The Call of the Cumberlands

"Ef my pap had lived"--the boy's voice was almost accusing--"I'd hev

lamed more then jest ter read an' write en figger a little."

"I hain't got no use fer these newfangled notions." Spicer spoke with

careful curbing of his impatience. "Yore pap stood out fer eddycation.

He had ideas about law an' all that, an' he talked 'em. He got shot ter

death. Yore Uncle John South went down below, an' got ter be a lawyer.

He come home hyar, an' ondertook ter penitentiary Jesse Purvy, when

Jesse was High Sheriff. I reckon ye knows what happened ter him."

Samson said nothing and the older man went on: "They aimed ter run him outen the mountings."

"They didn't run him none," blazed the boy. "He didn't never leave the

mountings."

"No." The family head spoke with the force of a logical climax. "He'd

done rented a house down below though, an' was a-fixin' ter move. He

staid one day too late. Jesse Purvy hired him shot."

"What of hit?" demanded Samson.

"Yore cousin, Bud Spicer, was eddicated. He 'lowed in public thet

Micah Hollman an' Jesse Purvy was runnin' a murder partnership.

Somebody called him ter the door of his house in the night-time ter

borry a lantern--an' shot him ter death."

"What of hit?"

"Thar's jist this much of hit. Hit don't seem ter pay the South family

ter go a-runnin' attar newfangled idees. They gets too much notion of

goin' ter law--an' thet's plumb fatal. Ye'd better stay where ye

b'longs, Samson, an' let good enough be."

"Why hain't ye done told about all the rest of the Souths thet didn't

hev no eddication," suggested the youngest South, "thet got killed off

jest as quick as them as had hit?"