down the rock-strewn slopes. Fatigue
+lay very heavy on Plutina, after the strains of the two days. Only her
+hate of the man at her side bolstered up pride, so that she compelled
+herself to keep moving by sheer force of will. It was already dusk,
+when, at last, they issued from the wood and went forward over the
+shore of the pool at Sandy Creek Falls.
+
+"Wall, hyar we be!" Hodges cried loudly. There was satisfaction in his
+voice.
+
+That satisfaction aroused Plutina from the apathy into which she had
+fallen, during the last half-mile of difficult scrambling, made more
+toilsome by the constraint of her bound wrists. Now, puzzlement
+provoked interest in her surroundings. She had expected that the
+outlaw would bear her away to the most convenient or the most
+inaccessible of the various secret retreats with which rumor credited
+him. But here was neither cave nor shack--only the level space of
+sand, the mist-wreathed pool, the rushing volume of the falls, the
+bleak wall of the cliff which towered above them where they had halted
+at its base. She knew this place. There could be no cavern at hand.
+Her eyes searched the space of the inclosure wonderingly. Then, they
+went to the man, whom she found regarding her bewilderment with a
+smirk of gratification.
+
+"Hyar we be, right on the door-step, so to say," he bellowed. "If ye
+kain't see the door-step yit, ye will mighty quick, unless thet pore
+feller ye shot has gone an' died a-waitin' fer you-all to come an'
+nuss 'im.... Yep, he was a-watchin', all right," he added briskly.
+"Hyar hit comes!"
+
+Plutina's eyes followed her captor's and, far above, she made out
+something that dangled from the slight break in the cliff. It
+descended slowly and jerkily, with haphazard gyrations. As its end
+drew closer, she perceived that it was a rudely constructed
+rope-ladder, with wooden rungs. She watched it fascinated, shivering
+with new fears.
+
+When the flimsy means of ascent hung at its full length, Hodges bade
+the girl climb. Unnerved as she already was, the ordeal of such a
+progress to the mysterious height above seemed too terrible. She
+refused mutely, shaking her head, and cowering away from the outlaw as
+far as the thong permitted. But the man had no pity for her
+timorousness.
+
+"You-all kin jest nacherly crawl up thet-thar ladder," he announced,
+"or we'll sling ye on the end of a rope, an' h'ist ye. Thet'll tumble
+ye round an' bump ye agin the rocks quite some. But ye're the doctor.
+If ye'll climb up, I'll leave yer han's loose, an' foller cluss behind
+ye, so ye kain't fall. Hit's shore wobbly, but hit's safe. Dan Hodges
+hain't aimin' to git his neck broke--ner to let the law break it fer
+him!" he added, in a lower tone to himself.
+
+But Plutina caught the words. She made nothing of them at the time;
+afterward, she realized their significance, and thanked God for them.
+
+In the end, the prisoner yielded to necessity and ventured to mount
+with reluctant slowness. She found, to her intense relief, that the
+strength was returning to her body. She no longer felt the pervasive
+lassitude. The physical improvement reacted on her mind to restore
+confidence in her powers. She realized that probably the only danger
+lay in her own faltering, and she resolved to overcome her natural
+dread, to bend all her energies to a safe performance of the task.
+Despite her hatred of the man, she found unspeakable comfort in the
+sight of his great hairy hands clutching the ropes on either side of
+her at the height of her waist. But, as she mounted, the space beneath
+grew fearsome to her, and she raised her eyes and held them steadily
+on the distance above, as she had learned to do in clambering with her
+lover.
+
+Somehow, now, the thought of Zeke heartened Plutina. Swinging dizzily
+in the abyss, with the arms of her jailer about her, there flowed into
+her soul a new courage. It was without reason, an absurdity, a folly,
+but, oh, what a solace to her spirit! Under the stimulus of it, she
+ascended more rapidly. The pinched, ugly face of Garry Hawks,
+glowering down at her from the ledge, did not dismay her, even though
+the thought flashed on her brain that now this man whom she had
+wounded could hurl her to destruction by a touch. She had no fear of
+him; only pressed upward steadily. In another moment, her head passed
+above the level of the ledge. She took the hand Garry Hawks held out
+and climbed upon the narrow support, where she shrank back against the
+cliff, after one glance into the gulf yawning at her feet. The level
+space was a scant yard in width here, and lessened on the side away
+from the falls, until it ceased entirely. In the other direction, it
+ran, broadening a very little, to where a tiny cleft showed in the
+precipice. Plutina guessed that this marked the entrance to a cavern.
+Despite the bravery of her changed mood, the eerie retreat daunted her
+by its desolate isolation. Then, Hodges climbed upon the ledge, and
+she heard his shout, coming faintly to her ears above the roar of the
+cascade which fell just beyond the cavern's mouth.
+
+"Welcome, home, Honey!" he bawled, with his detested jocularity.
+"They hain't nobody a-goin' to butt in on our love-makin' up hyar."
+
+Tittering and leering, he seized the girl by the arm, and led her,
+unresisting, to the cranny that was the door of the cave. A glance
+over her shoulder showed Garry Hawks on his knee, hauling up the
+ladder. She knew that with its disappearance there would remain nought
+by which the searchers could guess whither she had vanished, or how.
+Once again, courage went out of her. In its place was despair.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+
+The cave into which Plutina now entered was a small, uneven chamber,
+some three yards in width at its highest point. It extended back for a
+little way, but the roof sloped downward so sharply that only in the
+central space could the girl stand upright, and even there Hodges had
+to stoop. On the far side was a hole in the rocky wall. It was hardly
+a yard in height, but the faint glow that marked it was proof that it
+reached to the daylight outside. At the best, it could serve as a
+passage-way only to one creeping on hands and knees. So much Plutina
+perceived in the first curious survey of her prison. The inspection
+was rendered possible by the murky light of a tallow candle, fixed in
+its own grease to a fragment of stone near the center of the cavern.
+
+As the outlaw released his hold on her arm, the girl sank down
+listlessly on a part of the wall that projected like a bench near the
+entrance. She leaned back against the cold stone, and her eyes closed.
+She felt a terrifying weakness, against which she battled with what
+strength she could summon. She dared not swoon, and so leave herself
+wholly helpless within the power of this man. She was white and
+trembling, but by force of will she held herself from falling, though
+her muscles seemed fluid as milk, and blackness whirled before her
+eyes.
+
+Nevertheless, Hodges was not minded to have a fainting woman on his
+hands. His prisoner's appearance alarmed him, and he hurried to a
+corner of the cave, whence he quickly returned with a cup half-full of
+whiskey. This he held to Plutina's lips. She accepted the service, for
+she could not lift a hand, so great was her weakness. She swallowed a
+part of the draught, and the strong liquor warmed and strengthened
+her. She was so far restored soon as to understand Hodges' closing
+sentence, for he had been mumbling at her.
+
+"Ye hain't so damned skittish as ye was yistiddy," he jeered.
+
+Plutina had no spirit to reply. She could only sit in abject
+lassitude, content to feel the glow of the stimulant creeping through
+her veins. For a time, her thoughts were stilled by the bodily torpor.
+She welcomed the respite, glad to rest from the horror of her plight.
+She heard the raucous voice of the outlaw booming in her ears, but she
+paid no heed. She saw Garry Hawks come into the cavern, waddling under
+the burden of the rope-ladder, which he carried clumsily by reason of
+the wound in his arm. She observed that the outlaw said something to
+his minion, putting his lips close to the fellow's ear, lest he be
+overheard. But she felt no curiosity as to the purport of this secret
+utterance, nor did she take interest when, immediately afterward, she
+beheld the wounded man get down on all fours and crawl out of sight
+through the hole in the opposite side of the cave.
+
+Little by little, the prisoner's forces came back to her. Of a sudden,
+she aroused with a start, as though she had been asleep, albeit
+without any consciousness of having slept. She felt a new alertness
+now through all her members, and her brain was clear. Along with this
+well-being came again appreciation of the dreadfulness of her case.
+She grew rigid under the shock of dire realization, tensing her
+muscles, without volition, as if to repel attack. Her eyes went
+fearfully to Hodges, who sprawled at ease on a heap of spruce boughs
+across the cavern from her. The man was puffing lazily at a corncob
+pipe. The rank, acrid smell of the tobacco-smoke came to her nostrils,
+strangely home-like in this weird prison cell, aloft within the crags.
+She perceived, with infinite relief, that for the moment he appeared
+absorbed in his thoughts, disregardful of her presence. At least, she
+would have opportunity to fortify her spirit against the fear that
+beset her. She must ape bravery, even though she sickened with
+terror. Thus only could she hope to daunt the creature that threatened
+her. She had only moral strength with which to resist him. Physically,
+she would be as a child in his grasp, notwithstanding her quick, firm
+muscles. In a bodily contest, there could be but the single issue, her
+vanquishment. It would be hardly more than sport to him, the utmost of
+her frenzied strugglings. She saw the bloody marks of her fingers on
+his face, and remembered his stolid seeming of indifference to her
+fury. He had scorned her strength then. So, he would continue to scorn
+it--with reason, since it could by no means avail against him. No, she
+must have recourse to strength of will rather, to awe and intimidate
+him. She knew the folly of such means against the brutal desire of the
+man. But she clung to it as a meed of hope, because she had naught
+else to which to cling. Without a hope, even the falsest, she must
+have gone mad.
+
+One thing seemed favoring for the time. The man was evidently sober.
+Plutina wondered at that, for Hodges was not often sober, and excess
+of liquor was an accustomed part in all his pleasures. His abstinence
+now puzzled her, but it relieved her, too, since it promised some
+postponement of his worst advances. Thus encouraged, she set herself
+to review the situation in detail, in forlorn attempt to come on a way
+of escape. But a half-hour of effort left her distraught. She could
+devise nothing to suit her need. Only one thought remained for
+tragical comfort in her wretchedness: In her last extremity, she might
+cast herself from the cliff. Better a thousand times clean death than
+defilement.... Plutina remembered her grandfather's regret over her
+having spared the outlaw. Now, with her finger on the trigger, there
+would have been no faltering, only joy and thanksgiving.
+
+The defenseless girl watched furtively. When, at last, Hodges stirred
+from his indolent sprawl, knocked the dottle from his pipe, and looked
+up at her, she shrank visibly. The blood rushed back to her heart in a
+flood, leaving her pallid, and she was trembling. Even in the feeble
+light from the guttering candle, Hodges could perceive her
+disturbance. It gratified him, and he laughed, in sinister glee over
+her emotion.
+
+"I 'low ye're gittin' some tame since yistiddy," he exclaimed. He got
+to his feet slowly, whereat Plutina looked toward the entrance cleft,
+ready if the need came, to fly from him to the more merciful abyss.
+But Hodges moved toward the back of the cave where he brought out a
+stone jug from its niche, and returned to the bed of boughs. Seated
+again, he filled the tin cup full of spirits, and drank it down. With
+the pipe recharged and burning, he continued to sit in silence,
+regarding the girl with an unswerving intentness that tortured her.
+At short intervals, he replenished the cup and quaffed it thirstily.
+He was rapidly compensating for his earlier abstinence. Plutina,
+studying him covertly, noted the beginnings of drunkenness and its
+various stages. There was gruesome fascination in her scrutiny; for
+she knew that her honor rested on the hazard of a sot's whim.
+
+Suddenly, the girl knew that the peril was very close upon her. Hodges
+was staring at her from his reddened eyes with a rampant lustfulness
+that was unmistakable. Again, she measured the distances, to make sure
+that the last desperate means of escape from his embraces lay open
+still. She meant, in the final crisis, to spring to the crevice,
+before he could approach within reach of her. There, with the verge of
+the cliff only a step away, she would make her plea, with death in the
+gulf as the alternative of failure, the ultimate safeguard of honor.
+
+There could be no doubt concerning the imminence of the danger. The
+usually red face of the outlaw was mottled purple, congested by the
+stimuli of liquor and passion. The thick under-lip hung slackly,
+quivering from time to time in the convulsive tremors of desire that
+ran over him. A high light fell on the man's neck, where the open
+shirt left it bare. Plutina's gaze was caught by the slight rise and
+fall of the flesh above the artery. The movement was made
+distinguishable across the cavern by the effects of light and shade.
+The girl found herself mechanically counting the throbs. The rapidity
+of them amazed her. They witnessed the fever raging in his blood--the
+fever that clamored for assuagement from her. The galloping pulse
+enthralled her with horror. It made visible the vile fires raging in
+him. So swift the rhythm grew that a hideous hope sprang up in the
+watcher--hope that an apoplexy might stretch the man dead at her
+feet.
+
+Hodges reached for the jug, and poured from it into the cup, and
+drank. The girl perceived that, in the few seconds, his mood had
+changed utterly. The purple of his face was dingy with gray. He was
+trembling now. His eyes moved restlessly, as if fearful of something
+to issue from the darkness. Not once did they rest on her. She
+remembered the racing pulse in his throat, and looked for it. To her
+astonishment, it was no longer to be seen, though the light fell on
+the place as before. She knew then that the fever had died, and she
+marveled mightily. But she recognized more, for she was unharmed
+still. The changed mood of her enemy promised immunity, for a time at
+least.
+
+Yet once again, the outlaw drank. Then, without a word to the
+prisoner, or so much as a look in her direction, he got down on his
+hands and knees, and crawled out of sight through the hole in the
+wall.
+
+For what seemed to her ages, Plutina waited for his return, dreading a
+new, obscene mood. But the time dragged on, and there was no sign of
+his coming. The candle flared and smoked, went out. The girl huddled
+in the dark, listening now, for her eyes could not pierce the
+blackness. The roar of the waterfall filled her ears. The noise
+dismayed her, for it must inevitably cover all lesser sounds, even
+those close at hand. Any evil might leap on her without warning, out
+of the darkness. She felt her helplessness multiplied, intolerable,
+thus blinded and deafened. She longed to shriek, pitting shrill clamor
+against the bass thunders of the cascade. She began to fear lest
+madness seize her if she remained longer thus supinely crouching amid
+the terrors of this place. Obeying a sudden impulse, she got up, and
+gropingly, with shuffling, cautious steps, moved across the cavern.
+When she reached the opposite wall, she got down on hands and knees,
+and crawled until her searching fingers found the emptiness of the
+hole through which the men had passed. Then, she drew back a little,
+and sat with alert ears, sure that none could issue into the cavern
+now without her knowledge.
+
+The relief afforded by the action soon waned. Terrors crowded on her
+again in the second period of waiting. In desperation, she determined
+to explore the hole itself. She tried to examine the project carefully
+and found nothing to stay her purpose. Joy leaped in her at the
+thought that a way of escape even might be ready to her hand. She
+believed it more likely, however, that the passage led merely to
+another chamber in the cliff. If such should be the case, and either
+or both of the men were sleeping there, she could probably ascertain
+the fact readily without being herself discovered, since here the
+sound of the falls was muffled. Forthwith, she crept slowly within the
+opening.
+
+The progress was snail-like. The rough rock of the floor cut into her
+knees cruelly, but she disregarded the pain, and went forward. She
+tested each inch of the way by feeling over the stones with her hands,
+on either side and along the floor. The narrowness of the passage,
+which was hardly more than its height, rendered thorough examination
+easy. She found no lateral openings, nor did the space grow
+perceptibly larger. It suddenly occurred to her, after having advanced
+steadily, though very slowly, for five minutes, that she could not
+turn around. To return, she must back out. The idea appalled her, and
+she meditated retreat. Then, while she was yet undecided, the hand
+groping in front of her touched on stone above the floor level. A
+short investigation proved that here the passage was barred. She could
+feel space between the edges of the tunnel and the mass of stone that
+closed it. Since there was no other point of egress, both men must
+have passed through. Afterward, the opening had been closed by rolling
+a heavy rock before it. She put her strength in pressure against the
+stone, without avail. It was too heavy for her muscles. She realized
+that by this simple means she was shut within her prison. It was
+almost with relief that she began to creep backward--to be astounded
+by the shortness of the way. It was scarcely a minute before she was
+in the chamber again. To guard against surprise in the darkness, she
+pushed the couch of boughs a little way along the wall, so that it
+projected across the mouth of the tunnel. This done, she seated
+herself on the branches, assured that no one could enter the cavern
+without giving her warning. Even should she sleep, the thrusting away
+of the boughs from the orifice must surely awaken her.
+
+Nevertheless, Plutina did not expect the boon of sleep, though she
+longed for it with aching intensity. In spite of this temporary
+respite, she could see no way of escape from the outlaw's power,
+except by death. The vagaries of a drunken mood had saved her
+to-night: they could not save her for long. And, then, even while she
+mourned the hopelessness of her case, oblivion fell on her, and she
+slept the reposeful, dreamless slumber of utter exhaustion.
+
+A violent shaking of the bed of boughs startled the prisoner back to
+consciousness. For the fraction of a second, her mind was chaos. Then
+remembrance came, and rending fear. But there was one comfort--day had
+dawned: she could see. There was no one with her in the chamber. The
+moving branches warned that the intruder was still in the tunnel.
+There was time for her to gain the crevice, where she could forbid any
+approach, where if her command failed, she could throw herself from
+the cliff. She darted across the width of the room, and stood in the
+cleft, strained back against the rock, her eyes staring affrightedly
+toward the opposite wall. All her woman's terrors were crashing upon
+her now. She felt Death clawing at her over the brow of the ledge,
+fierce to drag her into the depths. One of the hands clutching at her
+bosom touched the fairy crystal, and she seized it despairingly, and
+clung to it, as if the secret spell of it might hold her back to
+life.
+
+Abruptly, a broken cry of relief fluttered from her lips, for she saw
+the shock head of Garry Hawks thrust from the tunnel's mouth. Toward
+him, she felt no fear, only contempt. In the reaction, she trembled
+so that she could hardly stand, and for a few moments her eyes closed.
+Only the rock against which she leaned saved her from crumbling to the
+floor. The weakness passed very quickly, however, and she was again
+mistress of herself by the time Hawks had scrambled to his feet.
+
+The fellow had little to say, answering surlily the questions put to
+him by Plutina. He plainly cherished animosity against the girl who
+had wounded him, which was natural enough. As plainly, he did not dare
+vent his spite too openly against the object of his chief's fondness.
+He brought with him a bag containing bread and a liberal allowance of
+cooked slices of bacon, and a jug of water. His information was to the
+effect that Hodges would not return until nightfall. He left in the
+fashion of his coming, by the tunnel. Plutina immediately replaced the
+boughs, and, when she had eaten and drunk, again seated herself on the
+rough bed. From time to time, she went to the crevice, and stared out
+over the wild landscape longingly. But the height gave her a vertigo
+if she stepped forth upon the ledge. For that reason, she did not
+venture outside the crevice after a single attempt, which set her
+brain reeling. She remained instead well within the cleft, where she
+was unaffected by the height, while able to behold the vast reaches of
+sunlit space before her. The area about the foot of the precipice
+was, however, cut off from her vision. So it came about that, though
+she went twice to the crevice and looked out during the intervals
+while the marshal, first with his men and afterward with her
+grandfather, was searching about the pool, she knew nothing concerning
+the nearness of aid. She could not see the men, and the din of the
+falls covered their voices.
+
+Occasionally, the girl lapsed into a quietude that was half-stupor and
+half-sleep, the while she reclined on the boughs. These were blessed
+periods of rest for the over-strained nerves, and she strove to
+prolong them--always in vain. For the most part, she hurried about
+with febrile, aimless movements. She found herself wondering often if
+to-day were to be the last of her life. She could see no other issue.
+The night would bring Hodges, and the crisis of her fate. She could
+not hope for a second escape through a drunken vagary. There would be
+only the leap from the ledge to-night. As she stood in the crevice,
+and looked out on the smiling sylvan glory of the scene, as the soft
+summer breeze caressed her cheeks, and the balsamic air filled her
+bosom with its gently penetrant vigors, she realized as never before
+the miracle of life, its goodness and sweet savors. She cried out
+against the hideous thing that was come upon her. The every fiber of
+her being flamed in revolt against the idea of death. Every atom of
+her clamored for life and love. And there were only shame and death
+for her choice. She took out the fairy crystal, and prayed to the
+sacred sign it bore, beholding it dimly though scalding tears. But
+faith flickered and went out. Her soul sickened.... For her, there was
+nothing else--just shame and death. No--only death.
+
+Plutina would have tried escape by the rope-ladder, but she found its
+weight too much for her strength, so sorely over-tried by racking
+emotions. Even had she been able to carry the burden it would have
+availed nothing, for the dizziness attacked her whenever she drew near
+the verge. In her desperation, she even crept the length of the tunnel
+a second time, on the faint chance that the exit might now be less
+secure. She found the rock barrier immovable as before, though the rim
+of light showed that here was, in very truth, the way to freedom, and
+she pushed frantically at the obstacle until utterly exhausted.
+
+It was when evening drew down that, at last, there sounded the noise
+of a writhing body within the tunnel, and, from her point of refuge
+close to the crevice, she saw the outlaw crawl out of the passage, and
+stand before her like a demon of the darkness, leering at her
+fatuously.
+
+"You-all is shore makin' quite a visit," he remarked, with heavy
+sarcasm.
+
+"An' it kain't he'p ye none, Dan," Plutina retorted. "I hates ye, an'
+yer keepin' me hyar hain't goin' to do ye no good. If ye goes fer to
+lay a finger on me, I'll go over the cliff. I'm worse scairt o' yer
+touchin' me than I be o' the rocks down thar, Dan." Her voice was
+colorless, but an undertone of finality ran in it.
+
+The outlaw regarded her sharply from his inflamed eyes. It may be that
+her sincerity impressed him. Yet, he betrayed no feeling as he
+answered, carelessly:
+
+"Hain't no call fer ye to be so damned ornery. I hain't a-goin' to
+tech ye--yit. We'll be together quite a spell, I reckon--till I gits
+sick o' havin' ye round. If I wanted ye I could jump ye easy from
+hyar. I'm some spry, if I be big. But ye needn't be skeered, I'm
+tellin' ye. I hain't a-goin' to tech ye--yit."
+
+The final monosyllable was charged with sinister import, but the man's
+assurance of her present safety was, somehow, convincing, and she
+accepted it with the emotional gratitude of one sentenced to death who
+receives a reprieve. She sank down on the stone bench near the
+crevice, and watched her jailer with unwavering attention, while he
+produced a candle from his pocket, and lighted it, and had recourse
+again to the stone jug of whiskey, which had remained by the bed of
+boughs.
+
+To-night, the fiery drams made him garrulous, and he discussed his
+affairs, his hopes, and plans, with a freedom that showed how complete
+was his expectation of retaining the girl in his power. Thus, Plutina
+learned of the search being made for her, which was now the active
+cause in changing the outlaw's purpose in the immediate disposal of
+his prisoner.
+
+"I was aimin' to lay low with ye right hyar," he explained, after his
+fourth sup of the spirits. "But I reckon hit's a goin' to be a heap
+safer to skedaddle. I ain't a-wantin' no damned dawgs fer to chaw me
+up. So I'm goin' to mosey over Bull Head t'-morrer. You-all 'll go
+'long, nice an' peaceable--er ye'll be drug." He spoke with a snarl
+now. "Ye'll know hit, when I once git ye cross the state line--cuss
+ye! Ye'll find I hain't so damned shy, arter all!"
+
+Plutina cowered before the savage threat in the words. There was no
+mistaking the expression in the lustful eyes burning on her. His
+regard was in itself contamination. It was the prophecy of worse, of
+the final wickedness, to come. The afflicted girl thrilled with
+loathing before the satyr-like aspect of this man, foul of flesh and
+soul. But, along with abhorrence of the creature who held her in his
+keeping so ruthlessly, there was another emotion--that recurrent
+wonder concerning such delay in the base gratification craved by his
+passion. She could not doubt the fierce longing that seethed in his
+veins. It was like a visible thing flaming from him; and tangible, for
+she felt the impact of those brutal desires thronging against the
+white shield of her own purity, powerless to penetrate, yet nauseating
+her by the unclean impact. What, then, interposed to check him? What
+hidden force held him back from working his will against her? She
+could make no surmise. Certainly, here was no physical restraint to
+stay him. As certainly, no moral reason would be of effect. The thing
+was altogether mysterious. So, she marveled mightily, and was curious
+to understand, even while she thanked God for the further respite. And
+now, too, hope began to burn again. Surely, if she were to accompany
+him on the trails as he had said, there would come the opportunity for
+escape. He could not be on guard ceaselessly. Vigilance must relax on
+occasion. It would not be then as here in this dreadful cavern,
+perched 'twixt earth and sky.... She broke off to listen, for the
+outlaw, having filled his pipe and drained a deep draught of the
+liquor, was become loquacious again. This time, thanks to the drink,
+he waxed confidential, intimate even.
+
+"I kin git away from hyar, an' no damned dawg kain't foller my tracks,
+nuther. Er if he does, he'll drap inter the Devil's Kittle. But I
+knows my way 'bout in these-hyar mountings. An' ye needn't be afeared
+o' losin' me, Honey. I'll hang onto ye good an' tight. When I git ye
+over the line, I'll have a parson, if ye want. I hain't a-keerin' one
+way, or t'other. But I got to have ye, willin' or not willin', parson
+or no parson. I'd hev ye t'-night if 'twan't fer jest one cussed
+thing. Hit's a'mighty hard to hev yer blood a-b'ilin', till ye're like
+to bust jest 'cause of a slip of a gal, what ye could smash in yer two
+han's--an' her so high an' mighty!" The querulous voice ceased, while
+he had recourse again to the stone jug.
+
+When next he spoke, it was evident that his mood had changed. He was
+no longer harshly self-assertive, vainglorious, or brutally frank
+concerning the passion that consumed him. He was, instead, strangely
+reminiscent, with involuntary revelation of the weakness that preyed
+upon him. The girl was grateful for the change in him, but her
+bewilderment increased.
+
+"I seen a feller hung once," Hodges said. His guttural, awed tones
+were hushed almost to a whisper. "They pulled a black cap down over
+'is face, so's he couldn't see nothin' 'bout what he was up ag'inst.
+An' his han's was tied together behind 'is neck, with the knot up
+under his ear--'is left ear, I 'member hit was. I 'member
+partic'lar."
+
+The speaker's gaze had been downcast; not once had he looked at
+Plutina. It was as if he had forgotten the girl's presence there with
+him, and communed aloud with his own gristly memories of the
+death-scene he had witnessed. His huge bulk seemed somehow shrunken--a
+physical shriveling in response to the craven fear in his soul. That
+gray, mottled purple of his face showed again. Plutina wondered, if,
+indeed, this same memory had been in his thoughts the night before.
+But, if so, it only made the thing the more inexplicable. Why should a
+hanging, long-past, thus haunt him? He was no nervous weakling, to be
+tortured by imaginary fears. Yet, now, he displayed unmistakable signs
+of terror, in his voice, his eyes, his whole mien, in the shaking
+haste that spilled the half of the drink he poured out.
+
+"I seen 'im hung," he repeated, abjectly. "They let the trap drap from
+under his feet--an' 'im all tied, an' thet-thar black cap pulled down
+over 'is face to blind 'im. Hit were plumb awful fer to see 'im drap.
+An' then the rope stopped 'im right in the air. Hit were a drefful
+yank he got. They say, hit broke 'is neck, so's he didn't feel nothin'
+more. But I dunno. Hit looked like he felt a heap, fer he kicked an'
+squirmed like hell. Hit weren't purty fer to see. I've seen a big
+bull-frog what I've speared kick an' squirm jest like 'im. No, hit
+weren't purty. I'd shore hate fer to have my neck bruk thet-thar way.
+Damn the law, anyhow! They hadn't orter treat no white man thet-thar
+way. Hit must feel awful, a-standin' up thar, with thet-thar cap down
+over ye, shuttin' out everythin'--ferever; an' with thet-thar noose
+round yer neck, an' the knot a-ticklin' yer ear--yer left ear. I
+'member specially. An' a-knowin' the noose is a-goin' to tighten, an'
+cut off yer breath--fer always. An' a-standin' on thet-thar trap, an'
+a-knowin' hit's goin' to drap--a-knowin' the bottom's a-goin' to drap
+right out o'--everythin'! I don't never want my neck bruk no sech
+way's thet. Hit hain't right."
+
+Plutina, staring wide-eyed, saw to her stupefaction that tears
+trickled from the eyes of the maudlin man; she heard him whimpering.
+Once more, he poured himself a drink. He mumbled unintelligibly for a
+little. Then, of a sudden, his voice rose in a last flare of energy,
+before he rolled on the boughs in sodden slumber.
+
+"Damn the law in this-hyar state! Hit hain't right, nohow. Jest 'cause
+a feller loves a gal--to hang 'im! I hain't afeared o' nothin' else,
+s'fur's I knows, but I'd hate fer to have my neck bruk like his'n was.
+I hain't a-takin' no chancet o' thet. I'll wait till I'm over the
+line. But hit's hell to crave a woman!"
+
+Raucous snores told the girl that the man slept, that again she had
+passed through the ordeal in safety. And now, at last, she knew the
+cause of her escape thus far. The mystery that had baffled her was a
+mystery no longer. Out of the creature's own mouth had come the
+explanation. Driven on by gusty passion as he was, a yet stronger
+emotion triumphed over lust. Of imagination he had little, but he had
+seen a man hanged. His memory of that death had been her salvation,
+for such is the punishment meted to the violator of a woman in North
+Carolina. In Dan Hodges, that master emotion, lust, had met a
+mightier--fear. Because he was a coward, he had not ventured even the
+least caress, lest passion seize him and make him mad--forgetful of
+how that other man died so horribly. She had been spared because
+between him and her a scaffold loomed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+
+The full-throated baying of a hound. Men, far in the valleys below
+Stone Mountain, looked up, and listened, wondering. But those on the
+mountain heard and understood: Dan Hodges was being run to earth.
+
+The clew offered by the wet place on the cliff had sufficed for the
+three men who accompanied the stag-hound. They had marked the spot
+carefully in memory by its distance from a certain stunted pine
+growing above it and a rift in the precipice to one side. Then they
+had ascended a furlong to the north, where the ascent was gradual and
+broken. When they had made sure that they were at the proper level,
+they searched for an approach to the desired ledge. The dog found the
+scent by the tunnel, but Brant did not loose the animal. Stone's eyes
+caught traces of where a bowlder had been moved. A little more
+searching revealed the opening covered by the stone, which they rolled
+aside.
+
+"But he's not there, now," Brant declared, as he restrained the eager
+dog. "Jack is wild to be off, and he wouldn't take a back track."
+
+Uncle Dick, eager to make sure, would have attempted the passage, but
+Stone interposed.
+
+"I'll go," he declared. "It's my right--my prisoner, you know. Anyhow,
+it'll be a snug-enough fit for me, and I'm smaller than you, Uncle
+Dick."
+
+The old man grudgingly admitted the fact, and made way for the
+marshal. In five minutes, Stone was back.
+
+"Nobody there," he announced.
+
+"Then it's up to Jack," Brant exclaimed, and slipped the leash.
+
+The hound shot forward in full cry. The men hurried after at top
+speed. Almost immediately, the dog vanished among the thickets. There
+came a clatter of sliding stones, as the big beast went galloping up
+the rise toward the crest of the mountain. The men followed as best
+they might, guided by the baying. Uncle Dick listened with
+bloodthirsty hopefulness for the crack of Zeke's rifle, which he would
+recognize.
+
+The fugitive himself heard the hound's sonorous summons, and wasted
+breath in cursing. He cursed his potations over-night, which had led
+him to sleep beyond the sunrise. But for such drunken folly, he would
+have had the trailer hopelessly at fault. Now, at best, it would be a
+close race--and there was the girl to hamper and hinder. She was
+running at his side, obedient to the pressure of his hands. He had
+replaced the cowhide thong, with her hands in front of her, and with
+play enough for free movement. So far, she had made no resistance to
+his commands. But the barking of the dog would warn her. If she should
+turn balky--
+
+What the outlaw feared, came to pass. The hoarse baying sounded to
+Plutina's ears like sweetest music. The first note told her that
+friends were at hand for a rescue from the monster by her side. Her
+heart leaped in the joy of it. A new courage surged in her--courage to
+defy this creature that held her in thrall.
+
+They were come already across the most of the plain of naked rock that
+is the top of the mountain. They had rushed without pause through the
+little grove of dwarf pines that grows near the Devil's Slide, above
+the Cauldron. They were come, indeed, to the very edge of the Slide
+itself before Plutina acted. After all, it was not the new courage,
+but a newer fear, that forced her. She had one swift glimpse of the
+valley spread a thousand feet below, the giant trees like tiniest
+saplings, so far away--that dear, adorable valley, where were home and
+peace and love. But, between her and it, the precipice fell; between
+her and it, the Devil's Pot boiled; between her and it was this man,
+who drove her with curses. She looked away from the beloved valley
+into the loathsome face, and she saw the fear in his eyes--fear, and
+something else that terrified her. She realized suddenly that she was
+on the very verge of the Slide, where none might venture and live.
+There, just beyond, was the darkened surface of the rock where the
+shallow stream went slithering down into the Cauldron. An hysteria of
+fear gripped her, as he dragged her forward, out upon the sloping
+stone that dipped toward the abyss. She believed that he meant to hurl
+her from the height. Thus, there would be left no evidence of his
+crime. His passion for her was nothing now--only his passion for
+life.
+
+"Quick, damn ye!" Hodges rasped. "I know the way in the dark. Ye
+needn't be skeered none with me."
+
+He meant it; but the girl did not believe. She thought it a ruse to
+get her closer to the edge. She shrieked in despair, and sprang away
+from him. His clutch on the thong checked her. He jerked her back to
+him, hardly pausing in his stride. She struck at his face furiously,
+but he dragged her on toward the brink, mouthing at her with foul
+oaths. She fell to her knees, and hung, screaming, a dead weight. The
+baying of the hound sounded closer. Hodges threw a glance over his
+shoulder, and saw the dog charging from the grove. He would have
+fired, but the girl was in the way. With a final blasphemy, he dropped
+his rifle, and struck at her--full in the face. She sank down limply,
+unconscious. Her body slid away slowly, yet with a quickening
+movement, toward the gulf.
+
+Hodges gave not even a look to his victim. He heard the challenge of
+the hound, now fairly upon him. There was no time to shoot. He used
+cunning instead. A mighty jump carried him over the moist surface
+where the stream flowed. He alighted on the dry rock. His bare feet
+clutched and held on the sloping surface.... No instinct warned the
+hound. Its leap brought it down in the wet run-way. Its feet shot from
+under. The force of its rush finished the work. The outlaw turned just
+in time to see the hound disappear over the cliff.
+
+Before he had time for exultation over this victory, before he could
+look to see how fared the girl whom he had struck down so ruthlessly,
+before he guessed the new peril, another enemy was upon him.
+
+Zeke, too, had heard the baying of the hound. Trembling with
+eagerness, where he lurked behind a screen of bushes at the south of
+the grove, he knew that the dog was hot on the trail. He went racing
+toward the sound, with the bull-terrier at his heels. He had just
+entered among the trees, when he saw the hound careen past him. He
+followed, and, as he issued into the open, saw the man and the girl
+struggling on the edge of the precipice. He sickened at the spectacle,
+but there was no faltering. With every atom of energy in speed, he
+darted down the slope. He saw the blow that crumpled Plutina to the
+rock. He saw it through a veil of red. What he did not see was the
+low, stealthy, yet quickening, slide of her body toward the brim of
+the abyss. So, all unconscious of that peril to the one he loved, he
+sprang to attack his enemy. He saw the hound's fate, and understood
+the cause of it. He, in turn, cleared the treacherous wet surface by a
+mighty leap. That leap brought him full on the outlaw's back. The two
+men went down together.
+
+The crash of Hodges' head on the rock had well been enough to crack an
+ordinary skull. But his was strong, and the unkempt thatch of hair
+cushioned it, so that he got no serious hurt. A little dazed by the
+blow, and by the unexpectedness of the onslaught--nothing more. And he
+had the bravery of triumphant physical strength. In the instant of
+attack, he fought back viciously, with blind thrust and clutch. A
+long, powerful arm writhed around Zeke like a band of steel, and held
+the assailant immovable. Lying there on his back, the outlaw looked up
+into Zeke's face, and recognized it, and cursed this unexpected foe
+obscenely.
+
+Zeke wasted no energy in words. He was mad with rage against the man
+he hated. His one desire was to kill. He twined his fingers in the
+tangled hair, and beat the head upon the stone floor again and again.
+But the leverage of his arms was cut down too much. He could not even
+stun the outlaw, much less kill. He could not reach his rifle, which
+he had dropped when he sprang to the attack. He could not draw his
+revolver by reason of the encircling arms. He could only hammer his
+enemy's head on the rock, with a cruel lust for slaughter that availed
+nothing except to madden him by its futility. His strength, great
+though it was, was not enough against the man he fought.
+
+Hodges proved the fact presently, for by a tremendous effort, he
+turned, and pinned Zeke underneath. The force of the impact under the
+outlaw's heavy weight laid the lad unconscious. The fingers unclenched
+from his adversary's hair; he lay limp. Hodges rose to his feet, with
+shambling haste. But, if he meant to kill, fate thwarted him. One foot
+was placed on the treacherous dampened rock. It slid from under him.
+He was thrown from his balance, and sprawled at length. He scrambled
+on all fours toward the other side of the run-way with desperate
+haste. He did not attempt to rise. A moment later, he slipped slowly
+over the brow of the cliff.
+
+Seth Jones, just issuing from the grove, saw the vanishing of the
+outlaw, but, at the distance, he could not distinguish the man's
+identity or that of the other, lying motionless on the sloping rock.
+For the instant, however, he gave no heed to either for sheer horror
+of something else he saw--the unconscious girl, moving so inexorably
+to her doom. He shouted in despair, as he raced toward her. But he
+knew he must be too late. He was powerless to stay her fall--as was
+the bull-terrier, which had seized her skirt and still clung, only to
+be dragged down with her into the void. Before he was come to the
+beginning of the Slide, girl and dog had traversed it--had shot out
+into the emptiness of space.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+
+The veteran gazed down at the sloping expanse of stone that curved to
+the sheer drop of the precipice. He was absolutely helpless in the
+face of the catastrophe he had witnessed. A man, a girl and a dog had
+gone to their death in this frightful place within the minute.
+Already, the corpses were stewing in the Devil's Pot half-a-thousand
+feet below, he reflected grimly. There was nothing to be done for them
+now, or ever. He felt a whirl of nausea within him, but fought back
+the weakness. He shuddered, as he thought of the man behind him, lying
+senseless on the edge of the Slide. Was it Hodges whom he had seen
+plunge into the depths, or was it--Zeke? It was with fearful
+apprehension that he turned at last to learn as to which remained.
+
+A little cry of relief escaped him, for at a glance he recognized
+Zeke. He sprang forward, and, in a moment, had assured himself that
+the young man was not dead, was not even seriously wounded. He guessed
+that a fall on the rocks had merely stunned. As best he could with one
+hand, he got out his pocket-flask, and finally managed to force a
+little of the liquor between the clenched teeth. Presently, it took
+effect. The color came back into Zeke's face, and he stirred, and
+groaned. Then he sat up, resting against the veteran's arm.
+
+Before there was time for any interchange of words between the two, a
+shout aroused them to look toward the grove. They saw the marshal
+dashing down the slope. Close behind him ran Cyclone Brant. Uncle Dick
+lagged a little, the burden of years pressing too heavily at last. The
+three came swiftly and gathered about the two on the edge of the
+Slide. Dismay was writ large on their faces. The silence of the hound,
+Zeke stricken and alone with the veteran, aroused their suspicion of
+disaster.
+
+"Where's Jack?" Brant demanded. His heart was in the question. The
+fate of the others was of less concern to him than that of the animal
+he loved.
+
+Zeke answered, strongly enough, for now energy was flowing back into
+him.
+
+"The hound went over," he said, regretfully. "I saw him. He slipped
+an' fell, an' was gone like a flash."
+
+Brant turned away to hide his distress.
+
+But in Zeke recollection welled. He clutched at the marshal, and drew
+himself to his feet, where, after an instant, he stood firmly. His
+eyes went searchingly over the barren surface of the Slide. They
+dilated. Fright lined his face--then, horror. He stared wildly, his
+gaze roving over all the mountain-top, once and again--and again. When
+words came, they were broken, surcharged with the horrid fear that was
+on him.
+
+"Whar--whar is she--Tiny?"
+
+His look went to the four men in turn, piteously pleading. Each of the
+three met the look and answered it by a shake of the head. But the
+veteran could not endure the anguish in the lover's eyes. His own
+dropped. He did not shake his head. Zeke strove for courage.
+
+"Whar is she?" he demanded, at length. His voice was more composed
+now, but his eyes were flaming.
+
+The veteran answered very softly, but without any attempt at evasion.
+
+"I saw her go, Zeke--over the cliff. Thet little dawg o' your'n had a
+holt on her skirt. But he hadn't the heft to keep her from goin'. The
+dawg did the best he knew how. But 'twa'n't no use, an' he went, too.
+I was too fur off to grab her. I reckon she fainted. She didn't
+scream, ner move none to save herself."
+
+There was a little period of silence. These men were schooled to the
+concealment of deepest emotions. There was no frantic outburst from
+the bereaved lover, from the afflicted grandfather. There was not
+even comment or further questioning. Of what avail? The thing was
+done. The girl was lost forever, dead. But the other men looked away,
+lest they see the agony in Zeke's face.
+
+Abruptly, the young man started walking down the slope. He wore shoes,
+and they slipped a little on the smooth stone. Straight down toward
+the brink he strode. The curve of the dome made every step more
+perilous. It was a natural, an irresistible impulse to look on the
+precise place where the loved one had perished, but it appeared as if
+he walked to his death. Indeed, his danger was grave, for he had
+forgotten the shoes he wore.... Or, perhaps, he did not care! Uncle
+Dick uttered an oath, and leaped in pursuit. It was only a matter of
+seconds to overtake the young man, seize him, turn him about and march
+him back with fierce expostulations that were a welcome vent to
+emotion.
+
+Zeke obeyed readily, aware of his momentary folly. Then, as he
+rejoined the group, hate flared again. Memory of the fight was
+confused by the blow on his head. He questioned Seth Jones harshly,
+with a single word:
+
+"Hodges?"
+
+The veteran permitted himself a faint smile. The cruelty of the
+soldier, accustomed to violent deaths, was in it. There was, too, a
+curious smugness, a secret complacency.
+
+"I 'low yer wits are some shook up yit, bein' as how ye disremember,"
+he remarked easily. "Ye trun Hodges over the cliff, Zeke, jest as ye
+went down. Hit were nip an' tuck atween ye, an' ye bested 'im." The
+kindly veteran believed the lie would be a life-long source of
+satisfaction to the lad, who had been so fearfully despoiled. Now, his
+belief was justified by the fierce pleasure that showed for a moment
+in Zeke's pain-drawn face.
+
+"I kain't seem to remember," he said, perplexedly. "But I'm shore glad
+I killed him."
+
+Then, again, silence fell. There could be no triumph really over the
+death of Hodges, because it had involved the destruction of Plutina as
+well. The five men stood about awkwardly. The solemnity of death lay
+like a pall over them. In the stress of suffering, Zeke had moved on
+from youth to the full stature of manhood. Uncle Dick had added a
+score of years to his apparent age. Brant grieved much, if less
+seriously. Only the veteran and the marshal had escaped personal loss,
+though they, too, mourned deeply. None ventured to suggest leaving the
+doomed spot. It seemed as if a sinister spell held them there, vaguely
+expectant, though wistful to flee.
+
+Rather, perhaps, it was their sadness that made seem sinister a spell
+actually benignant. For, of a sudden, while they still stood mute,
+Brant raised a hand to command attention, and pointed toward the verge
+of the precipice.
+
+"Hark!" he commanded.
+
+They listened intently. Then, all heard a faint, tremulous, whimpering
+note, long drawn-out, querulously appealing. Zeke started and stared
+in the direction of the sound with an incredulous frown. Brant shook
+his head sorrowfully: it was not the voice of Jack. The others were
+merely bewildered by this unexpected development.
+
+The whining continued, grew louder. Came a plaintive yelp. Out of the
+abyss was thrust a clinging paw, another. The squat face of the
+bull-terrier peered at them from over the top of the cliff. Next
+instant, the dog had scrambled safely on the Slide. It raced to Zeke
+with shrill cries of delight, leaped high to its master's breast,
+where it was caught and held closely. The slavering tongue lavished
+caresses. Zeke felt a warm glow of comfort in the creature's return.
+Yet, it did but render more frightful the loss of that being so
+infinitely more precious. He hardly heard Uncle Dick speaking.
+
+"Hit's dum curi's," the old man said, lowering on Seth Jones. "I
+thought as how ye said the pup was a-hangin' on to Tiny's dress."
+
+"It was so," the veteran answered. "I 'low the dawg must 'a' let loose
+when hit got in the air."
+
+"Hit's dum curi's," Uncle Dick repeated, and turned to regard the
+bull-terrier with bent brows.
+
+Zeke himself put a term to the mystification that had gripped him as
+well as the others. He raised a hand to the dog's throat, to restrain
+the too eager demonstrations of affection. At the collar he felt
+something unaccustomed. He looked, idly enough, and saw that a
+leathern thong had been tied firmly in the ring. To the thong was
+attached a little leather bag. The things were strange to him, yet
+they moved him profoundly. He found himself trembling--why, he knew
+not.
+
+He fumbled at the draw-strings of the pouch, loosened them. He thrust
+a finger within the opening, and touched something smooth and hard. It
+seemed to him that he already knew what this thing must be. He turned
+the bag upside down over his hand. In his palm lay a small
+coffee-colored piece of stone. It bore in darker shade the clear
+tracery of a cross. Zeke, looking down, saw the sacred symbol subtly
+effulgent, a holy promise of safety for her whom he loved. He lifted a
+radiant face to the others, who had crowded about with marveling
+exclamations.
+
+"Hit's the fairy cross I give Tiny," Zeke cried. His voice was joyous
+now, though throbbing with anxiety. "She hain't dead. She's kotched
+somehow thar on the rocks. She kain't climb up. So, she sent the cross
+by Chubbie, to show she was alive. I'll go down fer her."
+
+The listening group readily understood the wonder that had befallen.
+Whatever her present peril, whatever her injuries, Plutina still
+lived. The blessed fact stirred them to joy and to orderly action.
+
+"Ye kain't he'p Tiny none by fallin' into the Kittle yerself," Uncle
+Dick declared, with the voice of authority. "Jest hold yer hosses, an'
+we'll he'p ye git 'er up safe an' sound. They's grape-vines 'nough in
+the grove. I suspicion she hain't so fer down. Mebby we could hear 'er
+if the wind wa'n't blowin' to the no'th."
+
+They dared not take time for descent into the valley after rope.
+Moreover, Uncle Dick was confident that his knots would hold securely
+the weight of a single person. With all speed, strands of vine were
+brought and spliced most carefully. In a surprisingly brief time,
+there were some seventy-five feet in readiness. More would be added,
+if this length should not suffice. When the rope was completed, an end
+was securely fastened about Zeke's body with knots that would neither
+tighten nor slip.
+
+The young man had removed shoes and stockings, and now walked boldly
+down the sloping surface toward the brink. Behind him went Uncle Dick,
+who was to advance as far as his foothold should be secure. On the
+level above the Slide, the three other men held the rope, ready to pay
+it out, or to haul it in. Uncle Dick's duty was to save it, so far as
+might be, from being frayed on the rocks. It was to be let out to its
+full length, or until the lightened weight showed that Zeke had found
+support. It was to be pulled in, in the latter case, after three tugs
+on it by him. Zeke went boldly, it is true, but now, since he had
+appreciated Uncle Dick's warning, he went with painstaking carefulness
+as well. He realized that on his care might now depend the life of the
+girl he loved. So, he moved downward with increasing slowness, as the
+curve of the rock grew more pronounced. At each step, he made sure
+that his feet still clung. Then, when still two yards from the edge,
+he found the footing too precarious for further walking, even with the
+rope. A glance over his shoulder showed that Uncle Dick had halted a
+rod above. He looked closely and saw that the brim of the cliff was
+smooth a little to the right. To save the rope as much as possible, he
+moved in this direction, Uncle Dick above making the like change.
+Then, he seated himself on the rock and, while the men above paid out
+the vine, he went gently sliding downward toward the abyss.
+
+Presently, his feet reached the brow of the cliff, passed beyond it,
+hung in space. The men watching from above, let the rope slide still
+more slowly. Now his middle was at the brink. He held to the rope with
+his right hand. With his left he fended himself from the cliff. He
+looked down. For an instant, accustomed though he was to the high
+places among the mountain crags, his senses reeled before the
+impression of unsubstantial vastness. Out beyond him was nothingness
+for what seemed endless distance. Straight below was the sheer wall of
+the precipice, with hardly a rift for five hundred feet. There a ledge
+showed dimly. Then, again, a half-thousand feet of vertical rocks to
+the valley.
+
+But the vertigo passed in that single instant. His vision cleared. And
+he saw her. He heard her, too, in the same moment. Here, the cliff was
+not quite perpendicular. She had slid, rather than fallen, to a
+resting place. She was not seriously injured. It was hardly a score of
+feet from the top of the cliff to the tiny shelf of rock on which she
+lay. This was less than a yard in width. A bit of pine shrub jutted
+from it courageously, held by its roots burrowing in secret fissures
+of the rock. A log, rolled down by some amusement-seeker on the crest,
+had lodged on the outer edge of the shelf. The miniature pine held
+one end of it; the other was wedged in a crack of the precipice. The
+log lay like a paling to the narrow shelf. Within that meager shelter,
+Plutina crouched. Beyond her the ledge narrowed, and ascended to where
+the cliff was broken. Thus the dog had mounted.
+
+The girl's face was uplifted, pallid, with burning eyes fast on the
+lover who descended to her. Her expression showed rapture, but no
+surprise that this rescuer should be her beloved. The fairy crystal
+was competent to work any wonder. Zeke, spinning slowly with the
+twisting vine, thus swinging in the void between heaven and earth,
+felt, nevertheless, the thrill of passionate adoration. She was even
+more beautiful than he remembered her.
+
+The shelf, though narrowing, ran toward him. Soon, his feet touched
+it. At the relief from his weight, the rope was no longer paid out,
+though held taut. With its aid he traversed the ledge, and reached the
+shelf where the girl knelt. He knelt beside her, and, without a word,
+their lips met and clung. There, amid the perils of the precipice,
+they were in heaven.
+
+For that matter, little speech passed between them afterward. They
+needed none. Zeke adjusted the rope about her, kissed her, and gave
+the signal to haul away.
+
+With his heart in his eyes, he watched the swaying form rise, and was
+inexpressibly relieved when he saw her clear the brim safely. There
+was a short interval. Then the rope came dangling down, and drew him
+back to safety. Again the lovers were in each other's arms. The terror
+and the agony were forgotten. The bliss remained.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+
+Marshal Stone and Brant were to return together to North Wilkesboro'
+where the latter would take the train for home. Uncle Dick had offered
+them horses for the ride. The two men, somewhat in advance of the
+remainder of the party after the descent of Stone Mountain, had come
+near the Higgins' cabin, when the marshal spoke with a display of
+embarrassment:
+
+"I've got to go a little out of our way. It's a chore I oughtn't ever
+to have put off for a minute, but I plumb forgot it."
+
+"What is it?" Brant asked indifferently.
+
+But his interest was aroused as the marshal hesitated before
+answering, and exhibited an increasing confusion.
+
+"I'm right ashamed to tell of it," Stone said, finally. "There's no
+excuse for such carelessness. Plutina got into all this mess because
+she was afraid something dreadful might happen, and it might have--on
+account of my forgetfulness."
+
+"What's it all about?" Brant demanded, now distinctly curious.
+
+"It's bear-traps!" was the morose answer.
+
+"Bear-traps?"
+
+The marshal nodded.
+
+"Those infernal traps Hodges set along Thunder Branch--that made
+Plutina turn informer.... Well, I just naturally forgot all about
+'em."
+
+Brant uttered an ejaculation of dismay.
+
+"You mean, they're still there, and set?"
+
+Stone nodded.
+
+"Just that. I took Hodges and York down another way. I've never
+thought of the traps since, till to-day."
+
+"Risky, of course," Brant admitted. "But nobody got caught, or they'd
+have been missed," he added comfortingly. "Nobody in the
+neighborhood's disappeared, has there?"
+
+"Not that I've heard of," Stone replied. "But it's luck, not my
+deserts, if no harm's been done."
+
+"I'll go along with you," Brant offered. "We'll have that trouble off
+your mind in a jiffy."
+
+So, the two men turned, and took the trail past the Higgins' clearing
+and on until they came to Thunder Branch, where Plutina had made her
+discovery. They followed the course of the stream upward, the marshal
+in the lead. As he came to the bend, where the rocky cliffs began,
+Stone turned and called over his shoulder:
+
+"They're just beyond." Then, he went forward, with quick, nervous
+strides, and disappeared beyond the bend. A moment later, a great cry
+brought Brant running.
+
+It was, in truth, a ghastly scene that showed there, lighted
+brilliantly by the noontide sun. In the midst of the little space of
+dry ground bordering the stream, where the lush grass grew thick and
+high, the body of a man was lying. It was contorted grotesquely,
+sprawling at length on its face, in absolute stillness--the stillness
+of death. Brant, himself horrified, looked pityingly at the white,
+stricken face of the marshal, and turned away, helplessly. He could
+find no words to lessen the hideousness of this discovery for the man
+through whose fault the tragedy had come.
+
+Then, presently, as Stone seemed paralyzed by the disaster, Brant went
+closer to examine the gruesome thing.
+
+The victim had been caught by both traps. Evidently, he had stepped
+fairly into the first. Then, as the great jaws snapped shut on his
+leg, he had lurched forward and fallen. His arms were outspread wide.
+But his head was within the second trap. The jaws of it had clamped on
+the neck. The steel fangs were sunk deep into the flesh. Blood from
+the wounds was caked black on the skin.
+
+"He didn't suffer any to speak of," Brant remarked, at last. He
+observed, with some surprise, that his voice was very thin. He was
+not a squeamish man, and he had seen many evil sights. But this--
+
+With repugnance, he set himself to the task of releasing the trap that
+held the dead man's head. He had the delicacy not to call on his
+distressed companion for aid. The task was very difficult, and very
+gruesome, for it required harsh handling of the head, which was in the
+way. Finally, however, the thing was accomplished. The savage jaws
+were freed from the flesh they had mangled, and were locked open.
+Then, Brant turned the body over, and gazed curiously, with strong
+repulsion, into the ugly, distorted dead face.
+
+"Providence picked out somebody who could be spared," he mused
+grimly.
+
+There came another cry from Stone. In it were wonder, incredulity,
+relief.
+
+Brant regarded the marshal in amazement. The man was transformed. The
+motionless figure of desolation was become one of wild, quivering
+excitement. The face was suffused with blood, the eyes shining
+fiercely.
+
+"What the devil!" Brant demanded, aghast.
+
+Stone looked toward his questioner gravely, and nodded with great
+emphasis. His voice was low, tense with emotion.
+
+"It is the devil!" he answered solemnly. He paused, clearing his
+throat, and stared again at the dead man. Then, his eyes went back to
+Brant, as he added:
+
+"It's Hodges."
+
+There was a little silence. Brant could not understand, could not
+believe this startling assertion flung in his face.
+
+"But Hodges was thrown over the precipice," he said, at last.
+
+The marshal shook his head. There was defiance now in his
+aspect--defiance, and a mighty joy.
+
+"It doesn't make any difference about that," he announced. "This is
+Hodges!"
+
+Then, his exultation burst in words:
+
+"Hodges caught in his own traps! His neck broken, as it should have
+been broken by the rope for the murders he's done! It was my
+carelessness did it, yes. But I don't care now, so long as it's Hodges
+who's got caught. Hodges set those traps, and--there he is!... I read
+about something like that once in a story. They called it 'poetic
+justice.'"
+
+"He don't look like a poem," Brant remarked. He turned from the gory
+corpse with a shudder of disgust.
+
+"Thank God, it was Hodges!" the marshal said, reverently. "Anybody
+else would have haunted me for life. But Hodges! Why, I'm glad!"
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+The affair was easily explicable in the light of what Plutina had to
+tell. Hodges, undoubtedly, had knowledge of some secret, hazardous
+path down the face of the precipice past the Devil's Cauldron, and on
+to the valley. He had meant to flee by it with Plutina, thus to escape
+the hound. By it, he had fled alone. Perhaps, he had had a
+hiding-place for money somewhere about the raided still. Or, perhaps,
+he had merely chosen this route along Thunder Branch on his way to an
+asylum beyond Bull Head Mountain. What was certain was that he had
+blundered into his own pitiless snares. Naturally, he would have had
+no suspicion that the traps remained. In his mad haste, he had rushed
+heedlessly upon destruction. The remorseless engines of his own
+devising had taken full toll of him. By his own act, he paid with his
+life the penalty for crime. There was propriety in the marshal's
+reference to poetic justice.
+
+A certain vindictiveness showed in Plutina's comment concerning the
+death of the man at whose hands she had so suffered.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+THE COMING OF PEACE.]
+
+"His bein' so afeared o' thet-thar thing kep' 'im from hurtin' me,"
+she said, reflectively. "He was shorely sot ag'inst havin' 'is neck
+bruk, an', arter all, thet's jest what he got." She smiled,
+contentedly. For Plutina was a primitive woman, strong in her love,
+and strong in her hate.
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was a day of early autumn. The timber rights had been secured to
+the satisfaction of Sutton. The tree-nail factory was being built.
+Zeke was become a man of importance in the region.
+
+The lover's wedding-day was less than a month distant. To-day, Plutina
+had been for a visit to the Widow Higgins, and now Zeke was walking
+home with her. They paused at the place where had been their meeting
+on the morning of the lad's first adventuring into the world. Memories
+flooded them, as they looked across the valley to the bleak cliffs of
+Stone Mountain, which rose in aged, rugged grandeur, softened in this
+hour by the veils of haze, warmed with the lambent hues of sunset.
+
+In answer to Plutina, Zeke shook his head perplexedly.
+
+"I kain't quite stomach thet-thar yarn o' Seth Jones's," he said. "As
+I remember, Dan Hodges threw me--hard!" He grinned wryly at the
+recollection. "I don't see how I could have thrown him off the
+Slide."
+
+"But of course you did!" Plutina asserted, with great spirit. "Pooh!
+Ye could lick Dan Hodges any day in the week. An' Seth saw ye--that
+settles hit!"
+
+"I suppose so," Zeke conceded. "But Dan Hodges was a powerful fighter.
+After all, I didn't do anything much for ye, Tiny," he added, with
+regret in his voice.
+
+The girl was all indignation.
+
+"Why, Zeke!" she cried. "The idea! Ye did hit all. Ye banged the love
+o' ye into thet-thar dawg, what hung on to me an' brung up the fairy
+cross fer a message." Chubbie, as if understanding, leaped to lick her
+hand. "An' ye give me the cross, Zeke. Mebby, thet's what saved me,
+all the time--thar on the precipice, an'--an' back thar--in the
+cave--with him. An' then ye threw Dan Hodges right offen the mounting.
+Seth Jones seen ye do hit!"
+
+It seemed to Zeke that he must perforce accept the heroism thrust upon
+him, though a doubt still lingered. Still, his memory of the fight was
+confused. Perhaps, after all, he had--.
+
+Zeke broke off, and drew the girl close. Their lips met gently,
+tenderly, with the clinging of passion. What mattered the history of
+evil days? They were past. Before them lay the future, radiant with
+rosy promise. In this blessed present, they were together. Love
+thrilled exquisitely on their lips; more exquisitely in their souls.
+That love was, and it would remain, a noble and precious thing, great
+and very beautiful, as mighty and firm as the mountain looming yonder
+in immutable serenity and strength, as loyal, as enduring.... They
+walked on together, infinitely content.
+
+
+
+
+Underwood Typewriter
+
+_Points of Merit:_
+
+Award Grand Prize, Highest Honor Panama-Pacific International Exposition
+
+Holder International Speed and Accuracy Typewriter Trophy for Ten Years
+
+Elliott-Cresson Medal for Mechanical Supremacy
+
+Endorsed by World's Champions and all Great Typists
+
+"The Machine You Will Eventually Buy"
+
+
+
+
+JOHN FOX, JR'S.
+
+STORIES OF THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINS
+
+May be had wherever books are sold. Ask for Grosset and Dunlap's list.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE.
+
+Illustrated by F. C. Yohn.
+
+The "lonesome pine" from which the story takes its name was a tall tree
+that stood in solitary splendor on a mountain top. The fame of the pine
+lured a young engineer through Kentucky to catch the trail, and when he
+finally climbed to its shelter he found not only the pine but the
+_footprints of a girl_. And the girl proved to be lovely, piquant, and
+the trail of these girlish foot-prints led the young engineer a madder
+chase than "the trail of the lonesome pine."
+
+THE LITTLE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME
+
+Illustrated by F. C. Yohn.
+
+This is a story of Kentucky, in a settlement known as "Kingdom Come." It
+is a life rude, semi-barbarous; but natural and honest, from which often
+springs the flower of civilization.
+
+"Chad," the "little shepherd" did not know who he was nor whence he
+came--he had just wandered from door to door since early childhood,
+seeking shelter with kindly mountaineers who gladly fathered and
+mothered this waif about whom there was such a mystery--a charming waif,
+by the way, who could play the banjo better that anyone else in the
+mountains.
+
+A KNIGHT OF THE CUMBERLAND.
+
+Illustrated by F. C. Yohn.
+
+The scenes are laid along the waters of the Cumberland, the lair of
+moonshiner and feudsman. The knight is a moonshiner's son, and the
+heroine a beautiful girl perversely christened "The Blight." Two
+impetuous young Southerners fall under the spell of "The Blight's"
+charms and she learns what a large part jealousy and pistols have in the
+love making of the mountaineers.
+
+Included in this volume is "Hell fer-Sartain" and other stories, some of
+Mr. Fox's most entertaining Cumberland valley narratives.
+
+Ask for complete free list of G. & D. Popular Copyrighted Fiction
+
+GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26TH ST., NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+STORIES OF WESTERN LIFE
+
+May be had wherever books are sold. Ask for Grosset & Dunlap's list.
+
+RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE, By Zane Grey.
+
+Illustrated by Douglas Duer.
+
+In this picturesque romance of Utah of some forty years ago, we are
+permitted to see the unscrupulous methods employed by the invisible hand
+of the Mormon Church to break the will of those refusing to conform to
+its rule.
+
+FRIAR TUCK, By Robert Alexander Wason.
+
+Illustrated by Stanley L. Wood.
+
+Happy Hawkins tells us, in his humorous way, how Friar Tuck lived among
+the Cowboys, how he adjusted their quarrels and love affairs and how he
+fought with them and for them when occasion required.
+
+THE SKY PILOT, By Ralph Connor.
+
+Illustrated by Louis Rhead.
+
+There is no novel, dealing with the rough existence of cowboys, so
+charming in the telling, abounding as it does with the freshest and the
+truest pathos.
+
+THE EMIGRANT TRAIL, By Geraldine Bonner.
+
+Colored frontispiece by John Rae.
+
+The book relates the adventures of a party on its overland pilgrimage,
+and the birth and growth of the absorbing love of two strong men for a
+charming heroine.
+
+THE BOSS OF WIND RIVER, By A. M. Chisholm.
+
+Illustrated by Frank Tenney Johnson.
+
+This is a strong, virile novel with the lumber industry for its central
+theme and a love story full of interest as a sort of subplot.
+
+A PRAIRIE COURTSHIP, By Harold Bindloss.
+
+A story of Canadian prairies in which the hero is stirred, through the
+influence of his love for a woman, to settle down to the heroic business
+of pioneer farming.
+
+JOYCE OF THE NORTH WOODS, By Harriet T. Comstock.
+
+Illustrated by John Cassel.
+
+A story of the deep woods that shows the power of love at work among its
+primitive dwellers. It is a tensely moving study of the human heart and
+its aspirations that unfolds itself through thrilling situations and
+dramatic developments.
+
+Ask for a complete free list of G. & D. Popular Copyrighted Fiction
+
+GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26TH ST., NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+B. M. BOWER'S NOVELS
+
+Thrilling Western Romances
+
+Large 12 mos. Handsomely bound in cloth. Illustrated.
+
+CHIP, OF THE FLYING U
+
+A breezy wholesome tale, wherein the love affairs of Chip and Delia
+Whitman are charmingly and humorously told. Chip's jealousy of Dr. Cecil
+Grantham, who turns out to be a big, blue eyed young woman is very
+amusing. A clever, realistic story of the American Cow-puncher.
+
+THE HAPPY FAMILY
+
+A lively and amusing story, dealing with the adventures of eighteen
+jovial, big hearted Montana cowboys. Foremost amongst them, we find
+Ananias Green, known as Andy, whose imaginative powers cause many lively
+and exciting adventures.
+
+HER PRAIRIE KNIGHT
+
+A realistic story of the plains, describing a gay party of Easterners
+who exchange a cottage at Newport for the rough homeliness of a Montana
+ranch-house. The merry-hearted cowboys, the fascinating Beatrice, and
+the effusive Sir Redmond, become living, breathing personalities.
+
+THE RANGE DWELLERS
+
+Here are everyday, genuine cowboys, just as they really exist. Spirited
+action, a range feud between two families, and a Romeo and Juliet
+courtship make this a bright, jolly, entertaining story, without a dull
+page.
+
+THE LURE OF DIM TRAILS
+
+A vivid portrayal of the experience of an Eastern author, among the
+cowboys of the West, in search of "local color" for a new novel. "Bud"
+Thurston learns many a lesson while following "the lure of the dim
+trails" but the hardest, and probably the most welcome, is that of love.
+
+THE LONESOME TRAIL
+
+"Weary" Davidson leaves the ranch for Portland, where conventional city
+life palls on him. A little branch of sage brush, pungent with the
+atmosphere of the prairie, and the recollection of a pair of large brown
+eyes soon compel his return. A wholesome love story
+
+THE LONG SHADOW
+
+A vigorous Western story, sparkling with the free, outdoor, life of a
+mountain ranch. Its scenes shift rapidly and its actors play the game of
+life fearlessly and like men. It is a fine love story from start to
+finish.
+
+Ask for a complete free list of G. & D. Popular Copyrighted Fiction.
+
+GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26TH ST., NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Heart of the Blue Ridge, by Waldron Baily
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 28454-8.txt or 28454-8.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/4/5/28454/
+
+Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/28454-8.zip b/28454-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f84945
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-8.zip
diff --git a/28454-h.zip b/28454-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dfc170d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h.zip
diff --git a/28454-h/28454-h.htm b/28454-h/28454-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f19ecc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/28454-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,8190 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" />
+<title>
+The Project Gutenberg eBook of Heart of the Blue Ridge, by Waldron Baily.
+</title>
+
+<style type="text/css">
+    p                 {margin-top: 0.5em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.5em;}
+    body              {margin-left: 11%; margin-right: 10%;}
+    a                 {text-decoration: none;}
+    @media screen     {
+      hr.pb           {margin:30px 0; width:100%; border:none;border-top:thin dashed silver;}
+      .pagenum        {display: inline; font-size: x-small; text-align: right; position: absolute; right: 2%; padding: 1px 3px; font-style: normal; font-variant:normal; font-weight:normal; text-decoration: none; background-color: inherit; border:1px solid #eee;}
+      .pncolor        {color: silver;}
+    }
+    @media print      {
+      hr.pb           {border:none;page-break-after: always;}
+      .pagenum        { display:none; }
+    }
+    .figcenter        {margin: 2em auto 2em auto; text-align: center;}
+    p.tp              {font-size:1em; margin-top:0em; margin-bottom:0em; text-align:center;}
+    .caption          {font-size:.8em;}
+    hr.tb             {border:none; margin-top: 2em;}
+    h1                {text-align:center; font-weight:normal; font-size:1.6em;}
+    hr.major          {width: 65%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; border:none; border-bottom:1px solid silver; clear:both;}
+    h2                {text-align:center; font-weight:normal; font-size:1.4em;}
+</style>
+
+</head>
+<body>
+
+
+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Heart of the Blue Ridge, by Waldron Baily
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Heart of the Blue Ridge
+
+Author: Waldron Baily
+
+Release Date: March 30, 2009 [EBook #28454]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<hr class='pb' />
+<h1>Heart of the Blue Ridge</h1>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<table summary='credits' style='margin:auto; border-style:double; padding:20px; width:20em;'>
+<tr><td>
+<p style='font-variant:small-caps;'>The Illustrations Shown
+in this Edition are Reproductions
+of Scenes
+from the Photo-Play of
+&#8220;Heart of the Blue
+Ridge,&#8221; with Clara Kimball
+Young as the Heroine,
+Under the Direction of
+Lewis J. Selznick, to whom
+The Publishers Desire to
+Express Their Thanks and
+Appreciation for Permission
+to Use the Pictures.</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<a name='linki_1' id='linki_1'></a>
+<img src='images/illus-fpc.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 428px; height: 641px;' /><br />
+<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 428px;'>
+<br />
+<i>Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick.</i><br />
+PLUTINA.<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<hr class='pb' />
+
+<table summary='credits' style='margin:auto; border-style:double; padding:20px;'>
+<tr><td>
+<p class='tp' style='font-size:2.2em;margin-top:15px;'>HEART OF THE</p>
+<p class='tp' style='font-size:2.2em;margin-bottom:1.2em;'>BLUE RIDGE</p>
+<p class='tp' style='font-size:1em;'>BY</p>
+<p class='tp' style='font-size:1.2em;margin-bottom:3em;'>WALDRON BAILY</p>
+<p class='tp' style='font-size:0.8em;margin-bottom:50px;'>ILLUSTRATED WITH SCENES FROM THE PHOTOPLAY,<br />
+WITH CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG AS THE HEROINE,<br />
+UNDER THE DIRECTION OF LEWIS J. SELZNICK</p>
+</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'>
+<img alt='' src='images/illus-emb.png' />
+</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>
+<p class='tp' style='letter-spacing:0.2em;margin-top:50px;'>NEW YORK</p>
+<p class='tp' style='font-size:1.2em;'>GROSSET &amp; DUNLAP</p>
+<p class='tp' style='letter-spacing:0.2em;'>PUBLISHERS</p>
+</td></tr>
+</table>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<p class='tp' style='font-size:0.8em;font-variant:small-caps;margin-top:20px;'>Copyright, 1915, by</p>
+<p class='tp' style='margin-bottom:20px;'>W. J. WATT &amp; COMPANY</p>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<p style='text-align:center; font-size:0.8em;margin-top:20px;'>TO</p>
+<p style='text-align:center; font-style:italic;font-size:1.2em;'>Irving Bacheller</p>
+<p style='text-align:center; font-size:0.8em;margin-bottom:20px;'>WITH THE APPRECIATION OF THE AUTHOR</p>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<h2>Heart of the Blue Ridge</h2>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_1' name='page_1'></a>1</span></div>
+<h2>HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE</h2>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_I' id='CHAPTER_I'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER I</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Where the trail bent over a knoll, Zeke
+halted, and put down from his shoulder
+the hickory cudgel with its dangling
+valise of black oilcloth&mdash;total of baggage with
+which he was faring forth into the world. Then,
+he straightened himself, and looked back over the
+way he had come.</p>
+<p>There, to the east, the dusk of night still lay
+somberly, hardly touched by the coming dawn.
+Through the shadows, the mountain masses loomed
+formidable and mysterious, vaguely outlined against
+the deeper gloom of valleys. The melancholy of the
+scene seemed a fit setting for the cottage that rested
+invisible within the forest, a half-mile distant from
+him. In imagination, he saw the withered old
+woman, his mother, still standing on the threshold,
+looking toward him, even as he looked toward her,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_2' name='page_2'></a>2</span>
+her heart warm with love, her every thought a
+prayer for his happiness. It was borne in on Zeke
+once again that she would be very lonely in her
+desolate home, where death had spared to her only
+this son.... And, now, he was gone from her!
+A poignant sorrow welled in him.</p>
+<p>Zeke thrust the emotion away, lest it unman him.
+He faced about, drearily enough, and stood with
+downcast, unseeing eyes, in anxious pondering. And
+then, presently, assuagement was granted him. He
+lifted his gaze, and behold! here was another world,
+all of soft splendors, of throbbing radiance.</p>
+<p>The eager beams of the unrisen sun shimmered
+above the mountain ranges of the horizon, and
+streamed toward the zenith in a panoply of harmonious
+hues, colorful promise of the May morning&#8217;s
+joyous mood. Of a sudden, under the soothing
+influence, the watcher became listener as well. His
+ears noted with delight the glad singing of the birds
+in the wood around about. His glance caught the
+white gleam of the tiny belled blossoms that clustered
+on a crooked sour-wood by the path, and the penetrant
+perfume of them stirred to life a new and
+subtler emotion. A flame of tenderness burned in
+the clear hazel of his eyes, as he stared out over
+the trail before him. Under the increasing light
+his gaze could distinguish the line of the valley a
+mile further on, in which the Siddon cottage lay
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_3' name='page_3'></a>3</span>
+hidden. His firmly-set lips relaxed abruptly into
+a smile of wistful softness. He swung stick and
+bag across his shoulder once again, and set off
+briskly down the slope of the knoll. His thoughts
+were no longer gray over the mother who mourned
+his going: they were roseate with anticipations of
+beholding the girl he loved. Now, the mood of the
+morning danced in his blood. The palpitant desire
+of all nature in the spring thrilled through his heart.
+His mind was filled with a vision of her gracious
+young loveliness, so soon to be present before him
+at their meeting.... Their meeting&mdash;their
+parting! At thought of that corollary, a cold despair
+clutched the lad, a despair that was nothing like the
+sedate sorrow over leaving his mother, a despair that
+was physical sickness, wrenching, nauseating, but
+passed beyond the physical to rack the deeps of
+being. For the first time, jealousy surged hideous
+in him, born of the realization that she must be
+left exposed to the wooing of other men&mdash;she, the
+utterly desirable! In a fierce impulse of mingled
+fear and rage, he stopped short, and cried out:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll be damned if they kin steal her! She&#8217;s
+mine. She done told me so, and Plutiny wouldn&#8217;t
+lie!&#8221;</p>
+<p>From an ambush of laurel bushes close beside
+the path, a tall, slender form stood forth, the lissome
+figure of a girl in the budding charm of womanhood.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_4' name='page_4'></a>4</span>
+There was a lithe, curving beauty in the lines that
+the scant homespun gown outlined so clearly. The
+swift movement by which she revealed herself was
+instinct with grace. As she rested motionless, with
+arms extended in a gesture of appeal, there was a
+singular dignity in the pose, a distinction of personality
+that was in no wise marred by bare feet
+and shapeless gown; not even by the uncouthness
+of dialect, when she spoke. And winsomeness of
+form and bearing was crowned by the beauty of
+her face, in which the insipidity of regular features
+was redeemed by exquisite coloring of rose and
+white, and by the dusk brilliance of the eyes. The
+tender lips were wreathed to playful reproach, as
+she addressed the lover for whom she thus waited
+at the dawn:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Zekie&mdash;oh, Zekie! Ye hain&#8217;t a-cussin&#8217; o&#8217; me,
+be ye?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The young man, surprised, started, and regarded
+the girl in confusion. The red that had suffused
+his tanned cheeks deepened to a burning blush of
+embarrassment, as he realized that his outburst had
+been overheard by her who had been the cause of it.
+But his eyes met her quizzical glance with candid
+directness. After a moment, he spoke. All the
+harshness was gone from his voice; its soft drawl
+was vibrant with tenderness.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, Honey, I hain&#8217;t a&#8217;cussin&#8217; o&#8217; you-all. I was
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_5' name='page_5'></a>5</span>
+jest a-mentionin&#8217; some folks. But I hain&#8217;t a-feared.
+Nobody hain&#8217;t a-goin&#8217; to steal yer love from me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nobody&mdash;never, Zeke!&#8221; the girl answered, simply.
+There was an infinite honesty, an unalterable
+loyalty, in the curt words.</p>
+<p>As he listened, the flush died from the lover&#8217;s
+face; contentment shone in his expression.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I knowed hit, Honey&mdash;I knowed hit all the
+time. I know when I come back I&#8217;ll find ye waitin&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye&#8217;ll come back, I reckon, with fool idees &#8217;bout
+what yer women-folks ought to wear, like them
+furriners down below.&#8221; Her face relaxed into a
+genial smile, which brought a dimple to shadow the
+pink bloom of her cheek. But there was a trace
+of pensiveness; the vague hint of jealousy in the
+slow tones:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I&#8217;ll be a-waitin&#8217; till ye come, Zekie. An&#8217;
+if the wearin&#8217; o&#8217; shoes an&#8217; stockin&#8217;s &#8217;ll make ye any
+happier, why, I guess I kin stand &#8217;em&mdash;an&#8217; them
+ladies&#8217; straighteners, too. Yep, I&#8217;d wear &#8217;em, if they
+did squeeze me fit to bust.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Since Plutina had thus come to meet him, there
+was no need that he should follow further the trail
+toward the Siddon cabin, which lay out of his
+course. At the girl&#8217;s suggestion that she should
+accompany him a little way on the first stage of his
+journey out into the world, the two turned back
+toward the broader path, which led to the southwest
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_6' name='page_6'></a>6</span>
+until it met the North Wilkesboro&#8217; road. The
+two walked side by side, along this lovers&#8217; lane of
+nature&#8217;s kindly devising. They went sedately, in
+all seeming, for the mountain folk are chary in
+demonstrations of affection. Yet, beneath the austere
+mask imposed by convention, their hearts were
+thrilling with the rapture each found in the near
+presence of the other. The glamour of romance was
+like a golden mist over all the scene, irradiating each
+leaf and flower, softening the bird-calls to fairy
+flutings, draping the nakedness of distant rugged
+peaks, bearing gently the purling of the limpid
+brook along which the path ran in devious complacence.
+Often, indeed, the lovers&#8217; way led them
+into the shallows, through which their bare feet
+splashed unconcerned. The occasional prismatic
+flash of a leaping trout in the deeper pools caught
+their eyes. So, presently, the girl was moved to
+speak&mdash;with visible effort, very shyly, for the expression
+of her love in words was a thing unfamiliar,
+difficult.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I sha&#8217;n&#8217;t have nobody to make flies fer now,&#8221;
+she said dully. &#8220;I jest hain&#8217;t a-goin&#8217; arter the trout
+fer fun no more till ye comes back.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke would have answered, but he checked the
+words at his lips, lest the trembling of his voice
+might betray a feeling deemed inconsistent with
+manliness. They went forward in silence, a-quiver
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_7' name='page_7'></a>7</span>
+with desire each of the other, yet mute with the
+forced repression of custom. Now, too, the sorrow
+of the parting so close at hand, colored their
+mood more and more, so that the golden glamour
+first dimmed and then changed into a sinister pall
+which overhung all the loveliness of the morning.
+At a turn in the path, where it topped a rise, before
+descending a long slope to the highway, Zeke came
+to a standstill. The girl paused obediently beside
+him. He fumbled in a pocket awkwardly, and
+drew forth a tiny square of coffee-colored stone,
+roughly lined, which he held out toward his companion.
+The tracery of the crystal formed a Maltese
+cross. The girl expressed no surprise. She accepted
+the token with a grave nod as he dropped it
+into her palm, and she remained gazing down at it
+with eyes hidden under the heavy white lids and long,
+curving lashes of shadowy brown.</p>
+<p>Zeke spoke, very earnestly:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s fer good luck, Tiny&mdash;fer good luck to
+he&#8217;p ye while we&#8217;re apart. Mebby, hit &#8217;ll git in hits
+work by softenin&#8217; the hardness o&#8217; yer gran&#8217;pap&#8217;s
+heart agin me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In truth, the concentration of his thought on the
+fragment of stone had been enough of itself to give
+a talisman occult potence. That concentration of
+desire for the girl&#8217;s well-being was not merely of
+this moment. It had been with him constantly during
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_8' name='page_8'></a>8</span>
+long hours of tedious clambering yesterday, when
+he followed the channel of Garden Creek through
+its tortuous course among the ravines of the Blue
+Ridge, through the narrow defile of the Devil&#8217;s
+Garden, sunless, strewn with rubble of boulders,
+with a chaos of shattered rock masses&mdash;d&eacute;bris, superstition
+said, of cataclysm&mdash;of the Crucifixion, when
+the mountain crests tore themselves asunder, and
+cast their pinnacles into the abyss for rage and grief.
+The searcher had climbed on and on, until he reached
+the nook sacred to the crystals. For concerning
+these, also, the superstition had its say, and told that
+the little pieces of stone, with the cross marked on
+each, were, in fact, the miraculously preserved tears
+shed by the fairies of these fastnesses in the dread
+hour of the Saviour&#8217;s anguish. The lover had
+sought long for a crystal that should be perfect.
+Now that it lay within the girl&#8217;s hand, he was content
+of his toil. Surely, whatever the truth concerning
+its origin, it was a holy thing, for the emblem it
+bore. It would serve to shield her against aught
+evil that might threaten&mdash;even the grandfather&#8217;s
+enmity against him, which set a barrier between
+them and happiness. The crystal would abide with
+her in sign of his love&#8217;s endurance, strong to save her
+and to cherish her against any ill. He sighed with
+relief, when she raised the crystal, and dropped it
+within her bosom.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_9' name='page_9'></a>9</span></p>
+<p>Still, as always, fearful of showing emotion too
+openly, Zeke hastened to introduce a new topic. He
+took from a pocket a book of twelve two-cent postage
+stamps, to secure which he had trudged the four
+miles from his mother&#8217;s cabin to the Cherry Lane
+post-office. The book, in its turn, was proffered to
+Plutina, who accepted it in mild bewilderment.</p>
+<p>The lover explained:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Honey,&#8221; he said, without any embarrassment
+over the fact, &#8220;ye knows my ole mammy hain&#8217;t edicated,
+an&#8217; I want ye to write for her once a month,
+arter I write to tell ye whar I&#8217;ll be.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl nodded tacit acceptance of the trust, and
+consigned the stamps to a resting place alongside the
+crystal. And then, after a little, she spoke heavily:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I reckon as how you-all better be a-joggin&#8217;,
+Zeke.&#8221;</p>
+<p>For answer, the lad caught the girl in his arms,
+and gave her a kiss on either cheek&mdash;the hearty,
+noisy smacks of the mountaineer&#8217;s courting. But,
+in the next instant, he drew her close in an embrace
+that crushed the two warm bodies to rapture. His
+lips met hers, and clung, till their beings mingled.
+Afterward, he went from her voicelessly. Voicelessly,
+she let him go.... There could be no
+words to comfort the bitterness of such parting.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_10' name='page_10'></a>10</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_II' id='CHAPTER_II'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER II</h2>
+</div>
+<p>When he was come within view of Joines&#8217;
+mill and store on Roaring River, Zeke
+halted again for a final look back toward
+the wild home land, which he was now leaving for
+the first time. The blackness of his mood after
+parting with the girl had passed, though melancholy
+still made him its own. The resilience of youth
+was turning his spirits again toward the hopes that
+had inspired this going forth from his own familiar
+little wilderness into the vast and unknown wilderness
+of the world beyond. As he stared out at the
+scattered peaks, reared like conning towers over the
+sprawling medley of ridge and valley, a throb of
+fondness shook his heart. It was not sprung from
+esthetic appreciation of the wild and romantic landscape,
+though this had been sufficient to justify the
+stir of feeling. His sensibility was aroused by the
+dear friendliness of all the scene, where hollows and
+heights had been his constant haunts through all
+the days of childhood and adolescence until this
+hour. Of a sudden, he realized as never before a profound
+tenderness for this country of beetling crags
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_11' name='page_11'></a>11</span>
+and crystal rivers, of serene spaces and balsamic airs.
+Hitherto, he had esteemed the neighborhood in some
+dull, matter-of-course fashion, such as folk ordinarily
+give to their native territory. But, in this
+instant of illumination, on the eve of separating
+himself from the place, love of it surged within him.
+This was his home, the dwelling of his dear ones.
+He felt toward it a quick reverence as for something
+strangely sacred. His eyes went to the great bulk
+of Stone Mountain, which jutted just before him
+to the east, its league of naked rock lying like some
+monstrous guardian of the place. Somehow, the
+dignity of the massive curving cliffs soothed him,
+heartened him anew. The immutability of the huge
+mound of stone was a prophecy. Through the ages,
+it had maintained its ward steadfastly. So it would
+remain. A gush of confidence washed away the last
+of the watcher&#8217;s depression. He could go on his
+way undismayed. These things here that were so
+dear to him would abide his return. The old mother
+and Plutina would rest secure against his homecoming.
+The time, after all, would not be long.
+Meantime, there was the great adventure. Zeke
+whirled, and trudged blithely onward.</p>
+<p>Opportunity had come to Zeke Higgins, and
+he had not hesitated to seize it. His desire
+for a larger life than that of the tiny, scrabbly
+mountain farm had been early excited; it had persisted;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_12' name='page_12'></a>12</span>
+it had increased steadily, though the possibility
+of its realization had seemed remote. Stark
+poverty demanded that he remain to coax a scant
+living from the soil for his mother. Yet, his determination
+was fixed. He got some smattering of
+education, along with Plutina, from a kindly Quaker
+who came among the &#8220;Boomers&#8221; of the Blue Ridge
+as a missionary school-teacher. Thus, Zeke learned
+surprisingly much. His thirsty brain took up
+knowledge as a sponge takes up water. So great
+was his gratitude to this instructor that, when the
+stranger was revealed as a revenue officer questing
+illicit stills, Zeke, despite inherited prejudice, guided
+the hunted man by secret trails over the mountains
+into Virginia, and thereby undoubtedly saved a life.
+Indeed, the disappearance of the officer was so well
+contrived that the mountaineers themselves for a
+time did not suspect the fact of the escape. There
+is a great basin in the rock on the north side of Stone
+Mountain. It has been hollowed out through centuries
+by the little stream that comes leaping madly
+down the ledges. The cauldron has a sinister repute.
+It is deemed the sepulchre of more than one spy,
+cast down into the abyss from the mountain&#8217;s brim.
+It was generally believed that the false school-teacher
+was of the number.</p>
+<p>Somehow, long afterward, report had it that the
+man was alive. Rumor implicated Zeke as having
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_13' name='page_13'></a>13</span>
+had a share in the fellow&#8217;s escape. Old Dick Siddon,
+Plutina&#8217;s grandfather, heard. He had hated the
+&#8220;revenuers&#8221; always. Since the death of his only
+son at their hands, his hatred had become a mania.
+He was a strong man, fierce in anger. When he
+bade his grandchild dismiss her favored suitor, she
+feigned obedience. She, and Zeke as well, knew the
+futility of fighting the old man&#8217;s prejudices. But,
+with the optimism of youth, the lovers hoped for
+happiness. A little older, they might at least defy
+the hostile guardian. In the meantime, Zeke was
+determined to attain material prosperity during the
+period of waiting.</p>
+<p>Then, Richard Sutton came into the mountains
+of the Blue Ridge. He chanced on Zeke, made use
+of the lad as a guide. Soon mutual liking and
+respect developed. Sutton was a manufacturer of
+tree-nails&mdash;the wooden pins used in ships&#8217; timbers.
+Here in the ranges was an abundance of locust timber,
+the best for his need. And there was much talk
+of a branch railway to come. His alert business
+imagination saw that a factory located at the source
+of supply would be advantageous. He saw, too, the
+capacity for development in his young friend. Zeke&#8217;s
+familiarity with the region might be valuable&mdash;more
+valuable still his popularity and the respect accorded
+him in the community. Sutton suggested to the
+young man that he should come to New York
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_14' name='page_14'></a>14</span>
+presently, there to learn the details of manufacture,
+with the prospect of return, later on, to manage the
+business in the mountains. Naturally, the project
+was splendid to Zeke&#8217;s ambition. His only fear had
+been lest his departure be delayed by lack of money,
+for pride would not let him confess his extremity
+to Sutton. There must be some cash in hand for
+his mother&#8217;s support, until he should be able to send
+her more. Then, as he fretted, opportunity favored
+him anew, for a surveying party came to run a
+railroad branch north to Stone Mountain. He was
+employed as ax-man and assistant cook. His wages
+solved the difficulty, so far as his mother&#8217;s need
+was concerned. For the rest, he took only a small
+sum to his own use, since he was minded to work
+his way north on shipboard from Norfolk. It was in
+accord with such high hopes that this May morning
+found him tramping, barefooted, into Joines&#8217; store,
+with the black oilcloth valise slung from his shoulder.</p>
+<p>The halt here was a necessary feature in Zeke&#8217;s
+itinerary. On a previous visit to the store, he had
+purchased a pair of serviceable, if rather ungainly,
+shoes. Since he would have no occasion for their
+use at home, he had saved himself the trouble of
+carrying them to and fro.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I reckon I&#8217;ll take them-thar shoes o&#8217; mine,&#8221; he
+said to the grizzled proprietor, after an exchange of
+friendly greetings with the few loungers present.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_15' name='page_15'></a>15</span>
+These were well aware of his planned departure,
+though ignorant of his definite aims.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye hain&#8217;t a-goin&#8217; to put &#8217;em on yit, be ye?&#8221; the
+storekeeper inquired, solicitously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not till I git to North Wilkesboro&#8217;,&#8221; Zeke
+answered, to the obvious relief of the assembly, as
+he opened the bag. While he was busy stowing the
+shoes, the onlookers commented cynically on the
+follies of fashion.</p>
+<p>&#8220;An&#8217; I&#8217;ve hearn tell,&#8221; one concluded, &#8220;that durn-nigh
+everybody done war shoes in the city, all year
+roun&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Perhaps the young man felt a pleasant glow of
+superiority in reflecting on the fact that such following
+of city fashion would soon distinguish him. But
+his innocent vanity was not to be unduly flattered.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ca&#8217;late to stay away till ye&#8217;ve made yer fortin,
+in course, sonny?&#8221; one of the older men suggested.
+He enjoyed some local reputation as a wag, the
+maintenance of which so absorbed his energies that
+his wife, who had lost whatever sense of humor she
+might once have had, toiled both indoors and out.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, yes, o&#8217; course,&#8221; Zeke replied unsuspectingly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Better kiss we-uns good-by, sonny,&#8221; was the retort.
+&#8220;You-all &#8217;ll be gone quite some time.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The sally was welcomed with titters and guffaws.
+Zeke was red to the ears with mortification and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_16' name='page_16'></a>16</span>
+anger, as he shut the valise, shouldered it, and strode
+to the door. But even in the time of that passing, he
+mastered his mood in a measure. He had no wish
+to make his farewell to these neighbors in bitterness
+of spirit. So, at the door, he turned and grinned
+amiably on the group.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I want pleasant things to remember hyarabouts,
+all thet-thar long time I got to be away,&#8221; he said,
+with a quizzical drawl; &#8220;so I kain&#8217;t be a-kissin&#8217; o&#8217; ye
+none. My stomick hain&#8217;t none so strong nohow,&#8221;
+he added, with the coarseness that usually flavored
+the humor of the countryside.</p>
+<p>Then, abruptly, the smile left his lips; the lines
+of his face hardened; the hazel eyes brightened
+and widened a little. His low, slow voice came
+firmly, with a note of tense earnestness. It was as
+if he spoke to himself, rather than to the slouching
+men, who regarded him curiously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hain&#8217;t leavin&#8217; all this-hyar &#8217;cause I don&#8217;t love
+hit,&#8221; he declared. &#8220;I do love hit, an&#8217; I aim to come
+back by-an-bye&mdash;I shore do!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Forthwith, embarrassed anew by this unmeditated
+outburst, he hurried off, amid an astonished silence
+which was broken at last by the storekeeper.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thet-thar Zeke Higgins,&#8221; he ventured, somewhat
+indistinctly through his matting of whiskers, &#8220;I
+swow if he hain&#8217;t got right feelin&#8217;s, fer all he&#8217;s so
+durn peart.&#8221; And his cronies nodded assent.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_17' name='page_17'></a>17</span></p>
+<p>As he pressed onward, the adventurer quickly
+regained his poise. The novelty of the situation
+thrilled him agreeably. His thoughts were crowded
+with imaginings of the strange things to come. Ambitious
+vision of himself successful among the city&#8217;s
+throngs made his pulses beat faster. He felt that
+he had within him the power to achieve something
+worth while in the world. Certainly, he would not
+fail for lack of striving. But no triumph elsewhere
+could ever wean him from his love for the Blue
+Ridge&mdash;for his home country. Yes, it was as he
+had said there in the store: He would come back.
+He would come back to the cabin in the &#8220;cove&#8221; under
+the shadows of Stone Mountain&mdash;back to the old
+mother, back to Plutina. A warmth of exquisite
+tenderness vibrated through him, as his hope leaped
+to that homecoming, to the time when once again
+the girl should rest clinging on his bosom. And a
+great peace lay under all his joy of anticipation. His
+love knew no doubt. She had given her heart to
+him. Through his every wandering, whatever
+might betide, her love would be with him, to comfort
+him in sorrow, to crown him in happiness. A
+bird&#8217;s song recalled the lilt of her laughter. He saw
+again the tremulous curving of her mouth, red
+against the fine warm pallor of her face at parting.
+Passion welled in him. He halted yet once again,
+and stood with face suffused, gazing back. It was
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_18' name='page_18'></a>18</span>
+as if he were swayed by a sudden secret sense that
+warned him of her misery in this hour of his exaltation&mdash;her
+misery where she lay prone under the
+tangle of laurel by Garden Creek, sobbing out that
+anguish which is the penalty woman must pay for
+love.</p>
+<p>Zeke&#8217;s eyes fastened anew on the rounded bulk
+of Stone Mountain&#8217;s cliffs. The immutability of
+them, and the majesty, relieved the tenseness of his
+mood. He resumed his way serenely.... But
+Plutina wept on, unassuaged.</p>
+<p>When he drew near to North Wilkesboro&#8217;, where
+he proposed to make a first essay in railway journeying,
+Zeke seated himself under the shade of a grove
+of persimmon-trees by the wayside, there painfully
+to encumber his feet with the new shoes. As he
+laced these, he indulged in soliloquy, after a fashion
+bred of his lonely life, on a subject born of his immediate
+surroundings.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hain&#8217;t noways superstitious,&#8221; he mused complacently,
+&#8220;but this grove ain&#8217;t no nice place, bein&#8217; as
+it must be a nigger cemetery. Uncle Dick Siddon
+says they&#8217;s always niggers buried whar they&#8217;s persimmon-trees,
+an&#8217; he says the niggers come first.
+An&#8217; Uncle Dick, he ought to know, bein&#8217; he&#8217;s eighty-odd-year
+old. Anyhow, it seems reasonable, &#8217;cause
+niggers do swaller the stuns when they eats persimmons,
+an&#8217; so, o&#8217; course, jest nacher&#8217;ly the trees &#8217;ll
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_19' name='page_19'></a>19</span>
+spring up where the niggers git planted. So
+they&#8217;d be ha&#8217;nts like&#8217;s not. But I hain&#8217;t superstitious&mdash;not
+a mite. Mr. Sutton, he said such things
+as ha&#8217;nts an&#8217; witch-doctors an&#8217; such was all plumb
+foolishness. Still, my mammy has seen&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He fell silent, recalling old wives&#8217; tales of fearsome
+things seen and heard of nights. The shoes
+adjusted, he took from the black bag a holster,
+which sheltered a formidable-appearing Colt&#8217;s revolver.
+Having made sure that the weapon was
+loaded and in perfect order, Zeke returned it to
+the holster, which he put on snugly under the left
+arm-pit. These final preparations complete, he got
+up, and hastened into the town.</p>
+<p>One bit more of his musings he spoke aloud, just
+before he entered the main street:</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, I hain&#8217;t superstitious. But, by crickey!
+I&#8217;m plumb tickled I giv Plutiny thet fairy cross.
+They say them stones is shore lucky.&#8221;</p>
+<p>At the railway station, Zeke asked for a ticket to
+Norfolk.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Want a return-trip ticket?&#8221; the friendly station-agent
+suggested. He supposed the young mountaineer
+was taking a pleasure excursion to the city.</p>
+<p>But Zeke shook his head defiantly, and spoke with
+utter forgetfulness of his experience in Joines&#8217; store.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No,&#8221; he declared stoutly, &#8220;I hain&#8217;t a-comin&#8217; back
+till I&#8217;ve made my fortin.&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_20' name='page_20'></a>20</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;ll be a long time gone from this-here State
+o&#8217; Wilkes,&#8221; the agent vouchsafed dryly. He would
+have said more, but his shrewd eyes saw in this
+young man&#8217;s expression something that bade him
+pause, less sceptical. The handsome and wholesome
+face showed a strength of its own in the resolute
+curving nose and the firmly-set lips and the grave,
+yet kindly, eyes, with a light of purposeful intelligence
+glowing within their clear deeps. The tall
+form, broad of shoulder, deep of chest, narrow of
+hip, though not yet come to the fulness of maturity,
+was of the evident strength fitted to toil hugely at
+the beck of its owner&#8217;s will. The agent, conscious
+of a puny frame that had served him ill in life&#8217;s
+struggle, experienced a half-resentment against this
+youth&#8217;s physical excellence. He wondered, if, after
+all, the boast might be justified by the event.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Train in ten minutes,&#8221; he said curtly, as he
+pushed out the ticket.</p>
+<p>So, presently, Zeke, found himself seated for the
+first time on the red plush seat of a railway carriage.
+The initial stage of his journey was ended; the second
+was begun.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_21' name='page_21'></a>21</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_III' id='CHAPTER_III'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER III</h2>
+</div>
+<p>The right of way from North Wilkesboro&#8217;
+to Greensboro&#8217; runs through a region where
+every vista delights the eye with wild and
+romantic scenes. The rails follow the course of the
+upper reaches of the Yadkin River, with swift succession
+of vicious curves and heavy grades. The
+twistings of the road-bed, so advantageous for presenting
+the varied loveliness of the wilds, were by
+way of being a real torture to the young adventurer,
+who sat in seeming stolidity near the rear door of
+the smoking-car, with the black bag between his
+feet. Even experienced travelers found the lunges
+of the train trying to their nerves as it shot at speed
+around &#8220;hairpin&#8221; bends, or hurled itself to the fall
+of a steeper descent. To Zeke, who for the first
+time knew the roar and jolt of such travel, this
+trip was a fearsome thing. To sit movelessly there,
+while the car reeled recklessly on the edge of abysses,
+was a supreme trial of self-control. The racking
+peril fairly sickened him. A mad impulse of flight
+surged in him. Yet, not for worlds would he have
+let anyone guess his miserable alarm.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_22' name='page_22'></a>22</span></p>
+<p>Nevertheless, one there was who apprehended in
+some measure the ordeal through which the mountaineer
+was passing&mdash;happily, a kindly observer.
+An elderly man, across the aisle from Zeke, regarded
+his fellow passenger with particular intentness.
+It seemed to him that, in some vague way, the
+clean-cut face was familiar. His curiosity thus
+aroused, he perceived the tenseness of expression and
+attitude, and shrewdly suspected the truth. It was
+with benevolent intent, rather than for the gratification
+of inquisitiveness, that he finally got up and
+seated himself in the vacant place alongside the
+younger man.</p>
+<p>Zeke&#8217;s perturbation caused him to start nervously
+at this advent of a stranger, but a single glance into
+the wrinkled, yet hale, face of the man reassured
+him. The visitor&#8217;s amiable character showed plainly
+in his dim blue eyes, which twinkled merrily. Moreover,
+there was a sure witness of worth in the empty
+sleeve, pinned to his left breast, on which showed
+the cross of honor. The humor lurking in the eyes
+was grotesquely manifested in his first address:</p>
+<p>&#8220;This-hyar railroad hain&#8217;t no fitten one fer beginners,&#8221;
+he announced, with a chuckle. &#8220;Hit&#8217;s
+plumb likely to make a squirrel into a nut.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke smiled, somewhat ruefully. He understood
+the play on words since &#8220;boomer,&#8221; the mountaineers&#8217;
+own name for the red squirrel, is often
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_23' name='page_23'></a>23</span>
+applied to themselves. But the distraction afforded
+by the garrulous veteran was a relief. A new spur
+was given to their mutual interest when, after telling
+his name, it was discovered that his father had
+been a company-mate with Seth Jones, the veteran,
+in the Twelfth North Carolina Volunteers. The old
+man&#8217;s curiosity was highly gratified by this explanation
+of the inherited likeness that had puzzled him,
+and he waxed reminiscent and confidential. The
+diversion was welcome to his listener, where doubtless
+many another might have found the narrative
+of by-gone campaigns tedious in this prolix retelling.
+Ultimately, indeed, the youth&#8217;s sympathies
+were aroused by Jones&#8217; tale of misfortune in love,
+wherein his failure to write the girl he left behind
+him had caused her first to mourn him as dead, and
+eventually to marry her second choice.</p>
+<p>&#8220;But I&#8217;ve jest got scrumptious news,&#8221; he exclaimed,
+his rheumy eyes suddenly clear and sparkling.
+&#8220;Seems as how Fanny&#8217;s a widder. So, I&#8217;m
+a-goin&#8217; to try my luck, an&#8217; no shelly-shallyin&#8217;, now
+I&#8217;ve got her located arter a mighty lot o&#8217; huntin&#8217;.
+Yes, sir, sonny,&#8221; he concluded, with a guffaw, &#8220;old
+as I be, I&#8217;m a-goin&#8217; a-courtin&#8217;. If I ever see ye
+ag&#8217;in, I&#8217;ll tell ye how it comes out. I s&#8217;pose I seem
+plumb old fer sech foolishness to a boy like you be,
+but some hearts keep young till they stop. I&#8217;m
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_24' name='page_24'></a>24</span>
+pretty spry fer my age, too, if I do say so as
+shouldn&#8217;t.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke was not so surprised by the old man&#8217;s hopes
+as he might have been, were it not for the example
+of Plutina&#8217;s grandfather, who, somewhat beyond
+four-score, was still scandalously lively, to the delectation
+of local gossip. But, though after the departure
+of Jones at a junction, Zeke reflected half-amusedly
+on the rather sere romances of these two
+ancient Romeos, he was far from surmising that,
+at the last, their amorous paths would cross.</p>
+<p>There was still further harrowing experience for
+Zeke after reaching the Southern Railway&#8217;s terminal
+on the pier at Pinner&#8217;s Point, in Virginia,
+for here he was hurried aboard the ferry-boat, and
+was immediately appalled by the warning blast of
+the whistle. Few bear that strident din undismayed.
+This adventurer had never heard the like&mdash;only
+the lesser warning of locomotives and the
+siren of a tannery across twenty miles of distance.
+Now, the infernal belching clamor broke in his very
+ears, stunning him. He quivered under the impact,
+stricken to the soul for seconds of shock. But the
+few careless eyes that chanced to scan the mountaineer
+noted no faltering in face or form. He stood
+to all appearance serenely, easily poised, his attitude
+replete with the grace of physical power, his
+mouth firmly closed, his widely-set eyes unwavering.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_25' name='page_25'></a>25</span>
+Even the cudgel, and the black bag still dangling
+from it, could not offset a certain aloof dignity that
+masked distress by stern effort of will.</p>
+<p>Nothing further occurred for a little to afflict
+the traveler&#8217;s unaccustomed nerves, and he soon
+found himself pleasurably absorbed in contemplation
+of the novel surroundings. The boat was nearing
+the Norfolk landing when his eyes fell on a
+dog, held in leash by a young woman. Both the
+beast and its mistress commanded his instant attention,
+in which wonder was the chief emotion. The
+dog itself was a Boston bull-terrier, which was a
+canine species wholly strange to the mountaineer&#8217;s
+experience, limited as it had been to hounds and
+mongrels of unanalyzable genealogy. The brute&#8217;s
+face had an uncanny likeness to a snub-nosed, heavy-jowled
+&#8220;boomer&#8221; whom Zeke detested, and he eyed
+the creature askance by reason of the resemblance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s plumb man-faced,&#8221; was his verdict. &#8220;I
+shore prefer &#8217;em jest plain dawg.&#8221; His eyes went
+then from the leash to the girl holding it, and he
+hardly restrained a gasp, in which admiration was
+mingled with amazement. The ordinary observer
+would have seen only a pretty girl, of the fluffy
+blond type, smartly tailored in blue serge, with the
+skirt decorously slit. But Zeke saw a vision from
+another world than that of the slatternly mountain
+women, whose toil left them neither opportunity nor
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_26' name='page_26'></a>26</span>
+ambition for nicety in dress, which, indeed, was
+finally prohibited by ignorance as well as poverty.
+This girl stood out in startling relief, marvelous
+revelation from the new world he was entering.
+Slowly, with concentration, the young man scrutinized
+the vision, noting every detail, from the natty
+turban with its swaying feather wand to the daintily
+pointed ties, above which were to be glimpsed trim
+silk-clad ankles. Yet, the novel charm of her failed
+utterly to disturb the loyalty of his heart. His hungry
+soul found exquisite satisfaction in the spectacle
+of feminine refinement thus presented for the first
+time, but his devotion to the roughly garbed mountain
+girl was in no wise imperiled. On the contrary,
+his imagination busied itself with an effort
+to picture Plutina thus splendidly arrayed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low she&#8217;s plumb handsome,&#8221; he meditated.
+&#8220;But, shucks! Tiny beats her holler. In them
+duds, she&#8217;d have her skun a mile.... But thet-thar
+man-faced dawg! I&#8217;d shore hate like pizen to
+be found daid along with thet ornery pup.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As he mused, no hint came out of the future as
+to the time when, in very truth, he would be close
+to death, and that same dog an actor in the drama,
+one to be deeply esteemed, not contemned. But
+that time was not yet. In fact, the immediate future
+was not destined to remove his prejudice
+against the bull-terrier. On the contrary!
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_27' name='page_27'></a>27</span></p>
+<p>The fixity of Zeke&#8217;s staring penetrated the girl&#8217;s
+consciousness. She turned abruptly, and her blue
+eyes met his in a cool glance that seemed to pass
+through him and on, as if he were something quite
+invisible, altogether beneath notice. Zeke felt
+the rebuke keenly, though innocent of intentional
+offense. The instincts of gentlemanly blood from
+which he was somewhere distantly descended made
+him realize his fault in manners, though he had had
+no guidance from experience. The ready blush
+burned hot on brow and cheeks; he dropped his
+gaze confusedly to the dog.</p>
+<p>Even the beast, he perceived, reprobated his conduct.
+It was staring up at him fiercely from red
+eyes, and the hackles stood erect, though it did not
+growl. Evidently, it resented undue attention to
+its mistress.</p>
+<p>There was a movement forward of the passengers,
+as the ferry-boat drew into its slip. Zeke
+advanced with the others, following close behind
+the girl and the dog, which strained at the leash
+in order still to stare menacingly at the young man.
+Then, without warning, the action became swift
+and violent. The ferry-boat crashed against the
+yielding walls of the slip. Zeke, unprepared for
+the shock, was thrown from his balance. One of
+the heavy new shoes smashed down on a paw. The
+dog sprang and snapped. The jaws missed, because
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_28' name='page_28'></a>28</span>
+the girl tugged at the leash in the same second.
+Zeke instinctively kicked at the brute in self-defense.
+His foot took the animal fairly in the
+jaw, and lifted it from the floor, just as the girl
+turned. She cried out in shrill anger at this rough
+stranger&#8217;s wanton attack on her pet, for so she
+interpreted the event. She maintained her hold on
+the leash bravely, lest worse follow. But her
+strength was insufficient to restrain the creature of
+fighting breed. It lunged forward with such suddenness
+that both its mistress and its enemy were
+taken unawares. The girl was dragged in tow.
+Zeke would have leaped aside, but he was too late
+to escape the encounter, though he mitigated it.
+The iron jaws clanged shut, but in the slack of the
+victim&#8217;s sturdy jeans, instead of in the flesh. The
+massive mouth was locked vise-like. Because of the
+cloth&#8217;s sturdiness, the dog swung clear of the floor.
+The girl still strove frantically, though vainly, at
+the leash, shrieking commands which were unheeded.
+Zeke, confused, chagrined, ashamed,
+wrathful, shook himself violently to be free, without
+avail. The other passengers scurried forth,
+with a panic cry of &#8220;Mad dog!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke&#8217;s wrath mounted. He had had little training
+in self-restraint, and his passions were of the
+primitive sort. Now, abruptly, the lesser emotions
+were overwhelmed by the might of his rage. He
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_29' name='page_29'></a>29</span>
+was conscious only of the humiliating fact that this
+hideous man-faced dog had fastened itself on
+him, and there hung. Zeke bent and twisted, his
+two hands on the creature&#8217;s jaws. Then he set himself
+to wrench them apart. His strength, great as
+it was availed nothing against that remorseless grip.
+The resistance goaded him to fury. He gave over
+the effort to prise the teeth apart, and put all his
+might into a frenzied pull. There were instants
+of resistance, then the hissing noise of rending
+cloth. A huge fragment of the stout jeans was
+torn out bodily. Zeke hurled the animal violently
+from him. The leash was snapped from the girl&#8217;s
+hands. The dog&#8217;s body shot across the cabin,
+hurtled against the wall. The indomitable brute
+tumbled to the floor, and lay there stunned. But
+even in defeat, he carried down with him between
+rigid jaws the blue-jeans banner of victory.</p>
+<p>With a bound, the girl crossed the space, and
+fell on her knees beside the inert form, crooning
+over it pitifully. In the same moment, the gust
+of anger in Zeke ended. He stood motionless, except
+for his quickened breathing, with eyes fast on
+the girl. Remorse stabbed him as he realized her
+distress, for which he was responsible. He went
+toward her hesitatingly, forgetful of bag and stick,
+which had fallen at the outset of the m&ecirc;l&eacute;e. He
+ventured to address her, stammering confusedly.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_30' name='page_30'></a>30</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low he hain&#8217;t daid, nor nothin&#8217; like thet,&#8221; he
+said; &#8220;jest takin&#8217; a nap-like.&#8221; His wrath gave a
+final flicker, as he looked down at the ugly face
+cushioned within the girl&#8217;s hands. &#8220;An ornery
+critter like thet-thar pup ought to be kept shet-up,&#8221;
+he concluded spitefully.</p>
+<p>The girl lifted a face in which blue eyes were
+flaming.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s you ought to be shut up, you horrible man!&#8221;
+she cried. &#8220;And you will be. I&#8217;ll see to that.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Now, don&#8217;t be plumb foolish,&#8221; Zeke expostulated.
+&#8220;The varmint hain&#8217;t hurt none&mdash;not a mite,
+ma&#8217;am.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Beast!&#8221; the girl ejaculated, concisely.</p>
+<p>Zeke retorted with high indignation.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I jest nacher&#8217;ly hain&#8217;t a-goin&#8217; to stand still an&#8217;
+say &#8216;Thank ye!&#8217; while I&#8217;m bein&#8217; et up piecemeal by
+no dawg&mdash;specially one with a face like his&#8217;n.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He would have said more, but paused with mouth
+agape, eyes widening, his expression horror-stricken.
+For, just then, the bull-terrier snorted
+loudly, and unclosed its red eyes. The clenched
+jaws, too, relaxed. Thus released, the broad strip
+of jeans fluttered to the floor. Its movement
+caught Zeke&#8217;s gaze. He recognized the cloth. The
+ghastly truth burst in his brain. In an agony of
+embarrassment, he clasped his hands to that portion
+of his person so fearfully despoiled. Moved by his
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_31' name='page_31'></a>31</span>
+sudden silence, impressed perhaps by some subtle
+impact of this new and dreadful emotion on his
+part, the girl looked up. She, too, had noted subconsciously
+the fall of the cloth from the dog&#8217;s
+jaws. Now as she saw the young man&#8217;s face of
+fire and observed his peculiar posture, she understood.
+Her own crimson cheeks rivaled those of
+the afflicted one. She turned and bent low over
+her reviving pet. Her shoulders were shaking,
+Zeke was shuddering.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_32' name='page_32'></a>32</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_IV' id='CHAPTER_IV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2>
+</div>
+<p>The conventions of dress are sometimes pestilential.
+If any doubt this truth let him
+remember the nightmares wherein his
+nudity made torment. And, while remembering the
+anguish such lack of clothing has occasioned in
+dreams, let him think with pity on the suffering of
+Zeke whose plight was real. It was in sooth, a
+predicament to strain the <i>savoir faire</i> of the most
+polished courtier. Perhaps, the behavior of the
+mountaineer was as discreet as any permitted by
+the unfortunate circumstances, and could hardly
+have been improved on by the Admirable Crichton
+himself. He simply retained an immobile pose,
+facing the girl, with his whole soul concentrated in
+desire that the earth should split asunder to engulf
+him. The tide of his misery was at its flood, so that
+it grew no worse when some deck-hands thrust the
+forward doors open, and a policeman bounded into
+the cabin, drawn revolver in hand.</p>
+<p>But the bull-terrier was to escape the fate unjustly
+inflicted on so many of its fellows. The
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_33' name='page_33'></a>33</span>
+girl, crouching over the dog, barred the policeman&#8217;s
+purpose.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Get away from him, miss,&#8221; the officer directed.
+&#8220;He ain&#8217;t safe, even if he&#8217;s quiet. I know mad
+dogs. A bullet&#8217;s the only medicine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Chub isn&#8217;t mad in the least,&#8221; the girl snapped;
+&#8220;though he&#8217;s been through enough to make him
+crazy&mdash;and so have I. If you&#8217;re so anxious to do
+your duty, officer,&#8221; she added, bitterly, &#8220;why don&#8217;t
+you arrest that horrid, hulking man over there?&#8221;
+She pointed a neatly gloved, accusing finger at the
+motionless Zeke, who was staring fixedly at the
+point where he hoped the abyss might yawn.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s he done?&#8221; the policeman inquired gruffly.
+He was miffed over this lost opportunity. The
+slayer of a mad dog is always mentioned as a hero
+in the newspapers.</p>
+<p>The girl stood up. The dog, at the end of the
+leash, also stood up, and shook itself. It had, to
+all seeming, recovered fully. It regarded Zeke intently
+from its red eyes. But it did not growl. It
+was plain that the bull-terrier was thinking deeply,
+and that Zeke was the center around which thought
+revolved. But, if the dog did not growl, its mistress
+showed no lessening of hostility. She explained
+succinctly to the representative of the law:</p>
+<p>&#8220;He assaulted my dog&mdash;with his feet and his
+hands.&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_34' name='page_34'></a>34</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;And maybe he bit him, too!&#8221; the policeman
+suggested, with heavy sarcasm. He could not forgive
+this pretty girl for foiling his heroism.</p>
+<p>The girl did not heed. Her white brow was
+wrinkled in a frown. She was recalling, with an
+effort, her somewhat meager knowledge of legal
+terms.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall charge him with homicidal assault,&#8221; she
+announced firmly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope you&#8217;ll tell that to the sarge,&#8221; the officer
+chuckled, his pique forgotten in appreciation of the
+girl&#8217;s na&iuml;ve announcement. &#8220;I&#8217;ll take this chap to
+the station-house. You&#8217;ll appear against him,
+miss?&#8221; The girl nodded emphatically. He turned
+on Zeke, frowning. &#8220;Come on quiet, young feller,
+if you know what&#8217;s good for ye.&#8221; His practiced
+eye studied the young mountaineer&#8217;s physique
+respectfully.</p>
+<p>Zeke made no movement, nor answered nor
+lifted his eyes. The policeman attributed this demeanor
+to recalcitrancy. He put the revolver in
+his pocket, drew his club and took a step forward.
+Yet, he sensed something unfamiliar in the situation;
+the stiff posture of the arms and hands of
+the culprit attracted his attention. He felt vaguely
+that something of a painful nature was toward. He
+stopped short, puzzled, and spoke:
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_35' name='page_35'></a>35</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the matter with ye, anyhow?&#8221; he demanded
+fiercely. &#8220;Hain&#8217;t ye got any tongue?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Then, at last, Zeke raised his eyes. They went
+first to the forward door, to make sure that the
+girl had vanished. There were only two mildly interested
+deck-hands in the cabin, beside the policeman,
+though soon the place would be filled with
+newly arriving passengers. He looked at the officer
+squarely, with despair in his expression:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit ain&#8217;t my tongue&mdash;hit&#8217;s my pants!&#8221; he said
+huskily. &#8220;Hit&#8217;s the seat of my pants. Hit&#8217;s&mdash;hit&#8217;s
+thar!&#8221; He nodded toward the strip of jeans left
+on the floor by the dog.</p>
+<p>The policeman stared at the fragment of cloth,
+then his gaze returned appreciatively to the victim&#8217;s
+hands. He threw his head back and bellowed with
+laughter, echoed raucously by the deck-hands. Zeke
+waited grimly until the merriment lessened a little.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hain&#8217;t a-stirrin&#8217; nary a step to no jail-house,&#8221;
+was his morose announcement, &#8220;unless somebody
+gits me some pants with a seat to &#8217;em.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The policeman liked his ease too well to fight
+needlessly, and he had an idea that the thews and
+sinews of the boomer might make a good account
+of themselves. Moreover, he was by way of being
+a kindly soul, and he apprehended in a measure the
+young man&#8217;s misery.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Can you dig up a pair of jumpers?&#8221; he asked
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_36' name='page_36'></a>36</span>
+the deck-hands. &#8220;You can have &#8217;em back by calling
+at the station to-morrow.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In this manner, the difficulty was bridged. Clad
+in the dingy and dirty borrowed garment, the burning
+shame fell from Zeke, and he was once again
+his own man. Nevertheless, he avoided looking
+toward the piece of torn cloth lying on the floor, as
+he went out with the policeman. He only wished
+that he might with equal ease leave behind all memory
+of the lamentable episode.</p>
+<p>Zeke&#8217;s tractability increased the favorable impression
+already made on the officer by the mountaineer&#8217;s
+wholesome face and modest, manly bearing.
+It was evident that this was no ordinary rake-helly
+boomer come to town. There was, too, the
+black bag to witness that the prisoner was an honest
+voyager. On the way to the station, the constable
+listened with unusual patience to Zeke&#8217;s curt
+account of the misadventure, and the narrative was
+accepted as truth&mdash;the more readily by reason of
+some slight prejudice against the dog, which had
+failed as an exploiter of heroism. In consequence,
+the policeman grew friendly, and promised intercession
+in his captive&#8217;s behalf. This was the more
+effective when, on arrival at the station-house, it
+was learned that the girl with the dog had not
+appeared. Nor was there sign of her after a period
+of waiting. The sergeant at the desk decided that
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_37' name='page_37'></a>37</span>
+there could be no occasion to hold the prisoner. But
+he frowned on the deadly weapon, which the usual
+search had revealed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8217;Twon&#8217;t do for you to go totin&#8217; that cannon
+promiscuous,&#8221; he declared. &#8220;You shore don&#8217;t need
+a gun&mdash;you shore do need breeches. What&#8217;s the
+answer?... Hock the gun, and buy some
+pants.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Thus simply did an alert mind solve all difficulties
+of the situation.</p>
+<p>So in the end, Zeke issued safely from his first
+bout with mischance and found himself well content,
+for his dress now was more like that of the
+men about him. The new trousers were full length,
+which the jeans had not been, and the creases down
+the legs were in the latest style. The salesman had
+so stated, and Zeke observed with huge satisfaction
+that the stiffness of the creases seemed to mark the
+quality of the various suits visible in the streets.
+And his own creases were of the most rigid! Zeke
+for the first time in his life, felt that warm thrill
+which characterizes any human integer, whether
+high or low, when conscious of being especially well
+dressed.</p>
+<p>Followed an interval of loitering. The sights of
+the town formed an endless panorama of wonder
+to the lad&#8217;s eager vision. Though he was a year past
+the age of man&#8217;s estate, this was his first opportunity
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_38' name='page_38'></a>38</span>
+of beholding a town of any size, of seeing face to
+face things of which he had heard a little, had
+read more. His fresh, receptive mind scanned
+every detail with fierce concentration of interest,
+and registered a multitude of vivid impressions to
+be tenaciously retained in memory.</p>
+<p>And ever with him, as he roamed the streets,
+went a tall slender girl, barefooted, garbed in homespun,
+with great dark brown eyes that looked tenderly
+on him from beneath the tumbled bronze
+masses of her hair. No passer-by saw her, but the
+mountaineer knew her constant presence, and with
+her held voiceless communion concerning all things
+that he beheld. His heart exulted proudly over the
+bewildering revelations of many women, both beautiful
+and marvelously clad in fine raiment&mdash;for this
+girl that walked with him was more radiantly fair
+than any other.</p>
+<p>It was late afternoon when, finally, Zeke aroused
+himself to think of the necessities of his position.
+Then, after a hasty and economical meal at a lunch
+counter near the water-front, he made haste to the
+pier, where his attention was at once riveted on an
+Old Dominion Liner, which was just backing out
+into the river. He watched the great bulk, fascinated,
+while it turned, and moved away down the harbor,
+to vanish beyond Sewall&#8217;s Point, on its way toward
+Hampton Roads. Immediately afterward, his attention
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_39' name='page_39'></a>39</span>
+was attracted to a much smaller steamer,
+which drew in on the opposite side of the wharf.
+There chanced to be no one else near, and, as the
+boat slid into the slip, a man in the bow hurled a
+coil of rope toward Zeke, with an aim so accurate
+that it fell across Zeke&#8217;s shoulder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t dodge it, you lubber!&#8221; the man roared, in
+answer to the mountaineer&#8217;s instinctive movement.
+&#8220;Haul it in, an&#8217; make fast to the punchin&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke obeyed readily enough, hauled in the hawser,
+and made the loop fast over the piling. At the
+same moment, he saw two negroes, blacker from
+soot and grime than nature had made them, who
+leaped down from the deck, and scampered out of
+sight. He heard the captain in the pilot-house
+shouting down the tube.</p>
+<p>&#8220;There go your&#8211;&#8211;nigger stokers on the run.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke could both see and hear the man in the
+engine-room, who vowed profanely that he would
+ship a pair of white men, to sail before ten that
+night. It seemed to the listener that the situation
+might develop to his advantage. When, presently,
+the captain descended to the dock, Zeke made bold
+to accost that red-faced and truculent-appearing
+person. Much to his surprise, his request for work
+met with an amiable reply. The captain verified
+what Zeke already knew, that the engineer had
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_40' name='page_40'></a>40</span>
+need of men, and bade the inquirer get aboard and
+offer himself.</p>
+<p>In the engine-room, the harried chief scowled on
+the intruder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What the devil do you want?&#8221; he cried harshly.</p>
+<p>But Zeke&#8217;s purpose was too earnest to be put
+down by mere ungraciousness.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Work,&#8221; he replied with a smile.</p>
+<p>Something in the applicant&#8217;s aspect mitigated the
+engineer&#8217;s asperity.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ever fire a boiler?&#8221; he questioned, more affably.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, an&#8217; no,&#8221; Zeke answered; &#8220;not any real
+steam b&#8217;iler. But, when hit comes to keepin&#8217; a
+hick&#8217;ry fire under a copper kittle, an&#8217; not scorchin&#8217;
+the likker, wall, I &#8217;lows as how I kin do hit. An&#8217;
+when it comes to makin&#8217; o&#8217; sorghum m&#8217;lasses, I hain&#8217;t
+never tuk off my hat to nobody yit. Fer the keepin&#8217;
+o&#8217; proper temp&#8217;rature folks says, I&#8217;m &#8217;bout&#8217;s good&#8217;s
+anybody in Wilkes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Humph!&mdash;boomer,&#8221; the engineer grunted, and
+there was silence for a moment. When next he spoke,
+his manner was kindly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Those niggers of mine skedaddled &#8217;cause they&#8217;re
+lazy and worthless. But the stoke-hole is hell, all
+right. It ain&#8217;t no place for a youngster like you.
+I&#8217;ll hustle round to the gin-mills an&#8217; get hold of a
+pair of tough guys. But there&#8217;s something else,&#8221;
+he went on, as Zeke&#8217;s face fell. &#8220;If you can make
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_41' name='page_41'></a>41</span>
+sorghum molasses and moonshine without scorchin&#8217;
+&#8217;em, you&#8217;ll fill the bill, I reckon. We cruise off the
+coast for menhaddin&mdash;fat backs&mdash;for the oil in &#8217;em.
+We carry steam-jacket kettles. I&#8217;ve got a green
+man now who&#8217;s no good. I&#8217;ll fire him and take you
+on. Thirty a month and your board&mdash;more by-and-by,
+if you suit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke, elated at this opportunity, felt, nevertheless,
+that honesty required of him some further explanation.
+But the engineer dismissed consideration of
+the future.</p>
+<p>&#8220;A month will give you enough for your fare to
+New York. If you ain&#8217;t pressed for time, a voyage
+will do you good. But don&#8217;t let the captain get a
+sight of that black bag, or it&#8217;ll go overboard. Sailors
+are afeared of &#8217;em,&#8221; he chuckled. &#8220;<i>The Neuse</i>,
+my old ship, ran into <i>The Blanche</i> off Creek Beacon,
+in a fog, and sunk her. We rescued officers and
+crew, but the captain&mdash;Smith, his name was&mdash;couldn&#8217;t
+stop cussin&#8217; &#8217;cause he&#8217;d allowed a nigger
+mammy to go aboard as a passenger along with her
+old black bag, which was the why of the wreck,
+&#8217;cording to his way of thinking. Took his friends
+nigh onto a year, to convince him that <i>The Neuse</i>
+was to blame for the collision. I suspect he&#8217;ll always
+have it on his conscience that he did finally collect
+damages off our owners.&#8221; The engineer
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_42' name='page_42'></a>42</span>
+chuckled again. &#8220;Stow your bag under your bunk
+in the fore peak before the captain comes aboard.&#8221;</p>
+<p><i>The Bonita</i> was a stanchly built and seaworthy
+craft with a draft of less than twelve feet under full
+cargo, which made possible her use of the shorter
+and smoother inland water-way from Norfolk to
+Beaufort, North Carolina, where was the factory.
+Zeke, who would remain idle until the first catch of
+fish, went early to his bunk the first evening aboard,
+wearied by the long and exciting day. He had, indeed,
+scarce time to contemplate a guardian vision
+of Plutina ere his senses were locked in slumber,
+and his next consciousness was of a dim morning
+light struggling into the gloom of the stuffy peak,
+and the jolting rhythm of the engine, which announced
+that the voyage was begun. When he hurried
+on deck, he was at first disappointed to learn
+that the boat was still some distance from the open
+sea, for which he longed with all an inlander&#8217;s
+curiosity over the mystery of endless waters. <i>The
+Bonita</i> was now working forward slowly through
+the old Dismal Swamp Canal, to reach the Pasquotank
+River and Albemarle Sound. Zeke&#8217;s astonished
+eyes perceived in every direction only the level, melancholy
+expanse of the swamp. His sensitive soul
+found, nevertheless, a strange charm and beauty
+in the scene. There was space here, even as in the
+mountains. Yet this calm was not of strength, he
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_43' name='page_43'></a>43</span>
+felt vaguely, like that he had known, but the tranquillity
+of nature in another, a weaker, less-wholesome
+mood, apathetic, futile. The thickly dotting cypresses
+and junipers, bedecked with streaming
+draperies of Spanish moss, touched the vistas with
+a funereal aspect. The languid movement of the
+festoons under the breeze was like the sighings of
+desolation made visible. The dense tangle of the
+undergrowth stretched everywhere, repellent, unrelieved
+by the vivid color flashes of the mountain
+blossoms. Stagnant wastes of amber-hued water
+emphasized the dreariness.</p>
+<p>Zeke&#8217;s spirits were too exultant to suffer more
+than a fleeting depression from this first survey of
+the waste. He realized how unjust his impressions
+might be when he learned that this seemingly filthy
+water was highly esteemed. The deck-hand, filling
+the water barrel from a pail let over the ship&#8217;s side,
+explained the swamp water&#8217;s virtues.</p>
+<p>&#8220;All the capens fill their barrels with it. Juniper
+water cures chills an&#8217; fever, an&#8217; keeps &#8217;em off if ye
+hain&#8217;t got &#8217;em. Some says it&#8217;s better &#8217;n gin for the
+kidneys.&#8221; But the deck-hand looked doubtful.</p>
+<p>Zeke, still suspicious because of the unlikeness of
+this liquid to the crystal-clear element of the mountains,
+essayed an experimental swallow, then spat
+disgustedly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit may be all right fer med&#8217;cine, or yarb tea,&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_44' name='page_44'></a>44</span>
+was his verdict, &#8220;but it needs real water to wash it
+down.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The progress was tediously slow, for a strong
+southwest wind had come on, which lowered the
+water in the canal, so that <i>The Bonita</i> often went
+scraping along the bottom, and betimes stuck fast in
+the mud. When they were come to the Lake Drummond
+region, Captain Lee decided to tie up until a
+change or falling of the wind, with its consequent
+rise of water in the channel. At the point where
+they finally made fast to the bank, there was an old
+trail, a woods road long abandoned, running off into
+the jungle. Zeke promptly set off to explore this,
+and almost at once espied a wild turkey; a plump
+gobbler, feeding in the path before him. There
+could be no doubt as to the acceptability of such
+food aboard and Zeke hastened back to <i>The Bonita</i>,
+where the captain gladly loaned him a rifle. Thus
+equipped, Zeke returned to the wilderness trail. He
+was not surprised to find that the turkey had vanished,
+nor disheartened, for he was sure that a little
+patience would bring him in sight of game, and there
+was leisure a plenty since an interval must elapse
+after a change in the wind before the deepening of
+the water. Within a half-hour, he shot a turkey
+from its perch in a cypress. With much satisfaction,
+Zeke swung the gobbler, which was big and fat, over
+his shoulder, and set out to return. Almost at once,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_45' name='page_45'></a>45</span>
+however, his steps were arrested by the faint baying
+of a hound. As he listened, the sound grew louder,
+as if the dog drove its quarry toward him. The instinct
+of the chase dominated the mountaineer. He
+cast down the turkey, and waited, hopeful that a
+deer or bear might cross the path within range.</p>
+<p>Soon, he heard a noisy crackling of underbrush
+a little to his right, but near at hand. With the
+rifle in readiness Zeke peered from the concealment
+of a cypress trunk. But it was neither the lithe
+leaping form of a deer, nor the uncouth shambling
+bulk of swamp bear that broke from the cover a
+moment later. Instead, there lurched into view a
+huge negro. The fugitive&#8217;s clothing hung in shreds,
+witness of the cat&#8217;s-briar claws; his face, from the
+same cause, was torn and bleeding. The breath
+wheezed loudly through the open mouth; the sweat
+ran in streams from the face; the eyes rolled whitely.
+There was terror in his expression. He carried a
+thick club. Now, as he came to a halt, it was plain to
+the watcher that the runner&#8217;s fear had at last driven
+him to make a stand, when he could flee no further.
+Zeke had no difficulty in understanding the situation
+sufficiently well. The negro was undoubtedly a
+criminal who had fled in the hope of refuge from
+the law in the swamp&#8217;s secret lurking places. Now
+trailed by the dog, he was brought to bay. Zeke
+determined, as a measure of prudence, to remain inactive
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_46' name='page_46'></a>46</span>
+until the issue between man and dog should
+be adjusted. Otherwise, he might find himself engaged
+against both man and beast with only a single
+bullet to his aid.</p>
+<p>The querulous cries of the dog here and there
+showed that the scent had been lost where the negro
+had splashed through some pool. Then, abruptly, a
+sharp volley announced recovery of the track. A
+minute later a huge black-and-tan body catapulted
+from the thicket into the open space of the trail.
+From his cover, Zeke watched excitedly. The
+negro, who had stood with club swung back ready
+for the blow, was caught at disadvantage by the pursuer&#8217;s
+emergence at an unexpected point. The
+branches of the thicket projected to prevent a blow.
+The dog, silent now, hurled itself straight at the
+man&#8217;s throat. But the negro, alert to the peril,
+avoided the charge by a swift spring to the side.
+Zeke heard the great jaws of the beast click shut
+as it shot harmlessly past its foe; he heard the savage
+growl with which it whirled to renew the attack.
+As it leaped a second time the negro&#8217;s club fell true
+in a mighty stroke&mdash;caught the creature fair on the
+skull, stopped it in midair, dropped it dead to the
+ground.</p>
+<p>Zeke&#8217;s turn in the action was come, at last. Even
+as the negro stood gloating over his victory, the
+mountaineer, with leveled rifle, stepped from the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_47' name='page_47'></a>47</span>
+concealment of the cypress, and cried a sharp command:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Drop thet-thar club, an&#8217; stand still whar ye be,
+if ye don&#8217;t want to be kilt!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The effect on the exultant negro was almost pitiful.
+Where had been the assurance of final escape
+was now the certainty of capture. The shock of
+contrasting emotions was too much for the fellow&#8217;s
+strength, coarse-fibered and hardened as he was. He
+stared at Zeke with protruding eyes, his face grown
+gray. His thrilling joy in the slaying of the dog
+was lost in the black despair of defeat. The club
+fell from the trembling fingers, and in the next
+moment the man himself sagged to the ground and
+crouched whimpering, whining, in a child-like abandon
+to fatigue and grief. Then, presently, while the
+captor watched in some perplexity, the moaning
+ceased. In its stead came a raucous rhythm&mdash;the
+sleep of utter exhaustion.</p>
+<p>A sound of footsteps on the path caught Zeke&#8217;s
+ear. He turned, and saw close at hand a short,
+stockily built, swarthy-complexioned man of middle
+age, who came swinging forward at a lope. The
+newcomer halted at sight of the mountaineer.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Seen anything of a big nigger or a hound passing
+this way?&#8221; he demanded.</p>
+<p>Zeke nodded, gravely.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye&#8217;ll find the two of &#8217;em right thar.&#8221; He raised
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_48' name='page_48'></a>48</span>
+the rifle, which the other man now observed for the
+first time, and with it pointed to where, beyond the
+cypress-tree, the negro huddled, breathing stertorously,
+beside the dead body of the dog.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_49' name='page_49'></a>49</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_V' id='CHAPTER_V'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER V</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Dun clouds of tragedy, crimson-streaked with
+sinister romance, shadow the chronicles of
+the forty-mile square that makes the Dismal
+Swamp. Thither, aforetime, even as to-day,
+men fled into the labyrinthine recesses to escape the
+justice&mdash;or the injustice&mdash;of their fellows. Runaway
+slaves sought asylum within its impenetrable
+and uncharted mazes of thicket and quaking earth,
+of fetid pool and slithering quicksands. Such fugitives
+came no more after the emancipation. Instead
+of slaves, there were black men who had outraged
+the law, who fled into the steaming, noxious waste
+in order to evade the penalty for crime. For a time,
+these evil-doers were hunted through the tortuous
+trails in the canebrakes with blood-hounds, even as
+their predecessors had been. But the kennels of the
+man-hunting dogs were ravaged by the black tongue,
+soon after the ending of the Civil War. Poisoners,
+too, took toll of the too intelligent brutes. The
+strain rapidly grew less&mdash;became extinct. Whereat,
+the criminals of Dismal Swamp rejoiced in unholy
+glee. Their numbers waxed. Soon, they came to be
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_50' name='page_50'></a>50</span>
+a serious menace to the peace and safety of the communities
+that bordered on the infested region.</p>
+<p>One sufferer from these conditions so resented the
+depredations of marauders that he bought in England
+two splendid stag-hounds, keen of scent, intelligent,
+faithful to their task, strong enough to
+throttle their quarry, be it deer or man. By the aid
+of these creatures, many criminals were captured.
+Their owner, by the intrepidity of his pursuit, was
+given a nickname, &#8220;Cyclone&#8221; Brant. The speed and
+force and resistlessness of him justified the designation.
+Together with his dogs, Jack and Bruno, he
+won local fame for daring and successful exploits
+against the lurking swamp devils. It was this man
+who now, canvas-clad, with rifle in hand, looked in
+the direction indicated by Zeke. He was dripping
+wet, plastered with slime of the bogs. For a few
+seconds, he stood staring in silence. Then a little,
+gasping cry broke from his lips. He strode forward,
+and fell to his knees beside the body of the
+dog. He lifted the face of the hound gently in his
+two hands, and looked down at it for a long time.</p>
+<p>There was a film of tears in Brant&#8217;s eyes when, at
+last, he put the head of the dog softly back on the
+earth, and stood up, and turned toward the mountaineer.
+He made explanation with simple directness.
+The negro was a notorious outlaw, for whose
+capture the authorities of Elizabeth City offered a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_51' name='page_51'></a>51</span>
+reward of five hundred dollars. Half of this sum
+would be duly paid to Zeke.</p>
+<p>This news stirred the young man to the deeps.
+To his poverty-stricken experience, the amount was
+princely. The mere mention of it made privations
+to vanish away, luxuries to flourish. He had roseate
+visions of lavish expenditures: a warm coat for the
+old mother, furbelows for Plutina, &#8220;straighteners&#8221;
+even, if she would have them. The dreamer
+blushed at the intimacy of his thought. It did not
+occur to his frugal soul that now he need not continue
+on <i>The Bonita</i>, but might instead go easily
+to New York by train. He was na&iuml;vely happy in
+this influx of good fortune, and showed his emotion
+in the deepened color under the tan of his cheeks
+and in the dancing lights of the steady eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m shore plumb glad I kotched him,&#8221; he said
+eagerly, &#8220;if thar&#8217;s a right smart o&#8217; money in hit.
+If he&#8217;s as right-down bad as ye says he is, I&#8217;m
+powerfully sorry I didn&#8217;t wing &#8217;im &#8217;fore he got
+yer dawg.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Brant shook his head regretfully.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s my fault,&#8221; he confessed. &#8220;I oughtn&#8217;t to
+have taken the chance with Bruno alone. I should
+have had Jack along, too. With more than one
+dog, a man won&#8217;t stand against &#8217;em. He&#8217;ll take to
+a tree.&#8221; He shook off the depression that
+descended as he glanced down at the stiffening body
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_52' name='page_52'></a>52</span>
+of the beast. There was a forced cheerfulness in
+his tones when he continued: &#8220;But how did you get
+into the swamp? I take you to be from the mountains.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke&#8217;s manner suddenly indicated no small pride.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m a sailor, suh,&#8221; he explained, with great dignity.
+&#8220;I&#8217;m the cookin&#8217; chief on the fishin&#8217; steamer,
+<i>Bonita</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Brant surveyed the mountaineer with quizzically
+appraising eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Been a sailor long?&#8221; he questioned, innocently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wall, no, I hain&#8217;t,&#8221; Zeke conceded. His voice
+was reluctant. &#8220;I was only tuk on las&#8217; night. I
+hain&#8217;t rightly begun sailorin&#8217; yit. Thet&#8217;s how I
+c&#8217;d come arter thet gobbler.&#8221; He pointed to the
+bird lying at the foot of the cypress. Abruptly,
+his thoughts veered again to the reward. &#8220;Oh,
+cracky! Jest think of all thet money earned in two
+minutes! Hit&#8217;s what I come down out o&#8217; the mountains
+fer, an&#8217; hit &#8217;pears like I done right. I&#8217;d shore
+be tickled to see all thet-thar money in dimes an&#8217;
+nickels, n&#8217; mebby a few quarters thrown in!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re tied up near here?&#8221; Brant inquired.</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8217;Bout a mile over,&#8221; was the answer. &#8220;Will ye
+take yer nigger thar first?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I know Captain Lee. He&#8217;ll give me a
+chance at your gobbler, and then passage to Elizabeth
+City.&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_53' name='page_53'></a>53</span></p>
+<p>That same afternoon, <i>The Bonita</i> continued her
+voyage. The captain obligingly made a landing at
+Elizabeth City, where Brant lodged his prisoner,
+and where the gratified Zeke stowed in his wallet
+ten times as much money as he had ever before possessed
+at one time. Naturally, he was in a mood
+of much self-complacency, for, in addition to the
+money gain, his adventure had notably increased his
+prestige aboard ship, where Brant&#8217;s praise for his
+prompt and efficient action was respectfully accepted.
+Yet, despite his contentment, the mountaineer
+found himself strangely troubled as he lay in
+his bunk, after the ship had got under way. It
+may be that his perturbation had a physical cause,
+at least in part, for there was more movement now
+as the vessel slid through the waves of Pamlico
+Sound. It was while he tossed restlessly, troubled
+over this unaccustomed inability to sleep, that there
+came a memory of the black bag:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I plumb fergot the dum hoodoo!&#8221; Zeke muttered,
+in huge disgust. &#8220;An&#8217; the chief said I must git another
+the first chance.&#8221; Then he grinned vaingloriously
+into the darkness of the fore-peak. &#8220;But
+I reckon hit hain&#8217;t put no cuss on me yit&mdash;seein&#8217; as
+how I got a job an&#8217; a peck o&#8217; money right smack
+off.&#8221; Presently, however, his nervous mood suggested
+a sinister possibility. &#8220;P&#8217;rhaps, it don&#8217;t work
+on land&mdash;only jest on the sea, or mebby jest whar
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_54' name='page_54'></a>54</span>
+it happens to be at. Hit wa&#8217;n&#8217;t &#8217;long with me when
+I ketched the nigger. I &#8217;low I ought to &#8217;a&#8217; got
+rid o&#8217; the pesky thing like the chief said.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke realized that sleep was not for him. If he
+had had any hope otherwise, it was ended when the
+fog-horn of <i>The Bonita</i> wound its melancholy blasts,
+and other trumpetings began to sound over the
+waste from near and far. Already, by dint of
+many inquiries, Zeke had acquired enough information
+to know that the mournful noise was the accompaniment
+of a fog. Curious to see, he rose,
+and felt his way to the small port-hole, through
+which he sought to peer out into the night. His
+vision compassed no more than a few fathom&#8217;s distance;
+beyond, all was blackness. The port was
+open, and the cold mist stealing in chilled him. Zeke
+shivered, but an inexplicable disturbance of spirit
+kept him from the warmth of the blankets. He
+chose rather to slip on his trousers, and then again
+to gaze blindly out into the mysterious dark of this
+new world. He found himself hearkening intently
+for the varied calls of warning that went wailing
+hither and yon. The mellow, softly booming,
+yet penetrant notes of the conch-shells blown by
+the skippers of smaller craft, came almost soothingly
+to his ears. All the others, harsher, seemed tocsins
+of terror.</p>
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<a name='linki_2' id='linki_2'></a>
+<img src='images/illus-054.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 431px; height: 669px;' /><br />
+<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 431px;'>
+<br />
+<i>Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick.</i><br />
+THE LOVERS ON STONE MOUNTAIN.<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_55' name='page_55'></a>55</span></div>
+<p>Standing there at the port, with the floating
+drops of mist drenching his face, Zeke fell into a
+waking dream. He was again clambering over the
+scarped cliffs of Stone Mountain; beside him Plutina.
+His arm was about her waist, and their
+hands were clasped, as they crept with cautious, feeling
+steps amid the perils of the path. For over
+the lofty, barren summit, the mist had shut down
+in impenetrable veils. Yet, through that murk of
+vapor, the two, though they moved so carefully,
+went in pulsing gladness, their hearts singing the
+old, old, new, new mating song. A mist not born
+of the sea nor of the mountain, but of the heart,
+was in the lad&#8217;s eyes while he remembered and
+lived again those golden moments in the mountain
+gloom. It seemed to him for a blessed minute that
+Plutina was actually there beside him in the tiny,
+rocking space of the fore-peak; that the warmth of
+her hand-clasp thrilled into the beating of his
+pulses. Though the illusion vanished swiftly, the
+radiance of it remained, for he knew that then,
+and always, the spirit of the girl dwelt with him.</p>
+<p>The mountaineer&#8217;s interval of peace was rudely
+ended. A wild volley of blasts from <i>The Bonita&#8217;s</i>
+whistle made alarum. Bells clanged frantically in
+the engine-room close at hand. A raucous fog-horn
+clamored out of the dark. To Zeke, still dazedly
+held to thought of the mountains, the next sound
+was like the crashing down of a giant tree, which
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_56' name='page_56'></a>56</span>
+falls with the tearing, splitting din of branches
+beating through underbrush. An evil tremor shook
+the boat. Of a sudden, <i>The Bonita</i> heeled over to
+starboard, almost on her beams&#8217; ends. Zeke saved
+himself from falling only by a quick clutch on the
+open port. From the deck above came a contusion
+of fierce voices, a strident uproar of shouts and
+curses. Then, <i>The Bonita</i> righted herself, tremulously,
+languidly, as one sore-stricken might sit up,
+very feebly. The sailors in the fore-peak, with a
+chorus of startled oaths, leaped from the bunks, and
+fled to the deck. Zeke followed.</p>
+<p>Clinging to a stanchion, the mountaineer could
+distinguish vaguely, in the faint lights of the lanterns,
+the bows of a three-masted schooner, which had
+sheared through the port-side of <i>The Bonita</i>. The
+bowsprit hung far over the smaller ship, a wand
+of doom. The beating of the waves against the
+boat&#8217;s side came gently under the rasping, crunching
+complaint of timber against timber in combat.
+The schooner&#8217;s sails flapped softly in the light
+breeze. Zeke, watching and listening alertly,
+despite bewilderment, heard the roaring commands
+of a man invisible, somewhere above him, and
+guessed that this must be the captain of the
+schooner. He saw the crew of <i>The Bonita</i> clambering
+one after another at speed, up the anchor
+chain at the bow of the destroyer. He realized
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_57' name='page_57'></a>57</span>
+that flight was the only road to safety. But, even
+as he was tensed to dart forward, he remembered his
+treasure of money under the bunk pillow.</p>
+<p>On the instant, he rushed to the fore-peak, seized
+the wallet and the black bag, and fled again to the
+deck. At the moment when he reappeared, a gust of
+quickening breeze filled the schooner&#8217;s sails. The
+canvas bellied taut. The grinding, clashing clamor
+of the timbers swelled suddenly. The schooner
+wrenched herself free, and slipped, abruptly silent,
+away into the night and the mist. Ere Zeke
+reached the rail in his leap, the schooner had vanished.
+For a minute, he heard a medley of voices.
+Then, while he stood straining his eyes in despair,
+these sounds lessened&mdash;died. The mountaineer
+stood solitary and forsaken on the deck of a sinking
+ship.</p>
+<p>Finally, Zeke spoke aloud in self-communion.
+The words rang a little tremulous, for he realized
+that he was at grips with death.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s what I gits fer fergittin&#8217;,&#8221; was his regretful
+comment. &#8220;I reckon, if so be I&#8217;d ever got onto
+thet-thar schooner with this-hyar damn&#8217; bag, she&#8217;d
+&#8217;a&#8217; sunk, too. Or, leastways, they&#8217;d have chucked
+me overboard like Jonah, fer causin&#8217; the hull cussed
+trouble with this pesky black bag o&#8217; mine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke perceived that the doomed vessel was settling
+by the head. He surmised that time was short.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_58' name='page_58'></a>58</span>
+Nevertheless, he took leisure for one duty he
+deemed of prime importance. With all his strength
+in a vicious heave, he cast the black bag from him
+into the sea.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hain&#8217;t superstitious,&#8221; he remarked, sullenly;
+&#8220;thet is, not exzackly. An&#8217; I reckon I&#8217;m gittin&#8217; rid o&#8217;
+that conjure satchel a mite late. I guess hit&#8217;s done
+hit&#8217;s damnedest a&#8217;ready.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Inquiries during the leisurely voyaging through
+the canal had given Zeke knowledge concerning the
+life-belts. Now, he buckled one of them about his
+body hastily, for even his ignorance could not fail
+to interpret the steady settling of the vessel into
+the water. The strain of fighting forebears in the
+lad set him courageous in the face of death. But his
+blood was red and all a-tingle with the joy of life,
+and he was very loath to die. His heart yearned
+for the girl who loved him. His desire for her was
+a stabbing agony. The thought of his mother&#8217;s
+destitution, deprived of him in her old age, was
+grievous. But his anguish was over the girl&mdash;anguish
+for himself; yet more for her. The drizzle
+of the fog on his cheeks brought again a poignant
+memory of the mist that had enwrapped them on
+the stark rocks of the mountain. A savage revolt
+welled in him against the monstrous decree of fate.
+He cried out roughly a challenge to the elements.
+Then, in the next instant, he checked the futile
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_59' name='page_59'></a>59</span>
+outburst, and bethought him how best to meet the
+catastrophe.</p>
+<p>The instinct of flight from the rising waters led
+Zeke to mount the pilot-house. The lanterns shed
+a flickering light here, and the youth uttered a cry
+of joy as his eyes fell on the life-raft. The shout
+was lost in the hissing of steam as the sea rushed
+in on the boilers. All the lights were extinguished
+now, save the running lamps with their containers
+of oil. Quickly, the noise from the boiler-room
+died out, and again there was silence, save for the
+occasional bourdoning of the horns or the mocking
+caress of the waves that lapped the vessel&#8217;s sides&mdash;like
+a colossal serpent licking the prey it would devour
+betimes. In the stillness, Zeke wrought
+swiftly. He wasted no time over the fastenings. The
+blade of his knife slashed through the hemp lashings,
+and the raft lay clear. He made sure that it was
+free from the possibility of entanglement. Then,
+as the boat lurched sickeningly, like a drunken man
+to a fall, Zeke stretched himself face downward
+lengthwise of the tiny structure, and clenched his
+hands on the tubes. There was a period of dragging
+seconds, while <i>The Bonita</i> swayed sluggishly,
+in a shuddering rhythm. Came the death spasm.
+The stern was tossed high; the bow plunged for
+the depths. Down and down&mdash;to the oyster rocks
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_60' name='page_60'></a>60</span>
+of Teach&#8217;s Hole, in Pamlico Sound. As the vessel
+sank, the raft floated clear for a moment, then the
+suction drew it under, buffeted it&mdash;spewed it forth.
+It rode easily on the swirling waters, at last. As
+the commotion from the ship&#8217;s sinking ceased, the
+raft moved smoothly on the surface, rocking gently
+with the pulse of the sea. Zeke, half-strangled,
+almost torn from his place by the grip of the water
+in the plunge, clung to his refuge with all the
+strength that was in him. And that strength prevailed.
+Soon, he could breathe fully once again,
+and the jaws of the sea gave over their gnawing.
+After the mortal peril through which he had won,
+Zeke found his case not so evil. The life was still
+in him, and he voiced a crude phrase of gratefulness
+to Him who is Lord of the deep waters, even
+as of the everlasting hills.</p>
+<p>Near Teach&#8217;s Hole, Ocracoke Inlet offers a shallow
+channel between the dunes from Pamlico
+Sound to the open sea. Here the varying tides rush
+angrily, lashed by the bulk of waves behind. To-night,
+the ebb bore with it a cockle-shell on which
+a lad clung, shivering. But the soul was still strong
+in him for all his plight. He dared believe that he
+would yet return safe to the mountains, to the love
+that awaited him there.</p>
+<p>Once the castaway smiled wryly:
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_61' name='page_61'></a>61</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;I hain&#8217;t superstitious none&mdash;leastways, I dunno&#8217;s
+I be,&#8221; he muttered, doubtfully. &#8220;But hit&#8217;s
+plumb lucky I got rid o&#8217; thet-thar dum black bag
+jest as I did, or I&#8217;d &#8217;a&#8217; been a goner, shore!&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_62' name='page_62'></a>62</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_VI' id='CHAPTER_VI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2>
+</div>
+<p>The days dragged heavily for Plutina, after
+the departure of her lover. She endured
+the period of tense waiting as best she
+might, since endure she must, but this passive loneliness,
+without a word from the man of her heart,
+was well-nigh intolerable. She did not weep&mdash;after
+that single passionate outburst while yet her lips
+were warm from his kiss. She was not of the
+weak fiber to find assuagement in many tears, nor
+had she nerves that needed the chemical soothing
+of flooded eyes. She had, indeed, strength sufficient
+for the trial. She bore her sorrow bravely
+enough, but it pierced her through and through. She
+knew her lover, and she knew herself. Because of
+that knowledge she was spared the shameful suffering
+of a woman who fears, with deadly fear, lest
+her lover be untrue. Plutina had never a doubt as
+to the faith of the absent one. A natural jealousy
+sometimes leaped in her bosom, at thought of him
+exposed to the wiles of women whom she suspected
+of all wantonness. But she had no cowardly
+thought that the fairest and most cunning of them
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_63' name='page_63'></a>63</span>
+could oust her from the shrine of Zeke&#8217;s heart.
+Her great grief lay in the failure of any word
+from the traveler. The days became weeks; almost
+a month had gone since he held her in his
+arms, and still no message came. This was, in
+truth, strange enough to justify alarm. It was
+with difficulty that she drove back a temptation to
+imagine evil happenings. She went oftener the six
+miles to the Cherry Lane post-office.</p>
+<p>When she descended the trail toward Thunder
+Branch this morning, she saw Zeke&#8217;s mother standing
+in the doorway of the cabin on the far side of
+the stream. The bent figure of the old woman
+rested motionless, with one hand lifted to shade her
+eyes from the vivid sunlight, as she watched the
+girl&#8217;s approach.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mornin&#8217;, Tiny,&#8221; she said tenderly, as the girl
+crossed the clearing. &#8220;On yer way to the Lane, I
+reckon?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mornin&#8217;, Mis&#8217; Higgins,&#8221; came the cheery
+answer. &#8220;Yes, I &#8217;lowed as how ye&#8217;d love to hear,
+an&#8217; I c&#8217;d git away. The corn&#8217;s laid by; the sorghum
+cane&#8217;s done hoed. Alviry&#8217;s gone to he&#8217;p Gran&#8217;pap
+with a bee-tree. Hit&#8217;s a big yaller poplar, up &#8217;twixt
+Ted Hutchins&#8217; claim an&#8217; the ole mine-hole. Gran&#8217;pap
+&#8217;lows as how hit &#8217;ll have to be cut an&#8217; split, an&#8217;
+wuth hit&mdash;over a hundred pounds, all sour-wood
+honey, &#8217;cept &#8217;bout ten pounds early poplar. Gran&#8217;pap&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_64' name='page_64'></a>64</span>
+right-smart tickled. I told Alviry to watch
+out he don&#8217;t go an&#8217; tote half of it up to thet-thar
+Widder Brown. You-all must come over an&#8217; git
+what ye kin use o&#8217; the honey, Mis&#8217; Higgins, afore
+the widder gits her fingers in the jar.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye don&#8217;t opine thet-thar gran&#8217;pap o&#8217; your&#8217;n aims
+to git hitched ag&#8217;in at his age, do ye, Tiny? Hit&#8217;d
+be plumb scand&#8217;lous&mdash;an&#8217; him eighty past. At thet
+age, he&#8217;s bound to have one foot in the grave, fer
+all he&#8217;s so tarnation spry an&#8217; peart in his carryin&#8217;s
+on.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Lord knows what he&#8217;ll do,&#8221; the girl replied,
+carelessly. &#8220;He&#8217;s allers been given credit fer havin&#8217;
+fotchin&#8217; ways with women. I hope he won&#8217;t, though.
+They say, folks what marry upwards o&#8217; eighty is
+mighty short-lived.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The topic led Zeke&#8217;s mother to broach apprehension
+of her own:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tiny, ye don&#8217;t have no idee thet our Zeke&#8217;s gone
+daffy on some o&#8217; them Evish-lookin&#8217; critters
+down below, like ye showed me their picters in the
+city paper oncet?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Naw, no danger o&#8217; thet,&#8221; was the stout assurance.
+&#8220;Zeke&#8217;s got too much sense. Besides, he
+hain&#8217;t had no time to git rich yit. The paper done
+said as how them kind&#8217;s arter the coin.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As she went her way, the girl&#8217;s mind reveled in
+thoughts of the days to come, when Zeke should be
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_65' name='page_65'></a>65</span>
+rich in sooth, and his riches for her. She swung
+her sun-bonnet in vigorous slaps against her bare
+legs, to scatter the ravenous mosquitoes and yellow
+flies, swarming from the thickets, and she smiled
+contentedly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;P&#8217;r&#8217;aps, them women&#8217;s got more edication &#8217;n
+me,&#8221; she mused aloud, complacently, &#8220;but I kin fill
+them silk stockin&#8217;s plumb up.&#8221; Her face grew brooding
+with a wistful regret in the sudden droop of
+the tender red lips. &#8220;I &#8217;low I jest orter &#8217;a&#8217; swung
+onto thet-thar neck o&#8217; his&#8217;n an&#8217; hollered fer Parson,
+and got spliced &#8217;fore he went.&#8221; She shook
+her head disconsolately. &#8220;Why, if he don&#8217;t come
+back, I&#8217;ll be worse nor the widders. Humph, I
+knows &#8217;em&mdash;cats. They&#8217;ll say: &#8216;Tiny Siddon didn&#8217;t
+never have no chance to git married&mdash;her disperzition
+an&#8217; her looks wa&#8217;n&#8217;t compellin&#8217; &#8217;nough to ketch
+a man.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>The great dark eyes were clouded a little with
+bitter disappointment, when, two hours later, the
+girl came swiftly down the steep slopes from
+Cherry Lane, for once again there had been no letter
+for her. Despite her courage, Plutina felt a chill
+of dismay before the mystery of this silence.
+Though faith was unshaken, bewilderment oppressed
+her spirit. She could not understand, and
+because she could not understand, her grief was
+heavy to bear. Then, presently, she chanced upon
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_66' name='page_66'></a>66</span>
+a new mystery for her distraction&mdash;though this
+was the easier to her solving.</p>
+<p>As she descended into a hollow by Luffman&#8217;s
+branch, which joins Thunder Branch a little way
+above the Higgins&#8217; clearing, Plutina&#8217;s alert ears
+caught a sound that was not of the tumbling waters.
+Through all the noises of the stream where it leaped
+and sprayed in miniature falls over cluttering bowlders
+and fallen pines, she could distinguish the
+splashing of quick footsteps in the shallows. Some
+instinct of caution checked the girl&#8217;s advance. Instead
+of going forward openly, she turned aside and
+approached the bank where crowding alders and
+ivy formed a screen. Here, she parted the vines
+stealthily, and peered up the water-course.</p>
+<p>A man was descending the run with hurried
+strides, wading with bare feet, or springing from
+rock to rock where were the deeper pools. A Winchester
+nestled in the crook of his left arm; two
+huge bear-traps, the jaws wickedly fanged, were
+swung from a rope over his right shoulder; a short-helved
+ax was thrust within his belt. He wore only
+a cotton shirt open at the neck, dirty throughout,
+patched jeans trousers, and a soft hat, green from
+long use. Beneath the shading brim showed a
+loutish face, the coarse features swollen from dissipation,
+the small black eyes bleared, yet alert and
+penetrating in their darting, furtive glances. It
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_67' name='page_67'></a>67</span>
+was Dan Hodges, a man of unsavory repute. The
+girl, though unafraid, blessed the instinct that had
+guided her to avoid a meeting.</p>
+<p>There were two prime factors in Plutina&#8217;s detestation
+of Hodges. The first was due to his insolence,
+as she deemed it, in aspiring for her favor.
+With little training in conventional ideas of delicacy,
+the girl had, nevertheless, a native refinement
+not always characteristic of her more-cultured sister
+women. There was to her something unspeakably
+repugnant in the fact that this bestial person
+should dare to think of her intimately. It was as
+if she were polluted by his dreaming of her kisses,
+of her yielding to his caresses. That he had so
+aspired she knew, for he had told her of his desire
+with the coarse candor of his kind. Her spurning
+of the uncouth advances had excited his wrath; it
+had not destroyed his hopes. He had even ventured
+to renew his suit, after the news of an engagement
+between Plutina and Zeke had gone abroad. He
+had winced under the scourge of the girl&#8217; scorn,
+but he had shown neither penitence nor remorse.
+Plutina had forborne any account of this trouble to
+her lover, lest, by bad blood between the two men,
+a worse thing befall.</p>
+<p>The second cause of the girl&#8217;s feeling was less
+direct, though of longer standing, and had to do
+with the death of her father. That Siddon, while
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_68' name='page_68'></a>68</span>
+yet in his prime, had been slain in a raid on a still
+by the revenue officers, and that despite the fact
+that he was not concerned in the affair, save by the
+unfortunate chance of being present. Plutina,
+though only a child at the time, could still remember
+the horror of that event. There was a singular
+personal guiltiness, too, in her feeling, for, on the
+occasion of the raid, her grandfather had been looking
+out from a balcony, and had seen the revenue
+men urging their horses up the trail, the sunlight
+glinting on their carbines. He had seized the great
+horn, to blow a warning to those at the secret still
+on the mountain above. Plutina could remember
+yet the grotesque bewilderment on his face, as no
+sound issued&mdash;then the wrath and despair. The
+children, in all innocence, had stuffed the horn with
+rags. The prank had thus, in a way, cost two
+lives&mdash;one, that of &#8220;Young&#8221; Dick Siddon. The
+owner of the raided still had been Dan Hodges, and
+him Plutina despised and hated with a virulence
+not at all Christian, but very human. She had all
+the old-time mountaineer&#8217;s antipathy for the extortion,
+as it was esteemed, of the Federal Government,
+and her father&#8217;s death had naturally inflamed
+her against those responsible for it. Yet, her loathing
+of Hodges caused her to regret that the man
+himself had escaped capture thus far, though twice
+his still had been destroyed, once within the year.</p>
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<a name='linki_3' id='linki_3'></a>
+<img src='images/illus-068.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 624px; height: 444px;' /><br />
+<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 624px;'>
+<br />
+<i>Claudia Kimball Young under the direction of Louis J. Selznick.</i><br />
+A MOUNTAIN &#8220;STILL.&#8221;<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_69' name='page_69'></a>69</span></div>
+<p>A high, jutting wall of rock hid the stream
+where it bent sharply a little way from Plutina&#8217;s
+shelter. Presently, she became aware that Hodges
+had paused thus beyond the range of her vision,
+and was busy there. She heard the blows of the
+ax. General distrust of the man stirred up in her
+a brisk curiosity concerning the nature of his action
+in this place. On a previous day, she had observed
+that the limpid waters of the brook had been sullied
+by the milky refuse from a still somewhere in the
+reaches above. Now, the presence of Dan Hodges
+was sufficient to prove the hidden still his. But
+the fact did not explain his business here. That
+it was something evil, she could not doubt, for the
+man and his gang were almost outlaws among their
+own people. They were known, though unpunished,
+thieves, as well as &#8220;moonshiners,&#8221; and there were
+whispers of more dreadful things&mdash;of slain men
+vanished into the unsounded depths of the Devil&#8217;s
+Cauldron. The gorge of the community&mdash;careless
+as it had been of some laws in the past, and too
+ready to administer justice according to its own
+code&mdash;had risen against the vicious living of the
+gang that accepted Hodges as chief. It seemed to
+Plutina that duty conspired with curiosity to set
+her spying on the man.</p>
+<p>The espionage, though toilsome enough, was not
+otherwise difficult. Toward the bend, the banks
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_70' name='page_70'></a>70</span>
+rose sharply on both sides of the stream, forming a
+tiny ca&ntilde;on for the channel. The steep slope on
+the east side, where the girl now ascended, was
+closely overgrown with laurel and little thickets
+of ground pine, through which she was hard beset
+to force her way&mdash;the more since she must move
+with what noiselessness she might. But her strength
+and skill compassed the affair with surprising
+quickness. Presently, she came to the brim of the
+little cliff, and lying outstretched, cautiously looked
+down. Already, a hideous idea had entered her
+mind, but she had rejected it with horror. What
+she now saw confirmed the thought she had not
+dared to harbor.</p>
+<p>Within this bend of the brook, the lessening
+volume of the channel had left a patch of rich soil,
+heavily overgrown with lush grasses and clusters
+of flowering weeds. A faint trace of passing steps
+ran across the bit of dry ground, the path of those
+that followed the stream&#8217;s course. Fair in this
+dim trail, near the center of the plot, a stake had
+been driven deep. At the moment, Hodges was
+driving into the ground a similar stake, a yard
+further down. It was evident that the stakes had
+been previously left here in readiness, since he had
+not carried them in his descent, and the iron rings
+bound to them must have been attached in a forge.
+The two massive traps were lying half-hidden in
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_71' name='page_71'></a>71</span>
+the luxuriant growth close by. As Plutina watched
+with affrighted intentness, the man finished driving
+the second stake. He lifted one of the traps,
+and carried it to the upper stake. With the aid of
+a stone for anvil, he succeeded in clumsily riveting
+the trap&#8217;s length of chain to the ring on the stake.
+The like was done with the other trap at the lower
+stake. Then, the man undertook the setting of the
+traps. The task was accomplished very quickly for
+both, though the strength of the jaws taxed his
+muscles to their utmost. Finally, he strewed leaves,
+and bent grass, until no least gleam of metal betrayed
+the masked peril of the trail. Plutina, sick
+with the treacherous deviltry of the device, heard
+the grunt of satisfaction with which Hodges contemplated
+his finished work. Forthwith, he picked
+up his rifle, thrust the ax-helve within his belt, and
+set off up the gulch.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_72' name='page_72'></a>72</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_VII' id='CHAPTER_VII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2>
+</div>
+<p>There could be no doubt. Those massive
+traps, with their cruel teeth of steel,
+meant by the makers for the holding of
+beasts, had been set here by Hodges for the snaring
+of men. The contrivance was fiendishly efficient.
+From her coign of vantage on the cliff top, Plutina
+could see, on a height above, the brush-covered
+distillery. A thin, blue column of smoke rose
+straight in the calm air, witness that the kettle was
+boiling over hickory logs, that a &#8220;run&#8221; of the liquor
+was being made. Plutina recalled that, in a recent
+raid against Hodges, the still had been captured
+and destroyed though the gang had escaped. Such
+loss was disastrous, for the new copper and worm
+and fermenters meant a cost of a hundred dollars,
+a sum hard to come on in the mountain coves.
+Usually, the outfit is packed on the men&#8217;s backs to
+hiding in the laurel, afterward shifted to another
+obscure nook by running water. It was plain that
+Hodges had grown more than ever venomous over
+the destruction of his still, and had no scruples as
+to the means he would employ to prevent a repetition
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_73' name='page_73'></a>73</span>
+of such catastrophe. No need now to fear
+lest sentinels be not alert. The natural path to the
+still was along the course of the stream. The unwary
+passer over the tiny stretch of greensward on
+which the girl looked down, would follow the dim
+trail of footsteps, and so inevitably come within the
+clutch of the great jaws, which would hurl themselves
+together, rending and crunching the flesh between.
+The victim&#8217;s shrieks of anguish under the
+assault would be a warning to the lawless men
+above. They would make ready and flee with their
+possessions, and be lost in the laurel once again.
+Yes, the device was simple, diabolically simple, and
+adequate. It required only that its executant should
+be without bowels of compassion.</p>
+<p>Plutina, strong-nerved as she was, found herself
+shuddering as she realized the heinousness of this
+thing. The soft bloom of the roses in her cheeks
+faded to white; the dark radiance of the eyes was
+dimmed with horror; the exquisite lips were compressed
+harshly against their own quivering weakness.
+For Plutina, despite strength of body and
+sane poise of soul, was a gentle and tender woman,
+and the brutal project spread before her eyes was
+an offense to every sensibility. Then, very soon, the
+mood of passive distress yielded to another emotion:
+a lust for vengeance on the man who would
+insure his own safety thus, reckless of another&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_74' name='page_74'></a>74</span>
+cost. A new idea came to the girl. At its first
+advent, she shrank from it, conscience-stricken, for
+it outraged the traditions of her people. But the
+idea returned, once and again. It seemed to her
+that the evil of the man justified her in any measure
+for his punishment. She had been bred to
+hate and despise a spy, but it was borne in on her
+now that duty required of her to turn informer
+against Dan Hodges. There was more even than
+the inflicting of punishment on the outlaw; there
+was the necessity of safeguarding the innocent
+from the menace of those hidden man-traps. Any
+&#8220;furriner&#8221; from down below might wander here,
+whipping the stream; or any one of the neighborhood
+might chance on the spot. The Widow Higgins&#8217;
+heifers sometimes strayed; the old woman
+might come hither, seeking them. Plutina shuddered
+again, before the terrible vision of the one
+who was like a mother to her, caught and mangled
+by the pointed fangs waiting amid the grasses
+below.</p>
+<p>The question as to her right conduct in the affair
+remained with the girl, as she descended from
+the cliff, and made her way slowly homeward. She
+temporized by a precautionary measure. At the
+widow&#8217;s cabin, she secured the old woman&#8217;s promise
+not to go beyond the clearing in quest of the
+cattle. But the difficulty as to her course was not
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_75' name='page_75'></a>75</span>
+abated. Inclination urged her to advise the authorities
+concerning the locations of still and traps, and
+inclination was reinforced by justice. Yet, over
+against this, there were the powerful influence of her
+upbringing, the circumstances of her environment,
+the tragedy of her father&#8217;s death, the savage resentment
+of her grandfather, already virulent against
+her lover&mdash;all forces to inspire enmity against the
+representatives of a law regarded as the violation
+of inalienable rights. True, there was growing an
+insidious change in the sentiment of the community.
+Where all had once been of accord, the better element
+were now becoming convinced that the illicit
+liquor-making cursed the mountains, rather than
+blessed. Undoubtedly, some effect of this had
+touched the girl herself, without her knowledge,
+else she had never thought to betray even such a miscreant
+as Hodges. There was, however, an abiding
+hate of the informer here, as always among
+decent folk, though along with it went reprobation of
+the traffic in moonshine. Plutina felt that she could
+never justify her action in the sight of her people,
+should she bring the revenue men into the mountain.
+Her own grandfather would curse her, and
+drive her forth. His feeling had been shown clearly
+in the case of Zeke. So, in her period of uncertainty
+and stress, there was none of whom the
+girl could take counsel. But, in the end, she decided
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_76' name='page_76'></a>76</span>
+that she must give warning to the United
+States marshal. The task demanded care. On
+absolute secrecy depended, in all likelihood, her very
+life.</p>
+<p>The trove of honey had come opportunely, since
+the sale of a portion afforded Plutina plausible excuse
+for her trip to Joines&#8217; store. There, a telephone
+had been recently installed, and it was the
+girl&#8217;s intention to use this means of communication
+with the marshal. That the danger of detection
+was great, she was unhappily aware, but, she could
+devise no plan that seemed less perilous. So, early
+in the morning of the day following her discovery,
+she made her way along the North Wilkesboro&#8217;
+road, carrying twenty pounds of the sour-wood
+honey. At the store, she did her trading, and
+afterward remained loitering, as is the custom of
+shoppers in the region. The interval of waiting
+seemed to her interminable, for trade was brisk.
+There was always someone near enough the telephone
+to overhear, for it was unprotected by a booth.
+But, finally, the customers lessened. The few remaining
+were in the front of the store, at a safe
+distance from the instrument which was on a shelf
+at the back. Plutina believed that her opportunity
+was come. She knew the amount of the toll, and
+had the necessary silver in her hand to slip into the
+box. Then, just as she was about to take down the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_77' name='page_77'></a>77</span>
+receiver, her apprehensive glance, roving the room,
+fell on Ben York, who entered briskly, notwithstanding
+his seventy years, and came straight toward
+her. Plutina&#8217;s lifted hand fell to her side, and
+dread was heavy on her. For Ben York was the
+distiller in Hodges&#8217; gang.</p>
+<p>The old man had a reputation almost as notorious
+as that of Hodges himself. The girl felt a wave
+of disgust, mingled with alarm, as she caught sight
+of the face, almost hidden behind a hoary thicket
+of whiskers. The fellow was dirty, as always, and
+his ragged clothes only emphasized the emaciation
+of his dwarfed form. But the rheumy eyes had a
+searching quality that disturbed the girl greatly.
+She knew that the man was distinguished for his
+intelligence as well as for his general worthlessness.
+In the experience of years, he had always escaped
+the raiders, nor had they been able ever to secure
+any evidence against him. He was, in fact, as adroit
+of mind as he was tough of body. He had lived hard
+all his days, either in drunken carouse or lying out
+in the laurel to escape the summons of the courts.
+Where, alas! a holier man might have been broken
+long ago, the aged reprobate thrived, and threatened
+to infest the land for years to come. Now, he
+greeted the girl casually enough, made a purchase,
+and took his departure. He seemed quite unsuspicious,
+but Plutina felt that his coming on her
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_78' name='page_78'></a>78</span>
+thus was an evil omen, and, for a moment, she
+faltered in her purpose.</p>
+<p>A hand went to her bosom, and touched the tiny
+leather bag that hung from a cord about her neck
+inside the gown. Within it was the fairy crystal.
+The touch of it strengthened her in some subtle
+fashion. It was as if to her weakness there came
+miraculously something vital, something occultly
+helpful in her need, from the distant lover. The
+superstition, begotten and nourished always in the
+fastnesses of the heights, stirred deeply within her,
+and comforted her. Of a sudden, courage flowed
+back into her. She took down the receiver.</p>
+<p>After all, nothing was accomplished. The marshal
+was not in his office, but absent somewhere in
+the mountains. Plutina would not risk giving information
+to any other than the officer himself,
+whom she knew, and respected. Disconsolate, she
+abandoned the attempt for the time being, and set
+out to get a bag of wheat flour from the mill close
+by, on the other side of Roaring River.</p>
+<p>As Plutina, with the bag of flour on shoulder, was
+making her way back from the mill, across the
+big sycamore trunk that serves as a foot bridge, a
+horse splashed into the ford alongside. The girl
+looked up, to see the very man she sought. Marshal
+Stone called a cheery greeting, the while his
+horse dropped its head to drink.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_79' name='page_79'></a>79</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;Howdy, Plutina?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Howdy, Mr. Stone,&#8221; she answered. Her free
+hand went again to the talisman in her bosom.
+Surely, its charm was potent!</p>
+<p>&#8220;All&#8217;s well as common, at home?&#8221; Stone continued.
+His critical eyes delighted in the unconscious
+grace of the girl, as she stood poised above the
+brawling stream, serene in her physical perfection;
+and above the delicately modeled symmetry of form
+was the loveliness of the face, beautiful as a flower,
+yet strong, with the shining eyes and the red lips,
+now parted in eagerness. The marshal wondered
+a little at that eagerness. He wondered still more
+at her hurried speech after one quick glance to make
+sure that none could overhear:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I mustn&#8217;t be seed talkin&#8217; to ye, but I got somethin&#8217;
+to say &#8217;ll he&#8217;p ye arn yer pay. Kin ye meet me
+in an hour by the sun, at the ole gate on the east
+end o&#8217; Wolf Rock?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The marshal&#8217;s answer wasted no words:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Go on, gal&mdash;I&#8217;ll be there.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Wolf Rock, a huge, jutting mass of barren cliff,
+though tiny beside the bulk of Stone Mountain,
+which overshadows it, lies between Garden Creek
+and Thunder Branch, a little to the north of
+where these streams flow into Roaring River. Its
+situation, nearly midway between the mill and the
+Siddon Cabin, made it a convenient point for the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_80' name='page_80'></a>80</span>
+meeting between Plutina and the officer. Its loneliness
+lessened the element of danger. Both were
+prompt to the rendezvous. Well under the hour,
+man and girl were standing together within a bower
+of newly blossoming rhododendrons. Above them,
+the naked rock bent sharply, its granite surface
+glistening in the hot noonday sun. They had withdrawn
+some score of yards from the old wooden
+gate that barred the lane here, lest a chance passer-by
+see them together. Plutina opened her mind
+without hesitation. The decision once made, she
+had no thought of drawing back.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low I kin trust ye, Mister Stone,&#8221; she said
+simply, and the sincerity of the lustrous eyes as
+they met his confirmed her words. &#8220;Afore you-all&#8217;s
+time in the revenue service, raiders done kilt
+my daddy. I kain&#8217;t never fergive them men, but
+they&#8217;s out o&#8217; the service now, er I wouldn&#8217;t have
+come to ye. Gran&#8217;pap says they&#8217;s a better lot o&#8217;
+revenuers now &#8217;n what used to be an&#8217; he says as
+how Marshal Stone don&#8217;t do no dirt. Thet&#8217;s why
+I&#8217;m a-trusting ye, so&#8217;s ye kin kotch the pizen-meanest
+white man a-makin&#8217; likker in the hull Stone
+Mountain country&mdash;him an&#8217; his gang an&#8217; his still.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The marshal&#8217;s eyes sparkled.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I reckon you&#8217;re talking about Dan Hodges,&#8221;
+he interjected.</p>
+<p>Plutina nodded her head in somber acquiescence.</p>
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<a name='linki_4' id='linki_4'></a>
+<img src='images/illus-080.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 633px; height: 443px;' /><br />
+<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 633px;'>
+<br />
+<i>Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick.</i><br />
+JOINES&#8217; MILL.<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_81' name='page_81'></a>81</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Then you needn&#8217;t have any scruples about giving
+information,&#8221; Stone continued, urgently. &#8220;He
+and his gang are a menace to the peace of the settlement.
+I&#8217;ll keep you out of it, of course, to save you
+embarrassment.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye&#8217;d better,&#8221; Plutina retorted, &#8220;to save my
+life. I don&#8217;t know&#8217;s I mind bein&#8217; embarrassed so
+much, but I don&#8217;t feel called to die yit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, no; there won&#8217;t be anything like that,&#8221; the
+marshal exclaimed, much disconcerted. &#8220;I&#8217;ll see no
+trouble comes to you. Nobody&#8217;ll know your part.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8217;Cept me!&#8221; was the bitter objection. &#8220;If &#8217;twas
+anybody but that ornery galoot, I wouldn&#8217;t say a
+word. Ye know that.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I know,&#8221; Stone admitted, placatingly.</p>
+<p>In his desire to change her mood, he blundered
+on:</p>
+<p>&#8220;And there&#8217;s the reward for getting the &#8216;copper&#8217;&mdash;twenty
+dollars for you Plutina. If we get Hodges,
+I&#8217;ll give you another fifty out of my own pocket.
+That&#8217;ll buy you a nice new dress or two, and a hat,
+and some silk stockings for those pretty legs of
+yours.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Plutina flared. The red glowed hot in her cheeks,
+and the big eyes flashed. The mellow voice deepened
+to a note of new dignity, despite her anger.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hain&#8217;t come hyar to gas &#8217;bout rewards, an&#8217;
+money outten yer pocket, Mister Stone, or &#8217;bout
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_82' name='page_82'></a>82</span>
+my clothes an&#8217; sech. I&#8217;m an engaged woman. When
+I wants to cover my legs with stockin&#8217;s Zeke Higgins&#8217;
+money&#8217;ll do the payin&#8217;, an&#8217; he won&#8217;t need no
+he&#8217;p from no damned revenuer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Stone, realizing too late the error in his diplomacy,
+made what haste he could to retrieve it. His
+smile was genial as he spoke. He seemed quite unabashed,
+just heartily sympathetic, and his manner
+calmed the girl&#8217;s irritation almost at once.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, you little mountain hornet! Well, you are
+telling me news now. And it&#8217;s the kind to make any
+old bachelor like me weep for envy. Lucky boy,
+Zeke! I guess he knows it, too, for he&#8217;s got eyes in
+his head. About the money&mdash;why, you&#8217;ve a right
+to it. If Dan Hodges and his gang ain&#8217;t rounded
+up quick, they&#8217;ll be killing some good citizen&mdash;like
+me, perhaps.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Plutina had recovered her poise, but she spoke
+no less firmly:</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, suh, I won&#8217;t tech the money. I kin show
+ye how to kotch the hull gang, but not fer pay, an
+not fer love o&#8217; no revenuer, neither. Hit&#8217;s jest fer
+the good o&#8217; this country hyarbout. Dan Hodges
+has done sot b&#8217;ar-traps to kotch you-all. An&#8217; anybody
+might walk plumb into &#8217;em, but not if I kin
+he&#8217;p hit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Forthwith, she made the situation clear to her
+eager listener.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_83' name='page_83'></a>83</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;Kin you-all meet me, an hour by the sun in
+the mornin&#8217;, on the trail to Cherry Lane post-office
+jest beyond the Widder Higgins&#8217; clearin&#8217;? I&#8217;ll take
+ye to the place, whar ye kin see the still, an&#8217; the
+traps.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll have to move lively,&#8221; the marshal answered,
+with a somewhat rueful laugh. &#8220;Twenty miles&#8217;
+ride to North Wilkesboro&#8217;, and back. But I&#8217;ll do
+it, of course. I wouldn&#8217;t miss it for a good deal.
+I&#8217;ll have my men waiting at Trap Hill. If things
+shape right, I&#8217;ll make the raid to-morrow night.&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_84' name='page_84'></a>84</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_VIII' id='CHAPTER_VIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Marshal John Stone was a mountaineer
+of the better sort, who had the respect and
+admiration of the law-abiding citizens in
+his district, and the hate of the evil-doers. He
+stood full six feet in his socks, and he was broad
+and muscled in proportion. His gray eyes were of
+the sort to harden to steel against an enemy, to
+soften wonderfully for a friend. The mouth, half-hidden
+by the thick mustache, was very firm, yet
+prone to smiles. To an excellent intelligence had
+been added a fair amount of education. Since he
+respected both himself and his work, and had developed
+a veritable passion for the capture of malefactors,
+he was more than usually successful. His
+zeal, tempered with discretion, had won the appreciative
+attention of official superiors. There could
+be no doubt that promotion would shortly remove
+him to a higher plane of service. The fact would
+have been most agreeable to Stone, but for two
+things. He desired beyond all else, before going
+from the mountains, to capture Dan Hodges, who
+had so persistently flouted the law, and himself, its
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_85' name='page_85'></a>85</span>
+representative; the second unsatisfied ambition was
+to come on the long-lost Burns&#8217; still.</p>
+<p>The Scottish poet&#8217;s poverty was almost equal to
+his genius. On that account, Robert Burns was
+glad to secure the stipend of fifty pounds a year to
+which he became entitled on his appointment as
+exciseman in 1788. It may be that his convivial
+habits made his official position particularly acceptable,
+since doubtless his perquisites included the
+keeping of his own jug filled. And there were
+moonshiners among the Scottish hills in those days,
+as perhaps there are to-day. On occasion, the poet
+made a gift of a captured still to some discreet
+friend. One recipient emigrated to America, and
+bore into the wilderness that has become North
+Carolina the kettle and cap of copper on which
+Burns had graven his name, and the date, 1790.
+Afterward, as the years passed, the still knew many
+owners, mostly unlawful. It won fame, and this
+saved it from the junk-heap of its fellows, when
+seized by the Federal officers. Three times, it was
+even placed on public exhibition. As many, it was
+stolen by moonshiners. For years now, it had remained
+in secret. Marshal Stone yearned to recapture
+the Burns still. There was no reason
+whatsoever for believing it to be in the possession
+of Hodges, yet it might as easily be with that desperado
+as with another. There was at least the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_86' name='page_86'></a>86</span>
+possibility. The marshal, as he rode north before
+the dawn next morning, felt a new kindling of
+hope. It seemed to him almost certain that the
+opportunity was at hand to satisfy one ambition at
+least by putting Hodges behind the bars. For the
+other, it was on the lap of the gods.</p>
+<p>The officer was at pains to use every precaution to
+avoid being observed while in company with the
+girl, whom he duly met at the appointed place while
+the sun was yet low on the eastern horizon. The
+two made their way with what quiet they could
+through devious paths to Luffman&#8217;s Branch. The
+dew lay heavy on the laurel leaves of the thickets,
+and the breeze was perfumed with the penetrant fragrance
+of many blossoms. The day was thrilling
+with the matins of the birds. The balsamic air was
+a wine of life. The rugged mountain peaks
+seemed to stand as an impregnable barrier against
+the confusions and evils of the larger world. But
+the man and the girl recked nought of these things
+as they went forward, with cautious steps and
+watchful eyes. They knew that the tranquil scene
+masked wickedness close by them, which would not
+hesitate to destroy. The discovery of the marshal
+in that vicinity would mean for him the bullet of
+an assassin from out the screen of leaves, and the
+same fate&mdash;or worse&mdash;for his companion. The
+corpses would be lost in the Devil&#8217;s Cauldron. Men
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_87' name='page_87'></a>87</span>
+would whisper grim surmises, and whisper low lest
+the like come upon them. And that would be all.</p>
+<p>They reached the cliff top overlooking the little
+ca&ntilde;on, and Plutina pointed out the location of the
+traps on the strip of dry ground below, and the huddles
+of brush that disguised the buildings of the still.
+Then, the girl went her way. She had done her
+part. The man remained to study the scene above
+for hours through his glasses, and to map out the
+night&#8217;s campaign into the enemy&#8217;s country.</p>
+<p>A delicate moonlight fell over the mountains,
+when, in the evening, Stone led his men from the
+rendezvous at Trap Hill. The six were heavily
+armed and well mounted. Their course at the outset
+led them along the Elkin road to Joines&#8217; store,
+where they swung into the trail over which Zeke
+and Plutina had walked the day of their parting.
+The cavalcade rode swiftly. There was no conversation;
+only the pounding of hoofs and the
+jangling of accoutrements. When, at last, they
+reached the edge of the Widow Higgins&#8217; clearing,
+they turned sharply to the eastward, following the
+path toward the Cherry Lane post-office. Presently,
+at a low word of command from the leader,
+they halted and dismounted. The horses were left
+to the care of one man in a near-by thicket, and
+the remainder of the party continued the advance
+on foot.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_88' name='page_88'></a>88</span></p>
+<p>The marshal, during his watch on the still that
+day, had planned his attack in every detail. He
+hoped to make his capture of the gang without unnecessary
+casualties, for in this particular he had
+achieved an enviable record, on which he prided
+himself. At first, he had thought of ascending along
+the course of Luffman&#8217;s Branch, after springing
+the traps, but had given over the plan as one offering
+more chance of the raiders being discovered
+prematurely. Instead, he had decided on taking his
+men up the mountainside by a round-about route,
+likely to be free from watchers. His men were already
+instructed in every point, so now they followed
+him rapidly and almost noiselessly, as he
+forced his way through the thick growths of the
+wooded slopes. The darkness added to the difficulties
+of the progress, but the posse were inured to
+hardships, and went onward and upward resolutely.
+Despite the necessities of the detour, they came surprisingly
+soon to a height from which they looked
+across a small ravine to the level space where the
+still perched by the stream. A few whispered words
+from the leader, and the company crept with increased
+care across the ravine. From the ridge
+beyond, three of the men passed forward to make
+ambush&mdash;one above, and one below, and one on the
+far side of the still. Stone and a single companion
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_89' name='page_89'></a>89</span>
+remained, hiding behind the clumps of rhododendrons.</p>
+<p>It was with huge satisfaction that the marshal
+recognized Hodges himself, plainly revealed by the
+firelight. The &#8220;kettle&#8221; was running at full blast.
+The seasoned hickory logs, in the rough stone furnace
+beneath the kettle, were burning fiercely, and
+the blue and gold of their flames lighted all the
+scene into vivid relief against the background of
+shadows. Stone, even at his distance, could see distinctly
+the tiny stream of colorless mountain-corn
+whiskey, as it flowed out from the worm into the
+keg placed to receive it. The leader of the gang
+was seated at ease on a stool just outside the brush
+enclosure that masked the buildings. The villain
+was evidently in a mood of contentment, untainted
+by remorse over the havoc his traps might wreak
+on any passing through the gorge below. Rather,
+doubtless, the memory of those sinister sentinels
+gave him a sense of safety, on which his serenity
+was founded. In his lap was a banjo which he
+thrummed vigorously, with rhythmic precision, if
+no greater musical art, and head and body and
+feet, all gave emphasis to the movement. At intervals,
+his raucous voice rumbled a snatch of song.
+It was evident that the moonshiner was mellow
+from draughts of his own potent product.</p>
+<p>Others of the gang were busied here and there,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_90' name='page_90'></a>90</span>
+bulking grotesquely as they moved about the fire,
+seeming disheveled demons of the pit. Like some
+master imp torturing a pigmy over the flames, old
+Ben York was kneeling close beside the blaze, holding
+to the coals a hickory stick, which served as
+spit for the roasting of a squirrel. The brilliance
+shone full on the frowsy gray whiskers, and, above
+them, the blinking, rheumy eyes, so intent on the
+proper browning of the game. None of the outlaws
+had a weapon in his grasp&mdash;a fact noted with
+satisfaction by the chief of the raiders, who knew
+that these men would not scruple against bloodshed
+to escape arrest. There were arms at hand, of
+course; Hodges&#8217; rifle was visible, leaning against
+a ground pine within his reach. But Stone hoped
+that the surprise would be such that the gang
+could not avail themselves of their weapons.</p>
+<p>Hodges had just completed a strident rendering
+of &#8220;Cripple Crick,&#8221; and had thumped out the opening
+bars of &#8220;Short&#8217;nin&#8217; Bread,&#8221; when the marshal
+gave the signal for attack&mdash;a single flash of his
+electric torch. In the same second, the raiders&#8217;
+rifles crashed out. The big bullets struck true to
+aim in the ground of the open place before the fire.
+A shower of dirt and pebbles spat back viciously.
+Some of the flying fragments struck the men, terrifying
+them with the thought of bullet wounds.
+Hodges, as the reports sounded, felt the bruise of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_91' name='page_91'></a>91</span>
+stones on his bare legs, and shrieked in panic fear.
+His instinctive recoil carried him over backward,
+from the stool to the ground. The banjo jangled
+discordant triumph over his fall. When, dazed by
+the suddenness of it all, he would have struggled
+up, he found himself fast in the clutches of two raiders,
+who locked manacles on his wrists. Stone
+grunted joyously as he surveyed the captive. The
+others of the gang, except Ben York, had contrived
+to slip away into the laurel, whither it would avail
+nothing to follow them, save useless risk of being
+killed from ambush. But the marshal cared little
+for the escape of the lesser malefactors. He had
+succeeded in taking prisoner the most notorious
+criminal of the mountains.</p>
+<p>Ben York had failed to effect his usual flight, because
+of being at a disadvantage on his knees. Before
+he could scramble up for a plunge into the
+thickets the enemy was upon him. Yet, even in
+this moment of shock, the old scoundrel&#8217;s cunning
+sought and found a ruse. He stood swaying for
+seconds, and then tumbled limply headlong to the
+ground, in a drunkard&#8217;s fall, familiar to his muscles
+by experience through three-score years. So he lay
+inert, seemingly sodden from the kettle&#8217;s brew. His
+captors, if resolved to hold him prisoner, would be
+forced to the arduous task of carrying him through
+the dark, down the rough slopes. It would be
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_92' name='page_92'></a>92</span>
+strange, he mused complacently, if in the course of
+the journey, their vigilance did not relax a little.
+And a very little would suffice him! Then, though
+to all appearance in a drunken stupor, he sighed. He
+was unhappily aware that the revenue men would
+not be gentle in their efforts to arouse him to consciousness.
+Whether they believed him shamming
+or not, they would use no doubtful measures. But,
+whatever might come, he must endure it for the
+sake of escape.</p>
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<a name='linki_5' id='linki_5'></a>
+<img src='images/illus-092.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 627px; height: 444px;' /><br />
+<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 627px;'>
+<br />
+<i>Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick.</i><br />
+AFTER THE RAID.<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_93' name='page_93'></a>93</span></div>
+<p>The raiders realized the need of haste, for they
+must be done with their work here, and down the
+steeps of the mountain into the open road, ere the
+fugitives should have time to arm themselves, and
+waylay the posse from the thickets. So, with due
+watchfulness of the two prisoners, the men set about
+that task of destruction which their duty required.
+The fermenters, huge tubs holding the mixture
+of meal, malt and water making ready for the still,
+received first attention. Since York had fallen before
+these, the men rolled him roughly to one side,
+without arousing him to any sign of consciousness.
+Stone knew the man to be shamming, since there
+had been no show of even incipient drunkenness
+before the moment of the raid. He resolved to try
+a test at least, for he was alert to the hindrance the
+limp form would prove in the descent of the mountain.
+He thrust the body forward with his foot,
+close to one of the great &#8220;stands&#8221; of the mixture,
+and bade an appreciative assistant apply the ax to
+the slippery-elm hoops that bound the staves. As
+the bands fell and the great volume of liquid gushed
+forth, the raiders leaped aside from the flood. But
+York never stirred. The down-rushing tide fell
+fairly on him, engulfed him. He made no movement,
+no outcry. Even Stone himself was led to a
+half-remorseful wonder whether he had been deceived
+concerning the fellow&#8217;s state. Then, after
+a few seconds, the bald head rose, glistening from
+the pool of the &#8220;beer.&#8221; The thin wisps of gray
+hair hung in dank strings; the jungle of beard
+seemed strangely thin; there was something curiously
+unlike Ben York in the lineaments. The
+marshal guessed that the metamorphosis was
+wrought by the swirling mess, which had scrubbed
+the weazened face almost clean for the first time
+in the memory of living man. As the dilapidated
+head emerged, it showed the grotesque caricature
+of a Neptune, whose element was not the waters
+of ocean, but the shattered hogsheads of &#8220;beer.&#8221;
+Even now, however, Ben clung to his r&ocirc;le. Once
+his face was clear, he continued to sit placidly,
+though the surface of the viscous pool was at his
+neck. For better effect, he blinked vacuously, and
+gurgled. Perhaps, memory of a bath in infancy
+inspired him. He had had none since. He beat his
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_94' name='page_94'></a>94</span>
+scrawny hands in the &#8220;beer,&#8221; and cackled. It was
+admirable art, but wasted.</p>
+<p>The eight fermenters were broken and emptied,
+the whiskey stores, both &#8220;singlin&#8217;s&#8221; and &#8220;doublin&#8217;s,&#8221;
+were poured out on the ground, which drank them
+as thirstily as did ever law-scorning &#8220;boomer.&#8221;
+Then, the raiders turned to the chief spoils, kettle,
+cap and worm. Stone and his men took the copper
+worm from the cooling barrel, removed the cap,
+drew the fire from the furnace, and finally pulled
+down the kettle. In the varied excitement of the
+night, the marshal had almost forgotten his second
+great ambition, in the accomplishment of his first.
+Almost, not quite. Now, the memory of it jumped
+within him. He thrust the cap where the glow of
+the fire would light it clearly, dropped to his knees,
+and peered closely. His stern face relaxed abruptly
+to joyousness.</p>
+<p>&#8220;By the Lord, boys,&#8221; he shouted, &#8220;it&#8217;s the Bobbie
+Burns&#8217; still!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Nevertheless, Stone wasted no time in exultation.
+He merely ordered his men to carry the copper utensils
+along, instead of destroying them on the spot.
+Then, he addressed Ben York, who grinned idiotically
+from toothless gums, where he crouched in the
+diminishing puddle. The marshal&#8217;s voice rasped.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re going with us, Ben. It&#8217;s for you to
+say how. If we have to, we&#8217;ll carry you all the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_95' name='page_95'></a>95</span>
+way. We&#8217;ll snake you down the mountains without
+being too almighty careful of that rum-tanned
+hide of yours, and then we&#8217;ll sling you across the
+roughest-gaited horse we&#8217;ve got&mdash;face down across
+the saddle and roped snug. That&#8217;s the way you&#8217;ll
+do twenty-odd miles, Ben, if we have to tote you
+down a single rod. Make up your mind&mdash;now!
+It&#8217;ll be too late to change it, in a minute. You&#8217;re
+plumb sober, and I know it. Get up, you old fox!&#8221;</p>
+<p>And Ben York, shivering in his sticky, drenched
+rags, recognized the inevitable, and scrambled to
+his feet, snarling curses.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit was thet-thar damned gal!&#8221; he mumbled
+venomously. But none heard.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_96' name='page_96'></a>96</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_IX' id='CHAPTER_IX'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2>
+</div>
+<p>It is a far cry from the savagery of the illicit
+mountain still to that consummate luxury of
+civilization, an ocean-going steam yacht. Yet,
+in actual space, the distance between these two extremes
+was not great. <i>The Josephine</i>, all in snowy
+white, save for the gleam of polished brass-work,
+and flying the pennant of the New York Yacht Club,
+glided forth from Norfolk Harbor in serene magnificence
+on the same day that <i>The Bonita</i> chugged
+fussily over the same course. The yacht was setting
+out on the second stage of her leisurely pleasure
+voyage to Bermuda. The skipper had been instructed
+to follow the coast southward as far as
+Frying Pan Shoals, for the sake of rounding Hatteras.
+Afterward, since the weather grew menacing,
+the craft continued down the coast to Cape Lookout,
+where anchor was dropped in the Harbor of Refuge.</p>
+<p>The island that lies there is a long, narrow, barren
+strip of sand, dotted thickly with dunes. Only
+a coarse marsh grass grows, with dwarfed pines and
+cedars. In this bleak spot live and thrive droves of
+wild ponies, of uncertain ancestry. It was these
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_97' name='page_97'></a>97</span>
+creatures that just now held the attention of two persons
+on the yacht.</p>
+<p>Under the awning in the stern, two girls were
+chatting as they dawdled over their morning chocolate.
+The younger and prettier of these was Josephine
+Blaise, the motherless daughter of the yacht-owner;
+the other was Florence Marlow, her most
+intimate friend.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dad told me I could have the runabout ashore,&#8221;
+Josephine was saying, with a sudden access of animation.
+&#8220;We&#8217;ll go along the beach, as long as the
+going&#8217;s good, or till we scare up the ponies.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do hope we&#8217;ll see them digging holes in the
+sand, so as to get fresh water,&#8221; Florence exclaimed.</p>
+<p>But Josephine was quick to dissent:</p>
+<p>&#8220;They don&#8217;t dig for water,&#8221; she explained, with a
+superior air. &#8220;They dig the holes in the beach
+when the tides out, and then the tide comes in and
+fills the holes, of course. When it ebbs, the ponies
+go around and pick out the fish, and eat them.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Florence stared disbelievingly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, what a whopper!&#8221; she cried.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Captain Hawks told me himself,&#8221; Josephine asserted,
+with confidence. &#8220;He knows all about them&mdash;he&#8217;s
+seen them wild on the island and tame on the
+mainland.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Same ones, probably!&#8221; was the tart retort. &#8220;I
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_98' name='page_98'></a>98</span>
+thought the doctor lied ably, but he&#8217;s truth itself
+compared with that hairy skipper of yours.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Josephine tossed her head.</p>
+<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll run &#8217;em down and observe their habits,
+scientifically, and convince you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A glance shoreward showed the car awaiting
+them. As they descended the ladder to the launch,
+a yelp sounded from the deck, and a bull-terrier
+came charging after. Florence regarded the dog
+without any evidence of pleasure.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Does the pest go, too?&#8221; she asked, resignedly.</p>
+<p>Josephine pulled the terrier&#8217;s ears fondly, as it
+cuddled close against her skirt.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Chubbie deserves an outing after the bump he
+got from that horrid man yesterday,&#8221; she said.</p>
+<p>The girls exchanged glances, and laughed over
+some secret joke. When, presently, they were seated
+together in the runaabout, with Josephine at the
+wheel, the bull-terrier squatted in dignity on the
+small back seat. The level sand formed a perfect
+roadway, and the car darted smoothly and swiftly
+between the twin barren spaces of land and sea.
+As they swept forward, the girls watched alertly
+for a glimpse of the ponies among the dunes,
+but there was nowhere any sign of a living thing,
+save the few hurrying gulls. They had gone perhaps
+twenty miles, and were beginning to fear disappointment,
+when, without warning, a drove of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_99' name='page_99'></a>99</span>
+the horses came galloping over the crest of a little
+rise, a half-mile beyond. As the car ran forward,
+along the ribbon of sand below the higher ground,
+the ponies suddenly perceived it, and halted with
+the precision of a troop of cavalry. Near at hand,
+now, the girls could note details, and both observed
+with interest the leader, which stood a little in advance
+of his troop, at the end near the approaching
+machine. He was a handsome creature, with lines
+as suavely strong as an Arabian&#8217;s. He stood with
+head held high, tail streaming, a fore-hoof pawing
+challengingly at the sand. Only the thick, shaggy
+bay coat showed the barbarian, rather than the thoroughbred.
+The mares, a score of them in one
+orderly rank behind him, were crowding and lashing
+out nervously, as they watched the strange
+monster racing so fast on the ocean&#8217;s edge. Some
+of them nickered curiously. But the stallion rested
+silent, until the automobile halted, hardly fifty yards
+away. Then he tossed his head proudly, and blared
+a great trumpet-note of defiance. Josephine instinctively
+answered with the horn. The mechanical
+cry broke harshly, swelled and wailed. The
+eerie response terrified the mares; it perplexed and
+alarmed their lord. But he showed no dismay. For
+a moment still, he remained motionless. His noisy
+challenge rang forth once again. Since the invader
+on the sands below kept silence, nor made any
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_100' name='page_100'></a>100</span>
+movement toward attack, the leader seemed to feel
+that his prestige was safe enough; that prudence
+were now the better part. He sounded a low call,
+and set off at a gallop along the ridge top. The
+rank of mares pounded obediently at his heels.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, after them, Josie!&#8221; Florence cried.</p>
+<p>In a moment, the car shot forward. The horn
+clamored again. The fleeing horses looked back,
+then leaped to new speed before the monster that
+threatened them with unknown terrors. As the
+car increased its pace, the ponies strove the harder.
+Their strides lengthened, quickened. The stunted
+marsh grass beat on the low bellies. Despite their
+desperate striving, the runabout drew closer and
+closer, reached abreast of them. The excitement of
+the chase was in the sparkling eyes of the girls.
+The dog, scrambling up and falling in its seat,
+yelped madly. Here, the beach broadened to a
+sharper ascent of the ridge. Josephine shifted the
+wheel. The car swung in a wide curve and drove
+straight toward the panic-stricken troop, as if it
+would soar up to them. Fear took pride&#8217;s place in
+the leader&#8217;s heart. He sounded a command. The
+flying drove veered, vanished from the ridge top.
+The muffled thudding of hoofs came faintly for a
+minute against the sea wind. Then, as the car
+came to a standstill, the girls listened, but heard no
+sound.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_101' name='page_101'></a>101</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;It was bully fun!&#8221; Josephine said. &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry
+it&#8217;s over.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;After that run, they may be thirsty enough to
+dig for water,&#8221; Florence suggested, with a laugh.
+&#8220;Let&#8217;s climb up, and take a look round from the
+ridge.&#8221;</p>
+<p>But a glance from this point of advantage made it
+clear that the peculiarities of the ponies in drinking
+or fishing were not to be explained to-day. They
+were visible still, to be sure, but a mile off, and the
+rapidity with which the moving mass diminished to
+the eye was proof that they were still in panic.</p>
+<p>&#8220;We might as well get back to the yacht,&#8221; was
+Josephine&#8217;s rueful comment. &#8220;There&#8217;s not another
+single thing to see, now they&#8217;re gone.&#8221; She ran
+her keen gaze over the dreary waste of the island
+with a little shiver of distaste. Then her glance
+roved the undulant expanse of sea. She uttered a
+sharp ejaculation of surprise.</p>
+<p>&#8220;There is something, after all,&#8221; she called out,
+excitedly. &#8220;See&mdash;over there!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Florence looked in the direction marked by the
+pointing finger.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a canoe,&#8221; she hazarded, as her eyes fell on
+the object that bobbed lightly in the surf, two hundred
+yards from the shore. &#8220;I can see the man in
+it. He&#8217;s lying down. Funny!&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_102' name='page_102'></a>102</span></p>
+<p>But Josephine, wiser from much experience on
+shipboard, now saw clearly, and the sight thrilled.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a life-raft,&#8221; she declared, with a tremor in
+her voice; &#8220;and there&#8217;s a man on it. It&#8217;s a&mdash;real&mdash;castaway.
+Come!&#8221;</p>
+<p>With that, she set off running down the steep
+slope of the ridge toward the sea. Behind her came
+Florence, startled and alarmed. The dog barked
+exultantly once, then leaped ahead, only to return
+and circle the slower playfellows joyfully. They
+came to the water&#8217;s edge, and halted, perforce.
+Josephine saw the raft, as it rode on a breaking
+wave. It was perceptibly nearer. She dared hope
+it might be brought within reach. With deft motions,
+the flannel skirt was tucked within her belt,
+leaving her legs free. Florence, somewhat reluctantly,
+made the like adjustment. The bull-terrier,
+disheartened by this immobility, sat on its haunches,
+and regarded the two doubtfully, perhaps prudishly
+disapproving. From time to time the raft showed
+for a few seconds; only to vanish again behind the
+screen of spume. But it advanced shoreward,
+steadily. The body of the man was distinct&mdash;prone,
+motionless. The girls watched and waited in palpitant
+eagerness. The dog, sensing the tension of the
+moment, began to hasten to and fro, snuffing and
+whining. Suddenly, the two cried out in the same
+moment. They saw the raft floating fast and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_103' name='page_103'></a>103</span>
+smoothly toward them on the crest of a breaker.
+They dashed forward, knee-deep, to meet the charge.
+The huge mass of the wave pounded upon them, almost
+swept them from their feet. The angry waters
+boiled about them. It was up to their waists now.
+The flying spray lashed their faces and blinded
+them. When, at last, their vision cleared, the raft
+had vanished. They caught sight of it again, presently.
+It was floating from them, already fifty yards
+distant.</p>
+<p>Nevertheless, the girls, though discouraged, did
+not give over their hope of rescue. Not even when
+another wave thrust the raft fairly upon them, so
+that their hands clutched the tubes, then tore it ruthlessly
+from their puny grasp, and flung it afar. The
+dog, accustomed to sporting in the surf with its
+mistress, rushed to seize this flotsam, but the powerful
+jaws could find no hold. As the dog approached,
+swimming, Josephine put her hand to its collar, and
+so supported it while they waited anxiously for the
+raft&#8217;s return.</p>
+<p>It came more quickly than before. It was, indeed,
+as if fate finally relented, for the raft was borne
+this time on a smaller wave, almost with gentleness,
+as it seemed. Yet, the gentleness of appearance was
+only mockery. When the two girls laid hands on
+it with all their strength it swerved violently,
+wrested itself from their clutch. Josephine cried out
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_104' name='page_104'></a>104</span>
+in despair. She saw the dog, released by her effort,
+plunging forward. A rope dragged in the raft&#8217;s
+wake, a remnant of the lashings. The dog lunged
+viciously, and its jaws locked on the rope. Immediately,
+then, the bull-terrier began swimming toward
+the shore. There was no progress. But the going
+of the raft was momentarily stayed. Josephine saw
+the opportunity and shrieked to Florence. The two
+sprang, and caught the raft again. It rested passively
+in the grasp of the three. The dog continued
+swimming, its face set resolutely shoreward. The
+girls, up to their breasts in water, stepped forward,
+tugging lustily. The three advanced slowly. The
+raft moved with them.</p>
+<p>It was a struggle that taxed the strength of each
+to the uttermost. Those three puny creatures fighting
+against the might of the ocean for the body of a
+dead man! Dead the man seemed, at least, to the
+girls, who, after one glance into the drawn and
+ghastly face of their burden, dared not look again.
+The undertow writhed about their legs, jerked at
+them wrathfully. Waves crashed upon them with
+shattering force. Once, Florence was hurled from
+her footing, but her hands held their grip on the
+raft. The wrenching shock was sustained by Josephine
+and the dog. They gave a little, but with fierce,
+stubborn resistance. Florence regained her feet.
+The rout was stayed. The pitiful combat between
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_105' name='page_105'></a>105</span>
+pigmies and Titans was on again. There was good
+blood in the three. A fighting ancestry had dowered
+them with the courage that does not know defeat
+when it is met. Their strength was exhausted.
+Yet, they battled on. A great comber smashed
+against them. It snatched the raft from the weakened
+hold of the girls, threw it far up on the sand.
+The dog shot in a wide arc through the air. They
+could hear its grunt as it fell. But the jaws were
+still locked. In the same instant, the beast was
+firmly set, hauling at the rope. The raft was held
+for a little by the dog alone, against the waters as
+they sucked back. Then, the girls tottered to aid.
+They fell to their knees in the shallows, and clung
+frantically. The waves hissed away from them.</p>
+<p>They feared the coming of a larger breaker to
+undo their work. Josephine perceived to her astonishment
+that the man was not fastened to the raft,
+except by the vise-like gripping of his big hands.
+And, too, she saw now that he was living. She
+guessed that he was stupefied by exhaustion, yet
+not swooning. She shrieked to him to unclench his
+fingers. It may be that his dulled brain understood
+in a measure; it may be that he was come to the
+very end of his strength. Anyhow, as she put her
+fingers to his, there was no resistance. The grasp
+that had withstood the sea&#8217;s fury, yielded at once
+to the soft pressure of her touch. The two girls
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_106' name='page_106'></a>106</span>
+summoned new energy to the task. The dog let go
+the rope, and, whining curiously, caught a trouser
+leg between its teeth, and aided. Somehow, the
+three contrived to roll and push and pull the inert
+form to a point of safety. Then, they sank down,
+panting.</p>
+<p>Josephine stirred first. With a gasping sigh, she
+struggled to a sitting position. The dog at once
+stood up, and shook itself with great violence. The
+drops splashed over the face of Florence, and she,
+in turn, opened her eyes, groaned deeply, and sat
+up, with a wry smile of discomfort.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;ll we do with the corpse?&#8221; she inquired,
+in an undertaker&#8217;s best manner.</p>
+<p>The funereal suggestion, so sincerely offered, provoked
+Josephine to a weak peal of laughter.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Better wait to worry over that till he&#8217;s dead,&#8221;
+she answered briskly, if somewhat incoherently.
+&#8220;And he will be, if we don&#8217;t watch out. There
+should be a flask in the motor. Run and get it, Flo.
+I&#8217;ll chafe his hands.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Run!&#8221; the other exclaimed. &#8220;If I can crawl it,
+I&#8217;ll be proud.&#8221; Nevertheless, she got to her feet,
+stiffly, but readily enough. &#8220;And sprinkle water
+on his face,&#8221; she called over her shoulder. &#8220;It
+might cheer him anyhow, after having had it all
+over him by the ton.&#8221; Both girls in the first reaction
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_107' name='page_107'></a>107</span>
+from the stress of their war against death were
+brimming with joyousness, notwithstanding fatigue.</p>
+<p>While Josephine rubbed the rough hands as
+strongly as she could between her own tender ones,
+the dog drew near. When the girl looked up, she
+saw that her pet was licking the man&#8217;s face. She
+called out in sharp rebuke. At the same moment,
+the castaway&#8217;s eyes unclosed. For long seconds, he
+stared, unblinking. Then, abruptly, his voice
+sounded in a low drawl of wonder:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s thet-thar damned man-faced dawg!&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_108' name='page_108'></a>108</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_X' id='CHAPTER_X'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER X</h2>
+</div>
+<p>The castaway&#8217;s gaze went to the girl kneeling
+beside him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;An&#8217; the furrin woman!&#8221; he muttered.</p>
+<p>Florence came running with the flask, which was
+full of brandy.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Quick!&#8221; Josephine urged. &#8220;He&#8217;s better, but he&#8217;s
+raving crazy. Thinks I&#8217;m a foreigner.&#8221;</p>
+<p>But, as Florence could have filled the cup of the
+flask, Zeke interposed, with more animation than
+he had hitherto shown.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If so be that&#8217;s likker, an&#8217; ye &#8217;lows to give hit
+to me, if hit don&#8217;t make no p&#8217;tic&#8217;lar diff&#8217;rence to
+you-all, I&#8217;d like to drink hit right smack outen thet-thar
+new-fangled bottle, jest as we be a-used to
+doin&#8217; in the State o&#8217; Wilkes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;As you wish, of course,&#8221; Florence replied, soothingly.
+&#8220;It will make a new man of you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke promptly sat up and put his lips to the
+mouth of the flask, and held them there while the
+rhythmic movement of his adam&#8217;s apple visibly
+witnessed thirstiness. The girls regarded him with
+astonishment, which quickly merged in dismay, for
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_109' name='page_109'></a>109</span>
+they could not guess the boomer&#8217;s capacity for
+fiery drink. As a matter of fact, Zeke, while he
+drank, lamented the insipidity of the draught, and
+sighed for a swig of moonshine to rout the chill
+in his veins with its fluid flames. He, in turn,
+was presently to learn, with astonishment, that a
+beverage so mild to the taste had all the potency
+of his mountain dram, and more. Chilled as he
+had been by the long hours of exposure to the
+night air of the sea, while drifting the fifteen miles
+from Ocracoke Inlet, and worn in body and mind
+by the peril of his situation, Zeke found himself almost
+at once strengthened and cheered by the generous
+spirit. He was, in fact, another man than the
+exhausted castaway, as the girl had promised; he
+was himself again. He was still weak and shaken;
+but his splendid vitality was asserting itself. The
+gray, drawn face was colored to golden tan; the
+clear eyes were shining with new appreciation of the
+joy of life. He had not thought much after the
+very first, during those long, racking hours of tossing
+on the sea. His brain had become numb. His
+fancies had run to tender memories of moments
+spent with Plutina. Often, he had felt her presence
+there with him, in the dark spaces of the sea.
+But the idea that most dominated his mind had
+sprung from the lusty instinct of self-preservation;
+he must cling to the raft. It had been the one thing
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_110' name='page_110'></a>110</span>
+that he could do toward safety. His whole will
+had centered in the clutch of his hands on the
+tubes.</p>
+<p>Seeing the man thus recovered, the girls withdrew
+toward the runabout to adjust their clothing, and
+to find some garment for the man, since he wore
+only shirt and trousers. But the bull-terrier, for a
+wonder, did not follow its mistress. Instead, it
+sat on its haunches close to the mountaineer, and
+muzzled his hand. Zeke pulled the dog&#8217;s ears gently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;That thump I gin ye must &#8217;a&#8217; struck plumb
+down to yer heart, an&#8217; made a right-smart change
+in yer affections. Ye wa&#8217;n&#8217;t so dummed friendly
+when ye tuck thet-thar hunk out o&#8217; my pants.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The dog whined an answer, and crept fawningly
+into the mountaineer&#8217;s lap, where it nestled contentedly.
+It was thus that the girls, returning with
+a rain-coat, found the two, and they stared in surprise,
+for the bull-terrier was none too amiable with
+strangers.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I never knew Chubbie make friends like that
+before,&#8221; Josephine exclaimed. She looked in fresh
+curiosity upon the wholesome face with the regular
+features, rather stern in repose, but now softened
+by a smile. &#8220;It must be because he helped us pull
+you out. We couldn&#8217;t have done it without him.
+That makes you belong to him, in a way.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke stared at the dog, with new respect.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_111' name='page_111'></a>111</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;The darned son of a gun!&#8221; he ejaculated,
+gravely. &#8220;I reckon,&#8221; he continued after a meditative
+pause, &#8220;the little cuss felt like he owed me
+somethin&#8217; fer sp&#8217;ilin&#8217; my jeans. That crack I gin
+him put the fear o&#8217; God into his bosom, so to speak.
+&#8216;The more ye beat &#8217;em, the better they be.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Josephine started at his words. Without a hat,
+the dark curls had given a look so different to the
+face that, until now, she had not recognized the man
+of the ferry-boat.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why,&#8221; she cried, &#8220;you are the one!&#8221; She turned
+to the bewildered Florence. Her blue eyes were
+flashing; her voice was hard. &#8220;He&#8217;s the creature
+that almost killed Chubbie. And to think we
+troubled to save him!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That hell-fired pup o&#8217; your&#8217;n took a holt on me
+first,&#8221; Zeke protested wrathfully, forgetful of his
+reconciliation with the dog. Then, a plaintive whine
+recalled him. He smiled whimsically, as he patted
+the bull-terrier&#8217;s head, which was lifted toward him
+fondly. The anger died out of his face, and he
+smiled. &#8220;I&#8217;ve hearn these-hyar dumb critters git
+things &#8217;bout right by instinct, somehow. Yer
+dawg&#8217;s done fergive me. Won&#8217;t you-all, mum?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Josephine hesitated. The ingenuous appeal
+touched her. Only pride held her from yielding.</p>
+<p>&#8220;An&#8217;, besides,&#8221; Zeke went on, &#8220;ye was a-sayin&#8217;
+as how the dawg kind o&#8217; felt I belonged to him like,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_112' name='page_112'></a>112</span>
+bein&#8217; he he&#8217;ped pull me out o&#8217; the ocean, an&#8217; so he
+had to like me. Thet-thar argyment goes fer you-all,
+too, mum. So, I &#8217;low ye gotter fergive me&mdash;specially
+kase yer dawg begun hit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Josephine relaxed with a ripple of laughter. The
+mountaineer both interested and pleased her. To
+her inevitable interest in one whom she had helped
+to save from death, there was now added a personal
+attraction. She perceived, with astonishment, that
+this was by no means the hulking brute she had
+deemed him when her pet had suffered at his hands.
+The dog&#8217;s attitude toward him impressed her
+deeply. Moreover, she saw that he was intelligent,
+as well as na&iuml;ve. She perceived that he had humor
+and quickness of feeling. His responsiveness to
+the dog&#8217;s advances pleased her. She was greedy of
+experience and knowledge, easily bored by familiar
+things, likely to be vastly interested, for a brief
+season, in the new and strange. She realized that
+here, ready to her hand, was a type wholly novel.
+She felt that it was her prerogative to understand
+something of the nature of this singular being thus
+cast at her feet by fate. Certainly, it would be absurd
+to cherish any rancor. As he had said, the
+dog&#8217;s action sufficed. Besides, she must be friendly
+if she would learn concerning this personality.
+Every reason justified inclination. She rebelled no
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_113' name='page_113'></a>113</span>
+longer. Her blue eyes gleamed with genuine kindliness,
+as she spoke:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll take Chubbie&#8217;s word for it.&#8221; Her voice became
+authoritative. &#8220;Now, if you feel equal to
+standing up, we&#8217;ll have this rain-coat on you, and
+then run you down to the yacht. We&#8217;ll attend to
+landing you somewhere after you&#8217;ve rested and had
+something to eat.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Already Josephine&#8217;s brain was busy, scheming to
+her own ends, but of this she gave no hint.</p>
+<p>Zeke pushed away the reluctant dog, and rose
+up stiffly. The stimulation of the brandy stood him
+in good stead.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low I&#8217;m havin&#8217; a right-smart lot of experience,&#8221;
+he remarked, chuckling. &#8220;What with steam-cars,
+an&#8217; boats, an&#8217; wrecks, an&#8217; now one o&#8217; them
+ornery devil-wagons. I hain&#8217;t a-feared none,&#8221; he
+added, musingly, &#8220;but I hain&#8217;t a-pinin&#8217; neither. I
+reckon I kin stand anythin&#8217; what gals an&#8217; a dog kin.
+I&#8217;m plumb nervous or hungry&mdash;I don&#8217;t know which.
+Both, like&#8217;s not!&#8221;</p>
+<p>He rejected the offer of support, and walked firmly
+enough to the machine, which he eyed distrustfully.
+Florence took the rear seat, and Zeke established
+himself beside Josephine, the dog between his feet.
+After the first few minutes, he found himself delighting
+in this smooth, silent rush over the white
+sands. In answer to Josephine&#8217;s question, he gave
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_114' name='page_114'></a>114</span>
+a bare outline of his adventures in the three days of
+his absence from the mountains.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was a-hankerin&#8217; arter experience,&#8221; he concluded,
+&#8220;an&#8217; aimin&#8217; to make my everlastin&#8217; fortin.
+I been doin&#8217; pretty peart, so fer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;ve certainly had more than your share of
+experience in the time,&#8221; Josephine agreed; &#8220;though
+I don&#8217;t know about the fortune.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Started right-smack off at the rate of more&#8217;n
+seventy-five thousand dollars a year,&#8221; Zeke rejoined,
+complacently. He laughed joyously at the
+bewildered face the girl turned to him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I done figured hit out las&#8217; night, not havin&#8217;
+much of anythin&#8217; to do on thet-thar raft, &#8217;cept to
+stick.&#8221; He gave an account of the capture of the
+negro outlaw, for which he had received a reward.
+&#8220;I&#8217;m only a-jokin&#8217;, of course,&#8221; he went on with
+new seriousness. &#8220;I hain&#8217;t pinin&#8217; fer no foolishness.
+All I want is enough so&#8217;s not to be hog-pore. An&#8217;
+I got a chance to learn somethin&#8217;, an&#8217; to make somethin&#8217;,
+an&#8217;, arter all, go right on livin&#8217; in my own
+country. An&#8217; that&#8217;s what Plutiny wants, too. An&#8217;
+I&#8217;ll have enough to buy her straighteners, if she
+wants &#8217;em, by cracky!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh&mdash;straighteners?&#8221; Josephine repeated, mystified.
+Vague memories of a visit to a hospital suggested
+an explanation. &#8220;Then, this person you
+speak of, Plutina, is deformed?&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_115' name='page_115'></a>115</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;Deformed!&#8221; For an instant, Zeke could only
+repeat the word, helplessly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;A curvature of the spine, I suppose,&#8221; Josephine
+continued, without interest. She had her eyes on the
+ribbon of sand now, and guessed nothing as to her
+companion&#8217;s disturbance, until his voice came in a
+burst of protest that made her jump.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Plutiny&mdash;deformed!&#8221; he exclaimed, harshly.
+Then, his voice softened wonderfully, though it
+shook with the tensity of his feeling. &#8220;Why, Plutiny&#8217;s
+better&#8217;n anybody else in all the world&mdash;she is,
+an&#8217; she looks hit. Plutiny&mdash;deformed! Why, my
+Plutiny&#8217;s straight as thet-thar young pine tree atop
+Bull Head Mounting. An&#8217; she&#8217;s as easy an&#8217; graceful
+to bend an&#8217; move as the alders along Thunder
+Branch. There hain&#8217;t nary other woman in all the
+world to ekal my Plutiny. Plutiny&mdash;deformed!
+Why, mum, you-all talk plumb foolish.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl was too astonished before this outburst
+to take offense.</p>
+<p>&#8220;But you spoke about straighteners for her,&#8221; she
+protested.</p>
+<p>Zeke stared for a moment, then grinned understandingly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thet&#8217;s what we-uns call &#8217;em,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You-all
+call &#8217;em corsets.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Yet, the effect of this conversation reached beyond
+the humorous. In some subtle fashion, it
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_116' name='page_116'></a>116</span>
+provoked the girl to keener interest in the young
+man. She was perhaps, though she would have denied
+the suggestion hotly, a little piqued by the exaltation
+with which he praised his rustic sweetheart.
+Josephine was an exceedingly attractive young
+woman, and she was accustomed to having men
+show their appreciation of the fact. It was new to
+her thus essentially to be ignored, and not quite
+agreeable. There could be no tender interest between
+herself and this handsome barbarian. The
+idea even of flirtation was quite inconceivable.
+Nevertheless, it was strange that he should be so
+imperceptive of her charms. Doubtless, his eyes
+were blind to the refinements of beauty. They
+should be opened. It would be dreadful if the fellow
+should grow away from the girl who was waiting
+for him. And yet&mdash;Josephine checked her
+thoughts, and blushed a little. But a plan matured.</p>
+<p>That plan was followed diplomatically when she
+secured a private interview with her father, after
+the return on board the yacht.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Daddy, dear,&#8221; she said, with a manner as casual
+as she could contrive, &#8220;let&#8217;s keep this Mister Higgins
+on board. He&#8217;s bound for New York, but in
+no particular hurry. We&#8217;ll get him there in about
+ten days.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mr. Blaise, who was a plethoric, fussy little
+man, adamant to all the world save his only child,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_117' name='page_117'></a>117</span>
+regarded her now in perplexity, his shrewd eyes a
+bit mischievous.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t imagine it&#8217;s to be the stereotyped romance,
+just because you dragged him out of the sea,&#8221; he
+said. &#8220;The chap has the makings of considerable of
+a man in him, and he&#8217;s good-looking enough to catch
+a girl&#8217;s fancy; but he&#8217;s not your sort. So, why?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Besides,&#8221; Josephine retorted, smiling, &#8220;Florence
+has the same right in him as treasure trove.
+That would make the romance too complicated.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why?&#8221; Mr. Blaise repeated.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve never met anyone like him,&#8221; the girl explained,
+with truth, if not all the truth. &#8220;He&#8217;s
+unique. I want to study him. Such knowledge is
+broadening&mdash;better than books.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Bosh!&#8221; was the comment. &#8220;You mean, he&#8217;s just
+a freak to you, and you&#8217;d like to look him over a
+little longer. There&#8217;s no harm in that, if it amuses
+you. But don&#8217;t be silly about broadening yourself.&#8221;
+He regarded his daughter critically. &#8220;And leave
+out the deserts. They&#8217;re too broadening, if you like.
+You&#8217;re getting plump.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Josephine accepted this meekly, in her satisfaction
+over having her way as to the new guest.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll go and invite him, right away,&#8221; she exclaimed.
+&#8220;He&#8217;ll liven us up.&#8221;</p>
+<p>But her father wrinkled his brows in doubt.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What about the effect on the young fellow, himself?&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_118' name='page_118'></a>118</span>
+he demanded. &#8220;It can&#8217;t do him any good,
+Josie. That sort of thing&#8217;s unsettling, you know.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Josephine attempted no reply, as she went on her
+way. Her father could not see the flush that touched
+her cheeks.</p>
+<p>Through such devious ways did it come to pass
+that the mountaineer entered a world of which he
+had never even dreamed. His own complete ignorance
+of social conditions prevented him from
+appreciating the marvel wrought by fate in his behalf.
+In the simplicity of his character, he accepted
+the change as a perfectly natural event in the world
+that he had set out to explore. It was this simplicity,
+which kept him from undue self-consciousness,
+that carried him safely through what must otherwise
+have been an ordeal. He accepted what had
+befallen thankfully, and sought to learn what he
+best might from the novel environment. His interest
+was conspicuously in others, not in himself. He
+was greedy of information, lavish in liking. By a
+benign miracle, there were no snobs in the yachting
+party, which included also two young men, and
+two of the owner&#8217;s age, besides Josephine&#8217;s aunt.
+This chaperon was a motherly soul, and, in sheer
+kindliness of heart did much to make the situation
+easy. The informality of the party, too, was a
+tremendous advantage to the young man, though
+he never guessed it. On the contrary, he accepted
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_119' name='page_119'></a>119</span>
+things as they were enthusiastically, with never a
+thought of dismay. In flannels loaned him by the
+largest guest, which fitted too snugly, he presented
+an appearance so excellent that Mr. Blaise was
+moved to pinch his daughter&#8217;s ear, while reminding
+her of the stereotyped romance.</p>
+<p>Such was the cause of Plutina&#8217;s wearisome waiting
+for the letter that did not come. Zeke found, to
+his distress, too late that an interval of a week or
+more must elapse before a letter posted in Bermuda
+could possibly reach the mountains. But, beyond
+that, there was nothing to disturb the girl who loved
+him. The heart of the lad amid the luxuries of life
+on the yacht was unchanged in its devotion. It was,
+indeed, as if he saw all things as a frame for her.
+He was forever thinking how Plutina would look
+here or there, in connection with this or the other.
+The gowns of the three women, were viewed critically
+in relation to the mountain girl. He would
+imagine her loveliness enhanced by the sheen of silk,
+by the films of lace, by the lusters of jewels. Josephine
+thought once when she appeared in a dainty
+evening frock, not too daring, that she had penetrated
+his armor of aloofness, for he blushed hotly
+as his eyes went to her neck, and his gaze fell. She
+was deceived. He remembered in that moment,
+how he had once kissed the soft whiteness of Plutina&#8217;s
+throat, where the homespun gown lay open.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_120' name='page_120'></a>120</span>
+Now, memory of the warm bliss of that kiss sent
+the blood racing and tingling.</p>
+<p>That self-deception was as near as Josephine ever
+came to triumph.</p>
+<p>Florence understood, to some extent, at least, the
+mood that influenced her friend. A feminine intuition
+inspired in her a like ambition to pierce this
+young savage&#8217;s reserve. Through her own feeling,
+she readily divined that of Josephine. Thus, the two
+became unconfessed allies in the employment of
+their wiles against an unsuspecting victim. It was,
+indeed, the lack of suspicion on his part that irritated
+them to the point of exasperation. He was so
+utterly innocent of their manoeuvers against his
+peace! Both of the girls were attractive beyond the
+average. Josephine, a plump blonde, ingenuous of
+manner, sophisticated, capricious, yet not spoiled,
+egotistic, but winsome, full of electric vitality;
+Florence, taller and darker, with an air more sedate,
+yet doubtless capable of deeper and more enduring
+emotions. Each possessed excellent features, and
+the fascinations of radiant health, sufficient culture,
+and the most exquisite refinements of personal detail.
+They deserved the humble admiration of any
+man. They expected tender adulation from most,
+and from most they received it. At the outset a
+certain impassivity on the part of this wild mountaineer
+excited their astonishment, then, quickly,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_121' name='page_121'></a>121</span>
+their dissatisfaction. They were moved to a caprice
+against his calm, against this indifference that was
+an affront. They had no wish to work him serious
+harm, but his disregard was intolerable. Since
+the heart of neither was engaged, there was no
+jealousy between them in the affair. Since each was
+secretly ashamed of her motives, there was no confidence
+between them.</p>
+<p>Their failure, in the lazy days and evenings of
+voyaging and of rambling in the Bermudan islands,
+was undeniable. It was the more aggravating since
+the young man patently admired them. Even, his
+admiration was excessive, almost reverential, at
+times. Yet, it was altogether impersonal. They
+came eventually to know that this mountaineer regarded
+them with warm friendliness, with a lively
+gratitude, with a devoted respect, with a certain
+veneration. But that was all. No dart from their
+quiver of charms touched to the passionate heart of
+him&mdash;nor ever could. From whichever side the
+shafts were thrown, always they were shattered
+against a white shield, and fell harmless. That
+shield was Plutina.</p>
+<p>One night, as the yacht neared New York, Josephine
+and Zeke sat together, watching the scud of
+clouds across the moon. The mountaineer spoke
+softly, after an interval of silence.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_122' name='page_122'></a>122</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;The clouds is runnin&#8217; thar jest as I&#8217;ve seen &#8217;em
+lookin&#8217; out across the valley from Stone Mounting&mdash;with
+Plutiny.&#8221; There was a caress in his
+voice.</p>
+<p>Josephine checked an ejaculation of impatience.
+The savage was incorrigible&mdash;quite! Him, and
+his everlasting Plutina! Perverse curiosity overcame
+discretion. Perhaps, too, after all, he only
+needed guidance. She tried to believe, though
+vainly, that only shyness prevented him from improving
+an opportunity any other man would have
+coveted.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell me,&#8221; she said softly, with a sympathetic
+lure in her tones, &#8220;is Plutina so very beautiful?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The lure was effective. Zeke turned to her with
+the hazel eyes darkly luminous in the moonlight.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tiny&#8217;s beautiful,&#8221; he answered tenderly; and
+there was music now in the slow drawl. &#8220;I &#8217;low
+she&#8217;s the most beautiful woman in the world.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m afraid you&#8217;re prejudiced,&#8221; Josephine objected,
+with a disarming laugh. &#8220;Of course, you
+ought to think so, but, really you know, you
+haven&#8217;t quite seen all the beautiful women in the
+world. Now, have you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;All I need to,&#8221; was the confident assurance.
+&#8220;Why,&#8221; he continued with an apologetic smile for
+his boldness. &#8220;I done seen you-all, Miss Blaise, an&#8217;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_123' name='page_123'></a>123</span>
+I reckon you-all are about as beautiful as a woman
+kin be&mdash;&#8217;ceptin&#8217; Plutina.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The tribute was potent from its very unexpectedness.
+It eased the chagrin from which vanity had
+suffered. Evidently, her charms were not disregarded.
+It was simply that this lover had given his
+heart, and that he was loyal. The girl sighed a
+little enviously at the realization. She knew too
+well that many, perhaps most, in her world were not
+loyal, even when their hearts were given. She
+wondered if, in truth, there awaited her the boon
+of a like faithfulness. Yet she persevered in her
+probing.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Out in the world,&#8221; she said musingly, &#8220;where
+things are so different from up in your mountains,
+you may change. It may be you won&#8217;t want to go
+back, to the hills&mdash;to Plutina.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A flush of wrath burned in Zeke&#8217;s cheeks, visible
+in the gloom.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit ain&#8217;t fittin&#8217; fer you-all to say no such thing,
+Miss Blaise. But I kin fergive ye, kase ye hain&#8217;t
+seen our mountings. They hain&#8217;t no other place
+more beautiful. Mister Sutton done told me so,
+an&#8217; he&#8217;s been all over the hull world. An&#8217;, besides,
+hit&#8217;s home. A man what don&#8217;t love his home country
+better&#8217;n any other&mdash;why, mum, he&#8217;s jest a plain
+skunk.... An&#8217; Plutiny, she&#8217;s the best part o&#8217;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_124' name='page_124'></a>124</span>
+home. There hain&#8217;t no land so beautiful, nor no
+woman. No, mum, I sha&#8217;n&#8217;t change&mdash;never! I
+kain&#8217;t!&#8221;</p>
+<p>And Josephine knew that it was so, and once
+again she sighed.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_125' name='page_125'></a>125</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XI' id='CHAPTER_XI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Uncle Dick, as he was universally
+known in the mountains, had celebrated
+his eightieth birthday before his granddaughters,
+Plutina and Alvira, by leaping high in
+the air, and knocking his heels together three times
+before returning to the ground. There was, in fact,
+no evidence of decrepitude anywhere about him.
+The thatch of coal-black hair was only moderately
+streaked with gray, and it streamed in profuse
+ringlets to his shoulders. His black eyes were still
+keen; the leathery face, with its imperious features,
+was ruddy. He carried his six-foot-three of bone
+and muscle lightly.</p>
+<p>As of the body, so of the heart. The springs of
+feeling in him showed no signs of drying up. On the
+contrary, they threatened to gush forth in a new
+flood over the Widow Brown, on whose plump
+prettiness, hardly dimmed by her three-score years,
+he looked with appreciative and ardent eyes. Indeed,
+his conduct justified the womenfolk of his
+household in apprehensions, for witness to the seriousness
+of the affair was afforded the morning
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_126' name='page_126'></a>126</span>
+after the raid on Dan Hodges&#8217; still. He demanded
+of Alvira that she burn the grease from an old
+skillet with great care.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If they&#8217;s a mite of hit, hit makes a scum, an&#8217;
+floats off the gold on hit,&#8221; he explained.</p>
+<p>The sisters regarded each other in consternation,
+but forebore questioning. When he had mounted
+his mare, and ridden away, Plutina spoke with bitterness:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I reckon Mis&#8217; Higgins done hit the nail on the
+haid &#8217;bout Gran&#8217;pap an&#8217; the Widder Brown.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Alvira nodded.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yep. Hit means business, shore, if he&#8217;s a-gallavantin&#8217;
+over to Pleasant Valley to pan gold. Hit
+means he&#8217;s aimin&#8217; to marry her.&#8221; She waxed scornful,
+with the intolerance of her sixteen years. &#8220;Hit&#8217;s
+plumb ridic&#8217;lous&mdash;at his age.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Seems like he was &#8217;most ole enough to git sense,&#8221;
+Plutina agreed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mebby we&#8217;re mistook &#8217;bout his intentions,&#8221; Alvira
+suggested, hopefully. &#8220;O&#8217; course, he git&#8217;s a heap
+of enjoyment settin&#8217; to Widder Brown. But he hain&#8217;t
+got to be plumb foolish, an&#8217; marry her. I guess as
+how hit&#8217;s fer you-all he&#8217;s arter the gold kase Zeke&#8217;ll
+be comin&#8217; home by-&#8217;n&#8217;-bye.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Plutina shook her head dubiously. It was the
+custom of the lover himself to seek, in the gold-bearing
+sands of the tiny mountain stream to the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_127' name='page_127'></a>127</span>
+west, for the grains from which to fashion a ring for
+his sweetheart. Many a wife of the neighborhood
+wore such proudly on forefinger or thumb. The old
+man was not fond enough of toil to undertake the
+slow washing out of gold there unless for a selfish
+sentimental reason. And her fears were confirmed
+that afternoon by Zeke&#8217;s mother whom she visited.</p>
+<p>&#8220;They hain&#8217;t nary chance to save him no more,&#8221;
+the old woman averred, lugubriously. &#8220;Hit&#8217;s allus
+been said hyarbouts as how a feller allus gits his
+gal shore, if he pans her a ring in Pleasant Valley.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Huh&mdash;girl!&#8221; quoth Plutina.</p>
+<p>Yet this amorous affair was of small moment just
+now to the granddaughter, though she voluntarily
+occupied her thoughts with it. She hoped thus to
+keep in the background of her mind the many fears
+that threatened peace, by reason of her part in the
+night&#8217;s work. She knew that she could trust the
+secrecy of Marshal Stone, but there was the possibility
+of discovery in some manner unforeseen.
+There was even the chance that suspicion against
+her had been aroused in Ben York. She could not
+bear to contemplate what must follow should her
+betrayal of the still become known. It was a relief
+to be certain that the two men she chiefly dreaded
+would be in jail, and unable personally to wreak
+vengeance. It was improbable, she thought, that
+persons so notorious and so detested could secure
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_128' name='page_128'></a>128</span>
+bail. But, even with them out of the way, the case
+would be disastrous on account of her grandfather&#8217;s
+hatred of the revenue officers, and more especially,
+of those among his own people guilty of the baseness
+of informing. Should her deed come to his
+knowledge, it would mean tragedy. She dreaded
+the hour when he should hear of the raid, and was
+glad that he had gone away, for in all likelihood he
+would have the news before his return and the first
+shock of it would have passed.... So it fell out.</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick rode briskly toward the little stream
+that tumbles down the mountain west of Air Bellows
+Gap, where long ago men washed for gold in
+feverish desire of wealth. Now, none sought a
+fortune in the branch grit, where a day&#8217;s labor at
+best could yield no more than a dollar or two in
+gold. Only devoted swains, like himself, hied them
+there to win wherewithal for a bauble with which to
+speed their wooing. Uncle Dick chose a favorable
+spot, and washed steadily until the blackened old
+copper skillet itself shone like the flecks of gold he
+sought. When he ceased he had a generous pinch
+of the precious dust carefully disposed in a vial.
+He hid the skillet to serve another day, and set out
+on his return. Before he crossed Garden Greek, a
+neighbor, whom he met on the trail, told him of the
+raid. Eager for all particulars, Uncle Dick turned
+his mount into the high road, and hurried to Joines&#8217;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_129' name='page_129'></a>129</span>
+store. The single-footing mare carried him quickly
+to this place of assembly for neighborhood gossip,
+where he found more than the usual number
+gathered, drawn by excitement over the raid. The
+company was in a mixed mood, in which traditional
+enmity against the &#8220;revenuers&#8221; warred against personal
+rejoicing over the fate fallen on Dan Hodges,
+whom they hated and feared. From the garrulous
+circle of his acquaintance, Uncle Dick speedily
+learned the history of the night. The account was
+interrupted by the coming of a clerk to the store
+door. He waved his hand toward the group on the
+steps to command attention.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You, Uncle Dick!&#8221; he called. &#8220;No&#8217;th Wilkesboro&#8217;
+wants ye on the telephone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Wondering mightily at the unexpected summons,
+the old man hurried to the instrument.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hello! Hello!&#8221; he roared, in a voice to be
+heard across the miles.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Be that you-all, Uncle Dick?&#8221; the question came
+thinly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yep. Who be you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s Dan Hodges. I reckon you-all done hearn
+&#8217;bout last night.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yep. I shore have hearn a heap,&#8221; Uncle Dick
+acquiesced, sourly. &#8220;I tole ye to quit, the officers
+air gittin&#8217; so a&#8217;mightly peart. They hain&#8217;t no more
+chance fer a good set o&#8217; men to make a run&mdash;to say
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_130' name='page_130'></a>130</span>
+nothin&#8217; of a wuthless gang like your&#8217;n.... What
+ye want o&#8217; me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The reply was explicit enough.</p>
+<p>&#8220;The hearin&#8217; &#8217;s to-morrer &#8217;fore the United States
+Commissioner. Marshal Stone says the bail&#8217;ll be
+two thousand dollars, cash or land. They hain&#8217;t
+nobody kin put hit up, &#8217;cept you-all, Uncle Dick.
+An&#8217;, if ye don&#8217;t, Ben an&#8217; me&#8217;ll have to lay in jail
+till Fall. If ye&#8217;ll he&#8217;p me, Uncle Dick, ye know
+Dan Hodges won&#8217;t never fail ye.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m afeared on,&#8221; Uncle Dick retorted,
+glumly. &#8220;I &#8217;most know &#8217;twas you-all an&#8217; yer
+gang kilt thet-thar heifer o&#8217; mine in cold blood.
+Now, the ole man ye&#8217;ve treated dirt is yer las&#8217;
+chance. Wall, cuss ye! I&#8217;ll come down t&#8217;-morrer
+an&#8217; bail ye out&mdash;not kase I love ye any, but kase I&#8217;m
+again the revenuers. An&#8217; listen &#8217;ere! I&#8217;m some old,
+but I&#8217;m some spry yit, ye bet! You-all stop round
+these parts whar I kin keep an eye on ye till Fall
+Cote. If ye don&#8217;t, damn ye!&mdash;wall, my ole rifle&#8217;s
+bright an&#8217; &#8217;iled, an&#8217; I&#8217;ll git ye! Jest remember thet,
+Dan Hodges: I&#8217;ll git ye!&#8221; And with this grim
+warning, Uncle Dick slammed the receiver on its
+hook, and stalked out of the store.</p>
+<p>On the following day, he journeyed duly to North
+Wilkesboro&#8217;, where, despite the protest of his lawyer,
+he put up his land as security for the appearance
+of the two malefactors. Uncle Dick was a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_131' name='page_131'></a>131</span>
+consistent conservative. Had the accident of birth
+made him an English squire, he would have been
+a stanch Tory, would have held the King&#8217;s commission
+on the bench of justices, and would have administered
+the penalties of the law with exceeding
+severity against poachers. Having been born in the
+Blue Ridge Mountains, he staked his property in
+behalf of two scoundrels, for the sake of an inherited
+feud against the Federal authority.</p>
+<p>Nevertheless, his personal distrust of the men
+he had thus relieved was made manifest when, immediately
+after the commitment of the two before
+the Commissioner, he betook himself to a hardware
+store, where he bought a forty-one caliber Colt&#8217;s
+revolver, with a holster and a box of cartridges.
+He had given up the habitual carrying of weapons
+on his seventy-fifth birthday, as unseemly and unnecessary
+for one of his patriarchal years. Now, he
+reverted to the use as a measure of prudence.</p>
+<p>&#8220;The damned dawg&#8217;s done me dirt, an&#8217; he hain&#8217;t
+above doin&#8217; hit ag&#8217;in,&#8221; he muttered, as he strapped
+the holster beneath his left arm.</p>
+<p>To his womankind, Uncle Dick spoke of the
+affair casually, concealing his apprehensions.
+Neither of the granddaughters ventured remonstrance,
+though Alvira&#8217;s pretty face was mutinous,
+and Plutina felt a sickening sense of calamity rushing
+upon her. It seemed to her the irony of fate that
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_132' name='page_132'></a>132</span>
+her own relation should thus interfere to render
+abortive the effect she had risked so much to secure.
+She realized, with a shrinking misery, that the sufferers
+from her act were now at liberty to inflict
+vengeance upon her, should suspicion be born in
+them. For the first time in her life, Plutina experienced
+a feminine cowardice, bewailing her helplessness.
+There was none to whom she might turn
+for counsel; none, even, in whom she might confide.
+It was no mere chimera of fear that beset her. She
+was far too sensible and too strong for hysterical
+imaginings. But she knew that her peril was real
+and grave. In the face of it, she felt suddenly a
+new longing for the absent lover. Hitherto, her
+fondness had been tender and passionate, touched
+with the maternal protectiveness that is instinctive
+in every woman. Now, a new desire of him leaped
+in her. She yearned for rest on his bosom, secure
+within the shelter of his arms, there to pour forth
+all the story of her trouble, there to hear his voice
+of consolation, there to be at peace. She touched
+the fairy crystal that lay between her breasts, and
+she smiled, very sadly, and very wistfully.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Zeke will shorely come,&#8221; she whispered, &#8220;if I
+need him&mdash;bad enough.&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was a tremor in her voice, but it was not of
+doubt.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_133' name='page_133'></a>133</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XII' id='CHAPTER_XII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XII</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Early in the morning following his trip to
+North Wilkesboro&#8217; Uncle Dick Siddon rode
+off to Pleasant Valley, there to prosecute his
+sentimental labors for the pleasuring of the Widow
+Brown. Alvira fared abroad on some errand to a
+neighboring cabin. Plutina, her usual richness of
+coloring dimmed by a troubled night, was left
+alone. In the mid-forenoon she was sitting on the
+porch, busy over a pan of beans, which she was
+stringing for dinner. As she chanced to raise her
+eyes, she saw Dan Hodges coming up the path. At
+sight of the evil lowering face, repulsion flared hot
+in the girl. The instinct of flight was strong, but
+her good sense forbade it. She felt a stirring of
+unfamiliar terror in the presence of the man. She
+scorned herself for the weakness, but it persisted.
+Her very fear dictated the counsels of prudence. She
+believed that in dissimulation lay her only possibility
+of safety. The thought of any intercourse with
+the moonshiner was unspeakably repugnant, yet she
+dared not risk needless offense. Nevertheless, the
+first effect of her resolve was a self-contempt that
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_134' name='page_134'></a>134</span>
+moved her to wrath, and made her opening speech
+more venomous even than it had been otherwise.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Howdy, my little honey?&#8221; Hodges called out as
+he shambled to a halt before her. His coarse features
+writhed in a simper that intensified their ugliness.
+His coveting of this woman was suddenly
+magnified by sight of her loveliness, flawless in the
+brilliant light. The blood-shot eyes darted luxuriously
+over the curving graces beneath the scant
+homespun garment.</p>
+<p>The girl sensed the insult of the man&#8217;s regard. It,
+rather than the insolent familiarity of address, provoked
+her outburst.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Shet yer mouth, Dan Hodges,&#8221; she snapped.
+&#8220;I&#8217;ve done told ye afore, ye kain&#8217;t &#8216;honey&#8217; me. If
+ye wants to pass the time o&#8217; day, jest don&#8217;t fergit
+as how hit&#8217;s Miss Plutiny fer you-all.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Hodges gaped bewilderedly under the rebuke.
+Then he growled defiantly.</p>
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<a name='linki_6' id='linki_6'></a>
+<img src='images/illus-134.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 626px; height: 447px;' /><br />
+<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 626px;'>
+<br />
+<i>Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick.</i><br />
+BAD BLOOD BETWEEN RIVALS.<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_135' name='page_135'></a>135</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Wall, I&#8217;ll be dogged! Quite some spit-fire,
+hain&#8217;t ye? Reckon I know what&#8217;s a-bitin on ye.
+Ye&#8217;re mad kase Uncle Dick tuk the mounting land
+ye gals look to heir to, to bail me and Ben.&#8221; He
+stared at the girl ominously, with drawn brows. His
+voice was guttural with threatening. &#8220;So be ye
+mout hev to eat them words o&#8217; your&#8217;n. Mebby,
+when I&#8217;ve done tole ye a thing er two, ye&#8217;ll be a-askin&#8217;
+of me to call ye &#8216;honey.&#8217; Mebby, ye&#8217;ll want to
+hover yer ole &#8216;hon,&#8217; arter I let&#8217;s ye know a thing
+or two &#8217;bout the doin&#8217;s o&#8217; you-all an&#8217; thet damned
+little runt, thet reportin&#8217; dawg sweetheart o&#8217; your&#8217;n&mdash;Zeke
+Higgins.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl was stricken. She understood the outlaw&#8217;s
+reference. Somehow he had gained certain
+knowledge of Zeke&#8217;s part in saving the Quaker-school-teacher
+spy. She realized that the criminal
+gang would not hesitate at the murder of one who
+had thus foiled them. For the moment, she gave no
+heed to the danger that menaced herself as well.
+Her whole concern was for her lover. The single
+comfort came from the fact of his absence. Much
+as she had been longing for his coming, her prayer
+now was that he should not return until these men
+were imprisoned.</p>
+<p>With a fierce effort toward bravery in the face of
+catastrophe, Plutina stood up, and drew herself
+proudly erect. Her dark eyes flashed wrathfully.
+She spoke with disdain:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye wouldn&#8217;t dast say that to Zeke Higgins&#8217;
+teeth. Mebby, he hain&#8217;t so thick through as you-all,
+and he hain&#8217;t so thick-headed, nuther. An&#8217; he hain&#8217;t
+no runt, as ye&#8217;d find quick &#8217;nuf, if so be&#8217;s ye dast
+stand up to him, man to man, &#8217;stid o&#8217; with a gun
+from the laurel. He&#8217;s a man&mdash;what you-all hain&#8217;t.
+He hain&#8217;t the kind to layway from the bushes, ner
+to be a-stealin&#8217; his neighbor&#8217;s cattle an&#8217; hawgs. An&#8217;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_136' name='page_136'></a>136</span>
+what&#8217;s more Dan Hodges, ef ye say as how Zeke
+ever reported ary still, ye&#8217;re a hell-bustin&#8217; liar!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her jibes were powerless against the coarse-fibered
+brute. He grinned malevolently as he jeered
+at her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thar, now! Hain&#8217;t it a pity to have a sweetheart
+what hain&#8217;t brave &#8217;nuf to stand &#8217;is ground,
+an&#8217; runs off, an&#8217; leaves &#8217;is gal to fit fer &#8217;im.&#8221; Then,
+abruptly, the moonshiner&#8217;s expression changed to
+one meant to be ingratiating. &#8220;Wall, now, Miss
+Plutiny, I shore likes the way ye stan&#8217;s up fer the
+pore cuss. But, arter all, hes&#8217; done up and left ye.
+An&#8217; he hain&#8217;t comin&#8217; back. Hit wouldn&#8217;t be healthy
+fer him to come back,&#8221; he added, savagely. &#8220;An&#8217;
+what&#8217;s more, ye hain&#8217;t a-gwine to jine &#8217;im whar he&#8217;s
+at. The Hodges&#8217; crowd won&#8217;t stan&#8217; fer no sech!
+He&#8217;s been writ, Zeke Higgins has, with the sign
+o&#8217; the skull an&#8217; the cross&mdash;the hull thing. Ye know
+what thet means, I reckon.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Plutina blenched, and seated herself again, weakly.
+It was true, she knew the fantastic rigmarole,
+which made absurd the secret dictates of these illiterate
+desperadoes. But that absurdity meant
+death, none the less&mdash;death for the one she loved.
+In her misery, she listened almost apathetically as
+Hodges went on talking in his heavy, grating
+voice.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Zeke Higgins knows as how the Allens give us
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_137' name='page_137'></a>137</span>
+the word &#8217;bout &#8217;is crossin&#8217; Bull Head with the spy.
+He knows thet, if &#8217;e shows up in this-hyar kentry
+ag&#8217;in, the Devil&#8217;s Pot&#8217;ll have &#8217;im fer a b&#8217;ilin&#8217;. An&#8217;
+thet&#8217;s &#8217;nuf fer Zeke&#8217;s case. Now, we&#8217;ll jest chin a
+mite &#8217;bout your&#8217;n.&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was a little interval of silence, in which
+the girl stared unseeingly toward the splendors of the
+blossoming rhododendrons that fringed the clearing.
+The apathy had passed now, and she listened intently,
+with self-control to mask the despair that welled
+in her heart. It seemed to her that here was the need
+for that dissimulation she had promised herself&mdash;need
+of it for life&#8217;s sake, however hateful it might
+be, however revolting to her every instinct. So she
+listened in a seeming of white calm, while the flames
+shriveled her soul.</p>
+<p>The man straightened his great bulk a little, and
+regarded the girl with new earnestness. Into his
+speech crept a rude eloquence, for he voiced a sincere
+passion, though debased by his inherent
+bestiality.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Plutiny Siddon, I&#8217;ve knowed ye, an&#8217; I&#8217;ve craved
+ye, this many year. Some way, hit just seemed as
+how I couldn&#8217;t he&#8217;p hit. The more ye mistreated
+me, the more I wanted ye. Hit shames me, but
+hit&#8217;s true as preachin&#8217;. An&#8217; hit&#8217;s true yit&mdash;even
+arter seein&#8217; yer bare futprint tracks thar on the
+Branch, alongside them of a man with shoes&mdash;the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_138' name='page_138'></a>138</span>
+damned revenuer what got us. Ye showed &#8217;im the
+place, Plutiny Siddon&mdash;cuss ye, fer a spy!...
+An&#8217; I craves ye jest the same.... An&#8217; I&#8217;ll have
+ye&mdash;right soon!&#8221;</p>
+<p>At this saying, terror mounted high in the girl.
+The thing she so dreaded was come to pass. She
+forgot, for a few moments, the threats against her
+lover. Despair crushed her in the realization of
+discovery. Her treachery was known to the man she
+feared. The peril she had voluntarily risked was
+fallen upon her. She was helpless, at the mercy of
+the criminal she had betrayed&mdash;and she knew that
+there was no mercy in him. She shrank physically,
+as under a blow, and sat huddled a little, in a sudden
+weakness of body under the soul&#8217;s torment. Yet
+she listened with desperate intentness, as Hodges
+went on speaking. She cast one timid glance toward
+him, then dropped her gaze, revolted at the grotesque
+grimaces writhen by the man&#8217;s emotions.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Harkin to me, Miss Plutiny!&#8221; he pleaded, huskily.
+&#8220;Harkin to me! I knows what I&#8217;m a-doin&#8217; of.
+They hain&#8217;t nothin&#8217; ye kin do to stop me. Kase
+why? Wall, if ye love yer gran&#8217;pap, ye&#8217;ll hold yer
+tongue &#8217;bout all my talk. Yep! He&#8217;s done pledged
+his land to keep me an&#8217; Ben out o&#8217; the jail-house till
+cote. If ye tells &#8217;im I&#8217;m a-misusin&#8217; o&#8217; ye, he&#8217;d cancel
+the bond, an&#8217; try to deliver me up. I knows all
+thet. But he wouldn&#8217;t cancel no bond, an&#8217; no more
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_139' name='page_139'></a>139</span>
+he wouldn&#8217;t do any deliverin&#8217; o&#8217; me up. Kase why?
+Kase he&#8217;d jest nacherly die fust. Thet&#8217;s why. The
+land&#8217;d be good fer the bond jest the same till Fall.
+Thet&#8217;d give me an&#8217; Ben a heap o&#8217; time to git ready to
+light out o&#8217; this-hyar kentry. They hain&#8217;t nary
+pusson a-goin&#8217; to bother us none. They knows hit&#8217;s
+healthier a-mindin&#8217; their own business. I been
+dodgin&#8217; revenuers fifteen year, an&#8217; I&#8217;ll dodge ag&#8217;in,
+an&#8217; take my savin&#8217;s along, too. An&#8217; they&#8217;s quite
+some savin&#8217;s, Plutiny.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Hodges paused, as if to give greater impressiveness
+to the conclusion of his harangue. His voice as
+he continued held a note of savage finality.</p>
+<p>&#8220;So, ye understand, Plutiny, I hain&#8217;t afeared
+none arter what I done told ye&#8217;ll happen, if so be ye
+talk. I knows ye love yer gran&#8217;pap, an&#8217; hain&#8217;t a
+hankerin&#8217; fer &#8217;im to be murdered. Now, I&#8217;m gwine
+to leave ye till t&#8217;-morrer, to git kind o&#8217; used to the
+idee as how ye&#8217;re gwine to leave this-hyar kentry
+with me arter I pays yer gran&#8217;pap the money fer
+the bail. If you-all is so plumb foolish as to say
+no, hit &#8217;ll jest leave yerself an&#8217; yer kin in the hands
+o&#8217; we boys to reckon with. Do as I&#8217;m a-sayin&#8217; on,
+an&#8217; I&#8217;ll shore fergit &#8217;bout yer reportin&#8217; the still.
+I&#8217;ll jest &#8217;low to myself as how ye was only a gal,
+an&#8217; used damn&#8217; poor jedgment. I hold hit were
+powerful unkind o&#8217; you-all, seein&#8217; as how we-uns
+hain&#8217;t never wronged ye none. I suspicion ye had
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_140' name='page_140'></a>140</span>
+hit figgered out as how Zeke could come back &#8217;ere
+a&#8217;gin if ye had me kotched. Wall, little missy, Dan
+Hodges air jest a mite too cunnin&#8217; fer ye.&#8221; The
+boaster gloated over his cowering victim, malice
+sparkling in his lustful eyes.</p>
+<p>It seemed to the girl that she was in truth hopelessly
+ensnared by fate. Her harried thoughts ran
+in a circle, dizzily. She could find no loophole for
+escape from the net. The mesh of the outlaw&#8217;s deviltry
+was strong; her flutterings were feeble, futile.
+She found one ray of comfort in Zeke&#8217;s absence.
+She forgot it in distress for the danger to her
+grandfather. Then, horror for herself beat upon
+her spirit. But a memory of her first resolve came
+to her. From stark necessity, she put her whole
+reliance on an effort to temporize. She felt that
+her only recourse in this emergency must lie in
+deceiving the ruffian who thus beset her. Much as
+she abhorred him, she had no choice. There was
+none to whom she could appeal for succor. She
+must depend absolutely upon her ability to beguile
+him. She must hide the revulsion inspired by his
+mere presence. She must arm herself with the
+world-old weapons of her sex, and by wiles blind
+him to the truth of her feeling, gain time for&mdash;something,
+anything! At least here was room for
+hope, uncertain, absurd even, yet hope. A little
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_141' name='page_141'></a>141</span>
+color crept to her pallid cheeks. If she could but
+manage the deceit to secure delay until the Fall.</p>
+<p>She raised her eyes furtively toward the adversary,
+an appraising glance, as if to judge his gullibility.
+The brutish passion of the man showed in
+the pendulous lower lip, thrust forward a little, in
+the swinish lifting of the wide-flaring nostrils, in
+the humid glowing of the inflamed eyes. A nausea
+of disgust swept over her. She fought it down.
+Then, with hypocrisy that amazed herself, she met
+his ardent stare boldly, though with a pretense of
+timidity. She spoke with a hesitant, remonstrant
+voice, as if in half-hearted protest,</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s dangerous to talk hyar, Dan,&#8221; she said.
+She assumed a pose of coquetry. &#8220;If I agrees to
+save Gran&#8217;pap an&#8217; &#8217;is land, an&#8217; takes ye, have ye got
+money &#8217;nough fer us to git along among the furriners
+down below?&#8221; A pleased smile showed. &#8220;An&#8217;
+could ye buy me purty clo&#8217;s an&#8217; sech-like? Don&#8217;t
+ye dast lie to me, Dan Hodges, fer a woman wants
+plenty o&#8217; nice fixin&#8217;s. An&#8217; if ye means hit all, like
+ye says, I&#8217;ll meet ye at Holloman Gate t&#8217;-morrer at
+twelve, an&#8217; give ye yes er no.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The moonshiner received with complacence this
+evidence of yielding on the girl&#8217;s part. He had, indeed,
+the vanity that usually characterizes the criminal.
+It was inconceivable to his egotism that he
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_142' name='page_142'></a>142</span>
+must be odious to any decent woman. Plutina&#8217;s
+avaricious stipulation concerning money pleased
+him as a display of feminine shrewdness. He was
+in nowise offended. The women of his more intimate
+acquaintance did not scruple to bargain their
+charms. From such trollops, he gained his estimate
+of the sex. The sordid pretense by Plutina completed
+his delusion. The truckling of familiars had
+inflated conceit. He swelled visibly. The finest
+girl in the mountains was ready to drop into his
+arms! Passion drove him toward her.</p>
+<p>Plutina raised her hand in an authoritative gesture.
+She could feign much, but to endure a caress
+from the creature was impossible. Somehow, by
+some secret force in the gesture, his advance was
+checked, he knew not why.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not now, Dan,&#8221; she exclaimed, sharply. She
+added a lie, in extenuation of the refusal: &#8220;Alviry&#8217;s
+in the house. Besides, I got to have time to think,
+like ye said. But I&#8217;ll be at the gate t&#8217;-morrer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Hodges accepted her decree amiably enough. He
+was still flattered by her complaisant attitude toward
+his wooing.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye&#8217;re talkin&#8217; sense, Plutiny&mdash;the kind I likes to
+hear. I&#8217;ll be thar, waitin&#8217; fer ye, ye kin bet on thet.&#8221;
+Then his natural truculence showed again in a parting
+admonition: &#8220;An&#8217; don&#8217;t you-all try fer to play
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_143' name='page_143'></a>143</span>
+Dan Hodges fer a fool. If so be ye does, ye&#8217;ll wish
+to God ye hadn&#8217;t.&#8221;</p>
+<p>With the threat, he turned and went lumbering
+down the path, to vanish quickly within the shadows
+of the wood.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_144' name='page_144'></a>144</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XIII' id='CHAPTER_XIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XIII</h2>
+</div>
+<p>After his day of toil in Pleasant Valley,
+Uncle Dick Siddon sprawled at ease on the
+porch, smoking his pipe, and watching with
+mildly sentimental eyes the rosy hues of the cloud
+masses that crowned Stone Mountain. His mood
+was tranquilly amorous. The vial in his pocket was
+full of golden grains. Presently, he would fashion
+a ring. Then, heigh-ho for the parson! He smiled
+contentedly over his vision of the buxom Widow
+Brown. Her placid charms would soothe his declining
+years. A tempestuous passion would be
+unbecoming at his age. But the companionship of
+this gentle and agreeable woman would be both fitting
+and pleasant. Really, Uncle Dick mused, it
+was time he settled down. One should be sedate at
+eighty. But he sighed.</p>
+<p>A horseman appeared over the brow of the hill.
+The horse traveled slowly, as if wearied by many
+miles. A single glance at the erect, soldierly figure
+made known to Uncle Dick that this was a stranger,
+and he watched intently. As the rider came nearer,
+he hesitated, then guided his mount toward the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_145' name='page_145'></a>145</span>
+clearing. Uncle Dick perceived, of a sudden, that
+the left sleeve of the stranger&#8217;s coat, which was
+pinned across the breast, was empty. At the sight, a
+great sadness fell on him. He guessed the identity
+of the horseman. His soul was filled with mourning
+over a shattered romance. He fairly winced as
+the rider drew rein before him, with a cheery,
+&#8220;Howdy?&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was a curious constraint in Uncle Dick&#8217;s
+voice, as he made hospitable answer.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Howdy, yerse&#8217;f, Stranger? &#8217;Light, an&#8217; come
+in.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hain&#8217;t time to &#8217;light,&#8221; the traveler declared.
+&#8220;Jones is my name. What mout your&#8217;n be?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick descended the steps, regarding the
+visitor intently. There was a perceptible aloofness in
+his manner, though no lack of courtesy.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My name passes fer Siddon. I &#8217;low ye hain&#8217;t
+familiar round these-hyar parts?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m right-smart strange, I reckon,&#8221; was the admission.
+&#8220;But I was borned forty-mile south o&#8217;
+here, on the Yadkin. My father owned the place
+Daniel Boone lived when he sickened o&#8217; this-hyar
+kentry, kase it wa&#8217;n&#8217;t wild &#8217;nough. I&#8217;m kin ter
+Boone&#8217;s woman&mdash;Bryant strain&mdash;raised &#8217;twixt this-hyar
+creek an&#8217; Air Bellows.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wall, say ye so!&#8221; Uncle Dick exclaimed, heartily.
+&#8220;Why, I knowed ye when ye was a boy. You-all&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_146' name='page_146'></a>146</span>
+pap used to buy wool, an&#8217; my pap tuk me with
+&#8217;im to the Boone place with &#8217;is Spring shearin&#8217;.
+Thet makes we-uns some sort o&#8217; kin. Ye&#8217;d better
+&#8217;light an&#8217; take a leetle breathin&#8217; spell. A drink o&#8217;
+my ole brandy might cheer ye. An&#8217; ye know,&#8221; he
+concluded, with a quick hardening of his tones,
+&#8220;hit&#8217;s customary to know a stranger&#8217;s business up
+in these-hyar mountings.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The horseman took no offense.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I rid up to the balcony jest to make inquiry &#8217;bout
+a friend what I hain&#8217;t seed in a right-smart bit, an&#8217;
+who I learnt was a-livin&#8217; a lonely widder&#8217;s life on
+Guarding Creek. Could you-all direct me to the
+abode o&#8217; one Widder Brown? I hev some private
+an&#8217; pussonal business with the widder. Hit&#8217;s a
+kind what don&#8217;t consarn nary human critter but
+me an&#8217; her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick sought no further for information,
+but issued the requested direction, and moodily
+watched the horseman out of sight. Then, with a
+sigh that was very like a groan, he moved away
+toward a small outbuilding, in which was a forge.
+Here when he had set the forge glowing, he took
+from his pocket the vial of gold dust, and emptied
+the contents into a ladle. When the metal was
+melted, he poured off the dross, and proceeded to
+hammer the ingot into a broad band. Eventually,
+he succeeded in forming a massive ring of the virgin
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_147' name='page_147'></a>147</span>
+gold. But, throughout the prosecution of the
+task, there was none of that fond elation which
+had upborne him during the hours while he gathered
+the material. On the contrary, his shaggy
+brows were drawn in a frown of disappointment.
+He cursed below his breath from time to time, with
+pointed references to one-armed veterans, who dast
+come back when they hadn&#8217;t orter. He was still in
+a saddened and rebellious mood, when he returned
+to the porch, where he found his granddaughters
+seated at some sewing. His face lightened a little
+at sight of them.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Guess I got my han&#8217;s full &#8217;nough o&#8217; women-folks,
+anyhow,&#8221; he muttered. &#8220;Fine gals they be,
+too!&#8221; He regarded them attentively, with a new
+pride of possession. &#8220;I &#8217;low I hain&#8217;t a-kickin&#8217; much
+of any. I reckon like &#8217;nough I be settled down
+right now, only I didn&#8217;t know &#8217;nough to know it.&#8221;
+He chuckled over this conceit, as he seated himself,
+and became uncommonly sociable, somewhat
+to the distress of Plutina, who found it difficult to
+conceal her anxiety.</p>
+<p>Dusk was falling when the horseman reappeared.
+This time there was no hesitation, as he turned from
+the road into the clearing. Uncle Dick rose, and
+shouted greeting, with labored facetiousness.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wall, Mister Jones, I &#8217;lowed as how ye mout
+be the tax-collector, arter the widder&#8217;s mite, seein&#8217;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_148' name='page_148'></a>148</span>
+how long ye was a-hangin&#8217; on up thar. Me an&#8217; the
+gals&#8217;d feel a right-smart consarn to lose Fanny
+Brown fer a neighbor, if she was pushed too hard
+fer her debts.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mister Siddon, suh,&#8221; the stranger answered
+promptly. &#8220;I opine you-all hain&#8217;t half-bad at a guess.
+I be a tax-collector, so to speak, a debt-collector.
+Hit&#8217;s a debt contracted fifty-year agone. Fanny
+Brown done tole me as how you-all been good
+neighbors o&#8217; her&#8217;n, so I don&#8217;t mind tellin&#8217; ye she&#8217;s
+willin&#8217; fer me to collect thet-thar debt o&#8217; mine.&#8221;
+There was an expression of vast complacency on the
+veteran&#8217;s face, as he stroked the tuft of whisker on
+his chin, and he smiled on his three auditors half-triumphantly,
+half-shamefacedly. &#8220;I got cheated
+o&#8217; her oncet by being too slow. I hain&#8217;t goin&#8217; to
+do no sech foolishness ag&#8217;in. T&#8217;-morrer, if the
+clerk&#8217;s office is open, I&#8217;ll git the satisfaction piece
+an&#8217; Preacher Roberts&#8217;ll tie the knot good and proper&mdash;amen!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick sighed audibly at the announcement,
+but his chagrin was given no further expression
+as he invited the victorious rival to dismount and
+partake of his hospitality. Alvira received the news
+with bubbling delight, which showed gaily in her
+sparkling black eyes and dimpling cheeks. Even
+Plutina was heartened by the discovery that her
+grandfather&#8217;s folly, as she deemed it, must end,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_149' name='page_149'></a>149</span>
+though there could be no gladness in her by reason
+of the fear.</p>
+<p>It was after the supper was done, when the visitor&#8217;s
+horse stood at the door, that Uncle Dick took
+a sudden resolve.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Alviry,&#8221; he ordered, &#8220;you-all come hold this-hyar
+hoss, a leetle minute, whilst me an&#8217; &#8217;im has a
+confab.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He led the puzzled veteran to a bench beneath a
+locust, out of earshot of his granddaughters, who regarded
+the proceeding curiously, and not without
+apprehension since they knew the violent temper of
+the old man when thwarted. They were relieved to
+perceive that his demeanor remained altogether
+peaceable.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s jest this-away, Seth Jones,&#8221; Uncle Dick
+began at once, after the two were seated side by
+side on the bench. &#8220;Ye see, I knew you-all, an&#8217; yer
+name an&#8217; yer business, soon&#8217;s I sot eyes on ye. Hit
+were thet-thar danglin&#8217; sleeve o&#8217; your&#8217;n as ye rid up
+the path what done hit. I knowed then as how my
+fate was sealed, s&#8217; fur&#8217;s the Widder Brown&#8217;s consarned.
+Fanny done told me about you-all an&#8217; yer
+disapp&#8217;intment. She allers said, arter her man died,
+as how ye&#8217;d be a-comin&#8217; &#8217;long, though I was hopin&#8217;
+ye wouldn&#8217;t&mdash;cuss ye! Excuse me&mdash;no offense intended.
+The widder an&#8217; me has been clost friends,
+an&#8217; I told her from the first as how I respected the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_150' name='page_150'></a>150</span>
+claims of this-hyar Jones galoot, if so be he turned
+up afore we got hitched. An&#8217; now hyar ye be&mdash;dang
+hit!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The veteran cleared his throat apologetically. His
+own happiness made him exaggerate the injury thus
+wrought by his reappearance. He ventured no remark,
+however. He could not say that the woman
+in the case was hardly worth troubling over, and,
+for the life of him, he could think of nothing else
+in the way of consolation. He discreetly cleared
+his throat a second time, and maintained a masterly
+silence. But the garrulous old man at his
+side needed no encouragement. He quickly resumed
+his discourse, with a certain unctuous enjoyment,
+distinctly inconsistent with his love-lorn
+pose.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Seth Jones,&#8221; he announced solemnly, &#8220;if you-all
+an&#8217; me was young ag&#8217;in, an&#8217; fired by the passion
+o&#8217; youth, thar wouldn&#8217;t be no love-feast hyar jest
+now like this un. No, sirree! Hit&#8217;d shore be war
+a-twixt we-uns&mdash;with hell a-poppin&#8217; at the end on&#8217;t
+fer one, mebby both. But my blood don&#8217;t git het
+up now the way hit use&#8217; to did. I&#8217;m thinkin&#8217; fer
+the widder&#8217;s sake hit&#8217;s good ye&#8217;re younger ner me,
+an&#8217; got more years to give &#8217;er. So, Mr. Jones,
+when all&#8217;s said an&#8217; done, I&#8217;m glad ye come to Guarding
+Creek.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Then, Uncle Dick, in his turn, displayed some
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_151' name='page_151'></a>151</span>
+slight symptoms of embarrassment, and cleared his
+throat in a manner to shock a drawing-room.</p>
+<p>&#8220;An&#8217; now I got jest one leetle favor to ax o&#8217; ye,
+Seth Jones. You-all knows as how the gals in this-hyar
+kentry air partic&#8217;lar proud to have a weddin&#8217;
+ring made from the gold washed out o&#8217; the soil in
+Pleasant Valley by their sweetheart. Wall, I talked
+a heap &#8217;bout hit to Fanny, an&#8217;, when she showed
+signs like she&#8217;d give in to me, I went an&#8217; panned the
+gold fer the ring. Fanny&#8217;d be right-smart disapp&#8217;inted
+not to have a lover-made ring, I reckon.
+So, bein&#8217; as you-all only got one arm, I wants ye
+to take this-hyar ring, an&#8217; wed her proper with the
+blessin&#8217; an&#8217; best wishes o&#8217; Uncle Dick Siddon.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He offered the ring, which was gratefully accepted,
+and the two old men parted on excellent
+terms.</p>
+<hr class='tb' />
+<p>At eleven o&#8217;clock the next morning, Uncle Dick
+was sitting on the porch, when he saw a horse passing
+over the trail toward the south. In the saddle
+was the erect, spruce figure of the one-armed veteran,
+Seth Jones. And, on a blanket strapped behind
+the saddle to serve as pillion, rode a woman,
+with her arms clasped around the man&#8217;s waist. It
+was the Widow Brown, dressed all in gala white.</p>
+<p>It was, indeed, heigh-ho for the parson!</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick stared fixedly until the two had vanished
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_152' name='page_152'></a>152</span>
+beyond the brow of the hill. Then, at last,
+he stirred, and his eyes roved over his home and its
+surroundings wistfully. He sighed heavily. But
+he himself would have been hard put to it to tell
+whether that sigh held more of regret, or of relief.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_153' name='page_153'></a>153</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XIV' id='CHAPTER_XIV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XIV</h2>
+</div>
+<p>While her grandfather was still on the
+porch, and her sister was out of the
+house, Plutina possessed herself of the
+new revolver, with its holster, which, after slipping
+down her gown from the shoulder, she attached
+under the left arm-pit. The looseness of the ill-fitting
+garment concealed the weapon effectually
+enough. For ready access, the upper buttons to the
+throat were left unfastened, in seeming relief
+against the heat of midday. Thus equipped, the
+girl stole out through the back way, unobserved by
+her relations, to keep tryst with the desperado.</p>
+<p>As she followed a blind trail that shortened the
+distance between the Siddon cabin and the Holloman
+Gate to a short two miles, Plutina was torturing
+a brain already overtaxed in the effort to devise
+some means whereby she might wreck the projects
+of the villain, without at the same time bringing
+ruin on herself, or those she loved. Always, however,
+her thoughts went spinning toward the same
+vortex of destruction. She could, indeed, contrive
+nothing better than the policy of cajolery on which
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_154' name='page_154'></a>154</span>
+she had first determined, and to this course, as it
+seemed to her, she must cling, though her good
+sense was well advised of its futility. She knew
+that a scoundrel of Hodges unrestrained passions
+could not long be held from his infamous purposes
+by any art of hers. At the best, she might hope
+perhaps to delay the catastrophe only by hours. In
+her discouraged state, she admitted that it would
+be quite impossible to restrain him until the law
+should come to her aid. She was determined none
+the less to employ every resource at her command,
+in order to postpone decisive action. One thing
+was at once her chief reliance and her chief source
+of fear: the outlaw&#8217;s passion for her. In his brutal
+fashion, the man loved her. That fact gave her
+power over him, even while it exposed her to the
+worst peril at his hands.</p>
+<p>The presence of the revolver comforted her
+mightily. From time to time, she moved her right
+hand stealthily across her bosom, to reassure a failing
+courage by feeling the stiff leather of the holster
+under the gown. She was experienced in the use of
+weapons. Her rifle had often contributed to the
+cabin larder. Muscles that knew no tremor and a
+just eye had given her a skill in marksmanship
+much beyond the average, even in this region where
+firearms were forever in the hands of the men,
+and familiar to the women. Once, her moving fingers
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_155' name='page_155'></a>155</span>
+felt the little bag hanging from its leathern
+thong about her neck, in which was the fairy crystal.
+The hardness of her expression vanished on
+the instant, and in its stead was a wonderful tenderness.
+A world of yearning shone in the dark
+lustres of the eyes, and the curving lips drooped in
+pathetic wistfulness. Her soul went out toward the
+distant lover in a very frenzy of desire. She felt
+the longing well in her, a craving so agonized that
+nothing else mattered, neither life nor death. Had
+the power been hers then, she would have summoned
+him across the void. The loneliness was a
+visible, tangible monster, beating in upon her,
+crushing her with hideous, remorseless strength.
+Her man must come back!</p>
+<p>It was the mood of a moment, no more. Even as
+she thrilled with the anguished longing she lifted
+her eyes, and halted, aghast at the scene before
+her. There, close at hand to the southeast, Stone
+Mountain upreared its huge and rugged bulk. It
+loomed implacable, with the naked cliffs staring
+grotesquely. It overhung her like immutable fate,
+silent, pitiless. There was sinister significance in
+its aspect, for just before her lay the cavernous
+shadows of the Devil&#8217;s Cauldron. The girl&#8217;s gaze
+went to the verge of the precipice far above. It
+followed down the wild tumblings of the little
+stream, fed from lofty springs. It descended in
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_156' name='page_156'></a>156</span>
+the last long leap of the waters into the churning
+pool. And she had a vision of the man she loved,
+bound, and helpless&mdash;dead perhaps, shot from behind&mdash;and
+now thrust out from the verge into the
+abyss, to go hurtling into the mist-wreathed
+depths.... No, Zeke must not come back.
+The hardness crept again into her face, as she went
+forward. She held her eyes averted from that
+gruesome cavern high in the mountain&#8217;s face.</p>
+<p>The girl came soon to the Holloman Gate, which
+swung across the trail near the west end of the
+mountain. Tall poplars and spruce made an ample
+shade, but a glance toward the sun showed it at the
+zenith. She was prompt to the rendezvous; it was
+the lover who was laggard. She wondered a little
+at that, but with no lightening of her mood. She
+was sure that he would come all too speedily. She
+stood waiting in misery, leaning listlessly against
+the fence, her gaze downcast. The geranium blossoms
+touched the sward richly with color; the
+rhododendrons flaunted the loveliness of their
+flowering round about the spot. A delicate medley
+of birds&#8217; songs throbbed from out the thickets; a
+tiny stream purled over its pebbled bed in the ravine
+that entrenched the trail. Plutina gave no heed.
+She saw and she heard, but, in this hour, she was
+without response to any charm of sight or of sound.
+Yet, that she was alert was proven presently, for
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_157' name='page_157'></a>157</span>
+her ear caught the faint crackle of a twig snapping.
+It was a little way off&mdash;somewhere along the line
+of the brush-grown fence, on the same side of the
+trail. She peered steadily in the direction of the
+noise. When her eyes became accustomed to the
+shadows, she made out the figure of a man,
+crouched in a corner of the fence, behind the screen
+of a bush. He was no more than three or four
+rods from her. She was sure even that she recognized
+him&mdash;Gary Hawks, one of the most vicious
+of the Hodges gang, but notorious for cowardice.
+She was puzzled for only a moment by the presence
+of the fellow. Then, she realized that he
+doubtless was acting under his leader&#8217;s orders. It
+was another menace against her own safety. The
+fingers of her hand went once again for encouragement
+to the holster beneath her arm.</p>
+<p>Plutina gave no sign that she had discovered the
+lurking man&#8217;s presence. But, after a minute, she
+retraced her steps a little way along the trail, until
+she came to a point where there was a clear space
+on either side, which was out of hearing from the
+fence line. She had scarcely reached the place,
+when Hodges appeared, his bare feet trudging
+swiftly. His head, too, was bare. In the hollow of
+his left arm lay the long rifle. He was approaching
+from the east, and halted at the gate, without
+having observed the girl beyond it. He whistled a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_158' name='page_158'></a>158</span>
+soft note as a signal if she should be anywhere
+about.</p>
+<p>Plutina called out softly in answer.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hyar, Dan!&#8221; As he looked toward her, she
+beckoned him to approach.</p>
+<p>Hodges shook his head in dissent, and, by a gesture,
+bade her come to him. But, when she showed
+no sign of obeying, he moved forward, scowling,
+ferociously. The girl seemed undaunted. She
+spoke curtly in rebuke:</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8217;Pears to me, Dan Hodges, like ye hain&#8217;t very
+prompt, seein&#8217; as how I&#8217;ve been a-waiting hyar a
+quarter-hour fer ye. When a man loves a gal, he
+gen&#8217;rally gits to the place sot ahead o&#8217; her. Ye
+hain&#8217;t a-startin&#8217; right to win me, Dan, an&#8217; so I&#8217;m
+a-tellin&#8217; ye fair.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You-all orter have more sense than hang out
+hyar in the sun. Come back to the gate, under the
+shade o&#8217; the sarvis bushes.&#8221; He turned away, but
+paused as the girl made no movement to follow.
+&#8220;What in hell&#8217;s the matter on ye?&#8221; he demanded,
+angrily. &#8220;This place in the rud hain&#8217;t fitten fer
+talk, nohow.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s fitten &#8217;nough fer me,&#8221; Plutina retorted,
+quietly. A mellow laugh sounded. &#8220;Seems to me
+this-hyar bright sunshine orter warm yer love up
+some, Dan. We&#8217;ll stay hyar, I reckon. I&#8217;m afeared
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_159' name='page_159'></a>159</span>
+o&#8217; snakes an&#8217; eavesdroppers an&#8217; sech critters thar
+in the shade.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The man was racked by many emotions. He had
+come swiftly under the hot sun, and the haste and
+the heat had irritated him. The sight of the girl
+moved him to fierce passion of desire. He was
+aflame with eagerness to take her within his arms,
+there where were the cool shadows. Her indifference
+to his command exasperated him; her final
+refusal infuriated him. In the rush of feeling he
+lost what little judgment he might otherwise have
+had. He had meant to placate her by a temporary
+gentleness, to be offset by future brutalities. Now,
+in his rage, he forgot discretion under the pricking
+of lawless impulse. He reached out and dropped a
+huge hand on Plutina&#8217;s shoulder, and twisted her
+about with a strength she was powerless to resist.
+The clutch of his fingers cut cruelly into her flesh,
+firm though it was, and she winced. He grinned
+malevolently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Git back thar as I done tol&#8217; ye,&#8221; he rasped;
+&#8220;afore ye git wuss.&#8221;</p>
+<p>With a deft twist of the body, Plutina stood free.
+The face, which had paled, flushed darkly. The eyes
+blazed. The head was uplifted in scorn. Her aspect
+awed the man, and he hesitated, gaping at her.
+Yet her voice was very soft when she spoke. The
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_160' name='page_160'></a>160</span>
+tone surprised her listener, rendered him strangely
+uneasy, for some reason he could not understand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thet ten minutes ye was late was more&#8217;n I had
+need fer, Dan Hodges,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I promised ye
+yer answer hyar, an&#8217; I&#8217;m a-goin&#8217; to give hit to ye
+right now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She lifted an arm, and pointed to where the
+Devil&#8217;s Cauldron blotched the cliffs of the mountainside
+... It was her left arm that she lifted.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Look, Dan! See thet-thar big hole in the wall.
+I been a-lookin&#8217; at hit, Dan. I &#8217;low you-all don&#8217;t
+dast look at hit. Mebby ye&#8217;re afeared o&#8217; seein&#8217; the
+bones o&#8217; them hit holds&mdash;bones o&#8217; dead men&mdash;what
+you-all an&#8217; yer gang hev kilt an&#8217; slid into the pot,
+to lie hid till Jedgment. Hit&#8217;s thar ye&#8217;re aimin&#8217;
+to put my Zeke. Why, a haar o&#8217; his head&#8217;s wuth
+more&#8217;n the hull caboodle of sech murderers as yew
+be.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She stepped closer to the outlaw, and spoke with
+unleashed hate. He flinched at the change.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was skeered o&#8217; ye back thar on the piazzy yist&#8217;-day,
+an&#8217; I lied to ye, kase I was skeered. I wasn&#8217;t
+a-likin&#8217; the look in them pig eyes o&#8217; your&#8217;n. An&#8217; I
+was a-feared o&#8217; Gran&#8217;pap&#8217;s hearin&#8217; how I reported the
+still. Wall, now I hain&#8217;t skeered no more. I promised
+ye yer answer at the gate. We&#8217;ll move over
+thar, an&#8217; I&#8217;ll keep my promise.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Before he could guess her purpose, before he
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_161' name='page_161'></a>161</span>
+could shift the rifle from the hollow of his arm, the
+fingers of Plutina&#8217;s right hand had slipped within
+the open bodice. The Colt&#8217;s flashed in the sunlight.
+The level barrel lay motionless, in deadly
+readiness. For the girl, though not yet quite sure,
+was almost sure that she would kill Dan Hodges.</p>
+<p>The idea had not come to her until this meeting.
+In all the racking hours of thought, this simple solution
+of the difficulty had never entered her mind.
+Now, at its coming, she welcomed it with infinite
+relief. It offered a means of escape so simple and
+so sure&mdash;escape for herself and for those she loved.
+It was the touch of the man that had wrought the
+miracle of revolt. She had felt herself polluted by
+the contact. On the instant, the hypocrisy of cajoling
+was no longer possible. But there was more in
+the effect than that. The savagery of the outlaw
+aroused the savagery in her. She became, in the
+twinkling of an eye, the primitive woman. There
+was little in the sentiment of her people to dam the
+outburst. Her kin had followed the lex talionis.
+They had killed their fellows for the sake of their
+proper pride. The blood-feud was familiar to her,
+and she knew no shame in it. Why should she not
+slay this creature who outraged her self-respect,
+who threatened her every hope? Her finger on the
+trigger of the revolver tensed ever so slightly.</p>
+<p>The man felt the vibration of her impulse and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_162' name='page_162'></a>162</span>
+cringed. He was in a daze before this violence of
+attack, where he had expected only supine yielding.
+In his creed, the beating of women marked
+manliness. The drabs he had caressed crept and
+fawned under his blows, like whipped curs. He
+could not realize this challenge by the girl with his
+own method of might. But he saw clearly enough
+through the haze of fear that the blue barrel was
+trained exactly upon him, that the slim hand held
+it rigid, and he knew that, in this instant, he was
+very, very close to death. The red of his face
+changed to a mottled purple. He felt himself
+trembling.</p>
+<p>Plutina perceived the abject terror of the man.
+It mitigated her wrath with scorn, and so saved
+him for the moment. She cried out to him fiercely,
+her voice rough with abhorrence.</p>
+<p>&#8220;To the gate fer yer answer, ye cowardly houn&#8217;.
+Move quick, er I&#8217;ll drap ye in yer tracks, ye murderin&#8217;
+wolf. Do as I say!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She moved another step toward him. Her voice
+rose shrill:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Drap thet rifle-gun!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The weapon slipped from Hodges&#8217; nerveless fingers,
+and fell on the turf with a soft thud.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Put up yer han&#8217;s!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Cowed, the man thrust his long arms to their
+length above his head.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_163' name='page_163'></a>163</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;Now, turn round, an&#8217; march to the gate!&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was no faltering in the obedience.</p>
+<p>The hulking bully knew that he was in mortal
+peril. For his life&#8217;s sake, he dared neither word
+nor gesture of resistance to the girl&#8217;s will. His
+only hope was that the hidden ally might somehow
+come to his aid. But the hope was feeble. He
+knew the other&#8217;s craven spirit.</p>
+<p>Plutina, too, knew it. As she drove her captive
+to the gate, she peered, and saw the crouching figure
+still in the shadows behind the bush. The Colt&#8217;s
+cracked. Even as Hodges shuddered, imagining
+the tearing of the bullet through his own flesh, there
+came a shriek of pain from beyond him. The hidden
+man leaped forth, his right arm dangling
+clumsily. He scrambled into the cover of the
+spruces and vanished. The noises of his flight lessened,
+died.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve scotched a snake,&#8221; Plutina said, malignantly.
+&#8220;Hit&#8217;s about time to kill the dawg, I reckon.
+Turn round.&#8221; Then, when he had obeyed, she
+went on speaking. &#8220;Now, hyar at the gate, I&#8217;ll
+tell ye somethin&#8217;. You-all &#8217;lowed ye could git me
+with money. If ye had all they is in the world, hit
+wouldn&#8217;t be enough. An&#8217; ye thought I tuk money
+fer reportin&#8217; the still. Wall, I didn&#8217;t. I reported
+thet-thar still o&#8217; your&#8217;n kase I seed ye a-settin&#8217;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_164' name='page_164'></a>164</span>
+b&#8217;ar-traps fer humans, an&#8217; hit made me hate ye
+even wuss &#8217;n I done hated ye afore.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Somehow, the flame of her fury was dying. The
+girl felt this, and bitterly resented it, yet she was
+powerless. It seemed to her that with all the
+strength of her nature she was desirous of killing
+this enemy. He stood cowering before her in
+dread. Her finger on the trigger needed only the
+slightest flexing to speed the death he merited. And,
+for some occult reason, the will to slay failed her.
+She was enraged against her own weakness of resolve.
+Nevertheless, she was helpless. Her mood
+had reached its climax in the impulsive wounding of
+the other man. Now, her blood was losing its
+fever. With the slowing pulse, the softer instincts
+prevailed to thwart her purpose. Despite an
+anguished eagerness, she could not kill this trembling
+wretch. She loathed her frailty, even as she
+yielded to it. She must let him go unscathed, a foe
+the more dangerous after this humiliation. Of no
+use to threaten him, to extort promises. There was
+no truth in him. He must be left free to work what
+evil he would. Oh, if only the wrath in her had not
+died too soon!</p>
+<p>&#8220;Put yer han&#8217;s down, an&#8217; march up the trail,&#8221;
+she commanded, presently. Her voice was lifeless.
+The man drew new hope from the quality of it.
+He ventured no resistance to the command, but
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_165' name='page_165'></a>165</span>
+went padding softly through the dust. Behind him,
+Plutina followed, her bare feet padding an echo.
+Her right hand hung at her side, but it retained the
+revolver, ready for instant use. As she came to
+Hodges&#8217; rifle, she picked it up, and threw it far
+down into the ravine. At the clattering noise of
+its fall, the outlaw started, but he did not pause in
+his stride, or turn. The girl&#8217;s whole soul was convulsed
+with longing that he should make some effort
+of revolt&mdash;anything. Then, she would shoot
+and kill&mdash;oh, so gladly!</p>
+<p>But the instinct to live guided the man. He
+trudged meekly. There was no excuse against
+him. So, they came at last near to the Siddon clearing,
+where a little path ran through the wood toward
+the house. Here, Plutina paused, without a
+word. She was ashamed of herself, grievously
+ashamed of this softness of fiber that had spared a
+life. Without a word, she watched him pass along
+the trail, up the slope, and out of sight beyond. Her
+face was drawn and white, and the great eyes were
+brooding with bitterness, when, finally, she stirred,
+and moved forward in the path. She slipped the
+revolver into its holster. Then, her fingers went to
+the bag that held the fairy cross to her breast. She
+fondled it tenderly. She was longing as never before
+for the giver of the talisman.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_166' name='page_166'></a>166</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XV' id='CHAPTER_XV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XV</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Plutina had no sleep the night following her
+encounter with Dan Hodges. Throughout
+the dragging hours, she was tortured by
+sinister imaginings. She exhausted her brain in
+futile strivings for some means of escape from the
+mesh of circumstance. It was not until the gray
+twilight of dawn shone through the curtains that a
+possibility of relief stirred in her mind. It was out
+of desperation that the idea sprang. She felt herself
+so utterly forlorn and helpless in her loneliness
+that the despair was overpowering. It was then,
+at last, that the inspiration came to her: She
+would confess everything to her grandfather!</p>
+<p>Though she quailed before the prospect, she rejoiced
+as well. The old man was strong and resourceful.
+He would know how to meet and overcome
+the outlaw&#8217;s villainy. Moreover, now that her
+decision had been made, Plutina was surprised to
+find her alarm over such confession greatly lessened
+from what she had supposed possible. She began to
+realize that some intangible change in her grandfather
+himself was responsible for this. She became
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_167' name='page_167'></a>167</span>
+convinced that the new gentleness had had
+its origin in the unselfish abandonment of his marital
+hopes. It was as if that renunciation had vitally
+softened him. Perhaps, in this strange mood, he
+would be less intolerant of her fault in turning informer.
+His prejudice could find no excuse for her
+treachery, she knew, yet the peril in which she had
+involved herself, and him, might arouse his pity.
+Assuredly, he would be moved to instant action for
+both their sakes. For that reason alone, if for no
+other, she must tell him her story without a moment
+of unnecessary delay.</p>
+<p>In the course of the morning, Plutina took advantage
+of an opportunity, whilst her sister was
+busy in the garden, and went to her grandfather,
+who was taking his ease on the porch. She was
+encouraged by the mild and benignant expression
+on the old man&#8217;s face, which had been more often
+fierce, as she remembered it through the years. She
+seated herself quietly, and then proceeded immediately
+to confession. There was no attempt at palliation
+of her offense, if offense it were. She gave the
+narrative of events starkly, from the moment when
+she had first seen Hodges descending Luffman&#8217;s
+Branch to the time of her separation from him at
+the clearing, on the yesterday.</p>
+<p>Throughout the account, the listener sat sprawled
+in the big willow rocker, his slippered feet resting
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_168' name='page_168'></a>168</span>
+on the porch rail. The huge body was crumpled into
+an awkward posture, which was never changed,
+once the history was begun. The curved wooden
+pipe hung from his lips, black against the iron gray
+cascade of beard, but he did not draw at it again,
+after the opening-sentences from his granddaughter&#8217;s
+lips. Plutina, looking down, perceived that
+the folded hands, lying in his lap, were clenched so
+strongly that the knuckles showed bloodless. Yet,
+he made no movement, nor offered any word of
+comment or of question. When the girl had made
+an end, and sat waiting distressedly for his verdict,
+he still rested mute, until the silence became more
+than she could endure, and she cried out in pleading:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Kain&#8217;t ye fergive me, Gran&#8217;pap?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick turned, and looked reproachfully at
+the distraught girl. A great tenderness shone from
+the black eyes, in which age had not dimmed the
+brilliance. As she saw the emotion there, a gasp
+of rapturous relief broke from Plutina&#8217;s lips. The
+stern restraints of her training were broken down in
+that moment. She dropped to her knees by the old
+man&#8217;s side, and seized his hands, and kissed them,
+and pressed them to her bosom. He released one
+of them presently, and laid it gently on the dusk
+masses of his grandchild&#8217;s hair in silent blessing.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_169' name='page_169'></a>169</span>
+His voice, when at last he spoke, was softer than she
+had heard it ever before.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, Tiny, ye mustn&#8217;t be afeared o&#8217; yer ole
+gran&#8217;pap. I thinks a heap o&#8217; my kin, an&#8217; ye&#8217;re the
+clusest. I loves ye gal&mdash;more&#8217;n anythin&#8217; er anybody
+else in the world, though I wouldn&#8217;t want Alviry to
+hear thet. I hain&#8217;t mindin&#8217; what ye done none. I&#8217;d
+stan&#8217; by ye, Tiny, if he had the hull cussed Gov&#8217;ment
+at yer back. I hain&#8217;t got no likin&#8217; fer revenuers,
+but I got a heap less for Dan Hodges.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He paused for a moment and lifted his hand
+from the girl&#8217;s head to stroke the gray beard
+thoughtfully, before he continued:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I been thinkin&#8217; a right-smart lot o&#8217; things jest
+lately. I &#8217;low I&#8217;m a-gittin&#8217; old, mebby. An&#8217; I opine
+as &#8217;tween the revenuers and Dan Hodges, I hain&#8217;t
+so much agin the Gov&#8217;ment as I was.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Again, he fell silent, as if in embarrassment over
+an admission so at variance with the tenets of a
+lifetime. Then he spoke with sudden briskness:</p>
+<p>&#8220;But ye&#8217;d orter a-killed the critter then an&#8217; thar,
+Tiny!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I jest somehow couldn&#8217;t, Gran&#8217;pap. I&#8217;m shore
+sorry.&#8221; The girl felt poignant shame for the weakness
+thus rebuked.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low I hain&#8217;t likely to have no sech feelin&#8217;s
+a-holdin&#8217; o&#8217; me back,&#8221; Uncle Dick remarked, drily.
+&#8220;Hit&#8217;s my foolishness bailin&#8217; &#8217;im out got us in the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_170' name='page_170'></a>170</span>
+pizen mess. I &#8217;low I&#8217;ll cancel the bond. But, fust,
+I&#8217;d have to take the skunk to the jail-house, dead er
+alive. He&#8217;ll stan&#8217; some urgin&#8217;, I reckon.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye&#8217;ll be keerful, Gran&#8217;pap,&#8221; Plutina exclaimed
+anxiously, as she stood up.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Now, don&#8217;t ye worrit none,&#8221; Uncle Dick ordered,
+tartly. His usual rather dictatorial manner in the
+household returned to him. &#8220;You-all run along. I
+want to think.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl went obediently. The reaction from
+despair brought joyousness. Of a sudden, she became
+aware of the blending perfumes of the wild
+flowers and the lilting of an amorous thrush in the
+wood. Her lids narrowed to dreamy contemplation
+of the green-and-gold traceries on the ground,
+where the sunlight fell dappled through screening
+foliage. Fear was fled from her. Her thought flew
+to Zeke, in longing as always, but now in a longing
+made happy with hopes. There might be a letter
+awaiting her from New York&mdash;perhaps even with
+a word of promise for his return. She smiled, radiant
+with fond anticipations. Then, after a word
+of explanation to Alvira, she set off at a brisk pace
+over the trail toward Cherry Lane.</p>
+<p>The girl went blithely on her way, day-dreaming
+of the time when Zeke should be come home to her
+again. She stopped at the Widow Higgins&#8217; cabin,
+to receive felicitations over the escape of Uncle</p>
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<a name='linki_7' id='linki_7'></a>
+<img src='images/illus-170.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 418px; height: 634px;' /><br />
+<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 418px;'>
+<br />
+<i>Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick.</i><br />
+&#8220;WHEN ZEKE COMES HOME AGAIN.&#8221;<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_171' name='page_171'></a>171</span></div>
+<p>Dick from Fanny Brown. Plutina was not minded
+to harass the older woman with the tale of Dan
+Hodges. The outlaw&#8217;s threats against Zeke would
+only fill the mother&#8217;s heart with fears, against which
+she could make no defense. Otherwise, however,
+the tongues of the two ran busily concerning the
+absent one. And then, soon, Plutina was again
+hurrying over the trail, which the bordering wild
+flowers made dainty as a garden walk. Once, her
+eyes turned southward, to the gloomy grandeur of
+Stone Mountain, looming vast and portentous. The
+blur of shadow that marked the Devil&#8217;s Cauldron
+touched her to an instant of foreboding, but the
+elation of mood persisted. She raised her hand,
+and the fingers caressed the bag in which was the
+fairy crystal, and she went gaily forward, smiling.</p>
+<hr class='tb' />
+<p>Uncle Dick, meantime, was busy with sterner
+thoughts, and his task was harmonious to his musings,
+for he was cleaning and oiling his rifle with
+punctilious care. He did not hasten over-much
+at either the thinking or the work. The shades of
+night were drawing down when, finally, he hung
+the immaculate weapon on its hooks. He ate in
+solitary silence, served by Alvira, who ventured no
+intrusion on this mood of remoteness with which
+she was familiar from experience. The old man
+had determined to go forth and seize, and deliver
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_172' name='page_172'></a>172</span>
+to the custody of the law, the person of Dan
+Hodges. At the best, he would surprise the outlaw,
+and the achievement would be simple enough;
+at the worst, there would be a duel. Uncle Dick
+had no fear over the outcome. He believed himself
+quicker and surer with the rifle than this scoundrel
+of half his years. At grips, of course he would
+have no chance. But the affair would not come to
+grips. He would see to that. He went to bed contentedly,
+and slept the peaceful sleep of wholesome
+age, undisturbed by any bickerings of conscience.</p>
+<p>It was while he was dressing, next morning, that
+a measure of prudence occurred to Uncle Dick.
+During the period of his absence, it would be well
+for Plutina to avoid risk by keeping in the cabin,
+with her rifle at hand. There was no telling how
+audacious the moonshiner might become in his rage
+over the ignominy to which the girl had subjected
+him.</p>
+<p>At the breakfast-table, he spoke sharply to Alvira,
+as she placed the plate of fried ham and eggs before
+him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell Tiny, I&#8217;m a-wantin&#8217; her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tiny hain&#8217;t hyar yit,&#8221; was the answer. &#8220;Hit&#8217;s
+time she was.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Whar&#8217;s she gone!&#8221; Uncle Dick demanded,
+gruffly. He detested any interruption of his plans.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tiny stayed over to the Widder Higgins&#8217;s las&#8217;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_173' name='page_173'></a>173</span>
+night,&#8221; Alvira explained. &#8220;Hit&#8217;s time she come
+back.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick snorted with indignation.</p>
+<p>&#8220;She didn&#8217;t say nothin&#8217; to me &#8217;bout stayin&#8217; over
+thar,&#8221; he said crossly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nor to me, nuther,&#8221; Alvira declared. &#8220;She
+never does beforehand. When the Widder Higgins
+kind o&#8217; hangs on, Tiny jest stays, an&#8217; comes back in
+the mornin&#8217;. She orter been &#8217;ere afore now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick pushed away the plate of food, half-eaten.
+Dread had fallen on him suddenly. He
+tried to thrust it off, but the weight was too heavy
+for his strength of will. Perforce he yielded to
+alarm for the girl&#8217;s safety. A great fear was upon
+him lest it be too late for the warning he had meant
+to give. He growled a curse on his own folly in
+not guarding against immediate attack by the outlaw.
+It was with small hope of finding his apprehensions
+groundless that he set forth at once, rifle
+in hand, for the cabin of the Widow Higgins. There,
+his fears were confirmed. The old woman had
+seen nothing of Plutina, since the short pause on
+the way to the post-office. Uncle Dick groaned
+aloud over the fate that might have come on the
+girl. He told enough to give the Widow Higgins
+some understanding of the situation, and bade her
+go to his own house, there to remain and to comfort
+Alvira. For himself, he would first search over the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_174' name='page_174'></a>174</span>
+Cherry Lane trail for any trace of his vanished
+granddaughter, and thereafter raise the hue-and-cry
+to a general hunt through the mountains for the
+capture or killing of the villain, and the recovery
+of the girl, dead or alive. Not for an instant did the
+old man doubt that Hodges had done the deed.</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick had no more than passed Luffman&#8217;s
+Branch on his way over the Cherry Lane Trail,
+when a joyous hail caused him to lift his eyes from
+their close scrutiny of the beaten earth. Descending
+the trail, a little way in front of him, appeared
+the slender, erect form of the one-armed veteran.
+The bridegroom moved with a jaunty step, and his
+wrinkled features radiated gladness. But, as he
+came near, his face sobered at sight of the other&#8217;s
+expression. His voice was solicitous.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low somethin&#8217; air wrong,&#8221; he ventured.</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick in his distress welcomed the note
+of sympathy. Somehow, he felt curiously drawn
+to this successful rival, and he was sure that his
+feeling was returned. Between the two men there
+was a curious mutual respect, as if each relied on
+the entire good sense of one who had loved Fanny
+Brown. The older man craved a confidant; he was
+avid for counsel and every possible assistance in
+this emergency. He told the facts as concisely as
+possible, while Seth Jones, wedded raptures forgot,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_175' name='page_175'></a>175</span>
+listened in growing sorrow and dismay. At the
+end, he spoke simply:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll take a look &#8217;long with ye, Mister Siddon. I
+done a heap o&#8217; trackin&#8217; in my time, out West. Perhaps,
+I kin he&#8217;p ye some.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick put out his hand, and the two palms
+met in a warm clasp, witness of friendship&#8217;s pact.
+Forthwith, they gave themselves to minute examination
+of the trail for any sign of the missing girl.</p>
+<p>For a time, their patient search went unrewarded.
+But, about a half-mile beyond Luffman&#8217;s Branch,
+they came on an area still affected by one of the
+small showers so frequent in the mountains. Here,
+the veteran&#8217;s alert eyes distinguished a footprint
+outlined in the damp dust.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yer gal was barefut, I reckon,&#8221; he said. He
+pointed to the imprint just before where he was
+standing.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yep,&#8221; Uncle Dick answered. There was a little
+mist over his eyes, as he glanced down. &#8220;Yep; hit&#8217;s
+her&#8217;n.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The veteran went forward confidently now.</p>
+<p>&#8220;She was a-steppin&#8217; plumb brisk,&#8221; he declared;
+&#8220;feelin&#8217; pretty peart, I &#8217;low; feet kind o&#8217; springy-like.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick shivered at the words. He had a
+ghastly vision of Plutina moving at this moment
+with painfully dragging steps somewhere afar in
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_176' name='page_176'></a>176</span>
+the fastnesses of the mountains. But he said nothing
+of the worst fears to his companion. He only followed
+on, watching closely lest something escape
+the other&#8217;s survey. Almost, he found himself hoping
+they might come on the girl&#8217;s dead body. Death
+is not the worst of evils.</p>
+<p>After a mile, or a little less, the area of the
+shower was passed. Uncle Dick could hardly distinguish
+any sign of the footprints in the heavy dust
+of the trail, but he accepted without question the
+veteran&#8217;s assertion that they were easily perceptible
+to the trained sight. Suddenly, Seth Jones halted,
+and peered intently, stooping low. Uncle Dick, too,
+bent to look, but the faint markings in the dirt were
+without significance to him. The veteran moved to
+the roadside and searched on hands and knees over
+the yard of grass between the trail and a thicket.
+When he stood erect again, he regarded his companion
+inquiringly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;They seem to be the tracks o&#8217; some mighty-big,
+hefty cuss, what come out o&#8217; these-hyar bushes, an&#8217;
+tuk along arter her. Kin ye make a guess who hit
+mout be, Mister Siddon?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick&#8217;s face grew black with a rage that
+was the more frightful because it had no object on
+which to vent itself.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s him!&#8221; he mumbled thickly, choking over
+the effort for self-control. Abruptly, he abandoned
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_177' name='page_177'></a>177</span>
+the attempt. His big voice boomed forth in a torrent
+of blasphemous imprecations. When, finally, he
+rumbled into silence, and stood panting for breath,
+the veteran, who had appeared to listen with great
+interest and perhaps some pleasure, spoke soothingly:</p>
+<p>&#8220;You-all was shore some eloquent, an&#8217; I &#8217;low the
+ornery critter deserves every mite on hit. An&#8217;, anyhow,
+I reckon ye done saved yerse&#8217;f a stroke. Ye
+was a-lookin&#8217; like ye&#8217;d bust, but ye let off the steam
+a-cussin&#8217; &#8217;im out. Now, let&#8217;s see.&#8221; He went back
+to the trail, and advanced very slowly, for the
+markings were faint even to his skilled eyes. Uncle
+Dick, trembling a little from the violence of his
+outburst, followed faithfully, but he could no longer
+detect traces of the passing of either man or
+girl.</p>
+<p>Thus, in slow progress, they came at last to the
+fork of the trail. This is at the extreme easterly
+slope of Bull Head Mountain, which rises from the
+north side of the valley as if in sullen rivalry of
+Stone Mountain below. In the division of the trail
+here, one branch ascends toward Glade Creek,
+across the mountain, while the other keeps on
+straight to Cherry Lane. Within the fork of the
+trails lies a fallen giant of the coves, a huge yellow
+poplar, almost hidden along its length by the embowering
+thickets. Toward this, in an advance
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_178' name='page_178'></a>178</span>
+tediously slow, the veteran made his way. When,
+finally, he was come up to the great bole, he stood
+quietly for minutes, gazing everywhere round
+about. Uncle Dick, emulating his companion,
+peered earnestly, and soon he, too, perceived the evidences
+that something out of the ordinary had occurred
+just here. Over a considerable space next
+the trunk there were signs of a struggle. Broken
+branches showed on some of the bushes; leaves
+from the poplar shoots were lying on the grass; the
+turf was freshly torn here and there. The veteran
+bent over, and picked up an object from the ground,
+which he held out. Uncle Dick gave one glance,
+and uttered a cry of despair. He recognized it as
+a button from the dress Plutina had been wearing
+the day before.</p>
+<p>The further search of the veteran achieved little.
+He was able only to make sure that the footprints
+led off through the forest toward the south. But,
+now, the impressions were no longer of one following
+the other. Instead, it was revealed that the
+two walked side by side. Uncle Dick groaned as
+his companion told him of this. Plutina had been
+attacked; she had fought; she had been overcome&mdash;and
+she was still alive!</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_179' name='page_179'></a>179</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XVI' id='CHAPTER_XVI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVI</h2>
+</div>
+<p>With the news of the event, a flame of
+wrath swept through the coves. Everywhere,
+the men gathered in parties, to
+hunt, rifle in hand, for some trace of the outlaw.
+There was none to give him favor, save the outcasts
+numbered among his dependants. The usual
+sympathy for the illicit distiller ceased utterly, destroyed
+by hatred for the criminal&#8217;s final offense.
+For the first time in the history of the mountains,
+there was no voice raised to protest&mdash;nor any rifle
+pointed in the laurel&mdash;against the Federal officers,
+who wandered at will in the wild places. In execration
+of Dan Hodges for his sin against the peace
+and dignity of the community, the people forgot
+for the nonce their ancient enmity against the Government.
+With one accord, the folk of the mountains
+joined in abhorrence of Hodges, sullenly
+anxious to bring about his punishment, to avenge
+his victim at least, if too late to save her.</p>
+<p>Seth Jones turned from the joys of the belated
+honeymoon to give every aid in his power. His
+counsel and the comfort of his presence were boons
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_180' name='page_180'></a>180</span>
+to Uncle Dick. The veteran had learned from his
+bride concerning the disfavor in which Zeke was
+held, and the reason for it. It seemed to him the
+part of wisdom, in this crisis, to feign ignorance,
+and he blandly suggested, on the return of the two
+from the fallen poplar, that they should ride to
+Joines&#8217; store in the evening, there, over the telephone,
+to dispatch a telegram to Zeke in New York. It
+was the psychological moment for success. There
+was not even a flicker of resentment aroused. Uncle
+Dick remembered that the Quaker school-teacher
+spy had been saved by Zeke from Dan Hodges. In
+his new mood, that fact was enough to overcome
+all rancor against the lad. Moreover, he realized
+the tragedy of Plutina&#8217;s fate to her lover, and he
+was moved to compassion. He accepted the veteran&#8217;s
+suggestion without a word of remonstrance.</p>
+<p>It was Seth Jones, too, who broke down the old
+man&#8217;s last prejudice by persuading him to summon
+Marshal Stone. Uncle Dick yielded with an odd
+mingling of emotions&mdash;shame and relief: shame
+over such trafficking with the &#8220;revenuers,&#8221; whom he
+had consistently fought and despised through three
+generations; relief that he had gained the strong
+arm of the law to his side. He had been greatly
+heartened when Stone answered over the wire that
+he would set out with a posse at midnight for the
+Siddon cabin, so that, after a conference there, the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_181' name='page_181'></a>181</span>
+active work of searching could be begun promptly
+at dawn.</p>
+<p>Thus, it came about that, for the first time in
+history, Uncle Dick Siddon welcomed the sound of
+hoofbeats pounding up the trail through the darkness.
+Where, aforetime, he would have leaped to
+wind a blast of warning to the moonshiners above
+against the coming of the &#8220;revenuers,&#8221; the old man
+now hastened to the cabin door, and flung it wide,
+and went forth on the porch to give grateful
+greeting.</p>
+<p>When a council had been held, three parties set
+forth. Seth Jones was the guide for one, which went
+to the northeast, through the Bull Head Mountain
+region, whither, in all likelihood, the outlaw would
+make his way, if he meant to escape out of the
+country. The marshal, with one companion, skirted
+Stone Mountain. Uncle Dick led two of the posse
+to the yellow poplar where the struggle had occurred,
+after which they would follow the general
+direction of the tracks. The marshal expected to
+make a circuit of the mountain rapidly enough to
+effect a junction with Uncle Dick&#8217;s party by noon,
+at the Woodruff Gate. The veteran and his two
+men, who would have by far the roughest going,
+were not to report until sundown at the Siddon
+cabin.</p>
+<p>From the poplar, Uncle Dick and the deputies
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_182' name='page_182'></a>182</span>
+were able, with great difficulty, to follow the tracks
+of the outlaw and his prisoner toward the south
+for a full mile. But at this point, an expanse of
+outcropping rock baffled them completely. Search
+as they would, there was no least sign of footsteps
+anywhere. After an hour of futile questing, they
+gave up in despair, and hurried to the rendezvous
+at the Woodruff Gate.</p>
+<p>The marshal and his men had already reached
+the gate, and Stone had wherewith to give the distraught
+grandfather new hope.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I came on their tracks a mile below where you
+lost them,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;They still keep to the
+south. We followed as far as the sand bar below
+Sandy Creek Falls.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come on!&#8221; Uncle Dick cried, fiercely. &#8220;Let&#8217;s
+arter &#8217;im this-yer minute.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The marshal shook his head at the old man&#8217;s
+enthusiasm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re not much better off yet,&#8221; he declared. &#8220;We
+found the place where he camped last night.
+&#8217;Twasn&#8217;t far. I reckon the girl made his going
+as slow as she could. She naturally would.&#8221; Uncle
+Dick nodded somberly. &#8220;But the trouble is, the trail
+ends at the sand bar&mdash;ends absolutely.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll find hit ag&#8217;in,&#8221; Uncle Dick exclaimed,
+stoutly. &#8220;We jest got to find hit. Come on!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The marshal urged the other to rest in preparation
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_183' name='page_183'></a>183</span>
+for the hard climb&mdash;down the ridge, and then
+up the sharp slopes and ledges of the mountainside.
+But the old man would have none of it. So,
+straightway, the two moved off, leaving the others,
+less hardy, to repose, and in due time they came to
+the bar below Sandy Creek Falls.</p>
+<p>High among the embattled cliffs of Stone Mountain&#8217;s
+eastern end, Sandy Creek races in tumultuous
+course. The limpid stream cascades in vertical
+sheen of silver from ledge to ledge. It writhes with
+ceaseless noisy complainings through the twisting
+ways of bowlder-strewn gorges. Here and there,
+in some placid pool, it seems to pause, languid, resting
+from its revels of flight. Such a pool lay at the
+foot of the longest fall. A barrier of sand circled
+from the cliff as the brim for this bowl of the
+waters. To this point, Marshal Stone and Uncle
+Dick were now come. The tracks were plainly discernible
+in the sand, along the edge of the pool.
+There were the huge misshapen outlines of the outlaw&#8217;s
+bare feet, deep-sunken from the heavy weight
+of the man. Beside them showed the slender prints
+made by the captive, lightly pressed. These tracks
+followed the curving bar, along the water&#8217;s edge.
+They reached to the foot of the cliff, close to where
+was the outer edge of the cataract. There they
+ceased.</p>
+<p>The marshal, already familiar with the mystery,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_184' name='page_184'></a>184</span>
+and baffled by it, searched again perfunctorily.
+Uncle Dick hunted hither and yon with feverish
+activity, at first confidently, then doubtfully, finally
+in despair. He, in his turn, could find no further
+clue. He gave over his efforts eventually, and stood
+silent beside the marshal, staring bewilderedly.
+About the amphitheatre formed by the pool, pines
+grew in a half-circle, save where the narrow channel
+of the stream descended. But between the barricade
+of the trees and the basin of water lay the
+smooth stretch of sand, slightly moist from out-flung
+spray of the falls. Upon that level surface,
+the tracks showed forth&mdash;undeniable, inexplicable.
+They marched without deviation straight to the
+base of the great cliff. There, within a little space,
+they grew confused, as from much trampling. But
+they did not return; they did not go elsewhere.
+There was a clear distance of a rod over the sand to
+the rocky ground where the trees grew. On the
+other side lay the deeps of the pool. Before them
+reared the impassible wall of the precipice. And
+there the tracks ended.</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick knew the place well, and on that account
+the mystery was the greater. He could find
+no possible explanation, however wildly improbable,
+of that disappearance. The broad sheet of
+the falls fell close to the cliff&#8217;s face. The rock was
+unworn by the torrent, without recess or cavern.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_185' name='page_185'></a>185</span>
+And that precipice, twice the pool&#8217;s width, mounted
+sheer a hundred feet, the height of the cascade. The
+front was unbroken save by tiny rifts and narrow
+ledges, where dwarfed ground pines clung precariously.
+With a muttered curse, the old man turned
+from his vain contemplation of the cliff, and let his
+troubled eyes rest on the pool. Suddenly, he
+started. He remained motionless for a moment,
+then, with nervous haste threw off his shirt, and
+trousers. Marshal Stone, chancing to look that way,
+was astonished to see his companion naked, poised
+at the water&#8217;s edge. He had time to note with admiration
+the splendid figure, still supple and strongly
+muscled despite the four-score years. Then Uncle
+Dick leaped, and dived. It was long seconds before
+he reappeared, only to dive again. He paid no
+attention to the marshal&#8217;s remonstrances. Only
+when he was convinced of the uselessness of further
+search in the pool&#8217;s depths, did he give over the task,
+and cast himself down on the sand to rest, panting
+and trembling a little from fatigue.</p>
+<p>&#8220;They hain&#8217;t thar,&#8221; he said, with grim conviction.
+Then he voiced the question that hammered in his
+brain: &#8220;Whar be they?&#8221;</p>
+<p>But the marshal had no answer.</p>
+<p>As they made their way drearily back toward the
+Woodruff Gate, the officer broke a long silence:
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_186' name='page_186'></a>186</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;Only a blood-hound can trail them!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The gloom of Uncle Dick&#8217;s expression did not
+lighten.</p>
+<p>&#8220;They hain&#8217;t nary one in the mountings,&#8221; he
+answered, heavily.</p>
+<p>&#8220;None nearer than Suffolk, Virginia,&#8221; the marshal
+said. &#8220;Cyclone Brant has a couple of good
+ones. But it would cost a lot.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The old man flared.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Fer God&#8217;s sake, git thet-thar feller an&#8217; his
+dawgs. I hain&#8217;t axin&#8217; what hit &#8217;ll cost. Hit was
+my money got thet-thar damned cuss out o&#8217; the
+jail-house. I hain&#8217;t likely to begrudge anythin&#8217; hit &#8217;ll
+cost to git him kotched. An&#8217; Plutiny!&mdash;why,
+money don&#8217;t matter none, if I can save Plutiny!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll send for Brant to-night,&#8221; the marshal promised,
+with new cheerfulness. &#8220;Let&#8217;s hope he&#8217;s not
+off somewhere. They send for him all over the
+country. If the dogs start day after to-morrow,
+they&#8217;ll still find the scent.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick groaned.</p>
+<p>&#8220;An&#8217; her a-lyin&#8217; out with thet-thar wolf all thet
+while,&#8221; he mumbled, in despair. &#8220;Mebby, this very
+minute, she&#8217;s a-screamin&#8217;&mdash;callin&#8217; to her ole gran&#8217;pap
+to save her. My Plutiny!&#8221; He walked with
+lagging steps; the tall form, usually so erect, was
+bowed under the burden of tormenting fears. The
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_187' name='page_187'></a>187</span>
+marshal, understanding, ventured no word of comfort.</p>
+<p>It was late afternoon when the dispirited searchers
+reached the Siddon clearing on their return
+from the fruitless day&#8217;s work. There, they were astonished
+to see the Widow Higgins come down the
+path toward them, at a pace ordinarily forbidden by
+her rheumatic joints. She waved a paper in her
+hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s a telegraph,&#8221; she called shrilly. Her voice
+held something of the awe with which remoter
+regions still regard that method of communication.
+But there was a stronger emotion still that thus sent
+the old woman dancing in forgetfulness of her
+chronic pains. It was explained in her next sentence,
+cried out with a mother&#8217;s exultation in the homecoming
+of her beloved. Almost, in joy over seeing
+her son again, she forgot the misery that was bringing
+him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s from Zekie! Zekie&#8217;s comin&#8217; home!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick could not share the mother&#8217;s delight.
+The lover&#8217;s coming could hardly avail anything
+toward saving the girl. Nevertheless, he took the
+sheet of paper, which carried the message sent on
+by telephone from North Wilkesboro&#8217; to Joines&#8217;
+store. He read it aloud, that the marshal might
+hear:
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_188' name='page_188'></a>188</span></p>
+<p style='margin-left:2.0em; margin-right:2.0em; text-align:right'>Suffolk, Va.<br /></p>
+<p style='margin-left:2.0em; margin-right:2.0em; text-align:left'>Richard Siddon,<br />
+<span style='margin-left: 2.0em;'>Joines&#8217; Mill, N. C.,</span><br />
+<span style='margin-left: 4.0em;'>Via Telephone from North Wilkesboro&#8217;.</span><br />
+<span style='margin-left: 2.0em;'>Arrive to-night with bloodhound.</span><br /></p>
+<p style='margin-left:2.0em; margin-right:2.0em; text-align:right'>Ezekiel.<br /></p>
+<p>Uncle Dick&#8217;s voice faltered a little in the reading.
+The black eyes were glowing with new hope
+beneath the beetling white brows, as he lifted his
+gaze to the mountain peaks. For the first time, he
+felt a thrill of jubilation over the young man whom
+he had rejected, whom now he accepted&mdash;jubilation
+for the fresh, virile, strength of the lad, for
+the resourcefulness that this message so plainly declared.
+The old man&#8217;s lips moved in vague, mute
+phrases, which were the clumsy expressions of
+emotions, of gratitude to Providence for the blessing
+of another&#8217;s energy, on which to lean in this
+time of trial. There had been desperate need of
+haste in getting the hounds on the trail. Now, they
+were coming&mdash;to-night. Zeke was bringing them.
+Perhaps, after all, an old man&#8217;s declining years
+would know the fond tenderness of a daughter&#8217;s
+care&mdash;and a son&#8217;s. Thank God that Zeke was coming!</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_189' name='page_189'></a>189</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XVII' id='CHAPTER_XVII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVII</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Zeke, in his new life, found little leisure for
+loneliness, though nightly he fell asleep
+with an ache of nostalgia in his heart, longing
+for the mountains of home and the girl who
+dwelt among them. But his days were filled with
+various activities that held his whole attention.
+With a mind keen and apt to receive impressions,
+and hungry for knowledge, he gave himself joyously
+to learning the details of Sutton&#8217;s tree-nail manufacture.
+The processes were, in fact, simple, and
+he mastered them with ease. Then, he was instructed
+more broadly in business methods, with the
+purpose of making him competent when he should
+become a manager of the projected factory in the
+Blue Ridge region. His time was thus so fully occupied
+that he had neither opportunity nor inclination
+for social pleasures.</p>
+<p>He spent a week-end in his employer&#8217;s Long
+Island home, and surprised that gentleman mightily
+by the propriety of his manners, which he had acquired
+on the yacht. On this occasion, Sutton spoke
+definitely of his plans. The railroad branch north
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_190' name='page_190'></a>190</span>
+from the main line was now a certainty, and the
+construction would soon start. At that time, Zeke
+would return to North Carolina, and set about securing
+options on the best available timber. A mill
+would be built, and the manufacture of tree-nails
+carried on. Zeke, in addition to an adequate salary,
+would receive a certain share of the profits. The
+prospect was one to delight any ambitious young
+man, and Zeke appreciated it to the full. But most
+of all he rejoiced that his success should come to
+him in the place he loved, where the girl waited.</p>
+<p>Zeke had a companion, who shared with him
+the tiny hall-room, and kept at his side in long evening
+rambles through the city streets. It came about
+in this wise:</p>
+<p>It was one afternoon when he had been in New
+York for a week, that a visitor entered, unannounced,
+the office where he was listening intently
+to Sutton&#8217;s crisp explanations of business
+routine. Zeke looked up at the sound of the opening
+door. Then, his jaw dropped, his eyes widened.
+Next moment, he sprang to his feet, his face radiant
+with welcome. His phrases, in the excitement
+of this meeting, were the mountaineer&#8217;s idioms,
+which new associations were beginning to modify
+in his ordinary speech.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, hit&#8217;s shorely Miss Josephine!&#8221; he cried,
+as he advanced upon her, with outstretched hand.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_191' name='page_191'></a>191</span>
+He saw the dog, straining toward him on the leash.
+&#8220;An&#8217; thet-thar man-faced dawg!&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was a little interval of confusion, while
+greetings were exchanged amid the demonstrative
+antics of the bull-terrier. Sutton was called away
+presently, and then the girl explained the object of
+her visit.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You never noticed it,&#8221; she said somewhat pettishly;
+&#8220;but one time on the yacht, I came up on
+deck with Chubbie. You were over by the rail.
+You snapped your fingers to him. I ordered him
+to stay with me. He wouldn&#8217;t mind. He went to
+you. Well, I decided right then what I&#8217;d do.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, shucks, Miss Josephine!&#8221; Zeke exclaimed,
+in much distress. &#8220;He jest nacherly didn&#8217;t mean
+nothin&#8217; by thet.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He showed something by it, though,&#8221; was the
+retort. &#8220;He showed that he belonged to you, and
+not to me. So, here he is.&#8221; She held out the leash
+to Zeke, who took it doubtfully, only half-comprehending.
+As he was about to speak, a gesture
+checked him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not really a bit generous in giving him to
+you. My dog must like me better than anyone
+else in the world. That&#8217;s why I really don&#8217;t want
+Chubbie any longer. You&#8217;re first in his heart, and
+I&#8217;m second. And, though I&#8217;m quite selfish about
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_192' name='page_192'></a>192</span>
+it, I know I&#8217;m doing him the greatest favor in the
+world&mdash;that is, if you&#8217;re willing to take him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d shore be tickled to death to have him,&#8221; Zeke
+admitted. &#8220;But it don&#8217;t seem right.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Providence seems to have arranged it that way,
+anyhow,&#8221; Josephine declared, airily. &#8220;Perhaps, if
+a surgeon operated on him for the dent you put in
+his skull, he might cease loving you. But nothing
+else seems likely to stop him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The dog, thrusting its cold muzzle against Zeke&#8217;s
+palm, whined assent. Josephine regarded her disloyal
+pet a little regretfully.</p>
+<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s a good dog,&#8221; she said, softly. &#8220;He deserves
+to be happy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Plutiny&#8217;ll be plumb tickled to see the critter I&#8217;ve
+wrote sech a heap about,&#8221; Zeke remarked. His
+eyes were suddenly grown dreamy.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You and your Plutina!&#8221; she railed. But her
+voice was very kindly. When she had learned of
+the young man&#8217;s prospects and the nearness of his
+return home, she uttered a remark that puzzled
+Zeke.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You don&#8217;t need to envy anyone.&#8221; There was a
+light almost of jealousy in the blue eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, I never thought o&#8217; sech a thing!&#8221; he
+answered indignantly. &#8220;Why should I?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, indeed?&#8221; Josephine repeated, and she
+sighed. She sighed again on taking leave, when she
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_193' name='page_193'></a>193</span>
+observed that the bull-terrier made no movement to
+accompany her, but stood steadfastly by Zeke&#8217;s side.</p>
+<hr class='tb' />
+<p>Into the happy, busy routine of Zeke&#8217;s life in
+New York, Uncle Dick&#8217;s telegram came with the
+crash of catastrophe. It was merely with innocent
+wondering that he opened the yellow envelope,
+which a messenger delivered in Sutton&#8217;s office on a
+pleasant summer afternoon. It was the first missive
+of the sort in Zeke&#8217;s experience, yet he felt no
+slightest chill of apprehension. His mood was too
+firmly joyous to be easily shaken. He merely wondered,
+and felt no fear whatever, as he pulled out
+the sheet of flimsy paper, and unfolded it, while
+his employer sat looking on curiously, himself already
+suspicious of trouble. Zeke read the typewritten
+words through stupidly, under the first
+shock uncomprehending. Then, he repeated the
+message aloud, as if challenging its meaning.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Plutina been stolen,&#8221; ran the summons. &#8220;Dan
+Hodges done it. Need help.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The name of Richard Siddon as the sender in
+itself told how desperate must be the situation, else
+Uncle Dick would not have summoned the suitor
+he had rejected. Zeke stared pitifully at Sutton. His
+eyes had the pathos of a stricken animal&#8217;s. For a
+little, he seemed dazed by the unexpectedness of
+this evil. Then, very soon, rage mounted blackly.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_194' name='page_194'></a>194</span>
+Sutton, listening, could not repress a shudder before
+the deadly hate in Zeke&#8217;s voice.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll kill Dan Hodges!&#8221; was the promise. The
+voice was low and even, but it roared in the ears
+of the listener. There was something terrifying in
+the stark savagery that showed in the mountaineer&#8217;s
+tones and in the drawn, pallid face.</p>
+<p>But, after the one outburst, Zeke maintained an
+appearance of hypocritical calm. Only in the tremulousness
+of his voice when he thanked Sutton did
+he betray the depth of his feeling.</p>
+<p>In truth, he had new reason for gratitude in this
+emergency to the man who already had so befriended
+him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;ll want to start at once, of course,&#8221; Sutton
+said.</p>
+<p>Zeke nodded assent.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, I think I&#8217;ll go with you. Perhaps, I might
+help. It&#8217;ll be better for you with somebody along.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Zeke offered a protest, but it was disregarded.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I know Plutina,&#8221; Sutton said, earnestly, &#8220;and I
+know you, Zeke. I want to help. Now, I wonder&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He fell silent for a space, thinking deeply. When
+he spoke again it was with curt decisiveness:</p>
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s hurrying things a bit, but not too much. I&#8217;ll
+have you stay down there, Zeke, and get after the
+timber as soon as you have Plutina back.&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_195' name='page_195'></a>195</span></p>
+<p>Then, as the young man regarded him in bewilderment,
+he explained fully:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve just heard a rumor that Grearson and
+Company are going to send a man down there. I&#8217;ll
+beat them to it. I meant to start you off in a month
+or so. But you&#8217;ve learned all you need to here,
+and it&#8217;s better to hurry, so as not to run any risk
+of my competitors getting in ahead. We&#8217;ll get
+away on the train to-night.&#8221;</p>
+<p>So it came about that the two reached Norfolk
+late in the afternoon of the following day, after
+what had seemed to the tortured lover an eternity
+of listless crawling toward the mountains. Now
+Zeke felt no longer dismay over the rapid flight
+of the train, as in his first journeying, but only a
+fierce longing to cover the miles more swiftly. For
+he appreciated how great was the crisis. Plutina
+had written him of her part in the raid on
+Hodges&#8217; still, and she had expressed in some degree
+the apprehensions she felt. Zeke was sure that,
+somehow, Plutina&#8217;s betrayal of the still had become
+known to the outlaw, and on this account the man
+had sought vengeance. The lover sickened at the
+thought of the form that brutal vengeance might
+take. Often, Sutton, covertly watchful, averted his
+glance that he might not see the despair on the
+mountaineer&#8217;s face.</p>
+<p>The two travelers were on their way to the ferry
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_196' name='page_196'></a>196</span>
+in Norfolk, when inspiration came to Zeke: He
+bethought him of Cyclone Brant, and the stag-hound,
+Jack. A few words sufficed for explanation
+of the matter to Sutton, who welcomed the idea of
+securing such assistance for the search.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I kin git &#8217;im, if he&#8217;s home,&#8221; Zeke declared, eagerly.
+&#8220;He lives in Suffolk, &#8217;bout twenty miles toward
+Wilkes. I&#8217;ll try an&#8217; git &#8217;im on the &#8217;phone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In this, he was successful, and he was greatly
+cheered by the anxiety displayed by Brant to be of
+assistance. But the detective was distressed over
+the delay of twelve hours that must ensue before
+they could get a train to North Wilkesboro&#8217;. Sutton
+removed this difficulty by ordering a special,
+which should be made up at once, and should stop
+at Suffolk to take on Brant and his dog. So, within
+the hour, the three men and the hound were rushing
+at rocking speed along the tortuous river course
+that led into the mountains. Instructions had been
+sent ahead, by Brant&#8217;s suggestion, to have an automobile
+and driver in readiness for the arrival of
+the party at the North Wilkesboro&#8217; station.</p>
+<p>The three men talked but little during the trip.
+The tenseness of suspense held them in thrall, and,
+for the most part, they sat in grim silence, staring
+out of the windows at the swiftly flitting panorama
+of moonlit landscape, wherein the fertile level areas
+changed to narrowing valleys, and these, in turn,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_197' name='page_197'></a>197</span>
+to wild gorges, where the river ran in bellowing riot
+beneath lofty ramparts of stone. Sutton&#8217;s thoughts
+veered from pity for his young friend to keen calculation
+of profits to come from the locust timber of
+the slopes. Cyclone Brant mused on his past adventurings
+in these wilds. From time to time, he
+pulled at the ears of the stag-hound, which sat on
+its haunches in the aisle, balancing its big bulk elastically
+against the erratic joltings of the car, and regarding
+its master with patient adoration in the
+reddened eyes.</p>
+<p>Zeke, too, had the single comfort of a dog&#8217;s
+faithful fondness. The bull-terrier crouched on the
+seat beside its master. The squat-featured face was
+thrust forward, with the heavy jaw resting on
+Zeke&#8217;s lap. Often, the dog whined, with a soft,
+whimpering note. It was as if the creature knew
+its master&#8217;s grief, and wished to tell its sympathy.
+There was a curious help to the young man&#8217;s courage
+in the eager, caressing thrusts of the cold nose
+against his palm. And he had need of every help,
+even the least, for, in this period of inactivity, the
+spirit within him was near to fainting. Because he
+knew fully the depraved nature of Hodges, he
+could not blind himself to the frightful peril of
+Plutina in the outlaw&#8217;s power. The girl&#8217;s plight was
+one to inspire horror in any decent breast; to the
+lover, worshiping her as something ineffably holy,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_198' name='page_198'></a>198</span>
+the possibility of her pollution by the brute who
+had stolen her away was a thing too monstrous for
+belief, yet not to be denied. He strove to drive the
+hideous thought from his mind, but, ever, it crept
+again into his consciousness. The sickness of his
+soul found its only relief in bursts of fury against
+the cause of this wickedness. His manhood asserted
+itself in a primitive lust to torture and to destroy.</p>
+<p>There were intervals of softer emotion, when he
+lived again the sweet raptures of hours alone with
+Plutina in the mountain solitude. But the moods of
+retrospection were short, perforce. They weakened
+him too greatly. The very heart seemed to flow
+from him like water, as memories crowded. The
+contrast of the present was too hideous for endurance.
+Again, the ghastly despair&mdash;the black rage,
+the whining of the dog, and the thrust of the cold
+muzzle to distract for a moment. Then, once more,
+the agonizing round.</p>
+<p>The grinding of brakes, as the train drew to a
+standstill at North Wilkesboro&#8217;, came as a poignant
+relief to the three travelers. Even the dogs seemed
+to relax from strain, and a covert hostility, which
+had marked their first meeting, vanished while they
+sniffed at each other in inquisitive, friendly fashion.</p>
+<p>The automobile was in waiting. Zeke jumped in
+beside the driver. The bull-terrier was held firmly
+between his legs. Sutton, Brant and the hound established
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_199' name='page_199'></a>199</span>
+themselves in the tonneau. Within a minute
+after the stopping of the train, the car was rolling
+rapidly over the highway toward Joines&#8217; mill.
+The chauffeur made the best speed possible under
+Zeke&#8217;s urging, and the run was short.</p>
+<p>Beyond the mill, the trail branching off the main
+road was rough and narrow, traversed only by
+horsemen and the clumsy vehicles of the mountaineers.
+No automobile had ever passed over it, and
+the party had planned to secure mounts at the mill,
+and to continue the journey on horseback. Zeke,
+however, realized the advantage in continuing by
+machine, were this possible, and he suggested it to
+the driver. The man was doubtful, but, too, he was
+an enthusiast in his work, and the opportunity of
+thus climbing the mountains, where no other car
+had been, appealed strongly to his ambition. In
+the end, he consented, with a prudent stipulation
+concerning possible damages. So, without pause,
+the automobile shot forward past mill and store, and
+went clambering along the trail toward the northern
+coves. The driver ran cautiously enough, despite
+Zeke&#8217;s impatience, but, at the best, the trip was a
+strain on the men and on the mechanism that bore
+them, for the car lurched and bounced over the
+uneven surface, and more than once was near to
+being overturned. Their ultimate safety was due,
+in great measure, to Zeke himself. Familiar with
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_200' name='page_200'></a>200</span>
+every foot of the way, he was able to advise the
+chauffeur of the more dangerous points. Neither
+Sutton nor Brant had uttered a word of protest
+against undertaking the perils of this final stage, but
+both breathed a sigh of relief, when, at last, the car
+stopped in the clearing before the Siddon cabin, and
+the journey was safely done.</p>
+<p>The wooden wheels of the poplar clock in the
+cabin were whirring for the striking of midnight,
+when their noise was overborne by the grotesque,
+unfamiliar honkings of an automobile horn. With
+the second of the three blasts, the cabin&#8217;s door
+swung open, and in the light of it was silhouetted
+the tall form of Uncle Dick.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Zeke!&#8221; he called; and his voice was a little
+broken.</p>
+<p>Then, with instinctive delicacy of feeling, he
+stepped aside, as the young man sprang up the
+steps, and he stood silent, while mother and son
+were folded in each other&#8217;s arms, murmuring endearments.
+But, when Zeke at last turned to face
+the old man, Uncle Dick&#8217;s hand went out to a powerful
+clasp that told how profoundly he was moved.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m glad ye&#8217;ve come, boy,&#8221; he said, simply. And
+Zeke knew that the old distrust and suspicion were
+gone forever, and in their stead were come affection
+and faith.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_201' name='page_201'></a>201</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XVIII' id='CHAPTER_XVIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVIII</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Zeke was astounded when he looked around
+the living-room and recognized Marshal
+Stone, together with the members of the
+posse. He suddenly became aware that the change
+in Uncle Dick was even greater than he had supposed.
+There had been a radical readjustment of
+the old man&#8217;s&#8217; attitude toward life, which disposed
+him not only to acceptance of Zeke with affection
+and confidence, but also to toleration of, and alliance
+with, the &#8220;revenuers,&#8221; whom he had so consistently
+hated through a long lifetime. Zeke refrained
+however, from any open expression of his
+amazement, and at once joined the other men in
+devising a plan of operations to be begun at dawn.</p>
+<p>It was decided that Uncle Dick should accompany
+the marshal and Brant, with the stag-hound, to the
+tracks of Hodges and Plutina on the north face of
+Stone Mountain, near Sandy Creek, where the dog
+could take up the scent, in the hope of solving the
+mystery that had baffled the human searchers.</p>
+<p>Then Uncle Dick interposed a suggestion that
+suited Zeke well.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_202' name='page_202'></a>202</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;If so be,&#8221; he exclaimed abruptly, &#8220;as how Dan
+Hodges is atop thet-thar mounting, an&#8217; he gits the
+dawg nigh the precipice, he might throw the critter
+over. He&#8217;s powerful strong, Dan is, an&#8217; desprit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, the fellow&#8217;s capable of it,&#8221; Stone agreed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m a-thinkin&#8217; as hit mout be well fer Zeke to
+git atop the mounting fust off,&#8221; Uncle Dick continued,
+&#8220;an&#8217; watch out fer Hodges. Hit&#8217;s pretty open
+up thar, and easy to waylay a body.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll go,&#8221; Zeke declared, with eagerness.</p>
+<p>The marshal directed the men of the posse to
+scatter to various points on the railway lines.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hodges&#8217;ll probably try to get out of the country,
+the minute he hears the hound after him,&#8221; Stone
+explained. &#8220;All of my men have seen him, and
+they&#8217;ll be able to stop him, if he manages somehow to
+cover his scent from the dog, and get off.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Sutton, much against his will, was forced to remain
+inactive at the cabin as he was not physically
+fitted for the hard tramping over the mountains.</p>
+<p>Zeke was the prey of emotions too deep to permit
+much interest in a stranger, but he had a friendly,
+if wan, smile for the veteran, whom he remembered
+from their single meeting. He attempted a
+display of attention on hearing of the marriage so
+recently achieved, but the effort failed pitifully.
+Seth Jones, however, took no offence, since he understood
+how great must be the young man&#8217;s misery.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_203' name='page_203'></a>203</span>
+On the contrary, his sympathies were deeply
+stirred, and he essayed a few words meant to comfort.</p>
+<p>&#8220;An&#8217; I reckon I&#8217;ll go &#8217;long with you-all, Zeke, in
+the mornin&#8217;,&#8221; he concluded.</p>
+<p>But Zeke shook his head at the offer.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I got to cross over home fer my rifle-gun,&#8221; he
+explained, vaguely.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I clean fergot to tell ye,&#8221; Uncle Dick cried. &#8220;Yer
+rifle-gun&#8217;s hyar, Zeke. I done fotched it over fer
+ye.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank ye, Uncle Dick,&#8221; was the grave response.
+But the young man did not rescind his refusal of
+the veteran&#8217;s company.</p>
+<p>Uncle Dick offered a share of his bed to Brant
+and the marshal, but it was refused by both. There
+were blankets spread for the men on the floor of
+the porch, where the smoke gushed from a smudge
+kettle to keep off the mosquitoes. There, presently,
+the company stretched themselves for the brief
+dreamless sleep won by the day&#8217;s fatigues.</p>
+<p>Even Zeke fell into a sound slumber, with the
+bull-terrier nestled at his breast. He had not thought
+to sleep, only to lie quiet for a little rest, and then,
+long before the dawn, to issue forth alone. Nevertheless,
+his repose was profound for two hours, or
+more. Perhaps, the stirring of the dog awoke him;
+perhaps, his own determination, subconsciously
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_204' name='page_204'></a>204</span>
+exerted. Anyhow, he straightened up suddenly, and
+stared about him stupidly, reluctant to believe that
+he had actually slept thus, while Plutina cried out
+for succor. He was relieved when he perceived
+that there was not yet even a trace of dawn in the
+east. He realized that it was as well, for though he
+had lost little time, he felt vitally refreshed, with
+new vigors to battle in behalf of the girl he loved. It
+was but the work of a minute noiselessly to possess
+himself of his rifle, and to descend the steps. The
+bull-terrier kept close at his heels. With the dog
+still following, Zeke, pressed forward through the
+darkness toward Stone Mountain.</p>
+<p>The other sleepers were aroused by Uncle Dick
+as the first gray light was flushing to the rose of
+dawn over the eastern mountains. There was some
+astonishment at finding Zeke already gone, but it
+subsided quickly, for all understood how great must
+be his anxiety. The men of the posse duly took
+their departure for the railway points designated by
+the marshal. Seth Jones set out in pursuit of Zeke.
+Stone, with Uncle Dick and Brant, made ready for
+the actual hunting of the outlaw.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve seen Jack more than once pick up a cold
+trail three days old,&#8221; the hound&#8217;s master declared,
+with a manifest pride in the creature&#8217;s prowess; &#8220;and
+run down his man. Can we get hold of something
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_205' name='page_205'></a>205</span>
+to give him the scent&mdash;an old shoe, or cap&mdash;anything?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Got jest the thing fer ye,&#8221; Uncle Dick replied,
+leading the way from the cabin toward one of the
+out-buildings. &#8220;Hit&#8217;s an ole coat. Dan left hit one
+hot day when he stopped in at my forge, to tinker
+the rivets to the cap o&#8217; the still. Hit was dum hot
+thet day, an&#8217; he left &#8217;is coat. &#8217;Twa&#8217;n&#8217;t wuth comin&#8217;
+back fer. I &#8217;low the smell&#8217;s about all thet&#8217;s left
+to hit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Brant showed the tattered garment to the stag-hound,
+and bade the animal smell it. The dog sniffed
+obediently a few times, sneezed as if in disgust of
+the odor, regarded its master understandingly, and
+then walked away.</p>
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s all that&#8217;s necessary,&#8221; Cyclone Brant declared.
+&#8220;The dog and I are ready.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Forthwith, the three men, with the hound, set
+forth toward the southeast, to cut the track of the
+outlaw near Sandy creek. They followed the trail
+to a point some distance beyond the Woodruff
+Gate, and then left it to ascend the precipitous
+slopes near the eastern end of Stone Mountain.
+They were not far from Sandy Creek Falls, when
+the marshal halted, and pointed out the remains of
+a camp-fire.</p>
+<p>&#8220;This is where Hodges stopped to cook his supper
+the first night,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;I followed the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_206' name='page_206'></a>206</span>
+tracks on to the creek, and up it to the falls, where
+I lost them. Now, it&#8217;s up to the dog.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A growl from the hound caused the three to look
+up, startled. There was an exclamation from Uncle
+Dick, and the rifle leaped to his shoulder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, no&mdash;don&#8217;t shoot!&#8221; Stone ordered. He, too,
+had seen and recognized Garry Hawks, as the fellow,
+evidently disconcerted by their presence there,
+slipped stealthily into the laurel. &#8220;He&#8217;ll be more
+useful to us alive presently,&#8221; he explained to Uncle
+Dick, who had obeyed protestingly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thet&#8217;s so, likely,&#8221; the old man conceded grudgingly.
+Then he chuckled harshly, for the first time
+since Plutina&#8217;s disappearance. &#8220;Got his right wing
+slung up! Did ye see hit? Tiny done hit&mdash;pore
+gal! Purty peart at shootin&#8217;, Tiny is. Thet-thar&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a fresh track here made by Hodges,&#8221;
+the marshal exclaimed, interrupting. He pointed
+to a plain imprint on the dirt covering of a flat
+rock.</p>
+<p>Brant brought his dog to the spot, pointed to the
+footprint, and slipped the leash. The hound lowered
+its head, snuffed at the ground, and gave tongue. In
+the same second, it was off at speed, running with
+muzzle low, with the continuous whining yelps that
+told of a warm scent. It did not vanish into the
+coverts as all had expected, but followed through
+the open place that led to the northward, skirting
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_207' name='page_207'></a>207</span>
+the wood. As the men hurried after, they caught
+a final glimpse of the dog two hundred yards beyond,
+just disappearing over a ridge. They followed
+the sound of its baying with what haste they might,
+yet slowly, by reason of the difficult going. The
+dog&#8217;s cries guided them, much to the surprise of
+Uncle Dick and the marshal, straight toward Sandy
+Creek Falls, whither the first tracks of the outlaw
+and the girl had led, and where they had been so
+mysteriously lost. As the three scrambled up a
+steep ascent, scarcely a hundred yards from the
+sand-bar, there came to their ears from the hound
+a high, melancholy howl.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It means that Jack is at fault, somehow,&#8221; Brant
+explained in answer to a grunt of inquiry from
+Uncle Dick. &#8220;Something puzzling him for a minute.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The two listeners looked at each other with grave
+faces. Was it possible, they wondered, that the
+hound would be baffled, even as they had been, there
+at the pool? But their expression lightened the next
+moment, for two sharp, harsh barks came from the
+dog, which was evidently still in the neighborhood
+of the falls, and its master interpreted:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Jack&#8217;s treed his game, sure&#8217;s you&#8217;re born!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The three topped the ridge, and broke into a
+run down the slope, their rifles at the ready. Within
+the minute, they leaped from the thicket into the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_208' name='page_208'></a>208</span>
+open place below the falls. Then, with one accord,
+they stopped short and stood staring bewilderedly.</p>
+<p>The hound continued its deep-chested baying.
+It stood erect on its hind legs, almost to a man&#8217;s
+height. It was supported by its fore-paws extended
+as far up as they would reach against the wall of
+the precipice, a little to the left of the waterfall. As
+it barked, the dog held its muzzle pointed straight
+upward. There could be no doubt, if the sensitiveness
+of the brute were to be relied on, that its quarry
+had, in some incomprehensible fashion, contrived
+to mount the sheer surface of the cliff. That the
+hound was sure, was made plain by the rigidity of its
+posture, by the fierce, challenging ululations, which
+pealed forth incessantly.</p>
+<p>The three men went forward presently, their gaze
+wandering aloft from the dog, over the inaccessible
+expanse of vertical cliffs. They came down to the
+sand-bar, and followed it around the pool, still in
+silence, and still with their puzzled eyes roving hither
+and yon for some clue to understanding of this
+thing. But, of a sudden, Uncle Dick shouted:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I see how &#8217;tis! I shorely kotch on. Looky
+thar!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The marshal and Brant followed the direction of
+his pointing arm, but they saw nothing to make the
+matter clear&mdash;only a tiny ledge, fifty feet above
+them, along which grew a few bushes and clumps
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_209' name='page_209'></a>209</span>
+of ground pine. It offered no hiding-place for a
+child even, hardly footing for the outlaw&#8217;s heavy
+bulk. But Uncle Dick shook his head to rebuke
+their lack of comprehension, then explained:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dan&#8217;s a keen un, all right,&#8221; he said, with grudging
+admiration. &#8220;But this-hyar time he&#8217;s done
+left &#8217;is mark fer my ole eyes to see. Now, you-all
+jest throw yer eyes o&#8217; vision up the side o&#8217; the cliff
+ag&#8217;in. If ye looks cluss, ye kin see a streak o&#8217;
+dampness on the rock. Hit&#8217;s jet as if a mounting
+rattler mout &#8217;a&#8217; dove down the rock right thar. But
+&#8217;twa&#8217;n&#8217;t thet. Thet-thar streak is the mark of a
+wet rope&mdash;er mebby a grape-vine. Thet&#8217;s the way
+them devils git up an&#8217; down. I&#8217;ll bet every stick o&#8217;
+my mounting timber them cusses got a cave up
+thar, offen the ledge. P&#8217;rhaps Garry Hawks jest
+got up, since we-uns seen &#8217;im. An&#8217; the rock hain&#8217;t
+had time to dry from the rope, er vine, a-gittin&#8217; wet
+in the falls. Dan Hodges thought he had a mighty
+cute place to lay out in. But he&#8217;s kotched jest the
+same&mdash;damn &#8217;im!... Good dawg!&#8221; The
+change in Uncle Dick&#8217;s voice as he spoke the last
+two words was startling.</p>
+<p>The two listeners accepted the old man&#8217;s solution,
+but they did not share his enthusiasm. On the
+contrary, they were very grave, for the task before
+them appeared formidable, if not impossible, of
+achievement. As they continued silent, gazing upward
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_210' name='page_210'></a>210</span>
+with frowning faces, Uncle Dick regarded
+them at first in perplexity, then in rapidly-mounting
+apprehension.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s a-bitin&#8217; on ye?&#8221; he demanded, at last.</p>
+<p>The marshal replied.</p>
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no way of getting them out of there.
+They&#8217;re armed and not particular about murder.
+They can hold that fort till kingdom-come. Dan
+could alone. There&#8217;s nothing for it but to starve
+&#8217;em out&mdash;if they&#8217;re there.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And the trouble about that is,&#8221; Brant added,
+&#8220;that they&#8217;ve got the girl for hostage. It seems to
+me that this Dan Hodges has the whip-hand.&#8221;</p>
+<p>For a little, Uncle Dick, who had paled under the
+tan, stood silent, looking helplessly from one to the
+other of his companions. Then he groaned aloud.
+But in the next instant, he straightened to his full
+height. His face grew convulsed with rage, as he
+faced the cliff, and his great voice volumed above
+the clamor of the cataract:</p>
+<p>&#8220;God A&#8217;mighty damn ye, Dan Hodges! Damn
+ye&mdash;damn ye!&#8221;</p>
+<p>And then again:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Damn ye, Dan Hodges, ferever an&#8217; ferever!&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_211' name='page_211'></a>211</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XIX' id='CHAPTER_XIX'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XIX</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Plutina&#8217;s treatment of Hodges had had a
+curious effect on that lawless character.
+The humiliation to which he had been subjected
+had indeed filled him with vicious rage, but,
+too, it had inflamed his passion for the girl. Her
+scorn and her fierce mastery of him had made her
+more than ever desirable. He was fascinated by the
+strength and courage she had displayed. Brutal and
+evil as he was, Hodges was strong physically, and,
+in his own wicked way, strong of will. Because he
+was stronger than his fellows, he ruled them.
+Strength was, in fact, the one thing that he could
+admire. The revelation of it in Plutina at once
+set her apart from all other women, and gave to
+his craving for her a clumsy sort of veneration.
+But that veneration was strangely modified by resolve
+to be avenged for the insult she had put upon
+him. Thus, it had come about that he planned to
+satisfy his varied feelings toward the girl by the
+abduction. He swore to master her, to change her
+insolence to fawning submission, to abject fondness.</p>
+<p>Hodges wasted no time. His sluggish brain began
+its scheming the moment a turn in the trail hid
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_212' name='page_212'></a>212</span>
+him from view, after the ignominious march from
+the Holloman Gate. At sunrise, next morning, he
+was lurking on the borders of the Siddon clearing,
+spying on the movements of the family. He even
+witnessed Plutina&#8217;s confession to her grandfather,
+of which he guessed the purport, and at which he
+cursed vilely beneath his breath. When Plutina
+set forth for the Cherry Lane post-office, he followed,
+slinking through the forest at a safe distance
+from the trail. He was not quite certain as to
+where or when he should attack the girl, but he
+meant to seize the first favorable opportunity,
+whether it came sooner or later. It came, as a
+matter of fact, very soon, and it was given by Plutina
+herself.</p>
+<p>There at the fallen poplar, the girl found a comfortable
+nook on the big trunk, where her back was
+supported by a limb. The serenity of the scene
+soothed her over-wrought nerves. The sense of
+relief that had come from confession to her grandfather
+was less vivid now. In its stead was a
+blessed peacefulness. She watched lazily the visible
+details of forest life around about her. Her attention
+centered finally on a yellow-hammer, which
+was industriously boring the trunk of a dead chestnut.
+From the nest near-by, the callow young
+thrust naked heads, with bills gaping hungrily.
+Then, in a twinkling, birds and forest vanished, and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_213' name='page_213'></a>213</span>
+she was standing on the mist-strewn steeps of Stone
+Mountain, and Zeke&#8217;s arm was about her, and her
+hand was clasped in his. So, she slept, and smiled
+a little in her dreams, for the touch of the breeze
+on her cheek seemed the caress of her lover&#8217;s lips.
+From his lair in the laurel, Dan Hodges, watching,
+knew that his opportunity was come. The outlaw
+laid down his rifle, and drew from a pocket a stout
+leash of cowhide, a yard long. Glancing from time
+to time at his intended victim, to see that she still
+slept, he hastily fashioned a slip-noose at either
+end of the thong. This done, he began moving
+forward with the utmost caution, taking advantage
+of the cover, that he might remain invisible should
+the girl awake. He held the leash in his two hands
+ready for instant action. A slight detour brought
+him around the stump of the poplar, just behind
+Plutina. Advancing with even increased carefulness
+now, he approached until the girl was easily
+within his reach. As she reclined on the tree-trunk,
+her left hand hung at length on the side next to
+him. The right arm was bent along the supporting
+branch, and the hand pillowed her cheek. After a
+moment of doubt, Hodges decided that he would
+attempt to secure the free wrist in a noose of the
+leash without awakening her. It would be easy
+then to catch and bind the other wrist. In the confusion
+of sudden rousing from sleep, she would
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_214' name='page_214'></a>214</span>
+make no effective resistance. The capture would
+be very simple.</p>
+<p>It was, in truth, tragically simple, yet not so
+simple as the outlaw had anticipated. From dreams
+of tenderness, Plutina was suddenly started to hateful
+realization by the scarcely perceptible touch of
+this being so repugnant to her every instinct. She
+was confused, indeed, but not too confused for
+frantic resistance. It needed no more than recognition
+of the man&#8217;s brutal face so close to hers to
+inspire her. She fought him with every ounce of
+her strength. The left hand was useless, held down
+by his on the thong, with the noose drawn taut about
+the wrist. But the outlaw, though he contrived to
+get the other noose over her right hand, failed somehow
+to tighten it at once. She was able to strike
+at him again and again. Her blows fell on his
+face, and they were sturdy blows. Hodges made
+no effort to avoid them, nor struck back&mdash;only busied
+himself with the effort to tighten the noose. It
+was evident that he disdained her attack. A certain
+virile pride forbade defense against this onslaught
+of a girl. Finally, he brought his left hand
+to aid in adjusting the second noose. In the few
+seconds of liberty, Plutina abandoned blows, and
+resorted to savage clawing at the evil face. Her
+ten nails streaked the coarse features with blood. But
+still he seemed absolutely indifferent to such wounds
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_215' name='page_215'></a>215</span>
+as she could inflict. Then, the noose slipped to
+tightness. The girl&#8217;s hands were brought close together
+behind her back, where she stood beside him.
+He knotted the slack of the leash, and holding the
+loop, grinned triumphantly at his captive. His
+bloody face was a mask of malice.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye damned little wildcat,&#8221; he growled, yet with
+an unmistakable note of admiration in his voice,
+&#8220;if I sarved ye &#8217;cordin&#8217; to yer earnin&#8217;s, I&#8217;d shorely
+tap ye over thet-thar purty haid o&#8217; your&#8217;n, an&#8217; pitch
+ye over into the Devil&#8217;s Kittle, to wait fer yer runt
+lover to come arter ye.&#8221; He twisted her about
+viciously. Despite her strength, unusual in a
+woman, Plutina was powerless in his grip. Holding
+her close, face to face, he contemplated the girl&#8217;s
+pitiable distress with gloating eyes in which there
+was no faintest suggestion of pity. The prisoner
+met the malignant gaze for an instant. Then, her
+eyes fell, and she stood trembling. She was panting,
+partly from terror, partly from the violence
+with which she had struggled. Hodges chuckled,
+well content over the impression he had made. He
+would show her how a woman should be tamed!
+But the thing must be done in full accord with a
+plan he had made. Now that the captive had duly
+learned her first lesson in submissiveness, he might
+relax a little from his severity for a time. Besides,
+too much fright might leave her helpless on his
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_216' name='page_216'></a>216</span>
+hands, which would be highly inconvenient, since
+there was a rough journey on foot before them.
+When he next spoke, he tried, without much success,
+to make his voice conciliatory.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thar hain&#8217;t no call fer ye to be so dum skeery&mdash;leastways,
+not yit. I hain&#8217;t a-hurtin&#8217; ye none&mdash;not
+yit&mdash;only jest a-tyin&#8217; yer han&#8217;s to keep &#8217;em out
+o&#8217; mischief. But I reckon as how ye&#8217;ll hev to eat
+them words ye spoke to me at the gate yistiddy. I
+&#8217;low ye done forgot the warnin&#8217; I gin ye &#8217;bout playin&#8217;
+Dan Hodges fer a fool. Ye&#8217;re lookin&#8217; mighty
+sorry ye ever tried hit.&#8221; He chuckled again, as he
+meditated a humorous effort: &#8220;Ye know thet pore
+feller what ye winged yistiddy?&#8221; He shook his
+head reprovingly. &#8220;You-all shore hadn&#8217;t orter
+never &#8217;ave done no sech thing. Garry wa&#8217;n&#8217;t a-bitin&#8217;
+on ye none. He&#8217;s hurt bad, Garry is, an&#8217; he
+needs a nuss the worst way, Garry does. An&#8217; so I
+come an&#8217; got ye.&#8221; He guffawed over his wit. &#8220;If
+ye&#8217;ll behave I&#8217;ll let loose o&#8217; ye a mite, an&#8217; we&#8217;ll
+stroll along a matter of a few mile to whar Garry&#8217;s
+waitin&#8217; awful impatient.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Suddenly, unreasoning fear surged up in Plutina,
+brimmed over in a torrent of pleading words.
+She knew the uselessness of appeal to this callous
+wretch. But the instinct of terror in her horrible
+situation mastered the girl, so that she forgot pride,
+and besought his mercy. She was ghastly pale, and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_217' name='page_217'></a>217</span>
+the dilated eyes were almost black, with a stricken
+look in their clouded depths. Her voice was shaking.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Lemme go Dan&mdash;lemme go. Ye&#8217;ve done got
+even with me now fer yistiddy. Lemme go&mdash;I ax it
+of ye, Dan. I done ye dirt yistiddy, &#8217;cause I was
+scared o&#8217; ye. An&#8217; I&#8217;m scared o&#8217; ye now, Dan.
+Lemme go home, an&#8217; I won&#8217;t never tell nobody how
+ye kotched me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had raised her eyes beseechingly. Now, as
+she saw the smug mockery on her captor&#8217;s face, she
+fell silent. The futility of any pleading was too
+plain. Her eyes shifted to the ground again. But
+the first wild fear was past, and she began to think
+with some clearness. At once, it occurred to her
+that she must guard her strength jealously. She
+had already wasted too much in vain physical struggling
+and in vainer emotional outbursts. She must
+save her energies henceforth both of body and of
+mind, that she might have wherewith to contrive,
+escape and wherewith to accomplish it, or wherewith
+to fight against a lustful brute to the very death.</p>
+<p>Hodges spoke approval.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye&#8217;re gittin&#8217; sense. Better save yer breath to
+cool yer porrich, stid o&#8217; wastin&#8217; hit a-whinin&#8217; to
+me. But I shore admire fer to hear ye squawk.
+Ye hain&#8217;t quite so damned uppitty as ye was yistiddy.&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_218' name='page_218'></a>218</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low I must do what ye says,&#8221; Plutina agreed,
+listlessly. She felt very weary, now that the reaction
+was upon her. At whatever cost, she must
+have an interval in which to recover from this
+weakness.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thet&#8217;s the ticket!&#8221; Hodges exclaimed, with a
+jovialty meant to be winning. He went behind her,
+and loosened the knot he had last tied, so that her
+wrists, although still fast bound, had a little play.
+The length of the loop allowed him to move by her
+side with it over his arm. &#8220;You-all jest mosey
+acrost to thet-thar birch clump,&#8221; he directed, pointing.
+&#8220;I got a rifle-gun yender, what I kain&#8217;t noways
+do without.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Plutina walked obediently at his side in the direction
+indicated, and stood passively while he
+picked up the weapon. Then, in response to his
+command, she set off with him through the tortuous
+forest paths to the southward.</p>
+<p>For the time being, Plutina&#8217;s dominant emotion
+was a vast depression. It bore down on her like a
+physical burden, under which she had hardly the
+power to go forward with slouching steps. It was
+as if the end of the world were come, with the loss
+of everything good and clean and happy. The only
+reality was this foul creature to whom she was
+bound, from whom there was no escape, who had
+but to speak and she must obey, who had the authority
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_219' name='page_219'></a>219</span>
+to compel obedience. She was sick with horror
+of the man&#8217;s nearness. She felt defilement from the
+avid eyes, which moved over her in wanton lingering
+from head to foot, and back again. But she had
+no resource against him. She could only endure
+for the present, awaiting the return of strength.
+She could see no glimmer of hope anywhere. Yet,
+she strove numbly against this enveloping despair.
+She told herself again and again that, somehow,
+relief would come before the dreaded crisis. The
+words were spiritless; they brought no conviction.
+Nevertheless, she kept repeating them mutely to herself,
+as she trudged drearily beside Hodges toward
+Stone Mountain.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll git clar o&#8217; him somehow&mdash;I will, I will!
+Gran&#8217;pap&#8217;ll kill &#8217;im! Zeke&#8217;ll come! He will!&#8221;</p>
+<p>It was incredible that her lover could come, that
+he could even know of the evil, until too late to
+save her. Yet, the thought of his coming subtly
+cheered her. It persisted in defiance of all reason.
+And the affrighted girl clung to it with desperate
+tenacity, as a drowning man to the life line. She
+kept repeating to herself, &#8220;Zeke&#8217;ll come! He will,
+he will!&#8221; as if the phrases were a spell for the
+soothing of terror. She wished that her hands
+were free to touch the fairy crystal in her bosom.</p>
+<p>The outlaw, after uncouth efforts at conversation,
+which met with no response, relapsed into sullen
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_220' name='page_220'></a>220</span>
+silence, and he mended the pace until the girl was
+hard put to it to keep up with his stride. On the
+first slopes of Stone Mountain, he halted, evidently
+at a spot where he had camped on other occasions,
+for presently he produced a skillet and coffee-pot
+and materials for a rude meal from their concealment
+in the bushes. But his first care was to place
+the prisoner on a log, where a sapling at her back
+served for attaching the loop of the leash. He
+then busied himself with making a fire and preparing
+the food, from time to time jeering at the helpless
+girl, who watched him with smouldering hate
+in her eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s you-all orter be a-doin&#8217; these-hyar chores,&#8221;
+he declared, with a grin. &#8220;An&#8217; they&#8217;s a good time
+a-comin&#8217; when ye&#8217;ll be plumb tickled to death to
+wait on yer Danny boy. A good time comin&#8217;, cuss
+ye!&#8221;</p>
+<p>He devoured his food ravenously, washing it
+down with the coffee. Finally, he brought slices of
+bread and bacon to Plutina, and laid them in her
+lap. He loosened her right hand and so permitted
+her to feed herself. It was her impulse to refuse
+the offering, but she resisted the folly, knowing
+the necessity of food, if she would have energy
+for the ordeal before her. So, she gulped down the
+bread and meat, and drank from the dipper full
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_221' name='page_221'></a>221</span>
+of coffee. Then, her bonds were tightened again,
+and the two renewed their march.</p>
+<p>The going was harder here, up and down the
+rock-strewn slopes. Fatigue lay very heavy on
+Plutina, after the strains of the two days. Only
+her hate of the man at her side bolstered up pride,
+so that she compelled herself to keep moving by
+sheer force of will. It was already dusk, when,
+at last, they issued from the wood and went forward
+over the shore of the pool at Sandy Creek
+Falls.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wall, hyar we be!&#8221; Hodges cried loudly. There
+was satisfaction in his voice.</p>
+<p>That satisfaction aroused Plutina from the
+apathy into which she had fallen, during the last
+half-mile of difficult scrambling, made more toilsome
+by the constraint of her bound wrists. Now,
+puzzlement provoked interest in her surroundings.
+She had expected that the outlaw would bear her
+away to the most convenient or the most inaccessible
+of the various secret retreats with which
+rumor credited him. But here was neither cave
+nor shack&mdash;only the level space of sand, the mist-wreathed
+pool, the rushing volume of the falls, the
+bleak wall of the cliff which towered above them
+where they had halted at its base. She knew this
+place. There could be no cavern at hand. Her
+eyes searched the space of the inclosure wonderingly.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_222' name='page_222'></a>222</span>
+Then, they went to the man, whom she
+found regarding her bewilderment with a smirk
+of gratification.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hyar we be, right on the door-step, so to say,&#8221;
+he bellowed. &#8220;If ye kain&#8217;t see the door-step yit,
+ye will mighty quick, unless thet pore feller ye shot
+has gone an&#8217; died a-waitin&#8217; fer you-all to come an&#8217;
+nuss &#8217;im.... Yep, he was a-watchin&#8217;, all right,&#8221;
+he added briskly. &#8220;Hyar hit comes!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Plutina&#8217;s eyes followed her captor&#8217;s and, far
+above, she made out something that dangled from
+the slight break in the cliff. It descended slowly
+and jerkily, with haphazard gyrations. As its end
+drew closer, she perceived that it was a rudely
+constructed rope-ladder, with wooden rungs. She
+watched it fascinated, shivering with new fears.</p>
+<p>When the flimsy means of ascent hung at its full
+length, Hodges bade the girl climb. Unnerved as
+she already was, the ordeal of such a progress to
+the mysterious height above seemed too terrible.
+She refused mutely, shaking her head, and cowering
+away from the outlaw as far as the thong permitted.
+But the man had no pity for her timorousness.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You-all kin jest nacherly crawl up thet-thar
+ladder,&#8221; he announced, &#8220;or we&#8217;ll sling ye on the
+end of a rope, an&#8217; h&#8217;ist ye. Thet&#8217;ll tumble ye
+round an&#8217; bump ye agin the rocks quite some. But
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_223' name='page_223'></a>223</span>
+ye&#8217;re the doctor. If ye&#8217;ll climb up, I&#8217;ll leave yer
+han&#8217;s loose, an&#8217; foller cluss behind ye, so ye kain&#8217;t
+fall. Hit&#8217;s shore wobbly, but hit&#8217;s safe. Dan
+Hodges hain&#8217;t aimin&#8217; to git his neck broke&mdash;ner
+to let the law break it fer him!&#8221; he added, in a
+lower tone to himself.</p>
+<p>But Plutina caught the words. She made nothing
+of them at the time; afterward, she realized
+their significance, and thanked God for them.</p>
+<p>In the end, the prisoner yielded to necessity and
+ventured to mount with reluctant slowness. She
+found, to her intense relief, that the strength was
+returning to her body. She no longer felt the
+pervasive lassitude. The physical improvement reacted
+on her mind to restore confidence in her
+powers. She realized that probably the only danger
+lay in her own faltering, and she resolved to
+overcome her natural dread, to bend all her
+energies to a safe performance of the task. Despite
+her hatred of the man, she found unspeakable
+comfort in the sight of his great hairy hands
+clutching the ropes on either side of her at the
+height of her waist. But, as she mounted, the space
+beneath grew fearsome to her, and she raised her
+eyes and held them steadily on the distance above,
+as she had learned to do in clambering with her
+lover.</p>
+<p>Somehow, now, the thought of Zeke heartened
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_224' name='page_224'></a>224</span>
+Plutina. Swinging dizzily in the abyss, with the
+arms of her jailer about her, there flowed into her
+soul a new courage. It was without reason, an
+absurdity, a folly, but, oh, what a solace to her
+spirit! Under the stimulus of it, she ascended more
+rapidly. The pinched, ugly face of Garry Hawks,
+glowering down at her from the ledge, did not dismay
+her, even though the thought flashed on her
+brain that now this man whom she had wounded
+could hurl her to destruction by a touch. She had
+no fear of him; only pressed upward steadily. In
+another moment, her head passed above the level of
+the ledge. She took the hand Garry Hawks held
+out and climbed upon the narrow support, where
+she shrank back against the cliff, after one glance
+into the gulf yawning at her feet. The level space
+was a scant yard in width here, and lessened on the
+side away from the falls, until it ceased entirely.
+In the other direction, it ran, broadening a very
+little, to where a tiny cleft showed in the precipice.
+Plutina guessed that this marked the entrance to
+a cavern. Despite the bravery of her changed mood,
+the eerie retreat daunted her by its desolate isolation.
+Then, Hodges climbed upon the ledge, and
+she heard his shout, coming faintly to her ears
+above the roar of the cascade which fell just beyond
+the cavern&#8217;s mouth.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Welcome, home, Honey!&#8221; he bawled, with his
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_225' name='page_225'></a>225</span>
+detested jocularity. &#8220;They hain&#8217;t nobody a-goin&#8217;
+to butt in on our love-makin&#8217; up hyar.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Tittering and leering, he seized the girl by the
+arm, and led her, unresisting, to the cranny that was
+the door of the cave. A glance over her shoulder
+showed Garry Hawks on his knee, hauling up the
+ladder. She knew that with its disappearance there
+would remain nought by which the searchers could
+guess whither she had vanished, or how. Once
+again, courage went out of her. In its place was
+despair.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_226' name='page_226'></a>226</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XX' id='CHAPTER_XX'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XX</h2>
+</div>
+<p>The cave into which Plutina now entered
+was a small, uneven chamber, some three
+yards in width at its highest point. It
+extended back for a little way, but the roof sloped
+downward so sharply that only in the central space
+could the girl stand upright, and even there Hodges
+had to stoop. On the far side was a hole in the
+rocky wall. It was hardly a yard in height, but
+the faint glow that marked it was proof that it
+reached to the daylight outside. At the best, it
+could serve as a passage-way only to one creeping
+on hands and knees. So much Plutina perceived
+in the first curious survey of her prison. The inspection
+was rendered possible by the murky light
+of a tallow candle, fixed in its own grease to a fragment
+of stone near the center of the cavern.</p>
+<p>As the outlaw released his hold on her arm, the
+girl sank down listlessly on a part of the wall that
+projected like a bench near the entrance. She leaned
+back against the cold stone, and her eyes closed.
+She felt a terrifying weakness, against which she
+battled with what strength she could summon. She
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_227' name='page_227'></a>227</span>
+dared not swoon, and so leave herself wholly helpless
+within the power of this man. She was white
+and trembling, but by force of will she held herself
+from falling, though her muscles seemed fluid as
+milk, and blackness whirled before her eyes.</p>
+<p>Nevertheless, Hodges was not minded to have a
+fainting woman on his hands. His prisoner&#8217;s appearance
+alarmed him, and he hurried to a corner
+of the cave, whence he quickly returned with a cup
+half-full of whiskey. This he held to Plutina&#8217;s lips.
+She accepted the service, for she could not lift a
+hand, so great was her weakness. She swallowed
+a part of the draught, and the strong liquor warmed
+and strengthened her. She was so far restored
+soon as to understand Hodges&#8217; closing sentence, for
+he had been mumbling at her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye hain&#8217;t so damned skittish as ye was yistiddy,&#8221;
+he jeered.</p>
+<p>Plutina had no spirit to reply. She could only
+sit in abject lassitude, content to feel the glow of the
+stimulant creeping through her veins. For a time,
+her thoughts were stilled by the bodily torpor. She
+welcomed the respite, glad to rest from the horror
+of her plight. She heard the raucous voice of the
+outlaw booming in her ears, but she paid no heed.
+She saw Garry Hawks come into the cavern, waddling
+under the burden of the rope-ladder, which
+he carried clumsily by reason of the wound in his
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_228' name='page_228'></a>228</span>
+arm. She observed that the outlaw said something
+to his minion, putting his lips close to the fellow&#8217;s
+ear, lest he be overheard. But she felt no curiosity
+as to the purport of this secret utterance, nor did
+she take interest when, immediately afterward, she
+beheld the wounded man get down on all fours and
+crawl out of sight through the hole in the opposite
+side of the cave.</p>
+<p>Little by little, the prisoner&#8217;s forces came back to
+her. Of a sudden, she aroused with a start, as
+though she had been asleep, albeit without any consciousness
+of having slept. She felt a new alertness
+now through all her members, and her brain was
+clear. Along with this well-being came again appreciation
+of the dreadfulness of her case. She grew
+rigid under the shock of dire realization, tensing
+her muscles, without volition, as if to repel attack.
+Her eyes went fearfully to Hodges, who sprawled
+at ease on a heap of spruce boughs across the cavern
+from her. The man was puffing lazily at a corncob
+pipe. The rank, acrid smell of the tobacco-smoke
+came to her nostrils, strangely home-like in
+this weird prison cell, aloft within the crags. She
+perceived, with infinite relief, that for the moment
+he appeared absorbed in his thoughts, disregardful
+of her presence. At least, she would have opportunity
+to fortify her spirit against the fear that
+beset her. She must ape bravery, even though she
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_229' name='page_229'></a>229</span>
+sickened with terror. Thus only could she hope
+to daunt the creature that threatened her. She had
+only moral strength with which to resist him.
+Physically, she would be as a child in his grasp,
+notwithstanding her quick, firm muscles. In a
+bodily contest, there could be but the single issue,
+her vanquishment. It would be hardly more than
+sport to him, the utmost of her frenzied strugglings.
+She saw the bloody marks of her fingers on his
+face, and remembered his stolid seeming of indifference
+to her fury. He had scorned her strength
+then. So, he would continue to scorn it&mdash;with reason,
+since it could by no means avail against him.
+No, she must have recourse to strength of will
+rather, to awe and intimidate him. She knew the
+folly of such means against the brutal desire of the
+man. But she clung to it as a meed of hope, because
+she had naught else to which to cling. Without
+a hope, even the falsest, she must have gone mad.</p>
+<p>One thing seemed favoring for the time. The
+man was evidently sober. Plutina wondered at that,
+for Hodges was not often sober, and excess of
+liquor was an accustomed part in all his pleasures.
+His abstinence now puzzled her, but it relieved her,
+too, since it promised some postponement of his
+worst advances. Thus encouraged, she set herself
+to review the situation in detail, in forlorn attempt
+to come on a way of escape. But a half-hour of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_230' name='page_230'></a>230</span>
+effort left her distraught. She could devise nothing
+to suit her need. Only one thought remained for
+tragical comfort in her wretchedness: In her last
+extremity, she might cast herself from the cliff.
+Better a thousand times clean death than defilement....
+Plutina remembered her grandfather&#8217;s regret
+over her having spared the outlaw. Now, with
+her finger on the trigger, there would have been no
+faltering, only joy and thanksgiving.</p>
+<p>The defenseless girl watched furtively. When,
+at last, Hodges stirred from his indolent sprawl,
+knocked the dottle from his pipe, and looked up
+at her, she shrank visibly. The blood rushed back
+to her heart in a flood, leaving her pallid, and she
+was trembling. Even in the feeble light from the
+guttering candle, Hodges could perceive her disturbance.
+It gratified him, and he laughed, in sinister
+glee over her emotion.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low ye&#8217;re gittin&#8217; some tame since yistiddy,&#8221;
+he exclaimed. He got to his feet slowly, whereat
+Plutina looked toward the entrance cleft, ready if
+the need came, to fly from him to the more merciful
+abyss. But Hodges moved toward the back of the
+cave where he brought out a stone jug from its
+niche, and returned to the bed of boughs. Seated
+again, he filled the tin cup full of spirits, and drank
+it down. With the pipe recharged and burning,
+he continued to sit in silence, regarding the girl with
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_231' name='page_231'></a>231</span>
+an unswerving intentness that tortured her. At short
+intervals, he replenished the cup and quaffed it
+thirstily. He was rapidly compensating for his
+earlier abstinence. Plutina, studying him covertly,
+noted the beginnings of drunkenness and its various
+stages. There was gruesome fascination in her
+scrutiny; for she knew that her honor rested on the
+hazard of a sot&#8217;s whim.</p>
+<p>Suddenly, the girl knew that the peril was very
+close upon her. Hodges was staring at her from
+his reddened eyes with a rampant lustfulness that
+was unmistakable. Again, she measured the distances,
+to make sure that the last desperate means
+of escape from his embraces lay open still. She
+meant, in the final crisis, to spring to the crevice,
+before he could approach within reach of her.
+There, with the verge of the cliff only a step away,
+she would make her plea, with death in the gulf as
+the alternative of failure, the ultimate safeguard
+of honor.</p>
+<p>There could be no doubt concerning the imminence
+of the danger. The usually red face of
+the outlaw was mottled purple, congested by the
+stimuli of liquor and passion. The thick under-lip
+hung slackly, quivering from time to time in
+the convulsive tremors of desire that ran over him.
+A high light fell on the man&#8217;s neck, where the open
+shirt left it bare. Plutina&#8217;s gaze was caught by the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_232' name='page_232'></a>232</span>
+slight rise and fall of the flesh above the artery.
+The movement was made distinguishable across the
+cavern by the effects of light and shade. The girl
+found herself mechanically counting the throbs.
+The rapidity of them amazed her. They witnessed
+the fever raging in his blood&mdash;the fever that
+clamored for assuagement from her. The galloping
+pulse enthralled her with horror. It made visible
+the vile fires raging in him. So swift the rhythm
+grew that a hideous hope sprang up in the watcher&mdash;hope
+that an apoplexy might stretch the man dead
+at her feet.</p>
+<p>Hodges reached for the jug, and poured from it
+into the cup, and drank. The girl perceived that,
+in the few seconds, his mood had changed utterly.
+The purple of his face was dingy with gray. He
+was trembling now. His eyes moved restlessly, as
+if fearful of something to issue from the darkness.
+Not once did they rest on her. She remembered
+the racing pulse in his throat, and looked for it.
+To her astonishment, it was no longer to be seen,
+though the light fell on the place as before. She
+knew then that the fever had died, and she marveled
+mightily. But she recognized more, for she was
+unharmed still. The changed mood of her enemy
+promised immunity, for a time at least.</p>
+<p>Yet once again, the outlaw drank. Then, without
+a word to the prisoner, or so much as a look in
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_233' name='page_233'></a>233</span>
+her direction, he got down on his hands and knees,
+and crawled out of sight through the hole in the
+wall.</p>
+<p>For what seemed to her ages, Plutina waited for
+his return, dreading a new, obscene mood. But the
+time dragged on, and there was no sign of his
+coming. The candle flared and smoked, went out.
+The girl huddled in the dark, listening now, for her
+eyes could not pierce the blackness. The roar of
+the waterfall filled her ears. The noise dismayed
+her, for it must inevitably cover all lesser sounds,
+even those close at hand. Any evil might leap on
+her without warning, out of the darkness. She felt
+her helplessness multiplied, intolerable, thus blinded
+and deafened. She longed to shriek, pitting shrill
+clamor against the bass thunders of the cascade.
+She began to fear lest madness seize her if she remained
+longer thus supinely crouching amid the
+terrors of this place. Obeying a sudden impulse,
+she got up, and gropingly, with shuffling, cautious
+steps, moved across the cavern. When she reached
+the opposite wall, she got down on hands and knees,
+and crawled until her searching fingers found the
+emptiness of the hole through which the men had
+passed. Then, she drew back a little, and sat with
+alert ears, sure that none could issue into the cavern
+now without her knowledge.</p>
+<p>The relief afforded by the action soon waned.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_234' name='page_234'></a>234</span>
+Terrors crowded on her again in the second period
+of waiting. In desperation, she determined to explore
+the hole itself. She tried to examine the
+project carefully and found nothing to stay her
+purpose. Joy leaped in her at the thought that a
+way of escape even might be ready to her hand.
+She believed it more likely, however, that the passage
+led merely to another chamber in the cliff.
+If such should be the case, and either or both of the
+men were sleeping there, she could probably ascertain
+the fact readily without being herself discovered,
+since here the sound of the falls was muffled.
+Forthwith, she crept slowly within the opening.</p>
+<p>The progress was snail-like. The rough rock of
+the floor cut into her knees cruelly, but she disregarded
+the pain, and went forward. She tested
+each inch of the way by feeling over the stones with
+her hands, on either side and along the floor. The
+narrowness of the passage, which was hardly more
+than its height, rendered thorough examination
+easy. She found no lateral openings, nor did the
+space grow perceptibly larger. It suddenly occurred
+to her, after having advanced steadily, though very
+slowly, for five minutes, that she could not turn
+around. To return, she must back out. The idea
+appalled her, and she meditated retreat. Then, while
+she was yet undecided, the hand groping in front of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_235' name='page_235'></a>235</span>
+her touched on stone above the floor level. A short
+investigation proved that here the passage was
+barred. She could feel space between the edges of
+the tunnel and the mass of stone that closed it.
+Since there was no other point of egress, both men
+must have passed through. Afterward, the opening
+had been closed by rolling a heavy rock before it.
+She put her strength in pressure against the stone,
+without avail. It was too heavy for her muscles.
+She realized that by this simple means she was shut
+within her prison. It was almost with relief that
+she began to creep backward&mdash;to be astounded by
+the shortness of the way. It was scarcely a minute
+before she was in the chamber again. To guard
+against surprise in the darkness, she pushed the
+couch of boughs a little way along the wall, so that
+it projected across the mouth of the tunnel. This
+done, she seated herself on the branches, assured that
+no one could enter the cavern without giving her
+warning. Even should she sleep, the thrusting away
+of the boughs from the orifice must surely awaken
+her.</p>
+<p>Nevertheless, Plutina did not expect the boon
+of sleep, though she longed for it with aching intensity.
+In spite of this temporary respite, she
+could see no way of escape from the outlaw&#8217;s
+power, except by death. The vagaries of a
+drunken mood had saved her to-night: they could
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_236' name='page_236'></a>236</span>
+not save her for long. And, then, even while she
+mourned the hopelessness of her case, oblivion fell
+on her, and she slept the reposeful, dreamless slumber
+of utter exhaustion.</p>
+<p>A violent shaking of the bed of boughs startled
+the prisoner back to consciousness. For the fraction
+of a second, her mind was chaos. Then remembrance
+came, and rending fear. But there was
+one comfort&mdash;day had dawned: she could see.
+There was no one with her in the chamber. The
+moving branches warned that the intruder was still
+in the tunnel. There was time for her to gain the
+crevice, where she could forbid any approach, where
+if her command failed, she could throw herself
+from the cliff. She darted across the width of the
+room, and stood in the cleft, strained back against
+the rock, her eyes staring affrightedly toward the
+opposite wall. All her woman&#8217;s terrors were crashing
+upon her now. She felt Death clawing at her
+over the brow of the ledge, fierce to drag her into
+the depths. One of the hands clutching at her
+bosom touched the fairy crystal, and she seized it
+despairingly, and clung to it, as if the secret spell
+of it might hold her back to life.</p>
+<p>Abruptly, a broken cry of relief fluttered from
+her lips, for she saw the shock head of Garry
+Hawks thrust from the tunnel&#8217;s mouth. Toward
+him, she felt no fear, only contempt. In the reaction,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_237' name='page_237'></a>237</span>
+she trembled so that she could hardly stand,
+and for a few moments her eyes closed. Only the
+rock against which she leaned saved her from
+crumbling to the floor. The weakness passed very
+quickly, however, and she was again mistress of
+herself by the time Hawks had scrambled to his
+feet.</p>
+<p>The fellow had little to say, answering surlily
+the questions put to him by Plutina. He plainly cherished
+animosity against the girl who had wounded
+him, which was natural enough. As plainly, he
+did not dare vent his spite too openly against the
+object of his chief&#8217;s fondness. He brought with
+him a bag containing bread and a liberal allowance
+of cooked slices of bacon, and a jug of water. His
+information was to the effect that Hodges would
+not return until nightfall. He left in the fashion
+of his coming, by the tunnel. Plutina immediately
+replaced the boughs, and, when she had eaten and
+drunk, again seated herself on the rough bed. From
+time to time, she went to the crevice, and stared
+out over the wild landscape longingly. But the
+height gave her a vertigo if she stepped forth upon
+the ledge. For that reason, she did not venture outside
+the crevice after a single attempt, which set
+her brain reeling. She remained instead well within
+the cleft, where she was unaffected by the height,
+while able to behold the vast reaches of sunlit
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_238' name='page_238'></a>238</span>
+space before her. The area about the foot of the
+precipice was, however, cut off from her vision.
+So it came about that, though she went twice to the
+crevice and looked out during the intervals while
+the marshal, first with his men and afterward with
+her grandfather, was searching about the pool, she
+knew nothing concerning the nearness of aid. She
+could not see the men, and the din of the falls
+covered their voices.</p>
+<p>Occasionally, the girl lapsed into a quietude that
+was half-stupor and half-sleep, the while she reclined
+on the boughs. These were blessed periods
+of rest for the over-strained nerves, and she strove
+to prolong them&mdash;always in vain. For the most
+part, she hurried about with febrile, aimless movements.
+She found herself wondering often if to-day
+were to be the last of her life. She could see
+no other issue. The night would bring Hodges,
+and the crisis of her fate. She could not hope for a
+second escape through a drunken vagary. There
+would be only the leap from the ledge to-night. As
+she stood in the crevice, and looked out on the
+smiling sylvan glory of the scene, as the soft summer
+breeze caressed her cheeks, and the balsamic
+air filled her bosom with its gently penetrant vigors,
+she realized as never before the miracle of life, its
+goodness and sweet savors. She cried out against
+the hideous thing that was come upon her. The
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_239' name='page_239'></a>239</span>
+every fiber of her being flamed in revolt against
+the idea of death. Every atom of her clamored
+for life and love. And there were only shame and
+death for her choice. She took out the fairy crystal,
+and prayed to the sacred sign it bore, beholding
+it dimly though scalding tears. But faith flickered
+and went out. Her soul sickened.... For her,
+there was nothing else&mdash;just shame and death. No&mdash;only
+death.</p>
+<p>Plutina would have tried escape by the rope-ladder,
+but she found its weight too much for her
+strength, so sorely over-tried by racking emotions.
+Even had she been able to carry the burden it would
+have availed nothing, for the dizziness attacked her
+whenever she drew near the verge. In her desperation,
+she even crept the length of the tunnel a second
+time, on the faint chance that the exit might
+now be less secure. She found the rock barrier
+immovable as before, though the rim of light
+showed that here was, in very truth, the way to
+freedom, and she pushed frantically at the obstacle
+until utterly exhausted.</p>
+<p>It was when evening drew down that, at last,
+there sounded the noise of a writhing body within
+the tunnel, and, from her point of refuge close to
+the crevice, she saw the outlaw crawl out of the
+passage, and stand before her like a demon of the
+darkness, leering at her fatuously.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_240' name='page_240'></a>240</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;You-all is shore makin&#8217; quite a visit,&#8221; he remarked,
+with heavy sarcasm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;An&#8217; it kain&#8217;t he&#8217;p ye none, Dan,&#8221; Plutina retorted.
+&#8220;I hates ye, an&#8217; yer keepin&#8217; me hyar hain&#8217;t
+goin&#8217; to do ye no good. If ye goes fer to lay a
+finger on me, I&#8217;ll go over the cliff. I&#8217;m worse scairt
+o&#8217; yer touchin&#8217; me than I be o&#8217; the rocks down thar,
+Dan.&#8221; Her voice was colorless, but an undertone
+of finality ran in it.</p>
+<p>The outlaw regarded her sharply from his inflamed
+eyes. It may be that her sincerity impressed
+him. Yet, he betrayed no feeling as he answered,
+carelessly:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hain&#8217;t no call fer ye to be so damned ornery.
+I hain&#8217;t a-goin&#8217; to tech ye&mdash;yit. We&#8217;ll be together
+quite a spell, I reckon&mdash;till I gits sick o&#8217; havin&#8217; ye
+round. If I wanted ye I could jump ye easy from
+hyar. I&#8217;m some spry, if I be big. But ye needn&#8217;t
+be skeered, I&#8217;m tellin&#8217; ye. I hain&#8217;t a-goin&#8217; to tech ye&mdash;yit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The final monosyllable was charged with sinister
+import, but the man&#8217;s assurance of her present
+safety was, somehow, convincing, and she accepted
+it with the emotional gratitude of one sentenced
+to death who receives a reprieve. She sank down
+on the stone bench near the crevice, and watched
+her jailer with unwavering attention, while he produced
+a candle from his pocket, and lighted it, and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_241' name='page_241'></a>241</span>
+had recourse again to the stone jug of whiskey,
+which had remained by the bed of boughs.</p>
+<p>To-night, the fiery drams made him garrulous,
+and he discussed his affairs, his hopes, and plans,
+with a freedom that showed how complete was his
+expectation of retaining the girl in his power.
+Thus, Plutina learned of the search being made for
+her, which was now the active cause in changing
+the outlaw&#8217;s purpose in the immediate disposal of
+his prisoner.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was aimin&#8217; to lay low with ye right hyar,&#8221; he
+explained, after his fourth sup of the spirits. &#8220;But
+I reckon hit&#8217;s a goin&#8217; to be a heap safer to skedaddle.
+I ain&#8217;t a-wantin&#8217; no damned dawgs fer
+to chaw me up. So I&#8217;m goin&#8217; to mosey over Bull
+Head t&#8217;-morrer. You-all &#8217;ll go &#8217;long, nice an&#8217;
+peaceable&mdash;er ye&#8217;ll be drug.&#8221; He spoke with a
+snarl now. &#8220;Ye&#8217;ll know hit, when I once git ye
+cross the state line&mdash;cuss ye! Ye&#8217;ll find I hain&#8217;t so
+damned shy, arter all!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Plutina cowered before the savage threat in the
+words. There was no mistaking the expression in
+the lustful eyes burning on her. His regard was
+in itself contamination. It was the prophecy of
+worse, of the final wickedness, to come. The afflicted
+girl thrilled with loathing before the satyr-like
+aspect of this man, foul of flesh and soul. But,
+along with abhorrence of the creature who held her
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_242' name='page_242'></a>242</span>
+in his keeping so ruthlessly, there was another emotion&mdash;that
+recurrent wonder concerning such delay
+in the base gratification craved by his passion. She
+could not doubt the fierce longing that seethed in
+his veins. It was like a visible thing flaming from
+him; and tangible, for she felt the impact of those
+brutal desires thronging against the white shield
+of her own purity, powerless to penetrate, yet nauseating
+her by the unclean impact. What, then,
+interposed to check him? What hidden force held
+him back from working his will against her? She
+could make no surmise. Certainly, here was no
+physical restraint to stay him. As certainly, no
+moral reason would be of effect. The thing was
+altogether mysterious. So, she marveled mightily,
+and was curious to understand, even while she
+thanked God for the further respite. And now,
+too, hope began to burn again. Surely, if she were
+to accompany him on the trails as he had said, there
+would come the opportunity for escape. He could
+not be on guard ceaselessly. Vigilance must relax
+on occasion. It would not be then as here in this
+dreadful cavern, perched &#8217;twixt earth and sky....
+She broke off to listen, for the outlaw, having
+filled his pipe and drained a deep draught of the
+liquor, was become loquacious again. This time,
+thanks to the drink, he waxed confidential, intimate
+even.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_243' name='page_243'></a>243</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;I kin git away from hyar, an&#8217; no damned dawg
+kain&#8217;t foller my tracks, nuther. Er if he does, he&#8217;ll
+drap inter the Devil&#8217;s Kittle. But I knows my way
+&#8217;bout in these-hyar mountings. An&#8217; ye needn&#8217;t be
+afeared o&#8217; losin&#8217; me, Honey. I&#8217;ll hang onto ye
+good an&#8217; tight. When I git ye over the line, I&#8217;ll
+have a parson, if ye want. I hain&#8217;t a-keerin&#8217; one way,
+or t&#8217;other. But I got to have ye, willin&#8217; or not willin&#8217;,
+parson or no parson. I&#8217;d hev ye t&#8217;-night if
+&#8217;twan&#8217;t fer jest one cussed thing. Hit&#8217;s a&#8217;mighty
+hard to hev yer blood a-b&#8217;ilin&#8217;, till ye&#8217;re like to bust
+jest &#8217;cause of a slip of a gal, what ye could smash
+in yer two han&#8217;s&mdash;an&#8217; her so high an&#8217; mighty!&#8221;
+The querulous voice ceased, while he had recourse
+again to the stone jug.</p>
+<p>When next he spoke, it was evident that his mood
+had changed. He was no longer harshly self-assertive,
+vainglorious, or brutally frank concerning the
+passion that consumed him. He was, instead,
+strangely reminiscent, with involuntary revelation
+of the weakness that preyed upon him. The girl
+was grateful for the change in him, but her bewilderment
+increased.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I seen a feller hung once,&#8221; Hodges said. His
+guttural, awed tones were hushed almost to a
+whisper. &#8220;They pulled a black cap down over &#8217;is
+face, so&#8217;s he couldn&#8217;t see nothin&#8217; &#8217;bout what he was
+up ag&#8217;inst. An&#8217; his han&#8217;s was tied together behind
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_244' name='page_244'></a>244</span>
+&#8217;is neck, with the knot up under his ear&mdash;&#8217;is left
+ear, I &#8217;member hit was. I &#8217;member partic&#8217;lar.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The speaker&#8217;s gaze had been downcast; not once
+had he looked at Plutina. It was as if he had forgotten
+the girl&#8217;s presence there with him, and
+communed aloud with his own gristly memories
+of the death-scene he had witnessed. His huge
+bulk seemed somehow shrunken&mdash;a physical shriveling
+in response to the craven fear in his soul. That
+gray, mottled purple of his face showed again.
+Plutina wondered, if, indeed, this same memory
+had been in his thoughts the night before. But, if
+so, it only made the thing the more inexplicable.
+Why should a hanging, long-past, thus haunt him?
+He was no nervous weakling, to be tortured by
+imaginary fears. Yet, now, he displayed unmistakable
+signs of terror, in his voice, his eyes, his
+whole mien, in the shaking haste that spilled the
+half of the drink he poured out.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I seen &#8217;im hung,&#8221; he repeated, abjectly. &#8220;They
+let the trap drap from under his feet&mdash;an&#8217; &#8217;im all
+tied, an&#8217; thet-thar black cap pulled down over &#8217;is
+face to blind &#8217;im. Hit were plumb awful fer to
+see &#8217;im drap. An&#8217; then the rope stopped &#8217;im right
+in the air. Hit were a drefful yank he got. They
+say, hit broke &#8217;is neck, so&#8217;s he didn&#8217;t feel nothin&#8217;
+more. But I dunno. Hit looked like he felt a heap,
+fer he kicked an&#8217; squirmed like hell. Hit weren&#8217;t
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_245' name='page_245'></a>245</span>
+purty fer to see. I&#8217;ve seen a big bull-frog what I&#8217;ve
+speared kick an&#8217; squirm jest like &#8217;im. No, hit
+weren&#8217;t purty. I&#8217;d shore hate fer to have my neck
+bruk thet-thar way. Damn the law, anyhow! They
+hadn&#8217;t orter treat no white man thet-thar way. Hit
+must feel awful, a-standin&#8217; up thar, with thet-thar
+cap down over ye, shuttin&#8217; out everythin&#8217;&mdash;ferever;
+an&#8217; with thet-thar noose round yer neck, an&#8217; the
+knot a-ticklin&#8217; yer ear&mdash;yer left ear. I &#8217;member
+specially. An&#8217; a-knowin&#8217; the noose is a-goin&#8217; to
+tighten, an&#8217; cut off yer breath&mdash;fer always. An&#8217;
+a-standin&#8217; on thet-thar trap, an&#8217; a-knowin&#8217; hit&#8217;s
+goin&#8217; to drap&mdash;a-knowin&#8217; the bottom&#8217;s a-goin&#8217; to
+drap right out o&#8217;&mdash;everythin&#8217;! I don&#8217;t never want
+my neck bruk no sech way&#8217;s thet. Hit hain&#8217;t
+right.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Plutina, staring wide-eyed, saw to her stupefaction
+that tears trickled from the eyes of the maudlin
+man; she heard him whimpering. Once more,
+he poured himself a drink. He mumbled unintelligibly
+for a little. Then, of a sudden, his voice
+rose in a last flare of energy, before he rolled on
+the boughs in sodden slumber.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Damn the law in this-hyar state! Hit hain&#8217;t
+right, nohow. Jest &#8217;cause a feller loves a gal&mdash;to
+hang &#8217;im! I hain&#8217;t afeared o&#8217; nothin&#8217; else, s&#8217;fur&#8217;s
+I knows, but I&#8217;d hate fer to have my neck bruk like
+his&#8217;n was. I hain&#8217;t a-takin&#8217; no chancet o&#8217; thet. I&#8217;ll
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_246' name='page_246'></a>246</span>
+wait till I&#8217;m over the line. But hit&#8217;s hell to crave
+a woman!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Raucous snores told the girl that the man slept,
+that again she had passed through the ordeal in
+safety. And now, at last, she knew the cause of her
+escape thus far. The mystery that had baffled her
+was a mystery no longer. Out of the creature&#8217;s
+own mouth had come the explanation. Driven on
+by gusty passion as he was, a yet stronger emotion
+triumphed over lust. Of imagination he had little,
+but he had seen a man hanged. His memory of
+that death had been her salvation, for such is the
+punishment meted to the violator of a woman in
+North Carolina. In Dan Hodges, that master emotion,
+lust, had met a mightier&mdash;fear. Because he was
+a coward, he had not ventured even the least caress,
+lest passion seize him and make him mad&mdash;forgetful
+of how that other man died so horribly. She had
+been spared because between him and her a scaffold
+loomed.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_247' name='page_247'></a>247</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXI' id='CHAPTER_XXI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXI</h2>
+</div>
+<p>The full-throated baying of a hound. Men,
+far in the valleys below Stone Mountain,
+looked up, and listened, wondering. But
+those on the mountain heard and understood: Dan
+Hodges was being run to earth.</p>
+<p>The clew offered by the wet place on the cliff had
+sufficed for the three men who accompanied the
+stag-hound. They had marked the spot carefully
+in memory by its distance from a certain stunted
+pine growing above it and a rift in the precipice to
+one side. Then they had ascended a furlong to
+the north, where the ascent was gradual and broken.
+When they had made sure that they were at the
+proper level, they searched for an approach to the
+desired ledge. The dog found the scent by the tunnel,
+but Brant did not loose the animal. Stone&#8217;s
+eyes caught traces of where a bowlder had been
+moved. A little more searching revealed the opening
+covered by the stone, which they rolled aside.</p>
+<p>&#8220;But he&#8217;s not there, now,&#8221; Brant declared, as he
+restrained the eager dog. &#8220;Jack is wild to be off,
+and he wouldn&#8217;t take a back track.&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_248' name='page_248'></a>248</span></p>
+<p>Uncle Dick, eager to make sure, would have attempted
+the passage, but Stone interposed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll go,&#8221; he declared. &#8220;It&#8217;s my right&mdash;my prisoner,
+you know. Anyhow, it&#8217;ll be a snug-enough
+fit for me, and I&#8217;m smaller than you, Uncle Dick.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The old man grudgingly admitted the fact, and
+made way for the marshal. In five minutes, Stone
+was back.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nobody there,&#8221; he announced.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then it&#8217;s up to Jack,&#8221; Brant exclaimed, and
+slipped the leash.</p>
+<p>The hound shot forward in full cry. The men
+hurried after at top speed. Almost immediately,
+the dog vanished among the thickets. There came
+a clatter of sliding stones, as the big beast went
+galloping up the rise toward the crest of the mountain.
+The men followed as best they might, guided
+by the baying. Uncle Dick listened with bloodthirsty
+hopefulness for the crack of Zeke&#8217;s rifle,
+which he would recognize.</p>
+<p>The fugitive himself heard the hound&#8217;s sonorous
+summons, and wasted breath in cursing. He cursed
+his potations over-night, which had led him to sleep
+beyond the sunrise. But for such drunken folly,
+he would have had the trailer hopelessly at fault.
+Now, at best, it would be a close race&mdash;and there
+was the girl to hamper and hinder. She was running
+at his side, obedient to the pressure of his
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_249' name='page_249'></a>249</span>
+hands. He had replaced the cowhide thong, with
+her hands in front of her, and with play enough for
+free movement. So far, she had made no resistance
+to his commands. But the barking of the dog would
+warn her. If she should turn balky&mdash;</p>
+<p>What the outlaw feared, came to pass. The
+hoarse baying sounded to Plutina&#8217;s ears like sweetest
+music. The first note told her that friends were
+at hand for a rescue from the monster by her side.
+Her heart leaped in the joy of it. A new courage
+surged in her&mdash;courage to defy this creature that
+held her in thrall.</p>
+<p>They were come already across the most of the
+plain of naked rock that is the top of the mountain.
+They had rushed without pause through the little
+grove of dwarf pines that grows near the Devil&#8217;s
+Slide, above the Cauldron. They were come, indeed,
+to the very edge of the Slide itself before Plutina
+acted. After all, it was not the new courage, but a
+newer fear, that forced her. She had one swift
+glimpse of the valley spread a thousand feet below,
+the giant trees like tiniest saplings, so far away&mdash;that
+dear, adorable valley, where were home and
+peace and love. But, between her and it, the precipice
+fell; between her and it, the Devil&#8217;s Pot boiled;
+between her and it was this man, who drove her
+with curses. She looked away from the beloved
+valley into the loathsome face, and she saw the fear
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_250' name='page_250'></a>250</span>
+in his eyes&mdash;fear, and something else that terrified
+her. She realized suddenly that she was on the
+very verge of the Slide, where none might venture
+and live. There, just beyond, was the darkened surface
+of the rock where the shallow stream went
+slithering down into the Cauldron. An hysteria
+of fear gripped her, as he dragged her forward, out
+upon the sloping stone that dipped toward the abyss.
+She believed that he meant to hurl her from the
+height. Thus, there would be left no evidence of
+his crime. His passion for her was nothing now&mdash;only
+his passion for life.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Quick, damn ye!&#8221; Hodges rasped. &#8220;I know the
+way in the dark. Ye needn&#8217;t be skeered none with
+me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He meant it; but the girl did not believe. She
+thought it a ruse to get her closer to the edge. She
+shrieked in despair, and sprang away from him.
+His clutch on the thong checked her. He jerked her
+back to him, hardly pausing in his stride. She
+struck at his face furiously, but he dragged her on
+toward the brink, mouthing at her with foul oaths.
+She fell to her knees, and hung, screaming, a dead
+weight. The baying of the hound sounded closer.
+Hodges threw a glance over his shoulder, and saw
+the dog charging from the grove. He would have
+fired, but the girl was in the way. With a final
+blasphemy, he dropped his rifle, and struck at her&mdash;full
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_251' name='page_251'></a>251</span>
+in the face. She sank down limply, unconscious.
+Her body slid away slowly, yet with a
+quickening movement, toward the gulf.</p>
+<p>Hodges gave not even a look to his victim. He
+heard the challenge of the hound, now fairly upon
+him. There was no time to shoot. He used cunning
+instead. A mighty jump carried him over
+the moist surface where the stream flowed. He
+alighted on the dry rock. His bare feet clutched and
+held on the sloping surface.... No instinct
+warned the hound. Its leap brought it down in the
+wet run-way. Its feet shot from under. The
+force of its rush finished the work. The outlaw
+turned just in time to see the hound disappear over
+the cliff.</p>
+<p>Before he had time for exultation over this victory,
+before he could look to see how fared the
+girl whom he had struck down so ruthlessly, before
+he guessed the new peril, another enemy was upon
+him.</p>
+<p>Zeke, too, had heard the baying of the hound.
+Trembling with eagerness, where he lurked behind
+a screen of bushes at the south of the grove, he
+knew that the dog was hot on the trail. He went
+racing toward the sound, with the bull-terrier at
+his heels. He had just entered among the trees,
+when he saw the hound careen past him. He followed,
+and, as he issued into the open, saw the man
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_252' name='page_252'></a>252</span>
+and the girl struggling on the edge of the precipice.
+He sickened at the spectacle, but there was no faltering.
+With every atom of energy in speed, he
+darted down the slope. He saw the blow that
+crumpled Plutina to the rock. He saw it through
+a veil of red. What he did not see was the low,
+stealthy, yet quickening, slide of her body toward
+the brim of the abyss. So, all unconscious of that
+peril to the one he loved, he sprang to attack his
+enemy. He saw the hound&#8217;s fate, and understood
+the cause of it. He, in turn, cleared the treacherous
+wet surface by a mighty leap. That leap brought
+him full on the outlaw&#8217;s back. The two men went
+down together.</p>
+<p>The crash of Hodges&#8217; head on the rock had well
+been enough to crack an ordinary skull. But his
+was strong, and the unkempt thatch of hair cushioned
+it, so that he got no serious hurt. A little
+dazed by the blow, and by the unexpectedness of the
+onslaught&mdash;nothing more. And he had the bravery
+of triumphant physical strength. In the instant of
+attack, he fought back viciously, with blind thrust
+and clutch. A long, powerful arm writhed around
+Zeke like a band of steel, and held the assailant immovable.
+Lying there on his back, the outlaw
+looked up into Zeke&#8217;s face, and recognized it, and
+cursed this unexpected foe obscenely.</p>
+<p>Zeke wasted no energy in words. He was mad
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_253' name='page_253'></a>253</span>
+with rage against the man he hated. His one desire
+was to kill. He twined his fingers in the tangled
+hair, and beat the head upon the stone floor again
+and again. But the leverage of his arms was cut
+down too much. He could not even stun the outlaw,
+much less kill. He could not reach his rifle,
+which he had dropped when he sprang to the attack.
+He could not draw his revolver by reason of the
+encircling arms. He could only hammer his enemy&#8217;s
+head on the rock, with a cruel lust for slaughter
+that availed nothing except to madden him by its
+futility. His strength, great though it was, was not
+enough against the man he fought.</p>
+<p>Hodges proved the fact presently, for by a tremendous
+effort, he turned, and pinned Zeke underneath.
+The force of the impact under the outlaw&#8217;s
+heavy weight laid the lad unconscious. The
+fingers unclenched from his adversary&#8217;s hair; he
+lay limp. Hodges rose to his feet, with shambling
+haste. But, if he meant to kill, fate thwarted him.
+One foot was placed on the treacherous dampened
+rock. It slid from under him. He was thrown
+from his balance, and sprawled at length. He
+scrambled on all fours toward the other side of
+the run-way with desperate haste. He did not attempt
+to rise. A moment later, he slipped slowly
+over the brow of the cliff.</p>
+<p>Seth Jones, just issuing from the grove, saw the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_254' name='page_254'></a>254</span>
+vanishing of the outlaw, but, at the distance, he
+could not distinguish the man&#8217;s identity or that of
+the other, lying motionless on the sloping rock. For
+the instant, however, he gave no heed to either for
+sheer horror of something else he saw&mdash;the unconscious
+girl, moving so inexorably to her doom. He
+shouted in despair, as he raced toward her. But
+he knew he must be too late. He was powerless to
+stay her fall&mdash;as was the bull-terrier, which had
+seized her skirt and still clung, only to be dragged
+down with her into the void. Before he was come
+to the beginning of the Slide, girl and dog had traversed
+it&mdash;had shot out into the emptiness of
+space.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_255' name='page_255'></a>255</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXII' id='CHAPTER_XXII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXII</h2>
+</div>
+<p>The veteran gazed down at the sloping expanse
+of stone that curved to the sheer
+drop of the precipice. He was absolutely
+helpless in the face of the catastrophe he had witnessed.
+A man, a girl and a dog had gone to their
+death in this frightful place within the minute. Already,
+the corpses were stewing in the Devil&#8217;s Pot
+half-a-thousand feet below, he reflected grimly.
+There was nothing to be done for them now, or
+ever. He felt a whirl of nausea within him, but
+fought back the weakness. He shuddered, as he
+thought of the man behind him, lying senseless on
+the edge of the Slide. Was it Hodges whom he
+had seen plunge into the depths, or was it&mdash;Zeke?
+It was with fearful apprehension that he turned at
+last to learn as to which remained.</p>
+<p>A little cry of relief escaped him, for at a glance
+he recognized Zeke. He sprang forward, and, in
+a moment, had assured himself that the young man
+was not dead, was not even seriously wounded. He
+guessed that a fall on the rocks had merely stunned.
+As best he could with one hand, he got out his
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_256' name='page_256'></a>256</span>
+pocket-flask, and finally managed to force a little
+of the liquor between the clenched teeth. Presently,
+it took effect. The color came back into Zeke&#8217;s
+face, and he stirred, and groaned. Then he sat up,
+resting against the veteran&#8217;s arm.</p>
+<p>Before there was time for any interchange of
+words between the two, a shout aroused them to
+look toward the grove. They saw the marshal
+dashing down the slope. Close behind him ran Cyclone
+Brant. Uncle Dick lagged a little, the burden
+of years pressing too heavily at last. The three
+came swiftly and gathered about the two on the edge
+of the Slide. Dismay was writ large on their faces.
+The silence of the hound, Zeke stricken and alone
+with the veteran, aroused their suspicion of disaster.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where&#8217;s Jack?&#8221; Brant demanded. His heart
+was in the question. The fate of the others was of
+less concern to him than that of the animal he loved.</p>
+<p>Zeke answered, strongly enough, for now energy
+was flowing back into him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;The hound went over,&#8221; he said, regretfully. &#8220;I
+saw him. He slipped an&#8217; fell, an&#8217; was gone like a
+flash.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Brant turned away to hide his distress.</p>
+<p>But in Zeke recollection welled. He clutched at
+the marshal, and drew himself to his feet, where,
+after an instant, he stood firmly. His eyes went
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_257' name='page_257'></a>257</span>
+searchingly over the barren surface of the Slide.
+They dilated. Fright lined his face&mdash;then, horror.
+He stared wildly, his gaze roving over all the mountain-top,
+once and again&mdash;and again. When words
+came, they were broken, surcharged with the horrid
+fear that was on him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Whar&mdash;whar is she&mdash;Tiny?&#8221;</p>
+<p>His look went to the four men in turn, piteously
+pleading. Each of the three met the look and answered
+it by a shake of the head. But the veteran
+could not endure the anguish in the lover&#8217;s eyes.
+His own dropped. He did not shake his head.
+Zeke strove for courage.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Whar is she?&#8221; he demanded, at length. His
+voice was more composed now, but his eyes were
+flaming.</p>
+<p>The veteran answered very softly, but without
+any attempt at evasion.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I saw her go, Zeke&mdash;over the cliff. Thet little
+dawg o&#8217; your&#8217;n had a holt on her skirt. But he
+hadn&#8217;t the heft to keep her from goin&#8217;. The dawg
+did the best he knew how. But &#8217;twa&#8217;n&#8217;t no use, an&#8217;
+he went, too. I was too fur off to grab her. I
+reckon she fainted. She didn&#8217;t scream, ner move
+none to save herself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was a little period of silence. These men
+were schooled to the concealment of deepest emotions.
+There was no frantic outburst from the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_258' name='page_258'></a>258</span>
+bereaved lover, from the afflicted grandfather.
+There was not even comment or further questioning.
+Of what avail? The thing was done. The
+girl was lost forever, dead. But the other men
+looked away, lest they see the agony in Zeke&#8217;s
+face.</p>
+<p>Abruptly, the young man started walking down
+the slope. He wore shoes, and they slipped a little
+on the smooth stone. Straight down toward the
+brink he strode. The curve of the dome made
+every step more perilous. It was a natural, an irresistible
+impulse to look on the precise place where
+the loved one had perished, but it appeared as if
+he walked to his death. Indeed, his danger was
+grave, for he had forgotten the shoes he wore....
+Or, perhaps, he did not care! Uncle Dick
+uttered an oath, and leaped in pursuit. It was only
+a matter of seconds to overtake the young man,
+seize him, turn him about and march him back with
+fierce expostulations that were a welcome vent to
+emotion.</p>
+<p>Zeke obeyed readily, aware of his momentary
+folly. Then, as he rejoined the group, hate flared
+again. Memory of the fight was confused by the
+blow on his head. He questioned Seth Jones harshly,
+with a single word:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hodges?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The veteran permitted himself a faint smile. The
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_259' name='page_259'></a>259</span>
+cruelty of the soldier, accustomed to violent deaths,
+was in it. There was, too, a curious smugness, a secret
+complacency.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I &#8217;low yer wits are some shook up yit, bein&#8217; as
+how ye disremember,&#8221; he remarked easily. &#8220;Ye
+trun Hodges over the cliff, Zeke, jest as ye went
+down. Hit were nip an&#8217; tuck atween ye, an&#8217; ye
+bested &#8217;im.&#8221; The kindly veteran believed the lie
+would be a life-long source of satisfaction to the
+lad, who had been so fearfully despoiled. Now, his
+belief was justified by the fierce pleasure that showed
+for a moment in Zeke&#8217;s pain-drawn face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I kain&#8217;t seem to remember,&#8221; he said, perplexedly.
+&#8220;But I&#8217;m shore glad I killed him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Then, again, silence fell. There could be no triumph
+really over the death of Hodges, because it
+had involved the destruction of Plutina as well. The
+five men stood about awkwardly. The solemnity
+of death lay like a pall over them. In the stress of
+suffering, Zeke had moved on from youth to the full
+stature of manhood. Uncle Dick had added a score
+of years to his apparent age. Brant grieved much,
+if less seriously. Only the veteran and the marshal
+had escaped personal loss, though they, too,
+mourned deeply. None ventured to suggest leaving
+the doomed spot. It seemed as if a sinister spell
+held them there, vaguely expectant, though wistful
+to flee.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_260' name='page_260'></a>260</span></p>
+<p>Rather, perhaps, it was their sadness that made
+seem sinister a spell actually benignant. For, of a
+sudden, while they still stood mute, Brant raised a
+hand to command attention, and pointed toward
+the verge of the precipice.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hark!&#8221; he commanded.</p>
+<p>They listened intently. Then, all heard a faint,
+tremulous, whimpering note, long drawn-out, querulously
+appealing. Zeke started and stared in the direction
+of the sound with an incredulous frown.
+Brant shook his head sorrowfully: it was not the
+voice of Jack. The others were merely bewildered
+by this unexpected development.</p>
+<p>The whining continued, grew louder. Came a
+plaintive yelp. Out of the abyss was thrust a clinging
+paw, another. The squat face of the bull-terrier
+peered at them from over the top of the cliff.
+Next instant, the dog had scrambled safely on the
+Slide. It raced to Zeke with shrill cries of delight,
+leaped high to its master&#8217;s breast, where it was
+caught and held closely. The slavering tongue lavished
+caresses. Zeke felt a warm glow of comfort
+in the creature&#8217;s return. Yet, it did but render
+more frightful the loss of that being so infinitely
+more precious. He hardly heard Uncle Dick speaking.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s dum curi&#8217;s,&#8221; the old man said, lowering
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_261' name='page_261'></a>261</span>
+on Seth Jones. &#8220;I thought as how ye said the pup
+was a-hangin&#8217; on to Tiny&#8217;s dress.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It was so,&#8221; the veteran answered. &#8220;I &#8217;low the
+dawg must &#8217;a&#8217; let loose when hit got in the air.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s dum curi&#8217;s,&#8221; Uncle Dick repeated, and
+turned to regard the bull-terrier with bent brows.</p>
+<p>Zeke himself put a term to the mystification that
+had gripped him as well as the others. He raised a
+hand to the dog&#8217;s throat, to restrain the too eager
+demonstrations of affection. At the collar he felt
+something unaccustomed. He looked, idly enough,
+and saw that a leathern thong had been tied firmly
+in the ring. To the thong was attached a little
+leather bag. The things were strange to him, yet
+they moved him profoundly. He found himself
+trembling&mdash;why, he knew not.</p>
+<p>He fumbled at the draw-strings of the pouch,
+loosened them. He thrust a finger within the opening,
+and touched something smooth and hard. It
+seemed to him that he already knew what this thing
+must be. He turned the bag upside down over his
+hand. In his palm lay a small coffee-colored piece
+of stone. It bore in darker shade the clear tracery
+of a cross. Zeke, looking down, saw the sacred
+symbol subtly effulgent, a holy promise of safety
+for her whom he loved. He lifted a radiant face
+to the others, who had crowded about with marveling
+exclamations.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_262' name='page_262'></a>262</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;Hit&#8217;s the fairy cross I give Tiny,&#8221; Zeke cried.
+His voice was joyous now, though throbbing with
+anxiety. &#8220;She hain&#8217;t dead. She&#8217;s kotched somehow
+thar on the rocks. She kain&#8217;t climb up. So,
+she sent the cross by Chubbie, to show she was
+alive. I&#8217;ll go down fer her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The listening group readily understood the wonder
+that had befallen. Whatever her present peril,
+whatever her injuries, Plutina still lived. The
+blessed fact stirred them to joy and to orderly action.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ye kain&#8217;t he&#8217;p Tiny none by fallin&#8217; into the
+Kittle yerself,&#8221; Uncle Dick declared, with the voice
+of authority. &#8220;Jest hold yer hosses, an&#8217; we&#8217;ll he&#8217;p ye
+git &#8217;er up safe an&#8217; sound. They&#8217;s grape-vines
+&#8217;nough in the grove. I suspicion she hain&#8217;t so fer
+down. Mebby we could hear &#8217;er if the wind wa&#8217;n&#8217;t
+blowin&#8217; to the no&#8217;th.&#8221;</p>
+<p>They dared not take time for descent into the
+valley after rope. Moreover, Uncle Dick was confident
+that his knots would hold securely the weight
+of a single person. With all speed, strands of vine
+were brought and spliced most carefully. In a surprisingly
+brief time, there were some seventy-five
+feet in readiness. More would be added, if this
+length should not suffice. When the rope was completed,
+an end was securely fastened about Zeke&#8217;s
+body with knots that would neither tighten nor slip.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_263' name='page_263'></a>263</span></p>
+<p>The young man had removed shoes and stockings,
+and now walked boldly down the sloping surface
+toward the brink. Behind him went Uncle
+Dick, who was to advance as far as his foothold
+should be secure. On the level above the Slide, the
+three other men held the rope, ready to pay it out,
+or to haul it in. Uncle Dick&#8217;s duty was to save it,
+so far as might be, from being frayed on the rocks.
+It was to be let out to its full length, or until the
+lightened weight showed that Zeke had found support.
+It was to be pulled in, in the latter case, after
+three tugs on it by him. Zeke went boldly, it is
+true, but now, since he had appreciated Uncle Dick&#8217;s
+warning, he went with painstaking carefulness as
+well. He realized that on his care might now depend
+the life of the girl he loved. So, he moved downward
+with increasing slowness, as the curve of the
+rock grew more pronounced. At each step, he made
+sure that his feet still clung. Then, when still two
+yards from the edge, he found the footing too precarious
+for further walking, even with the rope.
+A glance over his shoulder showed that Uncle Dick
+had halted a rod above. He looked closely and saw
+that the brim of the cliff was smooth a little to the
+right. To save the rope as much as possible, he
+moved in this direction, Uncle Dick above making
+the like change. Then, he seated himself on the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_264' name='page_264'></a>264</span>
+rock and, while the men above paid out the vine, he
+went gently sliding downward toward the abyss.</p>
+<p>Presently, his feet reached the brow of the cliff,
+passed beyond it, hung in space. The men watching
+from above, let the rope slide still more slowly.
+Now his middle was at the brink. He held to the
+rope with his right hand. With his left he fended
+himself from the cliff. He looked down. For an
+instant, accustomed though he was to the high
+places among the mountain crags, his senses reeled
+before the impression of unsubstantial vastness. Out
+beyond him was nothingness for what seemed endless
+distance. Straight below was the sheer wall of
+the precipice, with hardly a rift for five hundred
+feet. There a ledge showed dimly. Then, again,
+a half-thousand feet of vertical rocks to the valley.</p>
+<p>But the vertigo passed in that single instant. His
+vision cleared. And he saw her. He heard her, too,
+in the same moment. Here, the cliff was not quite
+perpendicular. She had slid, rather than fallen, to a
+resting place. She was not seriously injured. It
+was hardly a score of feet from the top of the cliff
+to the tiny shelf of rock on which she lay. This
+was less than a yard in width. A bit of pine shrub
+jutted from it courageously, held by its roots burrowing
+in secret fissures of the rock. A log, rolled
+down by some amusement-seeker on the crest, had
+lodged on the outer edge of the shelf. The miniature
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_265' name='page_265'></a>265</span>
+pine held one end of it; the other was wedged
+in a crack of the precipice. The log lay like a paling
+to the narrow shelf. Within that meager shelter,
+Plutina crouched. Beyond her the ledge narrowed,
+and ascended to where the cliff was broken.
+Thus the dog had mounted.</p>
+<p>The girl&#8217;s face was uplifted, pallid, with burning
+eyes fast on the lover who descended to her. Her
+expression showed rapture, but no surprise that
+this rescuer should be her beloved. The fairy crystal
+was competent to work any wonder. Zeke,
+spinning slowly with the twisting vine, thus swinging
+in the void between heaven and earth, felt,
+nevertheless, the thrill of passionate adoration. She
+was even more beautiful than he remembered her.</p>
+<p>The shelf, though narrowing, ran toward him.
+Soon, his feet touched it. At the relief from his
+weight, the rope was no longer paid out, though held
+taut. With its aid he traversed the ledge, and
+reached the shelf where the girl knelt. He knelt
+beside her, and, without a word, their lips met and
+clung. There, amid the perils of the precipice, they
+were in heaven.</p>
+<p>For that matter, little speech passed between them
+afterward. They needed none. Zeke adjusted the
+rope about her, kissed her, and gave the signal to
+haul away.</p>
+<p>With his heart in his eyes, he watched the swaying
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_266' name='page_266'></a>266</span>
+form rise, and was inexpressibly relieved when
+he saw her clear the brim safely. There was a short
+interval. Then the rope came dangling down, and
+drew him back to safety. Again the lovers were in
+each other&#8217;s arms. The terror and the agony were
+forgotten. The bliss remained.</p>
+<hr class='major' />
+<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_267' name='page_267'></a>267</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXIII' id='CHAPTER_XXIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Marshal Stone and Brant were to return
+together to North Wilkesboro&#8217; where the
+latter would take the train for home.
+Uncle Dick had offered them horses for the ride.
+The two men, somewhat in advance of the remainder
+of the party after the descent of Stone Mountain,
+had come near the Higgins&#8217; cabin, when the
+marshal spoke with a display of embarrassment:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve got to go a little out of our way. It&#8217;s a
+chore I oughtn&#8217;t ever to have put off for a minute,
+but I plumb forgot it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is it?&#8221; Brant asked indifferently.</p>
+<p>But his interest was aroused as the marshal hesitated
+before answering, and exhibited an increasing
+confusion.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m right ashamed to tell of it,&#8221; Stone said,
+finally. &#8220;There&#8217;s no excuse for such carelessness.
+Plutina got into all this mess because she was
+afraid something dreadful might happen, and it
+might have&mdash;on account of my forgetfulness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s it all about?&#8221; Brant demanded, now
+distinctly curious.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_268' name='page_268'></a>268</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s bear-traps!&#8221; was the morose answer.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Bear-traps?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The marshal nodded.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Those infernal traps Hodges set along Thunder
+Branch&mdash;that made Plutina turn informer....
+Well, I just naturally forgot all about &#8217;em.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Brant uttered an ejaculation of dismay.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You mean, they&#8217;re still there, and set?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Stone nodded.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Just that. I took Hodges and York down another
+way. I&#8217;ve never thought of the traps since,
+till to-day.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Risky, of course,&#8221; Brant admitted. &#8220;But nobody
+got caught, or they&#8217;d have been missed,&#8221; he
+added comfortingly. &#8220;Nobody in the neighborhood&#8217;s
+disappeared, has there?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not that I&#8217;ve heard of,&#8221; Stone replied. &#8220;But
+it&#8217;s luck, not my deserts, if no harm&#8217;s been done.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll go along with you,&#8221; Brant offered. &#8220;We&#8217;ll
+have that trouble off your mind in a jiffy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>So, the two men turned, and took the trail past
+the Higgins&#8217; clearing and on until they came to
+Thunder Branch, where Plutina had made her discovery.
+They followed the course of the stream
+upward, the marshal in the lead. As he came to the
+bend, where the rocky cliffs began, Stone turned and
+called over his shoulder:</p>
+<p>&#8220;They&#8217;re just beyond.&#8221; Then, he went forward,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_269' name='page_269'></a>269</span>
+with quick, nervous strides, and disappeared beyond
+the bend. A moment later, a great cry
+brought Brant running.</p>
+<p>It was, in truth, a ghastly scene that showed
+there, lighted brilliantly by the noontide sun. In
+the midst of the little space of dry ground bordering
+the stream, where the lush grass grew thick
+and high, the body of a man was lying. It was
+contorted grotesquely, sprawling at length on its
+face, in absolute stillness&mdash;the stillness of death.
+Brant, himself horrified, looked pityingly at the
+white, stricken face of the marshal, and turned away,
+helplessly. He could find no words to lessen the
+hideousness of this discovery for the man through
+whose fault the tragedy had come.</p>
+<p>Then, presently, as Stone seemed paralyzed by
+the disaster, Brant went closer to examine the gruesome
+thing.</p>
+<p>The victim had been caught by both traps. Evidently,
+he had stepped fairly into the first. Then,
+as the great jaws snapped shut on his leg, he had
+lurched forward and fallen. His arms were outspread
+wide. But his head was within the second
+trap. The jaws of it had clamped on the neck. The
+steel fangs were sunk deep into the flesh. Blood
+from the wounds was caked black on the skin.</p>
+<p>&#8220;He didn&#8217;t suffer any to speak of,&#8221; Brant remarked,
+at last. He observed, with some surprise,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_270' name='page_270'></a>270</span>
+that his voice was very thin. He was not a squeamish
+man, and he had seen many evil sights. But
+this&mdash;</p>
+<p>With repugnance, he set himself to the task of releasing
+the trap that held the dead man&#8217;s head. He
+had the delicacy not to call on his distressed companion
+for aid. The task was very difficult, and
+very gruesome, for it required harsh handling of
+the head, which was in the way. Finally, however,
+the thing was accomplished. The savage jaws
+were freed from the flesh they had mangled, and
+were locked open. Then, Brant turned the body
+over, and gazed curiously, with strong repulsion,
+into the ugly, distorted dead face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Providence picked out somebody who could be
+spared,&#8221; he mused grimly.</p>
+<p>There came another cry from Stone. In it were
+wonder, incredulity, relief.</p>
+<p>Brant regarded the marshal in amazement. The
+man was transformed. The motionless figure of
+desolation was become one of wild, quivering excitement.
+The face was suffused with blood, the eyes
+shining fiercely.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What the devil!&#8221; Brant demanded, aghast.</p>
+<p>Stone looked toward his questioner gravely, and
+nodded with great emphasis. His voice was low,
+tense with emotion.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_271' name='page_271'></a>271</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;It is the devil!&#8221; he answered solemnly. He
+paused, clearing his throat, and stared again at the
+dead man. Then, his eyes went back to Brant, as
+he added:</p>
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s Hodges.&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was a little silence. Brant could not understand,
+could not believe this startling assertion flung
+in his face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;But Hodges was thrown over the precipice,&#8221; he
+said, at last.</p>
+<p>The marshal shook his head. There was defiance
+now in his aspect&mdash;defiance, and a mighty joy.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t make any difference about that,&#8221; he
+announced. &#8220;This is Hodges!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Then, his exultation burst in words:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hodges caught in his own traps! His neck
+broken, as it should have been broken by the rope
+for the murders he&#8217;s done! It was my carelessness
+did it, yes. But I don&#8217;t care now, so long as it&#8217;s
+Hodges who&#8217;s got caught. Hodges set those traps,
+and&mdash;there he is!... I read about something
+like that once in a story. They called it &#8216;poetic
+justice.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He don&#8217;t look like a poem,&#8221; Brant remarked.
+He turned from the gory corpse with a shudder of
+disgust.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God, it was Hodges!&#8221; the marshal said,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_272' name='page_272'></a>272</span>
+reverently. &#8220;Anybody else would have haunted me
+for life. But Hodges! Why, I&#8217;m glad!&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='tb' />
+<p>The affair was easily explicable in the light of
+what Plutina had to tell. Hodges, undoubtedly,
+had knowledge of some secret, hazardous path down
+the face of the precipice past the Devil&#8217;s Cauldron,
+and on to the valley. He had meant to flee by it
+with Plutina, thus to escape the hound. By it, he
+had fled alone. Perhaps, he had had a hiding-place
+for money somewhere about the raided still. Or,
+perhaps, he had merely chosen this route along
+Thunder Branch on his way to an asylum beyond
+Bull Head Mountain. What was certain was that
+he had blundered into his own pitiless snares.
+Naturally, he would have had no suspicion that the
+traps remained. In his mad haste, he had rushed
+heedlessly upon destruction. The remorseless engines
+of his own devising had taken full toll of
+him. By his own act, he paid with his life the penalty
+for crime. There was propriety in the marshal&#8217;s
+reference to poetic justice.</p>
+<p>A certain vindictiveness showed in Plutina&#8217;s
+comment concerning the death of the man at whose
+hands she had so suffered.</p>
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<a name='linki_8' id='linki_8'></a>
+<img src='images/illus-272.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 629px; height: 437px;' /><br />
+<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 629px;'>
+<br />
+<i>Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick.</i><br />
+THE COMING OF PEACE.<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_273' name='page_273'></a>273</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;His bein&#8217; so afeared o&#8217; thet-thar thing kep&#8217; &#8217;im
+from hurtin&#8217; me,&#8221; she said, reflectively. &#8220;He was
+shorely sot ag&#8217;inst havin&#8217; &#8217;is neck bruk, an&#8217;, arter
+all, thet&#8217;s jest what he got.&#8221; She smiled, contentedly.
+For Plutina was a primitive woman,
+strong in her love, and strong in her hate.</p>
+<hr class='tb' />
+<p>It was a day of early autumn. The timber rights
+had been secured to the satisfaction of Sutton. The
+tree-nail factory was being built. Zeke was become
+a man of importance in the region.</p>
+<p>The lover&#8217;s wedding-day was less than a month
+distant. To-day, Plutina had been for a visit to
+the Widow Higgins, and now Zeke was walking
+home with her. They paused at the place where
+had been their meeting on the morning of the lad&#8217;s
+first adventuring into the world. Memories flooded
+them, as they looked across the valley to the bleak
+cliffs of Stone Mountain, which rose in aged, rugged
+grandeur, softened in this hour by the veils of haze,
+warmed with the lambent hues of sunset.</p>
+<p>In answer to Plutina, Zeke shook his head perplexedly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I kain&#8217;t quite stomach thet-thar yarn o&#8217; Seth
+Jones&#8217;s,&#8221; he said. &#8220;As I remember, Dan Hodges
+threw me&mdash;hard!&#8221; He grinned wryly at the recollection.
+&#8220;I don&#8217;t see how I could have thrown him
+off the Slide.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But of course you did!&#8221; Plutina asserted, with
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_274' name='page_274'></a>274</span>
+great spirit. &#8220;Pooh! Ye could lick Dan Hodges
+any day in the week. An&#8217; Seth saw ye&mdash;that settles
+hit!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I suppose so,&#8221; Zeke conceded. &#8220;But Dan Hodges
+was a powerful fighter. After all, I didn&#8217;t do anything
+much for ye, Tiny,&#8221; he added, with regret in
+his voice.</p>
+<p>The girl was all indignation.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, Zeke!&#8221; she cried. &#8220;The idea! Ye did hit
+all. Ye banged the love o&#8217; ye into thet-thar dawg,
+what hung on to me an&#8217; brung up the fairy cross
+fer a message.&#8221; Chubbie, as if understanding,
+leaped to lick her hand. &#8220;An&#8217; ye give me the
+cross, Zeke. Mebby, thet&#8217;s what saved me, all the
+time&mdash;thar on the precipice, an&#8217;&mdash;an&#8217; back thar&mdash;in
+the cave&mdash;with him. An&#8217; then ye threw Dan
+Hodges right offen the mounting. Seth Jones seen
+ye do hit!&#8221;</p>
+<p>It seemed to Zeke that he must perforce accept the
+heroism thrust upon him, though a doubt still lingered.
+Still, his memory of the fight was confused.
+Perhaps, after all, he had&mdash;.</p>
+<p>Zeke broke off, and drew the girl close. Their
+lips met gently, tenderly, with the clinging of passion.
+What mattered the history of evil days? They
+were past. Before them lay the future, radiant
+with rosy promise. In this blessed present, they
+were together. Love thrilled exquisitely on their
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_275' name='page_275'></a>275</span>
+lips; more exquisitely in their souls. That love was,
+and it would remain, a noble and precious thing,
+great and very beautiful, as mighty and firm as
+the mountain looming yonder in immutable serenity
+and strength, as loyal, as enduring.... They
+walked on together, infinitely content.</p>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<img src='images/illus-301.png' alt='' title='' style='' /><br />
+</div>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<img src='images/illus-302.png' alt='' title='' style='' /><br />
+</div>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<img src='images/illus-303.png' alt='' title='' style='' /><br />
+</div>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<img src='images/illus-304.png' alt='' title='' style='' /><br />
+</div>
+
+<!-- generated by ppg.rb version: 0.21a -->
+<!-- timestamp: Mon Mar 30 07:09:07 -0600 2009 -->
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Heart of the Blue Ridge, by Waldron Baily
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 28454-h.htm or 28454-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/4/5/28454/
+
+Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+
+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-054.jpg b/28454-h/images/illus-054.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5241c4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-054.jpg
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-068.jpg b/28454-h/images/illus-068.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59a2638
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-068.jpg
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-080.jpg b/28454-h/images/illus-080.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97352b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-080.jpg
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-092.jpg b/28454-h/images/illus-092.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..adb40c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-092.jpg
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-134.jpg b/28454-h/images/illus-134.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2ed01b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-134.jpg
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-170.jpg b/28454-h/images/illus-170.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cedd6bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-170.jpg
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-272.jpg b/28454-h/images/illus-272.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e8054c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-272.jpg
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-301.png b/28454-h/images/illus-301.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ad3911
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-301.png
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-302.png b/28454-h/images/illus-302.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a81a89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-302.png
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-303.png b/28454-h/images/illus-303.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81b5f63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-303.png
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-304.png b/28454-h/images/illus-304.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2060a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-304.png
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-emb.png b/28454-h/images/illus-emb.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60f3370
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-emb.png
diff --git a/28454-h/images/illus-fpc.jpg b/28454-h/images/illus-fpc.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30768a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454-h/images/illus-fpc.jpg
diff --git a/28454.txt b/28454.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2efb8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7052 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Heart of the Blue Ridge, by Waldron Baily
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Heart of the Blue Ridge
+
+Author: Waldron Baily
+
+Release Date: March 30, 2009 [EBook #28454]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Heart of the Blue Ridge
+
+
+
+
+The Illustrations Shown in this Edition are Reproductions of Scenes
+from the Photo-Play of "Heart of the Blue Ridge," with Clara Kimball
+Young as the Heroine, Under the Direction of Lewis J. Selznick, to whom
+The Publishers Desire to Express Their Thanks and Appreciation for
+Permission to Use the Pictures.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+PLUTINA.]
+
+
+
+
+HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE
+
+BY
+
+WALDRON BAILY
+
+ILLUSTRATED WITH SCENES FROM THE PHOTOPLAY,
+WITH CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG AS THE HEROINE,
+UNDER THE DIRECTION OF LEWIS J. SELZNICK
+
+[Illustration]
+
+NEW YORK
+
+GROSSET & DUNLAP
+
+PUBLISHERS
+
+
+
+
+Copyright, 1915, by
+
+W. J. WATT & COMPANY
+
+
+
+
+TO
+
+Irving Bacheller
+
+WITH THE APPRECIATION OF THE AUTHOR
+
+
+
+
+Heart of the Blue Ridge
+
+
+
+
+HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+
+Where the trail bent over a knoll, Zeke halted, and put down from his
+shoulder the hickory cudgel with its dangling valise of black
+oilcloth--total of baggage with which he was faring forth into the
+world. Then, he straightened himself, and looked back over the way he
+had come.
+
+There, to the east, the dusk of night still lay somberly, hardly
+touched by the coming dawn. Through the shadows, the mountain masses
+loomed formidable and mysterious, vaguely outlined against the deeper
+gloom of valleys. The melancholy of the scene seemed a fit setting for
+the cottage that rested invisible within the forest, a half-mile
+distant from him. In imagination, he saw the withered old woman, his
+mother, still standing on the threshold, looking toward him, even as
+he looked toward her, her heart warm with love, her every thought a
+prayer for his happiness. It was borne in on Zeke once again that she
+would be very lonely in her desolate home, where death had spared to
+her only this son.... And, now, he was gone from her! A poignant
+sorrow welled in him.
+
+Zeke thrust the emotion away, lest it unman him. He faced about,
+drearily enough, and stood with downcast, unseeing eyes, in anxious
+pondering. And then, presently, assuagement was granted him. He lifted
+his gaze, and behold! here was another world, all of soft splendors,
+of throbbing radiance.
+
+The eager beams of the unrisen sun shimmered above the mountain ranges
+of the horizon, and streamed toward the zenith in a panoply of
+harmonious hues, colorful promise of the May morning's joyous mood. Of
+a sudden, under the soothing influence, the watcher became listener as
+well. His ears noted with delight the glad singing of the birds in the
+wood around about. His glance caught the white gleam of the tiny
+belled blossoms that clustered on a crooked sour-wood by the path, and
+the penetrant perfume of them stirred to life a new and subtler
+emotion. A flame of tenderness burned in the clear hazel of his eyes,
+as he stared out over the trail before him. Under the increasing light
+his gaze could distinguish the line of the valley a mile further on,
+in which the Siddon cottage lay hidden. His firmly-set lips relaxed
+abruptly into a smile of wistful softness. He swung stick and bag
+across his shoulder once again, and set off briskly down the slope of
+the knoll. His thoughts were no longer gray over the mother who
+mourned his going: they were roseate with anticipations of beholding
+the girl he loved. Now, the mood of the morning danced in his blood.
+The palpitant desire of all nature in the spring thrilled through his
+heart. His mind was filled with a vision of her gracious young
+loveliness, so soon to be present before him at their meeting....
+Their meeting--their parting! At thought of that corollary, a cold
+despair clutched the lad, a despair that was nothing like the sedate
+sorrow over leaving his mother, a despair that was physical sickness,
+wrenching, nauseating, but passed beyond the physical to rack the
+deeps of being. For the first time, jealousy surged hideous in him,
+born of the realization that she must be left exposed to the wooing of
+other men--she, the utterly desirable! In a fierce impulse of mingled
+fear and rage, he stopped short, and cried out:
+
+"I'll be damned if they kin steal her! She's mine. She done told me
+so, and Plutiny wouldn't lie!"
+
+From an ambush of laurel bushes close beside the path, a tall, slender
+form stood forth, the lissome figure of a girl in the budding charm of
+womanhood. There was a lithe, curving beauty in the lines that the
+scant homespun gown outlined so clearly. The swift movement by which
+she revealed herself was instinct with grace. As she rested
+motionless, with arms extended in a gesture of appeal, there was a
+singular dignity in the pose, a distinction of personality that was in
+no wise marred by bare feet and shapeless gown; not even by the
+uncouthness of dialect, when she spoke. And winsomeness of form and
+bearing was crowned by the beauty of her face, in which the insipidity
+of regular features was redeemed by exquisite coloring of rose and
+white, and by the dusk brilliance of the eyes. The tender lips were
+wreathed to playful reproach, as she addressed the lover for whom she
+thus waited at the dawn:
+
+"Zekie--oh, Zekie! Ye hain't a-cussin' o' me, be ye?"
+
+The young man, surprised, started, and regarded the girl in confusion.
+The red that had suffused his tanned cheeks deepened to a burning
+blush of embarrassment, as he realized that his outburst had been
+overheard by her who had been the cause of it. But his eyes met her
+quizzical glance with candid directness. After a moment, he spoke. All
+the harshness was gone from his voice; its soft drawl was vibrant with
+tenderness.
+
+"No, Honey, I hain't a'cussin' o' you-all. I was jest a-mentionin'
+some folks. But I hain't a-feared. Nobody hain't a-goin' to steal yer
+love from me."
+
+"Nobody--never, Zeke!" the girl answered, simply. There was an
+infinite honesty, an unalterable loyalty, in the curt words.
+
+As he listened, the flush died from the lover's face; contentment
+shone in his expression.
+
+"I knowed hit, Honey--I knowed hit all the time. I know when I come
+back I'll find ye waitin'."
+
+"Ye'll come back, I reckon, with fool idees 'bout what yer women-folks
+ought to wear, like them furriners down below." Her face relaxed into
+a genial smile, which brought a dimple to shadow the pink bloom of her
+cheek. But there was a trace of pensiveness; the vague hint of
+jealousy in the slow tones:
+
+"Yes, I'll be a-waitin' till ye come, Zekie. An' if the wearin' o'
+shoes an' stockin's 'll make ye any happier, why, I guess I kin stand
+'em--an' them ladies' straighteners, too. Yep, I'd wear 'em, if they
+did squeeze me fit to bust."
+
+Since Plutina had thus come to meet him, there was no need that he
+should follow further the trail toward the Siddon cabin, which lay out
+of his course. At the girl's suggestion that she should accompany him
+a little way on the first stage of his journey out into the world, the
+two turned back toward the broader path, which led to the southwest
+until it met the North Wilkesboro' road. The two walked side by side,
+along this lovers' lane of nature's kindly devising. They went
+sedately, in all seeming, for the mountain folk are chary in
+demonstrations of affection. Yet, beneath the austere mask imposed by
+convention, their hearts were thrilling with the rapture each found in
+the near presence of the other. The glamour of romance was like a
+golden mist over all the scene, irradiating each leaf and flower,
+softening the bird-calls to fairy flutings, draping the nakedness of
+distant rugged peaks, bearing gently the purling of the limpid brook
+along which the path ran in devious complacence. Often, indeed, the
+lovers' way led them into the shallows, through which their bare feet
+splashed unconcerned. The occasional prismatic flash of a leaping
+trout in the deeper pools caught their eyes. So, presently, the girl
+was moved to speak--with visible effort, very shyly, for the
+expression of her love in words was a thing unfamiliar, difficult.
+
+"I sha'n't have nobody to make flies fer now," she said dully. "I jest
+hain't a-goin' arter the trout fer fun no more till ye comes back."
+
+Zeke would have answered, but he checked the words at his lips, lest
+the trembling of his voice might betray a feeling deemed inconsistent
+with manliness. They went forward in silence, a-quiver with desire
+each of the other, yet mute with the forced repression of custom. Now,
+too, the sorrow of the parting so close at hand, colored their mood
+more and more, so that the golden glamour first dimmed and then
+changed into a sinister pall which overhung all the loveliness of the
+morning. At a turn in the path, where it topped a rise, before
+descending a long slope to the highway, Zeke came to a standstill. The
+girl paused obediently beside him. He fumbled in a pocket awkwardly,
+and drew forth a tiny square of coffee-colored stone, roughly lined,
+which he held out toward his companion. The tracery of the crystal
+formed a Maltese cross. The girl expressed no surprise. She accepted
+the token with a grave nod as he dropped it into her palm, and she
+remained gazing down at it with eyes hidden under the heavy white lids
+and long, curving lashes of shadowy brown.
+
+Zeke spoke, very earnestly:
+
+"Hit's fer good luck, Tiny--fer good luck to he'p ye while we're
+apart. Mebby, hit 'll git in hits work by softenin' the hardness o'
+yer gran'pap's heart agin me."
+
+In truth, the concentration of his thought on the fragment of stone
+had been enough of itself to give a talisman occult potence. That
+concentration of desire for the girl's well-being was not merely of
+this moment. It had been with him constantly during long hours of
+tedious clambering yesterday, when he followed the channel of Garden
+Creek through its tortuous course among the ravines of the Blue Ridge,
+through the narrow defile of the Devil's Garden, sunless, strewn with
+rubble of boulders, with a chaos of shattered rock masses--debris,
+superstition said, of cataclysm--of the Crucifixion, when the mountain
+crests tore themselves asunder, and cast their pinnacles into the
+abyss for rage and grief. The searcher had climbed on and on, until he
+reached the nook sacred to the crystals. For concerning these, also,
+the superstition had its say, and told that the little pieces of
+stone, with the cross marked on each, were, in fact, the miraculously
+preserved tears shed by the fairies of these fastnesses in the dread
+hour of the Saviour's anguish. The lover had sought long for a crystal
+that should be perfect. Now that it lay within the girl's hand, he was
+content of his toil. Surely, whatever the truth concerning its origin,
+it was a holy thing, for the emblem it bore. It would serve to shield
+her against aught evil that might threaten--even the grandfather's
+enmity against him, which set a barrier between them and happiness.
+The crystal would abide with her in sign of his love's endurance,
+strong to save her and to cherish her against any ill. He sighed with
+relief, when she raised the crystal, and dropped it within her
+bosom.
+
+Still, as always, fearful of showing emotion too openly, Zeke hastened
+to introduce a new topic. He took from a pocket a book of twelve
+two-cent postage stamps, to secure which he had trudged the four miles
+from his mother's cabin to the Cherry Lane post-office. The book, in
+its turn, was proffered to Plutina, who accepted it in mild
+bewilderment.
+
+The lover explained:
+
+"Honey," he said, without any embarrassment over the fact, "ye knows
+my ole mammy hain't edicated, an' I want ye to write for her once a
+month, arter I write to tell ye whar I'll be."
+
+The girl nodded tacit acceptance of the trust, and consigned the
+stamps to a resting place alongside the crystal. And then, after a
+little, she spoke heavily:
+
+"I reckon as how you-all better be a-joggin', Zeke."
+
+For answer, the lad caught the girl in his arms, and gave her a kiss
+on either cheek--the hearty, noisy smacks of the mountaineer's
+courting. But, in the next instant, he drew her close in an embrace
+that crushed the two warm bodies to rapture. His lips met hers, and
+clung, till their beings mingled. Afterward, he went from her
+voicelessly. Voicelessly, she let him go.... There could be no words
+to comfort the bitterness of such parting.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+
+When he was come within view of Joines' mill and store on Roaring
+River, Zeke halted again for a final look back toward the wild home
+land, which he was now leaving for the first time. The blackness of
+his mood after parting with the girl had passed, though melancholy
+still made him its own. The resilience of youth was turning his
+spirits again toward the hopes that had inspired this going forth from
+his own familiar little wilderness into the vast and unknown
+wilderness of the world beyond. As he stared out at the scattered
+peaks, reared like conning towers over the sprawling medley of ridge
+and valley, a throb of fondness shook his heart. It was not sprung
+from esthetic appreciation of the wild and romantic landscape, though
+this had been sufficient to justify the stir of feeling. His
+sensibility was aroused by the dear friendliness of all the scene,
+where hollows and heights had been his constant haunts through all the
+days of childhood and adolescence until this hour. Of a sudden, he
+realized as never before a profound tenderness for this country of
+beetling crags and crystal rivers, of serene spaces and balsamic
+airs. Hitherto, he had esteemed the neighborhood in some dull,
+matter-of-course fashion, such as folk ordinarily give to their native
+territory. But, in this instant of illumination, on the eve of
+separating himself from the place, love of it surged within him. This
+was his home, the dwelling of his dear ones. He felt toward it a quick
+reverence as for something strangely sacred. His eyes went to the
+great bulk of Stone Mountain, which jutted just before him to the
+east, its league of naked rock lying like some monstrous guardian of
+the place. Somehow, the dignity of the massive curving cliffs soothed
+him, heartened him anew. The immutability of the huge mound of stone
+was a prophecy. Through the ages, it had maintained its ward
+steadfastly. So it would remain. A gush of confidence washed away the
+last of the watcher's depression. He could go on his way undismayed.
+These things here that were so dear to him would abide his return. The
+old mother and Plutina would rest secure against his homecoming. The
+time, after all, would not be long. Meantime, there was the great
+adventure. Zeke whirled, and trudged blithely onward.
+
+Opportunity had come to Zeke Higgins, and he had not hesitated to
+seize it. His desire for a larger life than that of the tiny, scrabbly
+mountain farm had been early excited; it had persisted; it had
+increased steadily, though the possibility of its realization had
+seemed remote. Stark poverty demanded that he remain to coax a scant
+living from the soil for his mother. Yet, his determination was fixed.
+He got some smattering of education, along with Plutina, from a kindly
+Quaker who came among the "Boomers" of the Blue Ridge as a missionary
+school-teacher. Thus, Zeke learned surprisingly much. His thirsty
+brain took up knowledge as a sponge takes up water. So great was his
+gratitude to this instructor that, when the stranger was revealed as a
+revenue officer questing illicit stills, Zeke, despite inherited
+prejudice, guided the hunted man by secret trails over the mountains
+into Virginia, and thereby undoubtedly saved a life. Indeed, the
+disappearance of the officer was so well contrived that the
+mountaineers themselves for a time did not suspect the fact of the
+escape. There is a great basin in the rock on the north side of Stone
+Mountain. It has been hollowed out through centuries by the little
+stream that comes leaping madly down the ledges. The cauldron has a
+sinister repute. It is deemed the sepulchre of more than one spy, cast
+down into the abyss from the mountain's brim. It was generally
+believed that the false school-teacher was of the number.
+
+Somehow, long afterward, report had it that the man was alive. Rumor
+implicated Zeke as having had a share in the fellow's escape. Old
+Dick Siddon, Plutina's grandfather, heard. He had hated the
+"revenuers" always. Since the death of his only son at their hands,
+his hatred had become a mania. He was a strong man, fierce in anger.
+When he bade his grandchild dismiss her favored suitor, she feigned
+obedience. She, and Zeke as well, knew the futility of fighting the
+old man's prejudices. But, with the optimism of youth, the lovers
+hoped for happiness. A little older, they might at least defy the
+hostile guardian. In the meantime, Zeke was determined to attain
+material prosperity during the period of waiting.
+
+Then, Richard Sutton came into the mountains of the Blue Ridge. He
+chanced on Zeke, made use of the lad as a guide. Soon mutual liking
+and respect developed. Sutton was a manufacturer of tree-nails--the
+wooden pins used in ships' timbers. Here in the ranges was an
+abundance of locust timber, the best for his need. And there was much
+talk of a branch railway to come. His alert business imagination saw
+that a factory located at the source of supply would be advantageous.
+He saw, too, the capacity for development in his young friend. Zeke's
+familiarity with the region might be valuable--more valuable still his
+popularity and the respect accorded him in the community. Sutton
+suggested to the young man that he should come to New York presently,
+there to learn the details of manufacture, with the prospect of
+return, later on, to manage the business in the mountains. Naturally,
+the project was splendid to Zeke's ambition. His only fear had been
+lest his departure be delayed by lack of money, for pride would not
+let him confess his extremity to Sutton. There must be some cash in
+hand for his mother's support, until he should be able to send her
+more. Then, as he fretted, opportunity favored him anew, for a
+surveying party came to run a railroad branch north to Stone Mountain.
+He was employed as ax-man and assistant cook. His wages solved the
+difficulty, so far as his mother's need was concerned. For the rest,
+he took only a small sum to his own use, since he was minded to work
+his way north on shipboard from Norfolk. It was in accord with such
+high hopes that this May morning found him tramping, barefooted, into
+Joines' store, with the black oilcloth valise slung from his
+shoulder.
+
+The halt here was a necessary feature in Zeke's itinerary. On a
+previous visit to the store, he had purchased a pair of serviceable,
+if rather ungainly, shoes. Since he would have no occasion for their
+use at home, he had saved himself the trouble of carrying them to and
+fro.
+
+"I reckon I'll take them-thar shoes o' mine," he said to the grizzled
+proprietor, after an exchange of friendly greetings with the few
+loungers present. These were well aware of his planned departure,
+though ignorant of his definite aims.
+
+"Ye hain't a-goin' to put 'em on yit, be ye?" the storekeeper
+inquired, solicitously.
+
+"Not till I git to North Wilkesboro'," Zeke answered, to the obvious
+relief of the assembly, as he opened the bag. While he was busy
+stowing the shoes, the onlookers commented cynically on the follies of
+fashion.
+
+"An' I've hearn tell," one concluded, "that durn-nigh everybody done
+war shoes in the city, all year roun'."
+
+Perhaps the young man felt a pleasant glow of superiority in
+reflecting on the fact that such following of city fashion would soon
+distinguish him. But his innocent vanity was not to be unduly
+flattered.
+
+"Ca'late to stay away till ye've made yer fortin, in course, sonny?"
+one of the older men suggested. He enjoyed some local reputation as a
+wag, the maintenance of which so absorbed his energies that his wife,
+who had lost whatever sense of humor she might once have had, toiled
+both indoors and out.
+
+"Why, yes, o' course," Zeke replied unsuspectingly.
+
+"Better kiss we-uns good-by, sonny," was the retort. "You-all 'll be
+gone quite some time."
+
+The sally was welcomed with titters and guffaws. Zeke was red to the
+ears with mortification and anger, as he shut the valise, shouldered
+it, and strode to the door. But even in the time of that passing, he
+mastered his mood in a measure. He had no wish to make his farewell to
+these neighbors in bitterness of spirit. So, at the door, he turned
+and grinned amiably on the group.
+
+"I want pleasant things to remember hyarabouts, all thet-thar long
+time I got to be away," he said, with a quizzical drawl; "so I kain't
+be a-kissin' o' ye none. My stomick hain't none so strong nohow," he
+added, with the coarseness that usually flavored the humor of the
+countryside.
+
+Then, abruptly, the smile left his lips; the lines of his face
+hardened; the hazel eyes brightened and widened a little. His low,
+slow voice came firmly, with a note of tense earnestness. It was as if
+he spoke to himself, rather than to the slouching men, who regarded
+him curiously.
+
+"I hain't leavin' all this-hyar 'cause I don't love hit," he declared.
+"I do love hit, an' I aim to come back by-an-bye--I shore do!"
+
+Forthwith, embarrassed anew by this unmeditated outburst, he hurried
+off, amid an astonished silence which was broken at last by the
+storekeeper.
+
+"Thet-thar Zeke Higgins," he ventured, somewhat indistinctly through
+his matting of whiskers, "I swow if he hain't got right feelin's, fer
+all he's so durn peart." And his cronies nodded assent.
+
+As he pressed onward, the adventurer quickly regained his poise. The
+novelty of the situation thrilled him agreeably. His thoughts were
+crowded with imaginings of the strange things to come. Ambitious
+vision of himself successful among the city's throngs made his pulses
+beat faster. He felt that he had within him the power to achieve
+something worth while in the world. Certainly, he would not fail for
+lack of striving. But no triumph elsewhere could ever wean him from
+his love for the Blue Ridge--for his home country. Yes, it was as he
+had said there in the store: He would come back. He would come back to
+the cabin in the "cove" under the shadows of Stone Mountain--back to
+the old mother, back to Plutina. A warmth of exquisite tenderness
+vibrated through him, as his hope leaped to that homecoming, to the
+time when once again the girl should rest clinging on his bosom. And a
+great peace lay under all his joy of anticipation. His love knew no
+doubt. She had given her heart to him. Through his every wandering,
+whatever might betide, her love would be with him, to comfort him in
+sorrow, to crown him in happiness. A bird's song recalled the lilt of
+her laughter. He saw again the tremulous curving of her mouth, red
+against the fine warm pallor of her face at parting. Passion welled in
+him. He halted yet once again, and stood with face suffused, gazing
+back. It was as if he were swayed by a sudden secret sense that
+warned him of her misery in this hour of his exaltation--her misery
+where she lay prone under the tangle of laurel by Garden Creek,
+sobbing out that anguish which is the penalty woman must pay for
+love.
+
+Zeke's eyes fastened anew on the rounded bulk of Stone Mountain's
+cliffs. The immutability of them, and the majesty, relieved the
+tenseness of his mood. He resumed his way serenely.... But Plutina
+wept on, unassuaged.
+
+When he drew near to North Wilkesboro', where he proposed to make a
+first essay in railway journeying, Zeke seated himself under the shade
+of a grove of persimmon-trees by the wayside, there painfully to
+encumber his feet with the new shoes. As he laced these, he indulged
+in soliloquy, after a fashion bred of his lonely life, on a subject
+born of his immediate surroundings.
+
+"I hain't noways superstitious," he mused complacently, "but this
+grove ain't no nice place, bein' as it must be a nigger cemetery.
+Uncle Dick Siddon says they's always niggers buried whar they's
+persimmon-trees, an' he says the niggers come first. An' Uncle Dick,
+he ought to know, bein' he's eighty-odd-year old. Anyhow, it seems
+reasonable, 'cause niggers do swaller the stuns when they eats
+persimmons, an' so, o' course, jest nacher'ly the trees 'll spring up
+where the niggers git planted. So they'd be ha'nts like's not. But I
+hain't superstitious--not a mite. Mr. Sutton, he said such things as
+ha'nts an' witch-doctors an' such was all plumb foolishness. Still, my
+mammy has seen--"
+
+He fell silent, recalling old wives' tales of fearsome things seen and
+heard of nights. The shoes adjusted, he took from the black bag a
+holster, which sheltered a formidable-appearing Colt's revolver.
+Having made sure that the weapon was loaded and in perfect order, Zeke
+returned it to the holster, which he put on snugly under the left
+arm-pit. These final preparations complete, he got up, and hastened
+into the town.
+
+One bit more of his musings he spoke aloud, just before he entered the
+main street:
+
+"No, I hain't superstitious. But, by crickey! I'm plumb tickled I giv
+Plutiny thet fairy cross. They say them stones is shore lucky."
+
+At the railway station, Zeke asked for a ticket to Norfolk.
+
+"Want a return-trip ticket?" the friendly station-agent suggested. He
+supposed the young mountaineer was taking a pleasure excursion to the
+city.
+
+But Zeke shook his head defiantly, and spoke with utter forgetfulness
+of his experience in Joines' store.
+
+"No," he declared stoutly, "I hain't a-comin' back till I've made my
+fortin."
+
+"You'll be a long time gone from this-here State o' Wilkes," the agent
+vouchsafed dryly. He would have said more, but his shrewd eyes saw in
+this young man's expression something that bade him pause, less
+sceptical. The handsome and wholesome face showed a strength of its
+own in the resolute curving nose and the firmly-set lips and the
+grave, yet kindly, eyes, with a light of purposeful intelligence
+glowing within their clear deeps. The tall form, broad of shoulder,
+deep of chest, narrow of hip, though not yet come to the fulness of
+maturity, was of the evident strength fitted to toil hugely at the
+beck of its owner's will. The agent, conscious of a puny frame that
+had served him ill in life's struggle, experienced a half-resentment
+against this youth's physical excellence. He wondered, if, after all,
+the boast might be justified by the event.
+
+"Train in ten minutes," he said curtly, as he pushed out the ticket.
+
+So, presently, Zeke, found himself seated for the first time on the
+red plush seat of a railway carriage. The initial stage of his journey
+was ended; the second was begun.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+
+The right of way from North Wilkesboro' to Greensboro' runs through a
+region where every vista delights the eye with wild and romantic
+scenes. The rails follow the course of the upper reaches of the Yadkin
+River, with swift succession of vicious curves and heavy grades. The
+twistings of the road-bed, so advantageous for presenting the varied
+loveliness of the wilds, were by way of being a real torture to the
+young adventurer, who sat in seeming stolidity near the rear door of
+the smoking-car, with the black bag between his feet. Even experienced
+travelers found the lunges of the train trying to their nerves as it
+shot at speed around "hairpin" bends, or hurled itself to the fall of
+a steeper descent. To Zeke, who for the first time knew the roar and
+jolt of such travel, this trip was a fearsome thing. To sit movelessly
+there, while the car reeled recklessly on the edge of abysses, was a
+supreme trial of self-control. The racking peril fairly sickened him.
+A mad impulse of flight surged in him. Yet, not for worlds would he
+have let anyone guess his miserable alarm.
+
+Nevertheless, one there was who apprehended in some measure the ordeal
+through which the mountaineer was passing--happily, a kindly observer.
+An elderly man, across the aisle from Zeke, regarded his fellow
+passenger with particular intentness. It seemed to him that, in some
+vague way, the clean-cut face was familiar. His curiosity thus
+aroused, he perceived the tenseness of expression and attitude, and
+shrewdly suspected the truth. It was with benevolent intent, rather
+than for the gratification of inquisitiveness, that he finally got up
+and seated himself in the vacant place alongside the younger man.
+
+Zeke's perturbation caused him to start nervously at this advent of a
+stranger, but a single glance into the wrinkled, yet hale, face of the
+man reassured him. The visitor's amiable character showed plainly in
+his dim blue eyes, which twinkled merrily. Moreover, there was a sure
+witness of worth in the empty sleeve, pinned to his left breast, on
+which showed the cross of honor. The humor lurking in the eyes was
+grotesquely manifested in his first address:
+
+"This-hyar railroad hain't no fitten one fer beginners," he announced,
+with a chuckle. "Hit's plumb likely to make a squirrel into a nut."
+
+Zeke smiled, somewhat ruefully. He understood the play on words since
+"boomer," the mountaineers' own name for the red squirrel, is often
+applied to themselves. But the distraction afforded by the garrulous
+veteran was a relief. A new spur was given to their mutual interest
+when, after telling his name, it was discovered that his father had
+been a company-mate with Seth Jones, the veteran, in the Twelfth North
+Carolina Volunteers. The old man's curiosity was highly gratified by
+this explanation of the inherited likeness that had puzzled him, and
+he waxed reminiscent and confidential. The diversion was welcome to
+his listener, where doubtless many another might have found the
+narrative of by-gone campaigns tedious in this prolix retelling.
+Ultimately, indeed, the youth's sympathies were aroused by Jones' tale
+of misfortune in love, wherein his failure to write the girl he left
+behind him had caused her first to mourn him as dead, and eventually
+to marry her second choice.
+
+"But I've jest got scrumptious news," he exclaimed, his rheumy eyes
+suddenly clear and sparkling. "Seems as how Fanny's a widder. So, I'm
+a-goin' to try my luck, an' no shelly-shallyin', now I've got her
+located arter a mighty lot o' huntin'. Yes, sir, sonny," he concluded,
+with a guffaw, "old as I be, I'm a-goin' a-courtin'. If I ever see ye
+ag'in, I'll tell ye how it comes out. I s'pose I seem plumb old fer
+sech foolishness to a boy like you be, but some hearts keep young till
+they stop. I'm pretty spry fer my age, too, if I do say so as
+shouldn't."
+
+Zeke was not so surprised by the old man's hopes as he might have
+been, were it not for the example of Plutina's grandfather, who,
+somewhat beyond four-score, was still scandalously lively, to the
+delectation of local gossip. But, though after the departure of Jones
+at a junction, Zeke reflected half-amusedly on the rather sere
+romances of these two ancient Romeos, he was far from surmising that,
+at the last, their amorous paths would cross.
+
+There was still further harrowing experience for Zeke after reaching
+the Southern Railway's terminal on the pier at Pinner's Point, in
+Virginia, for here he was hurried aboard the ferry-boat, and was
+immediately appalled by the warning blast of the whistle. Few bear
+that strident din undismayed. This adventurer had never heard the
+like--only the lesser warning of locomotives and the siren of a
+tannery across twenty miles of distance. Now, the infernal belching
+clamor broke in his very ears, stunning him. He quivered under the
+impact, stricken to the soul for seconds of shock. But the few
+careless eyes that chanced to scan the mountaineer noted no faltering
+in face or form. He stood to all appearance serenely, easily poised,
+his attitude replete with the grace of physical power, his mouth
+firmly closed, his widely-set eyes unwavering. Even the cudgel, and
+the black bag still dangling from it, could not offset a certain aloof
+dignity that masked distress by stern effort of will.
+
+Nothing further occurred for a little to afflict the traveler's
+unaccustomed nerves, and he soon found himself pleasurably absorbed in
+contemplation of the novel surroundings. The boat was nearing the
+Norfolk landing when his eyes fell on a dog, held in leash by a young
+woman. Both the beast and its mistress commanded his instant
+attention, in which wonder was the chief emotion. The dog itself was a
+Boston bull-terrier, which was a canine species wholly strange to the
+mountaineer's experience, limited as it had been to hounds and
+mongrels of unanalyzable genealogy. The brute's face had an uncanny
+likeness to a snub-nosed, heavy-jowled "boomer" whom Zeke detested,
+and he eyed the creature askance by reason of the resemblance.
+
+"Hit's plumb man-faced," was his verdict. "I shore prefer 'em jest
+plain dawg." His eyes went then from the leash to the girl holding it,
+and he hardly restrained a gasp, in which admiration was mingled with
+amazement. The ordinary observer would have seen only a pretty girl,
+of the fluffy blond type, smartly tailored in blue serge, with the
+skirt decorously slit. But Zeke saw a vision from another world than
+that of the slatternly mountain women, whose toil left them neither
+opportunity nor ambition for nicety in dress, which, indeed, was
+finally prohibited by ignorance as well as poverty. This girl stood
+out in startling relief, marvelous revelation from the new world he
+was entering. Slowly, with concentration, the young man scrutinized
+the vision, noting every detail, from the natty turban with its
+swaying feather wand to the daintily pointed ties, above which were to
+be glimpsed trim silk-clad ankles. Yet, the novel charm of her failed
+utterly to disturb the loyalty of his heart. His hungry soul found
+exquisite satisfaction in the spectacle of feminine refinement thus
+presented for the first time, but his devotion to the roughly garbed
+mountain girl was in no wise imperiled. On the contrary, his
+imagination busied itself with an effort to picture Plutina thus
+splendidly arrayed.
+
+"I 'low she's plumb handsome," he meditated. "But, shucks! Tiny beats
+her holler. In them duds, she'd have her skun a mile.... But thet-thar
+man-faced dawg! I'd shore hate like pizen to be found daid along with
+thet ornery pup."
+
+As he mused, no hint came out of the future as to the time when, in
+very truth, he would be close to death, and that same dog an actor in
+the drama, one to be deeply esteemed, not contemned. But that time was
+not yet. In fact, the immediate future was not destined to remove his
+prejudice against the bull-terrier. On the contrary!
+
+The fixity of Zeke's staring penetrated the girl's consciousness. She
+turned abruptly, and her blue eyes met his in a cool glance that
+seemed to pass through him and on, as if he were something quite
+invisible, altogether beneath notice. Zeke felt the rebuke keenly,
+though innocent of intentional offense. The instincts of gentlemanly
+blood from which he was somewhere distantly descended made him realize
+his fault in manners, though he had had no guidance from experience.
+The ready blush burned hot on brow and cheeks; he dropped his gaze
+confusedly to the dog.
+
+Even the beast, he perceived, reprobated his conduct. It was staring
+up at him fiercely from red eyes, and the hackles stood erect, though
+it did not growl. Evidently, it resented undue attention to its
+mistress.
+
+There was a movement forward of the passengers, as the ferry-boat drew
+into its slip. Zeke advanced with the others, following close behind
+the girl and the dog, which strained at the leash in order still to
+stare menacingly at the young man. Then, without warning, the action
+became swift and violent. The ferry-boat crashed against the yielding
+walls of the slip. Zeke, unprepared for the shock, was thrown from his
+balance. One of the heavy new shoes smashed down on a paw. The dog
+sprang and snapped. The jaws missed, because the girl tugged at the
+leash in the same second. Zeke instinctively kicked at the brute in
+self-defense. His foot took the animal fairly in the jaw, and lifted
+it from the floor, just as the girl turned. She cried out in shrill
+anger at this rough stranger's wanton attack on her pet, for so she
+interpreted the event. She maintained her hold on the leash bravely,
+lest worse follow. But her strength was insufficient to restrain the
+creature of fighting breed. It lunged forward with such suddenness
+that both its mistress and its enemy were taken unawares. The girl was
+dragged in tow. Zeke would have leaped aside, but he was too late to
+escape the encounter, though he mitigated it. The iron jaws clanged
+shut, but in the slack of the victim's sturdy jeans, instead of in the
+flesh. The massive mouth was locked vise-like. Because of the cloth's
+sturdiness, the dog swung clear of the floor. The girl still strove
+frantically, though vainly, at the leash, shrieking commands which
+were unheeded. Zeke, confused, chagrined, ashamed, wrathful, shook
+himself violently to be free, without avail. The other passengers
+scurried forth, with a panic cry of "Mad dog!"
+
+Zeke's wrath mounted. He had had little training in self-restraint,
+and his passions were of the primitive sort. Now, abruptly, the lesser
+emotions were overwhelmed by the might of his rage. He was conscious
+only of the humiliating fact that this hideous man-faced dog had
+fastened itself on him, and there hung. Zeke bent and twisted, his two
+hands on the creature's jaws. Then he set himself to wrench them
+apart. His strength, great as it was availed nothing against that
+remorseless grip. The resistance goaded him to fury. He gave over the
+effort to prise the teeth apart, and put all his might into a frenzied
+pull. There were instants of resistance, then the hissing noise of
+rending cloth. A huge fragment of the stout jeans was torn out bodily.
+Zeke hurled the animal violently from him. The leash was snapped from
+the girl's hands. The dog's body shot across the cabin, hurtled
+against the wall. The indomitable brute tumbled to the floor, and lay
+there stunned. But even in defeat, he carried down with him between
+rigid jaws the blue-jeans banner of victory.
+
+With a bound, the girl crossed the space, and fell on her knees beside
+the inert form, crooning over it pitifully. In the same moment, the
+gust of anger in Zeke ended. He stood motionless, except for his
+quickened breathing, with eyes fast on the girl. Remorse stabbed him
+as he realized her distress, for which he was responsible. He went
+toward her hesitatingly, forgetful of bag and stick, which had fallen
+at the outset of the melee. He ventured to address her, stammering
+confusedly.
+
+"I 'low he hain't daid, nor nothin' like thet," he said; "jest takin'
+a nap-like." His wrath gave a final flicker, as he looked down at the
+ugly face cushioned within the girl's hands. "An ornery critter like
+thet-thar pup ought to be kept shet-up," he concluded spitefully.
+
+The girl lifted a face in which blue eyes were flaming.
+
+"It's you ought to be shut up, you horrible man!" she cried. "And you
+will be. I'll see to that."
+
+"Now, don't be plumb foolish," Zeke expostulated. "The varmint hain't
+hurt none--not a mite, ma'am."
+
+"Beast!" the girl ejaculated, concisely.
+
+Zeke retorted with high indignation.
+
+"I jest nacher'ly hain't a-goin' to stand still an' say 'Thank ye!'
+while I'm bein' et up piecemeal by no dawg--specially one with a face
+like his'n."
+
+He would have said more, but paused with mouth agape, eyes widening,
+his expression horror-stricken. For, just then, the bull-terrier
+snorted loudly, and unclosed its red eyes. The clenched jaws, too,
+relaxed. Thus released, the broad strip of jeans fluttered to the
+floor. Its movement caught Zeke's gaze. He recognized the cloth. The
+ghastly truth burst in his brain. In an agony of embarrassment, he
+clasped his hands to that portion of his person so fearfully
+despoiled. Moved by his sudden silence, impressed perhaps by some
+subtle impact of this new and dreadful emotion on his part, the girl
+looked up. She, too, had noted subconsciously the fall of the cloth
+from the dog's jaws. Now as she saw the young man's face of fire and
+observed his peculiar posture, she understood. Her own crimson cheeks
+rivaled those of the afflicted one. She turned and bent low over her
+reviving pet. Her shoulders were shaking, Zeke was shuddering.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+
+The conventions of dress are sometimes pestilential. If any doubt this
+truth let him remember the nightmares wherein his nudity made torment.
+And, while remembering the anguish such lack of clothing has
+occasioned in dreams, let him think with pity on the suffering of Zeke
+whose plight was real. It was in sooth, a predicament to strain the
+_savoir faire_ of the most polished courtier. Perhaps, the behavior of
+the mountaineer was as discreet as any permitted by the unfortunate
+circumstances, and could hardly have been improved on by the Admirable
+Crichton himself. He simply retained an immobile pose, facing the
+girl, with his whole soul concentrated in desire that the earth should
+split asunder to engulf him. The tide of his misery was at its flood,
+so that it grew no worse when some deck-hands thrust the forward doors
+open, and a policeman bounded into the cabin, drawn revolver in hand.
+
+But the bull-terrier was to escape the fate unjustly inflicted on so
+many of its fellows. The girl, crouching over the dog, barred the
+policeman's purpose.
+
+"Get away from him, miss," the officer directed. "He ain't safe, even
+if he's quiet. I know mad dogs. A bullet's the only medicine."
+
+"Chub isn't mad in the least," the girl snapped; "though he's been
+through enough to make him crazy--and so have I. If you're so anxious
+to do your duty, officer," she added, bitterly, "why don't you arrest
+that horrid, hulking man over there?" She pointed a neatly gloved,
+accusing finger at the motionless Zeke, who was staring fixedly at the
+point where he hoped the abyss might yawn.
+
+"What's he done?" the policeman inquired gruffly. He was miffed over
+this lost opportunity. The slayer of a mad dog is always mentioned as
+a hero in the newspapers.
+
+The girl stood up. The dog, at the end of the leash, also stood up,
+and shook itself. It had, to all seeming, recovered fully. It regarded
+Zeke intently from its red eyes. But it did not growl. It was plain
+that the bull-terrier was thinking deeply, and that Zeke was the
+center around which thought revolved. But, if the dog did not growl,
+its mistress showed no lessening of hostility. She explained
+succinctly to the representative of the law:
+
+"He assaulted my dog--with his feet and his hands."
+
+"And maybe he bit him, too!" the policeman suggested, with heavy
+sarcasm. He could not forgive this pretty girl for foiling his
+heroism.
+
+The girl did not heed. Her white brow was wrinkled in a frown. She was
+recalling, with an effort, her somewhat meager knowledge of legal
+terms.
+
+"I shall charge him with homicidal assault," she announced firmly.
+
+"I hope you'll tell that to the sarge," the officer chuckled, his
+pique forgotten in appreciation of the girl's naive announcement.
+"I'll take this chap to the station-house. You'll appear against him,
+miss?" The girl nodded emphatically. He turned on Zeke, frowning.
+"Come on quiet, young feller, if you know what's good for ye." His
+practiced eye studied the young mountaineer's physique respectfully.
+
+Zeke made no movement, nor answered nor lifted his eyes. The policeman
+attributed this demeanor to recalcitrancy. He put the revolver in his
+pocket, drew his club and took a step forward. Yet, he sensed
+something unfamiliar in the situation; the stiff posture of the arms
+and hands of the culprit attracted his attention. He felt vaguely that
+something of a painful nature was toward. He stopped short, puzzled,
+and spoke:
+
+"What's the matter with ye, anyhow?" he demanded fiercely. "Hain't ye
+got any tongue?"
+
+Then, at last, Zeke raised his eyes. They went first to the forward
+door, to make sure that the girl had vanished. There were only two
+mildly interested deck-hands in the cabin, beside the policeman,
+though soon the place would be filled with newly arriving passengers.
+He looked at the officer squarely, with despair in his expression:
+
+"Hit ain't my tongue--hit's my pants!" he said huskily. "Hit's the
+seat of my pants. Hit's--hit's thar!" He nodded toward the strip of
+jeans left on the floor by the dog.
+
+The policeman stared at the fragment of cloth, then his gaze returned
+appreciatively to the victim's hands. He threw his head back and
+bellowed with laughter, echoed raucously by the deck-hands. Zeke
+waited grimly until the merriment lessened a little.
+
+"I hain't a-stirrin' nary a step to no jail-house," was his morose
+announcement, "unless somebody gits me some pants with a seat to
+'em."
+
+The policeman liked his ease too well to fight needlessly, and he had
+an idea that the thews and sinews of the boomer might make a good
+account of themselves. Moreover, he was by way of being a kindly soul,
+and he apprehended in a measure the young man's misery.
+
+"Can you dig up a pair of jumpers?" he asked the deck-hands. "You can
+have 'em back by calling at the station to-morrow."
+
+In this manner, the difficulty was bridged. Clad in the dingy and
+dirty borrowed garment, the burning shame fell from Zeke, and he was
+once again his own man. Nevertheless, he avoided looking toward the
+piece of torn cloth lying on the floor, as he went out with the
+policeman. He only wished that he might with equal ease leave behind
+all memory of the lamentable episode.
+
+Zeke's tractability increased the favorable impression already made on
+the officer by the mountaineer's wholesome face and modest, manly
+bearing. It was evident that this was no ordinary rake-helly boomer
+come to town. There was, too, the black bag to witness that the
+prisoner was an honest voyager. On the way to the station, the
+constable listened with unusual patience to Zeke's curt account of the
+misadventure, and the narrative was accepted as truth--the more
+readily by reason of some slight prejudice against the dog, which had
+failed as an exploiter of heroism. In consequence, the policeman grew
+friendly, and promised intercession in his captive's behalf. This was
+the more effective when, on arrival at the station-house, it was
+learned that the girl with the dog had not appeared. Nor was there
+sign of her after a period of waiting. The sergeant at the desk
+decided that there could be no occasion to hold the prisoner. But he
+frowned on the deadly weapon, which the usual search had revealed.
+
+"'Twon't do for you to go totin' that cannon promiscuous," he
+declared. "You shore don't need a gun--you shore do need breeches.
+What's the answer?... Hock the gun, and buy some pants."
+
+Thus simply did an alert mind solve all difficulties of the
+situation.
+
+So in the end, Zeke issued safely from his first bout with mischance
+and found himself well content, for his dress now was more like that
+of the men about him. The new trousers were full length, which the
+jeans had not been, and the creases down the legs were in the latest
+style. The salesman had so stated, and Zeke observed with huge
+satisfaction that the stiffness of the creases seemed to mark the
+quality of the various suits visible in the streets. And his own
+creases were of the most rigid! Zeke for the first time in his life,
+felt that warm thrill which characterizes any human integer, whether
+high or low, when conscious of being especially well dressed.
+
+Followed an interval of loitering. The sights of the town formed an
+endless panorama of wonder to the lad's eager vision. Though he was a
+year past the age of man's estate, this was his first opportunity of
+beholding a town of any size, of seeing face to face things of which
+he had heard a little, had read more. His fresh, receptive mind
+scanned every detail with fierce concentration of interest, and
+registered a multitude of vivid impressions to be tenaciously retained
+in memory.
+
+And ever with him, as he roamed the streets, went a tall slender girl,
+barefooted, garbed in homespun, with great dark brown eyes that looked
+tenderly on him from beneath the tumbled bronze masses of her hair. No
+passer-by saw her, but the mountaineer knew her constant presence, and
+with her held voiceless communion concerning all things that he
+beheld. His heart exulted proudly over the bewildering revelations of
+many women, both beautiful and marvelously clad in fine raiment--for
+this girl that walked with him was more radiantly fair than any
+other.
+
+It was late afternoon when, finally, Zeke aroused himself to think of
+the necessities of his position. Then, after a hasty and economical
+meal at a lunch counter near the water-front, he made haste to the
+pier, where his attention was at once riveted on an Old Dominion
+Liner, which was just backing out into the river. He watched the great
+bulk, fascinated, while it turned, and moved away down the harbor, to
+vanish beyond Sewall's Point, on its way toward Hampton Roads.
+Immediately afterward, his attention was attracted to a much smaller
+steamer, which drew in on the opposite side of the wharf. There
+chanced to be no one else near, and, as the boat slid into the slip, a
+man in the bow hurled a coil of rope toward Zeke, with an aim so
+accurate that it fell across Zeke's shoulder.
+
+"Don't dodge it, you lubber!" the man roared, in answer to the
+mountaineer's instinctive movement. "Haul it in, an' make fast to the
+punchin'."
+
+Zeke obeyed readily enough, hauled in the hawser, and made the loop
+fast over the piling. At the same moment, he saw two negroes, blacker
+from soot and grime than nature had made them, who leaped down from
+the deck, and scampered out of sight. He heard the captain in the
+pilot-house shouting down the tube.
+
+"There go your----nigger stokers on the run."
+
+Zeke could both see and hear the man in the engine-room, who vowed
+profanely that he would ship a pair of white men, to sail before ten
+that night. It seemed to the listener that the situation might develop
+to his advantage. When, presently, the captain descended to the dock,
+Zeke made bold to accost that red-faced and truculent-appearing
+person. Much to his surprise, his request for work met with an amiable
+reply. The captain verified what Zeke already knew, that the engineer
+had need of men, and bade the inquirer get aboard and offer himself.
+
+In the engine-room, the harried chief scowled on the intruder.
+
+"What the devil do you want?" he cried harshly.
+
+But Zeke's purpose was too earnest to be put down by mere
+ungraciousness.
+
+"Work," he replied with a smile.
+
+Something in the applicant's aspect mitigated the engineer's
+asperity.
+
+"Ever fire a boiler?" he questioned, more affably.
+
+"Yes, an' no," Zeke answered; "not any real steam b'iler. But, when
+hit comes to keepin' a hick'ry fire under a copper kittle, an' not
+scorchin' the likker, wall, I 'lows as how I kin do hit. An' when it
+comes to makin' o' sorghum m'lasses, I hain't never tuk off my hat to
+nobody yit. Fer the keepin' o' proper temp'rature folks says, I'm
+'bout's good's anybody in Wilkes."
+
+"Humph!--boomer," the engineer grunted, and there was silence for a
+moment. When next he spoke, his manner was kindly.
+
+"Those niggers of mine skedaddled 'cause they're lazy and worthless.
+But the stoke-hole is hell, all right. It ain't no place for a
+youngster like you. I'll hustle round to the gin-mills an' get hold of
+a pair of tough guys. But there's something else," he went on, as
+Zeke's face fell. "If you can make sorghum molasses and moonshine
+without scorchin' 'em, you'll fill the bill, I reckon. We cruise off
+the coast for menhaddin--fat backs--for the oil in 'em. We carry
+steam-jacket kettles. I've got a green man now who's no good. I'll
+fire him and take you on. Thirty a month and your board--more
+by-and-by, if you suit."
+
+Zeke, elated at this opportunity, felt, nevertheless, that honesty
+required of him some further explanation. But the engineer dismissed
+consideration of the future.
+
+"A month will give you enough for your fare to New York. If you ain't
+pressed for time, a voyage will do you good. But don't let the captain
+get a sight of that black bag, or it'll go overboard. Sailors are
+afeared of 'em," he chuckled. "_The Neuse_, my old ship, ran into _The
+Blanche_ off Creek Beacon, in a fog, and sunk her. We rescued officers
+and crew, but the captain--Smith, his name was--couldn't stop cussin'
+'cause he'd allowed a nigger mammy to go aboard as a passenger along
+with her old black bag, which was the why of the wreck, 'cording to
+his way of thinking. Took his friends nigh onto a year, to convince
+him that _The Neuse_ was to blame for the collision. I suspect he'll
+always have it on his conscience that he did finally collect damages
+off our owners." The engineer chuckled again. "Stow your bag under
+your bunk in the fore peak before the captain comes aboard."
+
+_The Bonita_ was a stanchly built and seaworthy craft with a draft of
+less than twelve feet under full cargo, which made possible her use of
+the shorter and smoother inland water-way from Norfolk to Beaufort,
+North Carolina, where was the factory. Zeke, who would remain idle
+until the first catch of fish, went early to his bunk the first
+evening aboard, wearied by the long and exciting day. He had, indeed,
+scarce time to contemplate a guardian vision of Plutina ere his senses
+were locked in slumber, and his next consciousness was of a dim
+morning light struggling into the gloom of the stuffy peak, and the
+jolting rhythm of the engine, which announced that the voyage was
+begun. When he hurried on deck, he was at first disappointed to learn
+that the boat was still some distance from the open sea, for which he
+longed with all an inlander's curiosity over the mystery of endless
+waters. _The Bonita_ was now working forward slowly through the old
+Dismal Swamp Canal, to reach the Pasquotank River and Albemarle Sound.
+Zeke's astonished eyes perceived in every direction only the level,
+melancholy expanse of the swamp. His sensitive soul found,
+nevertheless, a strange charm and beauty in the scene. There was space
+here, even as in the mountains. Yet this calm was not of strength, he
+felt vaguely, like that he had known, but the tranquillity of nature
+in another, a weaker, less-wholesome mood, apathetic, futile. The
+thickly dotting cypresses and junipers, bedecked with streaming
+draperies of Spanish moss, touched the vistas with a funereal aspect.
+The languid movement of the festoons under the breeze was like the
+sighings of desolation made visible. The dense tangle of the
+undergrowth stretched everywhere, repellent, unrelieved by the vivid
+color flashes of the mountain blossoms. Stagnant wastes of amber-hued
+water emphasized the dreariness.
+
+Zeke's spirits were too exultant to suffer more than a fleeting
+depression from this first survey of the waste. He realized how unjust
+his impressions might be when he learned that this seemingly filthy
+water was highly esteemed. The deck-hand, filling the water barrel
+from a pail let over the ship's side, explained the swamp water's
+virtues.
+
+"All the capens fill their barrels with it. Juniper water cures chills
+an' fever, an' keeps 'em off if ye hain't got 'em. Some says it's
+better 'n gin for the kidneys." But the deck-hand looked doubtful.
+
+Zeke, still suspicious because of the unlikeness of this liquid to the
+crystal-clear element of the mountains, essayed an experimental
+swallow, then spat disgustedly.
+
+"Hit may be all right fer med'cine, or yarb tea," was his verdict,
+"but it needs real water to wash it down."
+
+The progress was tediously slow, for a strong southwest wind had come
+on, which lowered the water in the canal, so that _The Bonita_ often
+went scraping along the bottom, and betimes stuck fast in the mud.
+When they were come to the Lake Drummond region, Captain Lee decided
+to tie up until a change or falling of the wind, with its consequent
+rise of water in the channel. At the point where they finally made
+fast to the bank, there was an old trail, a woods road long abandoned,
+running off into the jungle. Zeke promptly set off to explore this,
+and almost at once espied a wild turkey; a plump gobbler, feeding in
+the path before him. There could be no doubt as to the acceptability
+of such food aboard and Zeke hastened back to _The Bonita_, where the
+captain gladly loaned him a rifle. Thus equipped, Zeke returned to the
+wilderness trail. He was not surprised to find that the turkey had
+vanished, nor disheartened, for he was sure that a little patience
+would bring him in sight of game, and there was leisure a plenty since
+an interval must elapse after a change in the wind before the
+deepening of the water. Within a half-hour, he shot a turkey from its
+perch in a cypress. With much satisfaction, Zeke swung the gobbler,
+which was big and fat, over his shoulder, and set out to return.
+Almost at once, however, his steps were arrested by the faint baying
+of a hound. As he listened, the sound grew louder, as if the dog drove
+its quarry toward him. The instinct of the chase dominated the
+mountaineer. He cast down the turkey, and waited, hopeful that a deer
+or bear might cross the path within range.
+
+Soon, he heard a noisy crackling of underbrush a little to his right,
+but near at hand. With the rifle in readiness Zeke peered from the
+concealment of a cypress trunk. But it was neither the lithe leaping
+form of a deer, nor the uncouth shambling bulk of swamp bear that
+broke from the cover a moment later. Instead, there lurched into view
+a huge negro. The fugitive's clothing hung in shreds, witness of the
+cat's-briar claws; his face, from the same cause, was torn and
+bleeding. The breath wheezed loudly through the open mouth; the sweat
+ran in streams from the face; the eyes rolled whitely. There was
+terror in his expression. He carried a thick club. Now, as he came to
+a halt, it was plain to the watcher that the runner's fear had at last
+driven him to make a stand, when he could flee no further. Zeke had no
+difficulty in understanding the situation sufficiently well. The negro
+was undoubtedly a criminal who had fled in the hope of refuge from the
+law in the swamp's secret lurking places. Now trailed by the dog, he
+was brought to bay. Zeke determined, as a measure of prudence, to
+remain inactive until the issue between man and dog should be
+adjusted. Otherwise, he might find himself engaged against both man
+and beast with only a single bullet to his aid.
+
+The querulous cries of the dog here and there showed that the scent
+had been lost where the negro had splashed through some pool. Then,
+abruptly, a sharp volley announced recovery of the track. A minute
+later a huge black-and-tan body catapulted from the thicket into the
+open space of the trail. From his cover, Zeke watched excitedly. The
+negro, who had stood with club swung back ready for the blow, was
+caught at disadvantage by the pursuer's emergence at an unexpected
+point. The branches of the thicket projected to prevent a blow. The
+dog, silent now, hurled itself straight at the man's throat. But the
+negro, alert to the peril, avoided the charge by a swift spring to the
+side. Zeke heard the great jaws of the beast click shut as it shot
+harmlessly past its foe; he heard the savage growl with which it
+whirled to renew the attack. As it leaped a second time the negro's
+club fell true in a mighty stroke--caught the creature fair on the
+skull, stopped it in midair, dropped it dead to the ground.
+
+Zeke's turn in the action was come, at last. Even as the negro stood
+gloating over his victory, the mountaineer, with leveled rifle,
+stepped from the concealment of the cypress, and cried a sharp
+command:
+
+"Drop thet-thar club, an' stand still whar ye be, if ye don't want to
+be kilt!"
+
+The effect on the exultant negro was almost pitiful. Where had been
+the assurance of final escape was now the certainty of capture. The
+shock of contrasting emotions was too much for the fellow's strength,
+coarse-fibered and hardened as he was. He stared at Zeke with
+protruding eyes, his face grown gray. His thrilling joy in the slaying
+of the dog was lost in the black despair of defeat. The club fell from
+the trembling fingers, and in the next moment the man himself sagged
+to the ground and crouched whimpering, whining, in a child-like
+abandon to fatigue and grief. Then, presently, while the captor
+watched in some perplexity, the moaning ceased. In its stead came a
+raucous rhythm--the sleep of utter exhaustion.
+
+A sound of footsteps on the path caught Zeke's ear. He turned, and saw
+close at hand a short, stockily built, swarthy-complexioned man of
+middle age, who came swinging forward at a lope. The newcomer halted
+at sight of the mountaineer.
+
+"Seen anything of a big nigger or a hound passing this way?" he
+demanded.
+
+Zeke nodded, gravely.
+
+"Ye'll find the two of 'em right thar." He raised the rifle, which
+the other man now observed for the first time, and with it pointed to
+where, beyond the cypress-tree, the negro huddled, breathing
+stertorously, beside the dead body of the dog.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+
+Dun clouds of tragedy, crimson-streaked with sinister romance, shadow
+the chronicles of the forty-mile square that makes the Dismal Swamp.
+Thither, aforetime, even as to-day, men fled into the labyrinthine
+recesses to escape the justice--or the injustice--of their fellows.
+Runaway slaves sought asylum within its impenetrable and uncharted
+mazes of thicket and quaking earth, of fetid pool and slithering
+quicksands. Such fugitives came no more after the emancipation.
+Instead of slaves, there were black men who had outraged the law, who
+fled into the steaming, noxious waste in order to evade the penalty
+for crime. For a time, these evil-doers were hunted through the
+tortuous trails in the canebrakes with blood-hounds, even as their
+predecessors had been. But the kennels of the man-hunting dogs were
+ravaged by the black tongue, soon after the ending of the Civil War.
+Poisoners, too, took toll of the too intelligent brutes. The strain
+rapidly grew less--became extinct. Whereat, the criminals of Dismal
+Swamp rejoiced in unholy glee. Their numbers waxed. Soon, they came to
+be a serious menace to the peace and safety of the communities that
+bordered on the infested region.
+
+One sufferer from these conditions so resented the depredations of
+marauders that he bought in England two splendid stag-hounds, keen of
+scent, intelligent, faithful to their task, strong enough to throttle
+their quarry, be it deer or man. By the aid of these creatures, many
+criminals were captured. Their owner, by the intrepidity of his
+pursuit, was given a nickname, "Cyclone" Brant. The speed and force
+and resistlessness of him justified the designation. Together with his
+dogs, Jack and Bruno, he won local fame for daring and successful
+exploits against the lurking swamp devils. It was this man who now,
+canvas-clad, with rifle in hand, looked in the direction indicated by
+Zeke. He was dripping wet, plastered with slime of the bogs. For a few
+seconds, he stood staring in silence. Then a little, gasping cry broke
+from his lips. He strode forward, and fell to his knees beside the
+body of the dog. He lifted the face of the hound gently in his two
+hands, and looked down at it for a long time.
+
+There was a film of tears in Brant's eyes when, at last, he put the
+head of the dog softly back on the earth, and stood up, and turned
+toward the mountaineer. He made explanation with simple directness.
+The negro was a notorious outlaw, for whose capture the authorities of
+Elizabeth City offered a reward of five hundred dollars. Half of this
+sum would be duly paid to Zeke.
+
+This news stirred the young man to the deeps. To his poverty-stricken
+experience, the amount was princely. The mere mention of it made
+privations to vanish away, luxuries to flourish. He had roseate
+visions of lavish expenditures: a warm coat for the old mother,
+furbelows for Plutina, "straighteners" even, if she would have them.
+The dreamer blushed at the intimacy of his thought. It did not occur
+to his frugal soul that now he need not continue on _The Bonita_, but
+might instead go easily to New York by train. He was naively happy in
+this influx of good fortune, and showed his emotion in the deepened
+color under the tan of his cheeks and in the dancing lights of the
+steady eyes.
+
+"I'm shore plumb glad I kotched him," he said eagerly, "if thar's a
+right smart o' money in hit. If he's as right-down bad as ye says he
+is, I'm powerfully sorry I didn't wing 'im 'fore he got yer dawg."
+
+Brant shook his head regretfully.
+
+"It's my fault," he confessed. "I oughtn't to have taken the chance
+with Bruno alone. I should have had Jack along, too. With more than
+one dog, a man won't stand against 'em. He'll take to a tree." He
+shook off the depression that descended as he glanced down at the
+stiffening body of the beast. There was a forced cheerfulness in his
+tones when he continued: "But how did you get into the swamp? I take
+you to be from the mountains."
+
+Zeke's manner suddenly indicated no small pride.
+
+"I'm a sailor, suh," he explained, with great dignity. "I'm the
+cookin' chief on the fishin' steamer, _Bonita_."
+
+Brant surveyed the mountaineer with quizzically appraising eyes.
+
+"Been a sailor long?" he questioned, innocently.
+
+"Wall, no, I hain't," Zeke conceded. His voice was reluctant. "I was
+only tuk on las' night. I hain't rightly begun sailorin' yit. Thet's
+how I c'd come arter thet gobbler." He pointed to the bird lying at
+the foot of the cypress. Abruptly, his thoughts veered again to the
+reward. "Oh, cracky! Jest think of all thet money earned in two
+minutes! Hit's what I come down out o' the mountains fer, an' hit
+'pears like I done right. I'd shore be tickled to see all thet-thar
+money in dimes an' nickels, n' mebby a few quarters thrown in!"
+
+"You're tied up near here?" Brant inquired.
+
+"'Bout a mile over," was the answer. "Will ye take yer nigger thar
+first?"
+
+"Yes, I know Captain Lee. He'll give me a chance at your gobbler, and
+then passage to Elizabeth City."
+
+That same afternoon, _The Bonita_ continued her voyage. The captain
+obligingly made a landing at Elizabeth City, where Brant lodged his
+prisoner, and where the gratified Zeke stowed in his wallet ten times
+as much money as he had ever before possessed at one time. Naturally,
+he was in a mood of much self-complacency, for, in addition to the
+money gain, his adventure had notably increased his prestige aboard
+ship, where Brant's praise for his prompt and efficient action was
+respectfully accepted. Yet, despite his contentment, the mountaineer
+found himself strangely troubled as he lay in his bunk, after the ship
+had got under way. It may be that his perturbation had a physical
+cause, at least in part, for there was more movement now as the vessel
+slid through the waves of Pamlico Sound. It was while he tossed
+restlessly, troubled over this unaccustomed inability to sleep, that
+there came a memory of the black bag:
+
+"I plumb fergot the dum hoodoo!" Zeke muttered, in huge disgust. "An'
+the chief said I must git another the first chance." Then he grinned
+vaingloriously into the darkness of the fore-peak. "But I reckon hit
+hain't put no cuss on me yit--seein' as how I got a job an' a peck o'
+money right smack off." Presently, however, his nervous mood suggested
+a sinister possibility. "P'rhaps, it don't work on land--only jest on
+the sea, or mebby jest whar it happens to be at. Hit wa'n't 'long
+with me when I ketched the nigger. I 'low I ought to 'a' got rid o'
+the pesky thing like the chief said."
+
+Zeke realized that sleep was not for him. If he had had any hope
+otherwise, it was ended when the fog-horn of _The Bonita_ wound its
+melancholy blasts, and other trumpetings began to sound over the waste
+from near and far. Already, by dint of many inquiries, Zeke had
+acquired enough information to know that the mournful noise was the
+accompaniment of a fog. Curious to see, he rose, and felt his way to
+the small port-hole, through which he sought to peer out into the
+night. His vision compassed no more than a few fathom's distance;
+beyond, all was blackness. The port was open, and the cold mist
+stealing in chilled him. Zeke shivered, but an inexplicable
+disturbance of spirit kept him from the warmth of the blankets. He
+chose rather to slip on his trousers, and then again to gaze blindly
+out into the mysterious dark of this new world. He found himself
+hearkening intently for the varied calls of warning that went wailing
+hither and yon. The mellow, softly booming, yet penetrant notes of the
+conch-shells blown by the skippers of smaller craft, came almost
+soothingly to his ears. All the others, harsher, seemed tocsins of
+terror.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+THE LOVERS ON STONE MOUNTAIN.]
+
+Standing there at the port, with the floating drops of mist drenching
+his face, Zeke fell into a waking dream. He was again clambering over
+the scarped cliffs of Stone Mountain; beside him Plutina. His arm was
+about her waist, and their hands were clasped, as they crept with
+cautious, feeling steps amid the perils of the path. For over the
+lofty, barren summit, the mist had shut down in impenetrable veils.
+Yet, through that murk of vapor, the two, though they moved so
+carefully, went in pulsing gladness, their hearts singing the old,
+old, new, new mating song. A mist not born of the sea nor of the
+mountain, but of the heart, was in the lad's eyes while he remembered
+and lived again those golden moments in the mountain gloom. It seemed
+to him for a blessed minute that Plutina was actually there beside him
+in the tiny, rocking space of the fore-peak; that the warmth of her
+hand-clasp thrilled into the beating of his pulses. Though the
+illusion vanished swiftly, the radiance of it remained, for he knew
+that then, and always, the spirit of the girl dwelt with him.
+
+The mountaineer's interval of peace was rudely ended. A wild volley of
+blasts from _The Bonita's_ whistle made alarum. Bells clanged
+frantically in the engine-room close at hand. A raucous fog-horn
+clamored out of the dark. To Zeke, still dazedly held to thought of
+the mountains, the next sound was like the crashing down of a giant
+tree, which falls with the tearing, splitting din of branches beating
+through underbrush. An evil tremor shook the boat. Of a sudden, _The
+Bonita_ heeled over to starboard, almost on her beams' ends. Zeke
+saved himself from falling only by a quick clutch on the open port.
+From the deck above came a contusion of fierce voices, a strident
+uproar of shouts and curses. Then, _The Bonita_ righted herself,
+tremulously, languidly, as one sore-stricken might sit up, very
+feebly. The sailors in the fore-peak, with a chorus of startled oaths,
+leaped from the bunks, and fled to the deck. Zeke followed.
+
+Clinging to a stanchion, the mountaineer could distinguish vaguely, in
+the faint lights of the lanterns, the bows of a three-masted schooner,
+which had sheared through the port-side of _The Bonita_. The bowsprit
+hung far over the smaller ship, a wand of doom. The beating of the
+waves against the boat's side came gently under the rasping, crunching
+complaint of timber against timber in combat. The schooner's sails
+flapped softly in the light breeze. Zeke, watching and listening
+alertly, despite bewilderment, heard the roaring commands of a man
+invisible, somewhere above him, and guessed that this must be the
+captain of the schooner. He saw the crew of _The Bonita_ clambering
+one after another at speed, up the anchor chain at the bow of the
+destroyer. He realized that flight was the only road to safety. But,
+even as he was tensed to dart forward, he remembered his treasure of
+money under the bunk pillow.
+
+On the instant, he rushed to the fore-peak, seized the wallet and the
+black bag, and fled again to the deck. At the moment when he
+reappeared, a gust of quickening breeze filled the schooner's sails.
+The canvas bellied taut. The grinding, clashing clamor of the timbers
+swelled suddenly. The schooner wrenched herself free, and slipped,
+abruptly silent, away into the night and the mist. Ere Zeke reached
+the rail in his leap, the schooner had vanished. For a minute, he
+heard a medley of voices. Then, while he stood straining his eyes in
+despair, these sounds lessened--died. The mountaineer stood solitary
+and forsaken on the deck of a sinking ship.
+
+Finally, Zeke spoke aloud in self-communion. The words rang a little
+tremulous, for he realized that he was at grips with death.
+
+"Hit's what I gits fer fergittin'," was his regretful comment. "I
+reckon, if so be I'd ever got onto thet-thar schooner with this-hyar
+damn' bag, she'd 'a' sunk, too. Or, leastways, they'd have chucked me
+overboard like Jonah, fer causin' the hull cussed trouble with this
+pesky black bag o' mine."
+
+Zeke perceived that the doomed vessel was settling by the head. He
+surmised that time was short. Nevertheless, he took leisure for one
+duty he deemed of prime importance. With all his strength in a vicious
+heave, he cast the black bag from him into the sea.
+
+"I hain't superstitious," he remarked, sullenly; "thet is, not
+exzackly. An' I reckon I'm gittin' rid o' that conjure satchel a mite
+late. I guess hit's done hit's damnedest a'ready."
+
+Inquiries during the leisurely voyaging through the canal had given
+Zeke knowledge concerning the life-belts. Now, he buckled one of them
+about his body hastily, for even his ignorance could not fail to
+interpret the steady settling of the vessel into the water. The strain
+of fighting forebears in the lad set him courageous in the face of
+death. But his blood was red and all a-tingle with the joy of life,
+and he was very loath to die. His heart yearned for the girl who loved
+him. His desire for her was a stabbing agony. The thought of his
+mother's destitution, deprived of him in her old age, was grievous.
+But his anguish was over the girl--anguish for himself; yet more for
+her. The drizzle of the fog on his cheeks brought again a poignant
+memory of the mist that had enwrapped them on the stark rocks of the
+mountain. A savage revolt welled in him against the monstrous decree
+of fate. He cried out roughly a challenge to the elements. Then, in
+the next instant, he checked the futile outburst, and bethought him
+how best to meet the catastrophe.
+
+The instinct of flight from the rising waters led Zeke to mount the
+pilot-house. The lanterns shed a flickering light here, and the youth
+uttered a cry of joy as his eyes fell on the life-raft. The shout was
+lost in the hissing of steam as the sea rushed in on the boilers. All
+the lights were extinguished now, save the running lamps with their
+containers of oil. Quickly, the noise from the boiler-room died out,
+and again there was silence, save for the occasional bourdoning of the
+horns or the mocking caress of the waves that lapped the vessel's
+sides--like a colossal serpent licking the prey it would devour
+betimes. In the stillness, Zeke wrought swiftly. He wasted no time
+over the fastenings. The blade of his knife slashed through the hemp
+lashings, and the raft lay clear. He made sure that it was free from
+the possibility of entanglement. Then, as the boat lurched
+sickeningly, like a drunken man to a fall, Zeke stretched himself face
+downward lengthwise of the tiny structure, and clenched his hands on
+the tubes. There was a period of dragging seconds, while _The Bonita_
+swayed sluggishly, in a shuddering rhythm. Came the death spasm. The
+stern was tossed high; the bow plunged for the depths. Down and
+down--to the oyster rocks of Teach's Hole, in Pamlico Sound. As the
+vessel sank, the raft floated clear for a moment, then the suction
+drew it under, buffeted it--spewed it forth. It rode easily on the
+swirling waters, at last. As the commotion from the ship's sinking
+ceased, the raft moved smoothly on the surface, rocking gently with
+the pulse of the sea. Zeke, half-strangled, almost torn from his place
+by the grip of the water in the plunge, clung to his refuge with all
+the strength that was in him. And that strength prevailed. Soon, he
+could breathe fully once again, and the jaws of the sea gave over
+their gnawing. After the mortal peril through which he had won, Zeke
+found his case not so evil. The life was still in him, and he voiced a
+crude phrase of gratefulness to Him who is Lord of the deep waters,
+even as of the everlasting hills.
+
+Near Teach's Hole, Ocracoke Inlet offers a shallow channel between the
+dunes from Pamlico Sound to the open sea. Here the varying tides rush
+angrily, lashed by the bulk of waves behind. To-night, the ebb bore
+with it a cockle-shell on which a lad clung, shivering. But the soul
+was still strong in him for all his plight. He dared believe that he
+would yet return safe to the mountains, to the love that awaited him
+there.
+
+Once the castaway smiled wryly:
+
+"I hain't superstitious none--leastways, I dunno's I be," he muttered,
+doubtfully. "But hit's plumb lucky I got rid o' thet-thar dum black
+bag jest as I did, or I'd 'a' been a goner, shore!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+
+The days dragged heavily for Plutina, after the departure of her
+lover. She endured the period of tense waiting as best she might,
+since endure she must, but this passive loneliness, without a word
+from the man of her heart, was well-nigh intolerable. She did not
+weep--after that single passionate outburst while yet her lips were
+warm from his kiss. She was not of the weak fiber to find assuagement
+in many tears, nor had she nerves that needed the chemical soothing of
+flooded eyes. She had, indeed, strength sufficient for the trial. She
+bore her sorrow bravely enough, but it pierced her through and
+through. She knew her lover, and she knew herself. Because of that
+knowledge she was spared the shameful suffering of a woman who fears,
+with deadly fear, lest her lover be untrue. Plutina had never a doubt
+as to the faith of the absent one. A natural jealousy sometimes leaped
+in her bosom, at thought of him exposed to the wiles of women whom she
+suspected of all wantonness. But she had no cowardly thought that the
+fairest and most cunning of them could oust her from the shrine of
+Zeke's heart. Her great grief lay in the failure of any word from the
+traveler. The days became weeks; almost a month had gone since he held
+her in his arms, and still no message came. This was, in truth,
+strange enough to justify alarm. It was with difficulty that she drove
+back a temptation to imagine evil happenings. She went oftener the six
+miles to the Cherry Lane post-office.
+
+When she descended the trail toward Thunder Branch this morning, she
+saw Zeke's mother standing in the doorway of the cabin on the far side
+of the stream. The bent figure of the old woman rested motionless,
+with one hand lifted to shade her eyes from the vivid sunlight, as she
+watched the girl's approach.
+
+"Mornin', Tiny," she said tenderly, as the girl crossed the clearing.
+"On yer way to the Lane, I reckon?"
+
+"Mornin', Mis' Higgins," came the cheery answer. "Yes, I 'lowed as how
+ye'd love to hear, an' I c'd git away. The corn's laid by; the sorghum
+cane's done hoed. Alviry's gone to he'p Gran'pap with a bee-tree.
+Hit's a big yaller poplar, up 'twixt Ted Hutchins' claim an' the ole
+mine-hole. Gran'pap 'lows as how hit 'll have to be cut an' split, an'
+wuth hit--over a hundred pounds, all sour-wood honey, 'cept 'bout ten
+pounds early poplar. Gran'pap's right-smart tickled. I told Alviry to
+watch out he don't go an' tote half of it up to thet-thar Widder
+Brown. You-all must come over an' git what ye kin use o' the honey,
+Mis' Higgins, afore the widder gits her fingers in the jar."
+
+"Ye don't opine thet-thar gran'pap o' your'n aims to git hitched ag'in
+at his age, do ye, Tiny? Hit'd be plumb scand'lous--an' him eighty
+past. At thet age, he's bound to have one foot in the grave, fer all
+he's so tarnation spry an' peart in his carryin's on."
+
+"Lord knows what he'll do," the girl replied, carelessly. "He's allers
+been given credit fer havin' fotchin' ways with women. I hope he
+won't, though. They say, folks what marry upwards o' eighty is mighty
+short-lived."
+
+The topic led Zeke's mother to broach apprehension of her own:
+
+"Tiny, ye don't have no idee thet our Zeke's gone daffy on some o'
+them Evish-lookin' critters down below, like ye showed me their
+picters in the city paper oncet?"
+
+"Naw, no danger o' thet," was the stout assurance. "Zeke's got too
+much sense. Besides, he hain't had no time to git rich yit. The paper
+done said as how them kind's arter the coin."
+
+As she went her way, the girl's mind reveled in thoughts of the days
+to come, when Zeke should be rich in sooth, and his riches for her.
+She swung her sun-bonnet in vigorous slaps against her bare legs, to
+scatter the ravenous mosquitoes and yellow flies, swarming from the
+thickets, and she smiled contentedly.
+
+"P'r'aps, them women's got more edication 'n me," she mused aloud,
+complacently, "but I kin fill them silk stockin's plumb up." Her face
+grew brooding with a wistful regret in the sudden droop of the tender
+red lips. "I 'low I jest orter 'a' swung onto thet-thar neck o' his'n
+an' hollered fer Parson, and got spliced 'fore he went." She shook her
+head disconsolately. "Why, if he don't come back, I'll be worse nor
+the widders. Humph, I knows 'em--cats. They'll say: 'Tiny Siddon
+didn't never have no chance to git married--her disperzition an' her
+looks wa'n't compellin' 'nough to ketch a man.'"
+
+The great dark eyes were clouded a little with bitter disappointment,
+when, two hours later, the girl came swiftly down the steep slopes
+from Cherry Lane, for once again there had been no letter for her.
+Despite her courage, Plutina felt a chill of dismay before the mystery
+of this silence. Though faith was unshaken, bewilderment oppressed her
+spirit. She could not understand, and because she could not
+understand, her grief was heavy to bear. Then, presently, she chanced
+upon a new mystery for her distraction--though this was the easier to
+her solving.
+
+As she descended into a hollow by Luffman's branch, which joins
+Thunder Branch a little way above the Higgins' clearing, Plutina's
+alert ears caught a sound that was not of the tumbling waters. Through
+all the noises of the stream where it leaped and sprayed in miniature
+falls over cluttering bowlders and fallen pines, she could distinguish
+the splashing of quick footsteps in the shallows. Some instinct of
+caution checked the girl's advance. Instead of going forward openly,
+she turned aside and approached the bank where crowding alders and ivy
+formed a screen. Here, she parted the vines stealthily, and peered up
+the water-course.
+
+A man was descending the run with hurried strides, wading with bare
+feet, or springing from rock to rock where were the deeper pools. A
+Winchester nestled in the crook of his left arm; two huge bear-traps,
+the jaws wickedly fanged, were swung from a rope over his right
+shoulder; a short-helved ax was thrust within his belt. He wore only a
+cotton shirt open at the neck, dirty throughout, patched jeans
+trousers, and a soft hat, green from long use. Beneath the shading
+brim showed a loutish face, the coarse features swollen from
+dissipation, the small black eyes bleared, yet alert and penetrating
+in their darting, furtive glances. It was Dan Hodges, a man of
+unsavory repute. The girl, though unafraid, blessed the instinct that
+had guided her to avoid a meeting.
+
+There were two prime factors in Plutina's detestation of Hodges. The
+first was due to his insolence, as she deemed it, in aspiring for her
+favor. With little training in conventional ideas of delicacy, the
+girl had, nevertheless, a native refinement not always characteristic
+of her more-cultured sister women. There was to her something
+unspeakably repugnant in the fact that this bestial person should dare
+to think of her intimately. It was as if she were polluted by his
+dreaming of her kisses, of her yielding to his caresses. That he had
+so aspired she knew, for he had told her of his desire with the coarse
+candor of his kind. Her spurning of the uncouth advances had excited
+his wrath; it had not destroyed his hopes. He had even ventured to
+renew his suit, after the news of an engagement between Plutina and
+Zeke had gone abroad. He had winced under the scourge of the girl'
+scorn, but he had shown neither penitence nor remorse. Plutina had
+forborne any account of this trouble to her lover, lest, by bad blood
+between the two men, a worse thing befall.
+
+The second cause of the girl's feeling was less direct, though of
+longer standing, and had to do with the death of her father. That
+Siddon, while yet in his prime, had been slain in a raid on a still
+by the revenue officers, and that despite the fact that he was not
+concerned in the affair, save by the unfortunate chance of being
+present. Plutina, though only a child at the time, could still
+remember the horror of that event. There was a singular personal
+guiltiness, too, in her feeling, for, on the occasion of the raid, her
+grandfather had been looking out from a balcony, and had seen the
+revenue men urging their horses up the trail, the sunlight glinting on
+their carbines. He had seized the great horn, to blow a warning to
+those at the secret still on the mountain above. Plutina could
+remember yet the grotesque bewilderment on his face, as no sound
+issued--then the wrath and despair. The children, in all innocence,
+had stuffed the horn with rags. The prank had thus, in a way, cost two
+lives--one, that of "Young" Dick Siddon. The owner of the raided still
+had been Dan Hodges, and him Plutina despised and hated with a
+virulence not at all Christian, but very human. She had all the
+old-time mountaineer's antipathy for the extortion, as it was
+esteemed, of the Federal Government, and her father's death had
+naturally inflamed her against those responsible for it. Yet, her
+loathing of Hodges caused her to regret that the man himself had
+escaped capture thus far, though twice his still had been destroyed,
+once within the year.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Claudia Kimball Young under the direction of Louis J. Selznick._
+A MOUNTAIN "STILL."]
+
+A high, jutting wall of rock hid the stream where it bent sharply a
+little way from Plutina's shelter. Presently, she became aware that
+Hodges had paused thus beyond the range of her vision, and was busy
+there. She heard the blows of the ax. General distrust of the man
+stirred up in her a brisk curiosity concerning the nature of his
+action in this place. On a previous day, she had observed that the
+limpid waters of the brook had been sullied by the milky refuse from a
+still somewhere in the reaches above. Now, the presence of Dan Hodges
+was sufficient to prove the hidden still his. But the fact did not
+explain his business here. That it was something evil, she could not
+doubt, for the man and his gang were almost outlaws among their own
+people. They were known, though unpunished, thieves, as well as
+"moonshiners," and there were whispers of more dreadful things--of
+slain men vanished into the unsounded depths of the Devil's Cauldron.
+The gorge of the community--careless as it had been of some laws in
+the past, and too ready to administer justice according to its own
+code--had risen against the vicious living of the gang that accepted
+Hodges as chief. It seemed to Plutina that duty conspired with
+curiosity to set her spying on the man.
+
+The espionage, though toilsome enough, was not otherwise difficult.
+Toward the bend, the banks rose sharply on both sides of the stream,
+forming a tiny canon for the channel. The steep slope on the east
+side, where the girl now ascended, was closely overgrown with laurel
+and little thickets of ground pine, through which she was hard beset
+to force her way--the more since she must move with what noiselessness
+she might. But her strength and skill compassed the affair with
+surprising quickness. Presently, she came to the brim of the little
+cliff, and lying outstretched, cautiously looked down. Already, a
+hideous idea had entered her mind, but she had rejected it with
+horror. What she now saw confirmed the thought she had not dared to
+harbor.
+
+Within this bend of the brook, the lessening volume of the channel had
+left a patch of rich soil, heavily overgrown with lush grasses and
+clusters of flowering weeds. A faint trace of passing steps ran across
+the bit of dry ground, the path of those that followed the stream's
+course. Fair in this dim trail, near the center of the plot, a stake
+had been driven deep. At the moment, Hodges was driving into the
+ground a similar stake, a yard further down. It was evident that the
+stakes had been previously left here in readiness, since he had not
+carried them in his descent, and the iron rings bound to them must
+have been attached in a forge. The two massive traps were lying
+half-hidden in the luxuriant growth close by. As Plutina watched with
+affrighted intentness, the man finished driving the second stake. He
+lifted one of the traps, and carried it to the upper stake. With the
+aid of a stone for anvil, he succeeded in clumsily riveting the trap's
+length of chain to the ring on the stake. The like was done with the
+other trap at the lower stake. Then, the man undertook the setting of
+the traps. The task was accomplished very quickly for both, though the
+strength of the jaws taxed his muscles to their utmost. Finally, he
+strewed leaves, and bent grass, until no least gleam of metal betrayed
+the masked peril of the trail. Plutina, sick with the treacherous
+deviltry of the device, heard the grunt of satisfaction with which
+Hodges contemplated his finished work. Forthwith, he picked up his
+rifle, thrust the ax-helve within his belt, and set off up the gulch.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+
+There could be no doubt. Those massive traps, with their cruel teeth
+of steel, meant by the makers for the holding of beasts, had been set
+here by Hodges for the snaring of men. The contrivance was fiendishly
+efficient. From her coign of vantage on the cliff top, Plutina could
+see, on a height above, the brush-covered distillery. A thin, blue
+column of smoke rose straight in the calm air, witness that the kettle
+was boiling over hickory logs, that a "run" of the liquor was being
+made. Plutina recalled that, in a recent raid against Hodges, the
+still had been captured and destroyed though the gang had escaped.
+Such loss was disastrous, for the new copper and worm and fermenters
+meant a cost of a hundred dollars, a sum hard to come on in the
+mountain coves. Usually, the outfit is packed on the men's backs to
+hiding in the laurel, afterward shifted to another obscure nook by
+running water. It was plain that Hodges had grown more than ever
+venomous over the destruction of his still, and had no scruples as to
+the means he would employ to prevent a repetition of such
+catastrophe. No need now to fear lest sentinels be not alert. The
+natural path to the still was along the course of the stream. The
+unwary passer over the tiny stretch of greensward on which the girl
+looked down, would follow the dim trail of footsteps, and so
+inevitably come within the clutch of the great jaws, which would hurl
+themselves together, rending and crunching the flesh between. The
+victim's shrieks of anguish under the assault would be a warning to
+the lawless men above. They would make ready and flee with their
+possessions, and be lost in the laurel once again. Yes, the device was
+simple, diabolically simple, and adequate. It required only that its
+executant should be without bowels of compassion.
+
+Plutina, strong-nerved as she was, found herself shuddering as she
+realized the heinousness of this thing. The soft bloom of the roses in
+her cheeks faded to white; the dark radiance of the eyes was dimmed
+with horror; the exquisite lips were compressed harshly against their
+own quivering weakness. For Plutina, despite strength of body and sane
+poise of soul, was a gentle and tender woman, and the brutal project
+spread before her eyes was an offense to every sensibility. Then, very
+soon, the mood of passive distress yielded to another emotion: a lust
+for vengeance on the man who would insure his own safety thus,
+reckless of another's cost. A new idea came to the girl. At its first
+advent, she shrank from it, conscience-stricken, for it outraged the
+traditions of her people. But the idea returned, once and again. It
+seemed to her that the evil of the man justified her in any measure
+for his punishment. She had been bred to hate and despise a spy, but
+it was borne in on her now that duty required of her to turn informer
+against Dan Hodges. There was more even than the inflicting of
+punishment on the outlaw; there was the necessity of safeguarding the
+innocent from the menace of those hidden man-traps. Any "furriner"
+from down below might wander here, whipping the stream; or any one of
+the neighborhood might chance on the spot. The Widow Higgins' heifers
+sometimes strayed; the old woman might come hither, seeking them.
+Plutina shuddered again, before the terrible vision of the one who was
+like a mother to her, caught and mangled by the pointed fangs waiting
+amid the grasses below.
+
+The question as to her right conduct in the affair remained with the
+girl, as she descended from the cliff, and made her way slowly
+homeward. She temporized by a precautionary measure. At the widow's
+cabin, she secured the old woman's promise not to go beyond the
+clearing in quest of the cattle. But the difficulty as to her course
+was not abated. Inclination urged her to advise the authorities
+concerning the locations of still and traps, and inclination was
+reinforced by justice. Yet, over against this, there were the powerful
+influence of her upbringing, the circumstances of her environment, the
+tragedy of her father's death, the savage resentment of her
+grandfather, already virulent against her lover--all forces to inspire
+enmity against the representatives of a law regarded as the violation
+of inalienable rights. True, there was growing an insidious change in
+the sentiment of the community. Where all had once been of accord, the
+better element were now becoming convinced that the illicit
+liquor-making cursed the mountains, rather than blessed. Undoubtedly,
+some effect of this had touched the girl herself, without her
+knowledge, else she had never thought to betray even such a miscreant
+as Hodges. There was, however, an abiding hate of the informer here,
+as always among decent folk, though along with it went reprobation of
+the traffic in moonshine. Plutina felt that she could never justify
+her action in the sight of her people, should she bring the revenue
+men into the mountain. Her own grandfather would curse her, and drive
+her forth. His feeling had been shown clearly in the case of Zeke. So,
+in her period of uncertainty and stress, there was none of whom the
+girl could take counsel. But, in the end, she decided that she must
+give warning to the United States marshal. The task demanded care. On
+absolute secrecy depended, in all likelihood, her very life.
+
+The trove of honey had come opportunely, since the sale of a portion
+afforded Plutina plausible excuse for her trip to Joines' store.
+There, a telephone had been recently installed, and it was the girl's
+intention to use this means of communication with the marshal. That
+the danger of detection was great, she was unhappily aware, but, she
+could devise no plan that seemed less perilous. So, early in the
+morning of the day following her discovery, she made her way along the
+North Wilkesboro' road, carrying twenty pounds of the sour-wood honey.
+At the store, she did her trading, and afterward remained loitering,
+as is the custom of shoppers in the region. The interval of waiting
+seemed to her interminable, for trade was brisk. There was always
+someone near enough the telephone to overhear, for it was unprotected
+by a booth. But, finally, the customers lessened. The few remaining
+were in the front of the store, at a safe distance from the instrument
+which was on a shelf at the back. Plutina believed that her
+opportunity was come. She knew the amount of the toll, and had the
+necessary silver in her hand to slip into the box. Then, just as she
+was about to take down the receiver, her apprehensive glance, roving
+the room, fell on Ben York, who entered briskly, notwithstanding his
+seventy years, and came straight toward her. Plutina's lifted hand
+fell to her side, and dread was heavy on her. For Ben York was the
+distiller in Hodges' gang.
+
+The old man had a reputation almost as notorious as that of Hodges
+himself. The girl felt a wave of disgust, mingled with alarm, as she
+caught sight of the face, almost hidden behind a hoary thicket of
+whiskers. The fellow was dirty, as always, and his ragged clothes only
+emphasized the emaciation of his dwarfed form. But the rheumy eyes had
+a searching quality that disturbed the girl greatly. She knew that the
+man was distinguished for his intelligence as well as for his general
+worthlessness. In the experience of years, he had always escaped the
+raiders, nor had they been able ever to secure any evidence against
+him. He was, in fact, as adroit of mind as he was tough of body. He
+had lived hard all his days, either in drunken carouse or lying out in
+the laurel to escape the summons of the courts. Where, alas! a holier
+man might have been broken long ago, the aged reprobate thrived, and
+threatened to infest the land for years to come. Now, he greeted the
+girl casually enough, made a purchase, and took his departure. He
+seemed quite unsuspicious, but Plutina felt that his coming on her
+thus was an evil omen, and, for a moment, she faltered in her
+purpose.
+
+A hand went to her bosom, and touched the tiny leather bag that hung
+from a cord about her neck inside the gown. Within it was the fairy
+crystal. The touch of it strengthened her in some subtle fashion. It
+was as if to her weakness there came miraculously something vital,
+something occultly helpful in her need, from the distant lover. The
+superstition, begotten and nourished always in the fastnesses of the
+heights, stirred deeply within her, and comforted her. Of a sudden,
+courage flowed back into her. She took down the receiver.
+
+After all, nothing was accomplished. The marshal was not in his
+office, but absent somewhere in the mountains. Plutina would not risk
+giving information to any other than the officer himself, whom she
+knew, and respected. Disconsolate, she abandoned the attempt for the
+time being, and set out to get a bag of wheat flour from the mill
+close by, on the other side of Roaring River.
+
+As Plutina, with the bag of flour on shoulder, was making her way back
+from the mill, across the big sycamore trunk that serves as a foot
+bridge, a horse splashed into the ford alongside. The girl looked up,
+to see the very man she sought. Marshal Stone called a cheery
+greeting, the while his horse dropped its head to drink.
+
+"Howdy, Plutina?"
+
+"Howdy, Mr. Stone," she answered. Her free hand went again to the
+talisman in her bosom. Surely, its charm was potent!
+
+"All's well as common, at home?" Stone continued. His critical eyes
+delighted in the unconscious grace of the girl, as she stood poised
+above the brawling stream, serene in her physical perfection; and
+above the delicately modeled symmetry of form was the loveliness of
+the face, beautiful as a flower, yet strong, with the shining eyes and
+the red lips, now parted in eagerness. The marshal wondered a little
+at that eagerness. He wondered still more at her hurried speech after
+one quick glance to make sure that none could overhear:
+
+"I mustn't be seed talkin' to ye, but I got somethin' to say 'll he'p
+ye arn yer pay. Kin ye meet me in an hour by the sun, at the ole gate
+on the east end o' Wolf Rock?"
+
+The marshal's answer wasted no words:
+
+"Go on, gal--I'll be there."
+
+Wolf Rock, a huge, jutting mass of barren cliff, though tiny beside
+the bulk of Stone Mountain, which overshadows it, lies between Garden
+Creek and Thunder Branch, a little to the north of where these streams
+flow into Roaring River. Its situation, nearly midway between the mill
+and the Siddon Cabin, made it a convenient point for the meeting
+between Plutina and the officer. Its loneliness lessened the element
+of danger. Both were prompt to the rendezvous. Well under the hour,
+man and girl were standing together within a bower of newly blossoming
+rhododendrons. Above them, the naked rock bent sharply, its granite
+surface glistening in the hot noonday sun. They had withdrawn some
+score of yards from the old wooden gate that barred the lane here,
+lest a chance passer-by see them together. Plutina opened her mind
+without hesitation. The decision once made, she had no thought of
+drawing back.
+
+"I 'low I kin trust ye, Mister Stone," she said simply, and the
+sincerity of the lustrous eyes as they met his confirmed her words.
+"Afore you-all's time in the revenue service, raiders done kilt my
+daddy. I kain't never fergive them men, but they's out o' the service
+now, er I wouldn't have come to ye. Gran'pap says they's a better lot
+o' revenuers now 'n what used to be an' he says as how Marshal Stone
+don't do no dirt. Thet's why I'm a-trusting ye, so's ye kin kotch the
+pizen-meanest white man a-makin' likker in the hull Stone Mountain
+country--him an' his gang an' his still."
+
+The marshal's eyes sparkled.
+
+"I reckon you're talking about Dan Hodges," he interjected.
+
+Plutina nodded her head in somber acquiescence.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+JOINES' MILL.]
+
+"Then you needn't have any scruples about giving information," Stone
+continued, urgently. "He and his gang are a menace to the peace of the
+settlement. I'll keep you out of it, of course, to save you
+embarrassment."
+
+"Ye'd better," Plutina retorted, "to save my life. I don't know's I
+mind bein' embarrassed so much, but I don't feel called to die yit."
+
+"No, no; there won't be anything like that," the marshal exclaimed,
+much disconcerted. "I'll see no trouble comes to you. Nobody'll know
+your part."
+
+"'Cept me!" was the bitter objection. "If 'twas anybody but that
+ornery galoot, I wouldn't say a word. Ye know that."
+
+"I know," Stone admitted, placatingly.
+
+In his desire to change her mood, he blundered on:
+
+"And there's the reward for getting the 'copper'--twenty dollars for
+you Plutina. If we get Hodges, I'll give you another fifty out of my
+own pocket. That'll buy you a nice new dress or two, and a hat, and
+some silk stockings for those pretty legs of yours."
+
+Plutina flared. The red glowed hot in her cheeks, and the big eyes
+flashed. The mellow voice deepened to a note of new dignity, despite
+her anger.
+
+"I hain't come hyar to gas 'bout rewards, an' money outten yer pocket,
+Mister Stone, or 'bout my clothes an' sech. I'm an engaged woman.
+When I wants to cover my legs with stockin's Zeke Higgins' money'll do
+the payin', an' he won't need no he'p from no damned revenuer."
+
+Stone, realizing too late the error in his diplomacy, made what haste
+he could to retrieve it. His smile was genial as he spoke. He seemed
+quite unabashed, just heartily sympathetic, and his manner calmed the
+girl's irritation almost at once.
+
+"Oh, you little mountain hornet! Well, you are telling me news now.
+And it's the kind to make any old bachelor like me weep for envy.
+Lucky boy, Zeke! I guess he knows it, too, for he's got eyes in his
+head. About the money--why, you've a right to it. If Dan Hodges and
+his gang ain't rounded up quick, they'll be killing some good
+citizen--like me, perhaps."
+
+Plutina had recovered her poise, but she spoke no less firmly:
+
+"No, suh, I won't tech the money. I kin show ye how to kotch the hull
+gang, but not fer pay, an not fer love o' no revenuer, neither. Hit's
+jest fer the good o' this country hyarbout. Dan Hodges has done sot
+b'ar-traps to kotch you-all. An' anybody might walk plumb into 'em,
+but not if I kin he'p hit."
+
+Forthwith, she made the situation clear to her eager listener.
+
+"Kin you-all meet me, an hour by the sun in the mornin', on the trail
+to Cherry Lane post-office jest beyond the Widder Higgins' clearin'?
+I'll take ye to the place, whar ye kin see the still, an' the traps."
+
+"I'll have to move lively," the marshal answered, with a somewhat
+rueful laugh. "Twenty miles' ride to North Wilkesboro', and back. But
+I'll do it, of course. I wouldn't miss it for a good deal. I'll have
+my men waiting at Trap Hill. If things shape right, I'll make the raid
+to-morrow night."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+
+Marshal John Stone was a mountaineer of the better sort, who had the
+respect and admiration of the law-abiding citizens in his district,
+and the hate of the evil-doers. He stood full six feet in his socks,
+and he was broad and muscled in proportion. His gray eyes were of the
+sort to harden to steel against an enemy, to soften wonderfully for a
+friend. The mouth, half-hidden by the thick mustache, was very firm,
+yet prone to smiles. To an excellent intelligence had been added a
+fair amount of education. Since he respected both himself and his
+work, and had developed a veritable passion for the capture of
+malefactors, he was more than usually successful. His zeal, tempered
+with discretion, had won the appreciative attention of official
+superiors. There could be no doubt that promotion would shortly remove
+him to a higher plane of service. The fact would have been most
+agreeable to Stone, but for two things. He desired beyond all else,
+before going from the mountains, to capture Dan Hodges, who had so
+persistently flouted the law, and himself, its representative; the
+second unsatisfied ambition was to come on the long-lost Burns'
+still.
+
+The Scottish poet's poverty was almost equal to his genius. On that
+account, Robert Burns was glad to secure the stipend of fifty pounds a
+year to which he became entitled on his appointment as exciseman in
+1788. It may be that his convivial habits made his official position
+particularly acceptable, since doubtless his perquisites included the
+keeping of his own jug filled. And there were moonshiners among the
+Scottish hills in those days, as perhaps there are to-day. On
+occasion, the poet made a gift of a captured still to some discreet
+friend. One recipient emigrated to America, and bore into the
+wilderness that has become North Carolina the kettle and cap of copper
+on which Burns had graven his name, and the date, 1790. Afterward, as
+the years passed, the still knew many owners, mostly unlawful. It won
+fame, and this saved it from the junk-heap of its fellows, when seized
+by the Federal officers. Three times, it was even placed on public
+exhibition. As many, it was stolen by moonshiners. For years now, it
+had remained in secret. Marshal Stone yearned to recapture the Burns
+still. There was no reason whatsoever for believing it to be in the
+possession of Hodges, yet it might as easily be with that desperado as
+with another. There was at least the possibility. The marshal, as he
+rode north before the dawn next morning, felt a new kindling of hope.
+It seemed to him almost certain that the opportunity was at hand to
+satisfy one ambition at least by putting Hodges behind the bars. For
+the other, it was on the lap of the gods.
+
+The officer was at pains to use every precaution to avoid being
+observed while in company with the girl, whom he duly met at the
+appointed place while the sun was yet low on the eastern horizon. The
+two made their way with what quiet they could through devious paths to
+Luffman's Branch. The dew lay heavy on the laurel leaves of the
+thickets, and the breeze was perfumed with the penetrant fragrance of
+many blossoms. The day was thrilling with the matins of the birds. The
+balsamic air was a wine of life. The rugged mountain peaks seemed to
+stand as an impregnable barrier against the confusions and evils of
+the larger world. But the man and the girl recked nought of these
+things as they went forward, with cautious steps and watchful eyes.
+They knew that the tranquil scene masked wickedness close by them,
+which would not hesitate to destroy. The discovery of the marshal in
+that vicinity would mean for him the bullet of an assassin from out
+the screen of leaves, and the same fate--or worse--for his companion.
+The corpses would be lost in the Devil's Cauldron. Men would whisper
+grim surmises, and whisper low lest the like come upon them. And that
+would be all.
+
+They reached the cliff top overlooking the little canon, and Plutina
+pointed out the location of the traps on the strip of dry ground
+below, and the huddles of brush that disguised the buildings of the
+still. Then, the girl went her way. She had done her part. The man
+remained to study the scene above for hours through his glasses, and
+to map out the night's campaign into the enemy's country.
+
+A delicate moonlight fell over the mountains, when, in the evening,
+Stone led his men from the rendezvous at Trap Hill. The six were
+heavily armed and well mounted. Their course at the outset led them
+along the Elkin road to Joines' store, where they swung into the trail
+over which Zeke and Plutina had walked the day of their parting. The
+cavalcade rode swiftly. There was no conversation; only the pounding
+of hoofs and the jangling of accoutrements. When, at last, they
+reached the edge of the Widow Higgins' clearing, they turned sharply
+to the eastward, following the path toward the Cherry Lane
+post-office. Presently, at a low word of command from the leader, they
+halted and dismounted. The horses were left to the care of one man in
+a near-by thicket, and the remainder of the party continued the
+advance on foot.
+
+The marshal, during his watch on the still that day, had planned his
+attack in every detail. He hoped to make his capture of the gang
+without unnecessary casualties, for in this particular he had achieved
+an enviable record, on which he prided himself. At first, he had
+thought of ascending along the course of Luffman's Branch, after
+springing the traps, but had given over the plan as one offering more
+chance of the raiders being discovered prematurely. Instead, he had
+decided on taking his men up the mountainside by a round-about route,
+likely to be free from watchers. His men were already instructed in
+every point, so now they followed him rapidly and almost noiselessly,
+as he forced his way through the thick growths of the wooded slopes.
+The darkness added to the difficulties of the progress, but the posse
+were inured to hardships, and went onward and upward resolutely.
+Despite the necessities of the detour, they came surprisingly soon to
+a height from which they looked across a small ravine to the level
+space where the still perched by the stream. A few whispered words
+from the leader, and the company crept with increased care across the
+ravine. From the ridge beyond, three of the men passed forward to make
+ambush--one above, and one below, and one on the far side of the
+still. Stone and a single companion remained, hiding behind the
+clumps of rhododendrons.
+
+It was with huge satisfaction that the marshal recognized Hodges
+himself, plainly revealed by the firelight. The "kettle" was running
+at full blast. The seasoned hickory logs, in the rough stone furnace
+beneath the kettle, were burning fiercely, and the blue and gold of
+their flames lighted all the scene into vivid relief against the
+background of shadows. Stone, even at his distance, could see
+distinctly the tiny stream of colorless mountain-corn whiskey, as it
+flowed out from the worm into the keg placed to receive it. The leader
+of the gang was seated at ease on a stool just outside the brush
+enclosure that masked the buildings. The villain was evidently in a
+mood of contentment, untainted by remorse over the havoc his traps
+might wreak on any passing through the gorge below. Rather, doubtless,
+the memory of those sinister sentinels gave him a sense of safety, on
+which his serenity was founded. In his lap was a banjo which he
+thrummed vigorously, with rhythmic precision, if no greater musical
+art, and head and body and feet, all gave emphasis to the movement. At
+intervals, his raucous voice rumbled a snatch of song. It was evident
+that the moonshiner was mellow from draughts of his own potent
+product.
+
+Others of the gang were busied here and there, bulking grotesquely as
+they moved about the fire, seeming disheveled demons of the pit. Like
+some master imp torturing a pigmy over the flames, old Ben York was
+kneeling close beside the blaze, holding to the coals a hickory stick,
+which served as spit for the roasting of a squirrel. The brilliance
+shone full on the frowsy gray whiskers, and, above them, the blinking,
+rheumy eyes, so intent on the proper browning of the game. None of the
+outlaws had a weapon in his grasp--a fact noted with satisfaction by
+the chief of the raiders, who knew that these men would not scruple
+against bloodshed to escape arrest. There were arms at hand, of
+course; Hodges' rifle was visible, leaning against a ground pine
+within his reach. But Stone hoped that the surprise would be such that
+the gang could not avail themselves of their weapons.
+
+Hodges had just completed a strident rendering of "Cripple Crick," and
+had thumped out the opening bars of "Short'nin' Bread," when the
+marshal gave the signal for attack--a single flash of his electric
+torch. In the same second, the raiders' rifles crashed out. The big
+bullets struck true to aim in the ground of the open place before the
+fire. A shower of dirt and pebbles spat back viciously. Some of the
+flying fragments struck the men, terrifying them with the thought of
+bullet wounds. Hodges, as the reports sounded, felt the bruise of
+stones on his bare legs, and shrieked in panic fear. His instinctive
+recoil carried him over backward, from the stool to the ground. The
+banjo jangled discordant triumph over his fall. When, dazed by the
+suddenness of it all, he would have struggled up, he found himself
+fast in the clutches of two raiders, who locked manacles on his
+wrists. Stone grunted joyously as he surveyed the captive. The others
+of the gang, except Ben York, had contrived to slip away into the
+laurel, whither it would avail nothing to follow them, save useless
+risk of being killed from ambush. But the marshal cared little for the
+escape of the lesser malefactors. He had succeeded in taking prisoner
+the most notorious criminal of the mountains.
+
+Ben York had failed to effect his usual flight, because of being at a
+disadvantage on his knees. Before he could scramble up for a plunge
+into the thickets the enemy was upon him. Yet, even in this moment of
+shock, the old scoundrel's cunning sought and found a ruse. He stood
+swaying for seconds, and then tumbled limply headlong to the ground,
+in a drunkard's fall, familiar to his muscles by experience through
+three-score years. So he lay inert, seemingly sodden from the kettle's
+brew. His captors, if resolved to hold him prisoner, would be forced
+to the arduous task of carrying him through the dark, down the rough
+slopes. It would be strange, he mused complacently, if in the course
+of the journey, their vigilance did not relax a little. And a very
+little would suffice him! Then, though to all appearance in a drunken
+stupor, he sighed. He was unhappily aware that the revenue men would
+not be gentle in their efforts to arouse him to consciousness. Whether
+they believed him shamming or not, they would use no doubtful
+measures. But, whatever might come, he must endure it for the sake of
+escape.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+AFTER THE RAID.]
+
+The raiders realized the need of haste, for they must be done with
+their work here, and down the steeps of the mountain into the open
+road, ere the fugitives should have time to arm themselves, and waylay
+the posse from the thickets. So, with due watchfulness of the two
+prisoners, the men set about that task of destruction which their duty
+required. The fermenters, huge tubs holding the mixture of meal, malt
+and water making ready for the still, received first attention. Since
+York had fallen before these, the men rolled him roughly to one side,
+without arousing him to any sign of consciousness. Stone knew the man
+to be shamming, since there had been no show of even incipient
+drunkenness before the moment of the raid. He resolved to try a test
+at least, for he was alert to the hindrance the limp form would prove
+in the descent of the mountain. He thrust the body forward with his
+foot, close to one of the great "stands" of the mixture, and bade an
+appreciative assistant apply the ax to the slippery-elm hoops that
+bound the staves. As the bands fell and the great volume of liquid
+gushed forth, the raiders leaped aside from the flood. But York never
+stirred. The down-rushing tide fell fairly on him, engulfed him. He
+made no movement, no outcry. Even Stone himself was led to a
+half-remorseful wonder whether he had been deceived concerning the
+fellow's state. Then, after a few seconds, the bald head rose,
+glistening from the pool of the "beer." The thin wisps of gray hair
+hung in dank strings; the jungle of beard seemed strangely thin; there
+was something curiously unlike Ben York in the lineaments. The marshal
+guessed that the metamorphosis was wrought by the swirling mess, which
+had scrubbed the weazened face almost clean for the first time in the
+memory of living man. As the dilapidated head emerged, it showed the
+grotesque caricature of a Neptune, whose element was not the waters of
+ocean, but the shattered hogsheads of "beer." Even now, however, Ben
+clung to his role. Once his face was clear, he continued to sit
+placidly, though the surface of the viscous pool was at his neck. For
+better effect, he blinked vacuously, and gurgled. Perhaps, memory of a
+bath in infancy inspired him. He had had none since. He beat his
+scrawny hands in the "beer," and cackled. It was admirable art, but
+wasted.
+
+The eight fermenters were broken and emptied, the whiskey stores, both
+"singlin's" and "doublin's," were poured out on the ground, which
+drank them as thirstily as did ever law-scorning "boomer." Then, the
+raiders turned to the chief spoils, kettle, cap and worm. Stone and
+his men took the copper worm from the cooling barrel, removed the cap,
+drew the fire from the furnace, and finally pulled down the kettle. In
+the varied excitement of the night, the marshal had almost forgotten
+his second great ambition, in the accomplishment of his first. Almost,
+not quite. Now, the memory of it jumped within him. He thrust the cap
+where the glow of the fire would light it clearly, dropped to his
+knees, and peered closely. His stern face relaxed abruptly to
+joyousness.
+
+"By the Lord, boys," he shouted, "it's the Bobbie Burns' still!"
+
+Nevertheless, Stone wasted no time in exultation. He merely ordered
+his men to carry the copper utensils along, instead of destroying them
+on the spot. Then, he addressed Ben York, who grinned idiotically from
+toothless gums, where he crouched in the diminishing puddle. The
+marshal's voice rasped.
+
+"You're going with us, Ben. It's for you to say how. If we have to,
+we'll carry you all the way. We'll snake you down the mountains
+without being too almighty careful of that rum-tanned hide of yours,
+and then we'll sling you across the roughest-gaited horse we've
+got--face down across the saddle and roped snug. That's the way you'll
+do twenty-odd miles, Ben, if we have to tote you down a single rod.
+Make up your mind--now! It'll be too late to change it, in a minute.
+You're plumb sober, and I know it. Get up, you old fox!"
+
+And Ben York, shivering in his sticky, drenched rags, recognized the
+inevitable, and scrambled to his feet, snarling curses.
+
+"Hit was thet-thar damned gal!" he mumbled venomously. But none
+heard.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+
+It is a far cry from the savagery of the illicit mountain still to
+that consummate luxury of civilization, an ocean-going steam yacht.
+Yet, in actual space, the distance between these two extremes was not
+great. _The Josephine_, all in snowy white, save for the gleam of
+polished brass-work, and flying the pennant of the New York Yacht
+Club, glided forth from Norfolk Harbor in serene magnificence on the
+same day that _The Bonita_ chugged fussily over the same course. The
+yacht was setting out on the second stage of her leisurely pleasure
+voyage to Bermuda. The skipper had been instructed to follow the coast
+southward as far as Frying Pan Shoals, for the sake of rounding
+Hatteras. Afterward, since the weather grew menacing, the craft
+continued down the coast to Cape Lookout, where anchor was dropped in
+the Harbor of Refuge.
+
+The island that lies there is a long, narrow, barren strip of sand,
+dotted thickly with dunes. Only a coarse marsh grass grows, with
+dwarfed pines and cedars. In this bleak spot live and thrive droves of
+wild ponies, of uncertain ancestry. It was these creatures that just
+now held the attention of two persons on the yacht.
+
+Under the awning in the stern, two girls were chatting as they dawdled
+over their morning chocolate. The younger and prettier of these was
+Josephine Blaise, the motherless daughter of the yacht-owner; the
+other was Florence Marlow, her most intimate friend.
+
+"Dad told me I could have the runabout ashore," Josephine was saying,
+with a sudden access of animation. "We'll go along the beach, as long
+as the going's good, or till we scare up the ponies."
+
+"I do hope we'll see them digging holes in the sand, so as to get
+fresh water," Florence exclaimed.
+
+But Josephine was quick to dissent:
+
+"They don't dig for water," she explained, with a superior air. "They
+dig the holes in the beach when the tides out, and then the tide comes
+in and fills the holes, of course. When it ebbs, the ponies go around
+and pick out the fish, and eat them."
+
+Florence stared disbelievingly.
+
+"Oh, what a whopper!" she cried.
+
+"Captain Hawks told me himself," Josephine asserted, with confidence.
+"He knows all about them--he's seen them wild on the island and tame
+on the mainland."
+
+"Same ones, probably!" was the tart retort. "I thought the doctor
+lied ably, but he's truth itself compared with that hairy skipper of
+yours."
+
+Josephine tossed her head.
+
+"We'll run 'em down and observe their habits, scientifically, and
+convince you."
+
+A glance shoreward showed the car awaiting them. As they descended the
+ladder to the launch, a yelp sounded from the deck, and a bull-terrier
+came charging after. Florence regarded the dog without any evidence of
+pleasure.
+
+"Does the pest go, too?" she asked, resignedly.
+
+Josephine pulled the terrier's ears fondly, as it cuddled close
+against her skirt.
+
+"Chubbie deserves an outing after the bump he got from that horrid man
+yesterday," she said.
+
+The girls exchanged glances, and laughed over some secret joke. When,
+presently, they were seated together in the runaabout, with Josephine
+at the wheel, the bull-terrier squatted in dignity on the small back
+seat. The level sand formed a perfect roadway, and the car darted
+smoothly and swiftly between the twin barren spaces of land and sea.
+As they swept forward, the girls watched alertly for a glimpse of the
+ponies among the dunes, but there was nowhere any sign of a living
+thing, save the few hurrying gulls. They had gone perhaps twenty
+miles, and were beginning to fear disappointment, when, without
+warning, a drove of the horses came galloping over the crest of a
+little rise, a half-mile beyond. As the car ran forward, along the
+ribbon of sand below the higher ground, the ponies suddenly perceived
+it, and halted with the precision of a troop of cavalry. Near at hand,
+now, the girls could note details, and both observed with interest the
+leader, which stood a little in advance of his troop, at the end near
+the approaching machine. He was a handsome creature, with lines as
+suavely strong as an Arabian's. He stood with head held high, tail
+streaming, a fore-hoof pawing challengingly at the sand. Only the
+thick, shaggy bay coat showed the barbarian, rather than the
+thoroughbred. The mares, a score of them in one orderly rank behind
+him, were crowding and lashing out nervously, as they watched the
+strange monster racing so fast on the ocean's edge. Some of them
+nickered curiously. But the stallion rested silent, until the
+automobile halted, hardly fifty yards away. Then he tossed his head
+proudly, and blared a great trumpet-note of defiance. Josephine
+instinctively answered with the horn. The mechanical cry broke
+harshly, swelled and wailed. The eerie response terrified the mares;
+it perplexed and alarmed their lord. But he showed no dismay. For a
+moment still, he remained motionless. His noisy challenge rang forth
+once again. Since the invader on the sands below kept silence, nor
+made any movement toward attack, the leader seemed to feel that his
+prestige was safe enough; that prudence were now the better part. He
+sounded a low call, and set off at a gallop along the ridge top. The
+rank of mares pounded obediently at his heels.
+
+"Oh, after them, Josie!" Florence cried.
+
+In a moment, the car shot forward. The horn clamored again. The
+fleeing horses looked back, then leaped to new speed before the
+monster that threatened them with unknown terrors. As the car
+increased its pace, the ponies strove the harder. Their strides
+lengthened, quickened. The stunted marsh grass beat on the low
+bellies. Despite their desperate striving, the runabout drew closer
+and closer, reached abreast of them. The excitement of the chase was
+in the sparkling eyes of the girls. The dog, scrambling up and falling
+in its seat, yelped madly. Here, the beach broadened to a sharper
+ascent of the ridge. Josephine shifted the wheel. The car swung in a
+wide curve and drove straight toward the panic-stricken troop, as if
+it would soar up to them. Fear took pride's place in the leader's
+heart. He sounded a command. The flying drove veered, vanished from
+the ridge top. The muffled thudding of hoofs came faintly for a minute
+against the sea wind. Then, as the car came to a standstill, the girls
+listened, but heard no sound.
+
+"It was bully fun!" Josephine said. "I'm sorry it's over."
+
+"After that run, they may be thirsty enough to dig for water,"
+Florence suggested, with a laugh. "Let's climb up, and take a look
+round from the ridge."
+
+But a glance from this point of advantage made it clear that the
+peculiarities of the ponies in drinking or fishing were not to be
+explained to-day. They were visible still, to be sure, but a mile off,
+and the rapidity with which the moving mass diminished to the eye was
+proof that they were still in panic.
+
+"We might as well get back to the yacht," was Josephine's rueful
+comment. "There's not another single thing to see, now they're gone."
+She ran her keen gaze over the dreary waste of the island with a
+little shiver of distaste. Then her glance roved the undulant expanse
+of sea. She uttered a sharp ejaculation of surprise.
+
+"There is something, after all," she called out, excitedly. "See--over
+there!"
+
+Florence looked in the direction marked by the pointing finger.
+
+"It's a canoe," she hazarded, as her eyes fell on the object that
+bobbed lightly in the surf, two hundred yards from the shore. "I can
+see the man in it. He's lying down. Funny!"
+
+But Josephine, wiser from much experience on shipboard, now saw
+clearly, and the sight thrilled.
+
+"It's a life-raft," she declared, with a tremor in her voice; "and
+there's a man on it. It's a--real--castaway. Come!"
+
+With that, she set off running down the steep slope of the ridge
+toward the sea. Behind her came Florence, startled and alarmed. The
+dog barked exultantly once, then leaped ahead, only to return and
+circle the slower playfellows joyfully. They came to the water's edge,
+and halted, perforce. Josephine saw the raft, as it rode on a breaking
+wave. It was perceptibly nearer. She dared hope it might be brought
+within reach. With deft motions, the flannel skirt was tucked within
+her belt, leaving her legs free. Florence, somewhat reluctantly, made
+the like adjustment. The bull-terrier, disheartened by this
+immobility, sat on its haunches, and regarded the two doubtfully,
+perhaps prudishly disapproving. From time to time the raft showed for
+a few seconds; only to vanish again behind the screen of spume. But it
+advanced shoreward, steadily. The body of the man was distinct--prone,
+motionless. The girls watched and waited in palpitant eagerness. The
+dog, sensing the tension of the moment, began to hasten to and fro,
+snuffing and whining. Suddenly, the two cried out in the same moment.
+They saw the raft floating fast and smoothly toward them on the crest
+of a breaker. They dashed forward, knee-deep, to meet the charge. The
+huge mass of the wave pounded upon them, almost swept them from their
+feet. The angry waters boiled about them. It was up to their waists
+now. The flying spray lashed their faces and blinded them. When, at
+last, their vision cleared, the raft had vanished. They caught sight
+of it again, presently. It was floating from them, already fifty yards
+distant.
+
+Nevertheless, the girls, though discouraged, did not give over their
+hope of rescue. Not even when another wave thrust the raft fairly upon
+them, so that their hands clutched the tubes, then tore it ruthlessly
+from their puny grasp, and flung it afar. The dog, accustomed to
+sporting in the surf with its mistress, rushed to seize this flotsam,
+but the powerful jaws could find no hold. As the dog approached,
+swimming, Josephine put her hand to its collar, and so supported it
+while they waited anxiously for the raft's return.
+
+It came more quickly than before. It was, indeed, as if fate finally
+relented, for the raft was borne this time on a smaller wave, almost
+with gentleness, as it seemed. Yet, the gentleness of appearance was
+only mockery. When the two girls laid hands on it with all their
+strength it swerved violently, wrested itself from their clutch.
+Josephine cried out in despair. She saw the dog, released by her
+effort, plunging forward. A rope dragged in the raft's wake, a remnant
+of the lashings. The dog lunged viciously, and its jaws locked on the
+rope. Immediately, then, the bull-terrier began swimming toward the
+shore. There was no progress. But the going of the raft was
+momentarily stayed. Josephine saw the opportunity and shrieked to
+Florence. The two sprang, and caught the raft again. It rested
+passively in the grasp of the three. The dog continued swimming, its
+face set resolutely shoreward. The girls, up to their breasts in
+water, stepped forward, tugging lustily. The three advanced slowly.
+The raft moved with them.
+
+It was a struggle that taxed the strength of each to the uttermost.
+Those three puny creatures fighting against the might of the ocean for
+the body of a dead man! Dead the man seemed, at least, to the girls,
+who, after one glance into the drawn and ghastly face of their burden,
+dared not look again. The undertow writhed about their legs, jerked at
+them wrathfully. Waves crashed upon them with shattering force. Once,
+Florence was hurled from her footing, but her hands held their grip on
+the raft. The wrenching shock was sustained by Josephine and the dog.
+They gave a little, but with fierce, stubborn resistance. Florence
+regained her feet. The rout was stayed. The pitiful combat between
+pigmies and Titans was on again. There was good blood in the three. A
+fighting ancestry had dowered them with the courage that does not know
+defeat when it is met. Their strength was exhausted. Yet, they battled
+on. A great comber smashed against them. It snatched the raft from the
+weakened hold of the girls, threw it far up on the sand. The dog shot
+in a wide arc through the air. They could hear its grunt as it fell.
+But the jaws were still locked. In the same instant, the beast was
+firmly set, hauling at the rope. The raft was held for a little by the
+dog alone, against the waters as they sucked back. Then, the girls
+tottered to aid. They fell to their knees in the shallows, and clung
+frantically. The waves hissed away from them.
+
+They feared the coming of a larger breaker to undo their work.
+Josephine perceived to her astonishment that the man was not fastened
+to the raft, except by the vise-like gripping of his big hands. And,
+too, she saw now that he was living. She guessed that he was stupefied
+by exhaustion, yet not swooning. She shrieked to him to unclench his
+fingers. It may be that his dulled brain understood in a measure; it
+may be that he was come to the very end of his strength. Anyhow, as
+she put her fingers to his, there was no resistance. The grasp that
+had withstood the sea's fury, yielded at once to the soft pressure of
+her touch. The two girls summoned new energy to the task. The dog let
+go the rope, and, whining curiously, caught a trouser leg between its
+teeth, and aided. Somehow, the three contrived to roll and push and
+pull the inert form to a point of safety. Then, they sank down,
+panting.
+
+Josephine stirred first. With a gasping sigh, she struggled to a
+sitting position. The dog at once stood up, and shook itself with
+great violence. The drops splashed over the face of Florence, and she,
+in turn, opened her eyes, groaned deeply, and sat up, with a wry smile
+of discomfort.
+
+"What'll we do with the corpse?" she inquired, in an undertaker's best
+manner.
+
+The funereal suggestion, so sincerely offered, provoked Josephine to a
+weak peal of laughter.
+
+"Better wait to worry over that till he's dead," she answered briskly,
+if somewhat incoherently. "And he will be, if we don't watch out.
+There should be a flask in the motor. Run and get it, Flo. I'll chafe
+his hands."
+
+"Run!" the other exclaimed. "If I can crawl it, I'll be proud."
+Nevertheless, she got to her feet, stiffly, but readily enough. "And
+sprinkle water on his face," she called over her shoulder. "It might
+cheer him anyhow, after having had it all over him by the ton." Both
+girls in the first reaction from the stress of their war against
+death were brimming with joyousness, notwithstanding fatigue.
+
+While Josephine rubbed the rough hands as strongly as she could
+between her own tender ones, the dog drew near. When the girl looked
+up, she saw that her pet was licking the man's face. She called out in
+sharp rebuke. At the same moment, the castaway's eyes unclosed. For
+long seconds, he stared, unblinking. Then, abruptly, his voice sounded
+in a low drawl of wonder:
+
+"Hit's thet-thar damned man-faced dawg!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+
+The castaway's gaze went to the girl kneeling beside him.
+
+"An' the furrin woman!" he muttered.
+
+Florence came running with the flask, which was full of brandy.
+
+"Quick!" Josephine urged. "He's better, but he's raving crazy. Thinks
+I'm a foreigner."
+
+But, as Florence could have filled the cup of the flask, Zeke
+interposed, with more animation than he had hitherto shown.
+
+"If so be that's likker, an' ye 'lows to give hit to me, if hit don't
+make no p'tic'lar diff'rence to you-all, I'd like to drink hit right
+smack outen thet-thar new-fangled bottle, jest as we be a-used to
+doin' in the State o' Wilkes."
+
+"As you wish, of course," Florence replied, soothingly. "It will make
+a new man of you."
+
+Zeke promptly sat up and put his lips to the mouth of the flask, and
+held them there while the rhythmic movement of his adam's apple
+visibly witnessed thirstiness. The girls regarded him with
+astonishment, which quickly merged in dismay, for they could not
+guess the boomer's capacity for fiery drink. As a matter of fact,
+Zeke, while he drank, lamented the insipidity of the draught, and
+sighed for a swig of moonshine to rout the chill in his veins with its
+fluid flames. He, in turn, was presently to learn, with astonishment,
+that a beverage so mild to the taste had all the potency of his
+mountain dram, and more. Chilled as he had been by the long hours of
+exposure to the night air of the sea, while drifting the fifteen miles
+from Ocracoke Inlet, and worn in body and mind by the peril of his
+situation, Zeke found himself almost at once strengthened and cheered
+by the generous spirit. He was, in fact, another man than the
+exhausted castaway, as the girl had promised; he was himself again. He
+was still weak and shaken; but his splendid vitality was asserting
+itself. The gray, drawn face was colored to golden tan; the clear eyes
+were shining with new appreciation of the joy of life. He had not
+thought much after the very first, during those long, racking hours of
+tossing on the sea. His brain had become numb. His fancies had run to
+tender memories of moments spent with Plutina. Often, he had felt her
+presence there with him, in the dark spaces of the sea. But the idea
+that most dominated his mind had sprung from the lusty instinct of
+self-preservation; he must cling to the raft. It had been the one
+thing that he could do toward safety. His whole will had centered in
+the clutch of his hands on the tubes.
+
+Seeing the man thus recovered, the girls withdrew toward the runabout
+to adjust their clothing, and to find some garment for the man, since
+he wore only shirt and trousers. But the bull-terrier, for a wonder,
+did not follow its mistress. Instead, it sat on its haunches close to
+the mountaineer, and muzzled his hand. Zeke pulled the dog's ears
+gently.
+
+"That thump I gin ye must 'a' struck plumb down to yer heart, an' made
+a right-smart change in yer affections. Ye wa'n't so dummed friendly
+when ye tuck thet-thar hunk out o' my pants."
+
+The dog whined an answer, and crept fawningly into the mountaineer's
+lap, where it nestled contentedly. It was thus that the girls,
+returning with a rain-coat, found the two, and they stared in
+surprise, for the bull-terrier was none too amiable with strangers.
+
+"I never knew Chubbie make friends like that before," Josephine
+exclaimed. She looked in fresh curiosity upon the wholesome face with
+the regular features, rather stern in repose, but now softened by a
+smile. "It must be because he helped us pull you out. We couldn't have
+done it without him. That makes you belong to him, in a way."
+
+Zeke stared at the dog, with new respect.
+
+"The darned son of a gun!" he ejaculated, gravely. "I reckon," he
+continued after a meditative pause, "the little cuss felt like he owed
+me somethin' fer sp'ilin' my jeans. That crack I gin him put the fear
+o' God into his bosom, so to speak. 'The more ye beat 'em, the better
+they be.'"
+
+Josephine started at his words. Without a hat, the dark curls had
+given a look so different to the face that, until now, she had not
+recognized the man of the ferry-boat.
+
+"Why," she cried, "you are the one!" She turned to the bewildered
+Florence. Her blue eyes were flashing; her voice was hard. "He's the
+creature that almost killed Chubbie. And to think we troubled to save
+him!"
+
+"That hell-fired pup o' your'n took a holt on me first," Zeke
+protested wrathfully, forgetful of his reconciliation with the dog.
+Then, a plaintive whine recalled him. He smiled whimsically, as he
+patted the bull-terrier's head, which was lifted toward him fondly.
+The anger died out of his face, and he smiled. "I've hearn these-hyar
+dumb critters git things 'bout right by instinct, somehow. Yer dawg's
+done fergive me. Won't you-all, mum?"
+
+Josephine hesitated. The ingenuous appeal touched her. Only pride held
+her from yielding.
+
+"An', besides," Zeke went on, "ye was a-sayin' as how the dawg kind o'
+felt I belonged to him like, bein' he he'ped pull me out o' the
+ocean, an' so he had to like me. Thet-thar argyment goes fer you-all,
+too, mum. So, I 'low ye gotter fergive me--specially kase yer dawg
+begun hit."
+
+Josephine relaxed with a ripple of laughter. The mountaineer both
+interested and pleased her. To her inevitable interest in one whom she
+had helped to save from death, there was now added a personal
+attraction. She perceived, with astonishment, that this was by no
+means the hulking brute she had deemed him when her pet had suffered
+at his hands. The dog's attitude toward him impressed her deeply.
+Moreover, she saw that he was intelligent, as well as naive. She
+perceived that he had humor and quickness of feeling. His
+responsiveness to the dog's advances pleased her. She was greedy of
+experience and knowledge, easily bored by familiar things, likely to
+be vastly interested, for a brief season, in the new and strange. She
+realized that here, ready to her hand, was a type wholly novel. She
+felt that it was her prerogative to understand something of the nature
+of this singular being thus cast at her feet by fate. Certainly, it
+would be absurd to cherish any rancor. As he had said, the dog's
+action sufficed. Besides, she must be friendly if she would learn
+concerning this personality. Every reason justified inclination. She
+rebelled no longer. Her blue eyes gleamed with genuine kindliness, as
+she spoke:
+
+"I'll take Chubbie's word for it." Her voice became authoritative.
+"Now, if you feel equal to standing up, we'll have this rain-coat on
+you, and then run you down to the yacht. We'll attend to landing you
+somewhere after you've rested and had something to eat."
+
+Already Josephine's brain was busy, scheming to her own ends, but of
+this she gave no hint.
+
+Zeke pushed away the reluctant dog, and rose up stiffly. The
+stimulation of the brandy stood him in good stead.
+
+"I 'low I'm havin' a right-smart lot of experience," he remarked,
+chuckling. "What with steam-cars, an' boats, an' wrecks, an' now one
+o' them ornery devil-wagons. I hain't a-feared none," he added,
+musingly, "but I hain't a-pinin' neither. I reckon I kin stand
+anythin' what gals an' a dog kin. I'm plumb nervous or hungry--I don't
+know which. Both, like's not!"
+
+He rejected the offer of support, and walked firmly enough to the
+machine, which he eyed distrustfully. Florence took the rear seat, and
+Zeke established himself beside Josephine, the dog between his feet.
+After the first few minutes, he found himself delighting in this
+smooth, silent rush over the white sands. In answer to Josephine's
+question, he gave a bare outline of his adventures in the three days
+of his absence from the mountains.
+
+"I was a-hankerin' arter experience," he concluded, "an' aimin' to
+make my everlastin' fortin. I been doin' pretty peart, so fer."
+
+"You've certainly had more than your share of experience in the time,"
+Josephine agreed; "though I don't know about the fortune."
+
+"Started right-smack off at the rate of more'n seventy-five thousand
+dollars a year," Zeke rejoined, complacently. He laughed joyously at
+the bewildered face the girl turned to him.
+
+"I done figured hit out las' night, not havin' much of anythin' to do
+on thet-thar raft, 'cept to stick." He gave an account of the capture
+of the negro outlaw, for which he had received a reward. "I'm only
+a-jokin', of course," he went on with new seriousness. "I hain't
+pinin' fer no foolishness. All I want is enough so's not to be
+hog-pore. An' I got a chance to learn somethin', an' to make
+somethin', an', arter all, go right on livin' in my own country. An'
+that's what Plutiny wants, too. An' I'll have enough to buy her
+straighteners, if she wants 'em, by cracky!"
+
+"Oh--straighteners?" Josephine repeated, mystified. Vague memories of
+a visit to a hospital suggested an explanation. "Then, this person you
+speak of, Plutina, is deformed?"
+
+"Deformed!" For an instant, Zeke could only repeat the word,
+helplessly.
+
+"A curvature of the spine, I suppose," Josephine continued, without
+interest. She had her eyes on the ribbon of sand now, and guessed
+nothing as to her companion's disturbance, until his voice came in a
+burst of protest that made her jump.
+
+"Plutiny--deformed!" he exclaimed, harshly. Then, his voice softened
+wonderfully, though it shook with the tensity of his feeling. "Why,
+Plutiny's better'n anybody else in all the world--she is, an' she
+looks hit. Plutiny--deformed! Why, my Plutiny's straight as thet-thar
+young pine tree atop Bull Head Mounting. An' she's as easy an'
+graceful to bend an' move as the alders along Thunder Branch. There
+hain't nary other woman in all the world to ekal my Plutiny.
+Plutiny--deformed! Why, mum, you-all talk plumb foolish."
+
+The girl was too astonished before this outburst to take offense.
+
+"But you spoke about straighteners for her," she protested.
+
+Zeke stared for a moment, then grinned understandingly.
+
+"Thet's what we-uns call 'em," he said. "You-all call 'em corsets."
+
+Yet, the effect of this conversation reached beyond the humorous. In
+some subtle fashion, it provoked the girl to keener interest in the
+young man. She was perhaps, though she would have denied the
+suggestion hotly, a little piqued by the exaltation with which he
+praised his rustic sweetheart. Josephine was an exceedingly attractive
+young woman, and she was accustomed to having men show their
+appreciation of the fact. It was new to her thus essentially to be
+ignored, and not quite agreeable. There could be no tender interest
+between herself and this handsome barbarian. The idea even of
+flirtation was quite inconceivable. Nevertheless, it was strange that
+he should be so imperceptive of her charms. Doubtless, his eyes were
+blind to the refinements of beauty. They should be opened. It would be
+dreadful if the fellow should grow away from the girl who was waiting
+for him. And yet--Josephine checked her thoughts, and blushed a
+little. But a plan matured.
+
+That plan was followed diplomatically when she secured a private
+interview with her father, after the return on board the yacht.
+
+"Daddy, dear," she said, with a manner as casual as she could
+contrive, "let's keep this Mister Higgins on board. He's bound for New
+York, but in no particular hurry. We'll get him there in about ten
+days."
+
+Mr. Blaise, who was a plethoric, fussy little man, adamant to all the
+world save his only child, regarded her now in perplexity, his shrewd
+eyes a bit mischievous.
+
+"I don't imagine it's to be the stereotyped romance, just because you
+dragged him out of the sea," he said. "The chap has the makings of
+considerable of a man in him, and he's good-looking enough to catch a
+girl's fancy; but he's not your sort. So, why?"
+
+"Besides," Josephine retorted, smiling, "Florence has the same right
+in him as treasure trove. That would make the romance too
+complicated."
+
+"Why?" Mr. Blaise repeated.
+
+"I've never met anyone like him," the girl explained, with truth, if
+not all the truth. "He's unique. I want to study him. Such knowledge
+is broadening--better than books."
+
+"Bosh!" was the comment. "You mean, he's just a freak to you, and
+you'd like to look him over a little longer. There's no harm in that,
+if it amuses you. But don't be silly about broadening yourself." He
+regarded his daughter critically. "And leave out the deserts. They're
+too broadening, if you like. You're getting plump."
+
+Josephine accepted this meekly, in her satisfaction over having her
+way as to the new guest.
+
+"I'll go and invite him, right away," she exclaimed. "He'll liven us
+up."
+
+But her father wrinkled his brows in doubt.
+
+"What about the effect on the young fellow, himself?" he demanded.
+"It can't do him any good, Josie. That sort of thing's unsettling, you
+know."
+
+Josephine attempted no reply, as she went on her way. Her father could
+not see the flush that touched her cheeks.
+
+Through such devious ways did it come to pass that the mountaineer
+entered a world of which he had never even dreamed. His own complete
+ignorance of social conditions prevented him from appreciating the
+marvel wrought by fate in his behalf. In the simplicity of his
+character, he accepted the change as a perfectly natural event in the
+world that he had set out to explore. It was this simplicity, which
+kept him from undue self-consciousness, that carried him safely
+through what must otherwise have been an ordeal. He accepted what had
+befallen thankfully, and sought to learn what he best might from the
+novel environment. His interest was conspicuously in others, not in
+himself. He was greedy of information, lavish in liking. By a benign
+miracle, there were no snobs in the yachting party, which included
+also two young men, and two of the owner's age, besides Josephine's
+aunt. This chaperon was a motherly soul, and, in sheer kindliness of
+heart did much to make the situation easy. The informality of the
+party, too, was a tremendous advantage to the young man, though he
+never guessed it. On the contrary, he accepted things as they were
+enthusiastically, with never a thought of dismay. In flannels loaned
+him by the largest guest, which fitted too snugly, he presented an
+appearance so excellent that Mr. Blaise was moved to pinch his
+daughter's ear, while reminding her of the stereotyped romance.
+
+Such was the cause of Plutina's wearisome waiting for the letter that
+did not come. Zeke found, to his distress, too late that an interval
+of a week or more must elapse before a letter posted in Bermuda could
+possibly reach the mountains. But, beyond that, there was nothing to
+disturb the girl who loved him. The heart of the lad amid the luxuries
+of life on the yacht was unchanged in its devotion. It was, indeed, as
+if he saw all things as a frame for her. He was forever thinking how
+Plutina would look here or there, in connection with this or the
+other. The gowns of the three women, were viewed critically in
+relation to the mountain girl. He would imagine her loveliness
+enhanced by the sheen of silk, by the films of lace, by the lusters of
+jewels. Josephine thought once when she appeared in a dainty evening
+frock, not too daring, that she had penetrated his armor of aloofness,
+for he blushed hotly as his eyes went to her neck, and his gaze fell.
+She was deceived. He remembered in that moment, how he had once kissed
+the soft whiteness of Plutina's throat, where the homespun gown lay
+open. Now, memory of the warm bliss of that kiss sent the blood
+racing and tingling.
+
+That self-deception was as near as Josephine ever came to triumph.
+
+Florence understood, to some extent, at least, the mood that
+influenced her friend. A feminine intuition inspired in her a like
+ambition to pierce this young savage's reserve. Through her own
+feeling, she readily divined that of Josephine. Thus, the two became
+unconfessed allies in the employment of their wiles against an
+unsuspecting victim. It was, indeed, the lack of suspicion on his part
+that irritated them to the point of exasperation. He was so utterly
+innocent of their manoeuvers against his peace! Both of the girls were
+attractive beyond the average. Josephine, a plump blonde, ingenuous of
+manner, sophisticated, capricious, yet not spoiled, egotistic, but
+winsome, full of electric vitality; Florence, taller and darker, with
+an air more sedate, yet doubtless capable of deeper and more enduring
+emotions. Each possessed excellent features, and the fascinations of
+radiant health, sufficient culture, and the most exquisite refinements
+of personal detail. They deserved the humble admiration of any man.
+They expected tender adulation from most, and from most they received
+it. At the outset a certain impassivity on the part of this wild
+mountaineer excited their astonishment, then, quickly, their
+dissatisfaction. They were moved to a caprice against his calm,
+against this indifference that was an affront. They had no wish to
+work him serious harm, but his disregard was intolerable. Since the
+heart of neither was engaged, there was no jealousy between them in
+the affair. Since each was secretly ashamed of her motives, there was
+no confidence between them.
+
+Their failure, in the lazy days and evenings of voyaging and of
+rambling in the Bermudan islands, was undeniable. It was the more
+aggravating since the young man patently admired them. Even, his
+admiration was excessive, almost reverential, at times. Yet, it was
+altogether impersonal. They came eventually to know that this
+mountaineer regarded them with warm friendliness, with a lively
+gratitude, with a devoted respect, with a certain veneration. But that
+was all. No dart from their quiver of charms touched to the passionate
+heart of him--nor ever could. From whichever side the shafts were
+thrown, always they were shattered against a white shield, and fell
+harmless. That shield was Plutina.
+
+One night, as the yacht neared New York, Josephine and Zeke sat
+together, watching the scud of clouds across the moon. The mountaineer
+spoke softly, after an interval of silence.
+
+"The clouds is runnin' thar jest as I've seen 'em lookin' out across
+the valley from Stone Mounting--with Plutiny." There was a caress in
+his voice.
+
+Josephine checked an ejaculation of impatience. The savage was
+incorrigible--quite! Him, and his everlasting Plutina! Perverse
+curiosity overcame discretion. Perhaps, too, after all, he only needed
+guidance. She tried to believe, though vainly, that only shyness
+prevented him from improving an opportunity any other man would have
+coveted.
+
+"Tell me," she said softly, with a sympathetic lure in her tones, "is
+Plutina so very beautiful?"
+
+The lure was effective. Zeke turned to her with the hazel eyes darkly
+luminous in the moonlight.
+
+"Tiny's beautiful," he answered tenderly; and there was music now in
+the slow drawl. "I 'low she's the most beautiful woman in the world."
+
+"I'm afraid you're prejudiced," Josephine objected, with a disarming
+laugh. "Of course, you ought to think so, but, really you know, you
+haven't quite seen all the beautiful women in the world. Now, have
+you?"
+
+"All I need to," was the confident assurance. "Why," he continued with
+an apologetic smile for his boldness. "I done seen you-all, Miss
+Blaise, an' I reckon you-all are about as beautiful as a woman kin
+be--'ceptin' Plutina."
+
+The tribute was potent from its very unexpectedness. It eased the
+chagrin from which vanity had suffered. Evidently, her charms were not
+disregarded. It was simply that this lover had given his heart, and
+that he was loyal. The girl sighed a little enviously at the
+realization. She knew too well that many, perhaps most, in her world
+were not loyal, even when their hearts were given. She wondered if, in
+truth, there awaited her the boon of a like faithfulness. Yet she
+persevered in her probing.
+
+"Out in the world," she said musingly, "where things are so different
+from up in your mountains, you may change. It may be you won't want to
+go back, to the hills--to Plutina."
+
+A flush of wrath burned in Zeke's cheeks, visible in the gloom.
+
+"Hit ain't fittin' fer you-all to say no such thing, Miss Blaise. But
+I kin fergive ye, kase ye hain't seen our mountings. They hain't no
+other place more beautiful. Mister Sutton done told me so, an' he's
+been all over the hull world. An', besides, hit's home. A man what
+don't love his home country better'n any other--why, mum, he's jest a
+plain skunk.... An' Plutiny, she's the best part o' home. There
+hain't no land so beautiful, nor no woman. No, mum, I sha'n't
+change--never! I kain't!"
+
+And Josephine knew that it was so, and once again she sighed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+
+Uncle Dick, as he was universally known in the mountains, had
+celebrated his eightieth birthday before his granddaughters, Plutina
+and Alvira, by leaping high in the air, and knocking his heels
+together three times before returning to the ground. There was, in
+fact, no evidence of decrepitude anywhere about him. The thatch of
+coal-black hair was only moderately streaked with gray, and it
+streamed in profuse ringlets to his shoulders. His black eyes were
+still keen; the leathery face, with its imperious features, was ruddy.
+He carried his six-foot-three of bone and muscle lightly.
+
+As of the body, so of the heart. The springs of feeling in him showed
+no signs of drying up. On the contrary, they threatened to gush forth
+in a new flood over the Widow Brown, on whose plump prettiness, hardly
+dimmed by her three-score years, he looked with appreciative and
+ardent eyes. Indeed, his conduct justified the womenfolk of his
+household in apprehensions, for witness to the seriousness of the
+affair was afforded the morning after the raid on Dan Hodges' still.
+He demanded of Alvira that she burn the grease from an old skillet
+with great care.
+
+"If they's a mite of hit, hit makes a scum, an' floats off the gold on
+hit," he explained.
+
+The sisters regarded each other in consternation, but forebore
+questioning. When he had mounted his mare, and ridden away, Plutina
+spoke with bitterness:
+
+"I reckon Mis' Higgins done hit the nail on the haid 'bout Gran'pap
+an' the Widder Brown."
+
+Alvira nodded.
+
+"Yep. Hit means business, shore, if he's a-gallavantin' over to
+Pleasant Valley to pan gold. Hit means he's aimin' to marry her." She
+waxed scornful, with the intolerance of her sixteen years. "Hit's
+plumb ridic'lous--at his age."
+
+"Seems like he was 'most ole enough to git sense," Plutina agreed.
+
+"Mebby we're mistook 'bout his intentions," Alvira suggested,
+hopefully. "O' course, he git's a heap of enjoyment settin' to Widder
+Brown. But he hain't got to be plumb foolish, an' marry her. I guess
+as how hit's fer you-all he's arter the gold kase Zeke'll be comin'
+home by-'n'-bye."
+
+Plutina shook her head dubiously. It was the custom of the lover
+himself to seek, in the gold-bearing sands of the tiny mountain stream
+to the west, for the grains from which to fashion a ring for his
+sweetheart. Many a wife of the neighborhood wore such proudly on
+forefinger or thumb. The old man was not fond enough of toil to
+undertake the slow washing out of gold there unless for a selfish
+sentimental reason. And her fears were confirmed that afternoon by
+Zeke's mother whom she visited.
+
+"They hain't nary chance to save him no more," the old woman averred,
+lugubriously. "Hit's allus been said hyarbouts as how a feller allus
+gits his gal shore, if he pans her a ring in Pleasant Valley."
+
+"Huh--girl!" quoth Plutina.
+
+Yet this amorous affair was of small moment just now to the
+granddaughter, though she voluntarily occupied her thoughts with it.
+She hoped thus to keep in the background of her mind the many fears
+that threatened peace, by reason of her part in the night's work. She
+knew that she could trust the secrecy of Marshal Stone, but there was
+the possibility of discovery in some manner unforeseen. There was even
+the chance that suspicion against her had been aroused in Ben York.
+She could not bear to contemplate what must follow should her betrayal
+of the still become known. It was a relief to be certain that the two
+men she chiefly dreaded would be in jail, and unable personally to
+wreak vengeance. It was improbable, she thought, that persons so
+notorious and so detested could secure bail. But, even with them out
+of the way, the case would be disastrous on account of her
+grandfather's hatred of the revenue officers, and more especially, of
+those among his own people guilty of the baseness of informing. Should
+her deed come to his knowledge, it would mean tragedy. She dreaded the
+hour when he should hear of the raid, and was glad that he had gone
+away, for in all likelihood he would have the news before his return
+and the first shock of it would have passed.... So it fell out.
+
+Uncle Dick rode briskly toward the little stream that tumbles down the
+mountain west of Air Bellows Gap, where long ago men washed for gold
+in feverish desire of wealth. Now, none sought a fortune in the branch
+grit, where a day's labor at best could yield no more than a dollar or
+two in gold. Only devoted swains, like himself, hied them there to win
+wherewithal for a bauble with which to speed their wooing. Uncle Dick
+chose a favorable spot, and washed steadily until the blackened old
+copper skillet itself shone like the flecks of gold he sought. When he
+ceased he had a generous pinch of the precious dust carefully disposed
+in a vial. He hid the skillet to serve another day, and set out on his
+return. Before he crossed Garden Greek, a neighbor, whom he met on the
+trail, told him of the raid. Eager for all particulars, Uncle Dick
+turned his mount into the high road, and hurried to Joines' store.
+The single-footing mare carried him quickly to this place of assembly
+for neighborhood gossip, where he found more than the usual number
+gathered, drawn by excitement over the raid. The company was in a
+mixed mood, in which traditional enmity against the "revenuers" warred
+against personal rejoicing over the fate fallen on Dan Hodges, whom
+they hated and feared. From the garrulous circle of his acquaintance,
+Uncle Dick speedily learned the history of the night. The account was
+interrupted by the coming of a clerk to the store door. He waved his
+hand toward the group on the steps to command attention.
+
+"You, Uncle Dick!" he called. "No'th Wilkesboro' wants ye on the
+telephone."
+
+Wondering mightily at the unexpected summons, the old man hurried to
+the instrument.
+
+"Hello! Hello!" he roared, in a voice to be heard across the miles.
+
+"Be that you-all, Uncle Dick?" the question came thinly.
+
+"Yep. Who be you?"
+
+"Hit's Dan Hodges. I reckon you-all done hearn 'bout last night."
+
+"Yep. I shore have hearn a heap," Uncle Dick acquiesced, sourly. "I
+tole ye to quit, the officers air gittin' so a'mightly peart. They
+hain't no more chance fer a good set o' men to make a run--to say
+nothin' of a wuthless gang like your'n.... What ye want o' me?"
+
+The reply was explicit enough.
+
+"The hearin' 's to-morrer 'fore the United States Commissioner.
+Marshal Stone says the bail'll be two thousand dollars, cash or land.
+They hain't nobody kin put hit up, 'cept you-all, Uncle Dick. An', if
+ye don't, Ben an' me'll have to lay in jail till Fall. If ye'll he'p
+me, Uncle Dick, ye know Dan Hodges won't never fail ye."
+
+"That's what I'm afeared on," Uncle Dick retorted, glumly. "I 'most
+know 'twas you-all an' yer gang kilt thet-thar heifer o' mine in cold
+blood. Now, the ole man ye've treated dirt is yer las' chance. Wall,
+cuss ye! I'll come down t'-morrer an' bail ye out--not kase I love ye
+any, but kase I'm again the revenuers. An' listen 'ere! I'm some old,
+but I'm some spry yit, ye bet! You-all stop round these parts whar I
+kin keep an eye on ye till Fall Cote. If ye don't, damn ye!--wall, my
+ole rifle's bright an' 'iled, an' I'll git ye! Jest remember thet, Dan
+Hodges: I'll git ye!" And with this grim warning, Uncle Dick slammed
+the receiver on its hook, and stalked out of the store.
+
+On the following day, he journeyed duly to North Wilkesboro', where,
+despite the protest of his lawyer, he put up his land as security for
+the appearance of the two malefactors. Uncle Dick was a consistent
+conservative. Had the accident of birth made him an English squire, he
+would have been a stanch Tory, would have held the King's commission
+on the bench of justices, and would have administered the penalties of
+the law with exceeding severity against poachers. Having been born in
+the Blue Ridge Mountains, he staked his property in behalf of two
+scoundrels, for the sake of an inherited feud against the Federal
+authority.
+
+Nevertheless, his personal distrust of the men he had thus relieved
+was made manifest when, immediately after the commitment of the two
+before the Commissioner, he betook himself to a hardware store, where
+he bought a forty-one caliber Colt's revolver, with a holster and a
+box of cartridges. He had given up the habitual carrying of weapons on
+his seventy-fifth birthday, as unseemly and unnecessary for one of his
+patriarchal years. Now, he reverted to the use as a measure of
+prudence.
+
+"The damned dawg's done me dirt, an' he hain't above doin' hit ag'in,"
+he muttered, as he strapped the holster beneath his left arm.
+
+To his womankind, Uncle Dick spoke of the affair casually, concealing
+his apprehensions. Neither of the granddaughters ventured
+remonstrance, though Alvira's pretty face was mutinous, and Plutina
+felt a sickening sense of calamity rushing upon her. It seemed to her
+the irony of fate that her own relation should thus interfere to
+render abortive the effect she had risked so much to secure. She
+realized, with a shrinking misery, that the sufferers from her act
+were now at liberty to inflict vengeance upon her, should suspicion be
+born in them. For the first time in her life, Plutina experienced a
+feminine cowardice, bewailing her helplessness. There was none to whom
+she might turn for counsel; none, even, in whom she might confide. It
+was no mere chimera of fear that beset her. She was far too sensible
+and too strong for hysterical imaginings. But she knew that her peril
+was real and grave. In the face of it, she felt suddenly a new longing
+for the absent lover. Hitherto, her fondness had been tender and
+passionate, touched with the maternal protectiveness that is
+instinctive in every woman. Now, a new desire of him leaped in her.
+She yearned for rest on his bosom, secure within the shelter of his
+arms, there to pour forth all the story of her trouble, there to hear
+his voice of consolation, there to be at peace. She touched the fairy
+crystal that lay between her breasts, and she smiled, very sadly, and
+very wistfully.
+
+"Zeke will shorely come," she whispered, "if I need him--bad enough."
+
+There was a tremor in her voice, but it was not of doubt.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+
+Early in the morning following his trip to North Wilkesboro' Uncle
+Dick Siddon rode off to Pleasant Valley, there to prosecute his
+sentimental labors for the pleasuring of the Widow Brown. Alvira fared
+abroad on some errand to a neighboring cabin. Plutina, her usual
+richness of coloring dimmed by a troubled night, was left alone. In
+the mid-forenoon she was sitting on the porch, busy over a pan of
+beans, which she was stringing for dinner. As she chanced to raise her
+eyes, she saw Dan Hodges coming up the path. At sight of the evil
+lowering face, repulsion flared hot in the girl. The instinct of
+flight was strong, but her good sense forbade it. She felt a stirring
+of unfamiliar terror in the presence of the man. She scorned herself
+for the weakness, but it persisted. Her very fear dictated the
+counsels of prudence. She believed that in dissimulation lay her only
+possibility of safety. The thought of any intercourse with the
+moonshiner was unspeakably repugnant, yet she dared not risk needless
+offense. Nevertheless, the first effect of her resolve was a
+self-contempt that moved her to wrath, and made her opening speech
+more venomous even than it had been otherwise.
+
+"Howdy, my little honey?" Hodges called out as he shambled to a halt
+before her. His coarse features writhed in a simper that intensified
+their ugliness. His coveting of this woman was suddenly magnified by
+sight of her loveliness, flawless in the brilliant light. The
+blood-shot eyes darted luxuriously over the curving graces beneath the
+scant homespun garment.
+
+The girl sensed the insult of the man's regard. It, rather than the
+insolent familiarity of address, provoked her outburst.
+
+"Shet yer mouth, Dan Hodges," she snapped. "I've done told ye afore,
+ye kain't 'honey' me. If ye wants to pass the time o' day, jest don't
+fergit as how hit's Miss Plutiny fer you-all."
+
+Hodges gaped bewilderedly under the rebuke. Then he growled
+defiantly.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+BAD BLOOD BETWEEN RIVALS.]
+
+"Wall, I'll be dogged! Quite some spit-fire, hain't ye? Reckon I know
+what's a-bitin on ye. Ye're mad kase Uncle Dick tuk the mounting land
+ye gals look to heir to, to bail me and Ben." He stared at the girl
+ominously, with drawn brows. His voice was guttural with threatening.
+"So be ye mout hev to eat them words o' your'n. Mebby, when I've done
+tole ye a thing er two, ye'll be a-askin' of me to call ye 'honey.'
+Mebby, ye'll want to hover yer ole 'hon,' arter I let's ye know a
+thing or two 'bout the doin's o' you-all an' thet damned little runt,
+thet reportin' dawg sweetheart o' your'n--Zeke Higgins."
+
+The girl was stricken. She understood the outlaw's reference. Somehow
+he had gained certain knowledge of Zeke's part in saving the
+Quaker-school-teacher spy. She realized that the criminal gang would
+not hesitate at the murder of one who had thus foiled them. For the
+moment, she gave no heed to the danger that menaced herself as well.
+Her whole concern was for her lover. The single comfort came from the
+fact of his absence. Much as she had been longing for his coming, her
+prayer now was that he should not return until these men were
+imprisoned.
+
+With a fierce effort toward bravery in the face of catastrophe,
+Plutina stood up, and drew herself proudly erect. Her dark eyes
+flashed wrathfully. She spoke with disdain:
+
+"Ye wouldn't dast say that to Zeke Higgins' teeth. Mebby, he hain't so
+thick through as you-all, and he hain't so thick-headed, nuther. An'
+he hain't no runt, as ye'd find quick 'nuf, if so be's ye dast stand
+up to him, man to man, 'stid o' with a gun from the laurel. He's a
+man--what you-all hain't. He hain't the kind to layway from the
+bushes, ner to be a-stealin' his neighbor's cattle an' hawgs. An'
+what's more Dan Hodges, ef ye say as how Zeke ever reported ary still,
+ye're a hell-bustin' liar!"
+
+Her jibes were powerless against the coarse-fibered brute. He grinned
+malevolently as he jeered at her.
+
+"Thar, now! Hain't it a pity to have a sweetheart what hain't brave
+'nuf to stand 'is ground, an' runs off, an' leaves 'is gal to fit fer
+'im." Then, abruptly, the moonshiner's expression changed to one meant
+to be ingratiating. "Wall, now, Miss Plutiny, I shore likes the way ye
+stan's up fer the pore cuss. But, arter all, hes' done up and left ye.
+An' he hain't comin' back. Hit wouldn't be healthy fer him to come
+back," he added, savagely. "An' what's more, ye hain't a-gwine to jine
+'im whar he's at. The Hodges' crowd won't stan' fer no sech! He's been
+writ, Zeke Higgins has, with the sign o' the skull an' the cross--the
+hull thing. Ye know what thet means, I reckon."
+
+Plutina blenched, and seated herself again, weakly. It was true, she
+knew the fantastic rigmarole, which made absurd the secret dictates of
+these illiterate desperadoes. But that absurdity meant death, none the
+less--death for the one she loved. In her misery, she listened almost
+apathetically as Hodges went on talking in his heavy, grating voice.
+
+"Zeke Higgins knows as how the Allens give us the word 'bout 'is
+crossin' Bull Head with the spy. He knows thet, if 'e shows up in
+this-hyar kentry ag'in, the Devil's Pot'll have 'im fer a b'ilin'. An'
+thet's 'nuf fer Zeke's case. Now, we'll jest chin a mite 'bout
+your'n."
+
+There was a little interval of silence, in which the girl stared
+unseeingly toward the splendors of the blossoming rhododendrons that
+fringed the clearing. The apathy had passed now, and she listened
+intently, with self-control to mask the despair that welled in her
+heart. It seemed to her that here was the need for that dissimulation
+she had promised herself--need of it for life's sake, however hateful
+it might be, however revolting to her every instinct. So she listened
+in a seeming of white calm, while the flames shriveled her soul.
+
+The man straightened his great bulk a little, and regarded the girl
+with new earnestness. Into his speech crept a rude eloquence, for he
+voiced a sincere passion, though debased by his inherent bestiality.
+
+"Plutiny Siddon, I've knowed ye, an' I've craved ye, this many year.
+Some way, hit just seemed as how I couldn't he'p hit. The more ye
+mistreated me, the more I wanted ye. Hit shames me, but hit's true as
+preachin'. An' hit's true yit--even arter seein' yer bare futprint
+tracks thar on the Branch, alongside them of a man with shoes--the
+damned revenuer what got us. Ye showed 'im the place, Plutiny
+Siddon--cuss ye, fer a spy!... An' I craves ye jest the same.... An'
+I'll have ye--right soon!"
+
+At this saying, terror mounted high in the girl. The thing she so
+dreaded was come to pass. She forgot, for a few moments, the threats
+against her lover. Despair crushed her in the realization of
+discovery. Her treachery was known to the man she feared. The peril
+she had voluntarily risked was fallen upon her. She was helpless, at
+the mercy of the criminal she had betrayed--and she knew that there
+was no mercy in him. She shrank physically, as under a blow, and sat
+huddled a little, in a sudden weakness of body under the soul's
+torment. Yet she listened with desperate intentness, as Hodges went on
+speaking. She cast one timid glance toward him, then dropped her gaze,
+revolted at the grotesque grimaces writhen by the man's emotions.
+
+"Harkin to me, Miss Plutiny!" he pleaded, huskily. "Harkin to me! I
+knows what I'm a-doin' of. They hain't nothin' ye kin do to stop me.
+Kase why? Wall, if ye love yer gran'pap, ye'll hold yer tongue 'bout
+all my talk. Yep! He's done pledged his land to keep me an' Ben out o'
+the jail-house till cote. If ye tells 'im I'm a-misusin' o' ye, he'd
+cancel the bond, an' try to deliver me up. I knows all thet. But he
+wouldn't cancel no bond, an' no more he wouldn't do any deliverin' o'
+me up. Kase why? Kase he'd jest nacherly die fust. Thet's why. The
+land'd be good fer the bond jest the same till Fall. Thet'd give me
+an' Ben a heap o' time to git ready to light out o' this-hyar kentry.
+They hain't nary pusson a-goin' to bother us none. They knows hit's
+healthier a-mindin' their own business. I been dodgin' revenuers
+fifteen year, an' I'll dodge ag'in, an' take my savin's along, too.
+An' they's quite some savin's, Plutiny."
+
+Hodges paused, as if to give greater impressiveness to the conclusion
+of his harangue. His voice as he continued held a note of savage
+finality.
+
+"So, ye understand, Plutiny, I hain't afeared none arter what I done
+told ye'll happen, if so be ye talk. I knows ye love yer gran'pap, an'
+hain't a hankerin' fer 'im to be murdered. Now, I'm gwine to leave ye
+till t'-morrer, to git kind o' used to the idee as how ye're gwine to
+leave this-hyar kentry with me arter I pays yer gran'pap the money fer
+the bail. If you-all is so plumb foolish as to say no, hit 'll jest
+leave yerself an' yer kin in the hands o' we boys to reckon with. Do
+as I'm a-sayin' on, an' I'll shore fergit 'bout yer reportin' the
+still. I'll jest 'low to myself as how ye was only a gal, an' used
+damn' poor jedgment. I hold hit were powerful unkind o' you-all,
+seein' as how we-uns hain't never wronged ye none. I suspicion ye had
+hit figgered out as how Zeke could come back 'ere a'gin if ye had me
+kotched. Wall, little missy, Dan Hodges air jest a mite too cunnin'
+fer ye." The boaster gloated over his cowering victim, malice
+sparkling in his lustful eyes.
+
+It seemed to the girl that she was in truth hopelessly ensnared by
+fate. Her harried thoughts ran in a circle, dizzily. She could find no
+loophole for escape from the net. The mesh of the outlaw's deviltry
+was strong; her flutterings were feeble, futile. She found one ray of
+comfort in Zeke's absence. She forgot it in distress for the danger to
+her grandfather. Then, horror for herself beat upon her spirit. But a
+memory of her first resolve came to her. From stark necessity, she put
+her whole reliance on an effort to temporize. She felt that her only
+recourse in this emergency must lie in deceiving the ruffian who thus
+beset her. Much as she abhorred him, she had no choice. There was none
+to whom she could appeal for succor. She must depend absolutely upon
+her ability to beguile him. She must hide the revulsion inspired by
+his mere presence. She must arm herself with the world-old weapons of
+her sex, and by wiles blind him to the truth of her feeling, gain time
+for--something, anything! At least here was room for hope, uncertain,
+absurd even, yet hope. A little color crept to her pallid cheeks. If
+she could but manage the deceit to secure delay until the Fall.
+
+She raised her eyes furtively toward the adversary, an appraising
+glance, as if to judge his gullibility. The brutish passion of the man
+showed in the pendulous lower lip, thrust forward a little, in the
+swinish lifting of the wide-flaring nostrils, in the humid glowing of
+the inflamed eyes. A nausea of disgust swept over her. She fought it
+down. Then, with hypocrisy that amazed herself, she met his ardent
+stare boldly, though with a pretense of timidity. She spoke with a
+hesitant, remonstrant voice, as if in half-hearted protest,
+
+"Hit's dangerous to talk hyar, Dan," she said. She assumed a pose of
+coquetry. "If I agrees to save Gran'pap an' 'is land, an' takes ye,
+have ye got money 'nough fer us to git along among the furriners down
+below?" A pleased smile showed. "An' could ye buy me purty clo's an'
+sech-like? Don't ye dast lie to me, Dan Hodges, fer a woman wants
+plenty o' nice fixin's. An' if ye means hit all, like ye says, I'll
+meet ye at Holloman Gate t'-morrer at twelve, an' give ye yes er no."
+
+The moonshiner received with complacence this evidence of yielding on
+the girl's part. He had, indeed, the vanity that usually characterizes
+the criminal. It was inconceivable to his egotism that he must be
+odious to any decent woman. Plutina's avaricious stipulation
+concerning money pleased him as a display of feminine shrewdness. He
+was in nowise offended. The women of his more intimate acquaintance
+did not scruple to bargain their charms. From such trollops, he gained
+his estimate of the sex. The sordid pretense by Plutina completed his
+delusion. The truckling of familiars had inflated conceit. He swelled
+visibly. The finest girl in the mountains was ready to drop into his
+arms! Passion drove him toward her.
+
+Plutina raised her hand in an authoritative gesture. She could feign
+much, but to endure a caress from the creature was impossible.
+Somehow, by some secret force in the gesture, his advance was checked,
+he knew not why.
+
+"Not now, Dan," she exclaimed, sharply. She added a lie, in
+extenuation of the refusal: "Alviry's in the house. Besides, I got to
+have time to think, like ye said. But I'll be at the gate t'-morrer."
+
+Hodges accepted her decree amiably enough. He was still flattered by
+her complaisant attitude toward his wooing.
+
+"Ye're talkin' sense, Plutiny--the kind I likes to hear. I'll be thar,
+waitin' fer ye, ye kin bet on thet." Then his natural truculence
+showed again in a parting admonition: "An' don't you-all try fer to
+play Dan Hodges fer a fool. If so be ye does, ye'll wish to God ye
+hadn't."
+
+With the threat, he turned and went lumbering down the path, to vanish
+quickly within the shadows of the wood.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+
+After his day of toil in Pleasant Valley, Uncle Dick Siddon sprawled
+at ease on the porch, smoking his pipe, and watching with mildly
+sentimental eyes the rosy hues of the cloud masses that crowned Stone
+Mountain. His mood was tranquilly amorous. The vial in his pocket was
+full of golden grains. Presently, he would fashion a ring. Then,
+heigh-ho for the parson! He smiled contentedly over his vision of the
+buxom Widow Brown. Her placid charms would soothe his declining years.
+A tempestuous passion would be unbecoming at his age. But the
+companionship of this gentle and agreeable woman would be both fitting
+and pleasant. Really, Uncle Dick mused, it was time he settled down.
+One should be sedate at eighty. But he sighed.
+
+A horseman appeared over the brow of the hill. The horse traveled
+slowly, as if wearied by many miles. A single glance at the erect,
+soldierly figure made known to Uncle Dick that this was a stranger,
+and he watched intently. As the rider came nearer, he hesitated, then
+guided his mount toward the clearing. Uncle Dick perceived, of a
+sudden, that the left sleeve of the stranger's coat, which was pinned
+across the breast, was empty. At the sight, a great sadness fell on
+him. He guessed the identity of the horseman. His soul was filled with
+mourning over a shattered romance. He fairly winced as the rider drew
+rein before him, with a cheery, "Howdy?"
+
+There was a curious constraint in Uncle Dick's voice, as he made
+hospitable answer.
+
+"Howdy, yerse'f, Stranger? 'Light, an' come in."
+
+"I hain't time to 'light," the traveler declared. "Jones is my name.
+What mout your'n be?"
+
+Uncle Dick descended the steps, regarding the visitor intently. There
+was a perceptible aloofness in his manner, though no lack of
+courtesy.
+
+"My name passes fer Siddon. I 'low ye hain't familiar round these-hyar
+parts?"
+
+"I'm right-smart strange, I reckon," was the admission. "But I was
+borned forty-mile south o' here, on the Yadkin. My father owned the
+place Daniel Boone lived when he sickened o' this-hyar kentry, kase it
+wa'n't wild 'nough. I'm kin ter Boone's woman--Bryant strain--raised
+'twixt this-hyar creek an' Air Bellows."
+
+"Wall, say ye so!" Uncle Dick exclaimed, heartily. "Why, I knowed ye
+when ye was a boy. You-all's pap used to buy wool, an' my pap tuk me
+with 'im to the Boone place with 'is Spring shearin'. Thet makes
+we-uns some sort o' kin. Ye'd better 'light an' take a leetle
+breathin' spell. A drink o' my ole brandy might cheer ye. An' ye
+know," he concluded, with a quick hardening of his tones, "hit's
+customary to know a stranger's business up in these-hyar mountings."
+
+The horseman took no offense.
+
+"I rid up to the balcony jest to make inquiry 'bout a friend what I
+hain't seed in a right-smart bit, an' who I learnt was a-livin' a
+lonely widder's life on Guarding Creek. Could you-all direct me to the
+abode o' one Widder Brown? I hev some private an' pussonal business
+with the widder. Hit's a kind what don't consarn nary human critter
+but me an' her."
+
+Uncle Dick sought no further for information, but issued the requested
+direction, and moodily watched the horseman out of sight. Then, with a
+sigh that was very like a groan, he moved away toward a small
+outbuilding, in which was a forge. Here when he had set the forge
+glowing, he took from his pocket the vial of gold dust, and emptied
+the contents into a ladle. When the metal was melted, he poured off
+the dross, and proceeded to hammer the ingot into a broad band.
+Eventually, he succeeded in forming a massive ring of the virgin
+gold. But, throughout the prosecution of the task, there was none of
+that fond elation which had upborne him during the hours while he
+gathered the material. On the contrary, his shaggy brows were drawn in
+a frown of disappointment. He cursed below his breath from time to
+time, with pointed references to one-armed veterans, who dast come
+back when they hadn't orter. He was still in a saddened and rebellious
+mood, when he returned to the porch, where he found his granddaughters
+seated at some sewing. His face lightened a little at sight of them.
+
+"Guess I got my han's full 'nough o' women-folks, anyhow," he
+muttered. "Fine gals they be, too!" He regarded them attentively, with
+a new pride of possession. "I 'low I hain't a-kickin' much of any. I
+reckon like 'nough I be settled down right now, only I didn't know
+'nough to know it." He chuckled over this conceit, as he seated
+himself, and became uncommonly sociable, somewhat to the distress of
+Plutina, who found it difficult to conceal her anxiety.
+
+Dusk was falling when the horseman reappeared. This time there was no
+hesitation, as he turned from the road into the clearing. Uncle Dick
+rose, and shouted greeting, with labored facetiousness.
+
+"Wall, Mister Jones, I 'lowed as how ye mout be the tax-collector,
+arter the widder's mite, seein' how long ye was a-hangin' on up thar.
+Me an' the gals'd feel a right-smart consarn to lose Fanny Brown fer a
+neighbor, if she was pushed too hard fer her debts."
+
+"Mister Siddon, suh," the stranger answered promptly. "I opine you-all
+hain't half-bad at a guess. I be a tax-collector, so to speak, a
+debt-collector. Hit's a debt contracted fifty-year agone. Fanny Brown
+done tole me as how you-all been good neighbors o' her'n, so I don't
+mind tellin' ye she's willin' fer me to collect thet-thar debt o'
+mine." There was an expression of vast complacency on the veteran's
+face, as he stroked the tuft of whisker on his chin, and he smiled on
+his three auditors half-triumphantly, half-shamefacedly. "I got
+cheated o' her oncet by being too slow. I hain't goin' to do no sech
+foolishness ag'in. T'-morrer, if the clerk's office is open, I'll git
+the satisfaction piece an' Preacher Roberts'll tie the knot good and
+proper--amen!"
+
+Uncle Dick sighed audibly at the announcement, but his chagrin was
+given no further expression as he invited the victorious rival to
+dismount and partake of his hospitality. Alvira received the news with
+bubbling delight, which showed gaily in her sparkling black eyes and
+dimpling cheeks. Even Plutina was heartened by the discovery that her
+grandfather's folly, as she deemed it, must end, though there could
+be no gladness in her by reason of the fear.
+
+It was after the supper was done, when the visitor's horse stood at
+the door, that Uncle Dick took a sudden resolve.
+
+"Alviry," he ordered, "you-all come hold this-hyar hoss, a leetle
+minute, whilst me an' 'im has a confab."
+
+He led the puzzled veteran to a bench beneath a locust, out of earshot
+of his granddaughters, who regarded the proceeding curiously, and not
+without apprehension since they knew the violent temper of the old man
+when thwarted. They were relieved to perceive that his demeanor
+remained altogether peaceable.
+
+"Hit's jest this-away, Seth Jones," Uncle Dick began at once, after
+the two were seated side by side on the bench. "Ye see, I knew
+you-all, an' yer name an' yer business, soon's I sot eyes on ye. Hit
+were thet-thar danglin' sleeve o' your'n as ye rid up the path what
+done hit. I knowed then as how my fate was sealed, s' fur's the Widder
+Brown's consarned. Fanny done told me about you-all an' yer
+disapp'intment. She allers said, arter her man died, as how ye'd be
+a-comin' 'long, though I was hopin' ye wouldn't--cuss ye! Excuse
+me--no offense intended. The widder an' me has been clost friends, an'
+I told her from the first as how I respected the claims of this-hyar
+Jones galoot, if so be he turned up afore we got hitched. An' now hyar
+ye be--dang hit!"
+
+The veteran cleared his throat apologetically. His own happiness made
+him exaggerate the injury thus wrought by his reappearance. He
+ventured no remark, however. He could not say that the woman in the
+case was hardly worth troubling over, and, for the life of him, he
+could think of nothing else in the way of consolation. He discreetly
+cleared his throat a second time, and maintained a masterly silence.
+But the garrulous old man at his side needed no encouragement. He
+quickly resumed his discourse, with a certain unctuous enjoyment,
+distinctly inconsistent with his love-lorn pose.
+
+"Seth Jones," he announced solemnly, "if you-all an' me was young
+ag'in, an' fired by the passion o' youth, thar wouldn't be no
+love-feast hyar jest now like this un. No, sirree! Hit'd shore be war
+a-twixt we-uns--with hell a-poppin' at the end on't fer one, mebby
+both. But my blood don't git het up now the way hit use' to did. I'm
+thinkin' fer the widder's sake hit's good ye're younger ner me, an'
+got more years to give 'er. So, Mr. Jones, when all's said an' done,
+I'm glad ye come to Guarding Creek."
+
+Then, Uncle Dick, in his turn, displayed some slight symptoms of
+embarrassment, and cleared his throat in a manner to shock a
+drawing-room.
+
+"An' now I got jest one leetle favor to ax o' ye, Seth Jones. You-all
+knows as how the gals in this-hyar kentry air partic'lar proud to have
+a weddin' ring made from the gold washed out o' the soil in Pleasant
+Valley by their sweetheart. Wall, I talked a heap 'bout hit to Fanny,
+an', when she showed signs like she'd give in to me, I went an' panned
+the gold fer the ring. Fanny'd be right-smart disapp'inted not to have
+a lover-made ring, I reckon. So, bein' as you-all only got one arm, I
+wants ye to take this-hyar ring, an' wed her proper with the blessin'
+an' best wishes o' Uncle Dick Siddon."
+
+He offered the ring, which was gratefully accepted, and the two old
+men parted on excellent terms.
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+At eleven o'clock the next morning, Uncle Dick was sitting on the
+porch, when he saw a horse passing over the trail toward the south. In
+the saddle was the erect, spruce figure of the one-armed veteran, Seth
+Jones. And, on a blanket strapped behind the saddle to serve as
+pillion, rode a woman, with her arms clasped around the man's waist.
+It was the Widow Brown, dressed all in gala white.
+
+It was, indeed, heigh-ho for the parson!
+
+Uncle Dick stared fixedly until the two had vanished beyond the brow
+of the hill. Then, at last, he stirred, and his eyes roved over his
+home and its surroundings wistfully. He sighed heavily. But he himself
+would have been hard put to it to tell whether that sigh held more of
+regret, or of relief.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+
+While her grandfather was still on the porch, and her sister was out
+of the house, Plutina possessed herself of the new revolver, with its
+holster, which, after slipping down her gown from the shoulder, she
+attached under the left arm-pit. The looseness of the ill-fitting
+garment concealed the weapon effectually enough. For ready access, the
+upper buttons to the throat were left unfastened, in seeming relief
+against the heat of midday. Thus equipped, the girl stole out through
+the back way, unobserved by her relations, to keep tryst with the
+desperado.
+
+As she followed a blind trail that shortened the distance between the
+Siddon cabin and the Holloman Gate to a short two miles, Plutina was
+torturing a brain already overtaxed in the effort to devise some means
+whereby she might wreck the projects of the villain, without at the
+same time bringing ruin on herself, or those she loved. Always,
+however, her thoughts went spinning toward the same vortex of
+destruction. She could, indeed, contrive nothing better than the
+policy of cajolery on which she had first determined, and to this
+course, as it seemed to her, she must cling, though her good sense was
+well advised of its futility. She knew that a scoundrel of Hodges
+unrestrained passions could not long be held from his infamous
+purposes by any art of hers. At the best, she might hope perhaps to
+delay the catastrophe only by hours. In her discouraged state, she
+admitted that it would be quite impossible to restrain him until the
+law should come to her aid. She was determined none the less to employ
+every resource at her command, in order to postpone decisive action.
+One thing was at once her chief reliance and her chief source of fear:
+the outlaw's passion for her. In his brutal fashion, the man loved
+her. That fact gave her power over him, even while it exposed her to
+the worst peril at his hands.
+
+The presence of the revolver comforted her mightily. From time to
+time, she moved her right hand stealthily across her bosom, to
+reassure a failing courage by feeling the stiff leather of the holster
+under the gown. She was experienced in the use of weapons. Her rifle
+had often contributed to the cabin larder. Muscles that knew no tremor
+and a just eye had given her a skill in marksmanship much beyond the
+average, even in this region where firearms were forever in the hands
+of the men, and familiar to the women. Once, her moving fingers felt
+the little bag hanging from its leathern thong about her neck, in
+which was the fairy crystal. The hardness of her expression vanished
+on the instant, and in its stead was a wonderful tenderness. A world
+of yearning shone in the dark lustres of the eyes, and the curving
+lips drooped in pathetic wistfulness. Her soul went out toward the
+distant lover in a very frenzy of desire. She felt the longing well in
+her, a craving so agonized that nothing else mattered, neither life
+nor death. Had the power been hers then, she would have summoned him
+across the void. The loneliness was a visible, tangible monster,
+beating in upon her, crushing her with hideous, remorseless strength.
+Her man must come back!
+
+It was the mood of a moment, no more. Even as she thrilled with the
+anguished longing she lifted her eyes, and halted, aghast at the scene
+before her. There, close at hand to the southeast, Stone Mountain
+upreared its huge and rugged bulk. It loomed implacable, with the
+naked cliffs staring grotesquely. It overhung her like immutable fate,
+silent, pitiless. There was sinister significance in its aspect, for
+just before her lay the cavernous shadows of the Devil's Cauldron. The
+girl's gaze went to the verge of the precipice far above. It followed
+down the wild tumblings of the little stream, fed from lofty springs.
+It descended in the last long leap of the waters into the churning
+pool. And she had a vision of the man she loved, bound, and
+helpless--dead perhaps, shot from behind--and now thrust out from the
+verge into the abyss, to go hurtling into the mist-wreathed depths....
+No, Zeke must not come back. The hardness crept again into her face,
+as she went forward. She held her eyes averted from that gruesome
+cavern high in the mountain's face.
+
+The girl came soon to the Holloman Gate, which swung across the trail
+near the west end of the mountain. Tall poplars and spruce made an
+ample shade, but a glance toward the sun showed it at the zenith. She
+was prompt to the rendezvous; it was the lover who was laggard. She
+wondered a little at that, but with no lightening of her mood. She was
+sure that he would come all too speedily. She stood waiting in misery,
+leaning listlessly against the fence, her gaze downcast. The geranium
+blossoms touched the sward richly with color; the rhododendrons
+flaunted the loveliness of their flowering round about the spot. A
+delicate medley of birds' songs throbbed from out the thickets; a tiny
+stream purled over its pebbled bed in the ravine that entrenched the
+trail. Plutina gave no heed. She saw and she heard, but, in this hour,
+she was without response to any charm of sight or of sound. Yet, that
+she was alert was proven presently, for her ear caught the faint
+crackle of a twig snapping. It was a little way off--somewhere along
+the line of the brush-grown fence, on the same side of the trail. She
+peered steadily in the direction of the noise. When her eyes became
+accustomed to the shadows, she made out the figure of a man, crouched
+in a corner of the fence, behind the screen of a bush. He was no more
+than three or four rods from her. She was sure even that she
+recognized him--Gary Hawks, one of the most vicious of the Hodges
+gang, but notorious for cowardice. She was puzzled for only a moment
+by the presence of the fellow. Then, she realized that he doubtless
+was acting under his leader's orders. It was another menace against
+her own safety. The fingers of her hand went once again for
+encouragement to the holster beneath her arm.
+
+Plutina gave no sign that she had discovered the lurking man's
+presence. But, after a minute, she retraced her steps a little way
+along the trail, until she came to a point where there was a clear
+space on either side, which was out of hearing from the fence line.
+She had scarcely reached the place, when Hodges appeared, his bare
+feet trudging swiftly. His head, too, was bare. In the hollow of his
+left arm lay the long rifle. He was approaching from the east, and
+halted at the gate, without having observed the girl beyond it. He
+whistled a soft note as a signal if she should be anywhere about.
+
+Plutina called out softly in answer.
+
+"Hyar, Dan!" As he looked toward her, she beckoned him to approach.
+
+Hodges shook his head in dissent, and, by a gesture, bade her come to
+him. But, when she showed no sign of obeying, he moved forward,
+scowling, ferociously. The girl seemed undaunted. She spoke curtly in
+rebuke:
+
+"'Pears to me, Dan Hodges, like ye hain't very prompt, seein' as how
+I've been a-waiting hyar a quarter-hour fer ye. When a man loves a
+gal, he gen'rally gits to the place sot ahead o' her. Ye hain't
+a-startin' right to win me, Dan, an' so I'm a-tellin' ye fair."
+
+"You-all orter have more sense than hang out hyar in the sun. Come
+back to the gate, under the shade o' the sarvis bushes." He turned
+away, but paused as the girl made no movement to follow. "What in
+hell's the matter on ye?" he demanded, angrily. "This place in the rud
+hain't fitten fer talk, nohow."
+
+"Hit's fitten 'nough fer me," Plutina retorted, quietly. A mellow
+laugh sounded. "Seems to me this-hyar bright sunshine orter warm yer
+love up some, Dan. We'll stay hyar, I reckon. I'm afeared o' snakes
+an' eavesdroppers an' sech critters thar in the shade."
+
+The man was racked by many emotions. He had come swiftly under the hot
+sun, and the haste and the heat had irritated him. The sight of the
+girl moved him to fierce passion of desire. He was aflame with
+eagerness to take her within his arms, there where were the cool
+shadows. Her indifference to his command exasperated him; her final
+refusal infuriated him. In the rush of feeling he lost what little
+judgment he might otherwise have had. He had meant to placate her by a
+temporary gentleness, to be offset by future brutalities. Now, in his
+rage, he forgot discretion under the pricking of lawless impulse. He
+reached out and dropped a huge hand on Plutina's shoulder, and twisted
+her about with a strength she was powerless to resist. The clutch of
+his fingers cut cruelly into her flesh, firm though it was, and she
+winced. He grinned malevolently.
+
+"Git back thar as I done tol' ye," he rasped; "afore ye git wuss."
+
+With a deft twist of the body, Plutina stood free. The face, which had
+paled, flushed darkly. The eyes blazed. The head was uplifted in
+scorn. Her aspect awed the man, and he hesitated, gaping at her. Yet
+her voice was very soft when she spoke. The tone surprised her
+listener, rendered him strangely uneasy, for some reason he could not
+understand.
+
+"Thet ten minutes ye was late was more'n I had need fer, Dan Hodges,"
+she said. "I promised ye yer answer hyar, an' I'm a-goin' to give hit
+to ye right now."
+
+She lifted an arm, and pointed to where the Devil's Cauldron blotched
+the cliffs of the mountainside ... It was her left arm that she
+lifted.
+
+"Look, Dan! See thet-thar big hole in the wall. I been a-lookin' at
+hit, Dan. I 'low you-all don't dast look at hit. Mebby ye're afeared
+o' seein' the bones o' them hit holds--bones o' dead men--what you-all
+an' yer gang hev kilt an' slid into the pot, to lie hid till Jedgment.
+Hit's thar ye're aimin' to put my Zeke. Why, a haar o' his head's wuth
+more'n the hull caboodle of sech murderers as yew be."
+
+She stepped closer to the outlaw, and spoke with unleashed hate. He
+flinched at the change.
+
+"I was skeered o' ye back thar on the piazzy yist'-day, an' I lied to
+ye, kase I was skeered. I wasn't a-likin' the look in them pig eyes o'
+your'n. An' I was a-feared o' Gran'pap's hearin' how I reported the
+still. Wall, now I hain't skeered no more. I promised ye yer answer at
+the gate. We'll move over thar, an' I'll keep my promise."
+
+Before he could guess her purpose, before he could shift the rifle
+from the hollow of his arm, the fingers of Plutina's right hand had
+slipped within the open bodice. The Colt's flashed in the sunlight.
+The level barrel lay motionless, in deadly readiness. For the girl,
+though not yet quite sure, was almost sure that she would kill Dan
+Hodges.
+
+The idea had not come to her until this meeting. In all the racking
+hours of thought, this simple solution of the difficulty had never
+entered her mind. Now, at its coming, she welcomed it with infinite
+relief. It offered a means of escape so simple and so sure--escape for
+herself and for those she loved. It was the touch of the man that had
+wrought the miracle of revolt. She had felt herself polluted by the
+contact. On the instant, the hypocrisy of cajoling was no longer
+possible. But there was more in the effect than that. The savagery of
+the outlaw aroused the savagery in her. She became, in the twinkling
+of an eye, the primitive woman. There was little in the sentiment of
+her people to dam the outburst. Her kin had followed the lex talionis.
+They had killed their fellows for the sake of their proper pride. The
+blood-feud was familiar to her, and she knew no shame in it. Why
+should she not slay this creature who outraged her self-respect, who
+threatened her every hope? Her finger on the trigger of the revolver
+tensed ever so slightly.
+
+The man felt the vibration of her impulse and cringed. He was in a
+daze before this violence of attack, where he had expected only supine
+yielding. In his creed, the beating of women marked manliness. The
+drabs he had caressed crept and fawned under his blows, like whipped
+curs. He could not realize this challenge by the girl with his own
+method of might. But he saw clearly enough through the haze of fear
+that the blue barrel was trained exactly upon him, that the slim hand
+held it rigid, and he knew that, in this instant, he was very, very
+close to death. The red of his face changed to a mottled purple. He
+felt himself trembling.
+
+Plutina perceived the abject terror of the man. It mitigated her wrath
+with scorn, and so saved him for the moment. She cried out to him
+fiercely, her voice rough with abhorrence.
+
+"To the gate fer yer answer, ye cowardly houn'. Move quick, er I'll
+drap ye in yer tracks, ye murderin' wolf. Do as I say!"
+
+She moved another step toward him. Her voice rose shrill:
+
+"Drap thet rifle-gun!"
+
+The weapon slipped from Hodges' nerveless fingers, and fell on the
+turf with a soft thud.
+
+"Put up yer han's!"
+
+Cowed, the man thrust his long arms to their length above his head.
+
+"Now, turn round, an' march to the gate!"
+
+There was no faltering in the obedience.
+
+The hulking bully knew that he was in mortal peril. For his life's
+sake, he dared neither word nor gesture of resistance to the girl's
+will. His only hope was that the hidden ally might somehow come to his
+aid. But the hope was feeble. He knew the other's craven spirit.
+
+Plutina, too, knew it. As she drove her captive to the gate, she
+peered, and saw the crouching figure still in the shadows behind the
+bush. The Colt's cracked. Even as Hodges shuddered, imagining the
+tearing of the bullet through his own flesh, there came a shriek of
+pain from beyond him. The hidden man leaped forth, his right arm
+dangling clumsily. He scrambled into the cover of the spruces and
+vanished. The noises of his flight lessened, died.
+
+"I've scotched a snake," Plutina said, malignantly. "Hit's about time
+to kill the dawg, I reckon. Turn round." Then, when he had obeyed, she
+went on speaking. "Now, hyar at the gate, I'll tell ye somethin'.
+You-all 'lowed ye could git me with money. If ye had all they is in
+the world, hit wouldn't be enough. An' ye thought I tuk money fer
+reportin' the still. Wall, I didn't. I reported thet-thar still o'
+your'n kase I seed ye a-settin' b'ar-traps fer humans, an' hit made
+me hate ye even wuss 'n I done hated ye afore."
+
+Somehow, the flame of her fury was dying. The girl felt this, and
+bitterly resented it, yet she was powerless. It seemed to her that
+with all the strength of her nature she was desirous of killing this
+enemy. He stood cowering before her in dread. Her finger on the
+trigger needed only the slightest flexing to speed the death he
+merited. And, for some occult reason, the will to slay failed her. She
+was enraged against her own weakness of resolve. Nevertheless, she was
+helpless. Her mood had reached its climax in the impulsive wounding of
+the other man. Now, her blood was losing its fever. With the slowing
+pulse, the softer instincts prevailed to thwart her purpose. Despite
+an anguished eagerness, she could not kill this trembling wretch. She
+loathed her frailty, even as she yielded to it. She must let him go
+unscathed, a foe the more dangerous after this humiliation. Of no use
+to threaten him, to extort promises. There was no truth in him. He
+must be left free to work what evil he would. Oh, if only the wrath in
+her had not died too soon!
+
+"Put yer han's down, an' march up the trail," she commanded,
+presently. Her voice was lifeless. The man drew new hope from the
+quality of it. He ventured no resistance to the command, but went
+padding softly through the dust. Behind him, Plutina followed, her
+bare feet padding an echo. Her right hand hung at her side, but it
+retained the revolver, ready for instant use. As she came to Hodges'
+rifle, she picked it up, and threw it far down into the ravine. At the
+clattering noise of its fall, the outlaw started, but he did not pause
+in his stride, or turn. The girl's whole soul was convulsed with
+longing that he should make some effort of revolt--anything. Then, she
+would shoot and kill--oh, so gladly!
+
+But the instinct to live guided the man. He trudged meekly. There was
+no excuse against him. So, they came at last near to the Siddon
+clearing, where a little path ran through the wood toward the house.
+Here, Plutina paused, without a word. She was ashamed of herself,
+grievously ashamed of this softness of fiber that had spared a life.
+Without a word, she watched him pass along the trail, up the slope,
+and out of sight beyond. Her face was drawn and white, and the great
+eyes were brooding with bitterness, when, finally, she stirred, and
+moved forward in the path. She slipped the revolver into its holster.
+Then, her fingers went to the bag that held the fairy cross to her
+breast. She fondled it tenderly. She was longing as never before for
+the giver of the talisman.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+
+Plutina had no sleep the night following her encounter with Dan
+Hodges. Throughout the dragging hours, she was tortured by sinister
+imaginings. She exhausted her brain in futile strivings for some means
+of escape from the mesh of circumstance. It was not until the gray
+twilight of dawn shone through the curtains that a possibility of
+relief stirred in her mind. It was out of desperation that the idea
+sprang. She felt herself so utterly forlorn and helpless in her
+loneliness that the despair was overpowering. It was then, at last,
+that the inspiration came to her: She would confess everything to her
+grandfather!
+
+Though she quailed before the prospect, she rejoiced as well. The old
+man was strong and resourceful. He would know how to meet and overcome
+the outlaw's villainy. Moreover, now that her decision had been made,
+Plutina was surprised to find her alarm over such confession greatly
+lessened from what she had supposed possible. She began to realize
+that some intangible change in her grandfather himself was responsible
+for this. She became convinced that the new gentleness had had its
+origin in the unselfish abandonment of his marital hopes. It was as if
+that renunciation had vitally softened him. Perhaps, in this strange
+mood, he would be less intolerant of her fault in turning informer.
+His prejudice could find no excuse for her treachery, she knew, yet
+the peril in which she had involved herself, and him, might arouse his
+pity. Assuredly, he would be moved to instant action for both their
+sakes. For that reason alone, if for no other, she must tell him her
+story without a moment of unnecessary delay.
+
+In the course of the morning, Plutina took advantage of an
+opportunity, whilst her sister was busy in the garden, and went to her
+grandfather, who was taking his ease on the porch. She was encouraged
+by the mild and benignant expression on the old man's face, which had
+been more often fierce, as she remembered it through the years. She
+seated herself quietly, and then proceeded immediately to confession.
+There was no attempt at palliation of her offense, if offense it were.
+She gave the narrative of events starkly, from the moment when she had
+first seen Hodges descending Luffman's Branch to the time of her
+separation from him at the clearing, on the yesterday.
+
+Throughout the account, the listener sat sprawled in the big willow
+rocker, his slippered feet resting on the porch rail. The huge body
+was crumpled into an awkward posture, which was never changed, once
+the history was begun. The curved wooden pipe hung from his lips,
+black against the iron gray cascade of beard, but he did not draw at
+it again, after the opening-sentences from his granddaughter's lips.
+Plutina, looking down, perceived that the folded hands, lying in his
+lap, were clenched so strongly that the knuckles showed bloodless.
+Yet, he made no movement, nor offered any word of comment or of
+question. When the girl had made an end, and sat waiting distressedly
+for his verdict, he still rested mute, until the silence became more
+than she could endure, and she cried out in pleading:
+
+"Kain't ye fergive me, Gran'pap?"
+
+Uncle Dick turned, and looked reproachfully at the distraught girl. A
+great tenderness shone from the black eyes, in which age had not
+dimmed the brilliance. As she saw the emotion there, a gasp of
+rapturous relief broke from Plutina's lips. The stern restraints of
+her training were broken down in that moment. She dropped to her knees
+by the old man's side, and seized his hands, and kissed them, and
+pressed them to her bosom. He released one of them presently, and laid
+it gently on the dusk masses of his grandchild's hair in silent
+blessing. His voice, when at last he spoke, was softer than she had
+heard it ever before.
+
+"Why, Tiny, ye mustn't be afeared o' yer ole gran'pap. I thinks a heap
+o' my kin, an' ye're the clusest. I loves ye gal--more'n anythin' er
+anybody else in the world, though I wouldn't want Alviry to hear thet.
+I hain't mindin' what ye done none. I'd stan' by ye, Tiny, if he had
+the hull cussed Gov'ment at yer back. I hain't got no likin' fer
+revenuers, but I got a heap less for Dan Hodges."
+
+He paused for a moment and lifted his hand from the girl's head to
+stroke the gray beard thoughtfully, before he continued:
+
+"I been thinkin' a right-smart lot o' things jest lately. I 'low I'm
+a-gittin' old, mebby. An' I opine as 'tween the revenuers and Dan
+Hodges, I hain't so much agin the Gov'ment as I was."
+
+Again, he fell silent, as if in embarrassment over an admission so at
+variance with the tenets of a lifetime. Then he spoke with sudden
+briskness:
+
+"But ye'd orter a-killed the critter then an' thar, Tiny!"
+
+"I jest somehow couldn't, Gran'pap. I'm shore sorry." The girl felt
+poignant shame for the weakness thus rebuked.
+
+"I 'low I hain't likely to have no sech feelin's a-holdin' o' me
+back," Uncle Dick remarked, drily. "Hit's my foolishness bailin' 'im
+out got us in the pizen mess. I 'low I'll cancel the bond. But, fust,
+I'd have to take the skunk to the jail-house, dead er alive. He'll
+stan' some urgin', I reckon."
+
+"Ye'll be keerful, Gran'pap," Plutina exclaimed anxiously, as she
+stood up.
+
+"Now, don't ye worrit none," Uncle Dick ordered, tartly. His usual
+rather dictatorial manner in the household returned to him. "You-all
+run along. I want to think."
+
+The girl went obediently. The reaction from despair brought
+joyousness. Of a sudden, she became aware of the blending perfumes of
+the wild flowers and the lilting of an amorous thrush in the wood. Her
+lids narrowed to dreamy contemplation of the green-and-gold traceries
+on the ground, where the sunlight fell dappled through screening
+foliage. Fear was fled from her. Her thought flew to Zeke, in longing
+as always, but now in a longing made happy with hopes. There might be
+a letter awaiting her from New York--perhaps even with a word of
+promise for his return. She smiled, radiant with fond anticipations.
+Then, after a word of explanation to Alvira, she set off at a brisk
+pace over the trail toward Cherry Lane.
+
+The girl went blithely on her way, day-dreaming of the time when Zeke
+should be come home to her again. She stopped at the Widow Higgins'
+cabin, to receive felicitations over the escape of Uncle
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+"WHEN ZEKE COMES HOME AGAIN."]
+
+Dick from Fanny Brown. Plutina was not minded to harass the older
+woman with the tale of Dan Hodges. The outlaw's threats against Zeke
+would only fill the mother's heart with fears, against which she could
+make no defense. Otherwise, however, the tongues of the two ran busily
+concerning the absent one. And then, soon, Plutina was again hurrying
+over the trail, which the bordering wild flowers made dainty as a
+garden walk. Once, her eyes turned southward, to the gloomy grandeur
+of Stone Mountain, looming vast and portentous. The blur of shadow
+that marked the Devil's Cauldron touched her to an instant of
+foreboding, but the elation of mood persisted. She raised her hand,
+and the fingers caressed the bag in which was the fairy crystal, and
+she went gaily forward, smiling.
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+Uncle Dick, meantime, was busy with sterner thoughts, and his task was
+harmonious to his musings, for he was cleaning and oiling his rifle
+with punctilious care. He did not hasten over-much at either the
+thinking or the work. The shades of night were drawing down when,
+finally, he hung the immaculate weapon on its hooks. He ate in
+solitary silence, served by Alvira, who ventured no intrusion on this
+mood of remoteness with which she was familiar from experience. The
+old man had determined to go forth and seize, and deliver to the
+custody of the law, the person of Dan Hodges. At the best, he would
+surprise the outlaw, and the achievement would be simple enough; at
+the worst, there would be a duel. Uncle Dick had no fear over the
+outcome. He believed himself quicker and surer with the rifle than
+this scoundrel of half his years. At grips, of course he would have no
+chance. But the affair would not come to grips. He would see to that.
+He went to bed contentedly, and slept the peaceful sleep of wholesome
+age, undisturbed by any bickerings of conscience.
+
+It was while he was dressing, next morning, that a measure of prudence
+occurred to Uncle Dick. During the period of his absence, it would be
+well for Plutina to avoid risk by keeping in the cabin, with her rifle
+at hand. There was no telling how audacious the moonshiner might
+become in his rage over the ignominy to which the girl had subjected
+him.
+
+At the breakfast-table, he spoke sharply to Alvira, as she placed the
+plate of fried ham and eggs before him.
+
+"Tell Tiny, I'm a-wantin' her."
+
+"Tiny hain't hyar yit," was the answer. "Hit's time she was."
+
+"Whar's she gone!" Uncle Dick demanded, gruffly. He detested any
+interruption of his plans.
+
+"Tiny stayed over to the Widder Higgins's las' night," Alvira
+explained. "Hit's time she come back."
+
+Uncle Dick snorted with indignation.
+
+"She didn't say nothin' to me 'bout stayin' over thar," he said
+crossly.
+
+"Nor to me, nuther," Alvira declared. "She never does beforehand. When
+the Widder Higgins kind o' hangs on, Tiny jest stays, an' comes back
+in the mornin'. She orter been 'ere afore now."
+
+Uncle Dick pushed away the plate of food, half-eaten. Dread had fallen
+on him suddenly. He tried to thrust it off, but the weight was too
+heavy for his strength of will. Perforce he yielded to alarm for the
+girl's safety. A great fear was upon him lest it be too late for the
+warning he had meant to give. He growled a curse on his own folly in
+not guarding against immediate attack by the outlaw. It was with small
+hope of finding his apprehensions groundless that he set forth at
+once, rifle in hand, for the cabin of the Widow Higgins. There, his
+fears were confirmed. The old woman had seen nothing of Plutina, since
+the short pause on the way to the post-office. Uncle Dick groaned
+aloud over the fate that might have come on the girl. He told enough
+to give the Widow Higgins some understanding of the situation, and
+bade her go to his own house, there to remain and to comfort Alvira.
+For himself, he would first search over the Cherry Lane trail for any
+trace of his vanished granddaughter, and thereafter raise the
+hue-and-cry to a general hunt through the mountains for the capture or
+killing of the villain, and the recovery of the girl, dead or alive.
+Not for an instant did the old man doubt that Hodges had done the
+deed.
+
+Uncle Dick had no more than passed Luffman's Branch on his way over
+the Cherry Lane Trail, when a joyous hail caused him to lift his eyes
+from their close scrutiny of the beaten earth. Descending the trail, a
+little way in front of him, appeared the slender, erect form of the
+one-armed veteran. The bridegroom moved with a jaunty step, and his
+wrinkled features radiated gladness. But, as he came near, his face
+sobered at sight of the other's expression. His voice was solicitous.
+
+"I 'low somethin' air wrong," he ventured.
+
+Uncle Dick in his distress welcomed the note of sympathy. Somehow, he
+felt curiously drawn to this successful rival, and he was sure that
+his feeling was returned. Between the two men there was a curious
+mutual respect, as if each relied on the entire good sense of one who
+had loved Fanny Brown. The older man craved a confidant; he was avid
+for counsel and every possible assistance in this emergency. He told
+the facts as concisely as possible, while Seth Jones, wedded raptures
+forgot, listened in growing sorrow and dismay. At the end, he spoke
+simply:
+
+"I'll take a look 'long with ye, Mister Siddon. I done a heap o'
+trackin' in my time, out West. Perhaps, I kin he'p ye some."
+
+Uncle Dick put out his hand, and the two palms met in a warm clasp,
+witness of friendship's pact. Forthwith, they gave themselves to
+minute examination of the trail for any sign of the missing girl.
+
+For a time, their patient search went unrewarded. But, about a
+half-mile beyond Luffman's Branch, they came on an area still affected
+by one of the small showers so frequent in the mountains. Here, the
+veteran's alert eyes distinguished a footprint outlined in the damp
+dust.
+
+"Yer gal was barefut, I reckon," he said. He pointed to the imprint
+just before where he was standing.
+
+"Yep," Uncle Dick answered. There was a little mist over his eyes, as
+he glanced down. "Yep; hit's her'n."
+
+The veteran went forward confidently now.
+
+"She was a-steppin' plumb brisk," he declared; "feelin' pretty peart,
+I 'low; feet kind o' springy-like."
+
+Uncle Dick shivered at the words. He had a ghastly vision of Plutina
+moving at this moment with painfully dragging steps somewhere afar in
+the fastnesses of the mountains. But he said nothing of the worst
+fears to his companion. He only followed on, watching closely lest
+something escape the other's survey. Almost, he found himself hoping
+they might come on the girl's dead body. Death is not the worst of
+evils.
+
+After a mile, or a little less, the area of the shower was passed.
+Uncle Dick could hardly distinguish any sign of the footprints in the
+heavy dust of the trail, but he accepted without question the
+veteran's assertion that they were easily perceptible to the trained
+sight. Suddenly, Seth Jones halted, and peered intently, stooping low.
+Uncle Dick, too, bent to look, but the faint markings in the dirt were
+without significance to him. The veteran moved to the roadside and
+searched on hands and knees over the yard of grass between the trail
+and a thicket. When he stood erect again, he regarded his companion
+inquiringly.
+
+"They seem to be the tracks o' some mighty-big, hefty cuss, what come
+out o' these-hyar bushes, an' tuk along arter her. Kin ye make a guess
+who hit mout be, Mister Siddon?"
+
+Uncle Dick's face grew black with a rage that was the more frightful
+because it had no object on which to vent itself.
+
+"Hit's him!" he mumbled thickly, choking over the effort for
+self-control. Abruptly, he abandoned the attempt. His big voice
+boomed forth in a torrent of blasphemous imprecations. When, finally,
+he rumbled into silence, and stood panting for breath, the veteran,
+who had appeared to listen with great interest and perhaps some
+pleasure, spoke soothingly:
+
+"You-all was shore some eloquent, an' I 'low the ornery critter
+deserves every mite on hit. An', anyhow, I reckon ye done saved
+yerse'f a stroke. Ye was a-lookin' like ye'd bust, but ye let off the
+steam a-cussin' 'im out. Now, let's see." He went back to the trail,
+and advanced very slowly, for the markings were faint even to his
+skilled eyes. Uncle Dick, trembling a little from the violence of his
+outburst, followed faithfully, but he could no longer detect traces of
+the passing of either man or girl.
+
+Thus, in slow progress, they came at last to the fork of the trail.
+This is at the extreme easterly slope of Bull Head Mountain, which
+rises from the north side of the valley as if in sullen rivalry of
+Stone Mountain below. In the division of the trail here, one branch
+ascends toward Glade Creek, across the mountain, while the other keeps
+on straight to Cherry Lane. Within the fork of the trails lies a
+fallen giant of the coves, a huge yellow poplar, almost hidden along
+its length by the embowering thickets. Toward this, in an advance
+tediously slow, the veteran made his way. When, finally, he was come
+up to the great bole, he stood quietly for minutes, gazing everywhere
+round about. Uncle Dick, emulating his companion, peered earnestly,
+and soon he, too, perceived the evidences that something out of the
+ordinary had occurred just here. Over a considerable space next the
+trunk there were signs of a struggle. Broken branches showed on some
+of the bushes; leaves from the poplar shoots were lying on the grass;
+the turf was freshly torn here and there. The veteran bent over, and
+picked up an object from the ground, which he held out. Uncle Dick
+gave one glance, and uttered a cry of despair. He recognized it as a
+button from the dress Plutina had been wearing the day before.
+
+The further search of the veteran achieved little. He was able only to
+make sure that the footprints led off through the forest toward the
+south. But, now, the impressions were no longer of one following the
+other. Instead, it was revealed that the two walked side by side.
+Uncle Dick groaned as his companion told him of this. Plutina had been
+attacked; she had fought; she had been overcome--and she was still
+alive!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+
+With the news of the event, a flame of wrath swept through the coves.
+Everywhere, the men gathered in parties, to hunt, rifle in hand, for
+some trace of the outlaw. There was none to give him favor, save the
+outcasts numbered among his dependants. The usual sympathy for the
+illicit distiller ceased utterly, destroyed by hatred for the
+criminal's final offense. For the first time in the history of the
+mountains, there was no voice raised to protest--nor any rifle pointed
+in the laurel--against the Federal officers, who wandered at will in
+the wild places. In execration of Dan Hodges for his sin against the
+peace and dignity of the community, the people forgot for the nonce
+their ancient enmity against the Government. With one accord, the folk
+of the mountains joined in abhorrence of Hodges, sullenly anxious to
+bring about his punishment, to avenge his victim at least, if too late
+to save her.
+
+Seth Jones turned from the joys of the belated honeymoon to give every
+aid in his power. His counsel and the comfort of his presence were
+boons to Uncle Dick. The veteran had learned from his bride
+concerning the disfavor in which Zeke was held, and the reason for it.
+It seemed to him the part of wisdom, in this crisis, to feign
+ignorance, and he blandly suggested, on the return of the two from the
+fallen poplar, that they should ride to Joines' store in the evening,
+there, over the telephone, to dispatch a telegram to Zeke in New York.
+It was the psychological moment for success. There was not even a
+flicker of resentment aroused. Uncle Dick remembered that the Quaker
+school-teacher spy had been saved by Zeke from Dan Hodges. In his new
+mood, that fact was enough to overcome all rancor against the lad.
+Moreover, he realized the tragedy of Plutina's fate to her lover, and
+he was moved to compassion. He accepted the veteran's suggestion
+without a word of remonstrance.
+
+It was Seth Jones, too, who broke down the old man's last prejudice by
+persuading him to summon Marshal Stone. Uncle Dick yielded with an odd
+mingling of emotions--shame and relief: shame over such trafficking
+with the "revenuers," whom he had consistently fought and despised
+through three generations; relief that he had gained the strong arm of
+the law to his side. He had been greatly heartened when Stone answered
+over the wire that he would set out with a posse at midnight for the
+Siddon cabin, so that, after a conference there, the active work of
+searching could be begun promptly at dawn.
+
+Thus, it came about that, for the first time in history, Uncle Dick
+Siddon welcomed the sound of hoofbeats pounding up the trail through
+the darkness. Where, aforetime, he would have leaped to wind a blast
+of warning to the moonshiners above against the coming of the
+"revenuers," the old man now hastened to the cabin door, and flung it
+wide, and went forth on the porch to give grateful greeting.
+
+When a council had been held, three parties set forth. Seth Jones was
+the guide for one, which went to the northeast, through the Bull Head
+Mountain region, whither, in all likelihood, the outlaw would make his
+way, if he meant to escape out of the country. The marshal, with one
+companion, skirted Stone Mountain. Uncle Dick led two of the posse to
+the yellow poplar where the struggle had occurred, after which they
+would follow the general direction of the tracks. The marshal expected
+to make a circuit of the mountain rapidly enough to effect a junction
+with Uncle Dick's party by noon, at the Woodruff Gate. The veteran and
+his two men, who would have by far the roughest going, were not to
+report until sundown at the Siddon cabin.
+
+From the poplar, Uncle Dick and the deputies were able, with great
+difficulty, to follow the tracks of the outlaw and his prisoner toward
+the south for a full mile. But at this point, an expanse of
+outcropping rock baffled them completely. Search as they would, there
+was no least sign of footsteps anywhere. After an hour of futile
+questing, they gave up in despair, and hurried to the rendezvous at
+the Woodruff Gate.
+
+The marshal and his men had already reached the gate, and Stone had
+wherewith to give the distraught grandfather new hope.
+
+"I came on their tracks a mile below where you lost them," he
+explained. "They still keep to the south. We followed as far as the
+sand bar below Sandy Creek Falls."
+
+"Come on!" Uncle Dick cried, fiercely. "Let's arter 'im this-yer
+minute."
+
+The marshal shook his head at the old man's enthusiasm.
+
+"We're not much better off yet," he declared. "We found the place
+where he camped last night. 'Twasn't far. I reckon the girl made his
+going as slow as she could. She naturally would." Uncle Dick nodded
+somberly. "But the trouble is, the trail ends at the sand bar--ends
+absolutely."
+
+"We'll find hit ag'in," Uncle Dick exclaimed, stoutly. "We jest got to
+find hit. Come on!"
+
+The marshal urged the other to rest in preparation for the hard
+climb--down the ridge, and then up the sharp slopes and ledges of the
+mountainside. But the old man would have none of it. So, straightway,
+the two moved off, leaving the others, less hardy, to repose, and in
+due time they came to the bar below Sandy Creek Falls.
+
+High among the embattled cliffs of Stone Mountain's eastern end, Sandy
+Creek races in tumultuous course. The limpid stream cascades in
+vertical sheen of silver from ledge to ledge. It writhes with
+ceaseless noisy complainings through the twisting ways of
+bowlder-strewn gorges. Here and there, in some placid pool, it seems
+to pause, languid, resting from its revels of flight. Such a pool lay
+at the foot of the longest fall. A barrier of sand circled from the
+cliff as the brim for this bowl of the waters. To this point, Marshal
+Stone and Uncle Dick were now come. The tracks were plainly
+discernible in the sand, along the edge of the pool. There were the
+huge misshapen outlines of the outlaw's bare feet, deep-sunken from
+the heavy weight of the man. Beside them showed the slender prints
+made by the captive, lightly pressed. These tracks followed the
+curving bar, along the water's edge. They reached to the foot of the
+cliff, close to where was the outer edge of the cataract. There they
+ceased.
+
+The marshal, already familiar with the mystery, and baffled by it,
+searched again perfunctorily. Uncle Dick hunted hither and yon with
+feverish activity, at first confidently, then doubtfully, finally in
+despair. He, in his turn, could find no further clue. He gave over his
+efforts eventually, and stood silent beside the marshal, staring
+bewilderedly. About the amphitheatre formed by the pool, pines grew in
+a half-circle, save where the narrow channel of the stream descended.
+But between the barricade of the trees and the basin of water lay the
+smooth stretch of sand, slightly moist from out-flung spray of the
+falls. Upon that level surface, the tracks showed forth--undeniable,
+inexplicable. They marched without deviation straight to the base of
+the great cliff. There, within a little space, they grew confused, as
+from much trampling. But they did not return; they did not go
+elsewhere. There was a clear distance of a rod over the sand to the
+rocky ground where the trees grew. On the other side lay the deeps of
+the pool. Before them reared the impassible wall of the precipice. And
+there the tracks ended.
+
+Uncle Dick knew the place well, and on that account the mystery was
+the greater. He could find no possible explanation, however wildly
+improbable, of that disappearance. The broad sheet of the falls fell
+close to the cliff's face. The rock was unworn by the torrent, without
+recess or cavern. And that precipice, twice the pool's width, mounted
+sheer a hundred feet, the height of the cascade. The front was
+unbroken save by tiny rifts and narrow ledges, where dwarfed ground
+pines clung precariously. With a muttered curse, the old man turned
+from his vain contemplation of the cliff, and let his troubled eyes
+rest on the pool. Suddenly, he started. He remained motionless for a
+moment, then, with nervous haste threw off his shirt, and trousers.
+Marshal Stone, chancing to look that way, was astonished to see his
+companion naked, poised at the water's edge. He had time to note with
+admiration the splendid figure, still supple and strongly muscled
+despite the four-score years. Then Uncle Dick leaped, and dived. It
+was long seconds before he reappeared, only to dive again. He paid no
+attention to the marshal's remonstrances. Only when he was convinced
+of the uselessness of further search in the pool's depths, did he give
+over the task, and cast himself down on the sand to rest, panting and
+trembling a little from fatigue.
+
+"They hain't thar," he said, with grim conviction. Then he voiced the
+question that hammered in his brain: "Whar be they?"
+
+But the marshal had no answer.
+
+As they made their way drearily back toward the Woodruff Gate, the
+officer broke a long silence:
+
+"Only a blood-hound can trail them!"
+
+The gloom of Uncle Dick's expression did not lighten.
+
+"They hain't nary one in the mountings," he answered, heavily.
+
+"None nearer than Suffolk, Virginia," the marshal said. "Cyclone Brant
+has a couple of good ones. But it would cost a lot."
+
+The old man flared.
+
+"Fer God's sake, git thet-thar feller an' his dawgs. I hain't axin'
+what hit 'll cost. Hit was my money got thet-thar damned cuss out o'
+the jail-house. I hain't likely to begrudge anythin' hit 'll cost to
+git him kotched. An' Plutiny!--why, money don't matter none, if I can
+save Plutiny!"
+
+"I'll send for Brant to-night," the marshal promised, with new
+cheerfulness. "Let's hope he's not off somewhere. They send for him
+all over the country. If the dogs start day after to-morrow, they'll
+still find the scent."
+
+Uncle Dick groaned.
+
+"An' her a-lyin' out with thet-thar wolf all thet while," he mumbled,
+in despair. "Mebby, this very minute, she's a-screamin'--callin' to
+her ole gran'pap to save her. My Plutiny!" He walked with lagging
+steps; the tall form, usually so erect, was bowed under the burden of
+tormenting fears. The marshal, understanding, ventured no word of
+comfort.
+
+It was late afternoon when the dispirited searchers reached the Siddon
+clearing on their return from the fruitless day's work. There, they
+were astonished to see the Widow Higgins come down the path toward
+them, at a pace ordinarily forbidden by her rheumatic joints. She
+waved a paper in her hand.
+
+"Hit's a telegraph," she called shrilly. Her voice held something of
+the awe with which remoter regions still regard that method of
+communication. But there was a stronger emotion still that thus sent
+the old woman dancing in forgetfulness of her chronic pains. It was
+explained in her next sentence, cried out with a mother's exultation
+in the homecoming of her beloved. Almost, in joy over seeing her son
+again, she forgot the misery that was bringing him.
+
+"Hit's from Zekie! Zekie's comin' home!"
+
+Uncle Dick could not share the mother's delight. The lover's coming
+could hardly avail anything toward saving the girl. Nevertheless, he
+took the sheet of paper, which carried the message sent on by
+telephone from North Wilkesboro' to Joines' store. He read it aloud,
+that the marshal might hear:
+
+                                                      Suffolk, Va.
+
+    Richard Siddon,
+        Joines' Mill, N. C.,
+            Via Telephone from North Wilkesboro'.
+        Arrive to-night with bloodhound.
+
+                                                          Ezekiel.
+
+Uncle Dick's voice faltered a little in the reading. The black eyes
+were glowing with new hope beneath the beetling white brows, as he
+lifted his gaze to the mountain peaks. For the first time, he felt a
+thrill of jubilation over the young man whom he had rejected, whom now
+he accepted--jubilation for the fresh, virile, strength of the lad,
+for the resourcefulness that this message so plainly declared. The old
+man's lips moved in vague, mute phrases, which were the clumsy
+expressions of emotions, of gratitude to Providence for the blessing
+of another's energy, on which to lean in this time of trial. There had
+been desperate need of haste in getting the hounds on the trail. Now,
+they were coming--to-night. Zeke was bringing them. Perhaps, after
+all, an old man's declining years would know the fond tenderness of a
+daughter's care--and a son's. Thank God that Zeke was coming!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+
+Zeke, in his new life, found little leisure for loneliness, though
+nightly he fell asleep with an ache of nostalgia in his heart, longing
+for the mountains of home and the girl who dwelt among them. But his
+days were filled with various activities that held his whole
+attention. With a mind keen and apt to receive impressions, and hungry
+for knowledge, he gave himself joyously to learning the details of
+Sutton's tree-nail manufacture. The processes were, in fact, simple,
+and he mastered them with ease. Then, he was instructed more broadly
+in business methods, with the purpose of making him competent when he
+should become a manager of the projected factory in the Blue Ridge
+region. His time was thus so fully occupied that he had neither
+opportunity nor inclination for social pleasures.
+
+He spent a week-end in his employer's Long Island home, and surprised
+that gentleman mightily by the propriety of his manners, which he had
+acquired on the yacht. On this occasion, Sutton spoke definitely of
+his plans. The railroad branch north from the main line was now a
+certainty, and the construction would soon start. At that time, Zeke
+would return to North Carolina, and set about securing options on the
+best available timber. A mill would be built, and the manufacture of
+tree-nails carried on. Zeke, in addition to an adequate salary, would
+receive a certain share of the profits. The prospect was one to
+delight any ambitious young man, and Zeke appreciated it to the full.
+But most of all he rejoiced that his success should come to him in the
+place he loved, where the girl waited.
+
+Zeke had a companion, who shared with him the tiny hall-room, and kept
+at his side in long evening rambles through the city streets. It came
+about in this wise:
+
+It was one afternoon when he had been in New York for a week, that a
+visitor entered, unannounced, the office where he was listening
+intently to Sutton's crisp explanations of business routine. Zeke
+looked up at the sound of the opening door. Then, his jaw dropped, his
+eyes widened. Next moment, he sprang to his feet, his face radiant
+with welcome. His phrases, in the excitement of this meeting, were the
+mountaineer's idioms, which new associations were beginning to modify
+in his ordinary speech.
+
+"Why, hit's shorely Miss Josephine!" he cried, as he advanced upon
+her, with outstretched hand. He saw the dog, straining toward him on
+the leash. "An' thet-thar man-faced dawg!"
+
+There was a little interval of confusion, while greetings were
+exchanged amid the demonstrative antics of the bull-terrier. Sutton
+was called away presently, and then the girl explained the object of
+her visit.
+
+"You never noticed it," she said somewhat pettishly; "but one time on
+the yacht, I came up on deck with Chubbie. You were over by the rail.
+You snapped your fingers to him. I ordered him to stay with me. He
+wouldn't mind. He went to you. Well, I decided right then what I'd
+do."
+
+"Why, shucks, Miss Josephine!" Zeke exclaimed, in much distress. "He
+jest nacherly didn't mean nothin' by thet."
+
+"He showed something by it, though," was the retort. "He showed that
+he belonged to you, and not to me. So, here he is." She held out the
+leash to Zeke, who took it doubtfully, only half-comprehending. As he
+was about to speak, a gesture checked him.
+
+"I'm not really a bit generous in giving him to you. My dog must like
+me better than anyone else in the world. That's why I really don't
+want Chubbie any longer. You're first in his heart, and I'm second.
+And, though I'm quite selfish about it, I know I'm doing him the
+greatest favor in the world--that is, if you're willing to take him."
+
+"I'd shore be tickled to death to have him," Zeke admitted. "But it
+don't seem right."
+
+"Providence seems to have arranged it that way, anyhow," Josephine
+declared, airily. "Perhaps, if a surgeon operated on him for the dent
+you put in his skull, he might cease loving you. But nothing else
+seems likely to stop him."
+
+The dog, thrusting its cold muzzle against Zeke's palm, whined assent.
+Josephine regarded her disloyal pet a little regretfully.
+
+"He's a good dog," she said, softly. "He deserves to be happy."
+
+"Plutiny'll be plumb tickled to see the critter I've wrote sech a heap
+about," Zeke remarked. His eyes were suddenly grown dreamy.
+
+"You and your Plutina!" she railed. But her voice was very kindly.
+When she had learned of the young man's prospects and the nearness of
+his return home, she uttered a remark that puzzled Zeke.
+
+"You don't need to envy anyone." There was a light almost of jealousy
+in the blue eyes.
+
+"Why, I never thought o' sech a thing!" he answered indignantly. "Why
+should I?"
+
+"Why, indeed?" Josephine repeated, and she sighed. She sighed again on
+taking leave, when she observed that the bull-terrier made no
+movement to accompany her, but stood steadfastly by Zeke's side.
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+Into the happy, busy routine of Zeke's life in New York, Uncle Dick's
+telegram came with the crash of catastrophe. It was merely with
+innocent wondering that he opened the yellow envelope, which a
+messenger delivered in Sutton's office on a pleasant summer afternoon.
+It was the first missive of the sort in Zeke's experience, yet he felt
+no slightest chill of apprehension. His mood was too firmly joyous to
+be easily shaken. He merely wondered, and felt no fear whatever, as he
+pulled out the sheet of flimsy paper, and unfolded it, while his
+employer sat looking on curiously, himself already suspicious of
+trouble. Zeke read the typewritten words through stupidly, under the
+first shock uncomprehending. Then, he repeated the message aloud, as
+if challenging its meaning.
+
+"Plutina been stolen," ran the summons. "Dan Hodges done it. Need
+help."
+
+The name of Richard Siddon as the sender in itself told how desperate
+must be the situation, else Uncle Dick would not have summoned the
+suitor he had rejected. Zeke stared pitifully at Sutton. His eyes had
+the pathos of a stricken animal's. For a little, he seemed dazed by
+the unexpectedness of this evil. Then, very soon, rage mounted
+blackly. Sutton, listening, could not repress a shudder before the
+deadly hate in Zeke's voice.
+
+"I'll kill Dan Hodges!" was the promise. The voice was low and even,
+but it roared in the ears of the listener. There was something
+terrifying in the stark savagery that showed in the mountaineer's
+tones and in the drawn, pallid face.
+
+But, after the one outburst, Zeke maintained an appearance of
+hypocritical calm. Only in the tremulousness of his voice when he
+thanked Sutton did he betray the depth of his feeling.
+
+In truth, he had new reason for gratitude in this emergency to the man
+who already had so befriended him.
+
+"You'll want to start at once, of course," Sutton said.
+
+Zeke nodded assent.
+
+"Well, I think I'll go with you. Perhaps, I might help. It'll be
+better for you with somebody along."
+
+Zeke offered a protest, but it was disregarded.
+
+"I know Plutina," Sutton said, earnestly, "and I know you, Zeke. I
+want to help. Now, I wonder--"
+
+He fell silent for a space, thinking deeply. When he spoke again it
+was with curt decisiveness:
+
+"It's hurrying things a bit, but not too much. I'll have you stay down
+there, Zeke, and get after the timber as soon as you have Plutina
+back."
+
+Then, as the young man regarded him in bewilderment, he explained
+fully:
+
+"I've just heard a rumor that Grearson and Company are going to send a
+man down there. I'll beat them to it. I meant to start you off in a
+month or so. But you've learned all you need to here, and it's better
+to hurry, so as not to run any risk of my competitors getting in
+ahead. We'll get away on the train to-night."
+
+So it came about that the two reached Norfolk late in the afternoon of
+the following day, after what had seemed to the tortured lover an
+eternity of listless crawling toward the mountains. Now Zeke felt no
+longer dismay over the rapid flight of the train, as in his first
+journeying, but only a fierce longing to cover the miles more swiftly.
+For he appreciated how great was the crisis. Plutina had written him
+of her part in the raid on Hodges' still, and she had expressed in
+some degree the apprehensions she felt. Zeke was sure that, somehow,
+Plutina's betrayal of the still had become known to the outlaw, and on
+this account the man had sought vengeance. The lover sickened at the
+thought of the form that brutal vengeance might take. Often, Sutton,
+covertly watchful, averted his glance that he might not see the
+despair on the mountaineer's face.
+
+The two travelers were on their way to the ferry in Norfolk, when
+inspiration came to Zeke: He bethought him of Cyclone Brant, and the
+stag-hound, Jack. A few words sufficed for explanation of the matter
+to Sutton, who welcomed the idea of securing such assistance for the
+search.
+
+"I kin git 'im, if he's home," Zeke declared, eagerly. "He lives in
+Suffolk, 'bout twenty miles toward Wilkes. I'll try an' git 'im on the
+'phone."
+
+In this, he was successful, and he was greatly cheered by the anxiety
+displayed by Brant to be of assistance. But the detective was
+distressed over the delay of twelve hours that must ensue before they
+could get a train to North Wilkesboro'. Sutton removed this difficulty
+by ordering a special, which should be made up at once, and should
+stop at Suffolk to take on Brant and his dog. So, within the hour, the
+three men and the hound were rushing at rocking speed along the
+tortuous river course that led into the mountains. Instructions had
+been sent ahead, by Brant's suggestion, to have an automobile and
+driver in readiness for the arrival of the party at the North
+Wilkesboro' station.
+
+The three men talked but little during the trip. The tenseness of
+suspense held them in thrall, and, for the most part, they sat in grim
+silence, staring out of the windows at the swiftly flitting panorama
+of moonlit landscape, wherein the fertile level areas changed to
+narrowing valleys, and these, in turn, to wild gorges, where the
+river ran in bellowing riot beneath lofty ramparts of stone. Sutton's
+thoughts veered from pity for his young friend to keen calculation of
+profits to come from the locust timber of the slopes. Cyclone Brant
+mused on his past adventurings in these wilds. From time to time, he
+pulled at the ears of the stag-hound, which sat on its haunches in the
+aisle, balancing its big bulk elastically against the erratic joltings
+of the car, and regarding its master with patient adoration in the
+reddened eyes.
+
+Zeke, too, had the single comfort of a dog's faithful fondness. The
+bull-terrier crouched on the seat beside its master. The
+squat-featured face was thrust forward, with the heavy jaw resting on
+Zeke's lap. Often, the dog whined, with a soft, whimpering note. It
+was as if the creature knew its master's grief, and wished to tell its
+sympathy. There was a curious help to the young man's courage in the
+eager, caressing thrusts of the cold nose against his palm. And he had
+need of every help, even the least, for, in this period of inactivity,
+the spirit within him was near to fainting. Because he knew fully the
+depraved nature of Hodges, he could not blind himself to the frightful
+peril of Plutina in the outlaw's power. The girl's plight was one to
+inspire horror in any decent breast; to the lover, worshiping her as
+something ineffably holy, the possibility of her pollution by the
+brute who had stolen her away was a thing too monstrous for belief,
+yet not to be denied. He strove to drive the hideous thought from his
+mind, but, ever, it crept again into his consciousness. The sickness
+of his soul found its only relief in bursts of fury against the cause
+of this wickedness. His manhood asserted itself in a primitive lust to
+torture and to destroy.
+
+There were intervals of softer emotion, when he lived again the sweet
+raptures of hours alone with Plutina in the mountain solitude. But the
+moods of retrospection were short, perforce. They weakened him too
+greatly. The very heart seemed to flow from him like water, as
+memories crowded. The contrast of the present was too hideous for
+endurance. Again, the ghastly despair--the black rage, the whining of
+the dog, and the thrust of the cold muzzle to distract for a moment.
+Then, once more, the agonizing round.
+
+The grinding of brakes, as the train drew to a standstill at North
+Wilkesboro', came as a poignant relief to the three travelers. Even
+the dogs seemed to relax from strain, and a covert hostility, which
+had marked their first meeting, vanished while they sniffed at each
+other in inquisitive, friendly fashion.
+
+The automobile was in waiting. Zeke jumped in beside the driver. The
+bull-terrier was held firmly between his legs. Sutton, Brant and the
+hound established themselves in the tonneau. Within a minute after
+the stopping of the train, the car was rolling rapidly over the
+highway toward Joines' mill. The chauffeur made the best speed
+possible under Zeke's urging, and the run was short.
+
+Beyond the mill, the trail branching off the main road was rough and
+narrow, traversed only by horsemen and the clumsy vehicles of the
+mountaineers. No automobile had ever passed over it, and the party had
+planned to secure mounts at the mill, and to continue the journey on
+horseback. Zeke, however, realized the advantage in continuing by
+machine, were this possible, and he suggested it to the driver. The
+man was doubtful, but, too, he was an enthusiast in his work, and the
+opportunity of thus climbing the mountains, where no other car had
+been, appealed strongly to his ambition. In the end, he consented,
+with a prudent stipulation concerning possible damages. So, without
+pause, the automobile shot forward past mill and store, and went
+clambering along the trail toward the northern coves. The driver ran
+cautiously enough, despite Zeke's impatience, but, at the best, the
+trip was a strain on the men and on the mechanism that bore them, for
+the car lurched and bounced over the uneven surface, and more than
+once was near to being overturned. Their ultimate safety was due, in
+great measure, to Zeke himself. Familiar with every foot of the way,
+he was able to advise the chauffeur of the more dangerous points.
+Neither Sutton nor Brant had uttered a word of protest against
+undertaking the perils of this final stage, but both breathed a sigh
+of relief, when, at last, the car stopped in the clearing before the
+Siddon cabin, and the journey was safely done.
+
+The wooden wheels of the poplar clock in the cabin were whirring for
+the striking of midnight, when their noise was overborne by the
+grotesque, unfamiliar honkings of an automobile horn. With the second
+of the three blasts, the cabin's door swung open, and in the light of
+it was silhouetted the tall form of Uncle Dick.
+
+"Zeke!" he called; and his voice was a little broken.
+
+Then, with instinctive delicacy of feeling, he stepped aside, as the
+young man sprang up the steps, and he stood silent, while mother and
+son were folded in each other's arms, murmuring endearments. But, when
+Zeke at last turned to face the old man, Uncle Dick's hand went out to
+a powerful clasp that told how profoundly he was moved.
+
+"I'm glad ye've come, boy," he said, simply. And Zeke knew that the
+old distrust and suspicion were gone forever, and in their stead were
+come affection and faith.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+
+Zeke was astounded when he looked around the living-room and
+recognized Marshal Stone, together with the members of the posse. He
+suddenly became aware that the change in Uncle Dick was even greater
+than he had supposed. There had been a radical readjustment of the old
+man's' attitude toward life, which disposed him not only to acceptance
+of Zeke with affection and confidence, but also to toleration of, and
+alliance with, the "revenuers," whom he had so consistently hated
+through a long lifetime. Zeke refrained however, from any open
+expression of his amazement, and at once joined the other men in
+devising a plan of operations to be begun at dawn.
+
+It was decided that Uncle Dick should accompany the marshal and Brant,
+with the stag-hound, to the tracks of Hodges and Plutina on the north
+face of Stone Mountain, near Sandy Creek, where the dog could take up
+the scent, in the hope of solving the mystery that had baffled the
+human searchers.
+
+Then Uncle Dick interposed a suggestion that suited Zeke well.
+
+"If so be," he exclaimed abruptly, "as how Dan Hodges is atop
+thet-thar mounting, an' he gits the dawg nigh the precipice, he might
+throw the critter over. He's powerful strong, Dan is, an' desprit."
+
+"Yes, the fellow's capable of it," Stone agreed.
+
+"I'm a-thinkin' as hit mout be well fer Zeke to git atop the mounting
+fust off," Uncle Dick continued, "an' watch out fer Hodges. Hit's
+pretty open up thar, and easy to waylay a body."
+
+"I'll go," Zeke declared, with eagerness.
+
+The marshal directed the men of the posse to scatter to various points
+on the railway lines.
+
+"Hodges'll probably try to get out of the country, the minute he hears
+the hound after him," Stone explained. "All of my men have seen him,
+and they'll be able to stop him, if he manages somehow to cover his
+scent from the dog, and get off."
+
+Sutton, much against his will, was forced to remain inactive at the
+cabin as he was not physically fitted for the hard tramping over the
+mountains.
+
+Zeke was the prey of emotions too deep to permit much interest in a
+stranger, but he had a friendly, if wan, smile for the veteran, whom
+he remembered from their single meeting. He attempted a display of
+attention on hearing of the marriage so recently achieved, but the
+effort failed pitifully. Seth Jones, however, took no offence, since
+he understood how great must be the young man's misery. On the
+contrary, his sympathies were deeply stirred, and he essayed a few
+words meant to comfort.
+
+"An' I reckon I'll go 'long with you-all, Zeke, in the mornin'," he
+concluded.
+
+But Zeke shook his head at the offer.
+
+"I got to cross over home fer my rifle-gun," he explained, vaguely.
+
+"I clean fergot to tell ye," Uncle Dick cried. "Yer rifle-gun's hyar,
+Zeke. I done fotched it over fer ye."
+
+"Thank ye, Uncle Dick," was the grave response. But the young man did
+not rescind his refusal of the veteran's company.
+
+Uncle Dick offered a share of his bed to Brant and the marshal, but it
+was refused by both. There were blankets spread for the men on the
+floor of the porch, where the smoke gushed from a smudge kettle to
+keep off the mosquitoes. There, presently, the company stretched
+themselves for the brief dreamless sleep won by the day's fatigues.
+
+Even Zeke fell into a sound slumber, with the bull-terrier nestled at
+his breast. He had not thought to sleep, only to lie quiet for a
+little rest, and then, long before the dawn, to issue forth alone.
+Nevertheless, his repose was profound for two hours, or more. Perhaps,
+the stirring of the dog awoke him; perhaps, his own determination,
+subconsciously exerted. Anyhow, he straightened up suddenly, and
+stared about him stupidly, reluctant to believe that he had actually
+slept thus, while Plutina cried out for succor. He was relieved when
+he perceived that there was not yet even a trace of dawn in the east.
+He realized that it was as well, for though he had lost little time,
+he felt vitally refreshed, with new vigors to battle in behalf of the
+girl he loved. It was but the work of a minute noiselessly to possess
+himself of his rifle, and to descend the steps. The bull-terrier kept
+close at his heels. With the dog still following, Zeke, pressed
+forward through the darkness toward Stone Mountain.
+
+The other sleepers were aroused by Uncle Dick as the first gray light
+was flushing to the rose of dawn over the eastern mountains. There was
+some astonishment at finding Zeke already gone, but it subsided
+quickly, for all understood how great must be his anxiety. The men of
+the posse duly took their departure for the railway points designated
+by the marshal. Seth Jones set out in pursuit of Zeke. Stone, with
+Uncle Dick and Brant, made ready for the actual hunting of the
+outlaw.
+
+"I've seen Jack more than once pick up a cold trail three days old,"
+the hound's master declared, with a manifest pride in the creature's
+prowess; "and run down his man. Can we get hold of something to give
+him the scent--an old shoe, or cap--anything?"
+
+"Got jest the thing fer ye," Uncle Dick replied, leading the way from
+the cabin toward one of the out-buildings. "Hit's an ole coat. Dan
+left hit one hot day when he stopped in at my forge, to tinker the
+rivets to the cap o' the still. Hit was dum hot thet day, an' he left
+'is coat. 'Twa'n't wuth comin' back fer. I 'low the smell's about all
+thet's left to hit."
+
+Brant showed the tattered garment to the stag-hound, and bade the
+animal smell it. The dog sniffed obediently a few times, sneezed as if
+in disgust of the odor, regarded its master understandingly, and then
+walked away.
+
+"That's all that's necessary," Cyclone Brant declared. "The dog and I
+are ready."
+
+Forthwith, the three men, with the hound, set forth toward the
+southeast, to cut the track of the outlaw near Sandy creek. They
+followed the trail to a point some distance beyond the Woodruff Gate,
+and then left it to ascend the precipitous slopes near the eastern end
+of Stone Mountain. They were not far from Sandy Creek Falls, when the
+marshal halted, and pointed out the remains of a camp-fire.
+
+"This is where Hodges stopped to cook his supper the first night," he
+explained. "I followed the tracks on to the creek, and up it to the
+falls, where I lost them. Now, it's up to the dog."
+
+A growl from the hound caused the three to look up, startled. There
+was an exclamation from Uncle Dick, and the rifle leaped to his
+shoulder.
+
+"No, no--don't shoot!" Stone ordered. He, too, had seen and recognized
+Garry Hawks, as the fellow, evidently disconcerted by their presence
+there, slipped stealthily into the laurel. "He'll be more useful to us
+alive presently," he explained to Uncle Dick, who had obeyed
+protestingly.
+
+"Thet's so, likely," the old man conceded grudgingly. Then he chuckled
+harshly, for the first time since Plutina's disappearance. "Got his
+right wing slung up! Did ye see hit? Tiny done hit--pore gal! Purty
+peart at shootin', Tiny is. Thet-thar--"
+
+"There's a fresh track here made by Hodges," the marshal exclaimed,
+interrupting. He pointed to a plain imprint on the dirt covering of a
+flat rock.
+
+Brant brought his dog to the spot, pointed to the footprint, and
+slipped the leash. The hound lowered its head, snuffed at the ground,
+and gave tongue. In the same second, it was off at speed, running with
+muzzle low, with the continuous whining yelps that told of a warm
+scent. It did not vanish into the coverts as all had expected, but
+followed through the open place that led to the northward, skirting
+the wood. As the men hurried after, they caught a final glimpse of the
+dog two hundred yards beyond, just disappearing over a ridge. They
+followed the sound of its baying with what haste they might, yet
+slowly, by reason of the difficult going. The dog's cries guided them,
+much to the surprise of Uncle Dick and the marshal, straight toward
+Sandy Creek Falls, whither the first tracks of the outlaw and the girl
+had led, and where they had been so mysteriously lost. As the three
+scrambled up a steep ascent, scarcely a hundred yards from the
+sand-bar, there came to their ears from the hound a high, melancholy
+howl.
+
+"It means that Jack is at fault, somehow," Brant explained in answer
+to a grunt of inquiry from Uncle Dick. "Something puzzling him for a
+minute."
+
+The two listeners looked at each other with grave faces. Was it
+possible, they wondered, that the hound would be baffled, even as they
+had been, there at the pool? But their expression lightened the next
+moment, for two sharp, harsh barks came from the dog, which was
+evidently still in the neighborhood of the falls, and its master
+interpreted:
+
+"Jack's treed his game, sure's you're born!"
+
+The three topped the ridge, and broke into a run down the slope, their
+rifles at the ready. Within the minute, they leaped from the thicket
+into the open place below the falls. Then, with one accord, they
+stopped short and stood staring bewilderedly.
+
+The hound continued its deep-chested baying. It stood erect on its
+hind legs, almost to a man's height. It was supported by its fore-paws
+extended as far up as they would reach against the wall of the
+precipice, a little to the left of the waterfall. As it barked, the
+dog held its muzzle pointed straight upward. There could be no doubt,
+if the sensitiveness of the brute were to be relied on, that its
+quarry had, in some incomprehensible fashion, contrived to mount the
+sheer surface of the cliff. That the hound was sure, was made plain by
+the rigidity of its posture, by the fierce, challenging ululations,
+which pealed forth incessantly.
+
+The three men went forward presently, their gaze wandering aloft from
+the dog, over the inaccessible expanse of vertical cliffs. They came
+down to the sand-bar, and followed it around the pool, still in
+silence, and still with their puzzled eyes roving hither and yon for
+some clue to understanding of this thing. But, of a sudden, Uncle Dick
+shouted:
+
+"I see how 'tis! I shorely kotch on. Looky thar!"
+
+The marshal and Brant followed the direction of his pointing arm, but
+they saw nothing to make the matter clear--only a tiny ledge, fifty
+feet above them, along which grew a few bushes and clumps of ground
+pine. It offered no hiding-place for a child even, hardly footing for
+the outlaw's heavy bulk. But Uncle Dick shook his head to rebuke their
+lack of comprehension, then explained:
+
+"Dan's a keen un, all right," he said, with grudging admiration. "But
+this-hyar time he's done left 'is mark fer my ole eyes to see. Now,
+you-all jest throw yer eyes o' vision up the side o' the cliff ag'in.
+If ye looks cluss, ye kin see a streak o' dampness on the rock. Hit's
+jet as if a mounting rattler mout 'a' dove down the rock right thar.
+But 'twa'n't thet. Thet-thar streak is the mark of a wet rope--er
+mebby a grape-vine. Thet's the way them devils git up an' down. I'll
+bet every stick o' my mounting timber them cusses got a cave up thar,
+offen the ledge. P'rhaps Garry Hawks jest got up, since we-uns seen
+'im. An' the rock hain't had time to dry from the rope, er vine,
+a-gittin' wet in the falls. Dan Hodges thought he had a mighty cute
+place to lay out in. But he's kotched jest the same--damn 'im!... Good
+dawg!" The change in Uncle Dick's voice as he spoke the last two words
+was startling.
+
+The two listeners accepted the old man's solution, but they did not
+share his enthusiasm. On the contrary, they were very grave, for the
+task before them appeared formidable, if not impossible, of
+achievement. As they continued silent, gazing upward with frowning
+faces, Uncle Dick regarded them at first in perplexity, then in
+rapidly-mounting apprehension.
+
+"What's a-bitin' on ye?" he demanded, at last.
+
+The marshal replied.
+
+"There's no way of getting them out of there. They're armed and not
+particular about murder. They can hold that fort till kingdom-come.
+Dan could alone. There's nothing for it but to starve 'em out--if
+they're there."
+
+"And the trouble about that is," Brant added, "that they've got the
+girl for hostage. It seems to me that this Dan Hodges has the
+whip-hand."
+
+For a little, Uncle Dick, who had paled under the tan, stood silent,
+looking helplessly from one to the other of his companions. Then he
+groaned aloud. But in the next instant, he straightened to his full
+height. His face grew convulsed with rage, as he faced the cliff, and
+his great voice volumed above the clamor of the cataract:
+
+"God A'mighty damn ye, Dan Hodges! Damn ye--damn ye!"
+
+And then again:
+
+"Damn ye, Dan Hodges, ferever an' ferever!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+
+Plutina's treatment of Hodges had had a curious effect on that lawless
+character. The humiliation to which he had been subjected had indeed
+filled him with vicious rage, but, too, it had inflamed his passion
+for the girl. Her scorn and her fierce mastery of him had made her
+more than ever desirable. He was fascinated by the strength and
+courage she had displayed. Brutal and evil as he was, Hodges was
+strong physically, and, in his own wicked way, strong of will. Because
+he was stronger than his fellows, he ruled them. Strength was, in
+fact, the one thing that he could admire. The revelation of it in
+Plutina at once set her apart from all other women, and gave to his
+craving for her a clumsy sort of veneration. But that veneration was
+strangely modified by resolve to be avenged for the insult she had put
+upon him. Thus, it had come about that he planned to satisfy his
+varied feelings toward the girl by the abduction. He swore to master
+her, to change her insolence to fawning submission, to abject
+fondness.
+
+Hodges wasted no time. His sluggish brain began its scheming the
+moment a turn in the trail hid him from view, after the ignominious
+march from the Holloman Gate. At sunrise, next morning, he was lurking
+on the borders of the Siddon clearing, spying on the movements of the
+family. He even witnessed Plutina's confession to her grandfather, of
+which he guessed the purport, and at which he cursed vilely beneath
+his breath. When Plutina set forth for the Cherry Lane post-office, he
+followed, slinking through the forest at a safe distance from the
+trail. He was not quite certain as to where or when he should attack
+the girl, but he meant to seize the first favorable opportunity,
+whether it came sooner or later. It came, as a matter of fact, very
+soon, and it was given by Plutina herself.
+
+There at the fallen poplar, the girl found a comfortable nook on the
+big trunk, where her back was supported by a limb. The serenity of the
+scene soothed her over-wrought nerves. The sense of relief that had
+come from confession to her grandfather was less vivid now. In its
+stead was a blessed peacefulness. She watched lazily the visible
+details of forest life around about her. Her attention centered
+finally on a yellow-hammer, which was industriously boring the trunk
+of a dead chestnut. From the nest near-by, the callow young thrust
+naked heads, with bills gaping hungrily. Then, in a twinkling, birds
+and forest vanished, and she was standing on the mist-strewn steeps
+of Stone Mountain, and Zeke's arm was about her, and her hand was
+clasped in his. So, she slept, and smiled a little in her dreams, for
+the touch of the breeze on her cheek seemed the caress of her lover's
+lips. From his lair in the laurel, Dan Hodges, watching, knew that his
+opportunity was come. The outlaw laid down his rifle, and drew from a
+pocket a stout leash of cowhide, a yard long. Glancing from time to
+time at his intended victim, to see that she still slept, he hastily
+fashioned a slip-noose at either end of the thong. This done, he began
+moving forward with the utmost caution, taking advantage of the cover,
+that he might remain invisible should the girl awake. He held the
+leash in his two hands ready for instant action. A slight detour
+brought him around the stump of the poplar, just behind Plutina.
+Advancing with even increased carefulness now, he approached until the
+girl was easily within his reach. As she reclined on the tree-trunk,
+her left hand hung at length on the side next to him. The right arm
+was bent along the supporting branch, and the hand pillowed her cheek.
+After a moment of doubt, Hodges decided that he would attempt to
+secure the free wrist in a noose of the leash without awakening her.
+It would be easy then to catch and bind the other wrist. In the
+confusion of sudden rousing from sleep, she would make no effective
+resistance. The capture would be very simple.
+
+It was, in truth, tragically simple, yet not so simple as the outlaw
+had anticipated. From dreams of tenderness, Plutina was suddenly
+started to hateful realization by the scarcely perceptible touch of
+this being so repugnant to her every instinct. She was confused,
+indeed, but not too confused for frantic resistance. It needed no more
+than recognition of the man's brutal face so close to hers to inspire
+her. She fought him with every ounce of her strength. The left hand
+was useless, held down by his on the thong, with the noose drawn taut
+about the wrist. But the outlaw, though he contrived to get the other
+noose over her right hand, failed somehow to tighten it at once. She
+was able to strike at him again and again. Her blows fell on his face,
+and they were sturdy blows. Hodges made no effort to avoid them, nor
+struck back--only busied himself with the effort to tighten the noose.
+It was evident that he disdained her attack. A certain virile pride
+forbade defense against this onslaught of a girl. Finally, he brought
+his left hand to aid in adjusting the second noose. In the few seconds
+of liberty, Plutina abandoned blows, and resorted to savage clawing at
+the evil face. Her ten nails streaked the coarse features with blood.
+But still he seemed absolutely indifferent to such wounds as she
+could inflict. Then, the noose slipped to tightness. The girl's hands
+were brought close together behind her back, where she stood beside
+him. He knotted the slack of the leash, and holding the loop, grinned
+triumphantly at his captive. His bloody face was a mask of malice.
+
+"Ye damned little wildcat," he growled, yet with an unmistakable note
+of admiration in his voice, "if I sarved ye 'cordin' to yer earnin's,
+I'd shorely tap ye over thet-thar purty haid o' your'n, an' pitch ye
+over into the Devil's Kittle, to wait fer yer runt lover to come arter
+ye." He twisted her about viciously. Despite her strength, unusual in
+a woman, Plutina was powerless in his grip. Holding her close, face to
+face, he contemplated the girl's pitiable distress with gloating eyes
+in which there was no faintest suggestion of pity. The prisoner met
+the malignant gaze for an instant. Then, her eyes fell, and she stood
+trembling. She was panting, partly from terror, partly from the
+violence with which she had struggled. Hodges chuckled, well content
+over the impression he had made. He would show her how a woman should
+be tamed! But the thing must be done in full accord with a plan he had
+made. Now that the captive had duly learned her first lesson in
+submissiveness, he might relax a little from his severity for a time.
+Besides, too much fright might leave her helpless on his hands, which
+would be highly inconvenient, since there was a rough journey on foot
+before them. When he next spoke, he tried, without much success, to
+make his voice conciliatory.
+
+"Thar hain't no call fer ye to be so dum skeery--leastways, not yit. I
+hain't a-hurtin' ye none--not yit--only jest a-tyin' yer han's to keep
+'em out o' mischief. But I reckon as how ye'll hev to eat them words
+ye spoke to me at the gate yistiddy. I 'low ye done forgot the warnin'
+I gin ye 'bout playin' Dan Hodges fer a fool. Ye're lookin' mighty
+sorry ye ever tried hit." He chuckled again, as he meditated a
+humorous effort: "Ye know thet pore feller what ye winged yistiddy?"
+He shook his head reprovingly. "You-all shore hadn't orter never 'ave
+done no sech thing. Garry wa'n't a-bitin' on ye none. He's hurt bad,
+Garry is, an' he needs a nuss the worst way, Garry does. An' so I come
+an' got ye." He guffawed over his wit. "If ye'll behave I'll let loose
+o' ye a mite, an' we'll stroll along a matter of a few mile to whar
+Garry's waitin' awful impatient."
+
+Suddenly, unreasoning fear surged up in Plutina, brimmed over in a
+torrent of pleading words. She knew the uselessness of appeal to this
+callous wretch. But the instinct of terror in her horrible situation
+mastered the girl, so that she forgot pride, and besought his mercy.
+She was ghastly pale, and the dilated eyes were almost black, with a
+stricken look in their clouded depths. Her voice was shaking.
+
+"Lemme go Dan--lemme go. Ye've done got even with me now fer yistiddy.
+Lemme go--I ax it of ye, Dan. I done ye dirt yistiddy, 'cause I was
+scared o' ye. An' I'm scared o' ye now, Dan. Lemme go home, an' I
+won't never tell nobody how ye kotched me."
+
+She had raised her eyes beseechingly. Now, as she saw the smug mockery
+on her captor's face, she fell silent. The futility of any pleading
+was too plain. Her eyes shifted to the ground again. But the first
+wild fear was past, and she began to think with some clearness. At
+once, it occurred to her that she must guard her strength jealously.
+She had already wasted too much in vain physical struggling and in
+vainer emotional outbursts. She must save her energies henceforth both
+of body and of mind, that she might have wherewith to contrive, escape
+and wherewith to accomplish it, or wherewith to fight against a
+lustful brute to the very death.
+
+Hodges spoke approval.
+
+"Ye're gittin' sense. Better save yer breath to cool yer porrich, stid
+o' wastin' hit a-whinin' to me. But I shore admire fer to hear ye
+squawk. Ye hain't quite so damned uppitty as ye was yistiddy."
+
+"I 'low I must do what ye says," Plutina agreed, listlessly. She felt
+very weary, now that the reaction was upon her. At whatever cost, she
+must have an interval in which to recover from this weakness.
+
+"Thet's the ticket!" Hodges exclaimed, with a jovialty meant to be
+winning. He went behind her, and loosened the knot he had last tied,
+so that her wrists, although still fast bound, had a little play. The
+length of the loop allowed him to move by her side with it over his
+arm. "You-all jest mosey acrost to thet-thar birch clump," he
+directed, pointing. "I got a rifle-gun yender, what I kain't noways do
+without."
+
+Plutina walked obediently at his side in the direction indicated, and
+stood passively while he picked up the weapon. Then, in response to
+his command, she set off with him through the tortuous forest paths to
+the southward.
+
+For the time being, Plutina's dominant emotion was a vast depression.
+It bore down on her like a physical burden, under which she had hardly
+the power to go forward with slouching steps. It was as if the end of
+the world were come, with the loss of everything good and clean and
+happy. The only reality was this foul creature to whom she was bound,
+from whom there was no escape, who had but to speak and she must obey,
+who had the authority to compel obedience. She was sick with horror
+of the man's nearness. She felt defilement from the avid eyes, which
+moved over her in wanton lingering from head to foot, and back again.
+But she had no resource against him. She could only endure for the
+present, awaiting the return of strength. She could see no glimmer of
+hope anywhere. Yet, she strove numbly against this enveloping despair.
+She told herself again and again that, somehow, relief would come
+before the dreaded crisis. The words were spiritless; they brought no
+conviction. Nevertheless, she kept repeating them mutely to herself,
+as she trudged drearily beside Hodges toward Stone Mountain.
+
+"I'll git clar o' him somehow--I will, I will! Gran'pap'll kill 'im!
+Zeke'll come! He will!"
+
+It was incredible that her lover could come, that he could even know
+of the evil, until too late to save her. Yet, the thought of his
+coming subtly cheered her. It persisted in defiance of all reason. And
+the affrighted girl clung to it with desperate tenacity, as a drowning
+man to the life line. She kept repeating to herself, "Zeke'll come! He
+will, he will!" as if the phrases were a spell for the soothing of
+terror. She wished that her hands were free to touch the fairy crystal
+in her bosom.
+
+The outlaw, after uncouth efforts at conversation, which met with no
+response, relapsed into sullen silence, and he mended the pace until
+the girl was hard put to it to keep up with his stride. On the first
+slopes of Stone Mountain, he halted, evidently at a spot where he had
+camped on other occasions, for presently he produced a skillet and
+coffee-pot and materials for a rude meal from their concealment in the
+bushes. But his first care was to place the prisoner on a log, where a
+sapling at her back served for attaching the loop of the leash. He
+then busied himself with making a fire and preparing the food, from
+time to time jeering at the helpless girl, who watched him with
+smouldering hate in her eyes.
+
+"Hit's you-all orter be a-doin' these-hyar chores," he declared, with
+a grin. "An' they's a good time a-comin' when ye'll be plumb tickled
+to death to wait on yer Danny boy. A good time comin', cuss ye!"
+
+He devoured his food ravenously, washing it down with the coffee.
+Finally, he brought slices of bread and bacon to Plutina, and laid
+them in her lap. He loosened her right hand and so permitted her to
+feed herself. It was her impulse to refuse the offering, but she
+resisted the folly, knowing the necessity of food, if she would have
+energy for the ordeal before her. So, she gulped down the bread and
+meat, and drank from the dipper full of coffee. Then, her bonds were
+tightened again, and the two renewed their march.
+
+The going was harder here, up and down the rock-strewn slopes. Fatigue
+lay very heavy on Plutina, after the strains of the two days. Only her
+hate of the man at her side bolstered up pride, so that she compelled
+herself to keep moving by sheer force of will. It was already dusk,
+when, at last, they issued from the wood and went forward over the
+shore of the pool at Sandy Creek Falls.
+
+"Wall, hyar we be!" Hodges cried loudly. There was satisfaction in his
+voice.
+
+That satisfaction aroused Plutina from the apathy into which she had
+fallen, during the last half-mile of difficult scrambling, made more
+toilsome by the constraint of her bound wrists. Now, puzzlement
+provoked interest in her surroundings. She had expected that the
+outlaw would bear her away to the most convenient or the most
+inaccessible of the various secret retreats with which rumor credited
+him. But here was neither cave nor shack--only the level space of
+sand, the mist-wreathed pool, the rushing volume of the falls, the
+bleak wall of the cliff which towered above them where they had halted
+at its base. She knew this place. There could be no cavern at hand.
+Her eyes searched the space of the inclosure wonderingly. Then, they
+went to the man, whom she found regarding her bewilderment with a
+smirk of gratification.
+
+"Hyar we be, right on the door-step, so to say," he bellowed. "If ye
+kain't see the door-step yit, ye will mighty quick, unless thet pore
+feller ye shot has gone an' died a-waitin' fer you-all to come an'
+nuss 'im.... Yep, he was a-watchin', all right," he added briskly.
+"Hyar hit comes!"
+
+Plutina's eyes followed her captor's and, far above, she made out
+something that dangled from the slight break in the cliff. It
+descended slowly and jerkily, with haphazard gyrations. As its end
+drew closer, she perceived that it was a rudely constructed
+rope-ladder, with wooden rungs. She watched it fascinated, shivering
+with new fears.
+
+When the flimsy means of ascent hung at its full length, Hodges bade
+the girl climb. Unnerved as she already was, the ordeal of such a
+progress to the mysterious height above seemed too terrible. She
+refused mutely, shaking her head, and cowering away from the outlaw as
+far as the thong permitted. But the man had no pity for her
+timorousness.
+
+"You-all kin jest nacherly crawl up thet-thar ladder," he announced,
+"or we'll sling ye on the end of a rope, an' h'ist ye. Thet'll tumble
+ye round an' bump ye agin the rocks quite some. But ye're the doctor.
+If ye'll climb up, I'll leave yer han's loose, an' foller cluss behind
+ye, so ye kain't fall. Hit's shore wobbly, but hit's safe. Dan Hodges
+hain't aimin' to git his neck broke--ner to let the law break it fer
+him!" he added, in a lower tone to himself.
+
+But Plutina caught the words. She made nothing of them at the time;
+afterward, she realized their significance, and thanked God for them.
+
+In the end, the prisoner yielded to necessity and ventured to mount
+with reluctant slowness. She found, to her intense relief, that the
+strength was returning to her body. She no longer felt the pervasive
+lassitude. The physical improvement reacted on her mind to restore
+confidence in her powers. She realized that probably the only danger
+lay in her own faltering, and she resolved to overcome her natural
+dread, to bend all her energies to a safe performance of the task.
+Despite her hatred of the man, she found unspeakable comfort in the
+sight of his great hairy hands clutching the ropes on either side of
+her at the height of her waist. But, as she mounted, the space beneath
+grew fearsome to her, and she raised her eyes and held them steadily
+on the distance above, as she had learned to do in clambering with her
+lover.
+
+Somehow, now, the thought of Zeke heartened Plutina. Swinging dizzily
+in the abyss, with the arms of her jailer about her, there flowed into
+her soul a new courage. It was without reason, an absurdity, a folly,
+but, oh, what a solace to her spirit! Under the stimulus of it, she
+ascended more rapidly. The pinched, ugly face of Garry Hawks,
+glowering down at her from the ledge, did not dismay her, even though
+the thought flashed on her brain that now this man whom she had
+wounded could hurl her to destruction by a touch. She had no fear of
+him; only pressed upward steadily. In another moment, her head passed
+above the level of the ledge. She took the hand Garry Hawks held out
+and climbed upon the narrow support, where she shrank back against the
+cliff, after one glance into the gulf yawning at her feet. The level
+space was a scant yard in width here, and lessened on the side away
+from the falls, until it ceased entirely. In the other direction, it
+ran, broadening a very little, to where a tiny cleft showed in the
+precipice. Plutina guessed that this marked the entrance to a cavern.
+Despite the bravery of her changed mood, the eerie retreat daunted her
+by its desolate isolation. Then, Hodges climbed upon the ledge, and
+she heard his shout, coming faintly to her ears above the roar of the
+cascade which fell just beyond the cavern's mouth.
+
+"Welcome, home, Honey!" he bawled, with his detested jocularity.
+"They hain't nobody a-goin' to butt in on our love-makin' up hyar."
+
+Tittering and leering, he seized the girl by the arm, and led her,
+unresisting, to the cranny that was the door of the cave. A glance
+over her shoulder showed Garry Hawks on his knee, hauling up the
+ladder. She knew that with its disappearance there would remain nought
+by which the searchers could guess whither she had vanished, or how.
+Once again, courage went out of her. In its place was despair.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+
+The cave into which Plutina now entered was a small, uneven chamber,
+some three yards in width at its highest point. It extended back for a
+little way, but the roof sloped downward so sharply that only in the
+central space could the girl stand upright, and even there Hodges had
+to stoop. On the far side was a hole in the rocky wall. It was hardly
+a yard in height, but the faint glow that marked it was proof that it
+reached to the daylight outside. At the best, it could serve as a
+passage-way only to one creeping on hands and knees. So much Plutina
+perceived in the first curious survey of her prison. The inspection
+was rendered possible by the murky light of a tallow candle, fixed in
+its own grease to a fragment of stone near the center of the cavern.
+
+As the outlaw released his hold on her arm, the girl sank down
+listlessly on a part of the wall that projected like a bench near the
+entrance. She leaned back against the cold stone, and her eyes closed.
+She felt a terrifying weakness, against which she battled with what
+strength she could summon. She dared not swoon, and so leave herself
+wholly helpless within the power of this man. She was white and
+trembling, but by force of will she held herself from falling, though
+her muscles seemed fluid as milk, and blackness whirled before her
+eyes.
+
+Nevertheless, Hodges was not minded to have a fainting woman on his
+hands. His prisoner's appearance alarmed him, and he hurried to a
+corner of the cave, whence he quickly returned with a cup half-full of
+whiskey. This he held to Plutina's lips. She accepted the service, for
+she could not lift a hand, so great was her weakness. She swallowed a
+part of the draught, and the strong liquor warmed and strengthened
+her. She was so far restored soon as to understand Hodges' closing
+sentence, for he had been mumbling at her.
+
+"Ye hain't so damned skittish as ye was yistiddy," he jeered.
+
+Plutina had no spirit to reply. She could only sit in abject
+lassitude, content to feel the glow of the stimulant creeping through
+her veins. For a time, her thoughts were stilled by the bodily torpor.
+She welcomed the respite, glad to rest from the horror of her plight.
+She heard the raucous voice of the outlaw booming in her ears, but she
+paid no heed. She saw Garry Hawks come into the cavern, waddling under
+the burden of the rope-ladder, which he carried clumsily by reason of
+the wound in his arm. She observed that the outlaw said something to
+his minion, putting his lips close to the fellow's ear, lest he be
+overheard. But she felt no curiosity as to the purport of this secret
+utterance, nor did she take interest when, immediately afterward, she
+beheld the wounded man get down on all fours and crawl out of sight
+through the hole in the opposite side of the cave.
+
+Little by little, the prisoner's forces came back to her. Of a sudden,
+she aroused with a start, as though she had been asleep, albeit
+without any consciousness of having slept. She felt a new alertness
+now through all her members, and her brain was clear. Along with this
+well-being came again appreciation of the dreadfulness of her case.
+She grew rigid under the shock of dire realization, tensing her
+muscles, without volition, as if to repel attack. Her eyes went
+fearfully to Hodges, who sprawled at ease on a heap of spruce boughs
+across the cavern from her. The man was puffing lazily at a corncob
+pipe. The rank, acrid smell of the tobacco-smoke came to her nostrils,
+strangely home-like in this weird prison cell, aloft within the crags.
+She perceived, with infinite relief, that for the moment he appeared
+absorbed in his thoughts, disregardful of her presence. At least, she
+would have opportunity to fortify her spirit against the fear that
+beset her. She must ape bravery, even though she sickened with
+terror. Thus only could she hope to daunt the creature that threatened
+her. She had only moral strength with which to resist him. Physically,
+she would be as a child in his grasp, notwithstanding her quick, firm
+muscles. In a bodily contest, there could be but the single issue, her
+vanquishment. It would be hardly more than sport to him, the utmost of
+her frenzied strugglings. She saw the bloody marks of her fingers on
+his face, and remembered his stolid seeming of indifference to her
+fury. He had scorned her strength then. So, he would continue to scorn
+it--with reason, since it could by no means avail against him. No, she
+must have recourse to strength of will rather, to awe and intimidate
+him. She knew the folly of such means against the brutal desire of the
+man. But she clung to it as a meed of hope, because she had naught
+else to which to cling. Without a hope, even the falsest, she must
+have gone mad.
+
+One thing seemed favoring for the time. The man was evidently sober.
+Plutina wondered at that, for Hodges was not often sober, and excess
+of liquor was an accustomed part in all his pleasures. His abstinence
+now puzzled her, but it relieved her, too, since it promised some
+postponement of his worst advances. Thus encouraged, she set herself
+to review the situation in detail, in forlorn attempt to come on a way
+of escape. But a half-hour of effort left her distraught. She could
+devise nothing to suit her need. Only one thought remained for
+tragical comfort in her wretchedness: In her last extremity, she might
+cast herself from the cliff. Better a thousand times clean death than
+defilement.... Plutina remembered her grandfather's regret over her
+having spared the outlaw. Now, with her finger on the trigger, there
+would have been no faltering, only joy and thanksgiving.
+
+The defenseless girl watched furtively. When, at last, Hodges stirred
+from his indolent sprawl, knocked the dottle from his pipe, and looked
+up at her, she shrank visibly. The blood rushed back to her heart in a
+flood, leaving her pallid, and she was trembling. Even in the feeble
+light from the guttering candle, Hodges could perceive her
+disturbance. It gratified him, and he laughed, in sinister glee over
+her emotion.
+
+"I 'low ye're gittin' some tame since yistiddy," he exclaimed. He got
+to his feet slowly, whereat Plutina looked toward the entrance cleft,
+ready if the need came, to fly from him to the more merciful abyss.
+But Hodges moved toward the back of the cave where he brought out a
+stone jug from its niche, and returned to the bed of boughs. Seated
+again, he filled the tin cup full of spirits, and drank it down. With
+the pipe recharged and burning, he continued to sit in silence,
+regarding the girl with an unswerving intentness that tortured her.
+At short intervals, he replenished the cup and quaffed it thirstily.
+He was rapidly compensating for his earlier abstinence. Plutina,
+studying him covertly, noted the beginnings of drunkenness and its
+various stages. There was gruesome fascination in her scrutiny; for
+she knew that her honor rested on the hazard of a sot's whim.
+
+Suddenly, the girl knew that the peril was very close upon her. Hodges
+was staring at her from his reddened eyes with a rampant lustfulness
+that was unmistakable. Again, she measured the distances, to make sure
+that the last desperate means of escape from his embraces lay open
+still. She meant, in the final crisis, to spring to the crevice,
+before he could approach within reach of her. There, with the verge of
+the cliff only a step away, she would make her plea, with death in the
+gulf as the alternative of failure, the ultimate safeguard of honor.
+
+There could be no doubt concerning the imminence of the danger. The
+usually red face of the outlaw was mottled purple, congested by the
+stimuli of liquor and passion. The thick under-lip hung slackly,
+quivering from time to time in the convulsive tremors of desire that
+ran over him. A high light fell on the man's neck, where the open
+shirt left it bare. Plutina's gaze was caught by the slight rise and
+fall of the flesh above the artery. The movement was made
+distinguishable across the cavern by the effects of light and shade.
+The girl found herself mechanically counting the throbs. The rapidity
+of them amazed her. They witnessed the fever raging in his blood--the
+fever that clamored for assuagement from her. The galloping pulse
+enthralled her with horror. It made visible the vile fires raging in
+him. So swift the rhythm grew that a hideous hope sprang up in the
+watcher--hope that an apoplexy might stretch the man dead at her
+feet.
+
+Hodges reached for the jug, and poured from it into the cup, and
+drank. The girl perceived that, in the few seconds, his mood had
+changed utterly. The purple of his face was dingy with gray. He was
+trembling now. His eyes moved restlessly, as if fearful of something
+to issue from the darkness. Not once did they rest on her. She
+remembered the racing pulse in his throat, and looked for it. To her
+astonishment, it was no longer to be seen, though the light fell on
+the place as before. She knew then that the fever had died, and she
+marveled mightily. But she recognized more, for she was unharmed
+still. The changed mood of her enemy promised immunity, for a time at
+least.
+
+Yet once again, the outlaw drank. Then, without a word to the
+prisoner, or so much as a look in her direction, he got down on his
+hands and knees, and crawled out of sight through the hole in the
+wall.
+
+For what seemed to her ages, Plutina waited for his return, dreading a
+new, obscene mood. But the time dragged on, and there was no sign of
+his coming. The candle flared and smoked, went out. The girl huddled
+in the dark, listening now, for her eyes could not pierce the
+blackness. The roar of the waterfall filled her ears. The noise
+dismayed her, for it must inevitably cover all lesser sounds, even
+those close at hand. Any evil might leap on her without warning, out
+of the darkness. She felt her helplessness multiplied, intolerable,
+thus blinded and deafened. She longed to shriek, pitting shrill clamor
+against the bass thunders of the cascade. She began to fear lest
+madness seize her if she remained longer thus supinely crouching amid
+the terrors of this place. Obeying a sudden impulse, she got up, and
+gropingly, with shuffling, cautious steps, moved across the cavern.
+When she reached the opposite wall, she got down on hands and knees,
+and crawled until her searching fingers found the emptiness of the
+hole through which the men had passed. Then, she drew back a little,
+and sat with alert ears, sure that none could issue into the cavern
+now without her knowledge.
+
+The relief afforded by the action soon waned. Terrors crowded on her
+again in the second period of waiting. In desperation, she determined
+to explore the hole itself. She tried to examine the project carefully
+and found nothing to stay her purpose. Joy leaped in her at the
+thought that a way of escape even might be ready to her hand. She
+believed it more likely, however, that the passage led merely to
+another chamber in the cliff. If such should be the case, and either
+or both of the men were sleeping there, she could probably ascertain
+the fact readily without being herself discovered, since here the
+sound of the falls was muffled. Forthwith, she crept slowly within the
+opening.
+
+The progress was snail-like. The rough rock of the floor cut into her
+knees cruelly, but she disregarded the pain, and went forward. She
+tested each inch of the way by feeling over the stones with her hands,
+on either side and along the floor. The narrowness of the passage,
+which was hardly more than its height, rendered thorough examination
+easy. She found no lateral openings, nor did the space grow
+perceptibly larger. It suddenly occurred to her, after having advanced
+steadily, though very slowly, for five minutes, that she could not
+turn around. To return, she must back out. The idea appalled her, and
+she meditated retreat. Then, while she was yet undecided, the hand
+groping in front of her touched on stone above the floor level. A
+short investigation proved that here the passage was barred. She could
+feel space between the edges of the tunnel and the mass of stone that
+closed it. Since there was no other point of egress, both men must
+have passed through. Afterward, the opening had been closed by rolling
+a heavy rock before it. She put her strength in pressure against the
+stone, without avail. It was too heavy for her muscles. She realized
+that by this simple means she was shut within her prison. It was
+almost with relief that she began to creep backward--to be astounded
+by the shortness of the way. It was scarcely a minute before she was
+in the chamber again. To guard against surprise in the darkness, she
+pushed the couch of boughs a little way along the wall, so that it
+projected across the mouth of the tunnel. This done, she seated
+herself on the branches, assured that no one could enter the cavern
+without giving her warning. Even should she sleep, the thrusting away
+of the boughs from the orifice must surely awaken her.
+
+Nevertheless, Plutina did not expect the boon of sleep, though she
+longed for it with aching intensity. In spite of this temporary
+respite, she could see no way of escape from the outlaw's power,
+except by death. The vagaries of a drunken mood had saved her
+to-night: they could not save her for long. And, then, even while she
+mourned the hopelessness of her case, oblivion fell on her, and she
+slept the reposeful, dreamless slumber of utter exhaustion.
+
+A violent shaking of the bed of boughs startled the prisoner back to
+consciousness. For the fraction of a second, her mind was chaos. Then
+remembrance came, and rending fear. But there was one comfort--day had
+dawned: she could see. There was no one with her in the chamber. The
+moving branches warned that the intruder was still in the tunnel.
+There was time for her to gain the crevice, where she could forbid any
+approach, where if her command failed, she could throw herself from
+the cliff. She darted across the width of the room, and stood in the
+cleft, strained back against the rock, her eyes staring affrightedly
+toward the opposite wall. All her woman's terrors were crashing upon
+her now. She felt Death clawing at her over the brow of the ledge,
+fierce to drag her into the depths. One of the hands clutching at her
+bosom touched the fairy crystal, and she seized it despairingly, and
+clung to it, as if the secret spell of it might hold her back to
+life.
+
+Abruptly, a broken cry of relief fluttered from her lips, for she saw
+the shock head of Garry Hawks thrust from the tunnel's mouth. Toward
+him, she felt no fear, only contempt. In the reaction, she trembled
+so that she could hardly stand, and for a few moments her eyes closed.
+Only the rock against which she leaned saved her from crumbling to the
+floor. The weakness passed very quickly, however, and she was again
+mistress of herself by the time Hawks had scrambled to his feet.
+
+The fellow had little to say, answering surlily the questions put to
+him by Plutina. He plainly cherished animosity against the girl who
+had wounded him, which was natural enough. As plainly, he did not dare
+vent his spite too openly against the object of his chief's fondness.
+He brought with him a bag containing bread and a liberal allowance of
+cooked slices of bacon, and a jug of water. His information was to the
+effect that Hodges would not return until nightfall. He left in the
+fashion of his coming, by the tunnel. Plutina immediately replaced the
+boughs, and, when she had eaten and drunk, again seated herself on the
+rough bed. From time to time, she went to the crevice, and stared out
+over the wild landscape longingly. But the height gave her a vertigo
+if she stepped forth upon the ledge. For that reason, she did not
+venture outside the crevice after a single attempt, which set her
+brain reeling. She remained instead well within the cleft, where she
+was unaffected by the height, while able to behold the vast reaches of
+sunlit space before her. The area about the foot of the precipice
+was, however, cut off from her vision. So it came about that, though
+she went twice to the crevice and looked out during the intervals
+while the marshal, first with his men and afterward with her
+grandfather, was searching about the pool, she knew nothing concerning
+the nearness of aid. She could not see the men, and the din of the
+falls covered their voices.
+
+Occasionally, the girl lapsed into a quietude that was half-stupor and
+half-sleep, the while she reclined on the boughs. These were blessed
+periods of rest for the over-strained nerves, and she strove to
+prolong them--always in vain. For the most part, she hurried about
+with febrile, aimless movements. She found herself wondering often if
+to-day were to be the last of her life. She could see no other issue.
+The night would bring Hodges, and the crisis of her fate. She could
+not hope for a second escape through a drunken vagary. There would be
+only the leap from the ledge to-night. As she stood in the crevice,
+and looked out on the smiling sylvan glory of the scene, as the soft
+summer breeze caressed her cheeks, and the balsamic air filled her
+bosom with its gently penetrant vigors, she realized as never before
+the miracle of life, its goodness and sweet savors. She cried out
+against the hideous thing that was come upon her. The every fiber of
+her being flamed in revolt against the idea of death. Every atom of
+her clamored for life and love. And there were only shame and death
+for her choice. She took out the fairy crystal, and prayed to the
+sacred sign it bore, beholding it dimly though scalding tears. But
+faith flickered and went out. Her soul sickened.... For her, there was
+nothing else--just shame and death. No--only death.
+
+Plutina would have tried escape by the rope-ladder, but she found its
+weight too much for her strength, so sorely over-tried by racking
+emotions. Even had she been able to carry the burden it would have
+availed nothing, for the dizziness attacked her whenever she drew near
+the verge. In her desperation, she even crept the length of the tunnel
+a second time, on the faint chance that the exit might now be less
+secure. She found the rock barrier immovable as before, though the rim
+of light showed that here was, in very truth, the way to freedom, and
+she pushed frantically at the obstacle until utterly exhausted.
+
+It was when evening drew down that, at last, there sounded the noise
+of a writhing body within the tunnel, and, from her point of refuge
+close to the crevice, she saw the outlaw crawl out of the passage, and
+stand before her like a demon of the darkness, leering at her
+fatuously.
+
+"You-all is shore makin' quite a visit," he remarked, with heavy
+sarcasm.
+
+"An' it kain't he'p ye none, Dan," Plutina retorted. "I hates ye, an'
+yer keepin' me hyar hain't goin' to do ye no good. If ye goes fer to
+lay a finger on me, I'll go over the cliff. I'm worse scairt o' yer
+touchin' me than I be o' the rocks down thar, Dan." Her voice was
+colorless, but an undertone of finality ran in it.
+
+The outlaw regarded her sharply from his inflamed eyes. It may be that
+her sincerity impressed him. Yet, he betrayed no feeling as he
+answered, carelessly:
+
+"Hain't no call fer ye to be so damned ornery. I hain't a-goin' to
+tech ye--yit. We'll be together quite a spell, I reckon--till I gits
+sick o' havin' ye round. If I wanted ye I could jump ye easy from
+hyar. I'm some spry, if I be big. But ye needn't be skeered, I'm
+tellin' ye. I hain't a-goin' to tech ye--yit."
+
+The final monosyllable was charged with sinister import, but the man's
+assurance of her present safety was, somehow, convincing, and she
+accepted it with the emotional gratitude of one sentenced to death who
+receives a reprieve. She sank down on the stone bench near the
+crevice, and watched her jailer with unwavering attention, while he
+produced a candle from his pocket, and lighted it, and had recourse
+again to the stone jug of whiskey, which had remained by the bed of
+boughs.
+
+To-night, the fiery drams made him garrulous, and he discussed his
+affairs, his hopes, and plans, with a freedom that showed how complete
+was his expectation of retaining the girl in his power. Thus, Plutina
+learned of the search being made for her, which was now the active
+cause in changing the outlaw's purpose in the immediate disposal of
+his prisoner.
+
+"I was aimin' to lay low with ye right hyar," he explained, after his
+fourth sup of the spirits. "But I reckon hit's a goin' to be a heap
+safer to skedaddle. I ain't a-wantin' no damned dawgs fer to chaw me
+up. So I'm goin' to mosey over Bull Head t'-morrer. You-all 'll go
+'long, nice an' peaceable--er ye'll be drug." He spoke with a snarl
+now. "Ye'll know hit, when I once git ye cross the state line--cuss
+ye! Ye'll find I hain't so damned shy, arter all!"
+
+Plutina cowered before the savage threat in the words. There was no
+mistaking the expression in the lustful eyes burning on her. His
+regard was in itself contamination. It was the prophecy of worse, of
+the final wickedness, to come. The afflicted girl thrilled with
+loathing before the satyr-like aspect of this man, foul of flesh and
+soul. But, along with abhorrence of the creature who held her in his
+keeping so ruthlessly, there was another emotion--that recurrent
+wonder concerning such delay in the base gratification craved by his
+passion. She could not doubt the fierce longing that seethed in his
+veins. It was like a visible thing flaming from him; and tangible, for
+she felt the impact of those brutal desires thronging against the
+white shield of her own purity, powerless to penetrate, yet nauseating
+her by the unclean impact. What, then, interposed to check him? What
+hidden force held him back from working his will against her? She
+could make no surmise. Certainly, here was no physical restraint to
+stay him. As certainly, no moral reason would be of effect. The thing
+was altogether mysterious. So, she marveled mightily, and was curious
+to understand, even while she thanked God for the further respite. And
+now, too, hope began to burn again. Surely, if she were to accompany
+him on the trails as he had said, there would come the opportunity for
+escape. He could not be on guard ceaselessly. Vigilance must relax on
+occasion. It would not be then as here in this dreadful cavern,
+perched 'twixt earth and sky.... She broke off to listen, for the
+outlaw, having filled his pipe and drained a deep draught of the
+liquor, was become loquacious again. This time, thanks to the drink,
+he waxed confidential, intimate even.
+
+"I kin git away from hyar, an' no damned dawg kain't foller my tracks,
+nuther. Er if he does, he'll drap inter the Devil's Kittle. But I
+knows my way 'bout in these-hyar mountings. An' ye needn't be afeared
+o' losin' me, Honey. I'll hang onto ye good an' tight. When I git ye
+over the line, I'll have a parson, if ye want. I hain't a-keerin' one
+way, or t'other. But I got to have ye, willin' or not willin', parson
+or no parson. I'd hev ye t'-night if 'twan't fer jest one cussed
+thing. Hit's a'mighty hard to hev yer blood a-b'ilin', till ye're like
+to bust jest 'cause of a slip of a gal, what ye could smash in yer two
+han's--an' her so high an' mighty!" The querulous voice ceased, while
+he had recourse again to the stone jug.
+
+When next he spoke, it was evident that his mood had changed. He was
+no longer harshly self-assertive, vainglorious, or brutally frank
+concerning the passion that consumed him. He was, instead, strangely
+reminiscent, with involuntary revelation of the weakness that preyed
+upon him. The girl was grateful for the change in him, but her
+bewilderment increased.
+
+"I seen a feller hung once," Hodges said. His guttural, awed tones
+were hushed almost to a whisper. "They pulled a black cap down over
+'is face, so's he couldn't see nothin' 'bout what he was up ag'inst.
+An' his han's was tied together behind 'is neck, with the knot up
+under his ear--'is left ear, I 'member hit was. I 'member
+partic'lar."
+
+The speaker's gaze had been downcast; not once had he looked at
+Plutina. It was as if he had forgotten the girl's presence there with
+him, and communed aloud with his own gristly memories of the
+death-scene he had witnessed. His huge bulk seemed somehow shrunken--a
+physical shriveling in response to the craven fear in his soul. That
+gray, mottled purple of his face showed again. Plutina wondered, if,
+indeed, this same memory had been in his thoughts the night before.
+But, if so, it only made the thing the more inexplicable. Why should a
+hanging, long-past, thus haunt him? He was no nervous weakling, to be
+tortured by imaginary fears. Yet, now, he displayed unmistakable signs
+of terror, in his voice, his eyes, his whole mien, in the shaking
+haste that spilled the half of the drink he poured out.
+
+"I seen 'im hung," he repeated, abjectly. "They let the trap drap from
+under his feet--an' 'im all tied, an' thet-thar black cap pulled down
+over 'is face to blind 'im. Hit were plumb awful fer to see 'im drap.
+An' then the rope stopped 'im right in the air. Hit were a drefful
+yank he got. They say, hit broke 'is neck, so's he didn't feel nothin'
+more. But I dunno. Hit looked like he felt a heap, fer he kicked an'
+squirmed like hell. Hit weren't purty fer to see. I've seen a big
+bull-frog what I've speared kick an' squirm jest like 'im. No, hit
+weren't purty. I'd shore hate fer to have my neck bruk thet-thar way.
+Damn the law, anyhow! They hadn't orter treat no white man thet-thar
+way. Hit must feel awful, a-standin' up thar, with thet-thar cap down
+over ye, shuttin' out everythin'--ferever; an' with thet-thar noose
+round yer neck, an' the knot a-ticklin' yer ear--yer left ear. I
+'member specially. An' a-knowin' the noose is a-goin' to tighten, an'
+cut off yer breath--fer always. An' a-standin' on thet-thar trap, an'
+a-knowin' hit's goin' to drap--a-knowin' the bottom's a-goin' to drap
+right out o'--everythin'! I don't never want my neck bruk no sech
+way's thet. Hit hain't right."
+
+Plutina, staring wide-eyed, saw to her stupefaction that tears
+trickled from the eyes of the maudlin man; she heard him whimpering.
+Once more, he poured himself a drink. He mumbled unintelligibly for a
+little. Then, of a sudden, his voice rose in a last flare of energy,
+before he rolled on the boughs in sodden slumber.
+
+"Damn the law in this-hyar state! Hit hain't right, nohow. Jest 'cause
+a feller loves a gal--to hang 'im! I hain't afeared o' nothin' else,
+s'fur's I knows, but I'd hate fer to have my neck bruk like his'n was.
+I hain't a-takin' no chancet o' thet. I'll wait till I'm over the
+line. But hit's hell to crave a woman!"
+
+Raucous snores told the girl that the man slept, that again she had
+passed through the ordeal in safety. And now, at last, she knew the
+cause of her escape thus far. The mystery that had baffled her was a
+mystery no longer. Out of the creature's own mouth had come the
+explanation. Driven on by gusty passion as he was, a yet stronger
+emotion triumphed over lust. Of imagination he had little, but he had
+seen a man hanged. His memory of that death had been her salvation,
+for such is the punishment meted to the violator of a woman in North
+Carolina. In Dan Hodges, that master emotion, lust, had met a
+mightier--fear. Because he was a coward, he had not ventured even the
+least caress, lest passion seize him and make him mad--forgetful of
+how that other man died so horribly. She had been spared because
+between him and her a scaffold loomed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+
+The full-throated baying of a hound. Men, far in the valleys below
+Stone Mountain, looked up, and listened, wondering. But those on the
+mountain heard and understood: Dan Hodges was being run to earth.
+
+The clew offered by the wet place on the cliff had sufficed for the
+three men who accompanied the stag-hound. They had marked the spot
+carefully in memory by its distance from a certain stunted pine
+growing above it and a rift in the precipice to one side. Then they
+had ascended a furlong to the north, where the ascent was gradual and
+broken. When they had made sure that they were at the proper level,
+they searched for an approach to the desired ledge. The dog found the
+scent by the tunnel, but Brant did not loose the animal. Stone's eyes
+caught traces of where a bowlder had been moved. A little more
+searching revealed the opening covered by the stone, which they rolled
+aside.
+
+"But he's not there, now," Brant declared, as he restrained the eager
+dog. "Jack is wild to be off, and he wouldn't take a back track."
+
+Uncle Dick, eager to make sure, would have attempted the passage, but
+Stone interposed.
+
+"I'll go," he declared. "It's my right--my prisoner, you know. Anyhow,
+it'll be a snug-enough fit for me, and I'm smaller than you, Uncle
+Dick."
+
+The old man grudgingly admitted the fact, and made way for the
+marshal. In five minutes, Stone was back.
+
+"Nobody there," he announced.
+
+"Then it's up to Jack," Brant exclaimed, and slipped the leash.
+
+The hound shot forward in full cry. The men hurried after at top
+speed. Almost immediately, the dog vanished among the thickets. There
+came a clatter of sliding stones, as the big beast went galloping up
+the rise toward the crest of the mountain. The men followed as best
+they might, guided by the baying. Uncle Dick listened with
+bloodthirsty hopefulness for the crack of Zeke's rifle, which he would
+recognize.
+
+The fugitive himself heard the hound's sonorous summons, and wasted
+breath in cursing. He cursed his potations over-night, which had led
+him to sleep beyond the sunrise. But for such drunken folly, he would
+have had the trailer hopelessly at fault. Now, at best, it would be a
+close race--and there was the girl to hamper and hinder. She was
+running at his side, obedient to the pressure of his hands. He had
+replaced the cowhide thong, with her hands in front of her, and with
+play enough for free movement. So far, she had made no resistance to
+his commands. But the barking of the dog would warn her. If she should
+turn balky--
+
+What the outlaw feared, came to pass. The hoarse baying sounded to
+Plutina's ears like sweetest music. The first note told her that
+friends were at hand for a rescue from the monster by her side. Her
+heart leaped in the joy of it. A new courage surged in her--courage to
+defy this creature that held her in thrall.
+
+They were come already across the most of the plain of naked rock that
+is the top of the mountain. They had rushed without pause through the
+little grove of dwarf pines that grows near the Devil's Slide, above
+the Cauldron. They were come, indeed, to the very edge of the Slide
+itself before Plutina acted. After all, it was not the new courage,
+but a newer fear, that forced her. She had one swift glimpse of the
+valley spread a thousand feet below, the giant trees like tiniest
+saplings, so far away--that dear, adorable valley, where were home and
+peace and love. But, between her and it, the precipice fell; between
+her and it, the Devil's Pot boiled; between her and it was this man,
+who drove her with curses. She looked away from the beloved valley
+into the loathsome face, and she saw the fear in his eyes--fear, and
+something else that terrified her. She realized suddenly that she was
+on the very verge of the Slide, where none might venture and live.
+There, just beyond, was the darkened surface of the rock where the
+shallow stream went slithering down into the Cauldron. An hysteria of
+fear gripped her, as he dragged her forward, out upon the sloping
+stone that dipped toward the abyss. She believed that he meant to hurl
+her from the height. Thus, there would be left no evidence of his
+crime. His passion for her was nothing now--only his passion for
+life.
+
+"Quick, damn ye!" Hodges rasped. "I know the way in the dark. Ye
+needn't be skeered none with me."
+
+He meant it; but the girl did not believe. She thought it a ruse to
+get her closer to the edge. She shrieked in despair, and sprang away
+from him. His clutch on the thong checked her. He jerked her back to
+him, hardly pausing in his stride. She struck at his face furiously,
+but he dragged her on toward the brink, mouthing at her with foul
+oaths. She fell to her knees, and hung, screaming, a dead weight. The
+baying of the hound sounded closer. Hodges threw a glance over his
+shoulder, and saw the dog charging from the grove. He would have
+fired, but the girl was in the way. With a final blasphemy, he dropped
+his rifle, and struck at her--full in the face. She sank down limply,
+unconscious. Her body slid away slowly, yet with a quickening
+movement, toward the gulf.
+
+Hodges gave not even a look to his victim. He heard the challenge of
+the hound, now fairly upon him. There was no time to shoot. He used
+cunning instead. A mighty jump carried him over the moist surface
+where the stream flowed. He alighted on the dry rock. His bare feet
+clutched and held on the sloping surface.... No instinct warned the
+hound. Its leap brought it down in the wet run-way. Its feet shot from
+under. The force of its rush finished the work. The outlaw turned just
+in time to see the hound disappear over the cliff.
+
+Before he had time for exultation over this victory, before he could
+look to see how fared the girl whom he had struck down so ruthlessly,
+before he guessed the new peril, another enemy was upon him.
+
+Zeke, too, had heard the baying of the hound. Trembling with
+eagerness, where he lurked behind a screen of bushes at the south of
+the grove, he knew that the dog was hot on the trail. He went racing
+toward the sound, with the bull-terrier at his heels. He had just
+entered among the trees, when he saw the hound careen past him. He
+followed, and, as he issued into the open, saw the man and the girl
+struggling on the edge of the precipice. He sickened at the spectacle,
+but there was no faltering. With every atom of energy in speed, he
+darted down the slope. He saw the blow that crumpled Plutina to the
+rock. He saw it through a veil of red. What he did not see was the
+low, stealthy, yet quickening, slide of her body toward the brim of
+the abyss. So, all unconscious of that peril to the one he loved, he
+sprang to attack his enemy. He saw the hound's fate, and understood
+the cause of it. He, in turn, cleared the treacherous wet surface by a
+mighty leap. That leap brought him full on the outlaw's back. The two
+men went down together.
+
+The crash of Hodges' head on the rock had well been enough to crack an
+ordinary skull. But his was strong, and the unkempt thatch of hair
+cushioned it, so that he got no serious hurt. A little dazed by the
+blow, and by the unexpectedness of the onslaught--nothing more. And he
+had the bravery of triumphant physical strength. In the instant of
+attack, he fought back viciously, with blind thrust and clutch. A
+long, powerful arm writhed around Zeke like a band of steel, and held
+the assailant immovable. Lying there on his back, the outlaw looked up
+into Zeke's face, and recognized it, and cursed this unexpected foe
+obscenely.
+
+Zeke wasted no energy in words. He was mad with rage against the man
+he hated. His one desire was to kill. He twined his fingers in the
+tangled hair, and beat the head upon the stone floor again and again.
+But the leverage of his arms was cut down too much. He could not even
+stun the outlaw, much less kill. He could not reach his rifle, which
+he had dropped when he sprang to the attack. He could not draw his
+revolver by reason of the encircling arms. He could only hammer his
+enemy's head on the rock, with a cruel lust for slaughter that availed
+nothing except to madden him by its futility. His strength, great
+though it was, was not enough against the man he fought.
+
+Hodges proved the fact presently, for by a tremendous effort, he
+turned, and pinned Zeke underneath. The force of the impact under the
+outlaw's heavy weight laid the lad unconscious. The fingers unclenched
+from his adversary's hair; he lay limp. Hodges rose to his feet, with
+shambling haste. But, if he meant to kill, fate thwarted him. One foot
+was placed on the treacherous dampened rock. It slid from under him.
+He was thrown from his balance, and sprawled at length. He scrambled
+on all fours toward the other side of the run-way with desperate
+haste. He did not attempt to rise. A moment later, he slipped slowly
+over the brow of the cliff.
+
+Seth Jones, just issuing from the grove, saw the vanishing of the
+outlaw, but, at the distance, he could not distinguish the man's
+identity or that of the other, lying motionless on the sloping rock.
+For the instant, however, he gave no heed to either for sheer horror
+of something else he saw--the unconscious girl, moving so inexorably
+to her doom. He shouted in despair, as he raced toward her. But he
+knew he must be too late. He was powerless to stay her fall--as was
+the bull-terrier, which had seized her skirt and still clung, only to
+be dragged down with her into the void. Before he was come to the
+beginning of the Slide, girl and dog had traversed it--had shot out
+into the emptiness of space.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+
+The veteran gazed down at the sloping expanse of stone that curved to
+the sheer drop of the precipice. He was absolutely helpless in the
+face of the catastrophe he had witnessed. A man, a girl and a dog had
+gone to their death in this frightful place within the minute.
+Already, the corpses were stewing in the Devil's Pot half-a-thousand
+feet below, he reflected grimly. There was nothing to be done for them
+now, or ever. He felt a whirl of nausea within him, but fought back
+the weakness. He shuddered, as he thought of the man behind him, lying
+senseless on the edge of the Slide. Was it Hodges whom he had seen
+plunge into the depths, or was it--Zeke? It was with fearful
+apprehension that he turned at last to learn as to which remained.
+
+A little cry of relief escaped him, for at a glance he recognized
+Zeke. He sprang forward, and, in a moment, had assured himself that
+the young man was not dead, was not even seriously wounded. He guessed
+that a fall on the rocks had merely stunned. As best he could with one
+hand, he got out his pocket-flask, and finally managed to force a
+little of the liquor between the clenched teeth. Presently, it took
+effect. The color came back into Zeke's face, and he stirred, and
+groaned. Then he sat up, resting against the veteran's arm.
+
+Before there was time for any interchange of words between the two, a
+shout aroused them to look toward the grove. They saw the marshal
+dashing down the slope. Close behind him ran Cyclone Brant. Uncle Dick
+lagged a little, the burden of years pressing too heavily at last. The
+three came swiftly and gathered about the two on the edge of the
+Slide. Dismay was writ large on their faces. The silence of the hound,
+Zeke stricken and alone with the veteran, aroused their suspicion of
+disaster.
+
+"Where's Jack?" Brant demanded. His heart was in the question. The
+fate of the others was of less concern to him than that of the animal
+he loved.
+
+Zeke answered, strongly enough, for now energy was flowing back into
+him.
+
+"The hound went over," he said, regretfully. "I saw him. He slipped
+an' fell, an' was gone like a flash."
+
+Brant turned away to hide his distress.
+
+But in Zeke recollection welled. He clutched at the marshal, and drew
+himself to his feet, where, after an instant, he stood firmly. His
+eyes went searchingly over the barren surface of the Slide. They
+dilated. Fright lined his face--then, horror. He stared wildly, his
+gaze roving over all the mountain-top, once and again--and again. When
+words came, they were broken, surcharged with the horrid fear that was
+on him.
+
+"Whar--whar is she--Tiny?"
+
+His look went to the four men in turn, piteously pleading. Each of the
+three met the look and answered it by a shake of the head. But the
+veteran could not endure the anguish in the lover's eyes. His own
+dropped. He did not shake his head. Zeke strove for courage.
+
+"Whar is she?" he demanded, at length. His voice was more composed
+now, but his eyes were flaming.
+
+The veteran answered very softly, but without any attempt at evasion.
+
+"I saw her go, Zeke--over the cliff. Thet little dawg o' your'n had a
+holt on her skirt. But he hadn't the heft to keep her from goin'. The
+dawg did the best he knew how. But 'twa'n't no use, an' he went, too.
+I was too fur off to grab her. I reckon she fainted. She didn't
+scream, ner move none to save herself."
+
+There was a little period of silence. These men were schooled to the
+concealment of deepest emotions. There was no frantic outburst from
+the bereaved lover, from the afflicted grandfather. There was not
+even comment or further questioning. Of what avail? The thing was
+done. The girl was lost forever, dead. But the other men looked away,
+lest they see the agony in Zeke's face.
+
+Abruptly, the young man started walking down the slope. He wore shoes,
+and they slipped a little on the smooth stone. Straight down toward
+the brink he strode. The curve of the dome made every step more
+perilous. It was a natural, an irresistible impulse to look on the
+precise place where the loved one had perished, but it appeared as if
+he walked to his death. Indeed, his danger was grave, for he had
+forgotten the shoes he wore.... Or, perhaps, he did not care! Uncle
+Dick uttered an oath, and leaped in pursuit. It was only a matter of
+seconds to overtake the young man, seize him, turn him about and march
+him back with fierce expostulations that were a welcome vent to
+emotion.
+
+Zeke obeyed readily, aware of his momentary folly. Then, as he
+rejoined the group, hate flared again. Memory of the fight was
+confused by the blow on his head. He questioned Seth Jones harshly,
+with a single word:
+
+"Hodges?"
+
+The veteran permitted himself a faint smile. The cruelty of the
+soldier, accustomed to violent deaths, was in it. There was, too, a
+curious smugness, a secret complacency.
+
+"I 'low yer wits are some shook up yit, bein' as how ye disremember,"
+he remarked easily. "Ye trun Hodges over the cliff, Zeke, jest as ye
+went down. Hit were nip an' tuck atween ye, an' ye bested 'im." The
+kindly veteran believed the lie would be a life-long source of
+satisfaction to the lad, who had been so fearfully despoiled. Now, his
+belief was justified by the fierce pleasure that showed for a moment
+in Zeke's pain-drawn face.
+
+"I kain't seem to remember," he said, perplexedly. "But I'm shore glad
+I killed him."
+
+Then, again, silence fell. There could be no triumph really over the
+death of Hodges, because it had involved the destruction of Plutina as
+well. The five men stood about awkwardly. The solemnity of death lay
+like a pall over them. In the stress of suffering, Zeke had moved on
+from youth to the full stature of manhood. Uncle Dick had added a
+score of years to his apparent age. Brant grieved much, if less
+seriously. Only the veteran and the marshal had escaped personal loss,
+though they, too, mourned deeply. None ventured to suggest leaving the
+doomed spot. It seemed as if a sinister spell held them there, vaguely
+expectant, though wistful to flee.
+
+Rather, perhaps, it was their sadness that made seem sinister a spell
+actually benignant. For, of a sudden, while they still stood mute,
+Brant raised a hand to command attention, and pointed toward the verge
+of the precipice.
+
+"Hark!" he commanded.
+
+They listened intently. Then, all heard a faint, tremulous, whimpering
+note, long drawn-out, querulously appealing. Zeke started and stared
+in the direction of the sound with an incredulous frown. Brant shook
+his head sorrowfully: it was not the voice of Jack. The others were
+merely bewildered by this unexpected development.
+
+The whining continued, grew louder. Came a plaintive yelp. Out of the
+abyss was thrust a clinging paw, another. The squat face of the
+bull-terrier peered at them from over the top of the cliff. Next
+instant, the dog had scrambled safely on the Slide. It raced to Zeke
+with shrill cries of delight, leaped high to its master's breast,
+where it was caught and held closely. The slavering tongue lavished
+caresses. Zeke felt a warm glow of comfort in the creature's return.
+Yet, it did but render more frightful the loss of that being so
+infinitely more precious. He hardly heard Uncle Dick speaking.
+
+"Hit's dum curi's," the old man said, lowering on Seth Jones. "I
+thought as how ye said the pup was a-hangin' on to Tiny's dress."
+
+"It was so," the veteran answered. "I 'low the dawg must 'a' let loose
+when hit got in the air."
+
+"Hit's dum curi's," Uncle Dick repeated, and turned to regard the
+bull-terrier with bent brows.
+
+Zeke himself put a term to the mystification that had gripped him as
+well as the others. He raised a hand to the dog's throat, to restrain
+the too eager demonstrations of affection. At the collar he felt
+something unaccustomed. He looked, idly enough, and saw that a
+leathern thong had been tied firmly in the ring. To the thong was
+attached a little leather bag. The things were strange to him, yet
+they moved him profoundly. He found himself trembling--why, he knew
+not.
+
+He fumbled at the draw-strings of the pouch, loosened them. He thrust
+a finger within the opening, and touched something smooth and hard. It
+seemed to him that he already knew what this thing must be. He turned
+the bag upside down over his hand. In his palm lay a small
+coffee-colored piece of stone. It bore in darker shade the clear
+tracery of a cross. Zeke, looking down, saw the sacred symbol subtly
+effulgent, a holy promise of safety for her whom he loved. He lifted a
+radiant face to the others, who had crowded about with marveling
+exclamations.
+
+"Hit's the fairy cross I give Tiny," Zeke cried. His voice was joyous
+now, though throbbing with anxiety. "She hain't dead. She's kotched
+somehow thar on the rocks. She kain't climb up. So, she sent the cross
+by Chubbie, to show she was alive. I'll go down fer her."
+
+The listening group readily understood the wonder that had befallen.
+Whatever her present peril, whatever her injuries, Plutina still
+lived. The blessed fact stirred them to joy and to orderly action.
+
+"Ye kain't he'p Tiny none by fallin' into the Kittle yerself," Uncle
+Dick declared, with the voice of authority. "Jest hold yer hosses, an'
+we'll he'p ye git 'er up safe an' sound. They's grape-vines 'nough in
+the grove. I suspicion she hain't so fer down. Mebby we could hear 'er
+if the wind wa'n't blowin' to the no'th."
+
+They dared not take time for descent into the valley after rope.
+Moreover, Uncle Dick was confident that his knots would hold securely
+the weight of a single person. With all speed, strands of vine were
+brought and spliced most carefully. In a surprisingly brief time,
+there were some seventy-five feet in readiness. More would be added,
+if this length should not suffice. When the rope was completed, an end
+was securely fastened about Zeke's body with knots that would neither
+tighten nor slip.
+
+The young man had removed shoes and stockings, and now walked boldly
+down the sloping surface toward the brink. Behind him went Uncle Dick,
+who was to advance as far as his foothold should be secure. On the
+level above the Slide, the three other men held the rope, ready to pay
+it out, or to haul it in. Uncle Dick's duty was to save it, so far as
+might be, from being frayed on the rocks. It was to be let out to its
+full length, or until the lightened weight showed that Zeke had found
+support. It was to be pulled in, in the latter case, after three tugs
+on it by him. Zeke went boldly, it is true, but now, since he had
+appreciated Uncle Dick's warning, he went with painstaking carefulness
+as well. He realized that on his care might now depend the life of the
+girl he loved. So, he moved downward with increasing slowness, as the
+curve of the rock grew more pronounced. At each step, he made sure
+that his feet still clung. Then, when still two yards from the edge,
+he found the footing too precarious for further walking, even with the
+rope. A glance over his shoulder showed that Uncle Dick had halted a
+rod above. He looked closely and saw that the brim of the cliff was
+smooth a little to the right. To save the rope as much as possible, he
+moved in this direction, Uncle Dick above making the like change.
+Then, he seated himself on the rock and, while the men above paid out
+the vine, he went gently sliding downward toward the abyss.
+
+Presently, his feet reached the brow of the cliff, passed beyond it,
+hung in space. The men watching from above, let the rope slide still
+more slowly. Now his middle was at the brink. He held to the rope with
+his right hand. With his left he fended himself from the cliff. He
+looked down. For an instant, accustomed though he was to the high
+places among the mountain crags, his senses reeled before the
+impression of unsubstantial vastness. Out beyond him was nothingness
+for what seemed endless distance. Straight below was the sheer wall of
+the precipice, with hardly a rift for five hundred feet. There a ledge
+showed dimly. Then, again, a half-thousand feet of vertical rocks to
+the valley.
+
+But the vertigo passed in that single instant. His vision cleared. And
+he saw her. He heard her, too, in the same moment. Here, the cliff was
+not quite perpendicular. She had slid, rather than fallen, to a
+resting place. She was not seriously injured. It was hardly a score of
+feet from the top of the cliff to the tiny shelf of rock on which she
+lay. This was less than a yard in width. A bit of pine shrub jutted
+from it courageously, held by its roots burrowing in secret fissures
+of the rock. A log, rolled down by some amusement-seeker on the crest,
+had lodged on the outer edge of the shelf. The miniature pine held
+one end of it; the other was wedged in a crack of the precipice. The
+log lay like a paling to the narrow shelf. Within that meager shelter,
+Plutina crouched. Beyond her the ledge narrowed, and ascended to where
+the cliff was broken. Thus the dog had mounted.
+
+The girl's face was uplifted, pallid, with burning eyes fast on the
+lover who descended to her. Her expression showed rapture, but no
+surprise that this rescuer should be her beloved. The fairy crystal
+was competent to work any wonder. Zeke, spinning slowly with the
+twisting vine, thus swinging in the void between heaven and earth,
+felt, nevertheless, the thrill of passionate adoration. She was even
+more beautiful than he remembered her.
+
+The shelf, though narrowing, ran toward him. Soon, his feet touched
+it. At the relief from his weight, the rope was no longer paid out,
+though held taut. With its aid he traversed the ledge, and reached the
+shelf where the girl knelt. He knelt beside her, and, without a word,
+their lips met and clung. There, amid the perils of the precipice,
+they were in heaven.
+
+For that matter, little speech passed between them afterward. They
+needed none. Zeke adjusted the rope about her, kissed her, and gave
+the signal to haul away.
+
+With his heart in his eyes, he watched the swaying form rise, and was
+inexpressibly relieved when he saw her clear the brim safely. There
+was a short interval. Then the rope came dangling down, and drew him
+back to safety. Again the lovers were in each other's arms. The terror
+and the agony were forgotten. The bliss remained.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+
+Marshal Stone and Brant were to return together to North Wilkesboro'
+where the latter would take the train for home. Uncle Dick had offered
+them horses for the ride. The two men, somewhat in advance of the
+remainder of the party after the descent of Stone Mountain, had come
+near the Higgins' cabin, when the marshal spoke with a display of
+embarrassment:
+
+"I've got to go a little out of our way. It's a chore I oughtn't ever
+to have put off for a minute, but I plumb forgot it."
+
+"What is it?" Brant asked indifferently.
+
+But his interest was aroused as the marshal hesitated before
+answering, and exhibited an increasing confusion.
+
+"I'm right ashamed to tell of it," Stone said, finally. "There's no
+excuse for such carelessness. Plutina got into all this mess because
+she was afraid something dreadful might happen, and it might have--on
+account of my forgetfulness."
+
+"What's it all about?" Brant demanded, now distinctly curious.
+
+"It's bear-traps!" was the morose answer.
+
+"Bear-traps?"
+
+The marshal nodded.
+
+"Those infernal traps Hodges set along Thunder Branch--that made
+Plutina turn informer.... Well, I just naturally forgot all about
+'em."
+
+Brant uttered an ejaculation of dismay.
+
+"You mean, they're still there, and set?"
+
+Stone nodded.
+
+"Just that. I took Hodges and York down another way. I've never
+thought of the traps since, till to-day."
+
+"Risky, of course," Brant admitted. "But nobody got caught, or they'd
+have been missed," he added comfortingly. "Nobody in the
+neighborhood's disappeared, has there?"
+
+"Not that I've heard of," Stone replied. "But it's luck, not my
+deserts, if no harm's been done."
+
+"I'll go along with you," Brant offered. "We'll have that trouble off
+your mind in a jiffy."
+
+So, the two men turned, and took the trail past the Higgins' clearing
+and on until they came to Thunder Branch, where Plutina had made her
+discovery. They followed the course of the stream upward, the marshal
+in the lead. As he came to the bend, where the rocky cliffs began,
+Stone turned and called over his shoulder:
+
+"They're just beyond." Then, he went forward, with quick, nervous
+strides, and disappeared beyond the bend. A moment later, a great cry
+brought Brant running.
+
+It was, in truth, a ghastly scene that showed there, lighted
+brilliantly by the noontide sun. In the midst of the little space of
+dry ground bordering the stream, where the lush grass grew thick and
+high, the body of a man was lying. It was contorted grotesquely,
+sprawling at length on its face, in absolute stillness--the stillness
+of death. Brant, himself horrified, looked pityingly at the white,
+stricken face of the marshal, and turned away, helplessly. He could
+find no words to lessen the hideousness of this discovery for the man
+through whose fault the tragedy had come.
+
+Then, presently, as Stone seemed paralyzed by the disaster, Brant went
+closer to examine the gruesome thing.
+
+The victim had been caught by both traps. Evidently, he had stepped
+fairly into the first. Then, as the great jaws snapped shut on his
+leg, he had lurched forward and fallen. His arms were outspread wide.
+But his head was within the second trap. The jaws of it had clamped on
+the neck. The steel fangs were sunk deep into the flesh. Blood from
+the wounds was caked black on the skin.
+
+"He didn't suffer any to speak of," Brant remarked, at last. He
+observed, with some surprise, that his voice was very thin. He was
+not a squeamish man, and he had seen many evil sights. But this--
+
+With repugnance, he set himself to the task of releasing the trap that
+held the dead man's head. He had the delicacy not to call on his
+distressed companion for aid. The task was very difficult, and very
+gruesome, for it required harsh handling of the head, which was in the
+way. Finally, however, the thing was accomplished. The savage jaws
+were freed from the flesh they had mangled, and were locked open.
+Then, Brant turned the body over, and gazed curiously, with strong
+repulsion, into the ugly, distorted dead face.
+
+"Providence picked out somebody who could be spared," he mused
+grimly.
+
+There came another cry from Stone. In it were wonder, incredulity,
+relief.
+
+Brant regarded the marshal in amazement. The man was transformed. The
+motionless figure of desolation was become one of wild, quivering
+excitement. The face was suffused with blood, the eyes shining
+fiercely.
+
+"What the devil!" Brant demanded, aghast.
+
+Stone looked toward his questioner gravely, and nodded with great
+emphasis. His voice was low, tense with emotion.
+
+"It is the devil!" he answered solemnly. He paused, clearing his
+throat, and stared again at the dead man. Then, his eyes went back to
+Brant, as he added:
+
+"It's Hodges."
+
+There was a little silence. Brant could not understand, could not
+believe this startling assertion flung in his face.
+
+"But Hodges was thrown over the precipice," he said, at last.
+
+The marshal shook his head. There was defiance now in his
+aspect--defiance, and a mighty joy.
+
+"It doesn't make any difference about that," he announced. "This is
+Hodges!"
+
+Then, his exultation burst in words:
+
+"Hodges caught in his own traps! His neck broken, as it should have
+been broken by the rope for the murders he's done! It was my
+carelessness did it, yes. But I don't care now, so long as it's Hodges
+who's got caught. Hodges set those traps, and--there he is!... I read
+about something like that once in a story. They called it 'poetic
+justice.'"
+
+"He don't look like a poem," Brant remarked. He turned from the gory
+corpse with a shudder of disgust.
+
+"Thank God, it was Hodges!" the marshal said, reverently. "Anybody
+else would have haunted me for life. But Hodges! Why, I'm glad!"
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+The affair was easily explicable in the light of what Plutina had to
+tell. Hodges, undoubtedly, had knowledge of some secret, hazardous
+path down the face of the precipice past the Devil's Cauldron, and on
+to the valley. He had meant to flee by it with Plutina, thus to escape
+the hound. By it, he had fled alone. Perhaps, he had had a
+hiding-place for money somewhere about the raided still. Or, perhaps,
+he had merely chosen this route along Thunder Branch on his way to an
+asylum beyond Bull Head Mountain. What was certain was that he had
+blundered into his own pitiless snares. Naturally, he would have had
+no suspicion that the traps remained. In his mad haste, he had rushed
+heedlessly upon destruction. The remorseless engines of his own
+devising had taken full toll of him. By his own act, he paid with his
+life the penalty for crime. There was propriety in the marshal's
+reference to poetic justice.
+
+A certain vindictiveness showed in Plutina's comment concerning the
+death of the man at whose hands she had so suffered.
+
+[Illustration:
+_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
+THE COMING OF PEACE.]
+
+"His bein' so afeared o' thet-thar thing kep' 'im from hurtin' me,"
+she said, reflectively. "He was shorely sot ag'inst havin' 'is neck
+bruk, an', arter all, thet's jest what he got." She smiled,
+contentedly. For Plutina was a primitive woman, strong in her love,
+and strong in her hate.
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was a day of early autumn. The timber rights had been secured to
+the satisfaction of Sutton. The tree-nail factory was being built.
+Zeke was become a man of importance in the region.
+
+The lover's wedding-day was less than a month distant. To-day, Plutina
+had been for a visit to the Widow Higgins, and now Zeke was walking
+home with her. They paused at the place where had been their meeting
+on the morning of the lad's first adventuring into the world. Memories
+flooded them, as they looked across the valley to the bleak cliffs of
+Stone Mountain, which rose in aged, rugged grandeur, softened in this
+hour by the veils of haze, warmed with the lambent hues of sunset.
+
+In answer to Plutina, Zeke shook his head perplexedly.
+
+"I kain't quite stomach thet-thar yarn o' Seth Jones's," he said. "As
+I remember, Dan Hodges threw me--hard!" He grinned wryly at the
+recollection. "I don't see how I could have thrown him off the
+Slide."
+
+"But of course you did!" Plutina asserted, with great spirit. "Pooh!
+Ye could lick Dan Hodges any day in the week. An' Seth saw ye--that
+settles hit!"
+
+"I suppose so," Zeke conceded. "But Dan Hodges was a powerful fighter.
+After all, I didn't do anything much for ye, Tiny," he added, with
+regret in his voice.
+
+The girl was all indignation.
+
+"Why, Zeke!" she cried. "The idea! Ye did hit all. Ye banged the love
+o' ye into thet-thar dawg, what hung on to me an' brung up the fairy
+cross fer a message." Chubbie, as if understanding, leaped to lick her
+hand. "An' ye give me the cross, Zeke. Mebby, thet's what saved me,
+all the time--thar on the precipice, an'--an' back thar--in the
+cave--with him. An' then ye threw Dan Hodges right offen the mounting.
+Seth Jones seen ye do hit!"
+
+It seemed to Zeke that he must perforce accept the heroism thrust upon
+him, though a doubt still lingered. Still, his memory of the fight was
+confused. Perhaps, after all, he had--.
+
+Zeke broke off, and drew the girl close. Their lips met gently,
+tenderly, with the clinging of passion. What mattered the history of
+evil days? They were past. Before them lay the future, radiant with
+rosy promise. In this blessed present, they were together. Love
+thrilled exquisitely on their lips; more exquisitely in their souls.
+That love was, and it would remain, a noble and precious thing, great
+and very beautiful, as mighty and firm as the mountain looming yonder
+in immutable serenity and strength, as loyal, as enduring.... They
+walked on together, infinitely content.
+
+
+
+
+Underwood Typewriter
+
+_Points of Merit:_
+
+Award Grand Prize, Highest Honor Panama-Pacific International Exposition
+
+Holder International Speed and Accuracy Typewriter Trophy for Ten Years
+
+Elliott-Cresson Medal for Mechanical Supremacy
+
+Endorsed by World's Champions and all Great Typists
+
+"The Machine You Will Eventually Buy"
+
+
+
+
+JOHN FOX, JR'S.
+
+STORIES OF THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINS
+
+May be had wherever books are sold. Ask for Grosset and Dunlap's list.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE.
+
+Illustrated by F. C. Yohn.
+
+The "lonesome pine" from which the story takes its name was a tall tree
+that stood in solitary splendor on a mountain top. The fame of the pine
+lured a young engineer through Kentucky to catch the trail, and when he
+finally climbed to its shelter he found not only the pine but the
+_footprints of a girl_. And the girl proved to be lovely, piquant, and
+the trail of these girlish foot-prints led the young engineer a madder
+chase than "the trail of the lonesome pine."
+
+THE LITTLE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME
+
+Illustrated by F. C. Yohn.
+
+This is a story of Kentucky, in a settlement known as "Kingdom Come." It
+is a life rude, semi-barbarous; but natural and honest, from which often
+springs the flower of civilization.
+
+"Chad," the "little shepherd" did not know who he was nor whence he
+came--he had just wandered from door to door since early childhood,
+seeking shelter with kindly mountaineers who gladly fathered and
+mothered this waif about whom there was such a mystery--a charming waif,
+by the way, who could play the banjo better that anyone else in the
+mountains.
+
+A KNIGHT OF THE CUMBERLAND.
+
+Illustrated by F. C. Yohn.
+
+The scenes are laid along the waters of the Cumberland, the lair of
+moonshiner and feudsman. The knight is a moonshiner's son, and the
+heroine a beautiful girl perversely christened "The Blight." Two
+impetuous young Southerners fall under the spell of "The Blight's"
+charms and she learns what a large part jealousy and pistols have in the
+love making of the mountaineers.
+
+Included in this volume is "Hell fer-Sartain" and other stories, some of
+Mr. Fox's most entertaining Cumberland valley narratives.
+
+Ask for complete free list of G. & D. Popular Copyrighted Fiction
+
+GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26TH ST., NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+STORIES OF WESTERN LIFE
+
+May be had wherever books are sold. Ask for Grosset & Dunlap's list.
+
+RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE, By Zane Grey.
+
+Illustrated by Douglas Duer.
+
+In this picturesque romance of Utah of some forty years ago, we are
+permitted to see the unscrupulous methods employed by the invisible hand
+of the Mormon Church to break the will of those refusing to conform to
+its rule.
+
+FRIAR TUCK, By Robert Alexander Wason.
+
+Illustrated by Stanley L. Wood.
+
+Happy Hawkins tells us, in his humorous way, how Friar Tuck lived among
+the Cowboys, how he adjusted their quarrels and love affairs and how he
+fought with them and for them when occasion required.
+
+THE SKY PILOT, By Ralph Connor.
+
+Illustrated by Louis Rhead.
+
+There is no novel, dealing with the rough existence of cowboys, so
+charming in the telling, abounding as it does with the freshest and the
+truest pathos.
+
+THE EMIGRANT TRAIL, By Geraldine Bonner.
+
+Colored frontispiece by John Rae.
+
+The book relates the adventures of a party on its overland pilgrimage,
+and the birth and growth of the absorbing love of two strong men for a
+charming heroine.
+
+THE BOSS OF WIND RIVER, By A. M. Chisholm.
+
+Illustrated by Frank Tenney Johnson.
+
+This is a strong, virile novel with the lumber industry for its central
+theme and a love story full of interest as a sort of subplot.
+
+A PRAIRIE COURTSHIP, By Harold Bindloss.
+
+A story of Canadian prairies in which the hero is stirred, through the
+influence of his love for a woman, to settle down to the heroic business
+of pioneer farming.
+
+JOYCE OF THE NORTH WOODS, By Harriet T. Comstock.
+
+Illustrated by John Cassel.
+
+A story of the deep woods that shows the power of love at work among its
+primitive dwellers. It is a tensely moving study of the human heart and
+its aspirations that unfolds itself through thrilling situations and
+dramatic developments.
+
+Ask for a complete free list of G. & D. Popular Copyrighted Fiction
+
+GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26TH ST., NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+B. M. BOWER'S NOVELS
+
+Thrilling Western Romances
+
+Large 12 mos. Handsomely bound in cloth. Illustrated.
+
+CHIP, OF THE FLYING U
+
+A breezy wholesome tale, wherein the love affairs of Chip and Delia
+Whitman are charmingly and humorously told. Chip's jealousy of Dr. Cecil
+Grantham, who turns out to be a big, blue eyed young woman is very
+amusing. A clever, realistic story of the American Cow-puncher.
+
+THE HAPPY FAMILY
+
+A lively and amusing story, dealing with the adventures of eighteen
+jovial, big hearted Montana cowboys. Foremost amongst them, we find
+Ananias Green, known as Andy, whose imaginative powers cause many lively
+and exciting adventures.
+
+HER PRAIRIE KNIGHT
+
+A realistic story of the plains, describing a gay party of Easterners
+who exchange a cottage at Newport for the rough homeliness of a Montana
+ranch-house. The merry-hearted cowboys, the fascinating Beatrice, and
+the effusive Sir Redmond, become living, breathing personalities.
+
+THE RANGE DWELLERS
+
+Here are everyday, genuine cowboys, just as they really exist. Spirited
+action, a range feud between two families, and a Romeo and Juliet
+courtship make this a bright, jolly, entertaining story, without a dull
+page.
+
+THE LURE OF DIM TRAILS
+
+A vivid portrayal of the experience of an Eastern author, among the
+cowboys of the West, in search of "local color" for a new novel. "Bud"
+Thurston learns many a lesson while following "the lure of the dim
+trails" but the hardest, and probably the most welcome, is that of love.
+
+THE LONESOME TRAIL
+
+"Weary" Davidson leaves the ranch for Portland, where conventional city
+life palls on him. A little branch of sage brush, pungent with the
+atmosphere of the prairie, and the recollection of a pair of large brown
+eyes soon compel his return. A wholesome love story
+
+THE LONG SHADOW
+
+A vigorous Western story, sparkling with the free, outdoor, life of a
+mountain ranch. Its scenes shift rapidly and its actors play the game of
+life fearlessly and like men. It is a fine love story from start to
+finish.
+
+Ask for a complete free list of G. & D. Popular Copyrighted Fiction.
+
+GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26TH ST., NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Heart of the Blue Ridge, by Waldron Baily
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE BLUE RIDGE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 28454.txt or 28454.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/4/5/28454/
+
+Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/28454.zip b/28454.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea156c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/28454.zip
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d3e513
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #28454 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28454)