xt7s7h1dk617 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7s7h1dk617/data/mets.xml Lloyd, John Uri, 1849-1936. 1903  books b92-226-31183073 English Dodd, Mead, : New York : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Birch, Reginald Bathurst, 1856-1943. Red Head  / by John Uri Lloyd ; illustrations and decorations by Reginald B. Birch. text Red Head  / by John Uri Lloyd ; illustrations and decorations by Reginald B. Birch. 1903 2002 true xt7s7h1dk617 section xt7s7h1dk617 









RED HEAD

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R ED HEAD

 










R E D



H EAD



By JOHN URI LLOYD
    Author of" SrRINl;ro)v, ON TlHF PI-I,
    "'A  F1 I F -  11  KN1-),.  eIt-.

ILLUSTRATIONS AND DECORATIONS BY
REGINALD     B. BIRCH



YORK  DODD,
COMNIPANY  Al



M E A D
CAJI I I I



NE IV
AN D

 


































        Copyright, 1903

BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY


    Published October, 1903



UNIVERSITY PRESS  JOHN WILSON
AND SON I CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

 









            PREFACE

T   o readers of " Stringtown on the
          Pike," the boy " Red Head"
          needs no introduction.  To
the author, the study of this moun-
tain lad was intensely interesting, as a
part of old-time, local conditions, familiar
from childhood. But he hardly dared
hope that the fragmentary description of
his homely life could afford more than a
passing interest to others, who might find
it difficult to believe that a character so
unique was drawn almost from life, as
typical of a class still lingering in the
mountains of Eastern Kentucky. And
yet he did hope that some would per-
ceive that behind the story rested a
serious attempt to preserve for students



4v



11h I
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Preface



of Americana some bit of that primitive
color which, so far as its lawlessness is
concerned, it is to be hoped, is destined
ere long to fade away.
  As a pleasant surprise came, then,
many cordial letters of inquiry for further
information regarding this little under-
stood people, and many appeals for the
whole story of " Red Head," apart from
the setting in which he was formerly
placed. As a result of these letters and
inquiries has come the evolution of the
present volume.
  In order to bring the reader into sym-
pathetic touch with the conditions sur-
rounding " Red Head," of which he was
a part bv heritage, as well as by training
in traditions held sacred by his people, it
was found necessary to place the events
narrated in Part I, in a time long pre-
ceding that of " Red Head " himself.
For so strange is the code still main-



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Preface



tamned in its lurid integrity by some
persons in the land of his birth, that only
by a comprehension of its ideals and
responsibilities, as accepted by them, and
which made " Red Head" what he was,
can one properly understand this lonely
mountain boy. Inured to dangers and
deeds of violence, and hunted like a wild
animal from his tenderest years, he came
at last to be the sole survivor of his
faction, on whom alone it devolved to
maintain their honor, in the only way
recognized bv them.
  For one familiar with life such as this,
it would have been an easy matter to fill
these pages with the scenes of cruelty
and vengeance that shadow the feudist's
way.   More difficult it was, but the
author hopes more useful, and not less
interesting, to portray the home life of
this misguided people in such a way as
to give touches, by inference alone, of



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Preface



the pain and sorrow that has ever been
their lot.
  Tracing the origin of the feud back to
medieval English warfare may be criti-
cised as far-fetched, and lacking historical
proof.  With this the author takes no
issue.  It may be considered in the light
of an imaginative touch, intended to show
the trivial nature of events which have
more than once involved families of wide
relationship in a warfare lasting till the
very tradition of the origin of the diffi-
culty has been lost in obscurity. And yet
it must not be overlooked that in many
rural sections of our country are still pre-
served customs, traditions, superstitions,
and words once common in England,
but long since become obsolete in that
land. To an unusual degree is this true
of certain localities in Kentucky.  Fifty
years ago ballads were still sung there,
very like the famous Old English Ballads.



viii

 




Preface



The cross-bow was not unknown in the
hunting of small game, where the author
was reared. Clannishness was prevalent
throughout the Cumberland range to a
degree perhaps unknown elsewhere in the
United States, and religious discussions
were carried on with an intensity that can
hardly be realized. Customs have changed
much since then, but secluded places
may still be found in which these very
conditions prevail.
  This introductory note would be in-
complete did the author neglect to express
his special thanks to the friends of the
Red Head of Stringtown, who, learning
of the proposed volume, and fearing
radical changes in the creation now in
print, have written urging strongly that
the character there portrayed be not
sacrificed. It is due these friends to say
that the author deeply feels their thought-
ful appreciation, and trusts that enough
                  ix

 




Preface



of the original work has been retained to
maintain the vitality of the established
plot, and to preserve Red Head's per-
sonality. To have sacrificed Red Head,
as already introduced to the world, would
have been as unpardonable as to attempt
to ignore family traditions or to soften
methods and ideals that led inexorably
to the final result.

                              J. U. L.



x

 











         CONTENTS

CHAPTER                           PG
   L. The Messenger of Peace. . .
   II. "1Yo' caint marry Martha Hol-
         comb".........9
 III. The Witch of the Waterfall .  .i6
 IV. "I savs the weddin' 's got ter take


 V. The Beginning of a Feud.   .37
 VI. "It 's   pow'ful hard, this feud
         'twixt yo 'uns and we 'uns" .  4
VILI   "A Devilish Impudent Fellow      64
VIII. Red Head. ....                  r   
IX. i; I 'm the last Red Head "  . . 8ai
  X. Red Head defends Susie    . . . 97
  XI. I prescribe for Mr. Nordman .   . io6
XI: Red Head triumphs.            ii6
XIII. Sammy's Promise.   ....126





                     xi

 





Contents



CHAPTER
XIV. The Professor of Chemistry
  XV. Holcomb.  
  XVI. The Second Journey to Witch
          Merrie's Cave  .
XVII. "There 'll be trouble in String-
          town County next week"
XVIII. Stringtown County Court
XIX. The Conviction of Red Head
  XX. The Vision of Red Head .



Epilogue.



Xii



/



PAGE
'33
148


i6o


i68
176
I81

'99
207

 











   LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


RED HEAD    .  .  .   .  .  .  .  . Frontispiece
"-Fam'ly honor don't wear out till et 's
    fought out! "...   .  .  .   Facing page 40
Raising his clenched fist, he shook it
    viciously......                   "      62
Chinney Bill Smith. "Sammy," he said "       86
Susie, with the eyes of Susie of old  .  . "  I02
"May I have the flower '' .  .  .  . ''    x 8
"-Cannot you handle a Springfield rifle
    yet  "  .  .   .  .  .  .  .   .       I26
She seated herself on the heavy timber-
    sill  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .   . "      54
"Go to Stringtown as the girl asks,
    Holcomb "   .   .  . .   .  .   . " I   8 2
The right hand of the old man suddenly
    drew a pistol.  .  .  .  .        "    202

 This page in the original text is blank.

 






      RED HEAD


           CHAPTER I
    THE MESSENGER OF PEACE

       HE   man was tall and   lank,
       dark skinned, roughly bearded
       and coarsely dressed; a typicalrfi  
mountaineer, as the mountaineer mayr
even yet be found in the uplands of
Eastern Kentucky.   He had travelled
all day from mountain home to moun-
tain hom e, stopping at each cabin only
long enough to deliver his message and
to take a bite of corn bread or a draught
of licquor.
  "Pass the word 'round," he would
say, and would then trudge onward.
Thus, from dawn to sunset he passed,
through the mountain gorges, over the
divides, into the depths of the forests./



     I          Ip

 




Red Head



    At length, as dusk came down, he
    reached a cabin separated only by a
    hog-back ridge from  his own home,
    which he had left that morning to start
    on his journey. The circuit had been
    completed; this was the last cabin to
    be visited.
      A red-faced man, with a great shock
   of tangled red hair, met him at the door.
      "Come in, Holcomb," said the host.
   "I 'm mighty glad ter see you."
      Holcomb was not long in making
   known his errand. "Thar '11 be sar-
   vices down in the creek meetin' house
   next Sunday. Bring the folks and pass
   the word 'round."
     " Who's ter preach "
     "A new man from down the state,"
S rejoined Holcomb. " He 's said ter be
   pow'ful strong."
7   g"Guess he caint beat Pappy Jeems."
f    "I ain't jedgin' his qualities, Red, but



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The Messenger of Peace



I 'm told he's got a lot of book larnin'."
He glanced about quickly, and saw that
Red's wife was sitting close by, listening,
so he moved significantly to the door.
His host followed, and the two went
out into the open air.
  "They say, Red," said Holcomb,
after a pause, " thet this preacher 's got
a queer religion, too.  He don't holler
a bit, but jest talks like es ef he war
settin' ter home, lookin' vo' in the eye.
He don't seem to keer whether we 'uns
air Baptists er Presb'terians, er Meth'-
dists er what not, er whether we 're
bound fer up er down, 'cordin' ter Par-
son Jeems er any other preacher.   He
jest preaches thet God 'II take keer of
us in the next world ef we '11 take keer
of ourselves proper-like in this, but thet
we've got ter stop shootin' an' fightin'
before we begin our pravin', ef we ex-
pects any show in the next world."
                  3



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A,      _;
   . " 11

 



                                Red Head
                       "How '11 the folks here-about take
                     sech religion " asked Red. " Mebbe
                     thet 's all right for the bottom land
                     people, but seems ter me et 's pow'ful
                     out of place in the moun'nis."
                       " Thet 's what I 'm thinkin'," assented
             ( H    Holcomb, " an' thet's what makes his
                       motie dang'rous."
                       " Dang'rous ter we 'uns, Holcomb"
                     othe, No, ter the new preacher," said the
                        otedrily. " But they say I'e 's grit
                 / 4 and talks out, right in the face of men
                     who travel with thar hands on thar guns.
                     He don't seem ter skeer er flinch a mite.
                     He jest looks a man in the eye and says
                   his say.  Que   eigion, ain'tiRd
                   thet consarns itself most in feedin' and
                   clothin' children, and lovin' a feller yo'
                     wants ter shoot, and bein' kind ter
                     neighbors one hates like sin."
                        I don't see much religion ter sech
                     preachin' es thet," replied Red, doggedly.
        t f 4





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            +t,:j 44  , sf tf 9of  xJ  a ,xav  ge,,tv t ev X t//

 




The Messenger of Peace



  "They say, Red, thet he preached a
whole sarmon over ter Turkey Foot,
and never said ' Hell' oncet."
  s" Thet 's awful cur'ous preachin',"
said Red, shaking his head thought-
fully, " but I '11 be on hand, Holcomb,
though I don't take much stock in no
sech religion.  Parson Jeems es good
Inough fer me. When lie gits through
preachin', a feller sees devils and smells
brimstun. Ef a man b'longs ter the
church, he's bound ter go ter heaven,
shoot er no shoot.  And ef he don't
b'long ter the church, shootin' and
killin' a man don't make t'other place no
hotter fer him. Thet's good religion,
too.  I guess yo're right, Holcomb,
this new preacher hed better be keerful."
  There was a pause. The men had
exhausted their subject.  The visitor
started to move on. Then, as if a new
thought had occurred to him, he hesi-
                  s

 



             Red Head
tated. " By the way," he said, "yore
oldest boy's pow'ful sweet on our
Martha, and I 've obsarved she ain't
shy no more when he's 'bout. Guess
vo yve noticed 'em, though."
   At this, a shadow passed over the
ruddy face of the cabin's owner.
   "Holcomb, yo 're right," he said at
length.  " I 've noticed them  chicks,
and now 's the best time fer me 'n you
ter talk fam'ly matters over.  P'raps
vo yve noticed thar hain't never been
a weddin' 'twixt we 'uns and yo uns.
Holcomb's countenance hardened.
   " Thar ain't no reason I knows of
why a weddin' should n't be. They're
a pow'ful nice couple, and both fam'lies
air grit."
  "Thar is a reason, Deacon Holcomb,
and till et's settled, my boy caint marry
inter the Holcombs."
  Holcomb turned quickly.   Deliber-
                  6









r 'i
   I7

 


The Messenger of Peace



ately drawing a pistol, he shoved its
muzzle close to the face of Red. But
Red, looking him straight in the eve,
showed not the slightest sign of fe ar.
The seconds passed until Holcomb
broke the silence.
  "Yo' don't mean ter say thet disgrace
of no kind hangs 'bout the name of
Holcomb "
  " I don't say nothin', 'cept thet some
kind of a reason stands 'twixt any wed-
din' 'twixt we 'uns and yo 'uns."
  " What mought be thet reason 
  " I don't know what the reason is, er
what et 'mounts ter, Holcomb, but tharm
caint be no weddin' tell et 's settled,
thet 's flat." Then he added, " Put up
yore gun, man, the time ter shoot ain't
come yet."
  All this was said in a quiet, even tone,
as though the two were engaged in a__
friendly conversation, instead of facing


        ;

 




   7         Red Head
   each other pistol in hand. Then Hol-
0 comb slowly lowered and replaced his
t weapon.
     " Them  words mean thet the gun
  comes out ag'in, ef thet reason touches
X the Holcombs."
S- "Thar'll be more 'n one gun pulled
  ef shootin' 's ter be did," replied Red.
i    " P'raps ; but let 's git ter the reason."
    " The reason '11 be ready fer the next
  time we meet."
     For a moment each stood as though
  undecided about the next movement.
     "Guess vo're right," said Holcomb,
  at last. " The reason kin be given next
  time we meet, but I wants et then and
  I wants et bad." He turned to go.
  "Be sure yo' come ter hear the new
  preacher."
    "XWe '11 all be on hand," said Red,
  grimly.



8

 







F,j



           CHAPTER II

   "YO' CAINT MARRY MARTHA
             HOLCOMB "
W X THEN Holcomb's tall form
          had disappeared behind a turn
          in the path, Red made no
movement toward his cabin. He stood
silently meditating, until another man
came from the direction in which Hol-
comb had departed. Owing to the dusk
of the evening, the intruder had come
very near before his presence was no-
ticed. He was fairly beside Red before
the latter stepped out, barring the way.
  "A word with yo', son, before yo' go
inter the cabin," said Red, placing his
hand on the other's arm.
                  a

 



            Red Head
  "What is it, dad "
  "'Peers ter me, yo' and Martha Hol-
comb air gittin' right sweet on each
other."
  "Well, pap," answered the boy, " she 's
a pow'ful nice gearl."
  "The Holcombs air grit, and no one
kin say a word 'g'inst 'em, young er old.
I says, too, the gearl 's a nice one," ad-
mitted Red.
  " Thet's fact, pap, an' thet 's why we
shine up ter each other."
  " Yes, I says all thet, but thar caint
be no weddin' 'twixt we 'uns and the
Holcombs."
  "What does yer mean, dad" said
the young man, looking anxiously into
his father's face.
  " I mean," said Red, doggedly, avert-
ing his eyes, "thet thar air reasons fer
what I says. Yo' caint marry Martha
Holcomb."



I0

 




"cYo' Caint Marry M\Iartha"



  The youth started, and an anxious
pallor came over his face. " Dad," he
said quickly, " I 've done spoke ter
Martha, and she's said yes."
  " I says thet a reason stands 'twixt
yo' and the gearl, soil."
  "But et's too late, pap.  Don't Vo'
see   No reason kin come 'twixt we
uns now.
  "Et 's a pow'ful reason, soIn.  Et
come before yo' war born, -before I
war born.  Et stands 'twixt the Hol-
combs and we 'uns, es et hes stood fer
God knows how long," said the father,
earnestly.
  " And what mought et be, I asks
ag'in " said the boy, defiantly.
  " Thet I don't know, fer till now thar
hain't been no use fer askin' nothin'
'bout et. But the time 's come, Little
Red, the time's come." He turned to
enter the house, but the younger man



II

 



Red Head



t caught him by the arm with a grip that
.could not be shaken off.
A     "Wait," said Red, "we'll talk of et
later. 1 '11 git the dokyments, and then
'   Holcomb an' me'll settle the question.
    Thar ain't nothin' vo' kin do, nothin'
 X but keep yore tongue from talkin' 'bout
 / what yo' hev heerd."
 -     The boy sullenly assented, and to-
    gether they entered the cabin and sat
    down with the family to their frugal
X supper of corn bread and fried bacon.
    After it was finished and the children
    had gone to bed, the youth took his
    hat and left the room, telling his parents
 S that he would be home along about
    morning. "Thar's a dance 'crost the
    ridge," he explained.
      Red looked at his wife. " Whar"
  I he asked.
/ t   "Over ter Holcomb's," said his son,
closing the door behind him.      The
                      I 2

 



i"Yo' Caint Marry Martha"



sound of his footsteps died away, then
husband and wife drew their chairs close
to the hearth, lest the childish ears on
the pallet near by should hear too much. g
The glowing ash-coated coals that had
warmed the evening meal touched their A
faces with a little light, which was height-
ened spasmodically by the glow of their 
pipes.
  "'Liza," said Red, " the time hes  
come fer me ter go over the moun'ns A
on 'count of them Holcombs-the time
we've talked 'bout, hopin' et mought  
never be."
    I reckon yo 're right, Red," she re-
plied. "The time es nigh 'bout ripe
fer thet visit ter the witch."
    I hates like sin ter make et, 'Liza.
I 'd ruther face a dozen derringers then
her. She's not of us people, ner of
any others I ever seen. Ner I don't
want no trouble with the Holcombs
                  '3

 



            Red Head
neither, but et 's comin, 'Liza, sure es
fate."
  "Must yo' go, Red"
  "Yes, I caint see no way of gittin' out
of et. ' When thar's danger of a weddin'
'twixt the Holcombs and we'uns,' I said
ter dad as he lay dyin', ' I '1 go ter the
witch's house, es yo' makes me promise
ter do.'  Then pap reached out his
hand. 'Et must be in the night,' he
said. 'Liza, thar ain't no way es I kin
see of 'scapin' thet promise."  They re-
mained for a time in silence.
  "Pow'ful cur'ous how a witch kin see
'cross the days thet 's not been born,
Red."
    But she kin, jest es easv es I kin
stand on a moun'n-top and see 'crost the
valleys and ridges 'twixt, ter the next
big moun'n. 'Liza, a man kin see in
the day what's made, an owl in the night
thet's gloamin', but a witch kin see

 




"cYo' Caint Marry Martha"
through days and nights thet hain't been
borned, and she kin cotch the movin' of
things what's comin'." His voice sank
lower still as he finished. The awe of
the unknown was upon him.
  WC Xyhen air yo' goin', Red "
    Now."
  He rose, took his gun from the
corner, threw his powder-horn over his
shoulder, and without another word
passed through the door into the night
beyond.



15



V

 










          CHAPTER      III

  THE WITCH OF THE WATERFALL

       HE art of the woodsman comes
       near to the craft of the seer
       who peers into things covered
from common folks. The manner in
which he passes in darkness from point
to point, where neither object, way, nor
self is visible, approaches dangerously
near the occult.
  Red but expressed the wonder others
have felt when confronted with the fact
that some persons seemingly have the
power of projecting their vision across
the light and shadows of approaching
day and night. Yet he was not aware
of his own rare gift of treading the dark
                  i6

 



The Witch of the Waterfall
trails that skirted the bluff's edge and
lined the very torrent's brink.  In con-
fidence he trudged along the mountain
ways, across the valley, along the hill-
side, through the forest, where twilight
deepens into darkness, over the crest of
the ridge, down into the hollows beyond.
There he struck the edge of a mountain
creek. Turning to follow up its course,
he came to where, in the stillness, could be
caught a moaning that seemed rather to
be felt than heard.  He went on. The
moan became a distant groan, then a
roar, and next,-a mountain waterfall,
wrapped in darkness, thundered by his
side. Clambering up a tortuous trail to
the rock above, he stood upon a flat
stone plateau.  Near him, in the very
spray of the waterfall, yawned the
mouth of a cavern.
  But so dense was the darkness that
only because he knew it to be there did



2



1 7

 




              Red Head
this cavern exist for him. The fall of
water was close below, yet the sound
seemed now to come as an echo from
the distance, the shelving rock cutting
off its directness.  Then, from the dark-
ness of the cavern's mouth, came the
sound of a human voice- a voice that
now low, now almost shrill, chanted and
wailed an old English ballad, which
seemed sadly out of place in those
Eastern Kentucky wilds.

   "Like to the falling of a star,
   Or as the flights of eagles are,
   Or like the fresh spring's gaudy hue,
   Or silver drops of morning dewv,
   Or like a wind that chafes the flood,
   Or bubbles which on water stood -
   Even such is man, whose borrowed light
   Is straight called in, and paid to-night."

   Red stood listening until the last
word, and then moved forward cau-
tiously.  Suddenly a laugh rang out, so
                    Is

 



The Witch of the Waterfall
loud and shrill, so weird and startling,
that it made him start and hesitate.
  " Ha, ha, my man! and has the time
come for the visit to the witch Ha,
ha! "
  He shuddered at the uncanny recep-
tion. Again the voice rang out. " Come
in, man, come in out of the night! "
  Advancing, he passed through the en-
trance of the cavern, turned an angle in
the stone crevice, and moved toward the
flickering ray of light. A flaming syca-
more ball, floating in a pan of grease,
lighted the rude apartment. By its side,
with upturned face, sat a form, indistinct
in the shifting lights and shadows. As
he drew nearer, the form rose and stood
before him, revealing a woman, tall, very
tall. Placing both hands on his shoulders
she looked him full in the face, and in a
low dirge chanted tbe remainder of the
verse that had just sounded in his ear:
                   19

 




               Red Head
      "The wind blows out, the bubble dies,
0 The spring entombed in autumn lies;
        The dew dries up, the star is shot,
        The flight is past - and man forgot."

      Ha, ha! " she laughed again; " and
  so, Red, at last the time has come for
  the visit to the home of witch Merrie."
    " I promised pap thet I 'd come, and
  sech es me lives up ter sech a promise,"
  replied the mountaineer, stolidly. " I 've
  come fer ter git thet reason."
    "You 've come to learn the reason
  why Little Red cannot marry Martha
  Holcomb "
    But he allowed himself to exhibit no
  surprise. "'Xactly," he answered.
    "You call me a witch, you, and such
  as you. A witch, because I know more
  of that which has passed than do you,
  and because I study better than can
  you the direction of the lines which
  reach into the future.  But let that go
                    20

 



The Witch of the Waterfall v



by; you cannot comprehend.     Your
father's friend was I, and the friend
of Holcomb's father, too."
  "The   reason  es what I wants,
Merrie !"
  "' Fool,' I said to your father, 'fool,
to think that the time may not come
when one of your race will seek a mate
from out the Holcombs.' And I told
him when that time came to send the
child's father in the night, if he feared
to have the neighbors know that a visit
had been made to such as me. To him
I would give the reason that your father
knew, but did not tell."
  " Thet 's what I 've come fer, Merrie."
  "Go back, Red, go back to your
home. 'When the time is ripe, I will
tell both the Holcombs and yourself
how the flower that once was white
turned red, and how the red became
crimson."



21

 



Red Head



   "I don't keer nothin' fer flowers, red
ner white, ner Holcomb don't, neither."
   But Merrie turned quickly on him.
"Did your father not tell you to care
for the bush before the cabin door, care
for it when everything else was gone"
  "The bush es all right, Merrie. But
flowers! Shucks ! What air they ter
me The moun'ns air full of 'em."
  "And how about Holcomb  Has n't
he a rose-bush, too  "
  C" Yes. He 's got a row."
  "And his are red. Go back," she
cried, pointing the way.  "Go back.
When the time comes both you and he
shall learn why there must not be a mar-
riage between Holcomb's folks and your
own.
  Red attempted to expostulate, but the
old woman relapsed into obstinate silence,
and he reluctantly turned to go. As he
passed through the cavern's opening, his
                 22

 




The Witch of the Waterfall



form  was  blackly  silhouetted   against
the skv, thus    showing   that   natural
vision  rather than     occult might have
led the witch to greet her visitor as she
did.
   Back over the trail the mountaineer
retraced his steps, reaching at length the
hog-back ridge separating the two fam-
ilies.  As he passed the summit, through
the still night air there came to his ear
the sound of a violin and the merry song
of young   voices.   He    stopped,  the
music bringing back to him his own
childhood, for the ballad was one that
his parents and their parents before them
had been wont to sing.
"The merry queen from Dover this very night
       came over,
 Shall she be attended or no, or no 
 Noble queen, be not offended, for you shall be
       attended.
 Bv all the respect that we owe, we owe, we owe,
 By all the respect that we owe."
                   23

 




             Red Head
   He hesitated, turned to resume his
march, and then stopped again as a
second familiar refrain rang out in the
night air.
    Sister Pheeby and me, how happy were we,
    The night we sat under the Juniper tree;
            The Juniper tree,
            Heigh-O, Heigh-O,
            The Juniper tree,
                Heigh-O."

  A flood of memories swept over the
mountaineer.   He saw   again  the troop
of young people of his childhood days
circlingabout   a  comrade, singing    in
unison the ballad to which he was listen-
ing. Then came the chorus -

"Put this hat on your head, keep your head warm,
  And take a sweet kiss, it will do you no harm
  And another won't hurt you, I know, I know,
  Another won't hurt you, I know."

  Passing strange these transplanted
songs, this recognition of royalty, this



24

 




The Witch of the Waterfall



reference to a tree foreign to our land,
  the English juniper tree, - this tribute
to Old England, and these love songs, in
the home of the illiterate mountaineer.
Strange that in the depths of these Ken-
tucky mountains should be treasured
songs that had passed from view even in
England.
  Rousing himself as the refrain died
away, Red moved onward as they struck
up another familiar ballad which began
as follows:

    "King William was King Arthur's son,
      From the royal diadem."

  At last he opened the door of his
cabin.  His wife raised her head from
the pillow.
    What war thet reason, Red"
    I did n't git et. The witch would n't
tell."
  "And what '11 yo' do now "
                  25

 




           Red Head
  " Holcomb'll ax me fer et next time
we meet, sure."
  " And what'll vo' tell him "
  " I caint tell him nothin'. We'll jest
fight et out."



26

 










          CHAPTER IV

 "I SAYS THE WEDDIN'S GOT TER
            TAKE PLACE"

      ROM   near and far the mountain-
      dwellers came that Sabbath morn-
      ing to the " preachin' " announced
by Deacon Holcomb, making their way
from their homes in the valleys, on the
cliffs, and in the forest's depths. Among
them were old men, too old, seemingly,
to stand the journey, for most of the wor-
shippers came on foot.   There were
many children, too, led by careworn
mothers  or lank   fathers.  Friends
grasped hands and gave hearty greetings,
while others brushed elbows, but cast no
glance of recognition.
                  -7

 



             Red H ead
  The new preacher, he of the mild re-
ligion, was a tall, slender, white-faced
young man of great depth of character,
but too refined in word and manner
favorably to impress an audience such as
this. In a low voice he lined the psalm,
in the simple fashion of the day, and
musically led the tune. It was a strange
text that he took, and from it he preached
an equally curious sermon. A pleading
it was for love of man to man.   He
depicted the joy of one who lived for
kindness, who lived to love; and con-
trasted therewith the sorrow and dis-
tress of those dependent upon   men
swayed by passion and the mad im-
pulse to fight. Strange, above all, did
it seem to those who listened within
those rude log walls.   Many signifi-
cant glances were exchanged; many a
head was shaken in token of inward
protest.



28

 




Holcomb Insists



  The final hymn, new to all who listened,
was at last sung by the minister alone,
whose low musical voice just reached the
farthest corner of the room.
  Then came the call of sinners to the
mourners' bench, the final test of a
preacher's power in the eyes of that
simple people. Silence fell, but none
came forward.
  A flush overspread the minister's face.
He drew his hand mechanically across
his forehead and, raising his arm, his
outstretched  hand  slowly swept the
room. Then he spoke.
  " Oh, my brethren ! would that I
might be God's agent to bring you who
sin to feel the touch of love you need to
feel for one another."  He paused, and
then, with ringing voice, hurled at his
hearers a charge that stands on record
yet: " Lawless are ye, one and all, ye
who shoot and stab, and fight as do



20

 



              Rcd Head
 brutes, and yet dare not do your Master's
 bidding. Know, men of these moun-
 tains, that which you call bravery is cow-
 ardice - sin-begotten cowardice. K now
 that gods such as you worship are
 devils ! "
   He held the Bible aloft. "You who
 belong not to the church dare not do
 your duty to God and man. You who
 confess bv reason of fear of the devil
 and not of love to man and kindred lie
 to your God upon this sacred book."
 In silence he stood for a moment. Then
 his eyes dropped, the flush passed from
 his cheeks; he raised his hands and in
 a quiet voice pronounced the benedic-
 tion.  Next, as was the custom, he
 asked if there were any announcements,
 for, in that sparsely settled country, items
 of general interest could be more widely
t voiced by public announcement after
church service than in anv other way.



30

 



Holcomb Insists



  After an interval, a young man and
a young woman, who had been sitting, as
was customary, on opposite sides of the
room, came forward and stood before
the minister, to whom the young man
whispered a few words.   Then thev
turned, folded their arms, and faced the
congregation.
  "These young people desire to an-
nounce their engagement," said the min-
ister. There was no movement, and
again he spoke:
  "According to the custom of the
people, a custom handed down from
father to son by those who brought it
from abroad, these young people desire
to ask if any in this room have reason to
deny them the right of marriage. They
ask for the protest now, if protest there
be; and if it be not made now, the young
man bids me proclaim that the wedding
will take place next Saturday night."
                 31