oln ter make blockade licker,"
went on the angry parent, "but ye hain't above rampagin' about these
hills seekin' trouble an' raisin' up enemies whar I've done spent my
days aimin' ter consort peaceable with my neighbors. Hit hain't been
but a week since ye broke Ratler Webb's nose."

"Hit come about in fair fight--fist an' skull, an' I only hit him
oncet."

"Nobody else didn't feel compelled ter hit him even oncet, did they?"

"Mebby not--but he was seekin' ter bulldoze me an' he hurt my feelin's.
I'd done laughed hit off twic't."

"An' so ye're a-goin' on a-layin' up trouble erginst ther future. Hit
hain't ther _makin'_ of licker thet's laid a curse on these hills.
Hit's _drinkin'_ hit. Ef a man kin walk abroad nowadays without totin'
his rifle-gun an' a-dreadin' ther shot from the la'rel, hit's because
men like me hev sought day an' night ter bring about peace. I counseled
a truce in ther Stacy-Towers war because I war a Christian an' I didn't
'low thet God favored bloodshed. But ther truce won't hardly last ef ye
goes about stirrin' up ructions.

"Bear Cat Stacy!" stormed the older man furiously as his anger fed upon
itself. "What air a bear cat anyways? Hit's a beast thet rouses up from
sleep an' crosses a mountain fer ther pure pleasure of tearin' out some
other critter's throat an' vitals. Hit's a varmint drove on by ther
devil's own sperit of hatefulness.

"Even in ther feud days men warred with clean powder an' lead, but
sich-like fightin' don't seem ter satisfy ye. Ye hain't got no use fer
a rifle-gun. Ye wants ter tear men apart with yore bare hands an' ter
plumb rend 'em asunder! I've trod ther streets of Marlin Town with ye,
an' watched yore eyes burnin' like hot embers, until peaceable men drew
back from ye an' p'inted ye out ter strangers. 'Thar goes ther Bear
Cat,' they'd whisper. 'Give him ther whole road!' Even ther town
marshal walked in fear of ye an' war a-prayin' ter God Almighty ye
wouldn't start nothin'."

"I don't never seek no fight." This time Turner Stacy spoke without
shame. "I don't never have no trouble save whar I'm plumb _obleeged_
ter hev hit."

"Thet's what Kinnard Towers always 'lowed," was the dry retort, "though
he's killed numerous men, and folks says he's hired others killed,
too."

The boy met the accusing glance and answered quietly:

"Ye don't favor peace no more than what I do."

"I've aimed ter be both God-fearin' an' law-abidin'," continued the
parent whose fa