Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

A Cumberland Vendetta by John Fox
page 82 of 85 (96%)
slow pallor drove the flush of surprise from her face, and her lips
moved once, but there was not even a whisper from them. Rome
raised one hand before his face, as though to ward off something. "
Don't look at mc that way, Marthy-my God, don't! I didn't kill him.
I sw'ar it! I give him a chance fer his life. I know, I know-Steve
says he didn't. Thar was only us two. Hit looks ag'in' me; but I
hain't killed one nur t'other. I let 'em both go. Y'u don't believe me?
" He went swiftly toward her, his gun outstretched. Hyeh, gal! I
heerd ye swore ag' in' me out thar in the gyarden-'lowin' that you
was goin' to hunt me down yerself if the soldiers didn't. Hyeh's yer
chance!

The girl shrank away from him, too startled to take the weapon;
and he leaned it against her, and stood away, with his hands behind
him.

Kill me ef ye think I'm a-lyin' to ye," he said. "Y'u kin git even with
me now. But I want to tell ye fust "-the girl had caught the muzzle
of the gun convulsively, and was bending over it, her eyes burning,
her face inscrutable-hit was a fa'r fight betwixt us, 'n' I whooped
him. He got his gun then, 'n' would 'a' killed me ag'in' his oath ef he
hadn't been shot fust Hit's so, too, 'bout the crosses. I made 'em;
they're right thar on that gun; but whut could I do with mam
a-standin' right thar with the gun 'n' Uncle Rufe a-tellin' 'bout my
own dad layin' in his blood, 'n' Isom 'n' the boys lookin' on! But I
went ag'in' my oath; I gave him his life when I had the right to take
it. I could 'a' killed yer dad once, 'n' I had the right to kill him, too,
fer killin' mine; but I let him go, 'n' I reckon I done that fer ye, too.
'Pears like I hain't done nothin' sence I seed ye over thar in the mill
that day that wasn't done fer ye. Somehow ye put me dead ag'in'
DigitalOcean Referral Badge