ep of his arm he added, still quietly:

"Y' all know whut he's done."

The gesture lighted memories of personal wrongs in every breast; he had
tossed a fire-brand among fagots, and an angry light began to burn from
the eyes that watched him.

"Ye know, too, that he thinks he has played the same game with me; but
ye don't know, I reckon, that he had ole Jim Stover 'n' that mis'able
Eli Crump a-hidin' in the bushes to shoot me"--again he grasped the torn
lapel; "that a body warned me to git away from Hazlan; n' the night I
left home they come thar to kill me, 'n' s'arched the house, 'n' skeered
Mollie n' the leetle gal 'most to death."

The mountaineer's self-control was lost suddenly in a furious oath. The
men did know, but in fresh anger they leaned forward in their chairs,
and twisted about with smothered curses. The old woman had stopped
smoking, and was rocking her body to and fro. Her lips were drawn in
upon her toothless gums, and her pipe was clinched against her sunken
breast. The head of the old mountaineer was lifted, and his eyes were
open and shining fiercely.

"I hear as how he says I'm gone fer good. Well, I have been kinder
easy-goin', hatin' to fight, but sence the day I seed Rome's dad thar
dead in his blood, I hev had jes one thing I wanted to do. Thar wasn't
no use stayin' hyeh; I seed that. Rome thar was too leetle, and they was
too many fer me. I knowed it was easier to git a new start out West,
'n' when I come back to the mount'in, hit was to do jes-whut
I'm--going--to--do--now." He wheeled suddenly upon Rome, with one huge
hand lifted. Under it the old woman's voice rose in a sudden wail:

"Yes; 'n' I want to see it done befoh I die. I hain't hyeh fer long, but
I hain't goin' to leave as long as ole Jas is hyeh, 'n' I want ye all to
know it. Ole Jas hev got to go fust. You hear me, Rome? I'm a-talkin' to
you; I'm a-talkin' to you. Hit's yo' time now!"

The frenzied chant raised Rome from his chair. Rufe himself took up the
spirit of it, and his voice was above all caution.

"Yes, Rome! They killed him, boy. They sneaked on him, 'n' shot him to
pieces from the bushes. Yes; hit's yo' time now! Look hyeh, boys!"
He reached above the fireplace and took down an old rifle--his
brother's--which the old mother had suffered no one to touch. He held
it before the fire, pointing to two crosses made near the flash-pan.
"Thar's one fer ole Jim Lewallen! Thar's one fer ole Jas! He got Jim,
but ole Jas h