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Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander), 1862-1919

"The Scouts of the Valley"


It was Henry and Shif'less Sol who were followed the second time,
but they easily shook off their pursuers as the twilight was
coming, half waded, half swam down the creek, and climbed up to
"The Alcove," where the others were waiting for them with cooked
food and clear cold water. When they had eaten and were
refreshed, Shif'less Sol sat at the mouth of "The Alcove," where
a pleasant breeze entered, despite the foliage that hid the
entrance. The shiftless one was in an especially happy mood.
"It's a pow'ful comf'table feelin',"he said,"to set up in a nice
safe place like this, an' feel that the woods is full o' ragin'
heathen, seekin' to devour you, and wonderin' whar you've gone
to. Thar's a heap in knowin' how to pick your home. I've
thought more than once 'bout that old town, Troy, that Paul tells
us 'bout, an' I've 'bout made up my mind that it wuzn't destroyed
'cause Helen eat too many golden apples. but 'cause old King
Prime, or whoever built the place, put it down in a plain. That
wuz shore a pow'ful foolish thing. Now, ef he'd built it on a
mountain, with a steep fall-off on every side, thar wouldn't hev
been enough Greeks in all the earth to take it, considerin' the
miserable weepins they used in them times.


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