n!" he said, and he took the
pistol from the woman's hands, strode straight up to Jerry and smiled.
Now, from the top of Virginia down through seven Southern States to
Georgia there are some three million mountaineers, and it is doubtful
if among them all any other three pairs of ears ever heard such words
as Professor James Blagden of New England spoke now:

"Jerry, I don't blame you for having loved Juno, or for loving her now.
I wouldn't blame anybody. I even understand now why you wanted to kill
me, but that would have been--silly. Give him back his gun, Pleasant,"
he added, still smiling, "and give this one back to Jay." He reached in
his pocket, pulled forth two cigars and handed one to each. "Now you two
sit down and smoke, and in a moment I'll go along with you, and we'll
help Jerry get a job." And thereupon Doctor Jim turned around to his
little patient. Dazed and a bit hypnotized, Jerry took the cigar and
thrust his pistol into his holster.

"I'll be gittin' along," he said sullenly, and made for the door. Pleasant
followed him. At the road Jerry turned one way and Pleasant the other.

"You heered whut Mandy and me said," drawled Pleasant. "If you poke yore
nose over the line 'bout three of us will shoot you on sight. We'd do it
fer Juno, an' if she ain't alive we'll do it fer Doctor Jim."

"I was a-goin' over thar anyways," said Jerry, "an' I'll come back when I
please. You one-legged limb o' Satan--you go plum'"--Pleasant's eyes began
to glitter--"back to him."

Pleasant laughed, and as they walked their separate ways the same question
was in the minds of both:

"Now, whut the hell did he mean by 'silly'?"

IV

Only the next morning a happy day dawned. Old King Camp came home with his
sons--two stalwart boys and a giant father. Doctor Jim looked long at old
King's hair, which was bushy and jet-black. He stood it as long as he could
and then he asked:

"Why do people on the other side of the mountain call you _Red_ King Camp?"
he asked.

"They don't--not more'n once," was the grim answer. "I'm _Black_ King Camp.
Red's my cousin, but I don't claim him."

One load was off Doctor Jim's heart. His father-in-law was like his name
in many ways, and Doctor Jim liked him straightway and Black King liked
Doctor Jim. Old King shook his head.

"I don't see why Juno didn't bring you down here long ago," he said, and
Doctor Jim did not try to explain--he couldn't. It must have been fear of
Jerry--and he