g enough to put out a plug of tobacco as large
as his fist to be replaced with another equally as large, and continued:

"Now, Wade, ye've got ther best of one man anyway, an' I reckon ye
better keep ther knife thar a little while. Hit'll do us all good some
time, an I reckon ye better not go a-fishin' ter-day, 'cause Al
Thompson'll turn ther mountain over ter do us up. I seed Frank Buckalew
ter-day, an' told him how things was a-goin', an' he said he'd fix
things warm over t'other side, an' he'll do it, too. He's my cousin, an'
as good a fighter as ever carried a gun over ther mountain, I seed him
kill a feller onct after the other feller had him kivered. Hit was done
so quick he never know'd what struck him."

CHAPTER XIII

Late August and seasoning. Many of the farmers who had raised tobacco at
all had it stored in their barns, some intending to sell openly, and
others to throw into the pool. The great association knew what was going
on from the top of the mountain to the cities below. "The Wolf,
Night-Watch," had been very busy from the beginning of the burning
season through the turning, resetting, and gathering. He knew just how
much tobacco each farmer had raised, where it was stored, when and to
whom he expected to sell it, and what he expected to realize on the
sale. He knew how much tobacco Jack Wade had stored in his barns down on
the Redmond farm, and he also knew that Wade was in thorough sympathy
with the association, which was making strenuous efforts to raise the
price of tobacco to a point where living expenses could be met.

Every farmer knew Wade now, and looked upon him as a strong friend and a
powerful help in the community. His popularity had grown to such an
extent that he was recognized as a leader, and his counsel was eagerly
and continuously sought. He had made such a thorough study of the
situation that he was familiar with all points. His great genius was
highly esteemed, his knowledge of tobacco and the manner of raising it
brought many of the older raisers to converse with him, and he freely
talked with everyone, giving his idea in full. The result of his study
was that more tobacco and a much higher grade was being raised on less
ground than the old heads thought it possible to raise at all.

When the purchasers from Hopkinsville came, Wade searched them
thoroughly with his keen eye. He knew they had intended to put the price
down low, and he was going to meet them in a manner