p."

After this Ike realized that he had been working with something tougher
than iron, harder than steel,--his own unsubdued nature. He traced an
analogy from the forge; and he saw that those strong forces, the fires
of conscience and the coercion of duty, had wrought the stubborn metal
of his character to a kindly use.

Gradually the relinquishment of his wild, vague ambition began to seem
less bitter to him; for it might be that these were the few things over
which he should be faithful,--his own forge-fire and his own fiery
heart. And so he labors to fulfill his trust.

The spring never comes to Poor Valley. The summer is a cloud of dust.
The autumn shrouds itself in mist. And the winter is snow. But poverty
of soil need not imply poverty of soul. And a noble manhood may nobly
exist "'Way Down in Poor Valley."

A MOUNTAIN STORM

"Ef the filly war bridle-wise"--

"The filly _air_ bridle-wise."

A sullen pause ensued, and the two brothers looked angrily at each
other.

The woods were still; the sunshine was faint and flickering; the low,
guttural notes of a rain-crow broke suddenly on the silence.

Presently Thad, mechanically examining a bridle which he held in his
hand, began again in an appealing tone: "'Pears like ter me ez the filly
air toler'ble well bruk ter the saddle, an' she would holp me powerful
ter git thar quicker ter tell dad 'bout'n that thar word ez war fotched
up the mounting. They 'lowed ez 'twar jes' las' night ez them revenue
men raided a still-house, somewhar down thar in the valley, an' busted
the tubs, an' sp'iled the coppers, an' arrested all the moonshiners ez
war thar. An' ef they war ter find out 'bout'n this hyar still-house
over yander in the gorge, they'd raid it, too. An' thar be dad," he
continued despairingly, "jes' sodden with whiskey an' ez drunk ez a
fraish b'iled ow_el_, an' he wouldn't hev the sense nor the showin' ter
make them off'cers onderstand ez he never hed nothin' ter do with the
moonshiners--'ceptin' ter go ter thar still-house, an' git drunk along
o' them. An' I dunno whether the off'cers would set much store by that
sayin' ennyhow, an' I want ter git dad away from thar afore they kem."

"I don't believe that thar word ez them men air a-raidin' round the
mountings no more 'n _that_!" and Ben kicked away a pebble
contemptuously.

Thad was in a quiver of anxiety. While Ben indulged his doubts, the
paternal "B'iled Ow_el_" might at any moment be arres