NowitseemsthatUncleJosh,too,wasnotanativeandthathehadlefthomeearlyinlifeforhisState’sgoodandforhisown。UncleTommiehadwhisperedthis,andtheHon。Samuelraisedhimselfhighonbothtoeswhiletheexpectantcrowd,onthevergeofaroar,waited——asdidUncleJoshua,withasicklysmile。
  ``WhydidyourUncleJoshcomeamongyou?Becausehewashoop-poledawayfromhome。’’Thencametheroar——
  andtheHon。Samuelhadtoquellitwithupliftedhand。
  ``AnddidyourUncleJoshuamarryamountainwife?NoIHedidn’tthinkanyofyourmountainwomenweregoodenoughforhim,soheslipsdownintothesettlemintsandSTEALSone。Andnow,fellow-citizens,thatisjustwhatI’mherefor——I’mlookingforanicemountaingirl,andI’mgoingtohaveher。’’AgaintheHon。Samuelhadtostilltheroar,andthenhewentonquietlytoshowhowtheymustlosetheCourt-Housesiteiftheydidnotsendhimtothelegislature,andhow,whiletheymightnotgetitiftheydidsendhim,itwastheironlyhopetosendonlyhim。
  Thecrowdhadgrownsomewhathostileagain,anditwasafteronetellingperiod,whentheHon。Samuelstoppedtomophisbrow,thatagiganticmountaineerroseintherearofthecrowd:
  ``Talkon,stranger;you’retalkingsense。I’lltrustye。You’vegotbigears!’’
  NowtheHon。Samuelpossessedaprimordialtalentthatisratherrareinthesephysicallydegeneratedays。Hesaidnothing,butstoodquietlyinthemiddleoftheroad。Theeyesofthecrowdoneithersideoftheroadbegantobulge,thelipsofallopenedwithwonder,andasimultaneousburstoflaughterrosearoundtheHon。SamuelBudd。Adozenmensprangtotheirfeetandrusheduptohim——lookingatthoseremarkableears,astheygravelywaggedtoandfro。Thatsettledthings,andasweleft,theHon。Samwashavingthingshisownway,andontheedgeofthecrowdUncleTommieHendrickswasshakinghishead:
  ``Itellye,boys,heain’tnojackassevenifhecanflophisears。’’
  Attheriverwestartedupstream,andsomeimpulsemademeturninmysaddleandlookback。AllthetimeIhadhadaneyeopenfortheyoungmountaineerwhoseinterestinusseemedtobesokeen。AndnowIsaw,standingattheheadofagrayhorse,ontheedgeofthecrowd,atallfigurewithhishandsonhishipsandlookingafterus。Icouldn’tbesure,butitlookedliketheWildDog。
  IV
  CLOSEQUARTERS
  TwohoursuptheriverwestruckBuck。Buckwassittingonthefencebytheroadside,barefootedandhatless。
  ``How-dye-do?’’Isaid。
  ``Purtywell,’’saidBuck。
  ``Anyfishinthisriver?’’
  ``Several,’’saidBuck。Nowinmountainspeech,``several’’meanssimply``agoodmany。’’
  ``Anyminnowsinthesebranches?’’
  ``Iseedseveralinthebranchbacko’
  ourhouse。’’
  ``Howfarawaydoyoulive?’’
  ``Oh,’boutonewhoopan’aholler。’’IfhehadspokenGreektheBlightcouldnothavebeenmorepuzzled。Hemeanthelivedasfarasaman’svoicewouldcarrywithoneyellandaholla。
  ``Willyouhelpmecatchsome?’’
  Bucknodded。
  ``Allright,’’Isaid,turningmyhorseuptothefence。``Getonbehind。’’Thehorseshiedhishindquartersaway,andI
  pulledhimback。
  ``Now,youcangeton,ifyou’llbequick。’’Bucksatstill。
  ``Yes,’’hesaidimperturbably;``butI
  ain’tquick。’’Thetwogirlslaughedaloud,andBucklookedsurprised。
  Aroundacurvingcornfieldwewent,andthroughameadowwhichBucksaidwasa``nighcut。’’Fromthelimbofatreethatwepassedhungapieceofwirewithanironringswingingatitsupturnedend。Alittlefartherwasanothertreeandanotherring,andfartheronanotherandanother。
  ``Forheaven’ssake,Buck,whatarethesethings?’’
  ``Mart’sa-gittin’readyferatourneyment。’’
  ``Awhat?’’
  ``That’swhutMartcallshit。HewasovertotheGaplastFourtho’July,an’hesaysfellersovertharfixuplikeKukluxandgoa-chargin’onhossesandtakin’offthemringswithaash-stick——`spear,’Martcallshit。Hecomebackan’hesayshe’sa-goin’towinthatartourneymentnextFourtho’July。He’sgotthebesthossupthisriver,andonSundayshiman’DaveBranhamgoesa-chargin’alongherea-pickingofftheseringsjus’a-flyin’;an’Martcandohit,I’mtellin’ye。Dave’smightygoodhisself,butheain’tnowhar’longsideo’Mart。’’
  Thiswasstrange。IhadtoldtheBlightaboutourFourthofJuly,andhowontheVirginiasidetheancientcustomofthetournamentstillsurvived。ItwasonthelastFourthofJulythatshehadmeanttocometotheGap。Trulycivilizationwasspreadingthroughoutthehills。
  ``Who’sMart?’’
  ``Mart’smybrother,’’saidlittleBuck。
  ``HewasovertotheGapnotlongago,an’hecomebackmadashops——’’Hestoppedsuddenly,andinsuchawaythatIturnedmyhead,knowingthatcautionhadcaughtBuck。
  ``Whatabout?’’
  ``Oh,nothin’,’’saidBuckcarelessly;
  ``onlyhe’sbeenquareversince。Mysisterssayshe’sgotagaloverthar,an’
  he’sa-pickin’offtheseringsmore’nevernow。He’sgoingtowinorbustabelly-
  band。’’
  ``Well,who’sDaveBranham?’’
  Buckgrinned。``YoujesaxemysisterMollie。Tharsheis。’’
  Beforeuswasawhite-framedhouseoflogsintheporchofwhichstoodtwostalwart,good-lookinggirls。Couldwestayallnight?Wecould——therewasnohesitation——andstraightinwerode。
  ``Where’syourfather?’’Bothgirlsgiggled,andonesaid,withfrankunembarrassment:
  ``Pap’stight!’’Thatdidnotlookpromising,butwehadtostayjustthesame。Buckhelpedmetounhitchthemules,helpedmealsotocatchminnows,andinhalfanhourwestarteddowntherivertotryfishingbeforedarkcame。
  Bucktrottedalong。
  ``Haveyougotawagon,Buck?’’
  ``Whatfer?’’
  ``Tobringthefishback。’’Buckwasnottobecaughtnapping。
  ``Wegotthatsledthar,buthitwon’tbebigenough,’’hesaidgravely。``An’
  ourtwo-hosswagon’soutinthecornfield。
  We’llhavetostringthefish,leave’emintheriverandgofer’eminthemornin’。’’
  ``Allright,Buck。’’TheBlightwasgreatlyamusedatBuck。
  Twohundredyardsdowntheroadstoodhissistersoverthefigureofamanoutstretchedintheroad。Unashamed,theysmiledatus。Themanintheroadwas``pap’’——tight——andtheyweretryingtogethimhome。
  Wecastintoadarkpoolfartherdownandfishedmostpatiently;notabite——notanibble。
  ``Arethereanyfishinhere,Buck?’’
  ``Dunno——usedterbe。’’Theshadowsdeepened;wemustgobacktothehouse。
  ``Isthereadambelowhere,Buck?’’
  ``Yes,thar’sadamaboutahalf-miledowntheriver。’’
  Iwasdisgusted。Nowondertherewerenobassinthatpool。
  ``Whydidn’tyoutellmethatbefore?’’
  ``Youneveraxedme,’’saidBuckplacidly。
  Ibeganwindinginmyline。
  ``Ain’tnobottomtothatpool,’’saidBuck。
  NowIneversawanyruralcommunitywheretherewasnotabottomlesspool,andIsuddenlydeterminedtoshakeonetraditioninatleastonecommunity。SoItookanextrafish-line,tiedastonetoit,andclimbedintoacanoe,Buckwatchingme,butnotaskingaword。
  ``Getin,Buck。’’
  SilentlyhegotinandIpushedoff——tothecentre。
  ``Thisthedeepestpart,Buck?’’
  ``Ireckonso。’’
  Idroppedinthestoneandthelinereeledoutsomefiftyfeetandbegantocoilonthesurfaceofthewater。
  ``Iguessthat’sonthebottom,isn’tit,Buck?’’
  Bucklookedgenuinelydistressed;butpresentlyhebrightened。
  ``Yes,’’hesaid,``efhitain’tonaturtle’sback。’’
  LiterallyIthrewupbothhandsandbackwetrailed——fishless。
  ``Reckonyouwon’tneedthattwo-hosswagon,’’saidBuck。
  ``No,Buck,Ithinknot。’’BucklookedattheBlightandgavehimselfthepleasureofhisfirstchuckle。Abigcrackling,cheerfulfireawaitedus。ThroughthedoorI
  couldsee,outstretchedonabedinthenextroom,thelimpfigureof``pap’’inalcoholicsleep。Theoldmother,big,kind-
  faced,explained——andtherewasaheavenofkindnessandcharityinherdrawlingvoice。
  ``Daddidn’oftengitthata-way,’’shesaid;``buthe’dbeenouta-huntin’hawgsthatmornin’andhadmetupwithsometeamstersandgonetoapoliticalspeakin’
  andhadtukadramortwooftheirmeanwhiskey,andnothavin’nothin’onhisstummick,hithadallgonetohishead。
  No,`pap’didn’tgitthata-wayoften,andhe’dbeallrightjes’assoonashesleptitoffawhile。’’TheoldwomanmovedaboutwithacaneandthesympatheticBlightmerelylookedaquestionather。
  ``Yes,she’dfelldownayearago——andhadsorto’hurtherself——didn’tdonothin’,though,’ceptbreakonehip,’’sheadded,inherkind,patientoldvoice。Didmanypeoplestopthere?Oh,yes,sometimesfifteenatatime——they``neverturnednobodyaway。’’Andshehadabigfamily,littleCindyandthetwobiggirlsandBuckandMart——whowasoutsomewhere——andthehiredman,andyes——``Tharwasanotherboy,buthewasfitified,’’saidoneofthebigsisters。
  ``Ibegyourpardon,’’saidthewonderingBlight,butsheknewthatphrasewouldn’tdo,sosheaddedpolitely:
  ``Whatdidyousay?’’
  ``Fitified——Tomhasfits。He’sinaasyluminthesettlements。’’
  ``Tomcomebackoncean’hewasallright,’’saidtheoldmother;``butheworriedsomuchoverthemgalsworkin’sohardthatitplum’throwedhimoffag’in,andwehadtosendhimback。’’
  ``Doyouworkprettyhard?’’Iaskedpresently。Thenastorycamethatwasfullofunconsciouspathos,becausetherewasnohintofcomplaint——simplyaplainstatementofdailylife。Theygotupbeforethemen,inordertogetbreakfastready;
  thentheywentwiththemenintothefields——thosetwogirls——andworkedlikemen。
  Atdarktheygotsupperready,andafterthemenwenttobedtheyworkedon——
  washingdishesandclearingupthekitchen。
  Theytookitturnaboutgettingsupper,andsometimes,onesaid,shewas``soplumbtuckeredoutthatshe’ddraponthebedandgotosleeprutherthaneatherownsupper。’’NowonderpoorTomhadtogobacktotheasylum。Allthewhilethetwogirlsstoodbythefirelooking,politelybutminutely,atthetwostrangegirlsandtheircuriousclothesandtheirboots,andthewaytheydressedtheirhair。Theirhardlifeseemedtohavehurtthemnone——forbothwerethepicturesofhealth——whateverthatphrasemeans。
  Aftersupper``pap’’camein,perfectlysober,withabigruddyface,giantframe,andtwinklinggrayeyes。HewasthemanwhohadrisentospeakhisfaithintheHon。SamuelBuddthatdayonthesizeoftheHon。Samuel’sears。He,too,wasunashamedand,asheexplainedhisplightagain,hediditwithlittleapology。
  ``Iseedyeatthespeakin’to-day。ThatmanBuddisagoodman。Hedonesomethin’
  feraboyo’mineoverattheGap。’’
  LikelittleBuck,he,too,stoppedshort。
  ``He’sagoodmanan’I’ma-goin’tohelphim。’’
  Yes,herepeated,quiteirrelevantly,itwashuntinghogsalldaywithnothingtoeatandonlymeanwhiskeytodrink。
  Marthadnotcomeinyet——hewas``workin’out’’now。
  ``He’sthebestworkerinthesemountains,’’saidtheoldwoman;``Martworkstoohard。’’
  Thehiredmanappearedandjoinedusatthefire。Bedtimecame,andIwhisperedjokinglytotheBlight:
  ``IbelieveI’llaskthatgood-lookingoneto`setup’withme。’’``Settin’up’’
  iswhatcourtingiscalledinthehills。Thecouplesitupinfrontofthefireaftereverybodyelsehasgonetobed。Themanputshisarmaroundthegirl’sneckandwhispers;thensheputsherarmaroundhisneckandwhispers——sothattherestmaynothear。ThisIhadrelatedtotheBlight,andnowshewitheredme。
  ``Youjustdo,now!’’
  Iturnedtothegirlinquestion,whosenamewasMollie。``BucktoldmetoaskyouwhoDaveBranhamwas。’’Molliewheeled,blushingandangry,butBuckhaddartedcacklingoutthedoor。``Oh,’’I
  said,andIchangedthesubject。``Whattimedoyougetup?’’
  ``Oh,’boutcracko’day。’’Iwastired,andthatwasdiscouraging。
  ``Doyougetupthatearlyeverymorning?’’
  ``No,’’wasthequickanswer;``amornin’later。’’
  Amorninglater,Molliegotup,eachmorning。TheBlightlaughed。
  Prettysoonthetwogirlsweretakenintothenextroom,whichwasalongone,withonebedinonedarkcorner,oneintheother,andathirdbedinthemiddle。Thefemininemembersofthefamilyallfollowedthemoutontheporchandwatchedthembrushtheirteeth,fortheyhadneverseentooth-brushesbefore。Theywatchedthemprepareforbed——andIcouldhearmuchgigglingandcommentandmanyquestions,allofwhichculminated,byandby,inachorusofshriekinglaughter。
  Thatclimax,asIlearnednextmorning,wasovertheBlight’shot-waterbag。
  Neverhadtheireyesrestedonanarticleofmorewonderandhumorthanthatwaterbag。
  Byandby,thefemininememberscamebackandwesataroundthefire。StillMartdidnotappear,thoughsomebodysteppedintothekitchen,andfromthewarningglancethatMolliegaveBuckwhenshelefttheroomIguessedthatthenewcomerwasherloverDave。Prettysoontheoldmanyawned。
  ``Well,mammy,Ireckonthisstranger’saboutreadytolaydown,ifyou’vegotaplaceferhim。’’
  ``Gitalight,Buck,’’saidtheoldwoman。Buckgotalight——achimneyless,smokingoil-lamp——andledmeintothesameroomwheretheBlightandmylittlesisterwere。Theirheadswerecoveredup,butthebedinthegloomofonecornerwasshakingwiththeirsmotheredlaughter。
  Buckpointedtothemiddlebed。
  ``Icangetalongwithoutthatlight,Buck,’’Isaid,andImusthavebeenratherhaughtyandabrupt,forastifledshriekcamefromunderthebedclothesinthecornerandBuckdisappearedswiftly。
  Preparationsforbedaresimpleinthemountains——theywereprimitivelysimpleformethatnight。Beinginknickerbockers,Imerelytookoffmycoatandshoes。Presentlysomebodyelsesteppedintotheroomandthebedintheothercornercreaked。Silenceforawhile。
  Thenthedooropened,andtheheadoftheoldwomanwasthrustin。
  ``Mart!’’shesaidcoaxingly;``gituptharnowan’climboverinterbedwiththatarstranger。’’
  ThatwasMartatlast,overinthecorner。Martturned,grumbled,and,tomygreatpleasure,sworethathewouldn’t。
  Theoldwomanwaitedamoment。
  ``Mart,’’shesaidagainwithgentleimperiousness,``gituptharnow,Itellye——you’vegottosleepwiththattharstranger。’’
  SheclosedthedoorandwithasnortMartpiledintobedwithme。Igavehimplentyofroomanddidnotintroducemyself。Alittlemoredarksilence——theshakingofthebedunderthehilarityofthoseastonished,bethrilled,butthoroughlyunfrightenedyoungwomeninthedarkcorneronmyleftceased,andagainthedooropened。Thistimeitwasthehiredman,andIsawthatthetroublewaseitherthatneitherMartnorBuckwantedtosleepwiththehiredmanorthatneitherwantedtosleepwithme。AlongsilenceandthentheboyBuckslippedin。Thehiredmandeliveredhimselfwiththeintonationsomewhatofacircuitrider。
  ``I’vebeena-watchin’thatstarthar,throughthewinder。Sometimeshitmoves,thenhitstandsplum’still,an’ag’inhitgitstopitchin’。’’Thehiredmanmusthavebeentouchingupmeanwhiskeyhimself。
  Meanwhile,Martseemedtobehavingspellsoftroubledslumber。Hewouldsnoregently,accentuatesaidsnorewithasuddenquiverofhisbodyandthenwakeupwithaclimactericsnortandstartthatwouldshakethebed。Thiswasrepeatedseveraltimes,andIbegantothinkoftheunfortunateTomwhowas``fitified。’’
  Martseemedonthevergeofafithimself,andIwaitedapprehensivelyforeachsnortingclimaxtoseeiffitswereafamilyfailing。Theywerenot。PeaceovercameMartandhesleptdeeply,butnotI。Thehiredmanbegantoshowsymptoms。Hewouldrollandgroan,dreamingoffeuds,_quorumparsmagnafuit_,itseemed,andofreligiousconversion,inwhichhefearedhewasnotsogreat。Twicehesaidaloud:
  ``An’Itellyoutharwouldn’taoneof’emhavesaidawordifI’dbeenkilledstone-dead。’’Twicehesaiditalmostweepingly,andnowandthenhewouldgroanappealingly:
  ``OLawd,havemercyonmyporesoul!’’
  Fortunatelythosetwotiredgirlsslept——
  Icouldheartheirbreathing——butsleeptherewaslittleforme。Oncethetroubledsoulwiththehoegotupandstumbledouttothewater-bucketontheporchtosoothethefeverorwhateveritwasthatwasburninghim,andafterthathewasquiet。
  Iawokebeforeday。Thedimlightatthewindowshowedanemptybed——Buckandthehiredmanweregone。Martwasslippingoutofthesideofmybed,butthegirlsstillslepton。IwatchedMart,forIguessedImightnowseewhat,perhaps,isthedistinguishingtraitofAmericancivilizationdowntoitsbed-rock,asyoufinditthroughtheWestandintheSouthernhills——achivalrousrespectforwomen。
  MartthoughtIwasasleep。OverinthecornerweretwocreaturesthelikeofwhichIsupposedhehadneverseenandwouldnotsee,sincehecameintoolatethenightbefore,andwasgoingawaytooearlynow——andtwoangelsstraightfromheavencouldnothavestirredmycuriosityanymorethantheyalreadymusthavestirredhis。ButnotoncedidMartturnhiseyes,muchlesshisface,towardthecornerwheretheywere——notonce,forIwatchedhimclosely。Andwhenhewentouthesenthislittlesisterbackforhisshoes,whichthenight-walkinghiredmanhadaccidentallykickedtowardthefootofthestrangers’bed。InaminuteIwasoutafterhim,buthewasgone。Behindmethetwogirlsopenedtheireyesonaroomthatwasemptysaveforthem。ThentheBlightspoke(thisIwastoldlater)。
  ``Dear,’’shesaid,``haveourroom-
  matesgone?’’
  Breakfastatdawn。Themountaingirlswerereadytogotowork。Alllookedsorrytohaveusleave。Theyaskedustocomebackagain,andtheymeantit。Wesaidwewouldliketocomeback——andwemeantit——toseethem——thekindoldmother,thepioneer-likeoldman,sturdylittleBuck,shylittleCindy,theelusive,hard-working,unconsciouslyshiveryMart,andthetwobigsisters。Aswestartedbackuptheriverthesistersstartedforthefields,andIthoughtoftheirstrickenbrotherinthesettlements,whomusthavebeenmuchlikeMart。
  BackuptheBigBlackMountainwetoiled,andlateintheafternoonwewereontheStatelinethatrunsthecrestoftheBigBlack。RightontopandbisectedbythatStatelinesatadingylittleshack,andthere,withonelegthrownoverthepommelofhissaddle,satMarston,drinkingwaterfromagourd。
  ``Iwascomingovertomeetyou,’’hesaid,smilingattheBlight,who,greatlypleased,smiledbackathim。Theshackwasa``blindTiger’’wherewhiskeycouldbesoldtoKentuckiansontheVirginiasideandtoVirginiansontheKentuckyside。
  Hangingaroundweretheslouchingfiguresofseveralmoonshinersandthevillainousfellowwhoranit。
  ``Theyarerealonesallright,’’saidMarston。``Oneofthemkilledarevenueofficeratthatfrontdoorlastweek,andwaskilledbytheposseashewastryingtoescapeoutofthebackwindow。Thathousewillbeinashessoon,’’headded。
  Anditwas。
  Aswerodedownthemountainwetoldhimaboutourtripandthepeoplewithwhomwehadspentthenight——andallthetimehewassmilingcuriously。
  ``Buck,’’hesaid。``Oh,yes,Iknowthatlittlechap。Marthadhimposteddownthereontherivertotollyoutohishouse——totollYOU,’’headdedtotheBlight。Hepulledinhishorsesuddenly,turnedandlookeduptowardthetopofthemountain。
  ``Ah,Ithoughtso。’’Wealllookedback。Ontheedgeofthecliff,farupward,onwhichthe``blindTiger’’satwasagrayhorse,andonitwasamanwho,motionless,waslookingdownatus。
  ``He’sbeenfollowingyoualltheway,’’
  saidtheengineer。
  ``Who’sbeenfollowingus?’’Iasked。
  ``That’sMartupthere——myfriendandyours,’’saidMarstontotheBlight。``I’mrathergladIdidn’tmeetyouontheothersideofthemountain——that’s`theWildDog。’’’TheBlightlookedincredulous,butMarstonknewthemanandknewthehorse。
  SoMart——hard-workingMart——wastheWildDog,andhewascontenttodotheBlightallservicewithoutthanks,merelyfortheprivilegeofsecretlyseeingherfacenowandthen;andyethewouldnotlookuponthatfacewhenshewasaguestunderhisroofandasleep。
  Still,whenwedroppedbehindthetwogirlsIgaveMarstontheHon。Sam’swarning,andforamomenthelookedrathergrave。
  ``Well,’’hesaid,smiling,``ifI’mfoundintheroadsomeday,you’llknowwhodidit。’’
  Ishookmyhead。``Oh,no;heisn’tthatbad。’’
  ``Idon’tknow,’’saidMarston。
  Thesmokeoftheyoungengineer’scokeovenslayfarbelowusandtheBlighthadneverseenacoke-plantbefore。ItlookedlikeHadesevenintheearlydusk——thesnake-likecoiloffieryovensstretchingupthelong,deepravine,andthesmoke-
  streakedcloudsoffire,trailinglikeayellowmistoverthem,withafiercewhiteblastshootinguphereandtherewhenthelidofanovenwasraised,asthoughtoaddfreshtemperaturetosomeparticularmale-
  factorinsomeparticularchamberoftorment。
  Humanityaboutwasjoyous,however。
  Laughterandbanterandsongcamefromthecabinsthatlinedthebigravineandthelittleravinesopeningintoit。A
  banjotinkledattheentranceof``PossumTrot,’’sacredtothedarkies。Wemovedtowardit。Onthestoopsatanecstaticpickerandinthedustshuffledthreepickaninnies——oneboyandtwogirls——theyoungestnotfiveyearsold。Thecrowdthatwasgatheredaboutthemgavewayrespectfullyaswedrewnear;thelittledarkiesshowedtheirwhiteteethinjollygrins,andtheirfeetshookthedustinhappycompetition。IshoweredafewcoinsfortheBlightandonwewent——intothemouthofthemany-peakedGap。ThenighttrainwascominginandeverybodyhadasmileofwelcomefortheBlight——
  post-officeassistant,drugclerk,soda-waterboy,telegraphoperator,hostler,whocameforthemules——andwhentired,buthappy,sheslippedfromhersaddletotheground,shethenandtheregavemewhatsheusuallyreservesforChristmasmorning,andthat,too,whileMarstonwaslookingon。OverhershoulderIsmiledathim。
  ThatnightMarstonandtheBlightsatunderthevinesontheporchuntilthelatemoonroseoverWallensRidge,and,whenbedtimecame,theBlightsaidimpatientlythatshedidnotwanttogohome。Shehadtogo,however,nextday,butonthenextFourthofJulyshewouldsurelycomeagain;and,astheyoungengineermountedhishorseandsethisfacetowardBlackMountain,Iknewthatuntilthatday,forhim,ablightwouldstillbeinthehills。
  V
  BACKTOTHEHILLS
  Winterdrewagrayveiloverthemountains,woveintoittinyjewelsoffrostandturneditmanytimesintoamaskofsnow,beforespringbrokeagainamongthemandinMarston’simpatientheart。Nospringhadeverbeenlikethattohim。Thecomingofyoungleavesandflowersandbird-songmeantbutonejoyforthehillstohim——theBlightwascomingbacktothem。Allthosewearywaitingmonthshehadclunggrimlytohiswork。Hemusthaveheardfromhersometimes,elseIthinkhewouldhavegonetoher;butIknewtheBlight’spenwasreluctantandcasualforanybody,and,moreover,shewashavingastrenuouswinterathome。Thatheknewaswell,forhetookonepaper,atleast,thathemightsimplyreadhername。Hesawaccountsofhermanysocialdoingsaswell,andatehisheartoutaslovershavedoneforalltimegoneandwilldoforalltimetocome。
  I,too,wasawayallwinter,butIgotbackamonthbeforetheBlight,tolearnmuchofinterestthathadcomeabout。
  TheHon。SamuelBuddhadear-waggedhimselfintothelegislature,hadmovedthatCourt-House,andwasgoingtobeStateSenator。TheWildDoghadconfinedhisrecklesscareertohisownhillsthroughthewinter,butwhenspringcame,migratory-like,hebegantotakefrequentwingtotheGap。Sofar,heandMarstonhadnevercomeintopersonalconflict,thoughMarstonkepteverreadyforhim,andseveraltimestheyhadmetintheroad,eyedeachotherinpassingandmadenohipwardgestureatall。ButthenMarstonhadnevermethimwhentheWildDogwasdrunk——andwhensober,Itookitthattheoneactofkindnessfromtheengineeralwaysstayedhishand。ButthePoliceGuardattheGapsawhimquiteoften——
  andtoithewasafearfulandelusivenuisance。Heseemedtobestayingsomewherewithinaradiusoftenmiles,foreverynightortwohewouldcircleaboutthetown,yellingandfiringhispistol,andwhenwechasedhim,escapingthroughtheGaporupthevalleyordowninLee。
  Manyplanswerelaidtocatchhim,butallfailed,andfinallyhecameinonedayandgavehimselfupandpaidhisfines。AfterwardIrecalledthatthetimeofthisgracioussurrendertolawandorderwasbutlittlesubsequenttoonemorningwhenawomanwhobroughtbutterandeggstomylittlesistercasuallyaskedwhenthat``purtyslimlittlegalwiththesnappin’
  blackeyeswasa-comin’back。’’Andthelittlesister,pleasedwiththeremembrance,hadsaidcordiallythatshewascomingsoon。
  ThereaftertheWildDogwasintowneveryday,andhebehavedwelluntiloneSaturdayhegotdrunkagain,andthistime,byapeculiarchance,itwasMarstonagainwholeapedonhim,wrenchedhispistolaway,andputhiminthecalaboose。
  Againhepaidhisfine,promptlyvisiteda``blindTiger,’’camebacktotown,emptiedanotherpistolatMarstononsightandfledforthehills。
  TheenragedguardchasedhimfortwodaysandfromthatdaytheWildDogwasamarkedman。TheGuardwantedmanymen,butiftheycouldhavehadtheirchoicetheywouldhavepickedoutoftheworldofmalefactorsthatsameWildDog。
  WhyallthisshouldhavethrowntheHon。SamuelBuddintosuchgloomIcouldnotunderstand——exceptthattheWildDoghadbeensoloyalahenchmantohiminpolitics,butlaterIlearnedabetterreason,thatthreatenedtocosttheHon。Sammuchmorethanthefinesthat,asIlaterlearned,hehadbeenpayingforhismountainfriend。
  Meanwhile,theBlightwascomingfromherNorthernhomethroughthegreenlowlandsofJersey,thefatpasturesofMaryland,and,asthewhitedressesofschoolgirlsandtheshiningfacesofdarkiesthickenedatthestations,sheknewthatshewasgettingsouthward。Allthewayshewasknownandwelcomed,andnextmorningsheawokewiththekeenairofthedistantmountainsinhernostrilsandanexpectantlightinherhappyeyes。Atleastthelightwastherewhenshesteppeddaintilyfromthedustytrainanditleapedalittle,I
  fancied,whenMarston,bronzedandflushed,heldouthissunburnthand。Likeaconventgirlshebabbledquestionstothelittlesisterasthedummypuffedalongandshebubbledlikewineoverthemidsummergloryofthehills。Andwellshemight,forthegloryofthemountains,full-leafed,shroudedineveningshadows,blue-veiledinthedistance,wasunspeakable,andthroughtheGapthesunwassendinghislastraysasthoughhe,too,meanttotakeapeepatherbeforehestartedaroundtheworldtowelcomehernextday。Andshemustknoweverythingatonce。TheanniversaryoftheGreatDayonwhichallmenwerepronouncedfreeandequalwasonlytendaysdistantandpreparationsweregoingon。Therewouldbeabigcrowdofmountaineersandtherewouldbesportsofallkinds,andgames,butthetournamentwastobethefeatureoftheday。
  ``Atournament?’’``Yes,atournament,’’
  repeatedthelittlesister,andMarstonwasgoingtorideandthemeanthingwouldnottellwhatmediaevalnamehemeanttotake。AndtheHon。SamBudd——didtheBlightrememberhim?(Indeed,shedid)
  ——hada``darkhorse,’’andhehadbetheavilythathisdarkhorsewouldwinthetournament——whereatthelittlesisterlookedatMarstonandattheBlightandsmileddisdainfully。AndtheWildDog——
  DIDsherememberhim?Icheckedthesisterherewithaglance,forMarstonlookeduncomfortableandtheBlightsawmedoit,andonthepointofsayingsomethingshecheckedherself,andherface,I
  thought,paledalittle。
  ThatnightIlearnedwhy——whenshecameinfromtheporchafterMarstonwasgone。Isawshehadwormedenoughofthestoryoutofhimtoworryher,forherfacethistimewasdistinctlypale。Iwouldtellhernomorethansheknew,however,andthenshesaidshewassureshehadseentheWildDogherselfthatafternoon,sittingonhishorseinthebushesnearastationinWildcatValley。Shewassurethathesawher,andhisfacehadfrightenedher。IknewherfrightwasforMarstonandnotforherself,soIlaughedatherfears。Shewasmistaken——WildDogwasanoutlawnowandhewouldnotdareappearattheGap,andtherewasnochancethathecouldharmherorMarston。
  AndyetIwasuneasy。
  Itmusthavebeenahappytendaysforthosetwoyoungpeople。EveryafternoonMarstonwouldcomeinfromtheminesandtheywouldgooffhorsebacktogether,overgroundthatIwellknew——forIhadbeenalloveritmyself——upthroughthegray-peakedrhododendron-borderedGapwiththeswirlingwaterbelowthemandthegrayrockhighabovewhereanothersuchfoolishloverlosthislife,climbingtogetaflowerforhissweetheart,ordownthewindingdirtroadintoLee,orupthroughthebeechwoodsbehindImbodenHill,orclimbingthespurofMorris’sFarmtowatchthesunsetoverthemajesticBigBlackMountains,wheretheWildDoglived,andbackthroughthefragrant,cool,moonlitwoods。Hewasdoinghisbest,Marstonwas,andhewashavingtrouble——aseverymanshould。AndthattroubleIknewevenbetterthanhe,forIhadonceknownaSoutherngirlwhowassotenderofheartthatshecouldrefusenomanwhoreallylovedhersheacceptedhimandsenthimtoherfather,whodidallofherrefusingforher。AndIknewnomanwouldknowthathehadwontheBlightuntilhehadheratthealtarandthepriestlyhandofbenedictionwasaboveherhead。
  OfsuchkindwastheBlight。EverynightwhentheycameinIcouldreadthestoryoftheday,alwaysinhisfaceandsometimesinhers;anditwasaseriesofupsanddownsthatmusthavewrungtheboy’sheartbloodless。StillIwasingoodhopeforhim,untilthecrisiscameonthenightbeforetheFourth。Thequarrelwasasplainasthoughtypewrittenonthefaceofeach。MarstonwouldnotcomeinthatnightandtheBlightwentdinnerlesstobedandcriedherselftosleep。ShetoldthelittlesisterthatshehadseentheWildDogagainpeeringthroughthebushes,andthatshewasfrightened。Thatwasherexplanation——butIguessedabetterone。
  VI
  THEGREATDAY
  Itwasadaytomakegladtheheartofslaveorfreeman。Theearthwascoolfromanight-longrain,andagentlebreezefannedcoolnessfromthenorthalldaylong。Thecloudsweresnow-white,tumbling,ever-moving,andbetweenthemtheskyshowedblueanddeep。Grass,leaf,weedandflowerwereintherichnessthatcomestothegreenthingsoftheearthjustbeforethatfulltideofsummerwhosefoamisdriftingthistledown。Theairwasclearandthemountainsseemedtohavebrushedthehazefromtheirfacesanddrawnnearerthatthey,too,mightbetterseethedoingsofthatday。
  Fromthefourwindsofheaven,thatmorning,camethebraveandthefree。UpfromLee,downfromLittleStoneGap,andfromoverinScott,camethevalley-
  farmers——horseback,inbuggies,hacks,two-horsewagons,withwives,mothers,sisters,sweethearts,inwhitedresses,floweredhats,andmanyribbons,andwithdinner-basketsstuffedwithgoodthingstoeat——oldham,youngchicken,angel-cakeandblackberrywine——tobespreadinthesunlessshadeofgreatpoplarandoak。FromBumHollowandWildcatValleyandfromuptheslopesthatleadtoCracker’sNeckcamesmallertillersofthesoil——asyetbutfaintlymarkedbythegewgawtrappingsoftheouterworld;whilefrombeyondHighKnob,whosecrownisincloud-land,andthroughtheGap,camethemountaineerintheprimitivesimplicityofhomespunandcowhide,wide-brimmedhatandpoke-bonnet,quaintspeech,andslouchinggait。ThroughtheGaphecameintwostreams——theVirginiansfromCrabOrchardandWiseandDickinson,theKentuckiansfromLetcherandfeudalHarlan,beyondtheBigBlack——andnotamancarriedaweaponinsight,forthesternspiritofthatPoliceGuardattheGapwasrespectedwideandfar。Intothetown,whichsitsonaplateausometwentyfeetabovethelevelofthetworiversthatallbutencircleit,theypoured,hitchingtheirhorsesinthestripofwoodsthatrunsthroughtheheartoftheplace,andbroadensintoaprimevalparkthat,fan-like,opensontheovallevelfieldwhereallthingshappenontheFourthofJuly。
  Aboutthestreettheyloitered——lovershandinhand——eatingfruitandcandyanddrinkingsoda-water,orsatonthecurb-stone,motherswithbabiesattheirbreastsandtoddlingchildrenclingingclose——allwaitingforthecelebrationtobegin。
  ItwasagreatdayfortheHon。SamuelBudd。Withacheerysmileandbeaminggoggles,hemovedamonghisconstituents,jokingwithyokels,sayingnicethingstomothers,payinggallantriestogirls,andchuckingbabiesunderthechin。Hefeltpopularandhewas——sopopularthathehadbeguntoseehimselfwithpropheticeyeinacongressionalseatatnodistantday;
  andyet,withal,hewasnotwhollyhappy。
  ``Doyouknow,’’hesaid,``themfellersImadebetswithinthetournamentgottogetherthismorninganddecided,allof’em,thattheywouldn’tletmeoff?Jerusalem,it’smostfivehundreddollars!’’And,lookingthepictureofdismay,hetoldmehisdilemma。
  Itseemsthathis``darkhorse’’wasnoneotherthantheWildDog,whohadbeenpractisingathomeforthistournamentfornearlyayear;andnowthattheWildDogwasanoutlaw,he,ofcourse,wouldn’tandcouldn’tcometotheGap。
  AndsaidtheHon。SamBudd:
  ``ThemfellerssaysIbetI’dBRINGINadarkhorsewhowouldwinthistournament,andifIdon’tBRINGhimin,IlosejustthesameasthoughIhadbroughthiminandhehadn’twon。An’Ireckonthey’vegotme。’’
  ``Iguesstheyhave。’’
  ``Itwouldhavebeenlikepickin’moneyoffablackberry-bush,forIwasgoin’tolettheWildDoghavethatblackhorseo’
  mine——thesteadiestandfastestrunnerinthiscountry——andmy,howthatfellowcanpickofftherings!He’sbeena-practisingforayear,andIbelievehecouldrunthepointo’thatspearofhisthroughalady’sfinger-ring。’’
  ``You’dbettergetsomebodyelse。’’
  ``Ah——that’sit。TheWildDogsentwordhe’dsendoveranotherfeller,namedDaveBranham,whohasbeenpractisingwithhim,who’sjustasgood,hesays,asheis。I’mlookingforhimattwelveo’clock,an’I’mgoin’totakehimdownan’seewhathecandoonthatblackhorseo’mine。
  Butifhe’snogood,Ilosefivehundred,allright,’’andheslopedawaytohisduties。
  ForitwastheHon。Samwhowasmasterofceremoniesthatday。HewasduenowtoreadtheDeclarationofIndependenceinapoplargrovetoallwhowouldlisten;hewastoactasumpireatthechampionshipbase-ballgameintheafternoon,andhewastogivethe``Charge’’totheassembledknightsbeforethetournament。
  Atteno’clockthegamesbegan——andI
  tooktheBlightandthelittlesisterdowntothe``grandstand’’——severaltiersofbacklessbencheswithleavesforacanopyandtheriversingingthroughrhododendronsbehind。Therewasjumpingbroadandhigh,anda100-yarddashandhurdlingandthrowingthehammer,whichtheBlightsaidwerenotinteresting——theyweretoomuchlikecollegesports——andshewantedtoseethebase-ballgameandthetournament。AndyetMarstonwasinthemall——doggedandresistless——histeethsetandhiseyesanywherebutliftedtowardtheBlight,whosecretlyproud,asIbelieved,butopenlydefiant,mentionednothisnameevenwhenhelost,whichwastwiceonly。
  ``Prettygood,isn’the?’’Isaid。
  ``Who?’’shesaidindifferently。
  ``Oh,nobody,’’Isaid,turningtosmile,butnotturningquicklyenough。
  ``What’sthematterwithyou?’’askedtheBlightsharply。
  ``Nothing,nothingatall,’’Isaid,andstraightwaytheBlightthoughtshewantedtogohome。ThethunderoftheDeclarationwasstillrumblinginthepoplargrove。
  ``That’stheHon。SamBudd,’’Isaid。
  ``Don’tyouwanttohearhim?’’
  ``Idon’tcarewhoitisandIdon’twanttohearhimandIthinkyouarehateful。’’
  Ah,dearme,itwasmoreseriousthanI
  thought。Thereweretearsinhereyes,andIledtheBlightandthelittlesisterhome——
  conscience-strickenandhumbled。StillI
  wouldfindthatyoungjackanapesofanengineerandlethimknowthatanybodywhomadetheBlightunhappymustdealwithme。Iwouldtakehimbytheneckandpoundsomesenseintohim。Ifoundhimlofty,uncommunicative,perfectlyalientoanyconsciousnessthatIcouldhaveanyknowledgeofwhatwasgoingoranyrighttopokemynoseintoanybody’sbusiness——
  andIdidnothingexceptgobacktolunch——tofindtheBlightupstairsandthelittlesisterindignantwithme。
  ``Youjustletthemalone,’’shesaidseverely。
  ``Letwhoalone?’’Isaid,lapsingintothespeechofchildhood。
  ``You——just——let——them——alone,’’sherepeated。
  ``I’vealreadymadeupmymindtothat。’’
  ``Well,then!’’shesaid,withanairofsatisfaction,butwhyIdon’tknow。
  Iwentbacktothepoplargrove。TheDeclarationwasoverandthecrowdwasgone,buttherewastheHon。SamuelBudd,moppinghisbrowwithonehand,slappinghisthighwiththeother,andallbutexecutingapigeon-wingontheturf。
  Heturnedgogglesonmethatliterallyshonetriumph。
  ``He’scome——DaveBranham’scome!’’
  hesaid。``He’sbetterthantheWildDog。
  I’vebeentryinghimontheblackhorseand,Lord,howhecantakethemringsoff!
  Ha,won’tIgetintothemfellowswhowouldn’tletmeoffthismorning!Oh,yes,Iagreedtobringinadarkhorse,andI’llbringhiminallright。Thatfivehundredisinmyclothesnow。Youseethatpointyonder?Well,there’sahollowthereandbushesallaround。That’swhereI’mgoingtodresshim。I’vegothisclothesallrightandanameforhim。Thisthingisa-goin’tocomeoffaccordin’toHoyle,Ivanhoe,Four-Quarters-of-Beef,andallthemmediaevalfellows。Justwatchme!’’
  Ibegantogetnewlyinterested,forthatknight’snameIsuddenlyrecalled。LittleBuck,theWildDog’sbrother,hadmentionedhim,whenwewereoverintheKentuckyhills,aspractisingwiththeWildDog——asbeing``mightygood,butnowhar’longsideo’Mart。’’SotheHon。Sammighthaveagoodsubstitute,afterall,andbeingadevoteddiscipleofSirWalter,I
  knewhisknightwouldrival,insplendor,atleast,anythatrodewithKingArthurindaysofold。
  TheBlightwasveryquietatlunch,aswasthelittlesister,andmyefforttobejocosewasalamentablefailure。SoIgavenews。
  ``TheHon。Samhasasubstitute。’’Nocuriosityandnoquestion。
  ``Who——didyousay?Why,DaveBranham,afriendoftheWildDog。
  Don’tyourememberBucktellingusabouthim?’’Noanswer。``Well,Ido——and,bytheway,IsawBuckandoneofthebigsistersjustawhileago。HernameisMollie。DaveBranham,youwillrecall,ishersweetheart。TheotherbigsisterhadtostayathomewithhermotherandlittleCindy,who’ssick。Ofcourse,Ididn’taskthemaboutMart——theWildDog。TheyknewIknewandtheywouldn’thavelikedit。TheWildDog’saround,Iunderstand,buthewon’tdareshowhisface。Everypolicemanintownisonthelookoutforhim。’’IthoughttheBlight’sfaceshowedasignalofrelief。
  ``I’mgoingtoplayshort-stop,’’Iadded。
  ``Oh!’’saidtheBlight,withasmile,butthelittlesistersaidwithsomescorn:
  ``You!’’
  ``I’llshowyou,’’Isaid,andItoldtheBlightaboutbase-ballattheGap。Wehadintroducedbase-ballintotheregionandthevalleyboysandmountainboys,beingswiftrunners,throwinglikearifleshotfromconstantpracticewithstones,andbeinghardasnails,caughtthegamequicklyandwithgreatease。Webeatthemallthetimeatfirst,butnowtheywerebeginningtobeatus。Wehadaleaguenow,andthiswasthechampionshipgameforthepennant。
  ``Itwasrightfunnythefirsttimewebeatanativeteam。Ofcourse,wegottogetherandcheered’em。Theythoughtwewerecheeringourselves,sotheygotredintheface,rushedtogetherandwhoopeditupforthemselvesforabouthalfanhour。’’
  TheBlightalmostlaughed。
  ``Weusedtohavetocarryourgunsaroundwithusatfirstwhenwewenttootherplaces,andwecamenearhavingseveralfights。’’
  ``Oh!’’saidtheBlightexcitedly。``Doyouthinktheremightbeafightthisafternoon?’’
  ``Don’tknow,’’Isaid,shakingmyhead。
  ``It’sprettyhardforeighteenpeopletofightwhennineofthemarepolicemenandtherearefortymorearound。Stillthecrowdmighttakeahand。’’
  This,Isaw,quitethrilledtheBlightandshewasingoodspiritswhenwestartedout。
  ``Marstondoesn’tpitchthisafternoon,’’
  Isaidtothelittlesister。``Heplaysfirstbase。He’ssavinghimselfforthetournament。He’sdonetoomuchalready。’’
  TheBlightmerelyturnedherheadwhileI
  wasspeaking。``AndtheHon。Samwillnotactasumpire。Hewantstosavehisvoice——andhishead。’’
  Theseatsinthe``grandstand’’wereinthesunnow,soIleftthegirlsinadesertedband-standthatstoodonstiltsundertreesonthesouthernsideofthefield,andonalinemidwaybetweenthirdbaseandthepositionofshort-stop。Nowthereisnoenthusiasminanysportthatequalstheexcitementarousedbyaruralbase-ballgameandIneversawtheenthusiasmofthatgameoutdoneexceptbytheexcitementofthetournamentthatfollowedthatafternoon。
  ThegamewascloseandMarstonandIassuredlywerestars——Marstononeofthefirstmagnitude。``Goose-egg’’ononesidematched``goose-egg’’ontheotheruntiltheendofthefifthinning,whentheengineerknockedahome-run。Spectatorsthrewtheirhatsintothetrees,yelledthemselveshoarse,andIsawseveraloldmountaineerswhounderstoodnomoreofbase-ballthanofthelost_digamma_inGreekgoingwildwiththegeneralcontagion。
  DuringtheseinningsIhad``assisted’’intwodoublesandhadfiredinthree``daisycutters’’tofirstmyselfinspiteoftheguyingIgotfromtheopposingrooters。
  ``Four-eyes’’theycalledmeonaccountofmyspectaclesuntilanewnicknamecameatthelasthalfoftheninthinning,whenwewereinthefieldwiththescorefourtothreeinourfavor。Itwasthenthatasmall,fatboywithapapermegaphonelongerthanhewaswaddledoutalmosttofirstbaseandlevellinghistrumpetatme,thunderedoutinasuddensilence:
  ``Hello,FoxyGrandpa!’’Thatwastoomuch。Igotrattled,andwhentherewerethreemenonbasesandtwoout,aswiftgroundercametome,Ifell——catchingit——andthrewwildlytofirstfrommyknees。Iheardshoutsofhorror,anger,anddistressfromeverywhereandmyownheartstoppedbeating——Ihadlostthegame——andthenMarstonleapedintheair——surelyitmusthavebeenfourfeet——
  caughttheballwithhislefthandanddroppedbackonthebag。Thesoundofhisfootonitandtherunner’swasalmostsimultaneous,buttheumpiresaidMarston’swastherefirst。Thenbedlam!Oneofmybrotherswasumpireandthecaptainoftheotherteamwalkedthreateninglyouttowardhim,followedbytwoofhismenwithbase-ballbats。AsIstartedoffmyselftowardsthemIsaw,withthecornerofmyeye,anotherbrotherofminestartinarunfromtheleftfield,andI
  wonderedwhyathird,whowasscoring,satperfectlystillinhischair,particularlyasawell-known,red-headedtoughfromoneofthemineswhohadbeenofficiouslyantagonisticrantowardthepitcher’sboxdirectlyinfrontofhim。Instantlyadozenoftheguardsprangtowardit,somemanpulledhispistol,abillycrackedstraightwayonhishead,andinafewminutesorderwasrestored。Andstillthebrotherscoringhadn’tmovedfromhischair,andIspoketohimhotly。
  ``Keepyourshirton,’’hesaideasily,liftinghisscore-cardwithhislefthandandshowinghisrightclinchedabouthispistolunderit。
  ``Iwasjustwaitingforthatred-headtomakeamove。IguessI’dhavegothimfirst。’’
  IwalkedbacktotheBlightandthelittlesisterandbothofthemlookedveryseriousandfrightened。
  ``Idon’tthinkIwanttoseearealfight,afterall,’’saidtheBlight。``Notthisafternoon。’’
  Itwasalittlesingularandprophetic,butjustasthewordsleftherlipsoneofthePoliceGuardhandedmeapieceofpaper。
  ``Somebodyinthecrowdmusthavedroppeditinmypocket,’’hesaid。Onthepaperwerescrawledthesewords:
  ``_LookoutfortheWildDog!_’’
  IsentthepapertoMarston。
  VII
  ATLAST——THETOURNAMENT
  Atlast——thetournament!
  EverafterwardtheHon。SamuelBuddcalledit``TheGentleandJoyousPassageofArms——notofAshby——
  butoftheGap,by-suh!’’TheHon。
  SamuelhadarrangeditasnearlyafterSirWalteraspossible。Andasuddenleapitwasfromthemostmodernofgamestoagamemostancient。
  NoknightsofoldeverjoustedonalovelierfieldthanthegreenlittlevalleytowardwhichtheHon。Samwavedonebighand。
  Itwaslevel,shornofweeds,ellipticalinshape,andboundinbytreesthatraninasemicirclearoundthebankoftheriver,shutinthesouthernborder,andranbacktothenorthernextremityinaprimevallittleforestthatwood-thrushes,eventhen,weremakingmusical——allofitshutinbyawalloflivinggreen,saveforonenarrowspacethroughwhichtheknightsweretoenter。InfrontwavedWallens’leafyridgeandbehindrosetheCumberlandRangeshoulderingitselfspurbyspur,intothecomingsunsetandcrashingeastwardintothemightybulkofPowell’sMountain,whichloomedsouthwardfromtheheadofthevalley——allnoddingsunnyplumesofchestnut。