A Cumberland Vendetta | Page 4

eyes that are deeply pathetic when not cunning;
ignorantly credited with idiocy and uncanny powers; treated with much
forbearance, some awe, and a little contempt; and suffered to do his
pleasure-nothing, or much that is strange-without comment.
"I tell ye, Rome," he said, taking up the thread of talk that was broken
at the cave, "when Uncle Gabe says he's afeard thar's trouble comm',
hit's a-comm'; 'n' I want you to git me a Winchester. I'm a-gittin' big
enough now. I kin shoot might' nigh as good as you, 'n' whut am I fit
fer with this hyeh old pawpaw pop-gun?"
"I don't want you fightin', boy, I've told ye. Y'u air too little 'n' puny, 'n'
I want ye to stay home 'n' take keer o' mam 'n' the cattle-ef fightin' does
come, I reckon thar won't be triuch."
Don't ye? " cried the boy, with sharp contempt-" with ole Jas Lewallen
a-devilin' Uncle Rufe, 'n' that blackheaded young Jas a-climbin' on
stumps over thar 'cross the river, n' crowin' n' sayin' out open in Hazlan
that ye air afeard o him? Yes; 'n' he called me a idgit." The boy's voice
broke into a whimper of rage.
"Shet up, Isom! Don't you go gittin' mad now. You'll be sick ag'in. I'll
tend to him when the time comes." Rome spoke with rough kindness,
but ugly lines had gathered at his mouth and forehead. The boy's tears
came and went easily. He drew his sleeve across his eyes, and looked
up the river. Beyond the bend, three huge birds rose into the sunlight
and floated toward them. Close at hand, they swerved side-wise.
"They hain't buzzards," he said, standing up, his anger gone; "look at
them straight wings!
Again the eagles swerved, and two shot across the river. The third
dropped with shut wings to the bare crest of a gaunt old poplar under
them.

"Hit's a young un, Rome Y" said the boy, excitedly. "He's goin' to wait
thar tell the old uns come back. Gimme that gun!
Catching up the Winchester, he slipped over the ledge; and Rome
leaned suddenly forward, looking down at the river.
A group of horsemen had ridden around the bend, and were coming at a
walk down the other shore. Every man carried something across his
saddle-bow. There was a gray horse among them - young Jasper's - and
an evil shadow came into Rome's face, and quickly passed. Near a strip
of woods the gray turned up the mountain from the party, and on its
back he saw the red glint of a woman's dress. With a half-smile he
watched the scarlet figure ride from the woods, and climb slowly up
through the sunny corn. On the spur above and full in the rich yellow
light, she halted, half turning in her saddle. He rose to his feet, to his
full height, his head bare, and thrown far back between his big
shoulders, and, still as statues, the man and the woman looked at each
other across the gulf of darkening air. A full minute the woman sat
motionless, then rode on. At the edge of the woods she stopped and
turned again.
The eagle under Rome leaped one stroke in the air, and dropped like a
clod into the sea of leaves. The report of the gun and a faint cry of
triumph rose from below. It was good marksmanship, but on the cliff
Rome did not heed it. Something had fluttered in the air above the girl's
head, and he laughed aloud. She was waving her bonnet at him.
II
JUST where young Stetson stood, the mountains racing along each
bank of the Cumberland had sent out against each other, by mutual
impulse, two great spurs. At the river's brink they stopped sheer, with
crests uplifted, as though some hand at the last moment had hurled
them apart, and had led the water through the breach to keep them at
peace. To-day the crags looked seamed by thwarted passion; and,
sullen with firs, they made fit symbols of the human hate about the base
of each.

When the feud began, no one knew. Even the original cause was
forgotten. Both families had come as friends from Virginia long ago,
and had lived as enemies nearly half a century. There was hostility
before the war, but, until then, little bloodshed. Through the hatred of
change, characteristic of the mountaineer the world over, the Lewallens
were for the Union. The Stetsons owned a few slaves, and they fought
for them. Peace found both still neighbors and worse foes. The war
armed them, and brought back an ancestral contempt for human life; it
left them a heritage of lawlessness that for mutual protection made
necessary the very means used by their feudal forefathers; personal