Fortner, Glen and Edwards came down as quickly as possible, the latter
spraining his ankle badly by making a venturesome leap to reach the
road first. They found a man that Fortner had shot at stone dead, with
a bullet through his temple. The other two had been struck in the body.
Their horses stood near, looking wonderingly at their prostrate masters.

Bolton was rubbing his bruises and abrasions, and vituperating
everything, from the conduct of the war to the steepness of Kentucky
mountains. Aunt Debby had partially recovered from the stunning of her
fall, and limped slowly up, with her long riding-skirt raised by one
hand. Her lips were compressed, an her great gray eyes blazed with
excitement.

They all went to the side of the road, and looked down at the crushed
and bleeding mass in the creek.

"My God! that's awful," said Henry, with a rising sickness about his
heart, as the excitement began subsiding.

"Plenty good enuf fur scoundrels who rob poor men of all they hev," said
Fortner fiercely, as he re-loaded his rifle. "Hit's not bad enuf fur
thieves an' robbers."

"Hit's God's judgement on the wicked an' the opporessor," said Aunt
Debby, with solemn pitilessness.

"Hadn't we better try to get down there, and help those men out?"
suggested Harry. "Perhaps they are not dead yet."

"Aunt Debby, thet thar hoss thet's rain' his head an' whinnyin'," said
Fortner, with sudden interest, "is Joel Sprigg's roan geldin', sho's
yore bo'n, honey." He pointed to where a shapely head was raised, and
almost human agony looked out of great liquid eyes. "Thet wuz the finest
hoss in Laurel County, an' they've stole 'im from Joel. Hit'll 'bout
break his heart, fur he set a powerful sight o'store on thet there
beast. Pore critter! hit makes me sick ter see 'im suffer thet-a-way!
I've a mind ter put 'im outen his misery, but I'm afeered I can't shoot
'im, so long ez he looks at me with them big pitiful eyes o' his'n. They
go right ter my heart."

"You'd better shoot him," urged Aunt Debby. "Hit's a si ter let an
innocent critter suffer thet-a-way."

Fortner raised his rifle, and sent a bullet through the mangled brute's
brain.

Aunt Debby's eyes became fixed on a point where, a mile away down the
mountain, a bend in the road was visible through an opening in the
trees.

"Look out," she said, as the echoes of the shot died away, "thar comes a
hull lot on 'em."

They looked and saw plainly a large squad of cavalry, w