Show Telegram ll H Hostile t II I 1 Vall V 1 1 J ll by 1 Ben Be I Fiction 0 s e Valley a e y r. r Ames Williams am Will Bissells Bissell's store in Frat Fraternity Village is not only a astore astore store but also is a social center and an ana a clearing house for news of the countryside After supper a dozen or ora a a score of men are likely to drop in there for the mail for a few dry m or for nothing at all aU except the chance to listen and to speak in turn Jim Saladine came down the hill from his farm on the ridge one spring evening and found Chet h t McAusland usland there ther before him and Gay Hunt and Luke Hills and others too Chet short and straight and vigorous despite his seventy seventy seventy sev sev- enty years was speaking when Saladine came in speaking speaking speaking speak speak- ing as he was apt to in the spring of fish and fishing He greeted Jim with wit a n nod c and finished what he had been saying You hear hearil a m many ny a tale Jale of big trout from out there he he- confessed But grudgingly enough Id I'd I rather eat at a small trout anyway anyway and I 1 can cai catl catch catch a good mess in ther the r meadow mcadow adow- adow brooks long along tow toward rd dark any time 9 Gay Hunt retorted with a deris derisive ve chuckle Just the same sam there theres something f funny about it that you that you never w went nt out there liking to fish the way you do dc JY So S Saladine asked curi curiously u ly Out where Gay 1 i He I J 4 Y l r t- t o 0 4 f was a a. a famous hunter of the deer and d of partridge ge a and he liked trout as well a as any man S S' S Careys brook out in Hostile Valley Gay explained He pronounced the word to rhyme with smile with a along along along long vowel in the second syllable Bart Carey w was s in here a while ago claimed that a man staying at his place c caught three hv two one afternoon last week Now a a two-pound two trout is for th the streams about Fraternity Fraternity Fraternity Fra- Fra Fra Fra- unusual and to catch three such monsters in a single single single sin sin- gle day was without pr precedent c dent Saladine was interested yet not immediately credulous Ive h heard ard such tales he admitted d. d But I dunno This Thi Carey he act ct like a man to tell the truth Know him dont don't you Gay protested Lives right there at Careys Carey's bridge His pa used to take boarders folks that come ome for the the fishing After Alter the old ICI man died Bart and his brother broth had had- had had-a a row row and his broth brother r pulled out B Barts Bart's ts t's sister killed ed herself here a year ago I 1 dont don't kno know as 1 I ever see sec him Saladine I HI never got o out t to Hostile Valley He chuckled faint I HM af Matter Mattex e of of fact I always wa s. s kind Kin of dodged t the pl place e. e e na c of it I guess c continued i u io on i. i t 4 4 5 4 g J Tele ra nt n Hostile H os tel 1 e Valley V a II ey Ames b br Ben e Continued from F rase Fue One The others nodded understandingly This Hostile Valley had in fact an ill ill- repute Hidden away In the hills e somewhat north and west of Frater Fraternity nIt it was a deep gorge between t two ridges s and the slopes were bold i and black with spruce timber and they had a a. a trick of at catching low clouds and find squeezing them of at moisture moisture mois ture so that rain fell often otten there and farms arms did not greatly pro prosper per The very aspect of or the place was somehow somehow somehow some some- how gloomy and forbidding Its It an Awful Hole Once I Is Enough Chet McAusland said now I went In there once Its It's an awful hole Roads are arc bad and theres there's a t tangle of or down timber along the brook enough to drive you ou crazy and the mosquitoes an and black flies lies are awful Once was enough for mc me Gay Hunt assented Me I 1 never liked the sound of or iL ii it There was in intact fact tact a h harsh asperity in the very name conjuring a n picture of a countryside countryside coun inhabited by dour and silent folk olk who looked askance at a stranger strang strang- er How come it to be call called d that in the beginning Chet knew the answer to this question ques- ques ques Ques- tion Von as he was apt to know all the ancient lore of these hUI hills It goes back to th the sixties he said Th They y had a kind of or war of ot their own out there Th They y fit m the draft and there want ever a man from Hostile Valley Val Val- Valley ley drafted at oil all For the south was ryas the they Gay asked sIted It want that so much Chet de de- clard It was more that the folks out there you cant can't ever drive emOld cm em Old Enoch Ferrin r riled led them got th their ir backs up up And he continued c ed Enoch was the boss co coon n arol around nd there then Ive I've heard my my- father rather tell eU IL it He had a a farm on the ridge this side and ard he had four ons sons and one of cm em had gone to South Carolina and married I down there When the war started Enoch wrote rote him to come home and this son son his his name n was Will Will Will- wouldn't do it So Enoch made mad his other three e sons list and told em to go hunt up this brother of theirs and kill kiU him for a rebel and Enoch he tried to organize a company out there In the valley But he was kind kindor of or bulldozing about it so folks got their backs up and wouldn't go for him nor anybody So the they had a rough time of at it for a while Will Lives Out There an Able Man luau Saladine asked gravely Did they kill kilt Will wm 7 Chet shook his head The Th other three sons all aU got killed their own selves he explained It was like it was a Judgment on Enoch After Afler the war his head went queer from thinking thinking think think- ing about it and hed he'd have died on th the town but this Will h he come home and took gentle care of the old man mantill mantill till he healed died H He added Wilts Wills grandson grandson grand grand- son is the one lives out there now Nam Names Name's s 's Will too H Hes He's s 's on able man man Ga Gay asked quickly Aint his wife the one ne Chet nodded nodded the one he agreed in a a. a heavy tone There was a moments moment's hushed pause the same thought in all their minds Ferrins Ferrin's fame it was clear extended for lI The men here hithe in lri inthe th the store exchanged sidelong glances and then Luke Hills Hilts said mid In a hushed tone Ive seen her herl He was it appeared alone in this distinction and though no one spoke there were questions in their eyes Luke was a large simple man not used to hold the center of or the stage yet et som somewhat what of ot a braggart too But Buth Buthe Buthe h he spoke now with a cautious rest re re- st sh IntHis Int nt His Sister Amy She Killed Herself I was working In Seth Humphr Humphreys' Humphreys s ss s steam am mill mm out there he explained The Th time Will Ferrin killed Seth for chasing around after her Nobody blamed Will I guess Seth started it iL Anyhow h he shot Wills Will's leg oil off butWill but butWill butWill Will had bed a hold on his throat by that time and hung on I 1 helped lug Willup Will up un to Marm Pierces Pierce's after The truck Seth was driving its it's still jammed in inthe inthe inthe the shed where it skidded when he hep p put t the brakes on The mill never run runa a a. a day after This Mis' Mis Ferrin Ferrin someone prompted and Luke said guardedly Well I 1 never see a woman like her Just looking at her would make makeI a man kind of lift of-lift lift his comb and strut like a fighting cock There'd bemen be beI bemen men around the house sometimes at I Inight night like dogs dOIS- Yes sir I 1 was glad to I git out of there Hed He'd Always Have Hard Liquor in i Cellar Saladine commented slowly Ive heard he tell that Will Ferrin is a good man man A nod here and there answered answered an an- him assenting ng I never heard much about this Bart Carey though Saladine added Will Bissell from behind the candy counter remarked Bart he stops in here once In a awhile awhile while whit on his way to East Harbor Hes He's kind of t toll tall U and looks to be able beable able and he speaks right up to you Id I'd say hes he's all aU right Luke Hills supplemented this We used to go up to his place from from the mill mm of or an evening sometimes he I said Bart hed he'd always have hard cider r in th the cellar and maybe mabe some rum He dont don't farm ann much He takes folks to board that want to come and fish the brook Likes a good time And he added His sister this tallone tall tallone tallone one that killed herself Amy her name was she kep kept house for him She was a nice nice looking looking woman too teo How come she killed herself Saladine asked gravely Luke shook his head I dunno That was after I 1 come com back here hei Their talk turned presently Into another channel but when by and andI by Will Vm began to turn out the lights I as a suggestion that it was time Ume timeto to go home Saladine and Chet Chel went out to Jims Jim's car together and in inthe inthe inthe the car started up the hill hili Chets Chet's farm was on the shoulder of ot the ridge where two roads forked and Jim stopped there to let the otheman other othe r man down You say you never fished Careys Carey's brook brook only that once ho asked then Once was plenty plent Chet replied Do anything Chet shook his head A few small ones Its It's a chancy brook he ic explained He added honestly Its full of big trout trout- though In Inthe Inthe Inthe the deep holes and down through the tho bog if It a man could get I i at them v Say we try It some day Sala- Sala line Ino proposed the Sho Chet protested sense In going so far when you youcan youcan youcan can get plenty nearer home The roads is awful Saladine Sets Sel Out OutTo OutTo To Explore J Valley Jim chuckled This old car Is used to bad roads Chet Im I'm n a mind to go Id I'd like to h hate te a look at that brook You come along But Chet would not and Saladine's Saladine's Saladine's Sala- Sala dines dine's curiosity was stimulated bythe by bythe the others other's attitude Chet was not a fearful tearful man nor given to imaginings imaginings imag Imag- yet ct it was obvious that he had a lively ely distaste for this hidden When valley with the harsh name the two men said night good-night and Jim drove on up up the hill his in intent intent in- in inI I tent was by Chets Chet's very reluctance h crystallized And two or three days later when rain and tho promise of more rain made farm work a tedious business of ot turning soaked water clods which weighed heavily upon the plow he took the opportunity thus afforded Ill be back bydark by bydark bydark dark or a little after he told Mrs Saladine when he set out I 1 dont don't aim to do much only to look over the brook and try a few holes But it would be long after dark before he came home and many things would happen in the intervening intervening intervening inter inter- hours But he set out with no ings It had rained the day before and in the night a sharp torrential downpour The road from his farm to the village was rutted anc and washed away along the tho borders and mud splashed merrily under his wheels Chains Jim decided might be useful and he stopped atthe a athe at atthe the garage in North Fraternity to bu buy a a. pair Lon Pride the garage man had news to relate Hear about the murder out at Liberty he asked with unction Jim had not heard hcan and Lon s said id Old man mm Mayhew lived on tho the road to Macs Mac's acs ac's corner they found him dead this morning with his head beat in They've sent for the sheriff Jim knew Sheriff Sherlf Sohier but not old man Mayhew Nevertheless he was tempted to turn to-turn turn that way In Inthe Inthe Inthe the end he put this temptation aside but he ho would be glad lad to know where the sheriff could be found before this day was done The chains adjusted he went on and there was a prickling excitement excitement excitement excite excite- ment a deep sense of adventure li In n nhim him as he drove They Tiley All Say They're Going Fishing By and by he arrived at a farm where a man had just felled a knotted old beech across th the road blocking the way and he pulled up to ask directions The farmer took off ort his hat and scratched scratched his head all he said Yore going right If you want to come to Careys Carey's Course this Here hero is the hardest way Bart dont don't ever come ou out this way Will Ferrin he docs does though Its It's handiest for him Saladine glanced toward tov the felled tree Looks like I might have lave trouble getting past that tha there here he suggested The farmer grinned Theres Wheres worse places than that he said Theres There's places that's gullied ou out something scandalous What do you ou want to go In there for anyway anyway any any- way vay Jim said Fishing The other with a mile mild mirth in his dry eye So they all alay al all say ay say he commented In a sardonic sardoni tone one But I 1 guess fully as man many stop top at Ferrins Ferrin's as go on t to Careys Carey's Saladino Saladine understood the allusion I He fe had heard tales enough of this thi woman who was wife to Will Fer Fer- I rin n Legend painted her as a fig fig- figure fig I ure re at once glamorous and sinister seductive and heartless enticing and nd without scruple Her repute had ad spread for miles mlle across this mans man's present Incredulity not sur- sur rising He was conscious of some rank frank curiosity on his own account account ac- ac count to seo see such n a woman wonder wondered won- won cred dered der d whether their paths would cross ross today Starts For Hostile J Valley But just now he listened to the theother other other ther mans man's directions and drove on n. n The road was miserable The car cart laboring In low ow gear ascended steadily till Ull through a gap gap In the theon woods on the right S Saladine v sa saw 10 love ow lands and knew that ho was well up on the slope of the barrier ridge dge So he came camo at last to its crest rest and followed that high land landor for tor or a n space and In a sort of ot saddle in n the ridge he found foune another road turning to the left in the direction In n which he wished to go o. o This was a road by all the signs not ot much used with ruts unmarked unmarked un- un marked by the tread of ot an any recent tire and last years year's grass dead be- be twe the ruts and boulders that tha t had lad Deen een heaved upward by the frost Yet it was beyond doubt the thel proper road and Saladine turned Into it without hesitation After a few tew rods however he checked the tho car for tho the road emerged upon a nal naked ed ledge beyond beyond beyond be be- yond which It dipped steeply downward down down- ward From this ledge Idge it was possible possible possible pos pos- sible to sec see a sweep of the valley far below Above him the clouds scurried low and menacing and the they were like a n sodden blanket across the valley He could discover no least sign of habitation anywhere nothing noth noth- nothing nothIng ing save this sweeping forest carpet carpet car car- pet the sodden from car I. last nights night's rain the hardwoods still naked half-naked thinly clad in their just springing leaves I He saw a solitary crow silent flying lyIng on swift-beating swift wings as though even this dark Ill bird only crossed the valley because be because because be- be cause it must and was in haste to come to a pleasanter scene Hostile Valley Like Hidden Pool And Saladine was not cold yet he shivered Then he laughed at nt athis athis his own uneasiness and l looted ofed the brake and between a a. double screen of tangled trees and underbrush on either cither side of the road began the he steep descent Into the unknown Sometimes In tho the deep forest the adventurer will come upon a hidden hidden hidden hid hid- den pool Its Il quiet surface mirrorIng mirroring mirroring mirror mirror- ing the sky and tho the clouds across the Iho |