JULIE BRINGS DISTURBING NEWS
"Is that right, Loot'nant?" demanded the mountaineer, leaning forward
and peering searchingly at his informant.
"It is my information."
"Whar you hear it?"
"I overheard it one night. Another thing. That friend of yours, Lum
Bangs, I should not trust too far were I in your place. Mind you, I
don't speak with any knowledge that he isn't your friend, but I should
advise you to keep your eyes on him."
"Ah reckons you-all ain't such a fool as ye look," grunted Jed Thompson,
turning abruptly and striding away.
"Whew! That was a blow below the belt," muttered Hippy. "I am glad that
Emma Dean didn't hear that."
Lieutenant Wingate heard Thompson getting his horse from the barn, and,
a moment or so later, saw him riding away, rifle thrust in the saddle
boot. Jed did not return until late that night, after all were asleep.
The doctor had decided to remain all night with his patients, so
Elfreda and Grace made up their beds in the barn for a much-needed
night's rest.
Before they were awake next morning, the mountaineer had again ridden
away, and soon after breakfast the girls began work on their equipment,
patching up the tents and sewing the blankets that had been cut. The
doctor reported that Lizzie and Sue were considerably improved, and
decided that, if their improvement continued, he would return to Holcomb
that afternoon.
This he did, leaving medicine and explicit directions after extracting a
promise from the Overlanders to remain with the patients until he came
up later in the week.
Three days later the Overland Riders, having finished their mending,
pitched their camp in the open near the barn, where they felt much more
comfortable.
During the days that followed the departure of the doctor, the girls and
Julie came to know and understand each other better. Julie would sit for
hours watching them at their sewing or knitting, as they in turn watched
over the sick children. Elfreda told Julie of their work in France, of
the bravery of Grace Harlowe and Hippy Wingate; of the little orphan
that Grace had taken from a deserted French village one night and later
adopted; of her own little Lindy, the hermit's daughter, and of many
other things that deeply interested the black-eyed, fiery mountain girl.
In return, however, Julie told very little of the affairs of the
mountaineers. Like all of her kind she was close-mouthed, as the
Kentucky mountain people had learned from bitter experience was the only
way to safety, for an indiscreet word might be passed along and bring
the revenue officers down on the moonshiners, which most of the mountain
men were.
While nursing the sick girls, Grace wrote to Tom at Hall's Corners,
asking him to wait there as the Overland outfit undoubtedly would be
late in reaching the rendezvous. Hippy, in the meantime, with Julie's
assistance, had found and bought a horse to take the place of his lost
pony.
The doctor came up on Saturday, and after looking the patients over
announced that they were now wholly out of danger.
"Then, I suppose we are no longer needed here," suggested Miss Briggs.
"Well, I shouldn't exactly say that, but it will be safe to leave them.
Julie must have learned something from your attention to her sisters,"
said the doctor.
"She has learned to be helpful, at least," interjected Grace. "We would
not go, but it is important that we start as soon as possible. However,
Doctor, if you think we should stay longer, we will do so."
"Go on. You young women have done more than any one else has ever done
for these people. Jed is a queer fellow, but I know he appreciates it,
though he is diffident about saying so. Where is Jed, by the way?"
"We have seen him only once since you were here," Hippy informed him.
"By the way, Doc, do you know a fellow named Jim Townsend?"
The doctor gave Lieutenant Wingate a quick, keen glance.
"Can't say as I ever met him," reflected the medical man, stroking his
chin. "Why?"
Hippy shrugged his shoulders, but made no reply.
"Were I in your place, Lieutenant, I shouldn't mention that name up
here. It might not be safe," he warned. The doctor changed the subject
and began giving Julie explicit directions for the care of the sick
children. Elfreda added some suggestions of her own regarding their
food, which suggestions the doctor approved, and left after shaking
hands and beaming upon each Overland Rider.
The next day being Sunday, the entire party rode to the little mountain
church, three miles from the Thompson cabin, and attended services. The
devoutness of these queer mountain folk, moonshiners and feudists
included, interested them deeply.
Early the next morning, their equipment having already been packed, they
bade good-bye to the Thompsons. Julie cried a little, and the sick
children clung to Grace and Elfreda as if they could not let them go.
Before leaving, Nora slipped some money into Julie's hand.
"This is for new clothes and shoes for yourself, the children and your
mother," she whispered. "My Hippy wished me to give it to you." Giving
Julie an impulsive kiss, Nora ran out without giving the mountain girl
opportunity to recover from her surprise, and, after Julie had
recovered, her amazement at the amount of money held in her hand left
her altogether speechless until the Overland Riders had jogged away and
were out of sight.
They were short on equipment and provisions, but knew that they could
replenish their supplies at the general store at Hall's Corners.
Although they might have made the journey in two days' hard riding, it
was decided to make camp early in the afternoon and rest up and enjoy
the scenery, and on the following day camp about five miles from their
destination, going on to Hall's Corners on the third day. After their
idleness at Thompson's all hands were thoroughly enjoying being back in
the saddle, and even Emma was enjoying herself so keenly that she forgot
to be petulant or to "con-centrate" on anything at all.
In the two days' ride, which they made without incident, meeting very
few persons, and not being annoyed by any one, they had come to hope
that they had left the troubled area of the mountains behind them and
that only peaceful scenes lay before them. Hippy, however, still
insisted that he was a marked man.
It was some time after the evening meal of the second day when they
heard a horse galloping along the wagon trail that they had followed
ever since leaving the Thompson place.
Hippy held up a hand for silence, and the Overlanders sat listening
intently.
"Some one is in an awful hurry," observed Emma.
"Going for a doctor, perhaps," suggested Hippy. "That's the way I rode
when I went after old Doc Weatherby."
"Only one rider," announced Grace. "Otherwise we might have reason to
feel disturbed."
The horse suddenly slowed down, its rider probably attracted by the
light of the campfire.
"Hulloa the camp!" shouted a voice.
"A woman!" exclaimed Nora.
"Hulloa! Come on in so we can see who you are," called Emma.
"Howdy," answered the rider, picking her way towards them from the
trail.
"Julie!" cried the Overlanders, as Julie Thompson rode into the
flickering light of the campfire.
"What is the matter? Has something gone wrong, Julie?" begged Grace,
running forward, her companions following close at her heels.
"Ah reckons somethin' is goin' t' right smart," answered the girl,
slowly dismounting.
Washington was summoned to take her horse, with directions to water and
groom it, for the animal was wet with sweat.
"See here! Where did you come from to-day?" demanded Hippy.
"Ah come from home, an' Ah been er ridin' ever since sunup, Ah have.
Ah'm sore an' Ah'm hungry, folks!"
Nora and Anne ran to prepare food and coffee for their guest, while
Grace and Elfreda led her to the fire and made Julie sit down.
"Is anything seriously wrong at home?" begged Miss Briggs.
Julie shook her head.
"Not yit. Thar may be. Liz an' Sue is feelin' fine. Paw ain't home, but
he tole me t' find a hoss an' git to you-all as fast as Ah could. Ah
didn't have no horse so Ah helped mahself t' one o' Lum Bangs' an' rid
him right here."
They did not press Julie for the reason for her long hard ride until she
had gulped down a cup of coffee, then Lieutenant Wingate suggested that
she tell them what it was all about.
"Ah come t' warn you-all," she said. "Paw said as ye oughter know 'bout
it right smart."
"Yes? What is it?" urged Grace.
"You-all got t' turn aroun' an' go back, 'cause Bat Spurgeon an' his
gang is waitin' fer you-uns on the White River Ridge," announced Julie
unemotionally.
Hippy uttered a partly suppressed whistle.
"That is where they are going to collect the price on your head,"
suggested Emma Dean.
"Sh--h--h!" rebuked Anne. "This is news to me. Who is Bat Spurgeon? Is
there something you have kept back from us, Grace?"
"I don't know much about him except what Hippy told me after his capture
by the mountaineers. I don't wish to speak of it here," with a
significant glance at Julie. "How do you know this, Julie?" she asked,
turning to the mountain girl.
"Paw! Don't know how Paw knowed 'bout it. Paw knows nigh everything
'bout what's doin' up here. Reckon you-all'll have er right smart time
gittin' to the loot'nant's property ever, 'cause that's where Bat an'
his bunch make their hangout."
"Do they live there?" asked Hippy.
"Reckon they do now an' ag'in."
"They carry on their business there? Is that what you mean, Julie?"
questioned Elfreda.
"Don't know nothin' 'bout that."
The girls exchanged significant glances. True to her type, Julie would
not even expose an enemy. The Spurgeons and the Thompsons were feudists,
and had time and again made war on each other for several generations,
and it was their policy not to talk, but to let their rifles talk for
them.
"What you-all goin' t' do?"
"We are going on, of course," announced Lieutenant Wingate.
"You-all shore'll git lammed if ye do," warned Julie.
"No we won't, 'cause I'll con-centrate. I think I will begin this very
night, and by the time we reach that Ridge place all will be sweet
peace," bubbled Emma.
Hippy Wingate shook his head and sighed.
"We must go as far as Hall's Corners, Julie. You know I have to meet my
husband there. We shall, from then on, have one more man in the party
and ought to be able to protect ourselves from those Spurgeon people,"
said Grace. "However, we will take up the question with Mr. Gray upon
arrival at the Corners and decide upon what is best to be done."
"It is very fine of you, Julie," complimented Miss Briggs, laying a
friendly hand on Julie's shoulder. "It really is wonderful that you
should do all this for us."
"It has helped us a lot, Julie," added Anne. "You see we now know what
to look out for. Otherwise we probably should have innocently walked
right into trouble."
"And out again as fast as horseflesh could carry us," muttered Hippy.
"What is your father going to do about the Spurgeons?"
"Ah don't know. 'Bout what?"
"Oh, most anything," answered Hippy lamely.
"Well, Ah reckon Ah'll be gittin' back home," sighed Julie.
"No, no!" protested the Overlanders in chorus. "You will remain here
to-night. Your horse is tired out and so are you," added Grace.
It required considerable persuasion to induce the girl to stay, but she
finally consented. Grace and Elfreda arranged to have Julie use their
tent, for they wished to talk with her, and the result of that chat in
the seclusion of the patched-up tent was that Grace and Elfreda gleaned
considerable information. They learned from Julie, indirectly, that it
was her father who sent Lum Bangs, in the guise of a game constable, to
threaten the Overland party and drive them out of the mountains, her
father having heard the story of the bear when he got home that day.
As to why Jed Thompson was so eager to be rid of the party, Julie had
not a word to say, though her questioners had their own suspicions.
It was late when the three girls finally dropped off to sleep, but Julie
was up with the break of day. Hearing her, Elfreda and Grace also got up
and made a hurried breakfast, and assisted her in saddling her horse.
Julie rode away waving her good-bye, happy in the thought of a good deed
performed, for her brief association with the girls of the Overland
party had opened her eyes to many things.
After breakfast the Overlanders held a consultation over what Julie had
told them about conditions on White River Ridge, but deferred their
decision as to what should be done until they had talked the situation
over with Tom. Soon after that they packed up and rode away, reaching
Hall's Corners about ten o'clock in the morning. They halted at the
general store, which also was the post office, hitched their horses to
the tie rail and hurried in for their mail.
"I have a letter from Tom," whispered Grace to Elfreda. "I must talk it
over with the girls. Get them outside as soon as they can be induced to
lay aside their letters."
"Not bad news, Loyalheart?"
"It may be," answered Grace. "Tom finished his government contract a
week ago and went on to the Ridge to make the survey of Hippy's property
before we got there, and leaves directions as to where we may find him.
Elfreda, I don't like this at all."
"That means that we start for the Ridge and more trouble. Good! Let's
go!"