ENTER BIG JERRY
As Donald stopped, uncertain, there came the sound of measured, heavy
footfalls on the beaten dirt path outside the cabin. The girl's face
lighted up joyfully; she hopped to the door, flung it open, and a
slightly stooping, but gigantic, form stepped in out of the darkness,
caught her up in his huge arms and submitted with a quizzical smile
while she pulled his face toward hers by tugging at his long beard, and
kissed him.
Across the tumbled masses of her hair the newcomer's still piercing dark
eyes, blinking a little under their shaggy brows as the fire leaped in
the draft from the open door, caught sight of Donald as he stood back
among the shadows. He straightened up suddenly, and his brows drew
together in a suspicious scowl.
The city man knew enough of the primitive code of the mountain people to
understand that the presence of a man,--especially a strange man,--alone
in the house with a young woman, was fraught with unpleasant
possibilities. But, before he could speak, the child-woman had launched
into a vivacious, if ungrammatical, explanation and story of what had
occurred. In substantiation she now raised her short skirt and lifted
the bandaged foot, with utter freedom from embarrassment, and laughed
deliciously until an answering smile crept slowly into the eyes of the
old mountaineer.
With a simple courtesy, which seemed to hold something of innate
majesty, he stepped forward, and extended a weatherbeaten hand, several
sizes larger than Donald's, and boomed out in a deep voice that matched
his physical proportions, "Yo're suttinly welcome, stranger. What
happened warn't no fault o' yourn, and I'm plumb obleeged ter ye fer
fixin' up my granddarter's hurt. Draw up a cheer fer the stranger,
Smiles, he'll jine us in a bite er supper. The fare's simple, but I war
raised on't, and 'pears ter me thet I top ye some."
"I should say that you did. You make me feel small, and it's not often
any man does that ... physically, I mean."
The two clasped hands, and Donald winced as his own powerful fingers
cracked under the crushing pressure of those of the older man, who
seemed to take a boyish delight in this display of his tremendous
strength.
"What a colossus he is," thought Donald, as he gritted his teeth to keep
back the involuntary exclamation of pain, for, although the massive
shoulders and Jovian head of the mountaineer were stooped forward, he
towered fully three inches above the six foot city athlete, and his
iron-gray beard, rusted with tobacco juice about his mouth, swept over
his chest almost to his waist.
"Thanks for the invitation," he said aloud, as he covertly nursed his
right hand. "It's mighty kind of you, but I don't want to impose longer,
and, besides, I'd better start back to Fayville before it gets dark
altogether. If you'll just tell me the most direct way, ..."
"Wall, I reckon the most _dee_rect way air ter go straight through the
woods thar a piece, an' then jump off'n a four hundred foot cliff," the
old man chuckled titanically. "But I likewise reckon taint pra'tical;
leastwise, not onless yo' happen ter be one o' them new-fangled
aviationeers I've hearn tell on. However, here ye be, an' here yo're
goin' ter stay twill atter supper. Come, child. Sot on another plate fer
the doctor man."
"Donald MacDonald's my name, sir."
"Peers like yo'r paw stuttered when he give yo' thet name," laughed the
giant. "Mine's Jerry Webb--'Big Jerry,' they mostwise calls me
hyarerbouts." There was simple pride in the nickname evident in his
voice.
"Of course, if you really want me to stay, I'd be glad enough to do it,
Mr. Webb, although I don't like to cause any more trouble for Miss ..."
"'Rose' air the given name of my leetle gal, but folks gener'ly calls
her Smiles, fer short." The old man spoke with a noticeable tenderness
toning his big voice.
"And there's no need of explaining the reason," answered Donald in a low
aside so that the child, who was busy over the stewing kettle on its
primitive crane, might not hear. "I never expect to see another to equal
hers."
His host sent a sharp glance at him, then, softening, it travelled to
the graceful form of the girl silhouetted against the ruddy glow of the
open fire, whose reflection outlined her warm flesh with a tint of
burnished copper.
"Yes," he responded simply. "Seems like, when thet leetle gal's sweet
face lights up with a smile, hit's like a sunbeam a-breakin' through the
leaves an' playin' on a waterpool in the quiet woods."
"Oh," interrupted Rose with a cry. "I done plumb ferget ter git the milk
from Uncle Perly's, but 'twon't take more'n a minute. Kin I take Mike?"
she added, pleadingly, as she buried her slim fingers in the rough hair
on the dog's neck, while he stood sniffing acquaintance with the huge
boots and homespun pantaloons of the giant.
"Sure; that is if you're not still afraid that the neighbors' dogs will
make a meal of him," smiled Donald, and the object of the conversation,
who seemed to sense its meaning, sprang eagerly erect and placed his
forepaws on the girl's breast.
"No dawg haint a-goin' ter tetch him whilst he's with me," she responded
with quiet assurance. "Come, Mickey."
"Which air a fact," supplemented her grandfather, as girl and dog
disappeared with a rush and a bark. "Dumb beasts an' children worships
Smiles--an' hit haint scarse to be wondered at, fer she love 'em all.
An' she's more rememberful than her grandpappy. Yo' see, we don't
gener'ly hev milk fer our coffee, 'ceptin' when company comes."
In some distress at this frank announcement, Donald said, "But I don't
like to have you put yourselves out for me. I wouldn't have stayed
if...."
"Now, don't let thet idee disturb ye a mite. We're glad ter hev ye with
us, an' what fer air friends ef hit haint ter be an excuse fer a leetle
extry celebration? Set down, set down thar."
Donald obeyed, and, while his host moved ponderously about, depositing
the contents of a bundle which he had brought, studied his surroundings
curiously. It was his first experience within a real "feud country"
cabin, and he was interested to see how closely its appearance coincided
with what his imagination had painted from reading fiction woven about
them. To his quiet delight he found that it might almost have served as
an illustration for such a book, as, one by one, he mentally checked off
the salient features. There were the hand-hewn timbers of wall and
unsheathed ceiling; the yawning rough stone fireplace with its wrought
iron crane, and, above it, a rifle whose unusual length proclaimed its
ownership; the strings of dried herbs and red pepper pods--few, to be
sure, and dusty with age--suspended from the rafters; and, in one
corner, a crude ladder leading into the loft.
Only one thing was missing, the wall-beds or bunks, for the hand of
civilization had pointed to one improvement, and doors, obviously not a
part of the original simple structure, opened into a small addition,
roughly partitioned into two sleeping rooms. They were of equal size,
but there was no need of labels to proclaim their occupants, for one was
so nearly filled with a bed which would have served for Golden Locks'
biggest bear, that the rough clothing which was suspended from wooden
pegs on the opposite wall hung against it, whereas the other contained,
besides a narrow bed, a small chest of drawers with a cheap mirror above
it, and a chair. The one window was draped with a daintily-flowered
material, which Donald decided was calico, a cover of the same material
lay across the chest, and on it--in the place of honor between an old
comb and brush stood a small blue-and-white jar, whose cheaply glazed
surface caught the flicker of the fire and winked at him as though it
were aware of the absurdity of anything so trivial being held in such
high esteem. More of the "calico," which really was an inexpensive but
tasteful chintz, hung against the wall and served to hide from prying
eyes the child's meagre wardrobe, and a bow of it was perkily tied to
the back of the chair.
Donald smiled his amusement and caught an answering grin on Big Jerry's
face. "She haint like we-all," he said. "Wants ter hev bright an' purty
things erbout, an' ..." he lowered his voice, "durned ef she didn't make
me a _necktie_ of thet thar stuff--seen one on a 'furriner' once." The
visitor felt a warm satisfaction over the thought that his own costume
didn't include such excess adornment.
"I put hit on ... once, ter please her, but I reckon hit didn't make
much of a showin' under _this_." He ran his fingers reflectively through
his heavy beard for a moment; then, with his voice still a forte
whisper, he added, "Say, stranger, I've got a leetle drap o' white
liquor hid out in the woodshed whar Smiles kaint find hit, an' ef yo'd
delight ter wet yo'r throat afore she comes back, why ..."
The door flew open with a bang, and Rose and Mike tore in, panting and
a-glitter with diamond drops of rain. Instantly the expression of simple
guile on the old man's face changed so ludicrously to one of overdone
innocence that it was all Donald could do to keep from laughing.
"Storm's a-comin'," cried the girl, gayly, while the dog rushed madly
around the room, with his nose to the floor and barking hilariously,
until his master seized him by the back and held him, squirming. A flash
of distant lightning substantiated the announcement, and a few seconds
later their ears caught the crescendo reverberations of thunder as it
echoed down the valley.
Mike growled uneasily and crouched close to his master's legs, but Rose
ran again to the door and stood, heedless of the rain which beat in
upon her wind-whipped skirt, peering out with evident delight. A still
more vivid, zigzag flash rent the serried masses of black storm-clouds
which were rolling up over the mountain's top, edging the nearer one
with fire, and she laughed merrily and clapped her hands like a child.
"Shet thet door, yo' young vixen," bellowed Big Jerry, plainly
disturbed. The girl obeyed, and gave him a kiss, and the whining dog a
reassuring pat, as she hurried back to finish setting the table--a
simple matter, for there was no spotless damask, glittering silver and
cut glass to deck the white-scoured top of the plain slab which formed a
substantial table for many purposes.
In a moment she had announced, quite informally, that supper was served;
but, just as the two men arose to take their places, there came a long
"hulloo-oo" above the sound of wind and rain. Again Rose dashed to the
door, with the cry, "Why, thet's Judd Amos; I knows his call."
Without reason or warning Donald experienced a quick tightening about
his heart, the absurdity of which caused him to smile. What on earth was
it to him if this mountain child's color heightened a shade at a
familiar call in a masculine voice?
The next instant a tall youth, as lean and sinewy as an Indian, stumbled
into the room, with his rough coat about his head, and water streaming
from his drenched clothing and the barrel of a gun, which was every whit
as modern and efficient as Donald's own.
"Gosh a'mighty," he said. "Thought I'd be drownded, shore. Hit's a-goin'
ter be a rip-snorter ... worst storm er the summer, by the way hit's
started." Then, as he dashed the rain from his eyes, and, for the first
time caught sight of the visitor, he stopped short in none too pleased
surprise, if the black look which went toward Donald from beneath his
lowering brows meant anything.
"Make ye acquainted with Donald MacDonald, a doctor man from the city,
Judd," boomed the giant's hearty voice. "Doc, shake hands with a
neighbor uv ourn, Judd Amos."
As Donald stood up he managed to silence Mike's throaty growl with a
warning shove with his foot. The men formally clasped hands, their eyes
looking steadily into each other's from the same level, and this time,
primed by his earlier experience, the city man exerted all of his
strength, and felt a glow of childish satisfaction as the other winced.
"Set ye down, Judd. Draw a cheer up by the fire, yo're soaked," said Big
Jerry. "Honey-rose," he added, addressing the girl in a wheedling tone,
"Judd 'pears ter be powerful soaked an' cold. Kaint he ... kaint we-all
hev jest a drap o' white liquor?"
He stroked his beard and pushed aside his drooping mustache in
anticipation, but to no avail, for her answer, uttered firmly and with
no suggestion of a smile in her deep eyes this time, was, "'Deed yo'
kaint; nary a drap. Yo' know, an' Juddy, _he_ knows ..." to Donald
there seemed to be some special significance in her words, "thet thar
haint a-goin' ter be nary a drap o' thet devil's brew in house o' mine.
Why, I be plumb s'prised at ye, grandpap."
The tremendous old man rubbed his whiskers faster and hemmed
apologetically. "In course I haint got none ... in the cabin ..." he
glanced quickly at Donald, "an' I didn't mean nothin', Smiles. Come,
swing yo'r cheer erround ter the table, Judd, we'll jest fergit the
eeliments, an' enjoy a dry celebration in the doctor's honor ... all
'cept Judd, he air plenty wet," he added, in a jocose attempt to turn
his mistake into a jest. "Rose hurted her foot, an' doc, he done hit up
fer her real nice."
More bashfully than before, the girl extended the injured member in its
now mud-bedraggled bandage for the newcomer's inspection.
Donald had been watching the scene with quiet amusement over the child's
assurance, and had noticed not only the look of sorrowful resignation on
her grandfather's face, but the dull flush which mounted the swarthy
cheeks of the younger man. Judd's mouth retained the straight line for
some time, but a quick burst of light-hearted song on Smiles' lips, as
she turned to dish up the savory stew, showed that the incident was
forgotten by her as soon as it was ended.
"Better let me lift it down for you," said Donald, as she swung the
crane with its heavy iron kettle from the fire. "We don't want any more
burns here to-night."
He jumped up and acted on the words without giving the matter a thought,
but it seemed to him that the girl's pleased, "Thank ye, sir," was a bit
embarrassed, and that the men regarded him with blank surprise. Not for
a minute did it dawn upon him that his act had not been according to the
code of the mountains.
They were all seated at last, but yet another surprise was in store for
the visitor, for Rose folded her hands, bent her head until the curls
veiled the glowing face, and began a simple blessing. Big Jerry sat bolt
upright with his eyes screwed up ludicrously, and, although Judd bent
his head the merest fraction, it was with obvious embarrassment, and his
flashing optics kept sending suspicious glances at the "furriner" as
though to discover if he were laughing at them all. In fact, nothing was
further from Donald's mind. It had been long since he had partaken of a
meal at which grace was said, but the simple, homely words touched a
chord of memory and made it vibrate to a note which brought both pain
and pleasure.
The host's stentorian "Amen" was the signal for attack, and for a time
the business of satisfying the demands of healthy hunger was paramount
to all things else. It was no feast of wit and wisdom, but of something,
for the time being, more desirable, and the application of the other
three gave Donald an opportunity to study covertly the unusual group of
which he had so unexpectedly become a part.
Although he was essentially a man of action, his brusqueness of manner
was, in part at least, a pose which had become unconscious, and, deep
within his heart, in a chamber carefully locked from the gaze of his
fellow men, dwelt Romance and Imagination--the spirit gifts of a mother,
whose death, five years before, had brought him his first black grief.
Had this visioning power been lacking in him he could never have
accomplished the modern miracles which he had already wrought many times
in constructive and restorative surgery. Now, the spirit of imagery in
his soul was stirred by something in the romantic unreality of his
surroundings--the rude, yet interesting room which served all family
purposes save that of slumber; the mellow radiance from a crude lamp and
the ever-changing light of the open fire; the long, wavering shadows
within the cabin; and, without, the banshee wailing of the storm wind
around the eaves, the occasional crash of thunder, the creaking of limbs
and fitful dashes of rain. He found himself leaning back in his chair
and mentally attempting to dissect and study not the bodies, but the
personalities, of the three who were the representatives of a type, in
manners and customs at least, new to him.
In his boyhood, and before the pressing demands of his profession had
enslaved him, Donald had been an insatiate reader, and now he
endeavored to recall to memory some of the stories which he had read
about this strange people, whose dwelling place was within the limits of
the busy, progressive East, yet who were surprisingly isolated from it
by natural barriers, and still more so by traditions slow to perish.
Pure of stock he knew them to be, for their unmixed blood had had its
fountain source in the veins of some of America's best and earliest
settlers; primitive in their ideals, strong in their simple purposes and
passions, the products of, and perhaps even now factors in, blood feuds
whose beginnings dated back generations. And, although he laughed at
himself for his imaginings as he remembered that the twentieth century
was ten years old, he found himself assigning both the men places in his
memory picture.
Big Jerry, slow of speech, patriarchal in looks and bearing, powerful in
body, became, to his mind's eye, the venerable chieftain of a mountain
clan. Judd, with his aquiline face, which was undoubtedly handsome in a
dark, brooding way, beneath its uncombed shock of black hair which swept
low over his forehead, sinewy with the strength, quickness and muck of
the natural grace of a panther, was the typical outlaw of the hills.