Nor did these rough men hesitate at murder. So he rode most
of the time with his hand on the butt of the pistol at his belt, and
whenever he went through woods, which was most of the time, he kept a
wary watch to right and to left.
The first person whom he passed was a boy riding on a sack of grain to
mill. Dick greeted him cheerfully and the boy with the fearlessness of
youth replied in the same manner.
"Any news your way?" asked Dick.
"Nothin' at all," replied the boy, his eyes enlarging with excitement,
"but from the way you are comin' we heard tell there was a great battle,
hundreds of thousands of men on each side an' that the Yankees won.
Is it so, Mister?"
"It is true," replied Dick. "A dozen people have told me of it, but the
armies were not quite so large as you heard. It is true also that the
Yankees won."
"I'll tell that at the mill. It will be big news to them. An' which
way be you goin', Mister?" said the boy with all the frankness of the
hills.
"I'm on my way to the middle part of the state. I've been looking after
some land that my people own in the mountains. Looks like a lonesome
road, this. Will I reach any house soon?"
"Thar's Ben Trimble's three miles further on, but take my advice an'
don't stop thar. Ben says he ain't goin' to be troubled in these war
times by visitors, an' he's likely to meet you at the door with his
double-barreled shotgun."
"I won't knock on Ben's door, so he needn't take down his double-
barreled shotgun.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142