The Blue Ridge

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33. Short Warning



Abide-With-Me Shortoff was standing on the door-sill, peering in, the manner and look of him furtive.

"You, Bide?" Miss Emmy's superfluous remark was none too cordial.

"Hello, Shortoff," said Parker. 'Tou surprised us. How's the corn doing?"

The mountain farmer crossed the room to a stand before his one-time neighbor. There was obvious excitement behind his somewhat irrelated remarks.

'Tm watching it grow. Admire to see you-uns up again. I left Sally hoeing over the hilltop, but she'll soon miss me and like as not follow. It's right hard having to work with a woman, eat with her, sleep with her - never get away. She's a dinged sight worse than the conscience she allows I've done got along so far without. But I'd best be wagging my tongue. I be ready, Parker, to talk business. Have you got some on your hip - some to sell?"

"Some what, my friend?"

Parker reseated himself and indicated a chair for the visitor. But Bide seemed in no mood for rest. He shuffled after the younger man and leaned over him, his fingers twisting and untwisting.

"You-uns ain't got no call to be afeard of me. IVe come here to pay you a favor if you'll pay me one back. I got the wherewithal at last to buy a jug of the juice. Made it beating straws for Rex Currie down to the carnival. Hid it in a holler tree afore I came home, so Sal ain't wise. Tom knows I ben't no dry at heart. As for you-uns, I was certain sure from first sight that you wa'n't no revenuer."

He slunk one hand into a side pocket of his baggy jeans and suggestively jangled a small collection of coin.

"There ain't no time to lose." He cast an uneasy glance toward the door. "She's likely trailing me, I tell you. If you-uns got any handy, leave me have It, so's I can slip outen the back."

"And what's this favor you've got to swap?"

"The drys are plumb onto you. The real revenue slicks have done arrived."

Bide evidently thought direct thrust the speediest course toward the end he so devoutly desired.

With a chirp as of a menaced mother-bird, Miss Emmy sought a chair. "There's been premonitions using in my head for days. Before come the light of this morning I woke up with a feeling that "

Its exact nature was bagged in her apron.

"Real slicks?" Parker started to laugh, then, from certain crowding fears of his own, as well as from respect for those of the anxious relative, controlled himself. "How do you know. Bide? What are they going to do?"

"I squeezed it easy-like outen Sal. With a peart wife a married man's got to lead a kind of tricky life - leastways he's obliged to if ever he hopes to get a few swigs on the quiet. Them new foreigners carry papers from the gover'ment and badges and a right smart say-so. There's going to be a soon raid, and they've done offered a reward to the guide as can show them a short-cut. This here warning shows I'm wet all through, don't it? My hide wouldn't be worth tanning nohow if Sal caught me giving it. Considering as how to-morrow's going to be too late, will you sell me that jug or "

"Your hide's worse than tanned a-ready!"

The interruption announced a calico streak that had slithered through the door into their midst. Sally Shortoff, woodswoman and militant wife, descended upon her refractory mate.

With a shrill cry he so inappropriately named leaped for the nearest of the several rear doors. But he was stopped short In the accomplishment of retreat.

"Best wait a minute, Bide - I'm gunned, and a powerful good husband-hitter at that."

In view of the shotgun bearing upon him, Bide turned body and mind to escape other than by way of his legs.

"Nobody's earned a better right to shoot down a man-hound than his own wife," she commented in tempered approval. "Now you step lively along of me and make some fire-wood. I'll see to it you do chores close to the cabin until after - leastways until I say. Reckon you won't need a dose of the county jail along with the rest of the law-breakers and liars - not after I get through with you."

Judging himself referred to, Parker responded with a pleasantry. "And how does our fair mantamer find herself this afternoon?"

The outraged expression on her soda-blscult face, belied any generic weakness for flattery.

"Able to struggle along under the cross of hetraitors, praise God!" she replied, her rich drawl crisped. "May He lam you like you deserve - He knows I've got my hands full with Bide. If I keep my own man dry - and I'm aiming to or kill the no'count critter what I took for better instead of worse - I'll be entitled to my crown o' glory. All I got to say to you-uns Is you'd best break away from that Jezebel Verney what's done sirened you while yet there is time."

"But my dear lady "

Evidently she was in no mood for the Parker manners.

"La, you needn't waste breath denying it! Just have a care, say I. This here ain't no country to be trifling with females, nohow. Such as ain't able to look after their own rights, gets 'em looked after by others, and Tom Metcalf, if he keeps out of jail long enough, will have you nagging with that shekin of his'n along to a minister of the Gospel before you can save your "

"Sally Shortoff, you git up and outen here!"

Something more threatening than the shotgun faced the lady of advices - a fair, fat and forty tigress in defense of her own. "Don't you dast bandy the name of our Verney, or I'll "

"Scant need of my bandying." The gangly woman folded her arms against her barren breasts as she outstared the buxom one. "All the Gappers know, and likely all their cousins and their second cousins know what's been going on up here. None blames Rex Currie for leaving the pretty jade in the lurch. There's maybe more to Verney's smiles than you see. I got a right to say my say, for none can claim I ain't filling my virtue vows."

To a glance of Infinite love toward him she had just assailed, she added a command: "Slope along, now, you critter, what I'm going to learn, sure enough, to abide with me!"

Bide "sloped."