der. He must feed and often clothe his followers, and young Jasper
had not the means to carry on the feud. The famine had made corn dear.
He could feed neither man nor horse, and the hired feudsmen fell away,
leaving the Lewallens and the Braytons and their close kin to battle
alone. So Jasper avoided open combat and resorted to ambush and
surprise; and, knowing in some way every move made by the Stetsons, with
great daring and success. It was whispered, too, that he no longer cared
who owned what he might want for himself. Several dark deeds were traced
to him. In a little while he was a terror to good citizens, and finally
old Gabe asked aid of the Governor. Soldiers from the settlements were
looked for any day, and both factions knew it. At the least this would
delay the war, and young Jasper had got ready for a last fight, which
was close at hand.

Half a mile on the riders swerved into a wooded slope. There they hid
their horses in the brush, and climbed the spur stealthily. The naked
woods showed the cup-like shape of the mountains there-a basin from
which radiated upward wooded ravines, edged with ribs of rock. In this
basin the Stetsons were encamped. The smoke of a fire was visible in the
dim morning light, and the Lewallens scattered to surround the camp, but
the effort was vain. A picket saw the creeping figures; his gun echoed
a warning from rock to rock, and with yells the Lewallens ran forward.
Rome sprang from his sleep near the fire, bareheaded, rifle in hand, his
body plain against a huge rock, and the bullets hissed and spat about
him as he leaped this way and that, firing as he sprang, and shouting
for his men. Steve Marcum alone answered. Some, startled from sleep,
had fled in a panic; some had run deeper into the woods for shelter. And
bidding Steve save himself, Rome turned up the mountain, running
from tree to tree, and dropped unhurt behind a fallen chestnut. Other
Stetsons, too, had turned, and answering bullets began to whistle to
the enemy, but they were widely separated and ignorant of one another's
position, and the Lewallens drove them one by one to new hiding-places,
scattering them more. To his right Rome saw Steve Marcum speed like
a shadow up through a little open space, but he feared to move, for
several Lewallens had recognized him, and were watching him alone. He
could not even fire; at the least exposure there was a chorus of bullets
about his ears. In a moment they began to come obl