第1章

CONTENTS I。TheBlightintheHillsII。OntheWildDog’sTrailIII。TheAuricularTalentoftheHon。SamuelBuddIV。CloseQuartersV。BacktotheHillsVI。TheGreatDayVII。AtLast——TheTournamentVIII。TheKnightPassesAKNIGHTOFTHECUMBERLAND I THEBLIGHTINTHEHILLS HighnoonofacrispOctoberday，sunshinefloodingtheearthwiththewarmthandlightofoldwineand，goingsingle-fileupthroughthejaggedgapthatthedrippingofwaterhasworndownthroughtheCumberlandMountainsfromcresttovalley-level，agrayhorseandtwobigmules，amanandtwoyounggirls。Onthegrayhorse，Iledthetortuousway。Aftermecamemysmallsister——andafterherandlikeher，mule- back，rodetheBlight——dressedasshewouldbeforagallopinCentralParkortorideahunterinahorseshow。 Iwastakingthem，accordingtopromise，wherethefeetofotherwomenthanmountaineershadnevertrod——beyondthecrestoftheBigBlack——tothewatersoftheCumberland——thelairofmoonshinerandfeudsman，whereisyetpocketedacivilizationthat，elsewhere，islongagogone。ThishadbeenapetdreamoftheBlight’sforalongtime，andnowthedreamwascomingtrue。TheBlightwasinthehills。 Nobodyeverwenttohermother’shousewithoutaskingtoseeherevenwhenshewasalittlethingwithblackhair，merryfaceandblackeyes。Bothmenandwomen，withchildrenoftheirown，havetoldmethatshewas，perhaps，themostfascinatingchildthateverlived。Therebesomewhoclaimthatshehasneverchanged——andIamamongthem。Shebeganearly，regardlessofage，sexorpreviousconditionofservitude——shecontinuesrecklesslyasshebegan——andnonemakescomplaint。Thuswasitinherownworld——thusitwaswhenshecametomine。OnthewaydownfromtheNorth，theconductor’svoicechangedfromacommandtoarequestwhenheaskedforherticket。Thejacketedlordofthedining-carsawherfromafarandadvancedtoshowhertoaseat——thatshemightrideforward，sitnexttoashadedwindowandbefreefromtheglareofthesunontheotherside。Twoportersmadearushforherbagwhenshegotoffthecar，andtheproprietorofthelittlehotelinthelittletownwherewehadtowaitseveralhoursforthetrainintothemountainsgaveherthebridalchamberforanafternoonnap。Fromthislittletownto``TheGap’’istheworstsixty-mileride，perhaps，intheworld。Shesatinadirtyday-coach；thesmokerolledinatthewindowsanddoors；thecarsshookandswayedandlumberedaroundcurvesanddownandupgorges；therewereaboutherroughmen，cryingchildren，slatternlywomen，tobaccojuice，peanuts，popcornandapplecores，butdainty，sereneandasmerryasever，shesatthroughthatridewitharadiantsmile，herkeenblackeyesnotingeverythingunlovelywithinandthegloryofhill，treeandchasmwithout。 Nextmorningathome，whereweriseearly，noonewasallowedtowakenherandshehadbreakfastinbed——fortheBlight’sgentletyrannywasestablishedonsightandvariednotattheGap。 Whenshewentdownthestreetthatdayeverybodystaredsurreptitiouslyandwithperfectrespect，asherdaintyblackplumedfigurepassed；thepost-officeclerkcouldbarelybringhimselftosaythattherewasnoletterforher。Thesoda-fountainboynearlyfilledherglasswithsyrupbeforehesawthathewasnotstrictlymindinghisownbusiness；theclerk，whenI boughtchocolateforher，unblushinglyaddedextraweightand，aswewentback，shemetthemboth——Marston，theyoungengineerfromtheNorth，crossingthestreetand，atthesamemoment，adrunkenyoungtoughwithaninfuriatedfacereelinginarunaroundthecorneraheadofusasthoughhewerebeingpursued。 NowwehaveavolunteerpoliceguardsomefortystrongattheGap——andfromhabit，Istartedforhim，buttheBlightcaughtmyarmtight。Theyoungengineerinthreestrideshadreachedthecurb-stoneandallhesternlysaidwas： ``Here！Here！’’ Thedrunkenyouthwheeledandhisrighthandshottowardhishippocket。 Theengineerwasbeltedwithapistol，butwithonelightningmovementandanincrediblylongreach，hisrightfistcaughtthefellow’sjawsothathepitchedbackwardandcollapsedlikeanemptybag。 ThentheengineercaughtsightoftheBlight’sbewilderedface，flushed，grippedhishandsinfrontofhimandsimplystared。Atlasthesawme： ``Oh，’’hesaid，``howdoyoudo？’’ andheturnedtohisprisoner，butthepantingsergeantandanotherpoliceman—— alsoavolunteer——werealreadyliftinghimtohisfeet。IintroducedtheboyandtheBlightthen，andforthefirsttimeinmylifeIsawtheBlight——shaken。Round- eyed，shemerelygazedathim。 ``Thatwasprettywelldone，’’Isaid。 ``Oh，hewasdrunkandIknewhewouldbeslow。’’Nowsomethingcurioushappened。Thedazedprisonerwasonhisfeet，andhiscaptorswerestartingwithhimtothecalaboosewhenheseemedsuddenlytocometohissenses。 ``Jeswaitaminute，willye？’’hesaidquietly，andhiscaptors，thinkingperhapsthathewantedtosaysomethingtome，stopped。Themountainyouthturnedastrangelysoberedfaceandfixedhisblueeyesontheengineerasthoughheweresearingeveryfeatureofthatimperturbableyoungmaninhisbrainforever。Itwasnotabadface，buttheavenginghatredinitwasfearful。Thenhe，too，sawtheBlight，hisfacecalmedmagicallyandhe，too，staredather，andturnedawaywithanoathcheckedathislips。Wewenton——theBlightthrilled，forshehadheardmuchofourvolunteerforceattheGapandhadseensomethingalready。PresentlyIlookedback。PrisonerandcaptorswereclimbingthelittlehilltowardthecalabooseandthemountainboyjustthenturnedhisheadandIcouldswearthathiseyessoughtnottheengineer，whomweleftatthecorner，but，liketheengineer，hewaslookingattheBlight。WhereatI didnotwonder——particularlyastotheengineer。HehadbeeninthemountainsforalongtimeandIknewwhatthisvisionfromhomemeanttohim。Heturnedupatthehousequiteearlythatnight。 ``I’mnotondutyuntileleven，’’hesaidhesitantly，``andIthoughtI’d————’’ ``Comerightin。’’ IaskedhimafewquestionsaboutbusinessandthenIlefthimandtheBlightalone。WhenIcamebackshehadaGatlinggunofeagerquestionsrangedonhimand——happywithal——hewassquirmingnolittle。Ifollowedhimtothegate。 ``AreyoureallygoingoverintothoseGod-forsakenmountains？’’heasked。 ``IthoughtIwould。’’ ``AndyouaregoingtotakeHER？’’ ``Andmysister。’’ ``Oh，Ibegyourpardon。’’Hestrodeaway。 ``Comingupbythemines？’’hecalledback。 ``Perhapswillyoushowusaround？’’ ``IguessIwill，’’hesaidemphatically，andhewentontoriskhisneckonaten- mileridealongamountainroadinthedark。 ``ILIKEaman，’’saidtheBlight。``I likeaMAN。’’ OfcoursetheBlightmustseeeverything，sosheinsistedongoingtothepolicecourtnextmorningforthetrialofthemountainboy。Theboywasinthewitnesschairwhenwegotthere，andtheHon。SamuelBuddwashiscounsel。Hehadvolunteeredtodefendtheprisoner，I wassoontold，andthenIunderstood。 TheNovemberelectionwasnotfaroffandtheHon。SamuelBuddwascandidateforlegislature。Moreeven，theboy’sfatherwasawarmsupporterofMr。Buddandtheboyhimselfmightperhapsrendergoodserviceinthecausewhenthetimecame—— asindeedhedid。OnoneofthefrontchairssattheyoungengineeranditwasaquestionwhetherheortheprisonersawtheBlight’sblackplumesfirst。Theeyesofbothflashedtowardhersimultaneously，theengineercoloredperceptiblyandthemountainboystoppedshortinspeechandhispallidfaceflushedwithunmistakableshame。Thenhewenton：``Hehadliqueredup，’’hesaid，``andhadgottightaforeheknoweditandhedidn’tmeannoharmandhadneverbeenarrestedaforeinhiswholelife。’’ ``Haveyoueverbeendrunkbefore？’’ askedtheprosecutingattorneyseverely。 Theladlookedsurprised。 ``Co’seIhave，butIain’tgoin’toagin——leastwisenotinthisheretown。’’Therewasagenerallaughatthisandtheagedmayorrappedloudly。 ``Thatwilldo，’’saidtheattorney。 Theladsteppeddown，hitchedhischairslightlysothathisbackwastotheBlight，sankdowninituntilhisheadrestedonthebackofthechairandcrossedhislegs。 TheHon。SamuelBuddaroseandtheBlightlookedathimwithwonder。Hislongyellowhairwaspartedinthemiddleandbrushedwithplaster-likeprecisionbehindtwoenormousears，heworespectacles，gold-rimmedandwithgreatstaringlenses，andhisfacewassmoothandageless。Hecaressedhischinruminatinglyandrolledhislipsuntiltheysettledintoafineresultantofwisdom，patience，tolerationandfirmness。Hismannerwasprofoundandhisvoiceoilyandsoothing。 ``MayitpleaseyourHonor——myyoungfriendfranklypleadsguilty。’’Hepausedasthoughthemajestyofthelawcouldasknomore。``Heisayoungmanofnaturallyhighandsomewhat——naturally，too，nodoubt——bibulousspirits。Homoepathically—— ifinversely——theresultwaslogical。 Intheuntrammelledlifeoftheliberty- breathingmountains，wherethesternspiritoflawandorder，ofwhichyourHonoristheaugustsymbol，doesnotprevailasitdoeshere——thankstoyourHonor’swiseandjustdispensations——theladhas，I maysay，naturallyacquiredacertainrecklessnessofmood——indulgencewhich，howevereasilycondonedthere，mustherebesternlyrebuked。Atthesametime，heknewnottheconditionshere，hebecameexhilaratedwithoutmalice，prepenseyoreven，Imaysay，consciousness。Hewouldnothavedoneashehas，ifhehadknownwhatheknowsnow，and，knowing，hewillnotrepeattheoffence。Ineedsaynomore。IpleadsimplythatyourHonorwilltemperthejusticethatisonlyyourswiththemercythatisyours——only。’’ HisHonorwasvisiblyaffectedandtocoverit——hismethodsbeinginformal——hesaidwithsharpirrelevancy： ``Whobailedthisyoungfelleroutlastnight？’’Thesergeantspoke： ``Why，Mr。Marstonthar’’——withoutstretchedfingertowardtheyoungengineer。TheBlight’sblackeyesleapedwithexultantappreciationandtheengineerturnedcrimson。HisHonorrolledhisquidaroundinhismouthonce，andpeeredoverhisglasses： ``Ifinethisyoungfellertwodollarsandcosts。’’Theyoungfellowhadturnedslowlyinhischairandhisblueeyesblazedattheengineerwithunappeasablehatred。 IdoubtifhehadheardhisHonor’svoice。 ``IwantyetoknowthatI’mobleegedtoyean’Iain’ta-goin’tofergitit；butifI’daknownhitwasyouI’dastayedinjailan’seenyouinhellaforeI’dabeenboundentoye。’’ ``Tendollarsfercontemptofcouht。’’ Theboywashotnow。 ``Oh，fineandbe——’’TheHon。SamuelBuddhadhimbytheshoulder，theboyswallowedhisvoiceandhisstartingtearsofrage，andafterawhispertohisHonor，theHon。Samuelledhimout。Outside，theengineerlaughedtotheBlight： ``Prettypeppery，isn’the？’’buttheBlightsaidnothing，andlaterwesawtheyouthonagrayhorsecrossingthebridgeandconductedbytheHon。SamuelBudd，whostoppedandwavedhimtowardthemountains。Theboywentonandacrosstheplateau，thegrayGapswallowedhim。 Thatnight，atthepost-office，theHon。 Sampluckedmeasidebythesleeve。 ``IknowMarstonisaginmeinthisrace——butI’lldohimagoodturnjustthesame。Youtellhimtowatchoutforthatyoungfellow。He’sallrightwhenhe’ssober，butwhenhe’sdrunk——well，overinKentucky，theycallhimtheWildDog。’’ SeveraldayslaterwestartedoutthroughthatsameGap。TheglumstablemanlookedattheBlight’sgirthsthreetimes，andwithmyowneyesstartingandmyheartinmymouth，Isawherpassbehindhersixteen-hand-highmuleandgivehimafriendlytapontherumpasshewentby。 Thebeastgaveanappreciativeflopofoneearandthatwasall。HadIdonethat，anyfurtherbenefittomeorminewouldbeincorporatedinthetermsofaninsurancepolicy。So，statingthis，IbelieveI statethelimitandcannowgoontosayatlastthatitwasbecausesheseemedtobelovedbymanandbrutealikethatabigmanofherowntown，whosebody，bigasitwas，wasyettoosmallforhisheartandfromwhosebrainthingswentoffatqueerangles，alwayschristenedherperverselyas——``TheBlight。’’ II ONTHEWILDDOG’STRAIL SoupwewentpastBeeRock，Preacher’sCreekandLittleLooney，pastthemineswherehighona``tipple’’stoodtheyoungengineerlookingdownatus，andlookingaftertheBlightaswepassedonintoadimrockyavenuewalledoneachsidewithrhododendrons。Iwavedathimandshookmyhead——wewouldseehimcomingback。Beyondadesertedlog- cabinweturnedupaspurofthemountain。 Aroundaclumpofbusheswecameonagray-beardedmountaineerholdinghishorsebythebridleandfromacoverthighabovetwomoremenappearedwithWinchesters。TheBlightbreathedforthanawedwhisper： ``Aretheymoonshiners？’’ Inoddedsagely，``Mostlikely，’’andtheBlightwasthrilled。Theymighthavebeensquirrel-huntersmostinnocent，buttheBlighthadheardmuchtalkofmoonshinestillsandmountainfeudsandthemenwhorunthemandItooktheriskofdenyinghernothing。Upandupwewent，thosetwomulesswayingfromsidetosidewithamotionlittleshortofelephantineand，byandby，theBlightcalledout： ``Yourideaheadanddon’tyouDARE lookback。’’ AccustomedtoobeyingtheBlight’sorders，Irodeaheadwitheyestothefront。 Presently，ashriekmademeturnsuddenly。 Itwasnothing——mylittlesister’smulehadgonenearasteepcliff——perilouslynear，asitsriderthought，butIsawwhyImustnotlookback；thosetwolittlegirlswereridingastrideonside-saddles，thebootedlittlerightfootofeachdanglingstirrupless——aposturequitedecorousbutludicrous。 ``Letusknowifanybodycomes，’’theycried。Amountaineerdescendedintosightaroundaloopofthepathabove。 ``Changecars，’’Ishouted。 Theychangedand，passing，weregrave，demure——thentheychangedagain，andthusweclimbed。 Suchagloryaswasbelow，aroundandaboveus；theairlikechampagne；thesunlightrichandpouringlikeafloodonthegoldthatthebeecheshadstrewninthepath，onthegoldthatthepoplarsstillshookhighaboveandshimmeringontheroyalscarletofthemapleandthesombrerussetoftheoak。Fromfarbelowustofaraboveusadeepcurvingravinewasslashedintothemountainsideasbyonestrokeofagiganticscimitar。Thedarknessdeepdownwaslightedupwithcoolgreen，interfusedwithliquidgold。Russetandyellowsplashedthemountainsidesbeyondandhighupthemapleswereinashakingblaze。TheBlight’sswifteyestookallinandwithindrawnbreathshedrankitalldeepdown。 Anhourbysunwewerenearthetop，whichwasbaredoftreesandturnedintorichfarm-landcoveredwithblue-grass。 Alongtheseuplandpastures，dottedwithgrazingcattle，andacrossthemwerodetowardthemountainwildernessesontheotherside，downintowhichazigzagpathwrigglesalongthesteepfrontofBenham’sspur。Attheedgeofthesteepwasacabinandabushy-beardedmountaineer，wholookedlikeabrigand，answeredmyhail。He``mought’’keepusallnight，buthe’d``ruthernot，aswecouldgitaplacetostaydownthespur。’’Couldwegetdownbeforedark？Themountaineerliftedhiseyestowherethesunwasbreakingthehorizonofthewestintostreaksandsplashesofyellowandcrimson。 ``Oh，yes，youcangittharaforedark。’’ NowIknewthatthemountaineer’sideaofdistanceisvague——butheknowshowlongittakestogetfromoneplacetoanother。Sowestarteddown——droppingatonceintothickdarkwoods，andaswewentloopingdown，thedeeperwasthegloom。Thatsunhadsuddenlyseveredallconnectionwiththelawsofgravityandsunk，anditwasallthedarkerbecausethestarswerenotout。Thepathwassteepandcoileddownwardlikeawoundedsnake。Inoneplaceatreehadfallenacrossit，andtoreachthenextcoilofthepathbelowwasdangerous。SoIhadthegirlsdismountandIledthegrayhorsedownonhishaunches。Themulesrefusedtofollow，whichwasratherunusual。I wentbackandfromasafedistanceintherearIbelaboredthemdown。Theycaredneitherforgrayhorsenorcrookedpath，butturnedoftheirowndevilishwillsalongthebushymountainside。AsIranafterthemthegrayhorsestartedcalmlyondownandthosetwogirlsshriekedwithlaughter——theyknewnobetter。Firstonewayandthentheotherdownthemountainwentthosemules，withmeafterthem，throughthickbushes，overlogs，stumpsandbowldersandholes——crossingthepathadozentimes。Whatthatpathwasthereforneveroccurredtothoselong-earedhalfasses，wholefools，andbyandby，whenthegirlstriedtoshoothemdowntheyclamberedaroundandabovethemandstruckthepathbackupthemountain。 Thehorsehadgonedownoneway，themulesuptheother，andtherewasnohealthinanything。Thegirlscouldnotgoup——sotherewasnothingtodobutgodown，which，hardasitwas，waseasierthangoingup。Thepathwasnotvisiblenow。OnceinawhileIwouldstumblefromitandcrashthroughthebushestothenextcoilbelow。FinallyIwentdown，slidingonefootaheadallthetime——knowingthatwhenleavesrustledunderthatfootIwasonthepointofgoingastray。 SometimesIhadtolightamatchtomakesureoftheway，andthustheridiculousdescentwasmadewiththosegirlsinhighspiritsbehind。Indeed，thedarker，rockier，steeperitgot，themoretheyshriekedfrompurejoy——butIwasanythingthanhappy。Itwasdangerous。I didn’tknowthecliffsandhighrockswemightskirtandanunluckyguidancemightlandusinthecreek-bedfardown。 Buttheblessedstarscameout，themoonpeeredoverafarthermountainandonthelastspurtherewasthegrayhorsebrowsinginthepath——andthesoundofrunningwaternotfarbelow。Fortunatelyonthegrayhorsewerethesaddle-bagsofthechatteringinfantswhothoughtthewholethingamightylark。Wereachedtherunningwater，struckaflockofgeeseandknew，inconsequence，thathumanitywassomewherenear。Afewturnsofthecreekandabeaconlightshonebelow。 Thepalesofapicketfence，thecheeringoutlinesofalog-cabincameinviewandatapeakedgateIshouted： ``Hello！’’ Youenternomountaineer’syardwithoutthatannouncingcry。Itwasmediaeval，theBlightsaid，positively——twolorndamsels，abenightedknightpartiallystrippedofhisarmorbybushandsharp-edgedrock，agraypalfrey（shedidn’tmentiontheimpatientassesthathadturnedhomeward） andshewishedIhadahorntowind。Iwanteda``horn’’badlyenough——butitwasnotthekindmenwind。Byandbywegotaresponse： ``Hello！’’wastheanswer，asanopeneddoorletoutintotheyardabroadbandoflight。Couldwestayallnight？Thevoicerepliedthattheownerwouldsee``Pap。’’``Pap’’seemedwilling，andtheboyopenedthegateandintothehousewenttheBlightandthelittlesister。 Shortly，Ifollowed。 There，allinoneroom，lightedbyahugewood-fire，raftersabove，puncheonfloorbeneath——cane-bottomedchairsandtwobedstheonlyfurniture-``pap，’’ barefooted，theoldmotherinthechimney- cornerwithapipe，stringsofredpepper- pods，beansandherbshangingaroundandabove，amarrieddaughterwithachildatherbreast，twoorthreechildrenwithyellowhairandbarefeetalllookingwithalltheireyesatthetwovisitorswhohaddroppeduponthemfromanotherworld。 TheBlight’seyeswerebrighterthanusual——thatwastheonlysignshegavethatshewasnotinherowndrawing- room。Apparentlyshesawnothingstrangeorunusualeven，buttherewasreallynothingthatshedidnotseeorhearandabsorb，asfewothersthantheBlightcan。 Straightway，theoldwomanknockedtheashesoutofherpipe。 ``Ireckonyouhain’thadnothin’toeat，’’shesaidanddisappeared。Theoldmanaskedquestions，theyoungmotherrockedherbabyonherknees，thechildrengotlessshyanddrewnearthefireplace，theBlightandthelittlesisterexchangedafurtivesmileandthecontrastoftheextremesinAmericancivilization，asshowninthatlittlecabin，interestedmemightily。 ``Yersnack’sready，’’saidtheoldwoman。Theoldmancarriedthechairsintothekitchen，andwhenIfollowedthegirlswereseated。Thechairsweresolowthattheirchinscamebarelyovertheirplates，anddemureandseriousastheyweretheysurelylookedmostcomical。Therewastheusualbaconandcorn-breadandpotatoesandsourmilk，andthetwogirlsstruggledwiththerudefarenobly。 AftersupperIjoinedtheoldmanandtheoldwomanwithapipe——exchangingmytobaccofortheirlonggreenwithmoresatisfactionprobablytomethantothem，forthelonggreenwasgood，andstrongandfragrant。 TheoldwomanaskedtheBlightandthelittlesistermanyquestionsandthey，inturn，showedgreatinterestinthebabyinarms，whereattheeighteen-year-oldmotherblushedandlookedgreatlypleased。 ``Yougotmightypurtyblackeyes，’’ saidtheoldwomantotheBlight，andnottoslightthelittlesistersheadded，``An’ yougotmightypurtyteeth。’’ TheBlightshowedhersinaradiantsmileandtheoldwomanturnedbacktoher。 ``Oh，you’vegotboth，’’shesaidandsheshookherhead，asthoughshewerethinkingofthedamagetheyhaddone。 Itwasmytimenow——toaskquestions。 Theydidn’thavemanyamusementsonthatcreek，Idiscovered——andnodances。 Sometimestheboyswentcoon-huntingandtherewerecorn-shuckings，house-raisingsandquilting-parties。 ``Doesanybodyroundhereplaythebanjo？’’ ``Noneo’myboys，’’saidtheoldwoman，``butTomGreen’ssondownthecreek——hefollerspickin’thebanjoaleetle。’’ ``Followspickin’’’——theBlightdidnotmissthatphrase。 ``Whatdoyoufollerferalivin’？’’theoldmanaskedmesuddenly。 ``Iwriteforaliving。’’Hethoughtawhile。 ``Well，itmustbepurtyfinetohaveagoodhandwrite。’’ThisnearlydissolvedtheBlightandthelittlesister，buttheyheldonheroically。 ``Istheremuchfightingaroundhere？’’ Iaskedpresently。 ``Notmuch’ceptwhenoneyoungfelleruptherivergetstotearin’upthings。I heerdashowhewasovertotheGaplastweek——raisin’hell。Hecomesbyhereonhiswayhome。’’TheBlight’seyesopenedwide——apparentlywewereonhistrail。 ItisnotwiseforamemberofthepoliceguardattheGaptoshowtoomuchcuriosityaboutthelawlessonesofthehills，andIaskednoquestions。 ``TheycallshimtheWildDogoverhere，’’headded，andthenheyawnedcavernously。 Ilookedaroundwithdiviningeyeforthesleepingarrangementssoontocome，whichsometimesareembarrassingto``furriners’’whoareunabletograspatoncetheprimitiveunconsciousnessofthemountaineersand，inconsequence，acceptapointofviewnaturaltothembecauseenforcedbyarchitecturallimitationsandahospitalitythatturnsnooneseekingshelterfromanydoor。Theywere，however，betterpreparedthanIhadhopedfor。 Theyhadaspareroomontheporchandjustoutsidethedoor，andwhentheoldwomanledthetwogirlstoit，Ifollowedwiththeirsaddle-bags。Theroomwasaboutsevenfeetbysixandwaswindowless。 ``You’dbetterleaveyourdooropenalittle，’’Isaid，``oryou’llsmotherinthere。’’ ``Well，’’saidtheoldwoman，``hit’sallrighttoleavethedooropen。Nothin’sgoin’terbotherye，butoneo’mysonsisoutacoon-huntin’andhemoughtcomein，notknowin’you’rethar。Butyoujes’ holleran’he’llmoveon。’’Shemeantpreciselywhatshesaidandsawnohumoratallinsuchapossibility——butwhenthedoorclosed，Icouldhearthosegirlsstiflingshrieksoflaughter。 Literally，thatnight，Iwasamemberofthefamily。Ihadabedtomyself（thefollowingnightIwasnotsofortunate）—— inonecorner；behindtheheadofminetheoldwoman，thedaughter-in-lawandthebabyhadanotherintheothercorner，andtheoldmanwiththetwoboysspreadapalletonthefloor。Thatistheinvariableruleofcourtesywiththemountaineer，togivehisbedtothestrangerandtaketothefloorhimself，and，inpassing，letmesaythatnever，inalongexperience，haveIseentheslightestconsciousness—— muchlessimmodesty——inamountaincabininmylife。Thesameattitudeonthepartofthevisitorsistakenforgranted——anyotherindeedholdsmortalpossibilitiesofoffence——sothatifthevisitorhascommonsense，allembarrassmentpassesatonce。 Thedoorwasclosed，thefireblazedonuncovered，thesmotheredtalkandlaughterofthetwogirlsceased，thecoon-huntercamenotandthenightpassedinpeace。 ItmusthavebeenneardaybreakthatI wasarousedbytheoldmanleavingthecabinandIheardvoicesandthesoundofhorses’feetoutside。Whenhecamebackhewasgrinning。 ``Hit’syourmules。’’ ``Whofoundthem？’’ ``TheWildDoghad’em，’’hesaid。 III THEAURICULARTALENTOFTHE HON。SAMUELBUDD BehinduscametheHon。SamuelBudd。Justwhenthesunwasslittingtheeastwithalongstreakoffire，theHon。Samuelwas，withthejocundday，standingtiptoeinhisstirrupsonthemistymountaintopandpeeringintotheravinedownwhichwehadslidthenightbefore，andhegrumblednolittlewhenhesawthathe，too，mustgetoffhishorseandslidedown。TheHon。Samuelwasambitious，Southern，andalawyer。Withoutsaying，itgoesthathewasalsoapolitician。Hewasnotanativeofthemountains，buthehadcasthisfortunesinthehighlands，andhewastakingthefirststepthathehopedwould，beforemanyyears，landhimintheNationalCapitol。Hereallyknewlittleaboutthemountaineers，evennow，andhehadneverbeenamonghisconstituentsonDevil’sFork，wherehewasboundnow。Thecampaignhadsofarbeenfullofhumorandfulloftrials——nottheleastofwhichsprangfromthefactthatitwassorghumtime。Everybodythroughthemountainswasmakingsorghum，andeverymountainchildwaseatingmolasses。 Now，astheworldknows，thestraightestwaytotheheartofthehonestvoteristhroughthewomenoftheland，andthestraightestwaytotheheartofthewomenisthroughthechildrenoftheland；andonemethodofwinningboth，withruralpoliticians，istokissthebabieswideandfar。Soaseachinfant，atsorghumtime，hasacircleofgreen-brownstickinessabouthischubbylips，andastheHon。Samwasaverseto``longsweetenin’’’eveninhiscoffee，thisparticularpoliticaldevicejustnowwasnosmalltrialtotheHon。SamuelBudd。ButinthelanguageofoneofhisfirmestsupportersUncleTommieHendricks： ``TheHon。Samdonehisduty，andhedoneitdamnwell。’’ TheissueatstakewasthesiteofthenewCourt-House——twolocalitiesclaimingtherightundisputed，becausetheyweretheonlytwoplacesinthecountywheretherewasenoughlevellandfortheCourt- Housetostandon。Letnomanthinkthisatrivialissue。TherehadbeenasimilaroneoverontheVirginiasideonce，andtheopposingfactionsagreedtodecidethequestionbytheancientwagerofbattle，fistandskull——twohundredmenoneachside——andthewomenofthecountywithdifficultypreventedthefight。Justnow，Mr。Buddwasonhiswayto``ThePocket’’——thevotingplaceofonefaction——wherehehadneverbeen，wherethehostilityagainsthimwasmostbitter，and，thatday，heknewhewas``upagainst’’ Waterloo，thecrossingoftheRubicon，holdingthepassatThermopylae，oranyotherhistoricalcrisisinthehistoryofman。IwassaddlingthemuleswhenthecacklingofgeeseinthecreekannouncedthecomingoftheHon。SamuelBudd，comingwithhischinonhisbreast-deepinthought。Stillhiseyesbeamedcheerily，heliftedhisslouchedhatgallantlytotheBlightandthelittlesister，andhewouldwaitforustojogalongwithhim。Itoldhimofourtroubles，meanwhile。TheWildDoghadrestoredourmulesandtheHon。Sambeamed： ``He’sawonder——whereishe？’’ ``Heneverwaited——evenforthanks。’’ AgaintheHon。Sambeamed： ``Ah！justlikehim。He’sgoneaheadtohelpme。’’ ``Well，howdidhehappentobehere？’’ Iasked。 ``He’severywhere，’’saidtheHon。Sam。 ``Howdidheknowthemuleswereours？’’ ``Easy。Thatboyknowseverything。’’ ``Well，whydidhebringthembackandthenleavesomysteriously？’’ TheHon。SamsilentlypointedafingeratthelaughingBlightahead，andIlookedincredulous。 ``Justthesame，that’sanotherreasonI toldyoutowarnMarston。He’salreadygotitinhisheadthatMarstonishisrival。’’ ``Pshaw！’’Isaid——foritwastooridiculous。 ``Allright，’’saidtheHon。Samplacidly。 ``Thenwhydoesn’thewanttoseeher？’’ ``Howdoyouknowheain’twatchin’ hernow，forallweknow？Markme，’’ headded，``youwon’tseehimatthespeakin’，butI’llbetfruitcakeagingingerbreadhe’llbesomewherearound。’’ Sowewenton，thetwogirlsleadingthewayandtheHon。Samnowtellinghispoliticaltroublestome。Halfamiledowntheroad，asolitaryhorsemanstoodwaiting，andMr。Buddgavealowwhistle。 ``Oneo’myrivals，’’hesaid，fromthecornerofhismouth。 ``Mornin’，’’saidthehorseman；``lemmeseeyouaminute。’’ Hemadeamovementtodrawaside，buttheHon。Samuelmadeacounter- gestureofdissent。 ``Thisgentlemanisafriendofmine，’’ hesaidfirmly，butwithgreatcourtesy，``andhecanhearwhatyouhavetosaytome。’’ Themountaineerrubbedonehugehandoverhisstubblychin，threwoneofhislonglegsoverthepommelofhissaddle，anddangledaheavycowhideshoetoandfro。 ``Wouldyoumindtellin’mewhutpayamemberoftheHouseofLegislatur’gitsaday？’’ TheHon。Samlookedsurprised。 ``Ithinkabouttwodollarsandahalf。’’ ``An’hismeals？’’ ``No！’’laughedMr。Budd。 ``Well，look-eehere，stranger。I’maporemanan’I’vegotamortgageonmyfarm。Thatmoneydon’tmeannothin’toyou——butifyou’lldrawoutnowan’I win，I’lltellyewhutI’lldo。’’Hepausedasthoughtomakesurethatthesacrificewaspossible。``I’lljustgiveyehalfofthattwodollarsandahalfaday，asshoreasyou’rea-settin’onthathoss，andyouwon’thav’tohitadurnlicktoearnit。’’ Ihadnotthehearttosmile——nordidtheHon。Samuel——soartlessandsimplewasthemanandsopathetichisappeal。 ``Yousee——you’lldividemyvote，an’ efwebothrun，oleJoshBarton’llgititshore。Efyougitouto’theway，Icanlickhimeasy。’’ Mr。Budd’sanswerwaskind，instructive，anduplifted。 ``Myfriend，’’saidhe，``I’msorry，butIcannotpossiblyaccedetoyourrequestforthefollowingreasons：First，itwouldnotbefairtomyconstituents；secondly，itwouldhardlybeseemingtobarterthenoblegiftofthepeopletowhichwebothaspire；thirdly，youmightlosewithmeoutoftheway；andfourthly，I’mgoingtowinwhetheryouareinthewayornot。’’ ThehorsemanslowlycollapsedwhiletheHon。Samuelwastalking，andnowhethrewthelegback，kickedforhisstirruptwice，spatonce，andturnedhishorse’shead。 ``Ireckonyouwill，stranger，’’hesaidsadly，``withthatgifto’gabo’yourn。’’ Heturnedwithoutanotherwordornodofgood-byandstartedbackupthecreekwhencehehadcome。 ``Onegone，’’saidtheHon。SamuelBuddgrimly，``andIswearI’mrightsorryforhim。’’AndsowasI。 Anhourlaterwestrucktheriver，andanotherhourupstreambroughtustowherethecontestoftongueswastocomeabout。 NosylvandellinArcadycouldhavebeenlovelierthanthespot。Abovetheroad，abigspringpouredaclearlittlestreamovershiningpebblesintotheriver； aboveitthebusheshungthickwithautumnleaves，andabovethemstoodyellowbeecheslikepillarsofpalefire。Onbothsidesoftheroadsatandsquattedthehonestvoters，sour-looking，disgruntled——adistinctlyhostilecrowd。TheBlightandmylittlesisterdrewgreatandcuriousattentionastheysatonabowlderabovethespringwhileIwentwiththeHon。SamuelBuddundertheguidanceofUncleTommieHendricks，whointroducedhimrightandleft。TheHon。Samuelwascheery，buthewasplainlynervous。Thereweretwolankyyouthswhosenames，oddlyenough，wereBudd。Astheygavehimtheirhugepawsinlifelessfashion，theHon。Samuelslappedoneontheshoulder，withthetruedemocracyofthepolitician，andsaidjocosely： ``Well，weBuddsmaynotbewhatyoucallgreatpeople，but，thankGod，noneofushaveeverbeeninthepenitentiary，’’ andhelaughedloudly，thinkingthathehadscoredagreatandjollypoint。ThetwoyoungmenlookedexceedinglygraveandUncleTommiepanic-stricken。HepluckedtheHon。Sambythesleeveandledhimaside： ``Ireckonyoumadealeetlemistakethar。Themtwofellers’daddydiedinthepenitentiarylastspring。’’TheHon。Samwhistledmournfully，buthelookedgameenoughwhenhisopponentrosetospeak——UncleJoshBarton，whohadshort，thick，uprighthair，littlesharpeyes，andaraspingvoice。UncleJoshwastednotime： ``Feller-citizens，’’heshouted，``thismanisalawyer——he’sacorporationlawyer’’；thefearfulname——pronounced``lie-yer’’——rangthroughthecrowdlikeatrumpet，andlikelightningtheHon。Samwasonhisfeet。 ``Themanwhosaysthatisaliar，’’hesaidcalmly，``andIdemandyourauthorityforthestatement。Ifyouwon’tgiveit——Ishallholdyoupersonallyresponsible，sir。’’ Itwasastrikehome，andundertheflashingeyesthatstaredunwaveringly，throughthebiggoggles，UncleJoshhaltedandstammeredandadmittedthathemighthavebeenmisinformed。 ``ThenIadviseyoutobemorecareful，’’ cautionedtheHon。Samuelsharply。 ``Feller-citizens，’’saidUncleJosh，``ifheain’tacorporationlawyer——whoisthisman？Wheredidhecomefrom？Ihavebeenbornandraisedamongyou。Youallknowme——doyouknowhim？Whut’shea-doin’now？He’safine-hairedfurriner，an’he’scomedownhyehfromthesettlemintstotellyethatyouhain’tgotnomaninyo’owndeestrictthat’sfittin’torepresentyeinthelegislatur’。Lookathim—— lookathim！He’sgotFOUReyes！Lookathishair——hit’sPARTEDINTHEMIDDLE！’’ Therewasastormoflaughter——UncleJoshhadmadegood——andiftheHon。 Samuelcouldstraightwayhaveturnedbald-headedandsightless，hewouldhavebeenahappyman。Helookedsickwithhopelessness，butUncleTommieHendricks，hismentor，wasvigorouslywhisperingsomethinginhisear，andgraduallyhisfacecleared。Indeed，theHon。Samuelwassmilinglyconfidentwhenherose。 Likehisrival，hestoodintheopenroad，andthesunbeatdownonhispartedyellowhair，sothattheeyesofallcouldsee，andthelaughterwasstillrunninground。 ``WhoisyourUncleJosh？’’heaskedwiththreateningmildness。``IknowIwasnotbornhere，but，myfriends，Icouldn’thelpthat。AndjustassoonasIcouldgetawayfromwhereIwasborn，Icamehereand，’’hepausedwithlipspartedandlongfingeroutstretched，``and——I——came——because——IWANTED——tocome——andNOT becauseIHADTO。’’