knows by the sound—she 'll lift her voice and call out: "Jerd! what on the face of the yeth air you doin' in there? You 'll stumble an' break some er them things in there thereckly. Why don't you come out an' show yourse'f? You hain't afeard er nothin' ner nobody, I hope."
Whereupon Mr. Pruett will come out—a giant in height, with a slight stoop in his shoulders and a pleasant smile on his face. And he will give you a hearty greeting, and his mild blue eyes will regard you so steadfastly that you will wonder why Mrs. Pruett asked him if he was afraid of anybody. Later, you will discover that this inquiry is a standing joke with his wife, for Jerd Pruett is renowned in all that region as the most dangerous man in the mountains when his temper is aroused. Fortunately for him and his neighbors, he has the patience of Job.
You will find on closer acquaintance with Jerd Pruett that he is a man of considerable information in a great many directions, and that he is possessed of a large fund of common sense. Naturally the talk will drift to the murder of the young woman by Toog Parmalee. If you don't mention it, Mrs.
