United States or Zimbabwe ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"I believe there were not very many arrests all over the country last census. But the law's there, just the same." "It wouldn' be a law on the Ridge," the mountaineer said, "an' I don' believe it would do yo' any good anywhar else. On the mount'ns, I know, courtesy is a whole lot bigger word than constitution.
Those that went on, down into the Blue Grass region, went boomin' right ahead, but those that stayed in the mount'ns had no chance." "I don't see why not?" objected the boy. "They were jes' cut off from everywhar. We are to-day, for that matter. When a place gets settled, an' starts to try an' raise somethin' to sell, the product has got to be taken to market.
"Some o' the po' whites down in the gullies talk about it, but thar's mo' difference between the folks in the gullies an' on the Ridge th'n there is between the mount'ns an' the Blue Grass. They are different, an' they look different, too." "Bill Wilsh certainly does," agreed Hamilton, "but I thought at first it was because he was tired out with a long walk after a day's work."
Between thar and Union, thar's a bunch o' Mescalo Apaches raisin' thunder. One lot got as far as the Caches, an' burned a wagon train, but were run back into the mount'ns. Troops are out along both sides the Valley, an' thar ain't been no stage held up, nor station attacked along the Arkansas. I reckon yer pa 'll have an escort waitin' at the crossin'?"
"Wa'al, he said that when you slid down from a high place it was harder to climb back than if the fall had b'n small. An' that's why it's so hard for those who have gone down, they can see the depth o' the fall." Hamilton, who was of an argumentative turn of mind, would have protested at this, but the old mountaineer proceeded. "When the pioneers settled in the mount'ns they kind o' stuck.
"Thar's a-plenty o' folks hyeh in the mount'ns that yo' c'n never make see how knowin' their private affairs does the gov'nment any good." "But you don't feel that way, Uncle Eli, surely?" "Wa'al, I don' know. Settin' here talkin' about it, I know it's all right, an' I'm willin' to tell all I know.
Feuds don't spring up just for nothing." "Thar was a while once we had a powerful clever talker up hyeh," the Kentuckian answered, "actin' as schoolmaster for a few weeks. I reckon he'd offered to substitute jes' to get a chance to see for himself what life in the mount'ns was like. He was writin' a book about it.
Hamilton looked down at the lad, and wanted to cheer him up, but he could not see what would be likely to bring the schoolmaster back, and so he answered: "I'm afraid not, Bill. But he might, you know." "I reckon not. But I'd like him to know he a'nt fo'gotten in the mount'ns.
Who got her into the box- factory, I should like to know?" "I did!" said 'Manda Grier, turning sharply on him, "and you kept her there; and between us we've killed her." "How have I kept her there, I should like to know?" "'F you'd done's she wanted you should, she might 'a' been at some pleasant place in the country the mount'ns, or somewhere 't she'd been ov'r her cough by this time. But no!
The ocean o' progress," went on the mountaineer, with a flourish, "has rolled all 'roun' the mount'ns, but of all the fleets o' commerce in all these years, thar has not been one to send out a boat to help the marooned mount'neer." "Didn't they ever try to get help?" queried the boy. "We're not askin' help," the Kentuckian said, "thar's no whinin' on the mount'ns.
Word Of The Day