kly. "I reckon we'll see Dave purty soon.
If this ain't the beatenest!" she repeated, and she laughed again, as
she always did laugh, it seemed to Hale, when there was any prospect of
getting him into trouble.

"You can't git over thar till long atter dark," she said again
presently.

"Is there any place on the way where I can get to stay all night?"

"You can stay all night with the Red Fox on top of the mountain."

"The Red Fox," repeated Hale.

"Yes, he lives right on top of the mountain. You can't miss his house."

"Oh, yes, I remember him. I saw him talking to one of the Falins in town
to-day, behind the barn, when I went to get my horse."

"You--seed--him--a-talkin'--to a Falin AFORE the trouble come up?" the
girl asked slowly and with such significance that Hale turned to look
at her. He felt straightway that he ought not to have said that, and
the day was to come when he would remember it to his cost. He knew how
foolish it was for the stranger to show sympathy with, or interest
in, one faction or another in a mountain feud, but to give any kind of
information of one to the other--that was unwise indeed. Ahead of them
now, a little stream ran from a ravine across the road. Beyond was a
cabin; in the doorway were several faces, and sitting on a horse at the
gate was young Dave Tolliver.

"Well, I git down here," said the girl, and before his mule stopped she
slid from behind him and made for the gate without a word of thanks or
good-by.

"Howdye!" said Hale, taking in the group with his glance, but leaving
his eyes on young Dave. The rest nodded, but the boy was too surprised
for speech, and the spirit of deviltry took the girl when she saw her
brother's face, and at the gate she turned:

"Much obleeged," she said. "Tell June I'm a-comin' over to see her next
Sunday."

"I will," said Hale, and he rode on. To his surprise, when he had gone a
hundred yards, he heard the boy spurring after him and he looked around
inquiringly as young Dave drew alongside; but the boy said nothing and
Hale, amused, kept still, wondering when the lad would open speech. At
the mouth of another little creek the boy stopped his horse as though
he was to turn up that way. "You've come back agin," he said, searching
Hale's face with his black eyes.

"Yes," said Hale, "I've come back again."

"You goin' over to Lonesome Cove?"

"Yes."

The boy hesitated, and a sudden change of mind was plain to Hale in his
face. "I wish